Premier League Table: 2015 Standings, Week 3 Fixtures After Week 2 Results
Liverpool claimed their first home victory of the 2015-16 Premier League season on Monday evening, beating Bournemouth 1-0 to round off the second week of an already-fascinating English campaign.
Reigning champions Chelsea fell to Manchester City in spectacular fashion on Sunday, losing 3-0 not long after Arsenal got their season off the ground with a 2-1 beating of Crystal Palace.
The drama will take but a small respite as Week 3 brings with it a high-profile clash between Arsenal and Liverpool, while 100 percent Manchester United play host to Newcastle United in Saturday's early kick-off.
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Table leaders City face a difficult trip to Goodison Park, where they're likely to be pushed to the brink against a Toffees team that trounced Southampton 3-0 away from home in their last outing.
All that and more are discussed in more depth as we look toward a batch of enticing Week 3 matchups along with a roundup of all the Week 2 results and a breakdown of the Premier League standings.
| Friday, August 14 | Aston Villa | 0 - 1 | Man Utd |
| Saturday, August 15 | Southampton | 0 - 3 | Everton |
| Saturday, August 15 | Spurs | 2 - 2 | Stoke |
| Saturday, August 15 | Sunderland | 1 - 3 | Norwich |
| Saturday, August 15 | Swansea | 2 - 0 | Newcastle |
| Saturday, August 15 | Watford | 0 - 0 | West Brom |
| Saturday, August 15 | West Ham | 1 - 2 | Leicester |
| Sunday, August 16 | Crystal Palace | 1 - 2 | Arsenal |
| Sunday, August 16 | Man City | 3 - 0 | Chelsea |
| Monday, August 17 | Liverpool | v | Bournemouth |
| Saturday, August 22 | 12:45 p.m. BST/7:45 a.m. ET | Manchester United | vs. | Newcastle United |
| Saturday, August 22 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Crystal Palace | vs. | Aston Villa |
| Saturday, August 22 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Leicester City | vs. | Tottenham Hotspur |
| Saturday, August 22 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Norwich City | vs. | Stoke City |
| Saturday, August 22 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | Sunderland | vs. | Swansea City |
| Saturday, August 22 | 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. ET | West Ham United | vs. | Bournemouth |
| Sunday, August 23 | 1:30 p.m. BST/8:30 a.m. ET | West Brom | vs. | Chelsea |
| Sunday, August 23 | 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET | Everton | vs. | Manchester City |
| Sunday, August 23 | 4 p.m. BST/11 a.m. ET | Watford | vs. | Southampton |
| Monday, August 24 | 8 p.m. BST/3 p.m. ET | Arsenal | vs. | Liverpool |
| 1 | Manchester City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 6 |
| 2 | Leicester | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 6 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 6 |
| 4 | Everton | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 |
| 5 | Swansea | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 |
| 6 | Crystal Palace | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 3 |
| 7 | West Ham | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 |
| 8 | Liverpool | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 9 | Norwich | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Aston Villa | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| 11 | Arsenal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 12 | Watford | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 13 | Tottenham | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| 14 | Stoke | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 1 |
| 15 | Newcastle United | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 1 |
| 16 | Southampton | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
| 17 | Chelsea | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
| 18 | West Bromwich Albion | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 1 |
| 19 | Bournemouth | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 7 | -4 | 0 |
Arsenal vs. Liverpool
Liverpool opened their home campaign with the narrowest of wins over Bournemouth on Monday to ensure their winning start to the new season continued, with Christian Benteke's 26th-minute strike setting the two apart.
Arsenal's victory at Selhurst Park, on the other hand, was their very first of the term, and Per Mertesacker told the Press Association of his hopeful attitude after clinching the first points of the campaign (h/t BT Sport):
"You could already feel something when you are in the relegation zone (in the table), and not having (produced) in that (West Ham United) game what everyone expected from you, so it was important to bounce back. Against Palace, it was good possession, to play the ball through the midfield and penetrate them.
Later (in the game) we made it difficult for ourselves, but overall it was a very encouraging performance from top to bottom. We were dominant and that was the key to our success. We were good on the break, good in the combinations, there is a lot more to come from us, that is what we need, that is our game and we need to count on that.
"
The 2-0 home defeat to the Hammers was a shock, but that pressure Mertesacker hinted at will be tenfold for the visit of Liverpool, a team who are likely to be vying for similar prospects as the Gunners.
Arsene Wenger's side looked short of ideas during their first home fixture against West Ham, and Opta's Orbinho provided context of their offensive efforts this season, which showed they could require touch-ups in their finishing:
The Reds last travelled to the Emirates Stadium in April as they dropped to a torturous 4-1 defeat, but Brendan Rodgers has acquired several new recruits in attack since then and will hope to pose more of a threat.
Neither team are quite showing evidence that they're up to full speed just yet, which in many ways only makes next Monday's north London encounter all the more appetising.
Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
Two slim wins count as wins all the same, and Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal will seek to ensure his side's maximum haul is extended after the visit of Newcastle United on Saturday.
The Red Devils opened their season with a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur before beating Aston Villa on Friday by the same scoreline, a fixture in which captain Wayne Rooney struggled to make any impact.
The departures of Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie this summer have seen England leader Rooney returned to his old striker abode, but there appears to be growing pains for the Old Trafford veteran.
Van Gaal may not have run out of patience with his forward just yet, but there's a chance he'll make changes for the visit of the Magpies, with the manager insisting he has options in front of him, per the Mirror's David McDonnell:
"I have always confidence in my players, but we don’t have only Wayne Rooney in the striker’s position. We have Adnan Januzaj, he played in the striker’s position in the USA on tour. I have given him that chance and he has shown he can do that.
We also have Chicharito [Javier Hernandez] and we have James Wilson, so I don’t think we have a lack of strikers.
"
Although United's goal rampage has been delayed, the club can still take heart in having not yet conceded a goal this term, with summer arrival Sergio Romero enjoying two clean sheets in David de Gea's absence.
Marcos Rojo's lack of match fitness has led to Daley Blind being deployed at centre-back, and Squawka Dave illustrates the technically gifted Dutchman as being a welcome passing presence at the back:
Newcastle's last league win at Old Trafford came in December 2013, but after suffering a dismal 1-0 loss at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, manager Steve McClaren's hopes don't look much brighter at the Theatre of Dreams.
Everton vs. Manchester City
Not many would have predicted an Everton team known largely for its resilience on home soil would emerge from Southampton with a 3-0 victory last Saturday, booking the Toffees' first victory of the new season.
Manager Roberto Martinez was understandably pleased with that result, heaping considerable praise on his men, per the Premier League's official Twitter account:
However, Everton play host to league leaders Manchester City on Sunday and will need to show further improvement upon the team that drew 2-2 against Watford in Week 1.
Goals from Sergio Aguero, Fernandinho and Vincent Kompany led Manuel Pellegrini's side to a rampant 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday, leaving the former in high spirits as City look to reclaim their Premier League crown:
The Citizens have started this season in the kind of form that can certainly serve as the foundation for a title assault, but Manchester City have won just one of their last six trips to Goodison Park and drew 1-1 there in January.
With that Merseyside curse hanging over them, this fixture promises to be City's second big test in as many weeks, with a pack of the Premier League peers waiting to pounce on the smallest mistake.
