Can Fantasy Stars Back Up Again This Weekend?
Brighton lead the Premier League after the opening weekend of the 2026/27 season, thanks to a 4-0 hammering of Europa League winners Aston Villa at the Amex Stadium on Sunday.
The Seagulls were one of nine teams to have opened their account with a win, with Liverpool's 2-2 draw at Newcastle the only fixture where the points were shared.
Defending champions Arsenal began their title defence with a routine 3-0 win over Coventry City, while the other two promoted sides - Hull City and Ipswich got their first wins of the season at home to Manchester United and Sunderland respectively.
This article highlights the leading points scorers in Fantasy Premier League and we ask the question - can they back it up again this weekend?
Maximum Joy For Maxim
It's no surprise that the overall leaders from Game Day 1 is from Brighton, who destroyed Villa with four first-half goals - and Belgian Maxim De Cuyper claimed a weekly best haul of 17 points.
Listed as a defender, De Cuyper seems to spend more time in the attacking third than his defensive third as he showed for his country during the World Cup earlier this season.
Game Day 1 Leading Defenders:
Rank | Player | Points | For | Against |
1 | Maxim De Cuyper | 17 | Brighton | A Villa |
2 | Nobel Mendy | 15 | Hull City | Man Utd |
3 | Semi Ajayi | 14 | Hull City | Man Utd |
De Cuyper had a goal and was awarded an assist for the opener when his shot hit the post and went in off Villa defender Victor Lindelof.
Can the Belgian back it up this weekend when the Seagulls travel to Chelsea?
Jack's The Lad For The Seagulls
Jack Hinshelwood will surely be a transfer target for some of the bigger clubs in England, especially if he continues the sparkling form he has shown on the south coast over the last couple of seasons.
The midfielder bagged two of Brighton's four goals, not that he had to do much for his second which was handed to him on a plate by a generous Villa defence.
Game Day 1 Leading Midfielders:
Rank | Player | Points | For | Against |
1 | Jack Hinshelwood | 16 | Brighton | A Villa |
2 | Mamadou Sangare | 14 | Brentford | Tottenham |
=3 | Cole Palmer | 13 | Chelsea | Fulham |
=3 | Anton Stach | 13 | Leeds Utd | N Forest |
Hinshelwood enters the second round of fixtures as the league's leading scorer as he was the only player to score a brace on the opening weekend.
Only 1.5% of managers had the 21-year-old in their line-up, but that will increase significantly for this weekend's trip to Stamford Bridge.
Record Breaker Pedro Leads The Forwards
It took Chelsea striker Joao Pedro just 30 seconds to open his account for the new season at Fulham, which was the Premier League's fastest ever goal on the opening weekend, beating David Healy's 50-second record - ironically for Fulham against Arsenal in 2007.
The goal helped the Brazilian to an 11-point haul on Monday night at Craven Cottage, a performance that also included an assist for Cole Palmer, who set Pedro up for his quick-fire opener.
Game Day 1 Leading Strikers:
Rank | Player | Points | For | Against |
1 | Joao Pedro | 11 | Chelsea | Fulham |
2 | Emersonn | 9 | Ipswich | Sunderland |
3 | Thierno Barry | 8 | Everton | C Palace |
It certainly looked as though Palmer was playing with a point to prove after being left out of Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad, which will be a boost for Blues new manager Xabi Alonso.
Alonso will hope Pedro can continue his fine start to the season this weekend when facing his former club Brighton, who he scored for in a 3-2 defeat to his current team in December 2023.
Tiger Tzolakis The Top Keeper
Hands up who gave Hull City a chance at home to Manchester United to mark their return to the Premier League after a decade away?
We know Joe Cole certainly didn't, but while defenders Nobel Mendy and Semi Ajayi (whose combined cost of £8m is the same price as Arsenal's Gabriel) rewarded their managers with 15 and 14-point hauls respectively, Konstantinos Tzolakis did his job in their historic win by keeping a clean sheet.
Game Day 1 Leading Goalkeepers:
Rank | Player | Points | For | Against |
1 | Konstantinos Tzolakis | 10 | Hull City | Man Utd |
2 | James Trafford | 9 | Leeds Utd | N Forest |
=3 | Caoimhin Kelleher | 7 | Brentford | Tottenham |
=3 | Jordan Pickford | 7 | Everton | C Palace |
Besides the clean sheet, the Greek stopper denied Bryan Mbeumo twice - once in each half - to send the visiting fans home licking their wounds after losing back-to-back season openers for the first time in the Premier League era.
Next up for Tzolakis and the Tigers, is a trip to fellow newcomers Coventry City, who lost their opener 3-0 at Arsenal on Friday night.
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