Quick Answer: Manchester City are the ones to back this weekend. They have the best goal difference, with bottom club Coventry at home and rivals stuck with nastier fixtures. The question is which team will come out on top this week? The answer depends on one game. Arsenal v Chelsea, Sunday teatime.
Two matchweeks are gone. Four clubs are level on six points. Nobody has blinked.
- Six points each for City, Arsenal, Hull and Chelsea. Two wins from two.
- City are on top with a goal difference of +4. Arsenal matches that goal difference but has scored two fewer goals.
- Arsenal and Hull City are the only clubs in the league that have zero GA.
- Chelsea and Brighton have scored the most goals so far, with seven each.
- Palace, Villa and Spurs have a -5 goal difference.
- Matchweek 3 is from Friday 4 September to Sunday 6 September.
Premier League Table After Two Matchweeks
The official Premier League standings show how tight it is up top. A win is worth three points, a draw one, and a defeat none. Goal difference is the number of goals scored minus the number conceded.
| Pos | Team | W-D-L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 2-0-0 | 6 | 2 | +4 | 6 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 2-0-0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 |
| 3 | Hull City | 2-0-0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 |
| 4 | Chelsea | 2-0-0 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Brentford | 1-1-0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 4 |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 1-1-0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| 7 | Everton | 1-1-0 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 4 |
| 8 | Leeds United | 1-1-0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 4 |
| 9 | Brighton | 1-0-1 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 3 |
| 10 | Manchester United | 1-0-1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 3 |
| 11 | Sunderland | 1-0-1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 12 | Ipswich Town | 1-0-1 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 3 |
| 13 | Liverpool | 0-2-0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Bournemouth | 0-1-1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| 15 | Nottingham Forest | 0-1-1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| 16 | Fulham | 0-0-2 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 0 |
| 17 | Coventry City | 0-0-2 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
| 18 | Crystal Palace | 0-0-2 | 1 | 6 | -5 | 0 |
| 19 | Aston Villa | 0-0-2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
| 20 | Tottenham Hotspur | 0-0-2 | 0 | 5 | -5 | 0 |
Liverpool are the exception: two draws and no win.
Also Read: Premier League 2026/27 Fixture: Every Club’s Opening Weekend Match
Matchweek 1: Promoted Sides Land Early Blows
Arsenal had a comfortable win. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard all scored in a 3-0 win against Coventry. Then Hull City happened. The promoted lot beat Manchester United 2-0. Nobody saw that coming.
Elsewhere: Everton 2-0 Palace, Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland, Leeds 1-0 at Forest. Brentford stuck three past Tottenham. Sunday: Brighton battered Aston Villa 4-0; City squeezed past Bournemouth 2-1. Newcastle and Liverpool drew 2-2, Victor Munoz scoring on his full Reds debut before Dominik Szoboszlai’s late penalty. Chelsea closed the round on Tuesday, 3-2 winners at Fulham.
Matchweek 2: City Pull Clear
Selhurst Park was a mismatch. Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki grabbed two apiece in a 4-1 win. Anfield served up another 2-2, with Morgan Gibbs-White converting a penalty for Forest. Bournemouth 1-1 Everton, with Alex Scott scoring first and James Tarkowski nodding in late. Hull did it again too, Liam Millar’s goal winning it 1-0 at Coventry.
Spurs? Beaten 2-0 at home by Newcastle, with Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scoring. Chelsea and Brighton gave us a 4-3 belter, Joao Pedro scoring again. Leeds and Brentford drew 1-1, Kevin Schade opening and Dominic Calvert-Lewin replying.
Wilson Isidor sank Fulham 1-0 for Sunderland. And Old Trafford finally smiled: 5-2 against Ipswich, Bruno Fernandes with a hat-trick and a near-miss from halfway, after Leif Davis had cheekily opened. Saka’s winner at Villa Park? Arsenal’s 2,000th Premier League goal.
Which Team Will Come Out on Top This Week?
Friday night gets us going. Ipswich v Liverpool, 8pm. Saturday opens with Newcastle v Bournemouth at 12.30pm, then five at 3pm: Brentford v Sunderland, Brighton v Leeds, Fulham v Palace, Manchester City v Coventry, and Forest v Tottenham. Hull v Villa follows at 5.30pm. Sunday: Everton v Manchester United, 2pm. Arsenal v Chelsea, 4.30pm.
Now look at City’s fixture. Coventry: no points, no goals, four conceded. That is about as kind as it gets. Hull face a Villa side who also haven’t scored, so a third clean sheet is on. And the big one? Arsenal and Chelsea must play each other, so one of them will drop points. A draw, and City stroll clear. An Arsenal win leaves them level on nine but behind on goals. Either way, City finish the week on top.
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How Hull Keep Winning
Two wins, two clean sheets, barely a kick of the ball. The Guardian’s weekend talking points clocked it: 182 passes at Coventry, against their hosts’ 501. Millar’s winner came off one quick break.
Oli McBurnie was blunt about it: “We prefer letting the other team have the ball and just defending.” The funny thing is, Chelsea are at it too. Xabi Alonso’s side won with 38.1% possession at Fulham, then 25% against Brighton.
Form Players to Watch
BBC pundit Troy Deeney put Konstantinos Tzolakis in his team of the week and raved about Hull’s shape. In front of him: Semi Ajayi, Nordi Mukiele, Tarkowski. Midfield: James McAtee, Fernandes, Cherki, and Elanga.
Up top: Joao Pedro and Haaland. Manager of the week: Newcastle’s Matthias Jaissle. Fantasy lot, listen up. Code Sports says to grab Cherki, Tzolakis, Ajayi, Wissa and Schade before prices jump.
Deadline Day Business
ESPN had Everton agreeing £40m for Folarin Balogun, City sorting Iliman Ndiaye, and Forest nabbing Daniel Munoz from Palace for £22m. Liverpool are splashing £123m on Bradley Barcola, yet still look thin at right-back, right wing and centre-midfield.
The Press Association reported Ipswich had a loan bid for Tammy Abraham accepted, only for him to stay put. Everton kept Harrison Armstrong after supporters kicked off. David Moyes: “I’d say the manager’s an Evertonian. Supporters aren’t always wrong.”
Also Read: Why Argentina Lost the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final: What Went Wrong Against Spain
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is top of the Premier League this week?
Ans: Manchester City with six points and a +4 goal difference. They sit above Arsenal purely on goals scored, six to four.
Which team has the best defence so far?
Ans: Arsenal. Not a goal conceded in two games. Hull have two clean sheets too, against Manchester United and Coventry.
Who has scored the most goals this season?
Ans: Chelsea and Brighton, seven each. Chelsea are fourth with six points. Brighton sit ninth with three points after their defeat at Stamford Bridge.
When is Premier League Matchweek 3?
Ans: Friday 4 to Sunday 6 September. The headline act is Arsenal v Chelsea at the Emirates, Sunday, 4.30pm.
Can Arsenal go top this week?
Ans: Yes. If they beat Chelsea, they hit nine points, going top if City slip up against Coventry.
Which teams are still without a goal?
Ans: Coventry, Aston Villa, and Tottenham. Villa and Spurs have shipped five each.
Sources & References:
- Premier League – Manchester City is at the top of the points table after matchweek 2.
- The Guardian – Hull made 182 passes at Coventry, against their hosts’ 501.
- Code Sports – Grab Cherki, Tzolakis, Ajayi, Wissa and Schade for your team before prices jump.
- ESPN – Everton agreeing to £40m for Folarin Balogun, City sorting Iliman Ndiaye, and Forest nabbing Daniel Munoz from Palace for £22m.
