With Arsenal’s last minute winner, Chelsea’s red card, the Alexander Isak saga, Ange Postecoglou’s struggles as Nottingham Forest’s manager, and changes in the relegation zone, it has been an eventful week in the Premier League. It has been only a few matchweeks in, the race to the top is already heating up!
Liverpool moves five points clear after Merseyside derby win
First half goals from midfielder Ryan Gravenberch and forward Hugo Ekitike were enough for Liverpool to secure all three points against Everton Sept. 20. It was a tight game overall, with Everton gaining momentum in the second half after midfielder Idrissa Gana Gueye reduced the deficit to 2-1. However, the Reds march on as the only team to have won all of their opening five games in the Premier League. As the defending Premier League champions, all eyes are on Liverpool to see if they can retain their domination from last season, with star signings forward Alexander Isak and midfielder Florian Wirtz yet to hit their stride.
Struggling Manchester United upsets Chelsea
Manchester United and Chelsea played through heavy rains and both earned red cards Sept. 21. But it was the Red Devils who edged Chelsea 2-1 with first half goals by midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Carlos Casimiro, who goes by “Casemiro” due to fsuperstition. This brings Chelsea down to sixth place, while Manchester United is just outside of the top 10 at 11th.
Nottingham Forest struggles continue with draw against newly-promoted Burnley
Nottingham Forest, the seventh place finisher from the 2024-25 season, drew against Burnley, pushing the team’s hope for a second win away. Despite having ball possession for 64% of the game, the West Bridgford side struggled to find the net, attempting 17 shots but only getting eight on target Sept 20. Last season marked Nottingham Forest’s best since the 1994-95 season, and the team hopes to continue its rise under new manager and Europa League Champion Ange Postecoglou, but the Reds so far have a 1-2-2 record.
Tottenham comes back from 2-0 deficit to draw at the Amex against Brighton
It was a thrilling start to the game on the south coast of England Sept. 20 as forward Yankuba Minteh scored for Brighton within eight minutes against the run of play. Then, a thunderous strike by midfielder Yasin Ayari caught goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario off guard in the Spurs’ goal, allowing Brighton’s second goal of the game at 31 minutes. Tottenham would get one back before the end of the half as midfielder Mohammed Kudus’ shot fell kindly for forward Richarlison de Andrade, who hit the ball off goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen into the Brighton net to make the game 2-1. In the second half, Ayari had a half-chance to take the game away from Tottenham, and midfielder Xavi Simons forced a great save out of Verbruggen to keep Brighton in the lead. The deciding moment of the half, however, came 82 minutes in when Simons shifted the play across to Kudus, who crossed the ball into a dangerous area. The ball, rather unluckily, came off of defender Jan Paul van Hecke and ended up in the Brighton net for a 2-2 tie. For Tottenham, a result like this shows improvement on Spur’s disastrous last season, where the team would often lose when going down 2-0. The Seagulls will feel frustration in this result as they hope to compete for a European spot in the Premier League table.
Arsenal’s extra time winner claims a well-earned point against Manchester City
Arsenal found a hero in forward Gabriel Martinelli once again with a beautiful chip in, extra time goal against Manchester City Sept 21. New-look Arsenal continues to adjust with its transfers as the team has lost to Premier League champion contender Liverpool and is now drawn with Manchester City. Arsenal had been struggling to create opportunities for its new prized forward Viktor Gyökeres due to sporadic experiments in the midfield lineup. Manager Mikel Arteta had been switching between new transfer midfielders Eberechi Eze, Martín Zubimendi and Christian Nørgaard to figure out Arsenal’s final adjustments. It’s up to Arteta now to feed off the fans’ high hopes this season to win Arsenal’s first league trophy in more than 20 years. Arsenal now shift its focus to score a full three points against Newcastle during its next matchday, Sept 28.
Isak saga still haunts Newcastle as the Magpies make history against Bournemouth
Newcastle United became the first team in Premier League history to draw its first three away games 0-0. Even with fresh faces, including forwards Anthony Elanga and Nick Woltemade, the team from Tyneside could not break down a Bournemouth team in top form. Manager Eddie Howe still has not found a way to balance the team after the departure of forward Alexander Isak, who left for Liverpool in the summer for a record-breaking British transfer fee. Isak was easily Newcastle’s best player over the past two seasons, scoring 62 times in 109 appearances since moving to England from Spanish team Real Sociedad during the 2022-23 season. He also scored in the 2025 League Cup final against Liverpool, ending Newcastle’s 56-year-long trophy drought. However, this summer, Isak made one thing very clear: He was never going to play for “the Geordies” again. Despite Newcastle declaring him not for sale, Isak demanded the club sell him to Liverpool, which was reluctantly accepted after much discussion, creating serious animosity between Isak and the club that once sang his praises. Next week, Arsenal will visit Newcastle in a match with huge implications for the title race.
The Relegation Zone
Aston Villa, West Ham United and Wolverhampton Wanderers make up the bottom three this week.
Less than six months ago, Aston Villa almost made a stunning comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, winning against the eventual champions 3-2 in the second leg of the quarterfinal. However, its start to the season has been a far cry from its incredible form over the past two seasons. The Villians did not score a goal for the first four league games — the only team in the top seven flights of English football to do so — until defender Matty Cash scored Sept. 21. They could not hold on though, as Sunderland, down to 10 men, scored an equalizer, leaving Villa in 18th place.
West Ham United has failed to find consistency under manager Graham Potter, conceding the most number of goals so far in the Premier League at 13 in five games. The team remains in the relegation zone after a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace at home, where it has not won since February.
The Wolves have failed to get a single point this season so far, noting their struggles to replace key players such as forward Matheus Cunha, who left for Manchester United this summer. They remain in 20th place following a 3-1 loss at home to newly promoted Leeds United Sept. 27.
