The Premier League is back and it returned in style by delivering a drama-filled weekend of action.
Champions Manchester City started their campaign the only way they know how, by securing three points away at a new-look Chelsea, while title contenders Arsenal got off to comfortable starts by racking up three points at home to Wolves.
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s new era led by Arne Slot began with a 2-0 victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town and fellow Dutch manager Erik ten Hag saw his revamped Manchester United side take the points against Fulham.
That doesn’t even touch the surface, so much more came from an action-packed first weekend of top-flight football.
So, what can we take from it? Mail Sport’s Nathan Salt lists 10 things we learned from the Premier League’s return.
Champions Man City started their season with a 2-0 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge
Arsenal also netted two without reply as they put Wolves to the sword at the Emirates
Arne Slot’s side got off to the perfect start with a victory over newly-promoted Ipswich Town
1. Casemiro ISN’T finished yet
When Casemiro was left on the bench for the FA Cup final, and then taken out of the team entirely through injury, it felt like the end of an era for the midfielder that arrived from Real Madrid for £70million two years ago.
Too many times last season he appeared off the pace and his mobility left him exposed as opponents trampled over him en route to United’s goal.
But in the Community Shield and this opening Premier League weekend against Fulham, Casemiro showed he still has plenty to offer.
He ranked first in touches against Fulham (81), as well as first in big chances created (2), twice setting up a wasteful Bruno Fernandes.
A lot of the dialogue back at United’s Carrington training base has been about the importance of getting the 32-year-old, who had been subject to interest from Saudi Arabia, a full pre-season and judge him after that.
‘In that midfield department unit he was very important in and out of possession, organising with smart solutions. This is the Casemiro we all enjoy,’ said United boss Ten Hag.
Now it’s up to the Brazilian to prove he can stay the course.
Casemiro showed he still has plenty to offer with a strong display against Fulham on Friday
2. Straight-talking Slot is all business
If anyone wasn’t quite sure what Arne Slot is like once the business of the football season gets underway, now they know.
Blunt, honest and pulling no punches.
In his first Premier League game in charge of Liverpool he could well have looked to not rock the boat but instead he took the opposite approach when he hooked 21-year-old Jarrell Quansah at half-time.
‘First thing I said – we don’t have to speak about tactics if you lose so many duels,’ he said of his half-time speech when the game away at Ipswich was locked at 0-0.
‘Jarell lost every duel, many of us lost too many duels. We needed (Ibrahima) Konate to win the long balls for the number nine. That gave us control.’
Quansah looked crushed sat on the bench but it was a learning curve not just for him but everyone in Liverpool’s squads. Slot’s standards are sky high – and that can only be a good thing.
Arne Slot did not pull any punches in his post-match interview after Liverpool beat Ipswich
3. Age is just a number!
It was a weekend to toast the next generation as much as it was to cherish a golden oldie of the Premier League.
By turning out for Brighton in their 3-0 win over Everton, Brighton’s James Milner, 38, made it 23 seasons and counting that he’s appeared in the top flight. .
Having made his debut way back in November 2002 for Leeds, his longevity is an example for every player in the league.
It was all made that bit more interesting that Milner broke the record under 31-year-old new Brighton boss Fabian Hürzeler. It is the first time in Premier League history a player has played a match for a manager who is as many as seven years younger than him (7 years, 53 days).
Just to make Milner feel even older, Hurzeler was a starry-eyed nine-year-old when Milner made his Premier League debut for Leeds.
It wasn’t such a day of celebration for Everton’s Ashley Young, though, as he broke the record as the oldest player ever to be sent off in the Premier League at 39 years and 39 days.
At the other end of the age spectrum, keep your eyes on the progress of 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri, who was on the bench for Arsenal, and 18-year-old pair Tyler Dibling and Sam Amo-Ameyaw after they came on for Southampton against Newcastle.
After starting against Everton, James Milner has now played in 23 Premier League seasons
4. Chelsea second best in running – again
There are problems aplenty at Chelsea, starting with the fact they have so many first team players they couldn’t even include them all on the back of the matchday programme.
But chief among the problems Enzo Maresca needs to get to grips with is the fact his side are being out-worked by opponents on an almost weekly basis.
Last season Chelsea were outrun by opponents in 32 of their 38 Premier League matches.
Granted, that was under different management but against Man City on Sunday it was the same old story, with Chelsea’s 107.6km covered second best to Man City’s 111.4km.
Getting players through the exit door is priority No 1 before the end of the transfer window but squeezing more out of those that are kept behind should be priority No 2 for Maresca.
Chelsea were overrun by Manchester City on Sunday, covering nearly 4km less as a team
5. Kilman has stage to get on England radar
Interim England boss Lee Carsley was a busy man over the opening weekend, darting across the country to cast his eye over a host of players.
But he would be wise to narrow his eyes on Max Kilman at West Ham in the weeks to come.
Despite West Ham’s 2-1 opening weekend defeat to Aston Villa, Kilman, a £40million arrival from Wolves this summer, ranked first among West Ham players in six metrics: touches (81), passes completed (58), ball carries (55), clearances (7), interceptions (2) and blocks (2).
He also ranked second among Julen Lopetegui’s players for progressive passes, ball recoveries and tackles won.
Kilman was not in contention for Euro 2024 under Gareth Southgate but the left-footed centre back offers great balance, composure playing out from the back and crucially, he’s always available.
Last season, Arsenal’s William Saliba was the only other outfield player who could match the fact that Kilman played all 3,420 minutes of the league campaign.
It’s early days as West Ham piece together their side following a raft of new signings, but the early signs are that Kilman will be a hit.
Max Kilman put in a strong display on his West Ham debut, despite losing to Aston Villa
6. Referees still make mistakes and that’s OK
Much was made about the revelation from Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze that referee Sam Barrott admitted he was wrong to rule out his free-kick goal in defeat at Brentford.
Eze scored spectacularly from distance, only for the referee to blow up for a foul on Nathan Collins by Eze’s team-mate Will Hughes.
By blowing for that foul it null and voided the possibility of VAR being able to analyse the goal as the foul was awarded before Eze’s strike hit the net.
Eze was pretty magnanimous about it all at the end and, in truth, mistakes are part of sport. In this era of every angle and ample replays, tons of technology at authorities’ disposal, it’s important to accept that mistakes will also have a place in top-level sport.
In fact, craving a mistake-free product will sanitise the sport to the extreme. It hurts when it goes against your team but these things even out – and Eze knows that.
Crystal Palace players were furious with Samuel Barrott for ruling out Eberechi Eze’s free-kick
7. Haaland is bound for another Golden Boot
Stop trying to fight it, this idea that Man City will drop off and couldn’t possibly win five titles in a row and surely Erling Haaland will slow down.
His goal to open the scoring against Chelsea on Sunday made it 100 matches for the Norwegian at City, with 91 goals and 15 assists.
‘These are the numbers of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo,’ Pep Guardiola said. ‘They controlled the last decade and 15 years absolutely everything. In terms of numbers, it is that level.’
Jokes about him being a robot are part of the banter in the City squad but his numbers are truly unbelievable.
Haaland has the best minutes-per-goal ratio in Premier League history (minimum 20 goals) with a a goal every 85 minutes. Sergio Aguero is next best with a goal every 108 minutes.
One game in and with a full pre-season behind him and Savinho looking the newest jewel to this City juggernaut, Haaland may well start clearing some space for yet another Golden Boot.
Erling Haaland (left) netted on the opening weekend of the season for the third year running
8. But Arsenal can thrive WITHOUT a No 9
A lot of people’s title favourites – including many of the Mail Sport team – and while they don’t have an Erling Haaland to fall back on, Mikel Arteta has set this team up to thrive without that profile of player.
You need to be flawless, essentially, to overcome a Pep Guardiola side in a title race and there has long been a feeling that a traditional No 9 striker is the missing piece for Arsenal.
But what Saturday’s win over Wolves reinforced is that Arsenal can do it a different way, do it their way with Kai Havertz up top.
The German, who scored and teed up Bukayo Saka at the weekend, has so much variation in his game and his fluidity to take up multiple positions suits Arteta’s demands.
And not having that old-school No 9 hasn’t exactly held Arsenal back given they have won more points (52), more matches (17/19 – D1 L1) and scored more goals (56) than any other side in the Premier League in 2024.
‘I have faith in [Havertz], we have faith in [Gabriel Jesus]. Leandro [Trossard] has played in that position,’ Arteta said after the 2-0 win over Wolves.
‘So we have different qualities in there and the best thing we can do is trust the players that we have and try improve them. They are so good and so willing and that’s what we focus on.’
Kai Havertz bagged a goal and an assist against Wolves, showing his importance to Arsenal
9. PL Match Centre account clear (unless you’re in the stadium!)
There is a real desire at the Premier League to be more transparent than ever when it comes to decisions made on-field following criticism piling up last season.
That desire saw a new X (formerly Twitter) account @PLMatchCentre created with the aim of providing near-live explainers and updates on decisions, more of than not VAR decisions, made in game.
For those glued to their phone the account, which has already amassed more than 278,000 followers, there were updates on Man United’s unsuccessful penalty shout after Amad Diallo went down, a VAR overturn to rule out a Southampton goal and why Bournemouth saw Dango Ouattara’s goal against Nottingham Forest chalked off after it was originally given.
But for those in the stadiums, communication is non-existent and it is turning more and more fans to their social media feeds to get clarification.
It’s a step forward in clearing things up but it’s still far from perfect.
The Premier League Match Centre account on X now shares why decisions have been made
10. Ipswich trusting the process
It could have hardly started much tougher for Ipswich Town after 22 years away from the top flight with Liverpool at home followed up with a trip to four-in-a-row champions Manchester City.
But one of the beautiful elements to their rise up to the Premier League is that they are doing it without turning their back on those that got them there.
Whether it lasts or not, seven of Kieran McKenna’s starters against Liverpool featured when the Tractor Boys won promotion from League One against Exeter back in 2023.
Kieran McKenna (right) picked seven players who featured when Ipswich were in League One
Only Axel Tuanzebe, Jacob Greaves, Omari Hutchinson and Liam Delap faced off against Arne Slot’s Liverpool and didn’t start the 6-0 thrashing of Exeter a year ago.
McKenna likes to keep as many of his core players together and then supplements with depth pieces, such as with signings such as last season’s Championship top scorer in Sammie Szmodics and Man City midfielder Kelvin Phillips.
It will be truly fascinating to see how many of Ipswich’s squad prove they can hold their own two divisions up.
