Arsenal Stay Perfect as Brighton Run Riot and Premier League Heavyweights Drop Points

Arsenal maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season, Brighton produced the biggest win of the weekend, while Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham all dropped points in an eventful Matchweek 4.

Arsenal remain at the top of the Premier League after extending their winning start to four matches with a 2-0 victory away to Sunderland. The defending champions were made to work for the result, with David Raya saving an Enzo Le Fée penalty before Bruno Guimarães opened the scoring two minutes later. Bukayo Saka added a stoppage-time penalty after Reinildo was sent off. Arsenal now have 12 points from 12 and have conceded only once in the league.

Manchester City also preserved their perfect record with a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. The result leaves City level with Arsenal on 12 points, but the Gunners remain first thanks to a slightly better goal difference. The Manchester derby produced enough controversy and drama to stand on its own, but in terms of the wider table its main consequence is clear: Arsenal and City have already opened the season with four consecutive wins.

The most emphatic performance of the weekend came from Brighton, who demolished Coventry City 5-0. Lewis Dunk produced the standout moment with a spectacular long-range goal, while Fabian Hürzeler's side showed the attacking efficiency that had been missing from some of their earlier performances. Brighton moved onto seven points, while Coventry became only the second team in Premier League history to lose their opening four matches without scoring.

Chelsea were unable to recover fully from their defeat to Arsenal in the previous round, drawing 2-2 at home with Hull City. Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea an early lead, but Mohamed Belloumi scored twice to put Hull in front before João Pedro rescued a point in the second half. Hull's excellent start continues: they have eight points from four matches and currently sit third, ahead of several of the league's traditional contenders.

Liverpool also missed an opportunity to build momentum, being held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield. Andoni Iraola's side remain unbeaten, but three of their first four league matches have ended in draws. Liverpool struggled to create clear chances, with Victor Muñoz hitting the crossbar in one of their best opportunities.

Tottenham's problems in attack are even more pronounced. Their 0-0 draw with Everton was a second consecutive goalless result and means Spurs have still not scored a Premier League goal after four matches. Roberto De Zerbi's team have collected only two points and their lack of cutting edge is already becoming one of the early stories of the season.

Elsewhere, Ipswich Town earned an impressive 3-2 away victory against Crystal Palace. Palace played much of the match with ten men after Axel Disasi's red card, recovered to make it 2-2, but Zian Flemming scored a 90th-minute winner for Ipswich. Nottingham Forest also collected an important result, beating Aston Villa 2-1 for their first league victory under Oliver Glasner, while Villa remain without a win.

Bournemouth and Brentford shared the points in a 2-2 draw, leaving a tightly packed group behind the early leaders. Matchweek 4 is not technically complete yet, with Leeds United hosting Newcastle United on Monday evening.

Four rounds into the season, the clearest trend is already emerging at the top: Arsenal and Manchester City have separated themselves from the chasing pack with perfect records. Behind them, however, the picture is far less predictable. Hull and Brighton have started strongly, while Liverpool, Chelsea and especially Tottenham are already under pressure to find greater consistency as the season moves towards its first major checkpoint.