The new Manchester City squad secured a victory over Coventry on Saturday, thanks to Erling Haaland's goal, thereby maintaining their flawless Premier League record. Meanwhile, Tottenham, which displayed a poor performance, held on to a draw against Nottingham Forest.
Enzo Maresca took over as head coach at the Etihad following the departure of long-term manager Pep Guardiola, and significant changes have occurred in the team. One of the new players, Enzo Fernandez, played a key role in opening the score for City by assisting Antoine Semenyo, who then provided the assist to Erling Haaland, allowing him to score his third goal of the season.
Former Chelsea midfielder Fernandez joined the club on the day the transfer window closed for a deal worth 125 million pounds (£170 million), setting a British record. Maresca gave a chance to his former Chelsea player after Nico O'Reilly's injury during warm-ups; new player Iliman Ndiaye also made his debut.
City aims to reclaim the Premier League title after failing to win it for two consecutive seasons, having lost to Liverpool and then Arsenal. Maresca is working with a rebuilt squad following the departure of several high-profile footballers, including former Ballon d'Or winner Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and John Stones.
In addition to Fernandez and Ndiaye, other expensive signings include England midfielder Elliot Anderson and Moroccan teenager Ayoub Bouaddia, both of whom featured on Saturday. The home side took the lead in the 26th minute but could not extend the advantage, and Frank Lampard's team will regret the missed opportunities.
City, leading the table, won all three Premier League matches this season ahead of the upcoming Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Tottenham also invested in the transfer window this summer in a desperate attempt to avoid the shame of the previous two seasons, in which the team finished 17th both times. They traveled to the City Ground after defeats to Brentford and Newcastle to face a team that heavily defeated them last season and has yet to score its first goal in the new Premier League season.
Forest had a chance to score in the middle of the second half after a defensive lapse, but Nico Williams' shot was disallowed after a VAR check. The result means that Forest, like Tottenham, who struggled for survival last season, has also yet to secure its first victory.
Ukrainian forward Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined Tottenham on loan this week, came on as a substitute in the 74th minute, marking his first official appearance since November 2024 following a doping ban.
Vitaliy Yanelt opened the scoring for Brentford against Sunderland in a match where Enzo Le Fevre equalized from a penalty late in the game, securing a 1-1 draw. Leeds drew 1-1 with Brighton, and Tyrell Mitchell scored twice, while Crystal Palace twice came back in the game to defeat Fulham 3-2, with Ben Chilwell scoring the winning goal.
At the start of the match, Newcastle recovered from being 2-0 down and drew 2-2 with Bournemouth, remaining unbeaten in all competitions under new manager Mattias Jasse. In a late match on Saturday, Hull hosts Aston Villa, and champions Arsenal play against attacking Chelsea on Sunday. On Friday, Liverpool, managed by Andoni Iraola, beat Ipswich 2-0, securing their first win of the season.