Arsenal won 2-0 away at Sunderland and Real Madrid beat Rayo Vallecano 4-1 at home on September 12-13, 2026, headlining a busy weekend across Europe’s top two leagues. Liverpool were held 0-0 by Fulham, Chelsea drew 2-2 with promoted Hull City, and Barcelona were set to face Levante later in the round as La Liga’s Sunday programme continued.
Quick Answer: Key Results
- Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal (Premier League)
- Real Madrid 4-1 Rayo Vallecano (La Liga)
- Liverpool 0-0 Fulham (Premier League)
- Chelsea 2-2 Hull City (Premier League)
- Athletic Bilbao 1-1 Elche (La Liga)
- Espanyol 2-0 Osasuna (La Liga)
Arsenal Win Away at Sunderland
Arsenal made the trip to newly promoted Sunderland and came away with a comfortable 2-0 win, continuing their strong start to the season following their Champions League victory over Napoli earlier in the week. The result extends Arsenal’s unbeaten run across competitions and keeps them near the top of the Premier League table as one of the early-season pace-setters. Sunderland, back in the top flight after their promotion, remain in a difficult early stretch as they adjust to Premier League opposition.
Real Madrid Cruise Past Rayo Vallecano
Real Madrid delivered one of the weekend’s most emphatic results, beating Rayo Vallecano 4-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu. The win keeps Madrid firmly in the hunt at the top of La Liga and follows their midweek Champions League win over Inter Milan, giving manager Xabi Alonso back-to-back statement performances from his squad across two competitions in the same week.
Other Premier League Results
Liverpool were held to a goalless draw at home by Fulham, a result that will frustrate a Liverpool side looking to build momentum after a mixed start to the campaign. Chelsea drew 2-2 with promoted Hull City, a result that shows the unpredictability newly promoted sides can bring to a Premier League weekend. Elsewhere, Aston Villa lost 1-2 at home to Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Brentford shared four goals in a 2-2 draw, and Crystal Palace were beaten 2-3 by Ipswich Town in another high-scoring afternoon across the division. Chelsea, meanwhile, will look to tighten up defensively after conceding late equalizers in back-to-back matches, a pattern their coaching staff will want to address before facing tougher opposition in the weeks ahead.
Other La Liga Results
Elsewhere in Spain, Espanyol beat Osasuna 2-0, Athletic Bilbao were held 1-1 by Elche, and Racing Santander edged Alaves 2-1 in a tightly-fought contest. Sevilla had earlier beaten Valencia 1-0 in a midweek fixture, rounding out a busy stretch of matches across the Spanish top flight. Meanwhile, the La Liga results in Espanyolu2019s 2-0 win over Osasuna and Racing Santanderu2019s 2-1 victory over Alaves showed the mid-table battle is already tightening early in the campaign, with several clubs separated by only a point or two after this round of fixtures.
What This Means for the Title Race
Real Madrid’s emphatic win keeps the pressure on Barcelona, who were still to play Levante later in the round, while Arsenal’s away win at Sunderland reinforces their status as genuine title contenders in a Premier League season that remains wide open after Manchester City and Manchester United were set to meet later the same day. With both Arsenal and Real Madrid combining strong domestic form with recent Champions League wins, both clubs enter the coming weeks with momentum across multiple competitions.
Arsenalu2019s Growing Momentum
The win at Sunderland comes on the back of a demanding week for Arsenal, who also secured a 1-0 away win over Napoli in the Champions League league phase opener just days earlier. Back-to-back away wins across two competitions in the space of a week is exactly the kind of form title-winning sides typically show in the early months of a season, and it puts early pressure on Arsenalu2019s domestic rivals to match their consistency heading into the international break period later in the month.
Real Madridu2019s Two Dominant Wins in a Week
Real Madridu2019s 4-1 win over Rayo Vallecano follows their 2-1 Champions League victory over Inter Milan earlier in the week, giving new manager Xabi Alonso two convincing results from his squad in quick succession. The scoreline against Rayo was particularly notable given Rayo had been one of La Ligau2019s more difficult away trips in recent seasons, making Madridu2019s comfortable margin of victory a strong early signal of squad depth and form under the new coaching setup.
What Happens Next?
Barcelona were scheduled to face Levante later on September 13, while Manchester United hosted Manchester City in one of the weekend’s marquee remaining fixtures. Both leagues continue with a full round of midweek and weekend fixtures over the following week, with early title-race form continuing to take shape.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the score in Sunderland vs Arsenal?
Arsenal won 2-0 away at Sunderland.
What was the score in Real Madrid vs Rayo Vallecano?
Real Madrid won 4-1 at home against Rayo Vallecano.
Did Liverpool win this weekend?
No, Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw at home by Fulham.
How did Chelsea do against Hull City?
Chelsea drew 2-2 with newly promoted Hull City.
Who else is challenging for the La Liga title early this season?
Real Madrid and Barcelona remain the two clubs setting the pace early in the campaign, based on their results this weekend.
