The third in our weekly series — reviewing every game from the weekend just gone, with a personal entertainment score out of 10 for each.
Ipswich 0-2 Liverpool
The weekend started with a potential banana skin for Liverpool, coming off two 2-2 draws and yet to actually lead a game so far this season — but still undefeated. Ipswich, after winning their opener and showing early promise against Manchester United before losing, started this one badly. Two-nil down thanks to the Gakpo-assist, Isak-finish combo, and that was that — how it ended. Liverpool kept a clean sheet, and Iraola got his first competitive win.
Entertainment score: 7/10
Newcastle 2-2 Bournemouth
The Eddie Howe derby, and Newcastle came from two goals down to draw the game. Like Liverpool, this was their second 2-2 of the season. A good game for the dreaded 12:30pm slot.
Entertainment score: 7.5/10
Brentford 1-1 Sunderland
A goalless first half, then two goals cancelling each other out in the second. An average game, but we’re seeing a lot of draws right now simply because so many teams are sitting at a similar level.
Entertainment score: 7/10
Brighton 1-1 Leeds
Leeds won the first half, Brighton the second. Vušković is proving a shrewd signing — a shame Tottenham never gave him a chance. But again, two similar teams cancelling each other out.
Entertainment score: 7/10
Fulham 2-3 Crystal Palace
Fulham took the lead twice and still lost — the Premier League at its unpredictable finest. Arbeloa needs to find an improvement after three losses. Crystal Palace get the win they badly needed.
Entertainment score: 8/10
Man City 1-0 Coventry
The battle of the Sky Blues. Plenty of FPL managers triple-captained Haaland expecting a rout — instead, just the one goal. Coventry remain on zero points, in the same boat as Fulham. Man City become the first team on a 100% record, nine points from three.
Entertainment score: 6/10
Nottingham Forest 0-0 Tottenham
Both teams needed to stop shipping goals. Both teams needed to score. They managed the first part, not the second — and for two sides still in rebuild mode, defence is the right place to start fixing things first. Also the first 0-0 of the season.
Entertainment score: 5.5/10
Hull 0-0 Aston Villa
The second 0-0 in a row. Aston Villa need to start scoring — they’ve got a new team and a manager who’ll eventually get them gelling, but are the current attacking players actually good enough yet? Hull remain the only team in the league yet to concede. Who’d have predicted that at the start of the season?
Entertainment score: 5.5/10
Everton 2-2 Man United
United led twice, Everton equalised twice — three great long-range goals and a header among the four. A genuinely good game, but Manchester United will have expected more than four points from three matches given how kind their opening fixtures looked on paper.
Entertainment score: 7.5/10
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
The first clash of the traditional Big Six. Chelsea took a very early lead, and Arsenal showed their class to score twice — it could easily have been more. Chelsea had a very late chance to snatch a point, but Raya kept them out. Chelsea looked light in midfield throughout. Arsenal are now the second team to take nine points from nine.
Entertainment score: 7/10
The Weekend Overall
A good weekend, a real range of results, no major surprises. Still not worth reading too much into the table until five games are done, but two teams sit on full points and two on none. A few teams now move into two games a week as European competition starts — the honeymoon period is ending.
Overall Weekend Score: 7/10
