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Chelsea, Manchester United struggle as Man City go 3 points ahead of Arsenal before FIFA break
21st September, 2026 10:18 AM
The English Premier League is set to take its first break after five games to pave the way for the international window, with league matches resuming on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
K24 Sports looks at the major highlights and observations from the opening five games that delivered riveting action across the top-tier league.
Unbeaten teams
After five rounds of matches, three teams remain unbeaten heading into the international break.
Fifth-placed Leeds United, who held Crystal Palace to a goalless draw, are among the teams on an unbeaten streak, joining Liverpool (sixth) and Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca’s charges are the only team to win all five of their opening games after Arsenal’s defeat to Brighton on Saturday, September 19, 2026.
The flawless Citizens have played seven games in which they have remained unbeaten across three competitions.
Liverpool extended their unbeaten start to seven games in all competitions after edging Bournemouth 1-0 thanks to Alexander Isak’s lone goal, which preserved the Reds’ five-game unbeaten run in the league.
Andoni Iraola’s team has drawn three times—against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and Fulham—while picking up wins against the Cherries and Ipswich Town.
Meanwhile, the first hat-trick of the 2026 season saw Brian Brobbey of Sunderland claim the honour in a high-scoring encounter against Manchester City at the Etihad. The treble was, however, in vain as City had the last laugh in a thrilling 5-3 win against Régis Le Bris’ side.
The burly Dutchman completed his hat-trick within minutes, as Erling Haaland also became the first player to score against every Premier League opponent he has faced with his goal against the Matchday 5 opponents.
Giants struggle
The start of the league has also come with early concerns for former Premier League giants, with inconsistent runs from Manchester United and Chelsea topping the list of struggling clubs.
Despite it still being early days, United—who are winless in their last three fixtures and sit 12th in the standings, saw a draw at Fulham equal their sluggish start from the 2014/15 season when they picked up their joint-lowest tally after five games of a Premier League campaign.
For Chelsea under Xabi Alonso, the team remains burdened by lingering defensive concerns after conceding 12 goals in the opening five games, the most in the league.
The club is also on a run of 21 consecutive league matches without a clean sheet—their worst streak in Premier League history. Alonso has maintained that reversing the trend will take time as he works to steady the revamped Blues squad.
