Premier League Gameweek 4 produced a clear leader and further trouble for the division’s newest side. Arsenal beat Sunderland 2-0 to make it four wins from four and move to the top of the table with 12 points, while Coventry City’s miserable return to the Premier League continued with a 5-0 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion — a fourth straight loss without scoring a single goal.
Manchester City claimed derby honours away at Old Trafford despite playing over an hour with ten men, edging Manchester United 1-0 through a second-half Erling Haaland strike. At the other end of the spectrum, Liverpool and Tottenham were held to goalless draws by Fulham and Everton respectively. The round combined control at the top, real struggle at the bottom, and frustration for two established clubs who couldn’t turn possession into decisive results.
Premier League Gameweek 4 Arsenal’s perfect start has a new dimension
Arsenal’s 2-0 win at Sunderland was not simply another victory in a flawless opening. It was an away performance that required patience before the breakthrough arrived. Bruno Guimarães put Arsenal ahead in the 58th minute, and Bukayo Saka’s penalty in the seventh minute of added time completed the result. Click here for for match highlights
That record puts Arsenal top of the table and gives them the strongest early platform in the division. Four wins from four also changes the way opponents approach them. Arsenal are no longer simply trying to build momentum; they are now the team others must dislodge.
Brighton hand Coventry a fourth straight defeat
Coventry’s miserable start to the season continued with a 5-0 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion — their fourth straight loss without scoring a single goal, leaving them the only team in the league yet to pick up a point.
Charalampos Kostoulas gave Brighton a first-half lead in the 35th minute, and Malick Yalcouyé doubled it in the 51st. Coventry’s afternoon worsened further when Taiwo Awoniyi was sent off in the 53rd minute for violent conduct, a decision confirmed by VAR. With Brighton up a man, Pascal Groß converted a penalty to make it three, before Lewis Dunk struck a stunning 25-yard effort past Carl Rushworth, and Yasin Ayari completed the rout in stoppage time. Click here for match highlights
The result moves Brighton into the top five, while Coventry remain rooted to the bottom of the table with ten goals conceded and none scored — a gap between expectation and result that Frank Lampard’s side must now find a way to close.
Manchester City win a derby they nearly played without a man advantage
Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Manchester United carried more weight than the scoreline suggests. City were reduced to ten men in the 23rd minute when Phil Foden was sent off for a challenge on Bruno Fernandes, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side to see out more than an hour of the match a player short. Click here for match highlights
Despite the numerical disadvantage, City held firm, and Erling Haaland settled it in the 60th minute — his fourth goal of the season and eighth in Manchester derbies. United pushed for an equaliser late on, hitting the post twice earlier in the game and forcing a stoppage-time save from Gianluigi Donnarumma, but couldn’t find a way through.
Leeds turn home advantage into a decisive win
Leeds United’s 4-1 victory over Newcastle United was another important home performance. The result was built quickly: Miley’s own goal in the 32nd minute was followed by Bogle’s strike two minutes later, and Calvert-Lewin made it 3-0 in first-half added time. Okafor added a fourth in the 59th minute before Touré scored Newcastle’s consolation in the 90th.
The sequence gave Leeds control of the match before Newcastle could recover. Four goals from four different scoring moments, including an own goal and a late consolation, point to a contest in which Leeds established a decisive advantage early and maintained it.
Big names stall in goalless draws
Liverpool’s 0-0 draw with Fulham provided a missed opportunity for a club seeking to keep pace with the early leaders.
Tottenham’s 0-0 draw with Everton told a similar story at the other end of the table’s upper reaches — a game without the separation either side needed.
A goalless draw can reflect defensive organisation, a lack of attacking precision or a match in which neither side created enough separation. What the results establish is that Liverpool and Tottenham each dropped points, while Fulham and Everton left with results that may carry greater value depending on their wider objectives.
Chaos and competition in the remaining fixtures
The other three Saturday matches all ended 2-2 or 2-3, reinforcing the round’s mixture of narrow control and open game states. Bournemouth and Brentford drew 2-2 after goals from Schade, Kluivert and Tavernier, with Schade scoring twice.
Chelsea also drew 2-2 with Hull City: Rogers put Chelsea ahead early, Belloumi scored twice for Hull, and Pedro equalised in the 86th minute.
Crystal Palace and Ipswich Town produced the round’s other away win, with Ipswich prevailing 3-2. Khalaili and Larsen scored for Palace, while Silva, Davis and Flemming completed Ipswich’s comeback and victory. The results confirm a gameweek in which leads were vulnerable and late moments remained decisive.
Full Premier League Gameweek 4 results
Saturday, 12 September 2026
- Bournemouth 2-2 Brentford — Kluivert 38, Tavernier 52; Schade 34, 56
- Aston Villa 1-2 Nottingham Forest — Edward 74; Delap 46, Jesus 88
- Chelsea 2-2 Hull City — Rogers 7, Pedro 86; Belloumi 28, 34
- Crystal Palace 2-3 Ipswich Town — Khalaili 14, Larsen 75; Silva 23, Davis 45, Flemming 90
- Liverpool 0-0 Fulham
- Tottenham 0-0 Everton
- Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal — Guimarães 58, Saka 90+7 pen
Sunday, 13 September 2026
- Coventry City 0-5 Brighton & Hove Albion — Kostoulas 35, Yalcouyé 51, Groß 70 pen, Dunk 83, Ayari 90+ (Awoniyi red card, 53′)
- Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City — Haaland 60 (Foden red card, 23′)
Monday, 14 September 2026
- Leeds United 4-1 Newcastle United — Miley 32 og, Bogle 34, Calvert-Lewin 45+1, Okafor 59; Touré 90
The table picture after four games
Arsenal are the confirmed leaders after four wins and 12 points, edging Manchester City on goal difference despite both sides sitting level on points. Leeds move forward with a convincing home result, while Brighton’s win at Coventry pushes them into the top five. Coventry sit bottom without a goal scored in four games. Liverpool and Tottenham will want more attacking output after their goalless draws.
Arsenal have established consistency at the top, while Coventry’s early struggles are the round’s clearest warning sign at the other end of the table.