Two newly promoted clubs have won their opening Premier League matches for only the fourth time in the competition’s history after Hull City defeated Manchester United 2-0 and Ipswich Town edged Sunderland 2-1 on the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season.
Hull marked their return to the top flight after nine years with a stunning victory over Manchester United at the MKM Stadium. Semi Ajayi opened the scoring before Nobel Mendy added a second to complete the upset.
Ipswich also celebrated a winning return to the Premier League after Jack Clarke scored a 90th-minute winner against Sunderland to secure a 2-1 victory.
The results mean Hull and Ipswich have joined an exclusive group of promoted clubs to win their opening Premier League fixtures in the same season. The previous occasions were 1997/98, 2021/22 and 2025/26.
Coventry City, the third promoted side, missed the opportunity to complete a clean sweep after suffering a 3-0 defeat against defending champions Arsenal on Friday.
The three clubs, Coventry, Hull and Ipswich, were promoted from the Championship ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
The latest results also preserved a long-standing Premier League record. No season has seen all three newly promoted clubs win their opening matches since the competition was established in 1992.
Hull’s victory was particularly significant because it was their first league win over Manchester United since 1974. The result also made them the first newly promoted side to beat United in their opening Premier League match.
Ipswich’s late victory provided an equally memorable start to their campaign, with Clarke’s stoppage-time strike completing a comeback against Sunderland.
The two victories also continued a recent trend. Sunderland and Leeds United both won their opening Premier League matches after promotion in 2025/26, defeating West Ham United and Everton respectively.
The four seasons in which two newly promoted clubs have won their opening Premier League matches are:
- 1997/98: Bolton Wanderers and Crystal Palace
- 2021/22: Brentford and Watford
- 2025/26: Sunderland and Leeds United
- 2026/27: Hull City and Ipswich Town
Hull and Ipswich have therefore made an immediate impact on their return to the Premier League, while Coventry will now look to recover from its opening-day defeat as the promoted trio begins its fight for top-flight survival.
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