EPL Table: Latest Week 5 Results, Scores and 2014 Premier League Standings
The EPL table looked quite different heading into Week 5 than most probably expected prior to the season. While a few of the high-profile teams found themselves near the top, there were plenty of surprises as well.
Some teams made big-time statements on Saturday, although it is still very much unclear what the Premier League's true balance of power is. Week 5 seemed to offer a few more clues in that regard, but the picture will certainly get clearer in the coming weeks.
Here is the full listing of results from an exciting Matchday 5, along with a look at the EPL standings and the matches that impacted them most.
EPL Results
| Queens Park Rangers | Stoke City | 2-2 |
| Aston Villa | Arsenal | 3-0, Arsenal |
| Burnley | Sunderland | 0-0 |
| Newcastle United | Hull City | 2-2 |
| Swansea City | Southampton | 1-0, Southampton |
| West Ham United | Liverpool | 3-1, West Ham |
| Leicester City | Manchester United | 5-3, Leicester |
| Tottenham | West Brom | 1-0, West Brom |
EPL Table
| 1 | Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 13 |
| 2 | Southampton | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 10 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 9 |
| 5 | Swansea City | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 8 |
| 7 | Leicester City | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | West Ham United | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 7 |
| 9 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | Hull City | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 8 | -1 | 6 |
| 12 | Manchester United | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 5 |
| 13 | Stoke City | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 5 |
| 14 | Everton | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 13 | -2 | 5 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 10 | -2 | 5 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 5 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11 | -8 | 4 |
| 19 | Burnley | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4 | -3 | 3 |
| 20 | Newcastle United | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 11 | -6 | 3 |
Breaking Down Notable Results
Arsenal Crush Aston Villa
Many were skeptical prior to Matchday 5 about Aston Villa sitting in second place. The Lions' suffocating defensive style allowed them to win three times and draw once through their first four matches, but things didn't go according to plan on Saturday.
The Villans hosted Arsenal in a match that got out of hand very quickly between the 32nd and 36th minutes. The much-maligned Mesut Ozil put the Gunners on top in the 32nd minute by virtue of his speed, and that seemed to open up the floodgates.
Ozil assisted on a gorgeous goal by Danny Welbeck just two minutes later as Arsenal seized firm control of the match. The German star was very much in the midst of a dry spell from an offensive perspective, but Ozil broke out in a big way against Aston Villa, per 8 Fact Football:
The barrage didn't end after two goals as Arsenal scored once again in the 36th minute thanks to an own goal from Aston Villa defender Aly Cissokho. The three-goal onslaught was shocking considering the fact that goalkeeper Brad Guzan had surrendered just one goal in four matches prior to Matchday 5, according to ESPN's Paul Carr:
Arsenal had been struggling to close out matches with victories as they had won just once and drawn three times before Saturday's tilt. The Gunners look very much like one of the top teams in the league, and they proved it to some degree against Aston Villa.
The Gunners needed some type of spark to start moving up the standings, and this win could very well be precisely what the doctor ordered.
QPR Salvage Late Draw With Stoke City
In an entertaining battle between two squads in the lower half of the EPL table, Queens Park Rangers and Stoke City proved to be evenly matched. The draw may have been somewhat disappointing for Stoke supporters, but it was desperately needed from QPR's perspective.
The Hoops entered the match with the worst goal differential in the EPL, and they found themselves down on a couple occasions. The Potters took the lead in the 11th minute off a goal from Mame Biram Diouf, but Steven Caulker and QPR answered in the 42nd minute.
Stoke once again pulled ahead by virtue of a marker from veteran striker Peter Crouch in the 51st minute of play. QPR seemed destined to lose, but they got a clutch play when they needed it as midfielder Niko Kranjcar converted a free kick to tie it at 2-2 with just a couple minutes remaining.
According to WhoScored.com, Kranjcar's marker ended a long scoring drought for the Croatian star:
A draw was ultimately a good result for QPR since they were on the precipice of another loss. Stoke weren't quite as thrilled about it, though, as evidenced by Crouch's comments to BT Sport, courtesy of The Independent.
"It's a huge disappointment," Crouch said. "I think we should have been leading at half-time and to not win the game. ... I think we were the better team and deserved to win."
QPR actually had more shots and better possession than Stoke, so Crouch's feelings may not ring true with many observers. In the end, both teams did some good things, and a draw was probably the proper result.
Southampton Squeak Past Swansea City
Both Southampton and Swansea City have exceeded expectations early in the EPL season, but the Saints were the ones who kept their positive momentum going on Saturday with a 1-0 win over the Swans on the road.
Southampton dominated much of the match as Swansea City were forced to play shorthanded. After picking up a yellow card in the 20th minute, Swans striker Wilfried Bony was carded once again in the 39th minute after a careless challenge, and the Ivorian was sent for an early bath.
Bony received applause due to how well he has played this season, but Southampton digital communications director Jim Lucas blasted him for putting his team at a major disadvantage:
Swansea played tough and managed to keep the score level at 0-0 for much of the match, but the Saints attack proved to be too much when midfielder Victor Wanyama scored in the 80th minute. Not only was it a huge goal for Southampton, but it was also a historic one in the EPL, according to OptaJoe:
With their 1-0 triumph, Southampton ascended to second place in the standings. Southampton started off hot last season as well before ultimately fading. Keeping their strong play going throughout the year is a challenge that they must live up to in order to be an elite team.
The loss is a setback for Swansea, but they performed admirably. Provided they can avoid mental mistakes like the one committed by Bony on Saturday, they will continue to be in the mix this season as well.
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