EPL Matchday 2 Review

Premier League Weekend Review

What a jolt to the title picture: Tottenham went to the Etihad and beat Manchester City 2–0, a disciplined, punchy away performance that asked serious questions of the champions’ early-season sharpness. Arsenal, meanwhile, flexed with a ruthless 5–0 demolition of Leeds at the Emirates—slick combinations, a relentless press, and goals flowing from everywhere. Elsewhere on Saturday, Brentford edged Aston Villa 1–0 with their trademark set-piece grit, while Bournemouth ground out a tidy 1–0 over Wolves to bank important early points.

Burnley’s 2–0 win over newly promoted Sunderland was as straightforward as the scoreline suggests: control in midfield, a clean sheet, and enough incision to keep Turf Moor smiling. Sunday brought a pair of stalemates with different flavours—Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest traded blows in a 1–1 draw that never quite tilted, while Fulham held Manchester United 1–1 at Craven Cottage thanks to compact defending and sharp counter-moments that frustrated a misfiring United attack.

Everton quietly impressed, dispatching Brighton 2–0 with a blend of organisation and directness that felt sustainable rather than streaky. Big picture: Spurs’ statement win resets the early narrative, Arsenal look purring and purposeful, and a few mid-table sides (Brentford, Bournemouth, Everton) showed exactly how valuable clean sheets and small-margins wins can be this early. It’s only August, but we’ve already got storylines galore.