Premier League Table: Week 5 Predictions After Week 4 Results

After the vast majority of Premier League teams played their fourth game of the season, the league table should be beginning to take shape.

But below Chelsea—who lead the way with four wins from four—there are a few unfamiliar names in the upper echelon of the standings.

Those teams deserve credit, of course, but the appearances of Swansea City, Aston Villa and Southampton at the peak of the table means there are some illustrious teams that haven’t quite gotten into top gear yet.

So after a thrilling Week 4 in England’s top flight, let’s take a look at how things stand, predict how Week 5 could pan out and examine some teams in desperate need of a win in their fifth clash of the campaign.

Position	Team	Played	Points
1.	Chelsea	4	12
2.	Aston Villa	4	10
3.	Swansea	4	9
4.	Southampton	4	7
5.	Manchester City	4	7
6.	Tottenham	4	7
7.	Arsenal	4	6
8.	Liverpool	4	6
9.	Manchester United	4	5
10.	Everton	4	5
11.	Leicester	4	5
12.	Hull	3	4
13.	Stoke	4	4
14.	Sunderland	4	3
15.	West Ham	3	3
16.	QPR	4	3
17.	Crystal Palace	4	2
18.	Burnley	4	2
19.	West Brom	4	2
20.	Newcastle	4	2

Home Team	Away Team	Prediction
QPR	Stoke City	0-1
Burnley	Sunderland	2-1
Swansea City	Southampton	2-2
Newcastle United	Hull City	1-1
Aston Villa	Arsenal	0-1
West Ham United	Liverpool	1-1
Leicester City	Manchester United	1-2
Tottenham	West Brom	3-0
Everton	Crystal Palace	3-1
Manchester City	Chelsea	2-2

West Ham United vs. Liverpool

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The Reds were without Daniel Sturridge for their match with Aston Villa in Week 4. And with Raheem Sterling fit enough only to make the bench, they were lacking incisiveness and penetration throughout their 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa.

After a Champions League midweek tie with Ludogorets, Brendan Rodgers’ side will make the trip to West Ham, who will provide them with a similar stylistic test to what was posed by the Villains. 

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Sam Allardyce’s side will be cohesive and diligent throughout the game. And given Liverpool’s abundance of technically gifted players, don’t expect the Hammers to move out of that compact shape very often. What they will look to do is exploit the Reds' current defensive deficiencies, especially those from set pieces, you would suspect.

Tony Barret of The Times offers us a summation of the problems currently hampering Rodgers’ side:

One plus for Liverpool is that Sterling should be back in the fold from the start for this one. And his blistering runs from deep could drag West Ham about and create openings for his teammates. But with European commitments likely to take a lot out of this team, Allardyce’s game plan could frustrate the Merseysiders.

Liverpool should have enough to breach the West Ham back-line, but given the Londoners’ prowess from set pieces, it’s difficult to see the Reds keeping a clean sheet.

Prediction: West Ham United 1-1 Liverpool

Manchester City vs. Chelsea

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Inspired by the prolific Diego Costa, the Blues are sitting pretty atop the Premier League table, five points clear ahead of Manuel Pellegrini’s Manchester City. And as luck would have it, these two heavyweights meet in Week 5 in what’ll surely be a pulsating contest.

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For Chelsea, a win here would not only take them eight points clear of the holders, but also make a major statement. They’ve been superb so far in their four matches. But aside from their trip to Everton, they’ve yet to play a side that featured in the top half of last season’s Premier League table.

But with Costa on song and a midfield that’s playing with a swagger, the travelling supporters will be confident of making the trip back down South with three points secured. OptaJoe provides us with an indication of just how in form Costa currently is:

The prospect of falling eight points behind this Chelsea team is a daunting one. So for City, it’s imperative that they avoid defeat in this clash. Pellegrini’s side have dropped points in their last two games. But having faced Arsenal and Liverpool in their first four games, they’ve had a much more difficult start than most of their title rivals.

A win here would cut the deficit to the Blues down to two points. And although the Citizens lost in their last clash on home soil—1-0 against Stoke City—it’d be almost unheard of for them to lose at the Etihad for two consecutive games.

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For that reason, expect a refocused and motivated City side to put in a strong performance in front of the Etihad faithful. But it won’t be quite enough to get the best of this excellent Chelsea team.

Prediction: Manchester City 2-2 Chelsea

Leicester City vs. Manchester United

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United showcased a host of their summer signings in the 4-0 rout of QPR, notching their first win of the season. For Louis van Gaal, the result represents a much-needed three points, but after the manner in which the Londoners rolled the red carpet out for the Red Devils, the Dutchman will be well aware there are many more difficult challenges ahead.

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Nonetheless, it’d be naive to say there wasn’t a major improvement in United’s display. Inspired by a sensational individual display from Angel di Maria, the home side tore into QPR in a manner that’s been scarce at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson stepped down.

Oliver Holt of the Daily Mirror paid tribute to both Di Maria and the team’s performance:

But you suspect Leicester City will afford this United side a much sterner examination of their credentials.

The Foxes have impressed many with their performances in the Premier League. And after emerging from the Britannia Stadium with a well-deserved 1-0 win, it’s clear this side have what it takes to remain afloat in England’s top flight.

Expect an engrossing game between two sides that’ll be desperate for victory but for the quality of United to shine through and ultimately edge it.

Prediction: Leicester City 1-2 Manchester United