10 things we learned from Week 2 of the 2024-25 Premier League season

Only eight teams have failed to taste defeat after two weeks of the 2024-25 Premier League season, and there are just four teams who’ve claimed six points.

Man City, Brighton, Arsenal, and Liverpool are the 2-0 sides, and all but the Reds can boasts wins over a would-be top-four contender after just 180 minutes of their season.

[ MORE: Premier League table | Fixtures and results ]

There are also five teams who’ve yet to register a point, as Ipswich Town, Wolves, Crystal Palace, and Everton have leaked goals and Southampton just can’t score any. The Saints and Toffees are the only Premier League sides still seeking a first goal of the season.

Here are 10 thoughts about Week 2 from our writers, as Joe Prince-Wright, Andy Edwards, and Nick Mendola share their observations from the second batch of games in the 2024-25 Premier League season.

Ten things we learned from Week 2 of the 2024-25 Premier League season

Away we go!

Defensive lapses cost Man United dear again

Brighton 2-1 Manchester United

Erik ten Hag was fuming with the way Manchester United conceded twice against Brighton. In a tight game which United could have easily won, they lost because of poor positioning and switching off. Matthijs De Ligt and Luke Shaw will surely come in to the starting lineup and United are still a work in progress but this defeat at Brighton, their fifth in six games against the Seagulls, will start the crisis early this season. Ahead of their game against Liverpool next time out the narrative will be one of pressure building on Erik ten Hag. The calamitous disallowed goal by Joshua Zirkzee summed United’s general haphazardness. New season, same old story, so far, for United.— Joe Prince-Wright

Spurs learning to finish games that they dominate

Tottenham Hotspur 4-0 Everton

Ange Postecoglou’s side didn’t make the same mistake twice after battering Leicester for 45 minutes on opening day, when they only put one of their many chances away and Jamie Vardy eventually made them pay for it. Saturday was an exercise in ruthless, clinical finishing from Tottenham, as they built an early (two-goal) lead in the first half and only proceeded to build on it. Spurs struck the right balance between controlling the game with loads of possession (71 percent for the game) and taking the right amount risk as they continue to seek more goals (two goals on just four shots in the second half, from 66 percent of possession). — Andy Edwards

Everbody eats in Enzo’s away attack. Now about the back…

Wolves 2-6 Chelsea

You have to be able to take advantage of a poor back line and Enzo Maresca did that. All three of Noni Madueke’s goals looked and not just because of Cole Palmer’s status as Madueke’s waiter. Maresca’s possession allowed for the ball to move across the field and there was rarely an answer. Nicholas Jackson was very good early and could’ve had a hat trick himself on another day, but Maresca will be concerned about how things looked in his back four. Wolves produced 1.92 xG against Robert Sanchez and the Blues, but some of that can be put down to early-season fixture congestion following the Thursday action versus Servette. Tosin Adarabioyo and Benoit Badiashile watched from the bench after blanking Servette, and Levi Colwill and Wesley Fofana were under duress in the first half. Might something be flipped come Sunday? The Blues have to take advantage of a very winnable run of games, free from top-end challengers, because it gets really grimy in mid-October. — Nick Mendola

Arsenal ride their luck, show resilience ahead of tough opening away stretch

Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal — Three things JPW learned from Villa Park

Let’s not get away from it: Arsenal were let off the hook twice by Ollie Watkins and they made the most of it. In the first half Watkins missed a huge chance as he scuffed wide with the goal at his mercy. In the second half Amadou Onana’s shot hit the bar and the ball fell straight to Watkins as the Holte End expected to see the net ripple. But Watkins headed the ball in the only spot where David Raya could pull off a miraculous save. Those chances either side of half time were crucial in the story of this game. When Arsenal’s big chances came they took them. Winning away at Villa when they were under pressure for vast swathes of it was a big step forward ahead of their next two away games at Tottenham and Manchester City. Starting the season with Villa, Tottenham, and Man City away will show us whether or not Arsenal have taken a big step forward towards winning the title. The early signs are good for the Gunners. This was a big statement. — Joe Prince-Wright

Arne gives a ‘different’ Anfield total control

Liverpool 2-0 Brentford

Liverpool look rock solid. Yes, there’s a bit less electricity in the press and moving forward, but there has been near total control of their opposition through 180 minutes against two admittedly less-than-great opponents. The Reds kept back-to-back Premier League clean sheets just once last season. That’s been matched. The Reds allowed almost zero danger on Sunday, and it was simply a matter of how many they’d score in front of a genius midfield of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister. The IQ of that bunch is very high. Sure, it’s more fun when Jordan Henderson is screaming and pointing, but not much of that’s needed when the men in the middle are in the right spot. It definitely helps Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate operate better. Bigger tests will happen — and soon — but there’s reason to believe Liverpool may already be capable of challenging anyone in the Premier League. — Nick Mendola

Welcome to the Erling’s Etihad Stadium, Tractor Boys

Man City 4-1 Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town had won its last two trips to Manchester City, but Maine Road closed in 2003 and perhaps no club in the world has had a better 21-year run of growth than the Citizens. An early goal that will be rued by Pep Guardiola was brilliant for the Portman Road crowd, but the positive Ipswich vibes soon disappeared as Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland feasted on spoils served up by Savinho via drawn penalty and keeper turnover. This was all without a moment on the pitch for Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and Nathan Ake on the bench, and Rodri still waiting to be involved in an 18 due to a minor injury. So, yeah, Tractor Boys, it could’ve actually been worse and might’ve been. Rico Lewis smashed the cross bar and both De Bruyne and Haaland each had another more or less expected goal in sight. — Nick Mendola

Fortunate Magpies get subs right

Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle United

Newcastle started brightly but faded after 10 minutes or so as Bournemouth produced most of the danger in the first half. The Magpies trailed at the break and there’s no reason to say it wasn’t a deserved deficit. The traffic was two-way in the second half as Newcastle chased the equalizer and then both teams fought for a winner. Harvey Barnes was terrific on the wing and Joe Willock brought more creativity to the midfield while equaling Sean Longstaff’s effort. And the mix seemed to wake up Anthony Gordon after a poor first half. But the fact remains that Bournemouth out-produced the Magpies, who were missing regular center back Fabian Schar through suspension, and could’ve won on multiple occasions. The biggest moment, of course, was the handball call that took Dango Ouattara’s stoppage-time winner off the board and left many — including this writer — re-evaluating their understanding of what represents the shirt sleeve in the rule book (It seems to be the shoulder muscle and not the cloth sleeve of a short-sleeve top. — Nick Mendola

Blunt Saints have to be braver

Southampton 0-1 Nottingham Forest

It’s early days for Southampton back in the Premier League but they have dominated possession in both of their games and lost both 1-0. Against Forest they looked blunt and congested in attack. There is a blueprint emerging about how to play against Southampton, as Forest sat back, soaked up pressure, and were frightening on the counter. Outside of the top six, that is how most teams will play against Southampton this season and they will have a lot of joy. Russell Martin’s side need to sign a target forward and a new goalkeeper in the final days of the window otherwise it risks being a very long and very low-scoring season for the Saints. Last season they scored over 90 goals in the Championship but the huge step up in class is clear to see and Saints’ forwards are already lacking confidence as they hoisted hopeful balls into the box and never believed they could score. That is a huge problem and unless it changes quickly, the Saints will go marching straight back down to the Championship. — Joe Prince-Wright

West Ham gets foothold while Palace must be patient

Crystal Palace 0-2 West Ham United

Oliver Glasner’s going to have to wait for a third-successive London derby — so at least one more week — to get a first Premier League win this season after another “could’ve been” loss against a local rival. First it was Brentford’s late 2-1 win, and this time the loss came at home as dead-even xG and 59% of the ball couldn’t get the Eagles on the score sheet. Glasner will get to try other players and ideas in a midweek League Cup tie but Chelsea’s next in the Premier League and if the Blues are at their best this could be an 0-3 side with Leicester City visiting town after that. The Irons, however, have now taken three-of-six points from decent opposition in games where they showed the steel they had under David Moyes with an added dimension of possession intent (although both goals did come off the counter, led by new boys Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Max Kilman). Kilman was especially brilliant and West Ham could have something going this season in the Premier League. — Nick Mendola

Fulham figuring out life after Joao Palhinha

Fulham 2-1 Leicester City

Manchester United snatched an 87th-minute winner against Fulham last weekend, leaving Marco Silva’s side with no reward for their brave away performance, but the Cottagers backed it up with more expansive possession and massively out-created Leicester in attack.

All five of Leicester’s second-half shots came after Fulham scored their second goal, meaning they attempted zero shots from minutes 39-73 immediately after scoring themselves. Playing for the point probably cost Leicester the point, and it played right into Fulham’s hands at home. — Andy Edwards