Three games into the new Premier League season and the early picture is already taking shape at both ends of the table. Arsenal and Manchester City are the only teams with perfect records, sitting level on nine points, while newly promoted Hull City are turning heads just behind them with seven points from their opening three matches.
The Tigers have done it without conceding a single goal, while several established Premier League clubs are already searching for answers. With only three rounds completed, it is far too early to draw major conclusions, but there are already some clear storylines emerging.
Hull City’s Remarkable Start Turns Heads
Hull City preserved their unbeaten start with a 0-0 draw against Aston Villa on Saturday, leaving them with seven points and three consecutive clean sheets. The Tigers have combined disciplined defending with enough attacking quality to collect two wins and a draw, an impressive return for a club back in the Premier League. Their defensive record is even more remarkable when compared with the number of goals being scored elsewhere in the league.
For Aston Villa, however, the result extended a miserable opening to the campaign. Unai Emery’s side have managed only one point and have yet to score. And for a side preparing for Champions League football,that’s not a good sign. Villa’s goalless start is now one of the major early talking points, particularly with European competition about to add another layer to an already demanding schedule.
Perfect Starts for the Favorites
There is nothing particularly surprising about seeing Arsenal and Manchester City at the top of the table. City made it three wins from three with a 1-0 victory over Coventry City on Saturday, while Arsenal came from behind to beat Chelsea 2-1 on Sunday. Both sides have nine points and identical plus-five goal differences, although City sit first by virtue of goals scored.
Arsenal’s comeback against Chelsea was particularly significant because it was their first major test of the season. Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead, but Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard turned the game around as Arsenal maintained their perfect record. Chelsea dropped to fourth with six points, but their eight goals through three matches suggest Xabi Alonso’s new-look side are hardly short of attacking ambition.
Struggling Sides Searching for Answers
At the other end of the table, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur have both failed to score in their opening three matches. Villa have one point, while Spurs also have one after Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest. Fulham and Coventry City are the only two teams still without a point, leaving both clubs facing an early uphill battle.
Villa’s situation stands out because of the club’s European commitments. After reaching the Champions League last season, Emery’s team will have to balance domestic struggles with another demanding European campaign. Tottenham, meanwhile, have plenty of time to recover, but a team that has not scored after three rounds will naturally attract attention – for all the wrong reasons.
Goals Flowing at Both Ends
Chelsea and Brighton have both scored eight goals, the joint-highest totals in the league, while the two Manchester sides have have seven apiece. At the other extreme, Crystal Palace andIpswich Town have both conceded a league high eight goals. The difference between the league’s strongest attacks and struggling defenses has helped make the opening three rounds unusually entertaining. What stands out most is how quickly the table has developed distinct groups: two perfect frontrunners, an unbeaten promoted surprise in Hull, a cluster of teams still unbeaten, and several established clubs already under pressure.
Next weekend brings another intriguing round of fixtures, with Chelsea hosting high-flying Hull City at Stamford Bridge and Manchester United welcoming Manchester City to Old Trafford for the first Manchester derby of the season being the clear highlights.
The Story So Far: Where the Premier League Stands After Round 3