We are just three weeks into the new Premier League season, and that’s far too early to draw any real conclusions, but the opening weeks have already produced some surprises. The defending champions, Arsenal, and Man City have made perfect starts, while the newly promoted Hull are third without conceding a single goal.
With 35 matches still to play for every team, the current table is only an early indication of what might follow. Even so, the first three rounds have offered some clues about the title contenders, newly promoted clubs, and teams that could face a difficult campaign.
Manchester City and Arsenal Set the Early Pace
Man City sit top of the table after winning their first three matches. So far, they have scored seven goals and conceded just twice. Enzo Maresca’s team are level with Arsenal on nine points, and the same +5 goal difference.
City maintained their perfect start with victory over Coventry City in Matchweek 3, when Erling Haaland scored his 300th club goal. The Norwegian has started another season strongly and remains a vital part of a City team trying to regain the Premier League title.
Arsenal have matched City's results with three victories of their own. The defending champions have scored six times and conceded only once, suggesting their title defense could again be built on defensive strength.
It leaves the two clubs already occupying the positions many expected them to challenge for before the season began. For anyone following Premier League betting, however, three matches is far too early to make any firm judgments. Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle are among the clubs with enough quality to close an early gap over the remaining 35 games.
Hull City Have Provided the Biggest Surprise
Perhaps the most surprising start to the season comes from Hull City. Newly promoted to the Premier League after winning the play-offs last season, the team now has seven points from their opening three games. This leaves them just two points off Arsenal and Man City.
Even more impressive is their defensive record. Hull are the only Premier League team yet to concede a goal in 2026/27, having beaten Manchester United and Coventry before drawing 0-0 with Aston Villa.
Hull's Opening Three Results
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Hull City 1-0 Manchester United
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Coventry City 0-2 Hull City
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Hull City 0-0 Aston Villa
Goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis has played an important part, while Sergej Jakirovic's side has demonstrated the organization required to compete at this level. Hull are only the sixth promoted club in Premier League history to collect at least seven points from their first three matches, and none of the previous five were relegated.
Chelsea Lead the Chasing Group
Chelsea are sitting fourth with six points. However, their eight goals scored and seven conceded suggest they may lack the control shown by the top two. Behind them are other unbeaten teams, led by Brentford, Liverpool, Newcastle, Everton, and Leeds, all on five points. Brighton and Man United follow with four points.
Liverpool recorded their first victory of the campaign in Matchweek 3, beating Ipswich Town 2-0 through two Alexander Isak goals. That result was particularly important after draws in their opening two matches under Andoni Iraola.
Newcastle have also avoided defeat, taking five points under new manager Matthias Jaissle. Their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth demonstrated a real level of resilience as they recovered from two goals down, with substitute Jacob Ramsey scoring the late equalizer.
The Golden Boot Race Has Started Quickly
There are no real surprises when looking at who is leading the scoring so far. It’s the familiar names that we have seen before: Haaland, Isak, and Bruno Fernandes. They have all scored three Premier League goals so far.
Fernandes produced the first hat-trick of the season in Manchester United's 5-2 victory over Ipswich. His three goals and an assist earned him the Premier League's Player of the Matchweek award for Matchweek 2.
Isak responded with two goals against Ipswich the following weekend, taking his own total to three. Haaland also reached three when he scored against Coventry.
Haaland won the 2025/26 Golden Boot with 27 goals, so his presence among the early leaders is only to be expected. Isak's start suggests he could provide strong competition, while Fernandes has already matched a significant proportion of his usual seasonal output.
Problems for Tottenham and Aston Villa
Tottenham have collected only one point and still haven't scored under Roberto De Zerbi. Their Matchweek 3 draw with Nottingham Forest at least produced their first point, but Spurs failed to register a shot on target. To be fair, on the back of last season, expectations may not be high for Spurs fans this time around.
Aston Villa are also on one point and have not scored. Remarkably, Villa have now failed to find the net in their opening three Premier League matches in consecutive seasons. Their 0-0 draw at Hull followed defeats against Brighton and Arsenal.
It is much too early to describe either club as being involved in a relegation battle. Villa have shown why last season, when they recovered from a similarly poor attacking start and eventually qualified for the Champions League. However, current positions place pressure on both teams to improve quickly.
Plenty Still to Be Decided
Manchester City and Arsenal could hardly have started better, while Hull have emerged as the unexpected success story of the opening three rounds. At the opposite end, Fulham and Coventry need their first points, with Tottenham and Aston Villa searching for their first goals.
The Premier League season still has most of its course to run. Early results matter, but injuries, European competition, managerial decisions and the January transfer window will all influence what happens next. For now, the opening three weeks have created plenty of talking points without providing anything close to a final answer about how the 2026/27 season will finish.
