It was a dramatic weekend in the Premier League as matchday 5 served up plenty of surprises. Arsenal pulled off a heist in the last minute against Manchester City to steal a point. Manchester United defeated Chelsea by the barest of margins after both teams were reduced to 10 men. Liverpool continued their unbeaten start to the season with an impressive 2-1 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby. Thomas Frank’s Tottenham were held to a 0-0 draw by Brighton.
Key Match Summaries
The first teams in action this weekend were the defending champions, Liverpool, as they hosted Everton at Anfield. Ryan Gravenberch opened the scoring in the 10th minute before Hugo Ekitike made it 2-0 inside the first thirty minutes. Idrissa Gueye pulled one back for the Toffees before the hour mark, but it wasn’t enough as Arne Slot’s men made it five wins from as many games.
The biggest draw of matchday 5 was the meeting between Arsenal and Manchester City. It proved to be a game of two halves as the Gunners enjoyed plenty of possession but were trailing 0-1 after an early strike from Erling Haaland. Pep Guardiola’s men seemed to be heading back with all three points in the bag, but Gabriel Martinelli equalised in the last minute of added time.
Meanwhile, Manchester United picked up their second win of the season as they defeated Chelsea 2-1 at Old Trafford. The game came alive after just five minutes as Robert Sanchez was sent off for a dangerous tackle.
Bruno Fernandes scored his 100th goal for the Red Devils to put the hosts ahead. Casemiro scored shortly before half-time to put Ruben Amorim’s side 2-0 ahead. Before half-time, the Brazilian went from hero to zero as he was shown a second yellow for a rash tackle. Trevor Chalobah buried home a header 10 minutes before full-time, but United held firm for three crucial points.
Tottenham played out a 2-2 draw with Brighton thanks to a late own goal from Jan Paul van Hecke. Yasin Ayari and Yankuba Minteh had put the Seagulls ahead, but Richarlison scored just before half-time to keep his side in the contest.
Elsewhere, Burnley played out a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. Crystal Palace continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 win over West Ham. Leeds heaped more misery on Wolves by winning 3-1 at the Molineux. Fulham defeated Brentford 3-1 thanks to goals from Ethan Pinnock, Harry Wilson and Alex Iwobi. Bournemouth were held to a 0-0 draw by Newcastle United, and Sunderland shared the points with Aston Villa after a 1-1 stalemate.
Standout Players and Performances
Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch (8.7) was the highest-rated player this week, according to SofaScore’s ratings, as he racked up a goal and an assist. His teammate Hugu Ekitike (8.3) was also impressive. Anton Stach (8.4) also scored one goal and provided an assist during Leeds’ victory. Fulham duo Alex Iwobi (8.5) and Harry Wilson (8.1) were also among the best performers this week.
Dean Henderson (7.7) made two big saves and was the best-rated goalkeeper this week. Trevor Chalobah (7.9) not only scored for Chelsea, but he also made 8 clearances and was a rock at the back.
League Table & Impact
Liverpool have opened up a five-point lead at the top thanks to Arsenal’s draw with City. The Gunners are level on points with Tottenham and Bournemouth. Crystal Palace are in fifth place, while Chelsea are sixth. City rose to ninth place, and United also moved to 11th in the standings.
Aston Villa have yet to win a single game this season as they slumped to 18th, just ahead of West Ham. Wolves remain rooted to the foot of the table amid their five-game losing streak.
Injuries and Suspension Updates
Manchester United’s Casemiro will miss matchday 6 action through suspension, alongside Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez. Sunderland’s Reinildo Mandava will also be suspended. While Bukayo Saka regained fitness this week, Arsenal still have four long-term injury absentees. Chelsea also have five players unavailable through injuries.
City also have five players sidelined through injuries, while United have a fully fit squad except for two long-term injury absentees. Dominic Solanke is nearing full fitness, but Spurs will miss five players for a considerable period.
Looking Ahead
Premier League action resumes on Saturday as Man United will travel to Brentford. Chelsea will host Brighton later, while Manchester City will host Burnley simultaneously at the Etihad.
Liverpool will travel to Selhurst Park to face the high-flying Crystal Palace. Tottenham will host Wolves in North London, whereas Arsenal will travel to St. James’ Park to face Newcastle in this week’s marquee fixture. Leeds will be up against Bournemouth on matchday 5, and Nottingham Forest will take on Sunderland. Aston Villa will lock horns with Fulham, while Everton will host West Ham.