English football weekend of major upsets

A weekend of major upsets shook every division of English football, with two newly promoted sides winning in the Premier League. Defending champions Arsenal suffered a surprising 3-0 defeat away to Coventry.

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough side was surprisingly effective, with manager Wayne Rooney commenting, "They were too passive. There needs to be more energy here." It was a well-deserved win for the Tigers despite having only 28% possession. Setting the tone were Hull City, who were everyone's favourites for relegation, featuring mightily in a 2-0 defeat of Manchester United.

Another newly promoted side, Ipswich, picked up a surprising three points against Sunderland, inspired by a fine display from their new signing Julio Enciso. Despite all the summer signings, Spurs manager Robert De Zerbi is quickly learning that what looks good on paper doesn't always work out on the pitch. One of the biggest shocks was Brentford thrashing the "new-look" Tottenham Hotspur side 3-0.

The upsets continued on Sunday with Aston Villa thrashing Brighton 4-0, with all the goals coming in the first half before Villa's Ollie Watkins was sent off in the 40th minute. It was an awful display by Villa, who also look like they are losing unsettled Ollie Watkins.

However, one worry for the Blues is that goalkeeper Robert Sanchez still looks very shaky. Chelsea made an impressive start with Cole Palmer back to his best as they overcame Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage. However, it didn't help him find his way back from the net, with City's goals coming from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol. City are also having to adapt to Enzo Maresca's new haircut, his familiar flowing blond locks replaced by a close shaven trim, but they are still having to adapt to life without Pep Guardiola. For most of the match it would have looked like Bournemouth could snatch a shock away win against Manchester City, but the Cherries succumbed to two late goals from City.

At the Etihad Stadium, Newcastle fans added to the atmosphere with a predictable chorus of booing for Swedish striker Alexander Isak every time he touched the ball. Many fears had been voiced over Newcastle in the pre-season, but they put on a decent display against a disjointed Liverpool and were only denied by a last-minute penalty to the Reds.

In the Championship, pre-season favourites West Ham were stunned at home by visiting Charlton Athletic, who now 2-1 in front of a crowd of 26,000. To rub salt in the wound, West Ham's Valentin Castellanos missed a penalty in the 39th minute. It was the 'Addicks' second straight win and enough to put them in third place behind Millwall and West Brom on goal difference.

In League One, pre-season favourites Leicester City were booked off at the King Power Stadium after losing at home to Burton Albion, a team most pundits had tipped for relegation. Foxes manager Russell Martin accepted responsibility for the poor display, saying, "We need to have some honest conversations."

Even in League Two there were surprises, with hotly-tipped Salford City losing their first two games leaving them third from bottom. Check the latest standings to see how the tables have turned.

Injuries also played a part, with several key players missing across the divisions. Teams will be hoping for positive updates on their injuries lists ahead of the next round of fixtures.