The first in a new weekly series — reviewing every game from the weekend just gone, with a personal entertainment score out of 10 for each. This isn’t about who played the best football necessarily — it’s about whether the game was actually worth watching.
This was the first time we got to see the Premier League in months. The World Cup is over, and we’re back to the most entertaining league in the world. Let’s look at the games individually before I give my overall verdict.
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
The first game of the weekend, Friday night, and Arsenal won easily. They’re the obvious favourites — current champions, strengthened, with a Premier League-winning manager. They proved they’ll be the team to beat, so this game was everything it needed to be. Coventry did well, but they probably never expected to win this one. They showed some promise, and won’t be judged on their trip to the champions — it’s the weeks to come that will tell us where they actually sit. As a game, this was exactly as expected.
Entertainment score: 7/10
Hull 2-0 Manchester United
Hull came up via the play-offs, so as a team they had the shortest summer break of anyone. They’re favourites to go straight back down. Manchester United were expected to win this comfortably. Instead, this was the first surprise of the weekend — United’s defence was shocking, and Hull showed the tenacity and desire of a promoted team taking their opponents by surprise.
Entertainment score: 8.5/10 — simply because the result was so unexpected.
Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
A typical Everton win, and an expected one. Everton are settling into their new home under an established manager who’s had a full year to work with his players. Palace, by contrast, have a new manager, new players, a new style, and have lost the core of last season’s side.
Entertainment score: 6/10 — an expected result, expected goals, expected entertainment.
Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland
The last of the three promoted teams we saw this weekend, after Coventry and Hull — and another win. This one was genuinely unexpected, given Sunderland were the real surprise package of last season’s promoted trio. Ipswich showed real promise in a close game that fell their way. Their fans and atmosphere carried them through, and that support will matter all season — home games are the ones every team needs to make count.
Entertainment score: 7.5/10 — an unexpected win, three goals.
Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds
Forest with their new manager (Crystal Palace’s former boss). This was the first away win of the season. Forest didn’t show their quality — they’ve had a big churn of players again, but the new manager needs time to work. Leeds, with an established manager, took the win in a close game.
Entertainment score: 6/10 — we got a result and a goal, nothing more.
Brentford 3-0 Tottenham
Another surprise, given what Tottenham have spent. They’ve invested heavily in defence and midfield, and more will presumably follow in attack, but this squad needs time to gel. Brentford showed exactly why they’re an established Premier League side with a strong home record — they took their chances, and this was no fluke. They can have a good season. Tottenham simply need time.
Entertainment score: 8/10
Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa
Brighton, with their data-led transfer strategy and the usual raid on their best players, still showed real class. But this was a game of two very different teams — Brighton doing well, Aston Villa doing badly. Villa have sold ten players and lost their spine. There’s clearly some trouble there, but they have one of the best managers in the league — if his new players buy into his strategy, they can recover and still have a good season. If not, there could be real trouble ahead.
Entertainment score: 8/10
Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
A new manager got his first win — very late. Two new managers in this one. For 86 minutes, Bournemouth were winning. Despite attacking intent from both sides, the game was scarce on goals beyond Bournemouth’s opener, before a late City turnaround. A typically Premier League game, defined by that last-minute nature the division always seems to find.
Entertainment score: 8/10
Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
Another game with two new managers, preceded by moving tributes to a legend shared by both clubs, Kevin Keegan. Newcastle led twice, Liverpool equalised twice, with a last-minute penalty settling it. The nostalgic in me wanted a 4-3 thriller instead. This game showed Newcastle aren’t in the crisis critics expected — despite losing major players and a late managerial change, they looked good. Liverpool showed they still need reinforcements out wide, and maybe in midfield too, but they kept up their knack for scoring late — even if they were lucky to get the penalty.
Entertainment score: 8.5/10
Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
The battle of the last two Real Madrid managers. The battle of two former Liverpool players. The last of the new managers we saw this weekend. The best individual performance of the whole round goes, in the end, to Chelsea — their attack and midfield are arguably the best in the league, and their defence is decent, though shipping two goals shows they still need a proper goalkeeper. Fulham, going with a more youthful transfer strategy, showed real promise. A good game, genuinely great attacking football from both sides, and a proper West London derby.
Entertainment score: 9/10
The Weekend Overall
A good weekend all round — no goalless draws, only one draw at all, a result in every other fixture. Just two away wins, which tells you home advantage was the story of Matchday 1. But it’s still early, and there are still a few days left in the transfer window. Personally, I think there should be no more transfers once the season has actually started — squads should be locked. But I’m looking forward to that window closing, letting squads settle and managers actually get to work. There’ll be other competitions, there’ll be more rumours. But the Premier League is back.
Overall Weekend Score: 8/10
