The Wrap: What happened in Matchweek 5

It might have been a nervy victory, but Liverpool’s triumph over Everton that kicked off the weekend’s action meant the champions kept their perfect record intact to extend their lead at the top of the table by the close of Sunday.

Directly beneath them were a host of draws as Arsenal required a late goal to secure a point against Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to draw at Brighton & Hove Albion, and AFC Bournemouth shared a goalless draw against Newcastle United. Those three sides all now sit five points off the leaders.

Elsewhere, Manchester United beat Chelsea in a game reduced to 10 men apiece, Aston Villa finally scored but are still yet to win, while Wolverhampton Wanderers continue to sit rock bottom without a point.

Here is everything you need to know about Matchweek 5.

There is something ominous about the way Liverpool have started their Premier League title defence, maintaining a flawless record of five wins from five games, while not even playing particularly well.

They required a late winner on the first four of those occasions, but broke with convention and found themselves weathering a late Everton charge for a Merseyside derby victory on Saturday lunchtime.

With close to £250million-worth of summer signings on the bench, in Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, the hosts gained an early two-goal advantage through Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike.

Gravenberch’s goal was his second in four Premier League appearances this season, having scored just once in 63 matches prior.

Idrissa Gueye fired back for Everton just before the hour, but – unlike on three prior occasions this season when surrendering two-goal leads before snatching late wins – the hosts ultimately stood firm.

Defeat means David Moyes remains winless in all 21 of his Premier League games at Anfield – the most matches any manager has ever taken charge of at a ground in the competition without winning.

Given that their fine start to the season has been built on an exceptional defence – conceding just once in four matches prior to this – it was something of a surprise when Spurs found themselves two goals down after 31 minutes at Brighton.

A high line cost the visitors for Yankuba Minteh’s opener, before Yasin Ayari drove home from range.

But Thomas Frank was quick to praise his side’s character to fight back for a draw in which their superiority could well have resulted in a win.

Richarlison took his tally to 14 goals in his last 19 Premier League starts for Spurs, before Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke turned the ball into his own net with eight minutes remaining.

Richarlison sparks Spurs' comeback

“What I loved from the players was the mentality,” said Frank. “This group came here last year, went 2-0 up and then lost 3-2. Now we are 2-0 down and got 2-2, and we are closer to the three points.”

Indeed, it was the first time in 15 instances that Spurs have avoided defeat in an away league game when trailing by two goals.

“It doesn’t feel great, but there’s a lot of positives,” said Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler. “I could see small steps in the right direction.”

Ange Postecoglou’s impact at Nottingham Forest is evident in his side’s expansive play under their new head coach, but the Australian’s wait for a first win goes on three matches into his reign.

Coupled with the end of his Spurs tenure, he is now winless in nine Premier League games.

Forest were largely dominant at Turf Moor and took an early lead when Neco Williams scored with a brilliant strike inside two minutes. Their advantage did not last long, with Jaidon Anthony grabbing his third goal of the season 18 minutes later.

Watch Williams' thunderbolt v Burnley

Despite seeing 63.3 per cent of the possession – Forest’s highest in a Premier League match since their return to the top flight in 2022 – the visitors could not find a second.

“It was important we didn’t lose today,” said Postecoglou. “We haven’t had time to bed things in because the league is up and running, but already I can see the team is transformed in the way we’re working with the ball.”

His next task involves overseeing Forest’s first European fixture for 30 years when they travel to Real Betis in the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday.

A match that leaves two managers in vastly contrasting positions five matches into the season. While Oliver Glasner can revel in Crystal Palace’s extraordinary 17-game unbeaten run in all competitions – the joint-second longest streak in their history – this defeat puts more pressure on Graham Potter.

The West Ham United head coach has won just six of his 25 matches since taking charge in January, and four losses this campaign sees his side mired in the relegation zone.

“Do I believe I can turn it around? Of course,” said Potter. “I also understand it’s tough.

“We’re in a tough situation, there’s no getting away from that. The only thing you can do is front it up, be honest with it. We want to do better than we are and at the moment we’re not.”

Jean-Philippe Mateta gave Palace the lead late in a first half in which West Ham failed to manage a single shot.

The hosts were much improved after the break and levelled through Jarrod Bowen, only for Tyrick Mitchell to fire a lovely volley in for Palace’s winner.

Watch Mitchell's superb winner v West Ham

Palace face Liverpool next weekend, in a meeting of the only two Premier League sides yet to taste defeat this campaign, before their first-ever match in the main phase of a European competition when they take on Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Conference League. Life is good for Glasner and his gang.

“It is a difficult time for us,” admitted Wolves head coach Vitor Pereira, after watching his side fall to a fifth straight defeat to leave them rooted to the foot of the Premier League table without a point.

Having taken the lead through Ladislav Krejci's early opener, the hosts capitulated to three first-half goals from a Leeds United side who had previously found it almost impossible to find the net.

Only West Ham have conceded more than Wolves, while they remain unable to convert chances – a fact highlighted in their Expected Goals (xG) of 1.61 in this match, compared with Leeds’ 0.49.

“The only way to improve is to work,” said Pereira, who has just signed a new deal at the club. “Mentally, we need a result to give us the confidence to not commit easy mistakes. Sometimes a result can change everything.

“I’m very, very frustrated and I understand the fans’ feelings.”

Leeds had failed to score a Premier League goal for more than a month, but hit back through three different players, all of whom opened their top-flight account for the club.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin registered his first Premier League goal since January, Anton Stach converted a brilliant free-kick, and Noah Okafor capped a superb solo performance with their third.

At the halfway point of this match, neutral viewers might have wondered whether it was possible to cram in any more action, with two goals, two red cards and three substitutions providing an extraordinary opening 45 minutes at Old Trafford.

Man Utd appeared to be cruising when Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro put the hosts two goals up against 10-man opposition following Robert Sanchez’s sending-off in the fifth minute.

That red card resulted in early substitutions for Estevao Willian and Pedro Neto in a major Chelsea rejig, before Cole Palmer swiftly followed due to injury as the visitors became the first side ever to make three changes as early as the 21st minute.

Casemiro’s red card evened playing numbers in first-half stoppage time, while Trevoh Chalobah struck late for Chelsea. But the margin of defeat flattered Enzo Maresca’s side, who attempted just five shots worth an xG of 0.39 (compared to United’s 1.74).

Defeat ended a week that also featured a disappointing draw at Brentford and defeat in their UEFA Champions League opener against Bayern Munich, with Chelsea now winless in their last 13 Premier League matches at Old Trafford.

Alex Iwobi came to Fulham’s rescue with a goal and an assist, as the hosts secured successive Premier League wins to continue Brentford’s tricky start to the season.

The visitors had taken an early lead through Mikkel Damsgaard, but Fulham soon hit back when Iwobi and Harry Wilson struck within 98 seconds of each other. An Ethan Pinnock own goal settled proceedings.

It means Brentford have now lost eight points from winning positions in the Premier League this season – more than any other team.

Keith Andrews’ side hover one place above the relegation zone, having picked up just four points in their worst start to a Premier League season. They face Man Utd, Man City and Liverpool in three of their next four fixtures.

Brentford's next PL fixtures

“We’re building a new team and at this level when there’s indecision it can hurt you,” said Andrews.

“There was a period where they just started to get the better of us. Normally the momentum can swing that way, but I don’t feel like we managed it. If you concede one, don’t concede again.”

His Fulham counterpart Marco Silva described his side as “the best team on the pitch”.

For entertainment, the Vitality Stadium was not the place to be on Sunday.

Newcastle’s third goalless draw of the campaign featured just 15 shots and a combined xG of 0.69 – both of which are the lowest totals in any Premier League game this season.

Club-record signing Nick Woltemade led the line in a Newcastle starting XI featuring seven changes to that which started the Champions League defeat against Barcelona three days earlier.

The German managed only one touch inside the opposition penalty area in the first half, with the visitors hitting the target just once all game.

“It’s a really strange occurrence, three 0-0s away from home for us,” said Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe.

“We’re going to be a different team attacking-wise this year without Alex [Isak, who has joined Liverpool].

“I think that’s not why we haven’t scored in three away games but we’ll be attacking with a different emphasis. We’re evolving into a different team, hopefully a better team. That’s the plan. But it may take a bit of time.”

Intriguingly, Howe has now not won any of his seven Premier League matches against his former club Bournemouth.

The good news for Villa is they finally managed to score a Premier League goal; the bad news is they failed to beat a Sunderland side who played the vast majority of this match with only 10 men.

When Matty Cash scored in the 67th minute, it brought an end to Villa’s 427-minute Premier League goal drought – the third-longest ever wait at the start of a campaign in the competition. But it was telling that Cash’s shot was Villa’s solitary one on target in the entire second half.

Watch Cash net Villa's first goal of 25/26

The visitors had been boosted by Reinildo’s sending-off in the 33rd minute after the Sunderland defender had kicked out at Cash.

But Villa’s lead lasted only eight minutes before Wilson Isidor scored his third goal of the season, all at the Stadium of Light.

Villa have now failed to win any of their first five fixtures in a top-flight campaign for the first time since 1964/65.

“We have to accept one point but this is not how we want to be as a team,” said Unai Emery.

“We need to get our identity back. We need to get confident again.

“I’m frustrated and disappointed. It should have been easier playing against 10 men but we’re not playing with the identity we’ve shown in the last three years. For me, it’s not enough.”

At the end of this curious match between two title hopefuls, one statistic stood out: never before, in his 601-match top-flight managerial career, had a Pep Guardiola team recorded a lower possession than Man City’s 32.8 per cent here.

“One time in 10 years is not bad, right?” joked the Spaniard, when asked about it.

By the end of normal time, Guardiola had withdrawn goalscorer Erling Haaland – who continued his phenomenal form with an early opener – to use what was effectively a 5-5-0 formation.

His efforts to hold the lead were dashed three minutes into stoppage time when Eberechi Eze assisted fellow substitute Gabriel Martinelli for a late equaliser.

Watch Martinelli's equaliser v Man City

It was the second match in a row in which Martinelli made an impact off the bench, having provided a goal and assist against Athletic Bilbao in the UEFA Champions League, after which Mikel Arteta suggested Arsenal’s “finishers could be more important” than the starting XI.

Guardiola said: “I would prefer to play another way, but when we play a lot of games in 10 years [as Man City manager], the teams defend deep, deep, deep and take a result of fantastic performance, mindset, strategy. Sometimes it happens.

“You have to defend, honestly. It’s because the opponent is better. When you have to accept it, you have to survive in that way. And we did it.”

City’s tally of seven points is their worst return at this stage of a Premier League season since 2006/07.

More reaction from Matchweek 5