FULL LIST: Hull stun Man United, Ipswich win as promoted clubs Shine in EPL opener
Semi Ajayi scores in Hull City win over Man United | Manchester News
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, PUNCH Online reports.
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.
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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. I have nothing more to give, Messi announces retirement from national team Arsenal chase perfect EPL start, face new-look Villa From Enzo Fernandez to Alvarez: EPL transfers to watch before deadline
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
Tosin Oyediran
Tosin Oyediran is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over eight years of professional experience in reporting and storytelling. He is known for conducting incisive interviews and producing compelling human-angle stories that bring clarity and depth to the news. Tosin covers a broad range of beats including politics, health, advocacy, sports, and entertainment, with a strong focus on people-centred reporting. His work reflects firsthand newsroom experience, editorial insight, and a commitment to accurate, engaging, and trustworthy journalism.
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