Arsenal Beat Chelsea as Man City Stay Perfect and Hull Rise to Third in Premier League

Three Premier League matches have been enough to create two very different races near the top of the table.

Arsenal and Manchester City have taken every available point. Behind them, promoted Hull City have somehow reached September unbeaten, third in the league and still waiting to concede their first goal.

The defending champions passed their first major test on Sunday by recovering from an early Chelsea goal to win 2-1 at the Emirates. Manchester City required a much less comfortable afternoon against Coventry City, but Erling Haaland’s header and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s saves preserved a 1-0 victory and Enzo Maresca’s perfect start.

Liverpool finally turned two encouraging but incomplete performances into a win as Alexander Isak scored twice at Ipswich. Newcastle came back from 2-0 down against Bournemouth. Crystal Palace earned their first victory. Everton denied Manchester United in the 96th minute.

Further down, the early problems have become difficult to ignore. Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry have played three league games without scoring. Fulham have lost all three. Bournemouth have led in every match and still have not won.

The broader context matters because the league entered 2026-27 with unusual levels of change. Our complete Premier League 2026-27 season preview examined new managers at Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle, the return of three promoted clubs and Arsenal’s attempt to defend the title for the first time in more than two decades.

Matchweek 3 did not settle any of those questions.

It made several of them much more interesting.

Premier League Matchweek 3: Key Takeaways

• Manchester City and Arsenal are perfect with nine points from their first three matches.
• Manchester City lead on goals scored, with both City and Arsenal carrying a +5 goal difference.
• Hull City sit third with seven points and have not conceded a Premier League goal this season.
• Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 in the first major head-to-head between leading title contenders.
• Erling Haaland scored his 300th club goal as Manchester City beat Coventry 1-0.
• Liverpool earned their first league victory under Andoni Iraola with a 2-0 win at Ipswich.
• Newcastle remain unbeaten after recovering from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Bournemouth.
• Manchester United have four points from three matches after Everton equalized in the 96th minute.
• Aston Villa, Tottenham and Coventry have yet to score in the Premier League this season.
• Fulham are the only team to lose all three while scoring, with four goals scored and seven conceded.

Premier League Matchweek 3 Results

The round produced 23 goals across 10 fixtures. Official match information is available through the Premier League fixtures and results center, while the latest positions can be checked through the official Premier League table.

Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea: The Champions Pass Their First Major Test

Chelsea required less than two minutes to create the first serious problem Arsenal had faced in their title defense.

Morgan Rogers volleyed the visitors ahead, continuing an extraordinary opening in which Chelsea have scored inside the first five minutes of all three league games.

Rogers also became the first Chelsea player since Eden Hazard in 2018-19 to score or assist in each of the club’s opening three top-flight matches.

Arsenal’s response mattered more.

Kai Havertz cut inside and beat Emiliano Martínez at his near post in the 25th minute. Five minutes after halftime, Havertz allowed Christos Tzolis’ pass to run through to Martin Ødegaard, whose finish put Arsenal ahead.

David Raya then protected the advantage with a major late save from Estêvão.

Three matches. Three wins. Six goals scored. One conceded.

That represents Arsenal’s best three-game opening with fewer than two goals conceded since the 2003-04 Invincibles season, according to the Premier League’s official Sunday Matchweek 3 review.

Arsenal have already shown three ways to win

The opening 3-0 victory over Coventry was straightforward enough. Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Ødegaard scored in a match we covered in our Arsenal-Coventry opening-night analysis.

Aston Villa created a different test.

Arsenal had to remain patient, restrict Villa almost completely and wait for Saka to provide the decisive moment in a controlled 1-0 away victory. Our Villa-Arsenal report showed how effectively the champions managed that game without overwhelming their opponent.

Chelsea forced them into something new.

Arsenal conceded first.

They did not lose their structure or turn the match into uncontrolled pursuit. The equalizer arrived through patient possession, and the winner came through one of the qualities Arteta has spent years developing: movement between lines that forces defenders into choices they do not want to make.

This is why defending a title can look different from winning the first one.

A champion no longer needs to discover whether it can survive every type of game. It needs to prove that the habits still work when everyone arrives specifically trying to break them.

Havertz hurts his former club at exactly the right time

Havertz’s contribution went beyond the equalizer.

His dummy created the space for Ødegaard’s winner, giving him direct involvement in both goals against the club where he spent three seasons.

Arsenal have added more options around him, but Havertz remains valuable because he can move between striker, attacking midfield and deeper spaces without forcing the entire structure to change around him.

That versatility could become especially important once Champions League matches begin reducing recovery time.

Chelsea lose without losing the argument

Xabi Alonso’s first league defeat should not be treated as evidence that Chelsea’s strong start was misleading.

They went to the defending champions, scored immediately and remained in the game until the final whistle.

Rogers has adapted quickly. Estêvão almost equalized late. Chelsea’s ability to attack through several channels remains obvious.

The difference was that Arsenal handled the difficult phases more cleanly.

That is a small gap in September.

It can become a large one across 38 matches.

Manchester City 1-0 Coventry: Three Wins, but No Comfortable Afternoon

Manchester City remain top because they have scored one more goal than Arsenal.

The numbers are perfect.

The performance against Coventry was not.

Gianluigi Donnarumma almost produced one of the season’s strangest goals when he allowed the ball to run beneath his foot early in the match and recovered just before it completely crossed the line.

City eventually found their breakthrough through Haaland.

Deadline-day signing Enzo Fernández helped launch the move, Antoine Semenyo delivered the cross and Haaland won the aerial duel to head City ahead.

Coventry refused to disappear.

Donnarumma had to produce several important saves after City’s goal, including three significant stops highlighted in the Premier League’s Saturday review.

Haaland reaches another milestone

The goal carried unusual historical weight.

It was Haaland’s 300th goal in club football.

It was also his 20th headed Premier League goal, the most by a Manchester City player in the competition and the highest total by any Premier League player since Haaland arrived in England in 2022.

His scoring remains the most reliable part of City’s transition into the post-Pep Guardiola era.

Maresca has changed elements of the possession structure and the squad around him has changed dramatically. City’s record-breaking summer formed part of the wider £3.46 billion spending story examined in our analysis of the Premier League’s extraordinary 2026 transfer market.

Haaland remains the point at which much of that complexity becomes simple.

Give him a good enough delivery and he will usually make the defense pay.

Coventry have more encouraging performances than points

Frank Lampard’s team have lost all three matches and have not scored.

The table therefore looks severe.

The performance at the Etihad looked considerably better.

Coventry created enough pressure to require Donnarumma’s best work and were still one action away from equalizing late in the game.

Promoted clubs rarely survive by collecting moral victories. They also cannot assess themselves only through matches against Arsenal and Manchester City.

The more important fixtures begin when they face teams closer to their own part of the table.

Hull City 0-0 Aston Villa: The Premier League’s Most Unexpected Top-Three Team

Hull have played Manchester United, Coventry and Aston Villa.

They have seven points.

They have conceded zero goals.

That is not a normal promoted-team opening.

Sergej Jakirović’s side started by stunning Manchester United 2-0, then beat fellow promoted club Coventry before holding Villa at the MKM Stadium.

The 0-0 draw leaves Hull third, two points behind Manchester City and Arsenal.

According to the Premier League, Hull are only the sixth promoted club to collect at least seven points from their opening three matches. None of the previous five were relegated.

Hull’s organization is the real story

Seven points will attract attention.

Three clean sheets explain how they have earned them.

Konstantinos Tzolakis made eight saves across Hull’s first two matches. Against Villa, his workload decreased because the structure ahead of him prevented Unai Emery’s side from producing sustained danger.

Villa managed their first Premier League shot on target of the season through George Hemmings.

It was also their only one.

Hull have therefore moved beyond the argument that opening-day emotion carried them past Manchester United.

Three matches now show a repeatable defensive identity.

Aston Villa’s zero is becoming harder to explain

Villa have played 270 Premier League minutes.

They have not scored.

That follows a summer in which the squad changed substantially despite another Champions League qualification.

Last season provides some reassurance. Villa also failed to score in their opening four matches before recovering strongly enough to return to Europe’s elite competition.

That history matters.

So does the current evidence.

One point and zero goals leave Emery with attacking problems that cannot be dismissed simply because the calendar still says September.

Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool: Iraola Finally Gets the Complete Performance

Liverpool’s first two matches both ended 2-2.

At Ipswich, the uncertainty lasted roughly nine minutes.

Alexander Isak scored twice inside the opening phase and Cody Gakpo created both goals, allowing Liverpool to spend the rest of the evening controlling rather than chasing the match.

The result gave Iraola his first Premier League victory as Liverpool manager.

Our full Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool analysis examined why the clean sheet mattered almost as much as Isak’s finishing.

Liverpool needed defensive proof

Four goals scored in the opening two rounds demonstrated that Iraola’s attacking concepts were beginning to transfer from Bournemouth to a much stronger squad.

Four goals conceded showed the cost.

Portman Road provided the first match in which Liverpool’s pressing, defensive spacing and attacking efficiency worked together.

Ronald Araújo made his first start. Bradley Barcola debuted from the bench. Isak gave Liverpool the early margin that allowed the rest of the structure to settle.

Five points from three games leave them four behind the perfect leaders.

That gap is manageable.

The larger priority is making the Ipswich performance easier to repeat.

Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth: One Team Keeps Escaping, the Other Keeps Letting Games Go

Bournemouth have scored first in every Premier League match this season.

They have won none.

Saturday produced the clearest example yet.

Marcus Tavernier scored after nine minutes before a Malick Thiaw own goal made it 2-0.

Harvey Barnes responded almost immediately with an excellent finish, keeping Newcastle close enough to turn the second half into a chase rather than damage limitation.

Jacob Ramsey completed the recovery in the 88th minute.

Our Newcastle-Bournemouth match report examined a remarkable pattern in which Bournemouth have now dropped seven points from winning positions in three games.

Newcastle’s substitutions keep changing games

Every Newcastle match so far has featured a substitute involved in a decisive goal.

Joe Willock helped secure the opening-weekend draw with Liverpool.

Nick Woltemade’s contribution preceded Yoane Wissa’s winner against Tottenham.

Ramsey came off the bench and rescued the Bournemouth point.

That says something positive about Jaissle’s squad depth and in-game decision-making.

The defensive side remains less convincing.

Newcastle have allowed opponents too much attacking volume, a warning we highlighted in the detailed Bournemouth analysis.

Bournemouth’s late-game problem is no longer random

They led Manchester City and lost.

They led Everton and drew.

They led Newcastle 2-0 and drew.

Marco Rose has built a side capable of creating problems for established opponents.

What Bournemouth have not learned is how to control matches after they have earned the advantage.

Three repetitions are enough to make that a tactical issue rather than an unfortunate coincidence.

Everton 2-2 Manchester United: Carrick Watches Another Win Disappear

Manchester United looked close to leaving Hill Dickinson Stadium with a valuable away victory.

Bryan Mbeumo gave Michael Carrick’s side the lead immediately after halftime, cutting inside and curling the ball into the far corner.

Tyrique George equalized in the 83rd minute.

Benjamin Šeško appeared to settle the match five minutes later when he headed in Luke Shaw’s cross.

Everton still had one final attack.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles, making his first Premier League appearance in more than three years after joining Everton on deadline day, struck from 25 yards in the 96th minute.

2-2.

United’s four points do not match preseason expectations

Manchester United entered the campaign with more optimism than they had carried for several years.

Carrick’s excellent work during the second half of last season earned him the permanent job, while major midfield investment was designed to turn recovery into a title challenge.

Three matches have produced one win, one draw and one defeat.

The more concerning number is six goals conceded.

United have allowed at least two goals in each of their first three league matches, something they have done only twice in the last 50 years.

The next fixture is Manchester City at Old Trafford.

That makes the defensive problem particularly urgent.

Everton are becoming difficult to beat

David Moyes’ team have five points from three games and remain unbeaten after the opening round.

They did not control United for long stretches, but their ability to produce late pressure and use substitutes effectively preserved another point.

Maitland-Niles’ goal was only the second of his 110-match Premier League career.

The timing made it considerably more memorable.

Fulham 2-3 Crystal Palace: Pierre Sage Finally Gets His Reward

Fulham led twice.

Crystal Palace equalized twice.

Then Ben Chilwell won it.

Tyrick Mitchell produced the first brace of his career from left wing-back, cancelling out goals from Josh King and César Palacios.

When Mitchell left the field, his replacement became the decisive player.

Chilwell scored the winner and gave Pierre Sage his first Premier League victory as Palace manager.

Palace’s wing-backs transformed the match

The tactical detail is unusually clean.

All three Palace goals came from the same positional role.

Mitchell scored twice from left wing-back.

Chilwell replaced him and scored the third.

That reflects the attacking freedom Sage is giving his wide defenders and the difficulty Fulham had tracking late movement into scoring positions.

Fulham are already fighting history

Three matches have produced three defeats.

The Premier League notes that Fulham have started a top-flight season with three consecutive losses only twice previously.

They were relegated on both occasions.

That does not predict what will happen in 2026-27.

It explains why Alvaro Arbeloa needs results quickly.

The encouraging element is that Fulham created chances and scored twice after failing to register a shot on target in the previous defeat at Sunderland.

Improvement without points has a short shelf life.

Brentford and Sunderland Share a Point After Another Late Response

Sunderland spent much of Saturday looking capable of winning at Brentford.

Instead, Vitaly Janelt put the hosts ahead before the hour.

Regis Le Bris’ team responded again.

Enzo Le Fée converted a penalty with eight minutes remaining to secure a 1-1 draw.

Sunderland have now collected 23 points from losing positions since the start of last season, level with Aston Villa for the most over that period.

Brentford remain unbeaten with five points and sit fifth.

For Keith Andrews, that represents a steady opening in a league where several better-funded teams are already dealing with significant instability.

Brighton 1-1 Leeds: Farke’s Team Keep Collecting Away Points

Leeds remain unbeaten after three matches.

They left Brighton frustrated because enough opportunities arrived to make victory realistic.

Brighton eventually responded through Luka Vušković, whose equalizer continued his remarkable scoring record for a center back.

The Croatian scored six league goals during his loan spell at Hamburg last season and has now opened his Premier League account.

Leeds move to five points.

Daniel Farke’s side have lost only once across their last 12 Premier League matches stretching back to last season.

For a team that entered 2026-27 expecting another survival fight, that sequence deserves more attention than their position in ninth might initially suggest.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham: Spurs’ Scoring Problem Reaches Three Games

Tottenham finally earned a point.

They still did not score.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side completed the match without registering a shot on target, the first time Spurs have done so in a league fixture since April 2022.

The goalless draw means Tottenham have failed to score in each of their opening three Premier League matches.

The last time they went four league games without a goal was in 2006.

Forest remain winless themselves, although Oliver Glasner’s team can take some value from another controlled defensive performance.

Three clubs have now opened with three blanks

Aston Villa have zero goals.

Tottenham have zero goals.

Coventry have zero goals.

The Premier League says this is the first top-flight season in English football history in which three teams have all failed to score in their opening three matches.

That gives the bottom half an unusual shape.

Villa and Spurs possess squads built for European ambitions, while Coventry entered simply trying to survive.

The statistic treats them equally.

Premier League Table After Matchweek 3

Who Gained the Most From Matchweek 3?

Arsenal

Beating Chelsea carries more meaning than another three points against a lower-table opponent.

The champions conceded for the first time, recovered without losing control and protected the lead under late pressure.

Our longer-term question before the season was whether one championship could become the start of sustained dominance. That debate is explored in our analysis of whether Arteta can build an Arsenal dynasty.

Three wins do not answer it.

They are the correct beginning.

Manchester City

City have not looked flawless.

They have looked capable of finding the decisive action in each game.

Haaland’s consistency and Donnarumma’s saves ensured Coventry became the latest opponent to discover how narrow the margin can be against elite teams.

Hull City

The most impressive story outside the title contenders.

A promoted club with seven points is unusual.

A promoted club with seven points and no goals conceded after playing Manchester United and Aston Villa is something stronger.

Liverpool

The first win reduces early pressure on Iraola and gives the new structure a clean-sheet performance to build around.

Five points leave Liverpool within four of the leaders rather than allowing two opening draws to become a damaging start.

Crystal Palace

Sage needed his first result.

Winning a London derby after falling behind twice offers considerably more confidence than a cautious 1-0 would have done.

Who Leaves With More Questions?

Manchester United

United have invested heavily and entered the season expecting to build on Carrick’s strong work last year.

Four points from three games leave them 11th.

Conceding twice in every match is the larger concern, especially with City arriving at Old Trafford next.

Tottenham

A team with Tottenham’s attacking resources cannot normalize three consecutive scoreless league matches.

One point from nine places them in the relegation zone.

The performances may contain encouraging possession sequences, but football still requires the final action.

Aston Villa

Villa are in almost the same position.

One point. No goals.

Their Champions League return makes the timing especially uncomfortable because the schedule is about to become harder rather than easier.

Bournemouth

Marco Rose has produced competitive football.

His team have also dropped seven points from winning positions.

No club can sustain that pattern without eventually paying for it in the table.

Fulham

Four goals prove Arbeloa’s side can create.

Zero points prove creation is not enough.

Three losses have already turned the next few matches into an early test of the new project.

What Matchweek 3 Says About the Title Race

The Premier League entered the season with several plausible contenders.

The first separation has arrived quickly.

Arsenal and Manchester City have nine points.

Chelsea have six.

Liverpool have five.

Manchester United have four.

That is not enough distance to make conclusions about May.

It is enough to change the pressure attached to September.

Arsenal have defeated Chelsea and won away at Villa.

City have survived close matches against Bournemouth and Coventry while maintaining a perfect record.

The two strongest preseason favorites are already collecting points at a rate that forces everyone else to avoid extended adjustment periods.

This is where the summer’s unprecedented spending becomes relevant. The league’s record £3.46 billion transfer window created enormous expectations around teams undergoing major tactical and personnel change.

Money can accelerate a rebuild.

It cannot remove the time required to turn new players into a functioning team.

Arsenal currently possess the greatest continuity among the leading contenders.

City appear to be adapting fastest among the clubs that changed managers.

Matchweek 4 Brings the Manchester Derby

The next round immediately increases the pressure.

Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest on Saturday, September 12, while Bournemouth face Brentford and Chelsea host Hull City.

Crystal Palace meet Ipswich. Liverpool host Fulham. Tottenham face Everton before Arsenal travel to Sunderland in the late Saturday fixture.

Sunday then brings two important matches.

Coventry host Brighton before Manchester United face Manchester City at Old Trafford.

The Manchester derby arrives with the clubs in very different positions.

City have nine points and seven goals.

United have four points and have conceded six.

Carrick therefore enters the first derby of his full season knowing that another defeat could create an eight-point gap after only four games.

Leeds and Newcastle complete Matchweek 4 on Monday, September 14.

The Sports Encounter Verdict

Matchweek 3 separated good beginnings from convincing ones.

Arsenal have the strongest result of the round because Chelsea were the first opponent capable of placing the champions in genuine early trouble. Arteta’s team absorbed the setback and responded like a side accustomed to winning.

Manchester City produced less fluent football against Coventry but collected the same number of points. That matters during a managerial transition. Perfect results give Maresca time to refine the details without surrendering ground.

Hull deserve to sit alongside those two stories.

The promoted club are third, unbeaten and still have not conceded. Their opening is no longer a one-match novelty.

Liverpool finally have proof that Iraola’s ideas can produce both attacking efficiency and defensive control. Newcastle keep finding ways to avoid defeat. Brentford and Leeds continue accumulating points quietly.

The other side of the table is already uncomfortable.

Manchester United cannot keep conceding twice and expect preseason optimism to survive. Tottenham and Villa cannot keep discussing attacking potential without scoring. Fulham need results. Coventry need a goal. Bournemouth need to learn how to finish matches they are already winning.

Three rounds remain a tiny sample.

They have nevertheless given the Premier League its first clear shape.

Arsenal and Manchester City have started the race at full speed.

Everyone else is already deciding how quickly they need to respond.

Follow continuing English football coverage, match analysis and transfer reporting through The Sports Encounter Premier League section. Our opening-weekend analysis provides the starting point for tracking how quickly the early narratives have changed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who leads the Premier League after Matchweek 3?

Manchester City lead the 2026-27 Premier League with nine points and a +5 goal difference. Arsenal also have nine points and a +5 goal difference, but City have scored seven goals compared with Arsenal’s six.

What was the Arsenal vs Chelsea score?

Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates Stadium. Morgan Rogers scored first for Chelsea before Kai Havertz equalized and Martin Ødegaard scored Arsenal’s winner.

Are Arsenal still unbeaten?

Yes. Arsenal have won all three Premier League matches, scoring six goals and conceding one.

Are Manchester City still perfect?

Yes. Manchester City have nine points from nine after victories over Bournemouth, Crystal Palace and Coventry City.

Why are Manchester City above Arsenal?

Both clubs have nine points and a +5 goal difference. Manchester City lead because they have scored seven goals, one more than Arsenal.

How are Hull City third in the Premier League?

Hull have beaten Manchester United and Coventry and drawn with Aston Villa. They have seven points and have not conceded a goal through three matches.

Did Liverpool win?

Yes. Liverpool beat Ipswich Town 2-0, with Alexander Isak scoring twice. It was Andoni Iraola’s first Premier League victory as Liverpool manager.

What happened in Everton vs Manchester United?

The teams drew 2-2. Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško scored for United, while Tyrique George and Ainsley Maitland-Niles scored for Everton. Maitland-Niles equalized in the 96th minute.

Which Premier League teams have not scored this season?

Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City have all completed their first three league matches without scoring.

Which Premier League teams still have zero points?

Fulham and Coventry City are the only teams without a point after Matchweek 3.

When is the Manchester derby?

Manchester United host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 13, 2026.