Premier League: Arsenal Edges Past Manchester United; Chelsea Held to Draw by Crystal Palace
The opening fixtures of the 2025/2026 Premier League season continued on Sunday as Arsenal kicked off their Premier League campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Manchester United, while world champions Chelsea struggled to find their rhythm, settling for a goalless draw against Crystal Palace.
Arsenal Claims Three Points in Tight Encounter
In a match that put immense pressure on Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to deliver the club’s first league title since the 2003-04 season, the Gunners managed to secure a crucial win. The decisive moment came in the 13th minute when a corner from Declan Rice was mishandled by United’s stand-in goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to head into an empty net.
Despite debut performances from United’s new attacking trio—Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko—the home side couldn’t find a way past Arsenal’s well-organized defense. Danish midfielder Patrick Dorgu came closest to equalizing, striking the post with a long-range effort.
Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya was instrumental in preserving the lead, making several vital saves, particularly against Cunha and Mbeumo. “Razor-sharp reflexes from David Raya,” the commentators noted, highlighting his crucial contributions throughout the match.
Chelsea Stumbles Against Crystal Palace
Meanwhile, Chelsea faced a challenging opener after their triumph in the Club World Cup, struggling to break through a resolute Crystal Palace defense. The match saw Palace initially denied an early goal when Eberechi Eze’s free-kick was ruled out by VAR for obstruction.
New Chelsea signing Estevao came close to securing a win for the Blues, but the reigning world champions were largely subdued in attack, failing to convert their chances against a well-drilled Palace side. Despite speculation surrounding the futures of key players like Marc Guehi and Eberechi Eze, Palace manager Oliver Glasner praised their commitment and performance.
Chelsea’s head coach Enzo Maresca expressed concern over his team’s lack of preparation, noting, “They played about eight pre-season games; we played just two.” He acknowledged the difficulty of the match but remained optimistic about the season ahead.
Nottingham Forest Shines with Dominant Win
In other action, Nottingham Forest delivered an impressive performance, beating Brentford 3-1. Chris Wood scored twice, with Dan Ndyoe adding another goal on his debut for Forest, showcasing the team’s attacking prowess. Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest’s manager, praised the combinations and beautiful goals in the first half, indicating a strong start to their campaign.
Brentford, however, faced a challenging day, missing several key players and dealing with a significant overhaul in their squad. New manager Keith Andrews lamented the team’s first-half performance but remained hopeful for improvement moving forward.
