Summary

  • Premier League opening weekend: Who were the biggest winners and which team had the worst start to the campaign?

  • Winners: Hull City

  • The biggest winner from the Premier League's opening weekend was Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic, writes the BBC's Phil McNulty

  • Losers: Manchester United

  • Send in your thoughts after the weekend fixtures by using the Get Involved button on this page

  • One game remains to be played as Fulham host Chelsea on Monday at 20:00 BST

Send us your views

  1. get involved

    Send in your questions for Phil McNultypublished at 11:30 BST

    We know who Phil's biggest winner of the weekend was and we'll find out who he thought was the biggest loser of the weekend shortly.

    In the meantime, our chief football writer is standing by ready to answer your questions. Send them in using the 'Get Involved' button on this page.

  2. Get Involved - 'Worst possible start'published at 11:29 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    Biggest losers have to be Villa. Spine of the team gone, clearly agitated manger. Smashed a part easily in the first half and down to 10. Worst start a team could possibly have. Wouldn’t be surprised if Emery walked considering the lack of support he is getting.

    Harry, Didcot

  3. Loser - Aston Villapublished at 11:24 BST

    Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa

    On the basis of Aston Villa's 2025-2026 campaign - in which they secured Champions League football, a fourth-placed finish, and the Europa League trophy - the only way should be up for Unai Emery's side.

    But Villa have had the rug swept from under them across a summer of huge change, with ten first-team players sold, and the future of key players Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez still unclear.

    Villa conceded four goals in the first 31 minutes of their opening game at Brighton's Amex Stadium.

    Bad went to worse when Villa midfielder Joao Gomes was shown a second yellow card, leaving Emery's side 4-0 down with ten men - with more than a half of football left to play.

    Fortunately, the Seagulls failed to inflict any more damage. But it was a chastening defeat for Villa, who have a lot of work to do if they're to come close to the successes of last season.

    John McGinn reactsImage source, Getty Images
  4. Postpublished at 11:20 BST

    Let's move on.

    More winners and more losers are on the way.

    For our next nominees, we're heading from East Yorkshire down to the south coast.

  5. My biggest winner from the weekendpublished at 11:15 BST

    Phil McNulty
    BBC Sport chief football writer

    The biggest winner from the Premier League's opening weekend was Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic, who masterminded their superb win against Manchester United.

    He was bullish about The Tigers' chances after they were written off as relegation certainties - now can they build on that great start to defy the odds and justify his optimism?

    Sergej JakirovicImage source, Getty Images
  6. Postpublished at 11:07 BST

    Ah yes, a timely reminder from Gary there about Man Utd, who struggled against plucky newcomers Hull City.

    Their next fixture? Home to freshly-promoted Ipswich Town...

  7. Get Involved - 'Tired after 50 minutes'published at 11:05 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    I think the most shocking for Man United was the fitness of the players. They looked tired after 50 mins. You'd expect us to at least make an game of it when we went 2-0 down. Fair play to Hull but we need to step it up for Ipswich.

    Gary, Manchester

  8. Tigers' Matt Crooks on playing against his boyhood clubpublished at 11:01 BST

    Hull 2-0 Man Utd

    Harry Crooks and Marcus Rashford challenging to head the ballImage source, Getty Images

    Winners of their first match since returning to the Premier League, Hull City stunned football fans and Michael Carrick's Manchester United.

    However, the household of Hull midfielder Matt Crooks may feel torn between winners and losers.

    Crooks spent several years at Manchester United as a youth player and grew up supporting the Red Devils.

    He spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast about his families' reaction after his sides bombshell win: "One of my boys walked down the stairs this morning with his Rashford top on, so I think the allegiances have switched back already.

    "The family have always been big United fans, been season ticket holders for a long time, I took my eldest to his first game last season so yeah it was nice to have my kids there watching on as well and having that moment with them."

    On his team's winning start, the 32-year-old said: "I think a lot of people probably wrote us off for the game, I mean it's a squad full of world class talent and we've come up through the play-offs, but we kind of have a momentum from that time really.

    "We have this momentum of togetherness and kind of riding a wave a the minute."

    Crooks revealed manager Sergej Jakirovic only told the squad Tuesday that they will be playing five at the back after playing with a 4-2-3-1 throughout pre-season.

    He said that Jakirovic's main message before his team faced United was to "remember they're not robots, it was a game of 11 men going against another 11 men."

  9. ICYMI: Hull shock Man Utd on opening weekendpublished at 10:55 BST

    Hull City 2-0 Manchester United

  10. Get Involved - 'Long season ahead'published at 10:48 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    Any Man Utd fan who watched our pre-season will know the only time we played well was when the kids with passion and ambition played. Now the so-called stars are back, it was same old predictable underwhelming lacklustre United who thought they could walk over Hull. Long season ahead.

    Alec, Wales

    Hull deserved their win. They looked organised, and like... well... a proper team! Man Utd had chances but no player looked like they knew what the others were doing! Hopefully Carrick sorts it out or it's going to be a looooooong season for them.

    Lesley, Aberdeen

  11. Loser - Manchester Unitedpublished at 10:43 BST

    Hull 2 -0 Man Utd

    Bruno FernandesImage source, Getty Images

    "No disrespect to them, but we should be coming to Hull and winning the game," Manchester United defender Luke Shaw said after his side lost 2-0 to the newly-promoted Tigers.

    The MKM Stadium hosted Championship matches last season and so, seemed a good place for Michael Carrick to set out his stall as he began his first full season as Man Utd boss since his permanent appointment in May.

    But United put in a performance which former Premier League striker and pundit Alan Shearer described as "dreadful", with players' fitness called into question as Carrick's side was accused of lacking intensity.

    It's the first time in history that United have lost their opening game to a team who are new to the division.

    The side finished the 2025-2026 season on a wave of optimism, but their opener did not reflect the ambition that fans crave.

  12. Postpublished at 10:39 BST

    Our inbox is absolutely stacked with opinions - so thank you to everyone who is writing in.

    Shall we take a look at our first loser of the weekend, then?

  13. Get Involved - 'Reality will bite for Hull'published at 10:32 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    Optimism at Hull after that win but reality will bite and fourth-bottom will still be a good outcome for the Tigers. Also, I predict second season blues for Sunderland.

    Colin, Lincolnshire

    Biggest winners: Hull against a team expected to make Champions League. Worst start: Villa thrashed by half time and after a red card only the charity of their opponents stopped a double digit defeat. Palace, too, need to worry.

    Grey, East Anglia

  14. Postpublished at 10:30 BST

    Thanks to Jimmy in Didcot who has just reminded us that Hull City lost their last Premier League match 7-1 to Spurs in 2017.

    It's quite the turnaround, even if it did take nine years to pull it off.

    Michael Dawson reactsImage source, Getty Images
  15. Tigers show tenacity and talentpublished at 10:26 BST

    Hull City 2-0 Man Utd

    Emlyn Begley
    BBC Sport

    Semi AjayiImage source, Getty Images

    Since Hull were relegated from the Premier League in 2017, they have been down to League One and back before beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship play-off final to seal promotion last season.

    Their team was a mix of EFL stalwarts and new signings - with Senegal defender Nobel Mendy, Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and Swedish winger Elliot Stroud making their debuts.

    That combination was best highlighted by the second goal in the 38th minute.

    Regan Slater, who joined the club initially on loan from Sheffield United in League One - and only cost £50,000 when he signed permanently - swung in a ball for Mendy - a £20m-plus purchase from Rayo Vallecano - to power in a header past Senne Lammens.

    That came after Nigeria international Semi Ajayi - released by West Brom last summer after refusing to take a pay cut - had scored his side's first Premier League goal since Sam Clucas in that humbling defeat by Spurs.

    Sergej Jakirovic, the first manager in the Premier League from Bosnia-Herzegovina, will not let his Tigers get too carried away after being written off as relegation candidates by many on the eve of the campaign.

    But this was a promising start, especially from a team hit by several injuries - and securing a first league win against United since 1974 in the old Second Division.

  16. Get Involved - 'A statement of intent'published at 10:18 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    It’ll be a tough campaign for Hull City no doubt. But this first game is a statement of intent - they’ll come out punching and try to get something from every game. It’s great for the Premier League to have the Tigers in and competing.

    Patrick, Beverley

    Happy with Hull's result, was there watching the match at the MKM with the home fans. Brilliant match.

    Levi, Hull

  17. Winner - Hull Citypublished at 10:12 BST

    Hull City 2-0 Man Utd

    Hull City fans had a weekend to remember.

    Kicking off their first Premier League campaign since 2017 at home was always going to be a day to savour.

    To then beat 13-time division champions Manchester United - and in style - was more than they could have dreamed of.

    It was made sweeter by the comments of pundit Joe Cole, who last week made a stir by joking that he would be "stunned" if City were to survive the league.

    There's a long way to go before Hull can prove their point, but beating one of the side's most competitive teams was a good place to start.

    Hull City fans celebrateImage source, Getty Images
  18. Hull City stun Manchester United on opening daypublished at 10:05 BST

    Hull City 2-0 Man Utd

    Emlyn Begley
    BBC Sport

    Nobel MendyImage source, Getty Images

    Hull City stunned Manchester United on a dream return to the Premier League after nine years away with a first ever top-flight win against their shell-shocked visitors.

    United came into the season high on confidence after their end to the 2025-26 campaign under Michael Carrick, where they finished third to qualify for the Champions League, and some new summer signings.

    But it was Sergej Jakirovic's Tigers - promoted through the play-offs last season - who impressed on their home turf with two defenders on the scoresheet.

    Semi Ajayi gave them the lead when he lashed in after Oli McBurnie's initial effort was tipped on to the post by United keeper Senne Lammens.

    And fellow defender and club-record signing Nobel Mendy scored on his debut when he headed in from Regan Slater's free-kick to seal a superb success in their first Premier League game since a 7-1 home loss by Tottenham in May 2017.

    Tigers keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis was not as busy as he might have expected, but made five saves, including one to stop a Bryan Mbeumo effort late on.

  19. Postpublished at 10:03 BST

    Early shout for the top flight newbies, there.

    Ipswich and Hull both won their first matches back in the Premier League, and you imagine Coventry fans won't be too upset by an opening defeat to the defending champions.

    Let's take a closer look at the biggest shock of the round.

  20. Get Involved - 'Well done to the promoted sides'published at 09:57 BST

    Click 'Get Involved' at the top of this page to have your say

    The gap between the big boys and the so called smaller clubs is getting smaller. Well done to the promoted sides - even Coventry who will be no pushovers this season.

    Tim, Camborne