Premier League Daily Report - 2026-09-13

Erling Haaland scored in the 60th minute as Manchester City defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, extending their perfect Premier League start. City had played with ten men since Phil Foden was sent off for violent conduct in the 23rd minute, yet United failed to turn their numerical advantage into an equaliser. Haaland’s goal was initially ruled out for offside before VAR overturned the decision. The result gave Enzo Maresca another significant victory in his first Manchester derby as City manager and left United with four points from their opening four league matches.

The goal remained the main talking point after the final whistle because Enzo Fernández was in an offside position during the build-up. The Premier League said Fernández did not touch the ball before Haaland finished, while Pro Ref later said the VAR had failed to recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review. United defender Lisandro Martínez called the decision an “injustice”, and Michael Carrick said: “I just don’t get it, I really don’t get it.” City’s ability to protect the lead with ten men strengthened their early title credentials, while United’s failure to exploit the advantage raised fresh questions about their progress.

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Arsenal preserved their 100 per cent Premier League record with a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday. The match was goalless at half-time, but David Raya made the decisive intervention by saving Enzo Le Fée’s penalty. Bruno Guimarães then opened his Arsenal account 121 seconds later, striking from outside the area after Declan Rice helped create the chance. Bukayo Saka completed the victory with a stoppage-time penalty after being fouled by Reinildo Mandava, who was sent off. Arsenal therefore moved to four wins from four league matches and remained top of the table.

The result also revived debate over the penalty Sunderland received, with Mikel Arteta describing the decision as “unacceptable”. Former PGMOL general manager Keith Hackett backed referee John Brooks, however, while Arsenal’s ability to win a difficult away match after Raya’s save was viewed as evidence of their resilience. Tony Cascarino went further, arguing that the champions’ defensive work could put Chelsea’s record of 15 goals conceded in a Premier League season under threat. Arsenal’s clean-sheet record and their response to Sunderland’s pressure suggested a side capable of collecting points even when the performance was not fluent.

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Brighton produced the biggest league win of the weekend by beating newly promoted Coventry City 5-0 at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Sunday. Charalampos Kostoulas opened the scoring in the 35th minute before Malick Yalcouyé doubled the advantage six minutes after half-time. Pascal Groß converted a 70th-minute penalty, Lewis Dunk added a long-range strike in the 83rd minute and Yasin Ayari completed the rout in stoppage time. The result continued a strong opening to the campaign for Fabian Hurzeler’s side, who had already impressed during a demanding start involving European fixtures and matches against Aston Villa and Chelsea.

Brighton’s display was presented as more than a one-off victory over a newly promoted opponent. Their performance followed a start in which they ranked highly for expected goals, possession, shots and passes, with figures described as comparable to those of Manchester City and Arsenal. Tony Bloom’s club have repeatedly replaced important players while retaining an aggressive style, creating the possibility of a sustained challenge to the established elite. Coventry’s red card contributed to the scale of the scoreline, but Brighton had controlled the contest before that point. Their next challenge is converting impressive underlying performances into a genuine push towards the top places.

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Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, extending a mixed opening to Andoni Iraola’s Premier League tenure. The Reds remained unbeaten under their new manager in all competitions, but the stalemate meant they had won only one of their first four league matches. It was another frustrating result for a team that had invested heavily after winning the previous Premier League title. Liverpool’s inability to find a goal against Fulham left the champions’ early campaign short of the momentum expected from a side that had strengthened substantially during the transfer window.

The draw intensified scrutiny of how Iraola is integrating a costly group of attacking and midfield additions, including Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Liverpool’s recruitment has been central to the club’s ambitions, but results have not yet matched the scale of the investment. The team’s unbeaten record offered some stability, although a single league victory from four games left little room for complacency. Fulham’s point also formed part of a wider weekend in which several leading clubs dropped points, making Arsenal’s perfect start more valuable while Liverpool faced growing pressure to turn possession and squad quality into victories.

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Tottenham Hotspur remained without a Premier League win after drawing 0-0 at home to Everton on Saturday. The result left the north London club winless after four league matches and still searching for their first goal of the campaign, according to the weekend’s assessment of the Italian players in England. Sandro Tonali’s difficult start continued as Tottenham failed to convert their possession and attacking pressure into a breakthrough. Everton’s point added to a weekend of goalless draws involving prominent clubs, but Spurs’ inability to score made their early position particularly concerning after an encouraging summer transfer window.

The stalemate placed immediate pressure on Tottenham to translate their recruitment into a more productive attack. Their start was notable not simply because points had been dropped, but because four matches had passed without a league victory or a goal. That combination left little margin for further patience, especially with expectations raised by the club’s summer business. Everton, meanwhile, left with a valuable away point from a match that offered few decisive moments. Tottenham’s next fixtures will show whether this is an awkward opening sequence or evidence of deeper problems in chance creation and finishing.

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