Premier League Week 6 Results: Eagles Soar Over Liverpool; Arsenal Comes Back To Win At Newcastle; Welbeck Leads Brighton Over Chelsea; Villa Beats Cottagers; Sunderland Keeps Ange Winless; West Ham Draws First Match Under Nuno After Potter Sack; Manchester City Mauls Bungling Burnley; Pressure Increases on Amorim After Brentford Defeat

Crystal Palace remains unbeaten in 18 matches across all competitions as the Eagles downed Liverpool for the second time in two months with a thrilling 2-1 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday. Liverpool was the defending Premier League champion when they lost to Crystal Palace in August’s Community Shield. The Reds were then the last club to have won all their games this season before falling again to the Eagles on Saturday.

The Eagles have soared to a new stratosphere under Manager Oliver Glasner whose charges electrified the Selhurst faithful, and Glasner himself, with a 97th minute winner from Eddie Nketiah. Liverpool Manager Arne Slot was furious post-match with Jeremie Frimpong for abandoning his defensive duties when Nketiah fired the winner on a flick-on from teammate Marc Guehi. Liverpool, however, had been living dangerously through their earlier victories and their defensive vulnerabilities extend beyond Frimpong. Clearly, Slot must regret the collapse of Guehi’s transfer to Liverpool. The Crystal Palace captain is once again distinguishing himself as one of the more solid premier league defenders and a key element in Crystal Palace’s continuing success.

Arsenal moved to within two points of Liverpool, a point better than third place Crystal Palace, with a dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Newcastle. The Magpies seemed headed for their second 1-0 victory at St. James park this season after a first half Nick Woltemade goal and a defensive effort which held Arsenal scoreless for 83 minutes. Newcastle supporters had seen their side defeat Arsenal in the Gunners’ three previous visits to Tyneside, so confidence was high. Arsenal, however, showed the kind of character which just might put them over the top this season after two successive second place finishes in the Premier League. An 84th minute header from substitute Mikel Merino brought the Gunners even and quieted the Toon Army. Arsenal then completed its comeback six minutes into stoppage time when Gabriel Magalhaes headed in a corner kick delivery from Martin Odegaard for the win.

The Ange Postecoglou era at Nottingham Forest is not off to a good start. The Australian manager remained winless at the top of the Trees after a 1-0 home loss to Sunderland. Supporters might well be getting uncomfortable with Postecoglou’s three losses and two draws in his five matches in charge, particularly after losing to a newly promoted side in front of the home fans. Sunderland though is proving more competitive than what has been the norm for promoted sides in recent seasons. Those clubs usually make a U-turn back to the Championship after a desultory taste of the top tier. While its still way early, the Cats are showing the competitive bite which just might allow them to stay up awhile. Sunderland has won twice and lost only one of its first five matches to aggregate the joint fourth highest point total in the Premier League.

Bournemouth and Tottenham Hotspur are level with Sunderland, a point behind third place Crystal Palace, after both those clubs needed last minute heroics  to salvage a point versus lesser opponents. The Cherries got a stoppage time equalizer from Eli Kroupi to disappoint Leeds supporters in a 2-2 draw at Elland Road, the earned point making this the most successful first six matches of a Premier League season for Bournemouth. Spurs, meanwhile, salvaged a point at home when Joao Palhinha spoiled Wolverhampton’s attempt at an upset with his 94th minute stoppage time equalizer. Wolves ended their run of five opening defeats but were oh so close to accomplishing more. Time will tell whether it was a good decision to renew the contract of Wolves Manager Vitor Pereira during the club’s stumbling start to the season.

West Ham showed no such confidence in their struggling manager and sacked Graham Potter two days before the club’s 1-1 draw with Everton on Monday. Nuno Espirito Santo had barely time to catch a breath after his Nottingham Forest departure before taking over on the touchline as Hammer manager against the Toffees.

With Potter becoming the second manager to be replaced this season, the sack watch now focuses on Manchester United Manager Ruben Amorim. Igor Thiago scored twice in the first 20 minutes of Brentford’s 3-1 victory over the Red Devils on Saturday. Last week’s Manchester United win over Chelsea proved to be fool’s gold as the Red Devils proved again incapable of stringing together two wins, something they have failed to accomplish since Amorim arrived. After Saturday’s loss to the Bees, Amorim has managed just 34 points from his 33 Premier League matches. Beyond the results, Amorim is stubbornly resisting calls to change a rigid playing style which is clearly not working. External criticism of the manager is reaching a crescendo while internally the club still seems hesitant to admit Amorim was a mistake.

Yet another manager’s seat could also be getting warmer. Chelsea has won but one of its last five matches across all competitions after a 3-1 loss to Brighton. The one victory in Chelsea’s poor run was a nervy 2-1 win over Lincoln City in the EFL Cup. The Club World Cup champions are winless in their last three Premier League matches. Worse yet for Chelsea Manager Enzo Maresca, discipline issues plague the young Chelsea squad which went down to 10 men for a second straight week in the Brighton loss. The ageless Danny Welbeck bagged a brace for Brighton to put the sword to the Blues on Saturday.

Aston Villa has struggled this season, but Manager Unai Emery would seem untouchable, and it was sporting director Monchi who seemingly took the fall for failure with his departure last week. Emery’s squad got its first league win of the season with a 3-1 win at Villa Park over visiting Fulham. Ollie Watkins netted his first Premier League goal of the season and ended a personal nine match scoring drought in a positive sign for the Villans. Things could be looking up for a Villa team which also edged Bologna 1-0 in the Europa League on Thursday.

Things are going the other way for Burnley. The Clarets have lost three of their past four Premier League matches after Saturday 5-1 slaughter at the hands of Manchester City. Earlier in the week, Manager Scott Parker’s men were ousted from the EFL Cup by Cardiff City. The Manchester City loss was almost comedic as Burnley’s Maxime Esteve was responsible for two own goals. Erling Haaland, meanwhile, put two goals into the correct net and helped drop Burnley to the relegation zone.

Premier League Week 6 Preview

Crystal Palace finds itself in an unlikely marquee game this week when the Eagles welcome Liverpool to Selhurst Park. Liverpool, of course, is the defending league champion and the only Premier League team to have won all its league matches this season. Crystal Palace, however, has taken major strides under Manager Oliver Glasner. Unlike the yeoman work performed by former manager Roy Hodgson to keep the Eagles safe from relegation, Glasner has led an array of young and often changing stars up the table and into possession of silverware. Crystal Palace was victorious over Liverpool when the two sides met in the Community Shield in August, just a few months after the Eagles had downed Manchester City in the FA Cup final. The soaring Eagles have not been beaten in their last 17 matches across all competitions and currently sit just a point outside the top four in the Premier League table. Crystal Palace is tasting European competition as well and, after Saturday’s high profile league meeting with the Reds, will play Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa Conference League on Wednesday. Heady heights indeed for the scrappy south London side which can pull within three points of Liverpool and the top of the table with a win at Selhurst.

Next up at Selhurst: Liverpool 🔜 pic.twitter.com/9cWHZKEY0R

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) September 26, 2025

Liverpool, for all its recent perfection in results, has not looked invincible, winning four of their five matches by a one goal margin. The defense has looked vulnerable at times, and an impressive array of attackers has not yet delivered the expected torrent of goals. That could change when all the new attacking pieces are settled. Alexander Isak is still finding his footing but the league’s second leading goal scorer from last season with Newcastle may need to step up Saturday. Fellow forward Hugo Ekitike, another pricy transfer addition, is suspended for the Selhurst match.

Isak’s former club, Newcastle, has struggled for goals without him. The Magpies’ three goals exceed the output of only presently relegation bound Aston Villa. Newcastle now must face Arsenal on Sunday which does not bode well for the goal starved Magpies. The Gunners are tied with Crystal Palace in conceding the fewest Premier League goals this season.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, scored its first Premier League goal of the season in last week’s draw versus Sunderland and will look for its first win of the season at home against Fulham Sunday. Monchi, the club’s president of football operations, resigned this week and must bear some of the blame for recruiting failures which have contributed to Villa’s struggles. Endangered West Ham Manager Graham Potter could point to the Hammers’ inadequate transfer activity as reason for his problems. That probably won’t be well received, however, and the former Brighton and Chelsea manager needs to engineer a turnaround in the currently relegation bound Hammers’ miserable season beginning with this week’s match at Everton.

Chelsea’s season started brightly with two convincing league wins but things have hit a rough patch. The Blues are winless in their last two league matches, were decisively beaten in the Champions League by Bayern Munich and needed to mount a comeback to get by Lincoln City in the EFL Cup on Tuesday. The lingering groin injury of star Cole Palmer is a major factor in the downturn and Palmer will be a spectator on Saturday when Chelsea hosts Brighton.

Manchester United raised eyebrows by defeating Chelsea in a surprise upset last week and the Red Devils will try to build on that when they visit Brentford. The Bees are hovering just a point above the relegation line. Burnley is level on points with the Bees as the Clarets face a difficult trip to Manchester City.

The worst team in the league, woeful Wolves, will try to claw its way from the cellar by getting a result at Tottenham Hotspur. That will be difficult versus the Spurs side which is impressively third in the table under new manager Thomas Frank. Former Tottenham Hotspur Manager Ange Postecoglou has his first home match as Nottingham Forest manager when the Tricky Trees host Sunderland at the City Ground on Saturday. Leeds, meanwhile, returns to Elland Road on the heels of a 3-1 trouncing of Wolverhampton. The Whites face a step up in class, however, when they host Bournemouth on Saturday.

Premier League Week 5 Results: Chelsea Implodes Versus Manchester United; Liverpool Prevails in Merseyside Derby To Remain Perfect; Arsenal Salvages Point Versus Manchester City; Potter On The Brink At West Ham After Loss To Crystal Palace; Bournemouth and Newcastle Battle To Goalless Draw; Ange And Forest Nick A Point At Burnley

Chelsea supporters will want to quickly move on from a terrible week for the club. Last Wednesday, the Blues were shredded by Harry Kane and Bayern Munich. Saturday, it was an unimposing Manchester United side which proved too much to overcome for an imploding Chelsea side in a 2-1 Red Devil victory at Old Trafford. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was red carded five minutes in for a takedown of Manchester United’s Bryan Mbuemo. Less than ten minutes later Bruno Fernandez put the Red Devils ahead. Casemiro then doubled the home side’s lead before receiving a red card of his own in stoppage time of a first half filled with infamous firsts. The match was the first in Premier League history to feature two goals, two red cards and three substitutions by half time. Two of those substitutions were made by Chelsea when Sanchez headed for the exit. The third substitution came when Cole Palmer experienced a recurrence of the groin injury he has been battling for several weeks. His departure Saturday further trimmed the attack options for Chelsea which had already taken Pedro Neto and Estevao out of the game in favor of a more defensive scheme after Sanchez’s dismissal. When Andrey Santos subbed in for Palmer at the 21-minute mark, it marked the earliest use of three substitutions by any club in Premier League history. The match was essentially over at halftime as conditions worsened under a relentless rainfall and even a goal by Trevor Chalobah in the 80th minute failed to energize an otherwise lethargic Chelsea.

Ryan Gravenberch

League leading Liverpool also did its work in the first half before conceding a second half consolation score to Everton in a 2-1 Red victory in the Merseyside derby. Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Etitike found the net for Liverpool’s first half advantage which was enough to survive a second half goal by Everton’s  Idrissa Gueye and mark a fourth consecutive one goal margin of victory for the Reds. Liverpool is perfect after five games and boasts a roster so strong that recent transfers Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak were not even in the starting lineup for the derby.

Arsenal is now five points behind Liverpool after salvaging a point from a 1-1 home draw with Manchester City. The Gunners equalized in stoppage time when Eberechi Eze threaded a ball to fellow substitute Gabriel Martinelli for the tying tally in the 93rd minute. Manchester City claimed the away point and almost won by uncharacteristically “parking the bus” in the second half to protect a one goal advantage provided by Erling Haalnd’s first half goal. Arsenal is level on 10 points with Tottenham Hotspur and Bournemouth, all three clubs trailing Liverpool by five points after all three clubs deadlocked with their opponents over the weekend.

Spurs overcame a two-goal deficit to grab an away point in a 2-2 final at Brighton. Tottenham Hotspur were already down two goals before Richarlison pulled one back just before halftime. The visitors then pressed for the equalizer throughout a dominant second half. While failing to convert their own chances, Spurs gained the point when Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke deflected a Mohammed Kudus cross into the Seagulls’ net.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, was unable to find the net at home in a goalless draw with Newcastle. Former Bournemouth Manager Eddie Howe was frustrated once again versus his former club as the former Cherries’ legend has failed to defeat Bournemouth in the Premier League since taking over Newcastle four years ago. Newcastle has now been involved in three scoreless Premier League matches this season.

Just a point below Arsenal, Spurs and Bournemouth in the table is a Crystal Palace side which is now unbeaten in 17 matches across all competitions. The Eagles swooped into London Stadium on Saturday and  emerged with a 2-1 win over the Hammers. Palace defender Tyrik Mitchell was the unlikely hero as his 68th minute strike sent West Ham down to defeat. The Crystal Palace left back had last scored a goal 686 days ago. West Ham is in turmoil with protesting supporters calling for the removal of current board members David Sullivan and Karen Brady before the match. Manager Graham Potter has had a disastrous run since replacing Julen Lopetegui who was the immediate replacement for David Moyes, a manager who led the Hammers to their first trophy in 43 years. Potter has won six times and collected 23 points in 23 Premier League matches since taking charge. Lopetegui achieved that point total in three fewer matches. The successive managerial failures have placed blame on the board though the more immediate likelihood is yet another managerial change. Potter was serenaded on Saturday by visiting Crystal Palace supporters chanting “You’re being sacked in the morning.”

A name rumored as Potter’s replacement is Nuno Espirito Santo, recently sacked at Nottingham Forest. Santo’s replacement at Forest, Ange Postecoglou, got his first point as manager of the Tricky trees with a 1-1 draw at Burnley. The Australin manger will now lead the Trees into their first European match in 30 years on Wednesday, an event made possible by the work of former manager Santo last season.

Wolverhampton made a curious managerial decision last week. Manager Vitor Pereira was inked to a new three-year extension despite his club sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table, winless and pointless for the season. The losing continued Saturday when Wolverhampton lost at home to newly promoted Leeds 3-1. All the newly promoted sides appear more competitive than those who have paid brief visits to the Premier League in recent seasons.

The new sides were unbeaten on the weekend with Sunderland drawing 1-1 with visiting Aston Villa. Villa is currently in the relegation zone with Wolverhampton and West Ham. At least the Villans scored their first goal of the season in the draw with the Black Cats.

Brentford is only one point above the drop line after five matches following a 3-1 defeat at Fulham. New Bees’ Manager Keith Andrews has been dealt a difficult hand with the transfer losses of stars such as Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa which have been crippling. Brentford’s total of four points from its five matches is the club’s lowest in five years. More concerning is that the Bees have surrendered eight points from winning positions in the Premier League already this season.

Premier League: Week 5 Preview

Arsenal’s match versus Manchester City and a Merseyside derby dominate the Week Five landscape. Fresh off its annihilation of Nottingham Forest last week, Arsenal has another home match at the Emirates with a tormentor from seasons past. Manchester City, which relegated Arsenal to second place for two consecutive years before Liverpool assumed that role last season, will try to resurrect past glory as the Citizens try to restore their contender status. Pep Guardiola’s crew took a first step by cruising to an easy victory in the Manchester derby last week after two surprising  losses. Gianluigi Donnarumma’s presence in goal and the return of Phil Foden to the scoresheet increases the confidence and optimism for Guardiola’s side. The Gunners, however, appear locked and loaded for a full out assault on the title. Viktor Gyokeres looks like a solution for Arsenal’s longstanding striker puzzle. Eberechi Eze adds creativity to the Gunner attack. Martin Zubimendi improves the club’s link-up play. Noni Madueke injects additional dynamism into the front line. All are new players to a squad which proved better than all but the Premier League’s champion in each of the last three seasons.

Liverpool claimed that championship last season and has added talent as well. Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will be participating in their first Merseyside derby when Everton visits Anfield on Saturday. The Reds are perfect so far this season but the ceiling for its attack far exceeds the modest goal production of the first four matches. Everton, meanwhile, has been riding the Jack Grealish train as the rejuvenated Grealish has emerged from a diminished role at Manchester City to reassert his star quality on loan to the Toffees. The former Aston Villa phenom leads the Premier League with four assists so far this season.

Gearing up for #LIVEVE on Saturday. 👊 pic.twitter.com/Z39gAj2u34

— Everton (@Everton) September 18, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur will seek a fourth victory of the young season when Spurs pay a visit to Brighton on Saturday. Spurs has looked far more disciplined than last year’s Premier League edition and have overcome a perceived lack of attacking talent by accumulating its eight goals from six different players. Time will tell whether Brennan Johnon and Richarlison can provide adequate attacking focus over the course of the season for Manager Thomas Frank. Brighton has won but once to date after last week’s loss to Bournemouth.

The Cherries, fourth in the current table, have won three consecutive matches after giving Liverpool a scare on opening weekend. Next up for the Cherries is a visit from Newcastle on Sunday. The Magpies, reeling from the defection of striker Alexander Isak, have scored but three goals this season and their only win came last week in a 1-0 win over woeful Wolves. Anthony Gordon provided little more than a consolation goal when he scored in the 90th minute of a 2-1 Champions League loss to Barcelona during the week. Newcastle, however, looks like an offensive powerhouse when compared to Aston Villa which has yet to find the net this season. Manager Unai Emery’s sad Villa squad visit Sunderland this weekend where the Black Cats have already won twice this season.

Two other popgun attacks face each other when Wolverhampton hosts Leeds at Molineux Stadium, The two sides have combined for three goals this season and are both likely to battle for survival, meaning Saturday’s match is the proverbial “six-pointer.”

Manchester United Manager Ruben Amorim is in a personal fight for survival as his ragtag Red Devils prepare to host Chelsea at Old Trafford. Amorim is overseeing some of the worst football ever played by Manchester United and will face a much superior Chelsea side which cannot be happy after a midweek Champions League loss to Harry Kane and Bayern Munich.

Nottingham Forest was the first club to cut ties with a manager this season and new guy Ange Postecoglou gets his second bite of the apple when Forest visits newly promoted Burnley. Postecoglou debuted on the Forest touchline in a 3-0 loss to Arsenal last weekend which mirrored the scoreline of the Tricky Tees’ 3-0 loss in former manager Nuno Espirito Santo’s last game with the club. Postecoglou has enormous work to do to get things back on track for the Tricky Trees. Burnley presents a great opportunity to take the first step.

And of course, what would a Premier League match weekend be without a couple of London derbies? Fulham will host Brentford in a battle of mid-table sides while Crystal Palace will take the short trip to London Stadium to face beleaguered West Ham. The Hammers are tied with Wolverhampton for the worst goal differential in the Premier League right now, placing Manager Graham Potter in the sack race with Ruben Amorim as the two managers to occupy the league’s hottest seats right now.

Premier League: Week 4 Results

Perhaps the most predictable result of all this weekend was Nottingham Forest being smashed by Arsenal, 3-0, at the Emirates. New Nottingham Forest Manager Ange Postecoglou  has had virtually no time to indoctrinate his system in players who may or may not be suitable to said system. Early attempts at executing the manager’s favored high press on Saturday were abandoned. Arsenal dominated as would have been expected. The Gunners, however, will be ecstatic at the new faces which led the way on Saturday. Martin Zubimendi scored twice. Viktor Gyokeres scored his third goal of the season. Eberechi Eze had an assist. Winger Noni Madueke was perhaps Arsenal’s most impressive all-around performer and received a standing ovation when substituted. All those players are recent transfers brought in to try to finally put Arsenal over the top in its quest for a league title after three consecutive second place finishes.

Their task will be difficult as defending champion Liverpool remains perfect with four wins, including one over the Gunners. Despite that perfection, however, there have been some nervous moments for the Reds. Things were far from easy against newly promoted Burnley on Sunday before a 95th minute penalty conversion by Mohamed Salah delivered a 1-0 victory. The Clarets were solely intent on keeping Liverpool off the scoresheet and did not have a single shot on target. That strategy was working even after Burnley went down to 10 men in the 84th minute. The effort by the home side went for naught, however, when Burnley defender Hannibal used his arm to deflect a Liverpool cross into the box with just moments remining. While perfect on the season, Liverpool has now won each of its matches in the final ten minutes of play. The champions have shown character but also some dysfunction in an attack populated by numerous new weapons.

Alexander Isak is another attacking addition who was apparently unready at the weekend but could make his debut against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday. Isak’s replacement at Newcastle, Nick Woltemade, scored the winner in the Magpies’ 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton despite having been with the club only a matter of days. With Yoane Wissa struggling with a knee injury picked up during the international break, Woltemade will again be heavily relied upon when Newcastle faces Barcelona in the Champions League on Thursday. Wolverhampton, meanwhile, has lost its opening four league matches for the first time in the club’s history.

Chelsea Manger Enzo Maresca tried to rotate his lineup in advance of the Blues’ Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich this week. Brentford proved a stubborn opponent, however, forcing Maresca to substitute in several stars for second half appearances. Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucarella were among the cavalry that Maresca called on. Despite the reinforcements, the Blues were stung by a 93rd minute goal from Fabio Carvalho which rescued a point for the homestanding Bees.

Fábio Carvalho's last four goals in the Premier League have been scored in the 89th minute or later 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/9nV4HwidLV

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) September 13, 2025

Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur will also have Champions League matches during the coming week against Napoli and Villareal, respectively. Both clubs will take confidence from easy wins in the Premier League over the weekend. Manchester City overwhelmed crosstown rival Manchester United 3-0 in a dominant derby performance as Phil Foden scored his first goal of the season for the Citizens and Erling Haaland found the net twice for his league leading fourth and fifth goals of the season. Jeremy Doku assisted on Foden’s opener and the first of Haaland’s two goals. Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the deadline day transfer from PSG, recorded a clean sheet in his first Premier League start. Meanwhile, new lows continue to be the norm for Manchester United. Four points from the Red Devils’ first four league matches equals a futile beginning last witnessed at the start of Manchester United’s 1992/93 season. Both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur fielded their worst ever Premier League sides last season. While Manchester United continues to wallow, Tottenham Hotspur is giving supporters reason to hope for a better table finish than last season’s abhorrent 17th place debacle. Spurs are currently third in the Premier League table after winning for the third time under new manager Thomas Frank. After Saturday’s 3- 0 win over London rival West Ham, the north London side has conceded only one league goal, a far cry from the mad shootouts of the Postecoglou era.

Bournemouth is also breathing the rarefied air of the top four as the Cherries won for a third consecutive time, defeating Brighton 2-1 as Antoine Semenyo’s penalty kick in the 61st minute proved the winner for the Cherries. Semenyo also assisted on the first Bournemouth goal by Alex Scott and now has five goal contributions on the young season.

Fulham relied on an own goal by Leeds defender Gabriel Gudmundsson to defeat the Whites 1-0 at Craven Cottage. The 94th minute error was heartbreaking for a Leeds side which is expected to struggle for points and survival this season.

Nobody scored any goals in the remaining two Premier League matches. Sunderland accomplished what fellow promoted sides Leeds and Burnley could not do in capturing a point from a goalless match at Crystal Palace. Goalkeeper Robin Roefs fended off late scoring chances by the Eagles to move the Cats to seven points after a promising first four matches back in the top tier. Like Burnley, Sunderland had no shots on target but unlike the Clarets were able to see out the game on the broad shoulders of their goalkeeper.

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez, though surely disappointed in failing to secure a desired transfer move, nevertheless delivered when needed in his return to the pitch for the Villans Saturday at Everton. The Argentine keeper thwarted Everton’s best chance when Michael Keane got on the end of a Jack Grealish cross for what could have been the match winner. Martinez’s teammates continue to keep their opponents’ nets safe from intrusion. Aston Villa managed just a single shot on target in Saturday’s slog of a game and has not scored a goal all season. Were the season to end today, Aston Villa would be relegated along with West Ham and Wolverhampton.

Premier League Week 4 Preview: Santo Sacked By Nottingham Forest, Ange Postecoglou Takes Over Versus Arsenal

Nuno Espirito Santo is out as Nottingham Forest Manager. Replacing him is Ange Postecoglou who left a mixed legacy upon his own recent departure from Tottenham Hotspur. Santo, who also came to Wolves after a turn as Spurs manager, valiantly rescued Forest from the brink of relegation in 2023/24 to capture a place in Europe with a seventh place finish last season. Strangely, however, Santo seemed intent on plotting his own demise. The taciturn manager placed himself on the hot seat by going public on a souring relationship with Owner Evangelos Marinakis. The fiery and emotional Marinakis is not one to be trifled with and talks between the two men over the international break failed to resolve their differences. Santo was sacked and immediately replaced with Postecoglou on Tuesday.

Ange Postecoglou

The new Nottingham Forest manager will have his work cut out for him as his aggressive high line defense is diametrically different from the defensive teachings of Santo. Postecoglou inherits a club which was still settling after several summer personnel changes and must now contend with the unaccustomed rigors of balancing European and domestic competition. Postecoglou was unable to balance both at Tottenham Hotspur, leading to a paradoxical and controversial end to his tour in north London. The Australian manager led Spurs to the worst Premier League season of any club not relegated after an ugly mess which saw his club lose 22 of its 38 league matches.

Still, Postecoglou delivered the first silverware for the club in 17 years, putting all his focus on the Europa League and seeming to care little for the club’s Premier League labors. Even the Europa League trophy, however, was tainted from the moment it was hoisted following an ugly and uninspiring win in the final over the worst Manchester United team in the Premier League era. The disastrous league season could not be ignored and Postecoglou was sacked just 16 days after celebrating his Europa League win. The Australian manager became increasingly cantankerous under unrelenting criticism of his performance last season. Rather than taking time to reflect and recharge, Postecoglou is now back into the fray as his new journey starts Saturday at Arsenal. The new manger must be aware that his new boss is not a patient man.

The tumult at Forest nudged the Manchester derby just a bit down the headlines. Sunday’s match at the Etihad, however, will provide further evidence as to whether Manchester United manager Ruben Amroim should join Santo on the unemployment line. Amorim’s record in the Premier League is exceptionally poor as he has reached 15 league losses more quickly than any manager in the competition’s history. He also lost the Europa League to Postecoglou in a matchup of underperforming managers last spring. A loss to League Two side Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup two weeks ago was a new low. And yet most Premier League fans would be surprised to know that Manchester United stands above their crosstown rivals, Manchester City, in the current Premier League table after the Red Devils squeaked by newly promoted Burnley in their last match. For all the doom and gloom, United is unbeaten in its two league matches since a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal on opening weekend. While doing nothing to quell the uncertainty surrounding Manager Ruben Amorim, those last two results put the Red Devils a point above gold plated manager Pep Guardiola and his surprisingly vulnerable Manchester City side. The Citizens lost at Brighton last week after being stunned at the Etihad by Tottenham Hotspur the week before.

An opening laugher over Wolverhampton now seems more a judgement on a poor opponent than the strength of Guardiola’s club. The Citizens have been surprisingly ineffective in attack since opening weekend as Manchester City could sorely use other attack options besides Erling Haaland. As good as the world class Norwegian striker is, the club appears one-dimensional with few options outside its prized asset. The decline of a still young Phil Foden remains a puzzle while relative newcomers such as Omar Mamoush and Tijjani Reijnders are yet to step up in league competition. Marmoush will not make an impact this weekend due to a knee injury suffered on international assignment. Manchester United supporters will be looking to see whether summer signing Benjamin Sesko, receives his first Premier League start. There is an inordinate amount of doubt surrounding the prospects of a player inked to a premium deal who has been unable to crack Amorim’s starting lineup. The health of Matheus Cunha is also a question for the Red Devils. The winger, signed after a breakout season at Wolverhampton, suffered a hamstring injury in United’s last match but is supposedly racing the clock to get back for the derby matchup. Manchester United has been surprisingly good against their rivals despite an inequality in roster and management in recent years. The Red Devils took both Premier League matches last season, including a 2-1 victory at the Etihad.

Things get even rougher for Burnley following their loss to Manchester United before the break when Liverpool visits Turf Moor in Sunday’s other match. The defending champions, perfect in their three matches this season, could unveil their latest prize in striker Alexander Isak though the Premier League’s most expensively acquired player will likely need some time for fitness and acclimation before playing meaningful minutes for Liverpool. A galaxy of attacking players allows the Reds to be cautious in launching their newest weapon. Isak’s former club, Newcastle, will be home at St James’s Park to face Wolverhampton. Wolves look in dire relegation jeopardy after shipping eight goals while scoring just twice in three league losses so far. Isak did not participate in any of Newcastle’s matches before his transfer as he pressed for his transfer in the most petulant manner possible.

Crystal Palace’s Marc Guehi, meanwhile, was a consummate professional as he continued to captain Crystal Palace amid reports of his own rumored transfer to Liverpool. It proved more than rumor as a deal seemed done, and Guehi took his Liverpool physical on deadline day. Crystal Palace pulled out at the last minute, however, and we will see if Guehi’s professionalism continues when Sunderland visits Selhurst Park to play the Eagles on Saturday.

Elsewhere in London, there are two derby contests on Saturday. West Ham, shock winners over Nottingham Forest in their last outing, host Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea is at Brentford. The unbeaten Blues are waiting on the fitness of Cole Palmer’s groin and will be without Liam Delap for 10-12 weeks after the striker underwent surgery on his hamstring. Even more pressure falls on the production of Joao Pedro who has found the net twice this season while assisting on two other Chelsea seven goals this season. Brentford has little sympathy. The top two scorers for the Bees last season have moved on, Bryan Mbeumo to Manchester United and Yoane Wissa to Newcastle. Leeds will also be in London to face Fulham. The Whites have struggled for goals but have captured valuable points with an opening 1-0 defeat of Everton and a scoreless draw before the break with Newcastle.

Everton responded to its opening defeat with two victories and will try to make it three in a row when Aston Villa makes its first visit to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium on Merseyside. Villa has been spiraling with two losses in a row after its opening weekend goalless draw with Newcastle and is the only Premier League side not to score a goal this season.

Bournemouth needed just one goal in each of its last two matches to capture six points. The Cherries host Brighton on Saturday with the Seagulls returning to action after a thrilling 2-1 comeback win over Manchester City before the break.

Premier League Week 3 Results

A single moment of brilliance was all that separated two title contenders on Sunday. Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai scored a wonder goal from an 83rd minute free kick opportunity to give Liverpool the victory in a closely contested battle at Anfield. Szoboszlai’s curving blast from more than 30 yards capped an outstanding afternoon for the Hungarian international who played a second consecutive match at right back for Liverpool. The midfielder displayed his versatility once again, expertly shutting down the left flank of Arsenal’s attack and then demonstrating his proficiency at set pieces to defeat the Gunners. With Sunday’s defeat, Arsenal extended its winless Premier League run at Anfield to thirteen matches. Liverpool emerges from the weekend as the only Premier League club with a perfect record after three matches and was measurably strengthened before the close of the transfer window on Monday. Alexander Isak is now Liverpool bound after a torturous soap opera between the striker and his former club Newcastle. Adding Isak, the league’s second highest goal scorer last season, to defending champion Liverpool must be daunting to other Premier League contenders.

Chelsea, however, seems intent on being one of those contenders. The Blues put down Fulham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to remain unbeaten with two victories following an opening week draw. Striker Joao Pedro scored his second goal of the season on a towering header in first half stoppage time to break up a scoreless match which had seen earlier controversy. A Fulham goal by 18-year-old Josh King in the 21st minute was chalked off for a questionable foul in Fulham’s build up. So egregious was the finding that the video assistant referee was removed from his next VAR assignment the very next day. There was also question surrounding the legitimacy of a handball violation which led to Chelsea’s second half insurance goal on an Enzo Fernandez penalty kick. A hamstring injury to Chelsea forward Liam Delap had the Blues scrambling  for insurance coverage on their front line after the match and before Monday’s close of the transfer window. Delap could be out as long as eight weeks, throwing Chelsea into panic mode. First, a loan of Nicolas Jackson to Bayern Munich was put on hold even though the striker was already in Munich for his medical. Jackson and his agent were more than a bit displeased by that development and a loan with an expected purchase obligation was finalized for Jackson on Monday after Chelsea were able to recall another loaned striker, Marc Guiu, back from Sunderland. Guiu had only just arrived on Wearside in the first week of August.

Spurs fell for the first time in the young season in a 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth. After an encouraging first two weeks by its forward players, a stagnant attack on Saturday once again raised concern as to whether there will be enough goals from Manager Thomas Frank’s side. A fifth minute deflected strike from Bournemouth’s Evanilson was all that was required against a Spurs side which did not register a shot on target until the 68th minute. Tottenham Hotspur sought to improve its attack by adding forward Randal Kolo Muani via a loan deal with PSG on Monday.

Manchester City would seem to carry more than enough attacking threat, but the results are not bearing that out. The Citizens lost for the second week in a row 2-1 at Brighton, despite Erling Haaland scoring his 100th goal in just his 88th Premier League appearance on Sunday. The Norwegian’s 34th minute goal ended the scoring for the Citizens who were unable to even manage a shot on target in the second half. Brighton, meanwhile, drew level on a penalty kick by James Milner who became the Premier League’s second oldest goal scorer in the 67th minute. Manchester City were put on their heels as Brighton pressed for a winner and were rewarded with Brajan Gruda’s 89th minute match winner. The Citizens, meanwhile, ended a two-match experiment with James Trafford in goal as they secured the signature of PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on Monday.

Manchester United’s winner on Saturday came even later than Brighton’s late drama. Bruno Fernandes buried a 97th minute penalty kick to put away Burnley 3-2. Three points is always the objective but the narrow escape at Old Trafford versus a promoted side in a must-win situation for Manager Ruben Amorim does not inspire a great deal of confidence.

Nottingham Forest supporters, meanwhile, were non-plussed by the abominable performance of their Tricky Trees at the City Ground versus West Ham. The Hammers had scored one goal while shipping eight in two opening losses before chopping down the Trees 3-0 on Sunday. All three West Ham goals came after the 83-minute mark in a late collapse by Nottingham Forest. West Ham Manager Graham Potter can now breathe a sigh of relief while Nuno Espirito Santo faces an uncomfortable conversation with owner Evangelos Marinakis during the international break.

Wolverhampton was also a loser at home by a 3-2 margin to Everton. A third straight defeat at least saw Wolves find the net for the first time this season. Everton, meanwhile, benefited from recent transfer additions. Jack Grealish assisted on two of the Everton goals while Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had a goal and an assist for the Toffees.

Sunderland has won both of its matches at the Stadium of Light this season after a 2-1 triumph over Brentford. Wilson Isidor drilled a dramatic 96th minute winner to push the Cats across the finish line as Isidor became only the second Sunderland player to score in his first two Premier League appearances.

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi was one of the Eagles’ three goal scorers in a 3-0 beatdown of Aston Villa. There will likely be more goals to come from Guehi in an Eagles shirt after a transfer deadline day move to Liverpool fell though. Crystal Palace Manager Oliver Glasner is said to have been responsible for blocking Guehi’s dream move and the relationship between manager and player will need monitoring going forward.

Now former Newcastle player Alexander Isak got his Liverpool transfer wish granted for a Premier League record price on Monday. The departure of the Premier League’s second leading scorer from last season followed a dismal 0-0 outcome at Leeds for the punchless Magpies on Saturday. Newcastle bolstered its depleted attack with new signings Nick Woltemade (Stuttgart) and Yoane Wissa (Brentford). Woltemade, announced earlier in the week, was a spectator Saturday as paperwork was still to be finalized on Saturday. Wissa was a deadline day deal.