The Premier League is BACK! And with 24 goals from the opening 10 games, it’s been a fascinating weekend filled with interesting results, some solid individual performances and of course some contentious decisions. If this weekend is the start of things to come, we could be in for a very dramatic and unpredictable season, with plenty of good football to come.

As always, in this post we will be picking out 3 of the biggest talking points of the weekend, along with giving out the game of the week and player of the week awards. If we’ve missed something in this post that you saw over the weekend please do get in touch with us on all the usual places (Bluesky @NextGoalWinner – Instagram @NextGoalWin), and if you prefer an audio round up of the action then do check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner) where we post weekly reviews on there of all the key talking points in the Premier League and around Europe.

Picking Up Where They Left Off

Anfield was charged with emotion long before the final whistle brought Liverpool’s thrilling 4–2 win over Bournemouth to a close. Anfield made sure to honour Diogo Jota, with fans on both sides paying their respects, but Liverpool fans particularly commemorating the sad events of the summer with tributes and the pre-match singing certainly being filled with feeling. But alongside the emotion and noise, there was a sour note after the game, when Antoine Semenyo revealed he had been subjected to racist abuse on social media following his goal. It’s a reminder of the wider challenges football still faces off the pitch, even as the drama on it captivates.

The match itself showed both the promise and the flaws of Arne Slot’s Liverpool. New signing Hugo Ekitiké enjoyed a dream debut, scoring and creating chances with energy and sharp movement, but defensive frailties again haunted the Reds. Semenyo’s goal, a lung-busting solo run from deep in his own half, exposed glaring gaps in Liverpool’s midfield and back line. Too often, they looked stretched and disorganised, something Jamie Carragher and other pundits quickly highlighted. That vulnerability has raised fresh questions about recruitment and whether reinforcements are needed before the transfer window shuts.

Yet, for all those concerns, there was also a sense of resilience. Federico Chiesa stepped up with a superb strike late on, and Mohamed Salah added the gloss with a fourth. Snatching victory in such dramatic fashion can do wonders for momentum early in a season, instilling belief in a squad still adjusting to a new manager. The roar when Salah’s goal went in suggested supporters know that sometimes, grinding out results when things aren’t perfect can lay the foundation for another title push.

Reijn On The Parade

Over at Molineux, Manchester City wasted no time in showing that they mean business this season. Their 4–0 dismantling of Wolves was as complete as it was eye-catching, with new boy Tijjani Reijnders at the centre of everything. The Dutchman not only got on the scoresheet but also provided an assist and knitted together attacks with the kind of vision and dynamism that made it easy to forget Kevin De Bruyne has departed. City fans feared a drop-off after losing their long-time talisman, but Reijnders’ immediate impact will have eased many nerves.

What will please Pep Guardiola most is how quickly the new arrivals have settled into the rhythm of his side. Reijnders looked like he had been wearing sky blue for years, while the team as a whole oozed confidence and fluidity. Wolves barely got a kick in the first half, pinned back by relentless pressure and inventive movement. The energy was infectious, and it gave the sense that City are ready to refresh themselves again after last season’s grind.

City’s dominance also feels especially significant given how some of their rivals stumbled. Arsenal edged out Manchester United in a tight 1–0 win at Old Trafford, but it was scrappy rather than convincing. Chelsea, meanwhile, were frustrated at home by Crystal Palace in a goalless draw, creating chances but again struggling with a lack of cutting edge. By contrast, City’s ruthless display instantly put them a step ahead. With Phil Foden and Rodri still to return in a few weeks, and whispers of further signings before the transfer deadline, Guardiola’s side already look to be setting the pace in what promises to be a fiercely contested title race.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

If the football was sharp and exciting across the opening weekend, the same could not be said of the refereeing. Leeds United’s return to the Premier League ended in jubilation after Lukas Nmecha’s late penalty secured a 1–0 win over Everton, but the fallout was dominated by anger from the Toffees’ dugout. The spot-kick was awarded for a James Tarkowski handball, a decision David Moyes branded “ridiculous.” The veteran manager sarcastically asked whether Tarkowski was expected to “chop his arm off” to avoid conceding a penalty, underlining his frustration at what he described as inconsistent and unfair standards.

Moyes wasn’t the only one unimpressed by the officiating. Crystal Palace felt unfairly done as Eze’s fantastic free-kick was ruled out due to a rule surrounding infringement on the defensive wall which has seemingly never been enforced until that point, and raises a question over how protected a wall should be at set-pieces which are ultimately designed to give a fair advantage to the attacking team in the first place. Meanwhile, there were other handball decisions that occurred over the weekend with vastly different outcomes for the guilty parties. Over at Old Trafford, Manchester United were similarly frustrated when their appeals for a penalty against Arsenal were waved away. Replays suggested there was enough doubt to at least warrant a second look, but the officials stood firm, sparking fresh debate about consistency.

For the Premier League, it was hardly the opening weekend they would have wanted from a refereeing standpoint. Instead of basking in the drama of new stars making their mark and promoted clubs shocking the established order, fans and pundits were again talking about VAR and decision-making. After years of controversy, there had been hope this season might mark a fresh start, but the early signs suggest the storm is far from over. The challenge now is for officials to tighten up and regain trust before every Monday morning turns into another post-mortem on their calls.

If there’s one theme across these incidents, it’s that the conversation about referees is overshadowing the football itself. Supporters want to celebrate goals, comebacks and tactical masterstrokes, not dwell endlessly on what VAR did or didn’t do. Unless things improve quickly, the fear is that this will be another campaign where officiating controversies run side by side with the title race itself.

Game of the week: Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth Possibly everything building up to this game added an extra feeling to it. The excitement of club football returning and that fresh feeling of a new Premier League season, the emotion around the Jota tributes, and seeing if the reigning champions would pick up where they left off after a busy transfer window, while Bournemouth have been raided for their entire defensive line. What occurred in this game certainly delivered. The most goals of any this weekend, a back and forth game won late on, and some terrific individual displays. Maybe there are more questions than answers from this, and there is a negative on the game given the alleged racism that took place, but on the pitch it remains a terrific league opener.

Player of the week: Tijjani Reijnders Without a doubt the signing with the most instant impact from week 1 of the Premier League, Reijnders produced a goal and assist as he looked confident and like he’d been in the City/Guardiola system his whole career. Alongside his goal contributions and the eye-test of watching him play and bring the ball forward, the Dutch international also managed 91% pass accuracy, and covered 11.6km, the 2nd most of any City player.