Gameweek 5 of the English Premier League season delivered another weekend full of talking points, with several results catching the attention of fans across the country. There were big wins, surprise results and some disappointing performances as teams continued to find their rhythm early in the season.
Arsenal suffered a heavy defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion, while Tottenham Hotspur were beaten at home by Aston Villa in another difficult afternoon for the north London side. Manchester City,
meanwhile, produced an entertaining victory over Sunderland, while Liverpool secured another important result against Bournemouth.
With five games now played, the early stages of the season are starting to give us a better idea of where some teams stand. From the title race and European places to the clubs struggling for consistency, there were plenty of lessons to take from another busy Premier League weekend.
Arsenal’s perfect start comes to an end
Arsenal went into the weekend with a perfect record, but that run came to a sudden end at Brighton. The defending champions were beaten 3-0 at the Amex Stadium, with Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas and Chema Andres all getting on the scoresheet.
The result was a reminder that even after a strong start, there is still plenty of work to do across a long Premier League season. Arsenal struggled to find their usual rhythm and were unable to respond after Brighton took control of the game.
Brighton also provided a major talking point for Fantasy Premier League managers. Gross finished the match with 14 points after scoring, assisting and collecting all three bonus points, while his price subsequently rose to £5.8m.
Tottenham and Chelsea face more questions
Tottenham’s difficult start continued as they suffered a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa. Spurs are still without a league win after five matches, while Villa finally picked up their first victory of the season after goals from Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendia.
Chelsea also had a weekend to forget after Brentford produced a 3-0 victory in Friday night’s London derby. The result extended Chelsea’s run without a clean sheet in the league to 21 matches and left Xabi Alonso’s side with just two wins from their opening five games.
Both results show how quickly the picture can change in the Premier League. Teams that looked capable of building momentum after the opening few weeks now have more questions to answer during the international break.
Manchester City keep their perfect record
Manchester City remain the only team with a 100 per cent record after five matches following their 5-3 victory over Sunderland. It was not the most comfortable defensive performance, but their attacking quality once again helped them collect all three points.
The result keeps City at the top of the table and gives them five wins from five under Enzo Maresca.There were also encouraging signs for Fantasy Premier League managers, with City continuing to provide several attacking options.
Erling Haaland remains one of the obvious premium choices, while the performances of other players will give managers more to consider ahead of the next gameweek.
Liverpool continue to find a way
Liverpool also maintained their unbeaten start after beating Bournemouth 1-0. Alexander Isak scored the only goal of the game, giving Andoni Iraola‘s side another important three points.
It was not a spectacular victory, but Liverpool have now shown that they can pick up points even when games do not go exactly as planned. That could become important as the season progresses and the fixture schedule becomes more demanding.
Their defensive options have also attracted attention in Fantasy Premier League, with Liverpool’s backline emerging as another route for managers looking for reliable points.
Gameweek 5 leaves plenty to discuss before the Premier League returns. Manchester City remain perfect, Arsenal have suffered their first defeat, while Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester United have work to do. Liverpool continue to pick up points, with Pascal Gross and Harvey Barnes also catching the attention of FPL managers.
The international break now gives clubs time to regroup before the Premier League returns on Saturday, October 10, with Gameweek 6. FPL managers can also use the break to assess their squads and wait for further injury and team news before making transfers.
