On the basis of Aston Villa's 2025-2026 campaign - in which they secured Champions League football, a fourth-placed finish, and the Europa League trophy - the only way should be up for Unai Emery's side.

But Villa have had the rug swept from under them across a summer of huge change, with ten first-team players sold, and the future of key players Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez still unclear.

Villa conceded four goals in the first 31 minutes of their opening game at Brighton's Amex Stadium.

Bad went to worse when Villa midfielder Joao Gomes was shown a second yellow card, leaving Emery's side 4-0 down with ten men - with more than a half of football left to play.

Fortunately, the Seagulls failed to inflict any more damage. But it was a chastening defeat for Villa, who have a lot of work to do if they're to come close to the successes of last season.

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Let's move on.

More winners and more losers are on the way.

For our next nominees, we're heading from East Yorkshire down to the south coast.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

The biggest winner from the Premier League's opening weekend was Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic, who masterminded their superb win against Manchester United.

He was bullish about The Tigers' chances after they were written off as relegation certainties - now can they build on that great start to defy the odds and justify his optimism?

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Ah yes, a timely reminder from Gary there about Man Utd, who struggled against plucky newcomers Hull City.

Their next fixture? Home to freshly-promoted Ipswich Town...

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Winners of their first match since returning to the Premier League, Hull City stunned football fans and Michael Carrick's Manchester United.

However, the household of Hull midfielder Matt Crooks may feel torn between winners and losers.

Crooks spent several years at Manchester United as a youth player and grew up supporting the Red Devils.

He spoke to BBC Radio 5 Live breakfast about his families' reaction after his sides bombshell win: "One of my boys walked down the stairs this morning with his Rashford top on, so I think the allegiances have switched back already.

"The family have always been big United fans, been season ticket holders for a long time, I took my eldest to his first game last season so yeah it was nice to have my kids there watching on as well and having that moment with them."

On his team's winning start, the 32-year-old said: "I think a lot of people probably wrote us off for the game, I mean it's a squad full of world class talent and we've come up through the play-offs, but we kind of have a momentum from that time really.

"We have this momentum of togetherness and kind of riding a wave a the minute."

Crooks revealed manager Sergej Jakirovic only told the squad Tuesday that they will be playing five at the back after playing with a 4-2-3-1 throughout pre-season.

He said that Jakirovic's main message before his team faced United was to "remember they're not robots, it was a game of 11 men going against another 11 men."

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"No disrespect to them, but we should be coming to Hull and winning the game," Manchester United defender Luke Shaw said after his side lost 2-0 to the newly-promoted Tigers.

The MKM Stadium hosted Championship matches last season and so, seemed a good place for Michael Carrick to set out his stall as he began his first full season as Man Utd boss since his permanent appointment in May.

But United put in a performance which former Premier League striker and pundit Alan Shearer described as "dreadful", with players' fitness called into question as Carrick's side was accused of lacking intensity.

It's the first time in history that United have lost their opening game to a team who are new to the division.

The side finished the 2025-2026 season on a wave of optimism, but their opener did not reflect the ambition that fans crave.

Our inbox is absolutely stacked with opinions - so thank you to everyone who is writing in.

Shall we take a look at our first loser of the weekend, then?

Thanks to Jimmy in Didcot who has just reminded us that Hull City lost their last Premier League match 7-1 to Spurs in 2017.

It's quite the turnaround, even if it did take nine years to pull it off.

Image source, Getty Images

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Since Hull were relegated from the Premier League in 2017, they have been down to League One and back before beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in the Championship play-off final to seal promotion last season.

Their team was a mix of EFL stalwarts and new signings - with Senegal defender Nobel Mendy, Greece goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis and Swedish winger Elliot Stroud making their debuts.

That combination was best highlighted by the second goal in the 38th minute.

Regan Slater, who joined the club initially on loan from Sheffield United in League One - and only cost £50,000 when he signed permanently - swung in a ball for Mendy - a £20m-plus purchase from Rayo Vallecano - to power in a header past Senne Lammens.

That came after Nigeria international Semi Ajayi - released by West Brom last summer after refusing to take a pay cut - had scored his side's first Premier League goal since Sam Clucas in that humbling defeat by Spurs.

Sergej Jakirovic, the first manager in the Premier League from Bosnia-Herzegovina, will not let his Tigers get too carried away after being written off as relegation candidates by many on the eve of the campaign.

But this was a promising start, especially from a team hit by several injuries - and securing a first league win against United since 1974 in the old Second Division.

Hull City fans had a weekend to remember.

Kicking off their first Premier League campaign since 2017 at home was always going to be a day to savour.

To then beat 13-time division champions Manchester United - and in style - was more than they could have dreamed of.

It was made sweeter by the comments of pundit Joe Cole, who last week made a stir by joking that he would be "stunned" if City were to survive the league.

There's a long way to go before Hull can prove their point, but beating one of the side's most competitive teams was a good place to start.

Image source, Getty Images

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Hull City stunned Manchester United on a dream return to the Premier League after nine years away with a first ever top-flight win against their shell-shocked visitors.

United came into the season high on confidence after their end to the 2025-26 campaign under Michael Carrick, where they finished third to qualify for the Champions League, and some new summer signings.

But it was Sergej Jakirovic's Tigers - promoted through the play-offs last season - who impressed on their home turf with two defenders on the scoresheet.

Semi Ajayi gave them the lead when he lashed in after Oli McBurnie's initial effort was tipped on to the post by United keeper Senne Lammens.

And fellow defender and club-record signing Nobel Mendy scored on his debut when he headed in from Regan Slater's free-kick to seal a superb success in their first Premier League game since a 7-1 home loss by Tottenham in May 2017.

Tigers keeper Konstantinos Tzolakis was not as busy as he might have expected, but made five saves, including one to stop a Bryan Mbeumo effort late on.

Early shout for the top flight newbies, there.

Ipswich and Hull both won their first matches back in the Premier League, and you imagine Coventry fans won't be too upset by an opening defeat to the defending champions.

Let's take a closer look at the biggest shock of the round.

Premier League

Here are the full results from the first weekend of the 2026-2027 Premier League season:

Arsenal 3-0 Coventry

Hull City 2-0 Man Utd

Everton 2-0 Palace

Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland

Forest 0-1 Leeds

Brentford 3-0 Spurs

Brighton 4-0 Villa

Man City 2-1 Bournemouth

Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool

Fulham and Chelsea will complete the set when they go head to head at Craven Cottage tonight at 20:00 BST.

First things first, we want to hear from you.

How was your weekend? Happy with your team's result?

Or did the performance leave much to be desired?

What surprised you most, and how have your predictions for the season changed?

Click 'Get Involved' to join the debate.