Arsenal and Manchester City maintained their perfect starts to the Premier League season in Week 4 as Aston Villa, Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea dropped more points, raising early questions over the form of several leading clubs.
Arsenal continued their impressive run with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland, recording their fourth consecutive league win and strengthening their position among the early title contenders. Mikel Arteta’s side have now taken maximum points from their opening four matches.
Manchester City also extended their winning run with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United. The result kept Enzo Maresca’s side firmly in contention with Arsenal as the two clubs continue to set the early pace in the Premier League.
Aston Villa’s difficult start continued with a 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest. The loss left Unai Emery’s side without a league victory after four matches, raising concerns over a team expected to challenge for European places this season.
Chelsea again showed attacking strength but struggled to protect their advantage in a 2-2 draw against Hull City. The result added to concerns that Chelsea’s attacking output may not be enough to compensate for defensive lapses.
Liverpool were also left frustrated after playing out a goalless draw with Fulham at Anfield. Despite home advantage, the Reds failed to find a breakthrough, extending their inconsistent start to the campaign.
Tottenham’s struggles continued with another goalless outing against Everton. Spurs failed to find the net in a 0-0 draw, adding further pressure on their attack after another disappointing result.
Brighton produced the most emphatic result of the weekend, thrashing Coventry City 5-0 away from home. The victory provided a major boost for Brighton after a mixed start and demonstrated the attacking quality within the side.
Elsewhere, Bournemouth drew 2-2 with Brentford, while Ipswich Town secured a 3-2 victory over Crystal Palace.
The final match of EPL Week 4 takes place tonight as Leeds United host Newcastle United. Both sides will look to finish the round strongly and gain ground on the clubs already setting the pace.
With Arsenal and Manchester City maintaining perfect starts, the early Premier League picture is beginning to take shape. While the two title rivals continue to collect victories, several of their competitors are already facing pressure to find consistency.
