Only one game failed to provide a goal in Gameweek 5 of the Premier League and there was plenty more drama on the cards as old rivals met to do battle across the country.
Liverpool took the spoils in the Merseyside derby to maintain their perfect start to the campaign, although the Toffees did give a good account of themselves in the second half.
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Tottenham travelled to Brighton and showed plenty of mental resilience to claw back a point despite going 2-0 down, a performance head coach Thomas Frank described as their best of the season.
Manchester United and Chelsea also met for a thriller that saw two red cards, three goals and a heavy downpour of rain that created a real spectacle at Old Trafford, one that the Red Devils emerged victorious from.
On Sunday, both Aston Villa and Newcastle were held to draws as their poor starts to the campaign continued, and Arsenal came from behind to earn a late point against title rivals Manchester City, with both Erling Haaland and Gabriel Martinelli getting on the scoresheet.
So who backed it on the pitch and who bottled it on an entertaining weekend in England’s top flight? BOYLE Sports has the answers.
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Star of the Weekend
STAR OF THE WEEKEND: RYAN GRAVENBERCH
Liverpool were fortunate enough to be able to spend the best part of £400million to reinforce their squad in the summer, but it was one of their existing stars who shone brightest in the Merseyside derby.
Ryan Gravenberch was the best player on the pitch for the champions, scoring the Reds’ first and turning provider for the second to fend off age-old rivals Everton.
His strike was a moment of beauty that demonstrated his fantastic technique to steer the ball into the far corner on the half-volley, before his through ball to Hugo Ekitike for the second capped off a sensational performance.
The Dutchman etched his name into the history books as well, becoming the youngest Liverpool player to score and assist in a Merseyside derby at 23 years and 127 days old.
Unsurprisingly, Gravenberch is being branded as the best midfielder in the league by Reds fans, and there has certainly not been a more consistent player than the ex-Ajax man in 2025-26.
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In a match where he needed to dominate the middle of the park, he delivered, making five tackles, winning seven duels and claiming possession as many times.
There is no question that Arne Slot’s midfield general is by far and away the Star of the Weekend.
Flop of the Weekend
FLOP OF THE WEEKEND: ROBERT SANCHEZ
After a tough trip to Bayern Munich in midweek, Chelsea needed to put in a strong showing against old foes Manchester United, but goalkeeper Robert Sanchez had other ideas.
A red card in the fifth minute at Old Trafford cost the Blues dearly, and even prompted Enzo Maresca to question the Spaniard’s decision-making after the match, claiming it would have been better to go a goal down rather than a man down.
After rushing out and flying through Bryan Mbeumo, Sanchez faced the long walk back to the changing rooms, and his team suffered in his absence.
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The 27-year-old was shown more red cards than he made accurate passes, and he will now be known as the player who was on the receiving end of Chelsea’s earliest-ever sending off.
Had Sanchez not thrown the game away for the visitors, Benjamin Sesko may have been slapped with the Flop of the Weekend tag.
United’s £74m summer signing managed just six touches in the first half against Chelsea, despite playing against 10 men, and he is yet to score for his new club either.
Biggest Disappointment
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT: ASTON VILLA
More dropped points for Aston Villa means they finish the weekend in the bottom three and Unai Emery’s pacey walk straight down the tunnel after drawing with Sunderland just about sums up the mood in the Midlands.
The Villans did score their first Premier League goal of the season at the Stadium of Light in the 1-1 draw, and only Crystal Palace (2017-18) and Newcastle (2005-06) have waited longer than Villa’s 427 minutes to open their account for the campaign in the modern era.
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But having gone 1-0 up and played against 10 men for the majority of the game, there are no excuses for fumbling what would have been a huge win.
After five games in 2024-25, Villa were sitting third in the table and went on to secure a spot in the Europa League, but 12 months later and they are already as many points behind early leaders Liverpool.
Summer signing Jadon Sancho is also yet to taste victory with his new club since joining on loan from Manchester United, and his start to the campaign has been equally disappointing, tallying just eight minutes by the end of GW5.
Performance of the Weekend
PERFORMANCE OF THE WEEKEND: LEEDS
Leeds’ return to the top flight has been somewhat overshadowed by Sunderland’s impressive start, but they look equally as impressive under Daniel Farke.
All three of their goals in the 3-1 win over Wolves came in the first half, and it meant they led by two or more goals at the break despite going behind for only the third time in their history.
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One of the goals came from Anton Stach, who buried a direct free-kick and became the first Whites player to do so since Raphinha in 2021.
After their 100-point campaign in the Championship last term, Leeds now have seven points from their first five games, one less than high-flying Sunderland and three more than fellow promoted side Burnley.
Despite that, they are still expected to be in the midst of the relegation battle between now and May, making their win at Wolves even more crucial.
Surprise of the Weekend
SURPRISE OF THE WEEKEND: MAN CITY GO FULL MOURINHO
It was not too long ago that Arsenal were drawing criticism for parking the bus when Manchester City came to town, but this time it was Erling Haaland and Co. who opted to shut up shop inside the Emirates.
Guardiola’s men recorded just 32.8% possession in north London, the lowest-ever figure for a side managed by the legendary manager.
Additionally, the Cityzens managed just eight touches in Arsenal’s box, another record-low for the Spanish head coach.
Guardiola’s game plan was evident from Erling Haaland’s withdrawal in the 75th minute, as City opted to build a blue wall in front of their own penalty box.
The cunning game plan would’ve paid off were it not for Gabriel Martinelli’s superb finish in added time, and it marks a distinct change for the Manchester side as they bid to return to the top and claim another Premier League title.
Guardiola appears less bothered about dominating the ball, and instead is banking on his team being clinical when their chances do come, something Haaland showed with his sixth league goal of the season early on in the game.
City fans may walk away from the game disappointed after forfeiting the win so late on, but the club’s form has certainly hit an upward spike after a shaky start.
Moment of the Weekend
MOMENT OF THE WEEKEND: MARTINELLI’S EQUALISER
Arsenal were on the brink of falling to a defeat that might have defined their season, but then up stepped Martinelli.
Similar to his impact in the Champions League against Athletic Bilbao, the Brazilian popped up with a moment of magic to earn the Gunners a huge point in the title race.
Martinelli showed incredible composure after racing onto a ball over the top from fellow substitute Eberechi Eze, spotting Gianluigi Donnarumma off his line and lobbing him with his second touch.
He has now racked up four goal involvements against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, two goals and two assists - no Arsenal player has more since the Spaniard took over in 2016.
The crucial goal also extends his unbeaten record for the club when scoring, stretching that tally to 47 matches.
Martinelli has certainly now given Arteta a selection headache heading into GW6 and beyond, with the winger earning praise from team-mate Declan Rice, who applauded his attitude despite being named on the bench for the previous two games.
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