Never in the Premier League have all three sides who have come up from the second tier won on the opening weekend since the top tier of English football was officially renamed and established as the Premier League in 1992.
Two newly promoted clubs have won their opening Premier League matches for only the fourth time in the competition’s history, after Hull City stunned Manchester United 2-0 and Ipswich Town defeated Sunderland 2-1 on Saturday.
Hull marked their return to the top flight after nine years with a shock victory over Manchester United at the MKM Stadium, while Ipswich sealed their own winning return with Jack Clarke scoring a 90th-minute winner against Sunderland.
Semi Ajayi put Hull ahead before Nobel Mendy doubled their advantage, giving the Tigers their first league victory over United since 1974.
For Ipswich, Clarke’s late strike completed a 2-1 victory over Sunderland and ensured that two of the three promoted sides opened the campaign with victories.
The Premier League described Saturday’s results as a “dream start” for the two promoted clubs.
Coventry City, the third promoted club, were unable to complete a clean sweep after losing 3-0 to Arsenal in their opening fixture.
The feat is particularly rare in the Premier League. Before this season, two newly promoted clubs had won their opening matches in only three campaigns — 1997/98, 2021/22 and 2025/26.
In 2021/22, Brentford defeated Arsenal 2-0 before Watford beat Aston Villa 3-2. The Premier League said the two results meant the promoted clubs had matched a record for Matchweek 1.
The following season, the Premier League noted that “Never in the competition’s history have all three promoted sides won on the opening weekend.”
That record remains intact, with Hull and Ipswich winning and Coventry losing this season.
The 2025/26 campaign had also produced two promoted winners, with Sunderland beating West Ham 3-0 and Leeds United defeating Everton 1-0.
Hull’s victory is particularly notable because it is the second time the club have beaten the reigning Premier League champions in their opening game after promotion.
In 2016, Hull defeated Leicester City 2-1 on the opening day.
The Premier League described that result as a “dream start” for the newly promoted side.
Full list of newly promoted clubs that won their opening Premier League match
The Premier League’s historical record shows the following promoted clubs winning their first match after promotion from the Championship or, in the early years, the second tier.
Full list of newly promoted clubs that won their opening Premier League match
The Premier League’s historical record shows the following promoted clubs winning their first match after promotion from the Championship or, in the early years, the second tier.
| Season | Newly promoted club | Opening-day result |
|---|---|---|
| 1994/95 | Nottingham Forest | Nottingham Forest 1-0 Ipswich Town |
| 1997/98 | Bolton Wanderers | Southampton 0-1 Bolton Wanderers |
| 1997/98 | Crystal Palace | Everton 1-2 Crystal Palace |
| 1999/00 | Bradford City | Bradford City 1-0 Middlesbrough |
| 2000/01 | Charlton Athletic | Charlton Athletic 4-0 Manchester City |
| 2001/02 | Bolton Wanderers | Leicester City 2-5 Bolton Wanderers |
| 2003/04 | Portsmouth | Portsmouth 2-1 Aston Villa |
| 2006/07 | Reading | Reading 3-2 Middlesbrough |
| 2007/08 | Sunderland | Sunderland 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur |
| 2008/09 | Hull City | Hull City 2-1 Fulham |
| 2010/11 | Blackpool | Wigan Athletic 0-4 Blackpool |
| 2012/13 | West Ham United | West Ham United 1-0 Aston Villa |
| 2016/17 | Hull City | Hull City 2-1 Leicester City |
| 2017/18 | Huddersfield Town | Crystal Palace 0-3 Huddersfield Town |
| 2021/22 | Brentford | Brentford 2-0 Arsenal |
| 2021/22 | Watford | Watford 3-2 Aston Villa |
| 2022/23 | AFC Bournemouth | Bournemouth 2-0 Aston Villa |
| 2025/26 | Sunderland | Sunderland 3-0 West Ham United |
| 2025/26 | Leeds United | Leeds United 1-0 Everton |
| 2026/27 | Hull City | Hull City 2-0 Manchester United |
| 2026/27 | Ipswich Town | Ipswich Town 2-1 Sunderland |
The Premier League’s historical table confirms the results from 1992/93 through 2016/17, including the fact that 1997/98 was the first season in which more than one promoted club won on Matchweek 1.
EPL’s historical table confirms the results from 1992/93 through 2016/17, including the fact that 1997/98 was the first season in which more than one promoted club won on Matchweek 1.
The 2021/22 campaign then matched that six-point return through Brentford and Watford, while Sunderland and Leeds repeated the feat in 2025/26.
2026/27 now becomes the fourth season in Premier League history in which two newly promoted clubs have won their opening matches. Hull and Ipswich are the latest members of that select group, PUNCH Online reports
