Arsenal and City Stay Perfect as Leeds Finish the Weekend in Style
By Open Chronicle Sports
The Premier League’s fourth matchweek delivered another revealing chapter in the early shape of the 2026/27 season. Arsenal and Manchester City maintained their perfect starts, Leeds United produced a statement victory to complete the round, Hull City remained unbeaten, and Brighton delivered the weekend’s most emphatic result.
With four matches played, Arsenal lead Manchester City on goal difference with both clubs on 12 points, while Leeds and Hull City have emerged immediately behind the leading pair on eight.
Arsenal keep setting the pace
Arsenal’s perfect opening continued with a 2–0 victory away to Sunderland.
The defending champions have now won all four of their Premier League matches and continue to set the early standard. Four rounds are far too few to define a title race, but Arsenal have started their defence without dropping a point.
Manchester City are matching them result for result.
City left Old Trafford with a 1–0 victory over Manchester United, maintaining their own 100 per cent record. The result leaves the two clubs level on 12 points, with Arsenal holding first place on goal difference.
Already, the margin for error at the top is remarkably small.
Leeds save one of the biggest statements for Monday night
The final game of Matchweek 4 produced one of its most striking results.
Leeds United beat Newcastle United 4–1 at Elland Road, completing the weekend with an emphatic home victory.
It was a result that significantly altered the early table. Leeds moved onto eight points from four matches, climbing into the group immediately behind Arsenal and Manchester City.
For Newcastle, meanwhile, a previously unbeaten start ended abruptly. They remain on five points after four matches.
Leeds’ opening month has now given them something more valuable than an encouraging start: early evidence that they can compete effectively in the division.
Hull City refuse to lose
Hull City’s return to the Premier League continues to attract attention.
A 2–2 draw at Chelsea preserved their unbeaten record after four matches and moved them onto eight points.
Hull have already demonstrated that their strong start is not dependent on one type of match. They have collected points in different circumstances and against significant opposition, giving their opening weeks an increasingly interesting dimension.
Chelsea, meanwhile, had to settle for a point in a match they would have viewed as an opportunity to keep closer contact with the leaders.
Brighton produce the result of the weekend
If Leeds supplied Monday night’s statement, Brighton produced the weekend’s most emphatic scoreline.
Brighton & Hove Albion demolished Coventry City 5–0 away from home, taking their total to 13 league goals after four matches.
The result pushed Brighton into the upper reaches of the early standings and gave them the best goal difference among the teams immediately behind Arsenal and City.
For Coventry, the opening weeks have been much more difficult. Four defeats from four and ten goals conceded leave them searching for their first Premier League points of the campaign.
Nottingham Forest strike at Villa Park
Nottingham Forest secured an important 2–1 away victory against Aston Villa.
The result gave Forest their first league win of the season and moved them onto five points.
Villa’s difficult opening, by contrast, continued. With only one point from four matches, their early-season rebuild has yet to translate into Premier League results.
Ipswich edge five-goal contest
Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace produced one of the most dramatic matches of the round, with Ipswich emerging 3–2 winners.
The victory moved Ipswich onto six points and gave them a second win of the campaign.
For a side attempting to establish itself in the division, results in close matches can become particularly valuable. Ipswich have already shown an ability to turn competitive performances into points.
Stalemates for Liverpool and Tottenham
Two of the weekend’s fixtures finished goalless.
Liverpool drew 0–0 with Fulham, while Tottenham Hotspur and Everton also finished 0–0.
Liverpool remain unbeaten but have now accumulated several draws, leaving them behind the perfect starts of Arsenal and Manchester City.
Tottenham’s situation is more concerning from an attacking perspective. Spurs remain without a league win after four matches and have yet to establish the momentum expected from them.
Bournemouth and Brentford share four goals
AFC Bournemouth and Brentford opened the round with a 2–2 draw, another result that preserved Brentford’s unbeaten start.
Brentford have six points from four matches, while Bournemouth remain in search of their first victory.
The result also illustrated how compressed the middle of the table remains. At this stage of the campaign, a single victory can still produce a significant movement through the standings.
Manchester remains divided by results
Manchester City’s victory at Old Trafford reinforced the contrasting starts being experienced by the city’s two Premier League clubs.
City have taken the maximum 12 points from 12.
Manchester United have four.
The season remains young, but City have immediately established the consistency required to stay alongside Arsenal, while United are already looking for greater stability after an uneven first four rounds.
Matchweek 4 Results
| Fixture | Result |
|---|---|
| AFC Bournemouth vs Brentford | 2–2 |
| Aston Villa vs Nottingham Forest | 1–2 |
| Chelsea vs Hull City | 2–2 |
| Crystal Palace vs Ipswich Town | 2–3 |
| Liverpool vs Fulham | 0–0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton | 0–0 |
| Sunderland vs Arsenal | 0–2 |
| Coventry City vs Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–5 |
| Manchester United vs Manchester City | 0–1 |
| Leeds United vs Newcastle United | 4–1 |
The early picture
Four matchweeks do not determine a Premier League season, but they can begin to expose patterns.
The clearest is at the top: Arsenal and Manchester City have been flawless.
Behind them, however, the picture is more intriguing. Leeds have reached eight points after their emphatic win over Newcastle. Hull City remain unbeaten on the same total. Brighton’s attacking output has pushed them firmly into the early conversation near the top of the table.
Elsewhere, Liverpool and Brentford remain difficult to beat, while several established clubs are already under pressure to turn performances into victories.
Matchweek 5 will begin to test whether some of these early trends have substance.
Brentford host Chelsea on Friday, 18 September, before a weekend that includes Brighton vs Arsenal, Newcastle vs Hull City, Manchester City vs Sunderland and Fulham vs Manchester United.
For Arsenal and City, the objective is straightforward: keep the perfect start alive.
For everyone chasing them, the gap cannot be allowed to grow too quickly.