Haaland, Richarlison dazzle as Man City, Spurs get Premier League off to flying start

Abdullateef Fowewe

The Premier League roared back to life this Saturday, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur announcing their title intentions through emphatic opening wins.

Manchester City signaled their intent to defend their crown with a commanding 4-0 victory over Wolves at Molineux.

The story centered once again on Erling Haaland, who delivered two goals and proved unstoppable. City’s new faces shone, with Tijjani Reijnders impressing on debut and Rayan Cherki marking his Premier League initiation with a goal.

Early on, Wolves thought they’d stolen a march, but their opener was chalked off for offside.

City then snapped into action—Haaland and Reijnders found the net before halftime, putting the visitors in control.

Haaland struck again after the break, and Cherki joined the scoring after a flowing team move. City’s dominance was never in doubt, as Pep Guardiola began his quest for a seventh Premier League title with a near-flawless performance.

Youngster Oscar Bobb left a strong impression as City showed depth and variety up front.

Tottenham Hotspur made a dream start under new boss Thomas Frank, routing newly promoted Burnley 3-0 in North London.

Richarlison was the star, bagging a stunning brace—his second, a sensational bicycle kick, is already being tipped as a goal-of-the-season contender.

Mohammed Kudus, debuting after a £55m move, provided two assists and looked to establish a promising partnership with Richarlison. Brennan Johnson rounded off the scoring, capitalising on Spurs’ dominance.

Burnley, despite showing bright moments in attack, could not convert pressure into goals and struggled defensively.

The match marked Tottenham’s first home win since April and sent an immediate message that Frank’s reign could spark a new era of attacking football at Spurs.

Kudus, too, became just the second player in Spurs history to provide two-plus assists on his Premier League debut, underlining the potential for explosive new combinations in attack.

Both sides notched statement wins, with City’s incisive power and Spurs’ attacking flair lighting up the opening day. The title race has begun in earnest—and both teams have shown they mean business.