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.