Premier League: Arsenal Set Early Pace as Title Rivals Chase Leaders

Arsenal have made a winning start to their Premier League title defence, but Manchester City, Hull City and Chelsea have moved ahead of the champions after two rounds of the 2026/27 campaign.

The Gunners opened their season with a convincing 3-0 victory over newly promoted Coventry City. Their second league fixture, however, is scheduled for Monday against Aston Villa, giving Arsenal an opportunity to close the gap on the early leaders.

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The latest standings show Manchester City at the summit with six points, followed by Hull City and Chelsea, who also have perfect records after two matches. Brentford, Newcastle United, Everton and Leeds United occupy the next positions, while Arsenal sit ninth with three points from their opening game.

Chelsea have also made an impressive start under new manager Xabi Alonso, beating Brighton 4-3 at Stamford Bridge to maintain their perfect league record.

Manchester United, meanwhile, recovered from their opening-day defeat to Hull City by thrashing Ipswich Town 5-2, with captain Bruno Fernandes scoring a hat-trick.

Liverpool have had a more difficult beginning, drawing their opening two league matches, while the early success of promoted Hull City has added another surprise to the opening weeks.

Arsenal will now look to make up ground when they face Aston Villa. A victory would move the defending champions closer to the leading pack and provide an early indication of their ability to keep pace with their title rivals.

With the season still in its early stages, the table is unlikely to remain unchanged for long. But with Manchester City, Chelsea and Hull City setting the initial pace, Arsenal and the rest of the title contenders already have ground to make up.