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The latest weekend has only gone on to strengthen some of the early impressions of the season so far. Arsenal and Man City keep their perfect start in England; Barcelona match this in Spain, while several clubs are showing early signs of issues.
Some results have also challenged assumptions many made before a ball was kicked. Hull remain unbeaten after visiting Chelsea, Tottenham still haven’t scored in the Premier League, and promoted sides have caused problems in England and Germany.
Arsenal and Manchester City Have Set the Pace
Arsenal have now made it four wins from four in the EPL. This follows the 2-0 win away at Sunderland. David Raya had saved a penalty before Bruno Guimaraes put the Gunners ahead. Bukayo converted a late penalty to seal the win.
Manchester City matched that total on Sunday with a 1-0 derby victory at Manchester United, despite playing with ten men for more than an hour after Phil Foden was sent off. Erling Haaland scored the only goal at Old Trafford in the 60th minute. City and Arsenal have now both started with four straight league victories, although Arsenal sit at the top on goal difference.
Hull Are No Longer a One-Match Surprise
Hull’s 2-0 win over Man United was one of the first major surprises of the season. However, results since then suggest this was more than a one-off. They have now beaten Coventry 1-0 and held their own with a goalless draw against Aston Villa.
Saturday brought another test away at Chelsea, where Hull earned a 2-2 draw. Chelsea had been hugely favored before the match, yet Hull left Stamford Bridge unbeaten and remained third after four rounds.
For anyone making soccer match predictions, Hull are an early example that past status cannot be the only consideration. Current defensive form, opposition and venue all matter when assessing what may happen next.
Liverpool and Tottenham Are Already Losing Ground
Liverpool drew 0-0 with Fulham, continuing their slow start. They have won just once in four league games, with the other three matches resulting in draws. That said, their win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League shows they still play with class at times.
Tottenham’s start has been worse. Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Everton left Spurs without a Premier League goal after four matches, following earlier defeats to Brentford and Newcastle and another goalless draw at Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal and City have 12 points, while Liverpool have five and Tottenham two. That makes the early gap significant.
Barcelona’s Attack Is Setting the Standard in Spain
Barcelona maintained their perfect La Liga start on Sunday with a 4-2 victory at Levante. Lamine Yamal scored twice, while Xavi Espart and Karim Adeyemi also found the net, giving Barcelona five wins from their opening five league matches.
The victory came a week after a 5-0 win at Valencia and followed a 5-1 Champions League success against Feyenoord. Barcelona have now produced 14 goals across those three matches, although the Levante game also showed that they can be troubled defensively after the hosts recovered from 3-0 down to 3-2 before Adeyemi scored in stoppage time.
Real Madrid remain close behind after beating Rayo Vallecano 4-1 on Saturday. Kylian Mbappé scored twice, with Álvaro Carreras and Jude Bellingham also on target. Barcelona have the early advantage, but Madrid’s response means Spain’s two biggest clubs are already setting a demanding pace.
Germany Has Produced a Less Predictable Picture
Borussia Dortmund made it three Bundesliga wins from three on Saturday with a 3-0 victory over promoted Paderborn. Fábio Silva opened the scoring before substitute Felix Nmecha added two goals, including a late bicycle kick.
Freiburg also maintained their perfect league start with a 5-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Yannik Engelhardt and Igor Matanovic both scored twice before Maximilian Eggestein added the fifth, putting Freiburg top on goal difference after Saturday’s matches.
Bayern Munich had already dropped points in a 0-0 draw at Schalke before traveling to promoted Elversberg on Sunday. Their 2-1 victory kept them close to the leading pair, but the opening weeks have not produced the immediate separation at the top that might have been expected from the defending champions.
Big Clubs Are Not Getting Everything Their Own Way
So far, Europe’s old established order has largely remained. Right now, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Bayern are all top contenders and perhaps favorites in their respective leagues.
However, what has changed from match to match is how reliable reputation is as a guide. Hull have taken points from Manchester United and Chelsea, Fulham have held Liverpool at Anfield, while Tottenham have failed to score in four league games. In Germany, promoted Elversberg began with two victories before making Bayern work for a 2-1 win.
What Can We Really Learn This Early?
While it is still very early, we can say the teams with the best starts are those showing consistency in all areas on the pitch. Arsenal and Man City have the most points in England, while Barcelona have replicated that success in Spain. Dortmund and Freiburg have both opened the Bundesliga with an impressive three wins.
Alongside the signs of success, there are also early warning signs to heed. Liverpool has not gotten off to the start fans expected, and Tottenham, failing to score, looks destined to repeat last season’s woes. Even Man Utd now need to find momentum, with two losses in their first four games.
Across the major leagues, the latest weekend also showed how quickly an early table can change when teams have played so few fixtures. Just one strong or poor result still has a huge effect on position.
