The 2025/26 Premier League season continued with drama, upsets, standout performances, and no shortage of controversy in Gameweek 2.
The 2025/26 Premier League season already produced several talking points on the opening week, and the excitement continued in Gameweek 2. The second round of fixtures began with an emphatic come-from-behind 5-1 win over West Ham United, which showcased the West London club’s title credentials.
Saturday’s action tipped the scales, as the day began with Tottenham Hotspur’s convincing 2-0 win over Manchester City, which would excite many Spurs fans. Saturday was a day of clean sheets, as each losing team failed to find the back of the net.
Bournemouth beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 to help Andoni Iraola continue proving his credentials as a world-class coach. Burnley shrugged off the opening-day blues by clinching a 2-0 win over Sunderland, while Brentford eked a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, a result that may leave many supporters concerned.
Saturday’s action ended with Arsenal’s statement 5-0 win over Leeds United, with the North London outfit slow off the blocks before getting into the groove and putting the West Yorkshire outfit to the sword. Sunday produced some intriguing results, as Crystal Palace held off Nottingham Forest to secure a 1-1 draw and Everton beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 before Manchester United played out a stalemate.
Finally, Monday produced an action-packed match, as a 10-man Newcastle United showed incredible grit and desire before suffering a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool. The game had several arcs, including the Alexander Isak transfer saga, which has engulfed the two clubs. Anthony Gordon’s brain fade earned him a red card, and Rio Ngumoha scored the late winner to seal the three points.
After all that action and a pause for a breath, The Hard Tackle breaks down five key takeaways from Gameweek 2 of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The Premier League title race: Chelsea prove credentials, but Manchester City are back to the drawing board
Enzo Maresca and Chelsea had questions to answer after an uninspiring display in the goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace in Gameweek 1. Many wondered if the West London club’s best would come in cup competitions instead of the Premier League. However, the Blues were back in form against West Ham United.
While the question marks arrived again after Lucas Paqueta scored an early goal, that was as good as it got for West Ham United, as Enzo Maresca’s charges cruised to a 5-1 win. The performance showcased an impressive range of goalscoring from Chelsea, as attackers, midfielders, and defenders found the back of the net.
The goals ranged from eye-catching to simple tap-ins, with Chelsea also scoring twice from set-pieces. That the statement victory came without Cole Palmer would have convinced many to consider Chelsea as a Premier League title contender. However, one team returned to the drawing board on Saturday.
All seemed right at Manchester City after they cruised to a 4-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in Gameweek 1. However, the defeat to Tottenham Hotspur this past weekend was reminiscent of the struggles of the 2024/25 season.
While Pep Guardiola’s men dominated possession, they did not utilise it efficiently. On the other hand, Tottenham did much more with the ball, playing through Manchester City’s press beautifully and creating several chances. While James Trafford handed some openings on a platter, Tottenham’s relentless pressure did the trick.
Most importantly, the team hardly resembles a Pep Guardiola side, as they struggled to create as many chances as they would have liked. Additionally, unlike a Guardiola bunch, they emphatically lost the midfield battle to Tottenham, with Joao Palhinha running the show with his all-action display. So, Guardiola has much to work on for Manchester City to come back into Premier League title contention. More on the other contenders later.
Unai Emery has much to worry about at Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s rise under Unai Emery has been nothing short of impressive, with the Spanish tactician showcasing his tactical nous in the last few years. By next month, the West Midlands club would have played in all three European competitions, having impressed in the UEFA Europa Conference League and the UEFA Champions League in the previous two seasons.
Emery built that success on a punishing offensive output, with Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers being two of the most impressive players in the Premier League. However, the goals have dried up in the first two weeks of the 2025/26 season, with Aston Villa yet to find the back of the net this term.
The Villans have managed only five shots on target in two games thus far, with the team struggling to create chances for Ollie Watkins. The failure to sign Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio has been Aston Villa’s undoing, and unless they complete more offensive reinforcement in the final week of the summer transfer window, the struggles may continue.
Additionally, Aston Villa’s impending participation in the UEFA Europa League means they will have a gruelling schedule, particularly if they progress into the knockout rounds. Unai Emery cannot sustain efficiency without a deep squad, and if new signings do not arrive by Monday’s transfer deadline, Aston Villa may be in trouble. However, PSR issues are not helping Emery and the West Midlands club.
Moods swing at Arsenal and Manchester United
The pre-eminent match in Gameweek 1 of the 2025/26 Premier League season ended in a 1-0 win for Arsenal over Manchester United. Yet, despite the result, Mikel Arteta had question marks surrounding him and his tactics, while Manchester United showed promising signs.
The Red Devils were comfortably the better of the two teams and deserved more from the game. Refereeing errors did not help Manchester United, either, but the performance compelled many Manchester United fans to expect a much-improved output from Ruben Amorim’s charges this term. On the other hand, Arteta’s pragmatic tactics left much to be desired. That all changed this past weekend.
While Arsenal’s rustiness has not gone away, they are slowly getting into the groove, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring a confidence-boosting brace. Bukayo Saka also produced a much better display, although he will be unavailable for a few weeks due to a hamstring injury.
The Gunners already had an indomitable defensive unit, and Saturday’s performance showed that they have goals in their kitty. That it came before Arteta’s men are in full flow is promising, and Eberechi Eze’s impending addition to the team should produce more chances for his new teammates. All in all, Arsenal’s squad building has been exceptional, and they are several steps closer to winning the Premier League title if things continue on the same trajectory.
On the other hand, no one expects Manchester United to win the title this season, which already shows how far they have fallen and continue to fall. However, Ruben Amorim has promised improvement from his team in the last few weeks, which was nowhere to be seen after the first 15 minutes of the game against Fulham.
Granted, Manchester United should have already been three goals up before Fulham found a footing in the match, but poor finishing is also part of a lack of improvement. Additionally, Bruno Fernandes is clearly uncomfortable in the midfield role when it is evident that he is much more productive in a more advanced role.
However, Ruben Amorim wants more progression from the middle of the park, which only Bruno Fernandes can provide, creating a conundrum for Manchester United, as they have not addressed their midfield issues in the summer transfer window. On top of that, Fernandes lost the plot after missing his penalty, starting with the coming together with the referee, which rattled him.
With the captain not in his element, the team around him faltered, and the defensive structure fell apart when Emile Smith Rowe equalised in the second half. Manchester United thus fell back into the patterns from last season, with the players flaring up when things stopped going their way.
Amorim must weed that out of the system quickly for Manchester United to enjoy a successful season. Additionally, the pressure is growing on him after managing only 28 points in his 29 Premier League outings. While the Red Devils have started with a clean slate this season, he needs to start racking up the wins to alleviate the stress on his shoulders. However, that is a tall order due to a daunting schedule for Manchester United. Things may not improve quickly.
It’s two wins from two games, but Arne Slot must address Liverpool’s defensive woes for Premier League defence
Liverpool’s Premier League title defence is up and running, with the defending champions securing two wins from as many games. However, all is not hunky dory at the Merseyside club, as Arne Slot has a few issues to address for his team to remain on the perch.
The lack of a competent defensive midfielder means Liverpool can get overrun in the middle of the park at many junctures of the 2025/26 Premier League season. That is leading to defensive issues, and with the newly constructed backline still gelling together, teams have pounced in the three competitive matches thus far.
The Reds have conceded six goals in three matches, with Alisson Becker picking the ball from his net twice in each outing. Having two overly offensive full-backs is not helping the two centre-backs, and with Virgil van Dijk approaching the twilight of his career, things will not get any easier in a congested season.
The signs point towards Liverpool deciding against addressing the lack of a defensive midfielder, which suggests the soft underbelly will remain a feature instead of a bug for the reigning Premier League champions in the coming months. So, Arne Slot must find solutions for the brewing issue for Liverpool to remain in Premier League title contention, although more competent teams (like Arsenal this weekend) can pounce on the shortcomings.
Are some Premier League managers in trouble already?
We are only two weeks into the new Premier League season, and some managers are walking the tightrope already. Some are in trouble due to issues behind the scenes, while poor results have brought others into the spotlight.
Nuno Espirito Santo has been vocal about his issues behind the scenes at Nottingham Forest, and reports have further revealed that he has had run-ins with Edu. With Evangelos Marinakis recently appointing the Brazilian transfer guru as the Global Head of Football, one would reckon that the manager may be first in line on the chopping block.
On the other hand, Graham Potter may be in trouble after a horrendous start to the 2025/26 Premier League season. The 3-0 defeat to Sunderland raised eyebrows, and the capitulation against Chelsea brought many underlying issues into the spotlight.
West Ham cannot produce enough chances, and they have one of the most vulnerable defensive units in the Premier League. While underwhelming transfer business is partly to blame for many issues, Potter has not improved the players much either. So, it will not be surprising if he is the first manager to lose his job this season.