I had a difficult time keepng abreast of the EPL Matchday 4 with the stories unfloding at the India-Pakistan showdown at the Asia Cup 2025 in Dubai. Even as Pakistan caved in to a humbing defeat on Sunday night, I received a message on a WhatsApp group that read: “Worried about life? Imagine the plight of a Man U fan in Pakistan!” That message got me going and I caught up with all the action at the EPL this week.
The Premier League’s fourth weekend reinforced old truths and unveiled fresh storylines. The heavyweights flexed their muscles, some challengers stumbled, and one or two dark horses reminded us that this league thrives on unpredictability. There was no mistaking the gulf in class at the Etihad. Manchester City dismantled United 3-0, with Erling Haaland once again at the heart of it. Phil Foden struck early, before Haaland’s brace underlined City’s ruthless edge. The derby was less a contest, more a demonstration. City’s fluidity suffocated United, who looked bereft of both ideas and defensive organisation. For Ruben Amorim’s side, this was a sobering reality check. For Pep Guardiola’s heirs, it was business as usual.
At the Emirates, Arsenal shrugged off their early frustrations with a clinical 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest. From back to front, they looked composed, creative and unforgiving. Forest never laid a glove on them. For Mikel Arteta, it was the kind of performance that resets the tone after a difficult start, and one that signals Arsenal’s intent to remain firmly in the title conversation.
Newcastle United had looked blunt in attack during the early weeks, but Matchday 4 provided a turning point. New signing Nick Woltemade marked his debut with the decisive header in a narrow 1-0 win over Wolves. More than the three points, it was the injection of belief that the team needed. Goals had come before, but this was a victory carved out through grit and timing; the kind of result that can shape a campaign. For Wolves, the season’s struggles remain worryingly familiar.
Bournemouth’s 2-1 victory over Brighton showed the importance of small margins. The game swung back and forth, but Bournemouth were clinical when it mattered. Brighton created but wasted, a habit that could cost them dearly in the months ahead. Andoni Iraola’s side, meanwhile, look like a team with both belief and tactical identity.
Elsewhere, Chelsea’s sharpness faded, Tottenham Hotspur stuttered, and Liverpool’s vulnerabilities were once again visible. It is still early, but the relentless pace set by City and the renewed energy of Arsenal will demand responses. Depth, rotation and composure will now separate pretenders from contenders.
Match of the Week: Manchester City 3–0 Manchester United
A derby that was billed as a test became a teaching exercise. City’s superiority was not just about goals but about control, pressing, and execution. For United, the gap to the very top looks daunting. For City, it was the kind of statement that tells the rest of the league: the champions are here, and they aren’t loosening their grip.
Player of the Week: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Two goals in a derby. Relentless running. Ruthless finishing. Haaland has redefined what consistency looks like in the Premier League. On a day when City needed a talisman, he delivered with typical inevitability. His performance was not just decisive; it was symbolic of City’s hunger to dominate again.
Matchday 4 offered clarity. City are still the benchmark. Arsenal have rediscovered their rhythm. Newcastle have life, Bournemouth belief, and United a mountain to climb. Four weeks in, the table already has a familiar shape, but the drama, as ever, is guaranteed to keep twisting.
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