EPL Week 6 Scores: The Biggest Winners of the Weekend

Nine enthralling Premier League matches were played over the weekend, with shocks aplenty as both of last season's top two sides suffered unexpected defeats to Midlands opposition.

Both Manchester City and Manchester United have much to consider in the days and weeks ahead, but they were not alone in disappointing their supporters.

However, while it may have been the losers who stole the headlines this weekend, there were also a number of clubs who took another stride toward achieving their goals for the season ahead.

Arsenal and Liverpool are flying toward the top of the table, while Hull, Cardiff, Southampton and Norwich all gave themselves a boost in their bids to beat the drop.

Who, then, were the biggest winners of the Premier League weekend?

Arsenal

Following an opening-day defeat to Aston Villa, Arsenal have responded in fine style to secure five consecutive league wins and move to the top of the Premier League table. Of the 20 sides in the division, it is they who perhaps enjoyed the best weekend compared to their rivals.

Both Manchester sides fell to defeat on Saturday afternoon, while Chelsea and Tottenham also lost ground to the Gunners with a 1-1 draw at White Hart Lane earlier the same day. Arsenal may not have been afforded much space on the back pages following those results, but have gained points on all their major rivals over the weekend.

The Gunners faced a difficult away trip heading to Swansea's Liberty Stadium, but showed more of their impressive recent self-belief to secure a 2-1 win thanks to second-half goals from Aaron Ramsey and Serge Gnabry.

Arsene Wenger's side still have a long way to go to prove they have real prospects of a league title this season, but will be immensely satisfied with the way results panned out over recent days.

Liverpool

Along with Arsenal, the big winners at the top of the table were Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool side who secured a 3-1 away victory at beleaguered Sunderland on Sunday.

While there were signs of hope for Black Cats fans, Rodgers was left ecstatic with his team's showing as strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge shared three goals. As the Reds' belief that a top-four finish is on the cards continues to grow, points gained on many of their rivals will be a big boost to their burgeoning confidence.

Another pleasing aspect for Liverpool will have been the success of their new three-man defensive line, following on from the system's debut in the Capital One Cup last week.

Both Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure particularly impressed in the win, as only a smart piece of follow-up work from Italian Emanuele Giaccherini breached the defence over 90 minutes. With struggling Crystal Palace at Anfield next weekend, the outlook is bright for Liverpool at present.

West Brom

A win at Old Trafford is an unexpected bonus at any time, but when your team has just one win from the opening five games of the new season, it is an even more rewarding achievement.

The Baggies achieved success in style, scoring two excellent goals whilst limiting the Red Devils to just a handful of chances over the course of the game. It was no fluke result, with the visitors well deserving of their success.

After the doom and gloom of the opening weeks of the new campaign, a late equaliser away to Fulham has been followed by back-to-back victories for Steve Clarke and his side. Add in the positivity that the emergence of a new young talent in Saido Berahino brings, and it is fair to say that the momentum at the Hawthornes has swung 180 degrees over the past fortnight.

Defeats for Crystal Palace, Sunderland, West Ham and Fulham allowed Clarke's side to put some daylight between themselves and the bottom three this weekend, a respite they fully deserve for their impressive display in Manchester.

Hull City

Steve Bruce's Hull side were widely tipped to struggle ahead of the season opener, but have been somewhat of a revelation as they approach the Premier League with an intent to play possession-based football.

With a resurgent Tom Huddlestone in fine form in the centre of midfield and Irishman Robbie Brady one of the season's unexpected stars thus far, Hull have shown that they are not intending to make a swift Championship return this campaign.

Three points was never going to be straightforward against a West Ham side known as one of the league's most difficult opponents. Thanks to Brady's soft penalty win in the first half, however, Hull were able to take a 12th-minute lead, which they defended throughout.

In a similar manner to West Brom, Hull's success was made all the sweeter for the losses of many teams in and around the bottom three at present. Each point moves the Tigers toward their safety target and the weekend had represented a tricky fixture to overcome.