Premier League Table: Updated 2014 EPL Standings Following Matchday 5 Results
Chelsea entered the weekend as the only club perfect through the first four matches of the new Premier League campaign. It's a testament to the overall parity in the early going, as also highlighted by just a four-point gap between third and 12th place when play began.
As the season wears on, the expectation is that the usual suspects should begin to separate themselves from the pack. That said, Manchester United found out last season that falling behind by too much in the first few months can spell doom, so these matches are important.
A clash between Chelsea and Manchester City on Sunday is the main event of the fifth matchday. Let's check out the current table and results for the week, which will be updated through the conclusion of play, and then recap the action.
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Premier League Table
| 1 | Chelsea | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | +9 | 13 |
| 2 | Southampton | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | +6 | 10 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | +4 | 9 |
| 5 | Swansea | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | +2 | 9 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +3 | 8 |
| 7 | Leicester | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 8 |
| 8 | West Ham | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 7 |
| 9 | Tottenham | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | +1 | 7 |
| 10 | Hull | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | -1 | 6 |
| 12 | Manchester United | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | +1 | 5 |
| 13 | Stoke | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -1 | 5 |
| 14 | Everton | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -4 | 5 |
| 17 | Sunderland | 5 | 0 | 4 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| 18 | Queens Park Rangers | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -8 | 4 |
| 19 | Burnley | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 3 |
| 20 | Newcastle United | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | -6 | 3 |
Matchday 5 Results
| Sept. 20 | QPR | Stoke | 2-2 |
| Sept. 20 | Aston Villa | Arsenal | 0-3 |
| Sept. 20 | Burnley | Sunderland | 0-0 |
| Sept. 20 | Newcastle | Hull | 2-2 |
| Sept. 20 | Swansea | Southampton | 0-1 |
| Sept. 20 | West Ham | Liverpool | 3-1 |
| Sept. 21 | Leicester | Manchester United | 5-3 |
| Sept. 21 | Tottenham | West Brom | 0-1 |
| Sept. 21 | Everton | Crystal Palace | 2-3 |
| Sept. 21 | Manchester City | Chelsea | 1-1 |
Week 5 Recap
The action started with a back-and-forth battle between Queens Park Rangers and Stoke that was more entertaining that expected. The sides had combined for just three goals coming into the match and proceeded to tally four in a 2-2 draw.
Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch both scored to give the Potters a lead, but QPR had the answer each time courtesy of Steven Caulker and Niko Kranjcar. The latter scored just minutes before the final whistle to ensure the Hoops wouldn't let a key point slip away.
The club noted that manager Harry Redknapp was happy with his squad's fight:
A quick glance at Arsenal's 3-0 victory over Aston Villa would suggest a lopsided affair. Actually it was a highly competitive match outside of a five-minute meltdown by the Lions just after the half-hour mark during which the Gunners scored all of their goals.
The most encouraging thing for Arsenal was the play of Mesut Ozil. He's struggled to find top form but finally looked like the attacking dynamo the Gunners needed to create chances. The club passed along a look at his effort on Saturday:
Southampton and Swansea looked destined for a scoreless draw for a majority of the match before Victor Wanyama struck late to earn all three points for the Saints. The breakthrough came after playing for more than 40 minutes with an extra man following a red card to Wilfried Bony.
The Swans struggled to generate many scoring opportunities from that point forward. They almost stole a point anyway, but one defensive lapse is all it took for Southampton to keep their strong start alive.
There was no late winner to be found between Burnley and Sunderland. They played to a goalless draw despite both sides producing some chances in the final third. The goalkeepers, Tom Heaton and Vito Mannone, were up to the task on this day, however.
Papiss Demba Cisse played the role of hero for Newcastle in a draw with Hull. The struggling Toon fell behind 2-0, but the Senegalese striker scored twice after the 70th minute to get back level. It's an important point for a side still looking to find its footing this season.
Liverpool's topsy-turvy start to the season continued in a 3-1 loss to West Ham.
The Irons scored twice within the first 10 minutes. Raheem Sterling got it back within one about 20 minutes later and it appeared the Reds might be able to get at least a point, but they could never find an equalizer. Morgan Amalfitano put the finishing touches on the win in the final minutes.
Brendan Rodgers will face mounting pressure to get the revamped squad on the same page quickly before the other top clubs start to pull away.
Looking ahead to Sunday, the early action will see Manchester United trying to build off their first Premier League win under Louis van Gaal against Leicester. Tottenham are also looking to keep pace near the top of the table when they take on West Brom.
In the late matches, fans will get treated to one of the campaign's biggest matches as the reigning champions from Manchester City take on fellow title contenders Chelsea. Also, Everton attempt to start finding some stability against Crystal Palace after a rocky start to the season.
