The 2025-26 Premier League season finally roared into life over the weekend, and even after just one gameweek, there have already been a wealth of lessons to take away and learn from ahead of the next 37 matches of the league campaign.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur had disastrous league seasons in 2024-25, but both showed encouraging signs in their opening fixtures that they could be stronger than many predicted, laying down positive markers even if there remain areas for improvement.
The newly promoted teams also made positive impressions in their opening matches, showing their ambition and signalling their intent to buck the recent trend of all three promoted teams suffering immediate relegation back to the second tier over the past seasons.
Finally, performances and results from the predicted title contenders suggest that this year's race for the Premier League crown may be closer and more dramatic than ever before.
Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at these three key lessons from the 2025-26 Premier League’s opening gameweek.
Man Utd & Spurs Spark Optimism
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim on August 17, 2025
Manchester United come into the 2025-26 season simply having to improve upon an unacceptable 15th-placed finish last term - their lowest in Premier League history - and while the Red Devils were defeated 1-0 by Arsenal, the performance was far from discouraging.
Ruben Amorim's side unexpectedly dominated the ball against the Gunners as they held 60.66% possession, something they have not managed against the top sides in the league since Louis van Gaal's tenure, while they took 22 shots to Arsenal's nine.
Man Utd were ultimately unable to score, and a disappointing corner goal consigned them to defeat, but there is a strong sense of optimism surrounding the club following the improved performance, with a feeling that if the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko can start converting chances, then the Red Devils could be a significantly stronger proposition this campaign.
Meanwhile, Tottenham Hotspur, who finished 17th in 2024-25, got off to a winning start under Thomas Frank, as Spurs secured a 3-0 victory over Burnley in their opening Premier League fixture.
Tottenham Hotspur manager Thomas Frank pictured on August 16, 2025
Frank has already demonstrated the tactical flexibility that helped land him the Spurs job in the first place, with his side switching from a more robust and direct three-defender system against Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup to a possession-heavy 4-3-3 against Burnley.
No team attempted more passes inside their own half than Tottenham on the opening weekend of the Premier League season, while their passing approach also led to 16 shots, including a delightful 17-pass move for Richarlison's stunning second goal.
Heading into a difficult matchup with Manchester City, fans will be hoping to see more of the same tactical flexibility from Frank, with a formidable defence and a consistently creative attacking approach.
Promoted Sides Poised To Compete
There has been a worrying emerging trend in the last two Premier League seasons that has seen all three newly-promoted sides fail to bridge the gap from the Championship to the top flight and suffer immediate relegation back to the second tier, but this year's promoted sides are looking to buck that trend.
While Burnley produced the weakest performance of the three as they lost 3-0 to Tottenham, the Clarets did create chances against Spurs and were particularly defensively strong in the first 45 minutes - conceding just five shots in the first half - signs that Scott Parker's side can hold their own against Premier League opponents.
Meanwhile, Leeds United demonstrated how difficult a place to visit Elland Road is likely to be this season, as the Whites were utterly dominant over Everton, especially in an opening 45 minutes that saw Daniel Farke's side hold 63% possession and take 12 shots, while the Toffees were prevented from taking any efforts of their own.
Lukas Nmecha of Leeds United scores a goal and celebrates
Despite their control over the fixture, there are still clear improvements needed in attack for Leeds, as the Whites lacked any true quality in the final third, with the Whites having to rely on a late penalty goal from debutant Lukas Nmecha to seal their 1-0 victory.
Finally, certainly the most impressive of the three newly promoted teams on the opening day was Sunderland, who secured a sensational 3-0 win over West Ham United, a statement result against a side expected to be their relegation rival this term.
Regis Le Bris's side produced a balanced performance with equal emphasis on keeping a solid defence and a threatening attack, an even more impressive achievement given nine of the 15 players to step foot on the pitch were making their competitive debuts for the club.
Sunderland captain Granit Xhaka on August 16, 2025
The Black Cats were particularly potent from crosses into the box, with Eliezer Mayenda and Dan Ballard each scoring headers, while a clinical counter for Wilson Isidor's late goal highlighted Sunderland's physical and technical ability to match the Premier League.
Combined with these promising signs from the new Premier League outfits, lacklustre performances from West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford should give them plenty of encouragement that they could survive this season.
Title Race Promises To Thrill
At the other end of the table, there were early signs from some of the top teams that suggest the battle for the 2025-26 Premier League title could be one of the most thrilling and tense in recent memory.
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike celebrates scoring on August 15, 2025
Liverpool got the season underway on Friday night in an action-packed 4-2 victory over Bournemouth, with Arne Slot's champions demonstrating their exceptional attacking prowess through the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, though the Reds did appear vulnerable on the counterattack with the Cherries twice scoring from quick transitions.
Last term's runners-up also got off to a winning start, as Arsenal scraped past Manchester United with a 1-0 victory in a difficult away trip to Old Trafford.
The Gunners may have been second best for much of the encounter, but a solid defensive display and yet another set-piece goal helped lead them to a victory despite not being at their best - one of the biggest signs of a championship-winning side - and improvements are certain to come in the following weeks.
Manchester City's Tijjani Reijnders celebrates on August 16, 2025
Manchester City made arguably the biggest statement of the weekend, destroying Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-0, with Erling Haaland, Oscar Bobb, Rayan Ait-Nouri and man-of-the-match Tijjani Reijnders all showing they are more than capable of leading Pep Guardiola's side back to the top of the standings this term.
Finally, Chelsea were many people's underdogs to fight for the title this term, and despite an underwhelming performance in a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace, there were bright signs from the likes of Josh Acheampong, Moises Caicedo, Reece James and substitute Estevao.
While it is yet to be seen if Chelsea will be able to join the fight for the Premier League's top spot, the remaining three teams have all shown both strengths and also weaknesses that indicate all three could be operating on a similar level, setting up a potentially breathtaking title battle.
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