Week four of the Premier League was full of excitement. Manchester United picked up their second win of the season with a victory over Southampton, while Brighton and Ipswich played to a goalless draw. Liverpool’s manager Arne Slot suffered his first defeat as Nottingham Forest won 1-0, and Manchester City beat Brentford 2-1. Chelsea wrapped up the day with a 1-0 win over Bournemouth.On Sunday, the North London derby was the highlight, with Arsenal winning 1-0 thanks to a goal from Gabriel Magalhães. Newcastle then ended the week with a 2-1 comeback victory over Wolves.
Table of Contents
Southampton 0-3 Man Utd
Manchester United secured a 3-0 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s, avoiding a third consecutive Premier League defeat. Southampton started brightly, with Tyler Dibling forcing a save from Andre Onana and winning a penalty, but Cameron Archer’s weak effort was saved. United took the lead in the 35th minute when Matthijs de Ligt headed in Bruno Fernandes’ corner, and Marcus Rashford doubled the advantage six minutes later with a curling shot that beat Aaron Ramsdale. Southampton’s hopes were further dashed when Jack Stephens was sent off for a foul on Alejandro Garnacho, who later scored from close range in the 96th minute after a Diogo Dalot assist.
Brighton 0-0 Ipswich
Brighton were held to a 0-0 draw by Ipswich at the Amex Stadium, despite dominating with 21 shots. Ipswich’s goalkeeper Aro Muric made a crucial first-half double save, denying Kaoru Mitoma and Georginio Rutter. In the second half, Ipswich grew into the game and nearly snatched a win when Liam Delap’s shot hit the post. Omari Hutchinson also tested Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen with a solo effort, while Evan Ferguson came close to breaking his goal drought for Brighton late on. Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna praised Muric, who had faced criticism following errors in a recent defeat to Manchester City and controversies during international duty with Kosovo. Kalvin Phillips completed his first full match in over a year, showing signs of returning to form. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi expressed disappointment in the result, despite being satisfied with his team’s performance, and confirmed that Joao Pedro missed the match due to a minor injury.
Crystal Palace 2-2 Leicester
Crystal Palace salvaged a 2-2 draw against Leicester at Selhurst Park thanks to Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late penalty in stoppage time. Leicester took an early lead through Jamie Vardy after Wilfried Ndidi won the ball in midfield, and Stephy Mavididi doubled their advantage seconds after half-time. However, Crystal Palace responded immediately with Mateta slotting home from a Tyrick Mitchell cross, which was initially ruled offside but overturned by VAR. As Leicester sat back to defend their lead, a late foul by Conor Coady on Ismalia Sarr resulted in a penalty, which Mateta calmly converted to secure a point. Eddie Nketiah impressed on his Crystal Palace debut, registering six shots and combining well with Eberechi Eze and Mateta, but was unable to score. Both teams remain winless this season, with two points each from four games. Leicester manager Steve Cooper expressed frustration over the timing of the goals conceded, while Palace’s Roy Hodgson praised his team’s resilience.
Fulham 1-1 West Ham
Danny Ings’ stoppage-time equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw for West Ham against Fulham at Craven Cottage. Raul Jimenez opened the scoring for Fulham in the 25th minute, following a lively first-half performance from Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi, and Adama Traore. Despite dominating the first half with 20 shots, Fulham failed to extend their lead. West Ham struggled initially but improved after Lucas Paqueta and Crysencio Summerville were introduced. Jarrod Bowen saw an effort saved, but it was Ings, who came on in the 82nd minute, who scored the late equaliser from Bowen’s assist. Fulham were left to rue missed opportunities, while West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui praised his substitutions for turning the game around.
Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Liverpool suffered their first defeat of the season as Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 win at Anfield, their first victory there in 55 years. Callum Hudson-Odoi, a second-half substitute, scored a stunning 72nd-minute winner, curling a shot from 20 yards beyond Alisson. Despite dominating possession and creating 14 shots, Liverpool lacked a cutting edge, with Luis Diaz coming closest when his shot hit the post. Forest’s tactical approach, orchestrated by Nuno Espirito Santo, frustrated Liverpool, with key substitutions like Anthony Elanga and Hudson-Odoi proving decisive. Liverpool manager Arne Slot admitted his team’s individual performances were below par, calling the defeat a significant setback.
Man City 2:1 Brentford
Erling Haaland continued his sensational scoring run, netting twice in Manchester City’s 2-1 comeback win over Brentford, bringing his tally to nine goals in four games—the most ever in Premier League history at this stage. Brentford shocked City with a goal from Yoane Wissa just 22 seconds in and dominated the first half, creating multiple chances and troubling City’s defense. However, Haaland’s clinical finishing before halftime turned the tide, and City regained control in the second half. Despite Brentford’s strong showing, missed opportunities from Bryan Mbeumo and Keane Lewis-Potter proved costly. City remain three points clear at the top, while Haaland nearly made history with a hat-trick. Pep Guardiola praised Brentford’s performance but acknowledged City’s improvement after the break, as the champions withstood pressure and maintained their winning form.
Aston Villa 3-2 Everton
Aston Villa staged a thrilling comeback to beat Everton 3-2 at Villa Park, overturning a two-goal deficit thanks to Ollie Watkins’ brace and a stunning strike from substitute Jhon Duran. Everton took an early lead through Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but Villa responded before halftime with Watkins’ first goal. Calvert-Lewin missed a key chance to extend Everton’s lead, and Watkins soon equalized. Duran, who had been close to leaving Villa in the summer, sealed the win with an unstoppable long-range shot. Villa manager Unai Emery praised Duran’s potential, while Everton, rooted at the bottom of the Premier League after four consecutive losses, continued to struggle, with Sean Dyche’s side blowing another two-goal advantage.
Bournemouth 0-1 Chelsea
Christopher Nkunku came off the bench to score a late winner for Chelsea, securing a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth. Jadon Sancho, making his debut for the Blues, provided the assist for Nkunku’s goal with just four minutes remaining. Bournemouth had earlier seen Evanilson’s penalty saved and both Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Christie hit the woodwork, but Chelsea’s substitutes made the difference, earning all three points for the visitors in a match that also set a record for yellow cards.
Tottenham 0-1 Arsenal
Arsenal secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Tottenham in a tense North London derby, with Gabriel Magalhaes heading in the winner from a Bukayo Saka corner. Despite Tottenham’s strong start, including chances for Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke, Arsenal’s defense, led by Gabriel and William Saliba, held firm. The match, marked by eight yellow cards, saw Mikel Arteta praise his team’s resilience and ability to win “ugly” as they stayed within two points of Manchester City. Meanwhile, Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham endured their worst start to a season since 2015/16, with only four points from their first four games.
Wolves 1-2 Newcastle
Newcastle came from behind to secure a 2-1 win over Wolves at Molineux, moving up to third in the Premier League thanks to second-half goals from Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes. Wolves initially took the lead through Mario Lemina following a swift counter-attack, but Newcastle turned the game around with two long-range strikes. Schar’s deflected equalizer and Barnes’ stunning shot sealed the victory, leaving Wolves winless and in the relegation zone. Despite a shaky start to the season, Newcastle has shown resilience and is enjoying their best start to a Premier League campaign since Kevin Keegan’s era.
