Premier League Takeaways After Matchday 2: Arsenal Remain Flawless; Spurs Concerns
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
Arsenal’s Defence Continues to Shine in 2026-27
Matchday 2 of the 2026-27 season drew to a close at Villa Park on Monday night, with Arsenal reinforcing their title credentials by beating Aston Villa 1-0 thanks to another defensive masterclass that also confirmed our Premier League predictions.
The Gunners delivered a trademark performance, denying the Villans a single shot on target across the 90 minutes, while using their devastating counter-attack to take the lead through Bukayo Saka, who netted his second of the season from a Riccardo Calafiori cutback.
After two weeks, Mikel Arteta’s side looks like the most complete team in the top flight and are the clear favourites to retain their title this season. Additionally, there is still a possibility that they could add to their ranks before the transfer window slams shut tonight.
Newcastle Pick Up First Win Against Disappointing Spurs
Following the departures of Eddie Howe, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, and Bruno Guimaraes, many had tipped Newcastle United to have a difficult season, but Matthias Jaissle has got the Magpies firing again, as we saw on Saturday evening.
The Geordies secured their first win of the season at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, following up on an impressive showing against Liverpool in their opening match of the campaign, where they were just moments away from picking up three points at home.
Jaissle is quickly becoming a favourite among the Toon Army, and he is getting the best out of players who struggled last season, such as Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa, both of whom were on target in North London over the weekend.
For Spurs, on the other hand, a spending spree in the summer has not yielded the results they expected, as back-to-back defeats to start the season, and failing to score in either match while conceding five goals, have once again raised concerns about their top-flight status.
Hull Look the Most Likely to Avoid Relegation from the EPL Newcomers
Hull City entered the 2026-27 Premier League season as the bookmakers’ favourite to suffer relegation, but the Tigers have defied expectations, following up a stunning 2-0 victory over Manchester United with a 1-0 win against Coventry City on Saturday afternoon.
Sergej Jakirović has transformed his side into a gritty, dogged unit that fights for every loose ball and throws everything they have in both boxes, while Regan Slater in the Tigers’ engine room dictates the team’s tempo with his tireless work rate.
Ipswich Town also pulled off an upset to kick off their return to the top flight by beating Sunderland last weekend, and they showed plenty of fighting spirit despite falling to a 5-2 defeat to Man United on MD2, which suggested that they could survive the drop this term.
Of the newly promoted teams, Coventry City have made the worst start, with Frank Lampard’s team suffering a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal on opening day before slumping to that 1-0 loss to Hull City. Unfortunately, it won’t get easier for the Sky Blues, with Man City and Brighton to come over the next two weeks.
