Barclays Premier League Table: 2015 EPL Outlook After Saturday's Week 3 Results
Manchester United's winning start to the Premier League season came to an end on Saturday following their 0-0 stalemate at home to Newcastle United, while Bournemouth claimed their first-ever top-flight victory.
The Cherries came out as winners in a seven-goal thriller at Upton Park, triumphing over the 10 men of West Ham United 4-3 thanks in large part to a Callum Wilson hat-trick and Carl Jenkinson's late red card.
Elsewhere, Leicester City's unbeaten run continued following a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur, while Bakary Sako scored to give Crystal Palace a late 2-1 winner against Aston Villa.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Read on for a full breakdown of the Week 3 scores so far, along with recap of Saturday's biggest results and a look at how they influence proceedings moving forward.
| Saturday, August 22 | Manchester United | 0 - 0 | Newcastle United |
| Saturday, August 22 | Crystal Palace | 2 - 1 | Aston Villa |
| Saturday, August 22 | Leicester City | 1 - 1 | Spurs |
| Saturday, August 22 | Norwich City | 1 - 1 | Stoke City |
| Saturday, August 22 | Sunderland | 1 - 1 | Swansea City |
| Saturday, August 22 | West Ham United | 3 - 4 | Bournemouth |
| Sunday, August 23 | West Brom | vs. | Chelsea |
| Sunday, August 23 | Everton | vs. | Manchester City |
| Sunday, August 23 | Watford | vs. | Southampton |
| Monday, August 24 | Arsenal | vs. | Liverpool |
| 1 | Leicester | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 7 |
| 2 | Manchester United | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 7 |
| 3 | Manchester City | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | +6 | 6 |
| 4 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 6 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 6 |
| 6 | Swansea | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 |
| 7 | Everton | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | +3 | 4 |
| 8 | Norwich | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 4 |
| 9 | West Ham | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
| 10 | Bournemouth | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 3 |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 12 | Arsenal | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 3 |
| 13 | Watford | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 14 | Tottenham | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| 15 | Stoke | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 2 |
| 16 | Newcastle United | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 2 |
| 17 | Southampton | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
| 18 | Chelsea | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 1 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 1 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -4 | 1 |
Bournemouth Make Up for Lost Time
Bournemouth officially announced themselves as a top-flight contender on Saturday after putting four past West Ham to earn their first Premier League points, not to mention scoring their first goals in the division.
ESPN Stats and Info noted the three-goal haul puts Bournemouth in a higher bracket as a scoring threat, and the result will surely give them supreme confidence in being able to compete at this level:
Scoring hero Wilson in particular proved to be a bright spark, but it was a collective effort for 97 minutes that saw the south-coast club through to a landmark victory against Slaven Bilic's men.
West Ham's defence undoubtedly wasn't of the same standard as when they claimed a 2-0 victory at Arsenal a fortnight ago, but the Independent's Jack Pitt-Brooke felt Eddie Howe's side deserved their points:
After falling to Aston Villa and Liverpool in their opening two fixtures, each by 1-0 defeats, this result will assure the Cherries in their bid for top-flight survival, giving Dean Court renewed hope of what's to come.
After netting 20 Championship goals last season, Wilson may also be considered one to watch from this point on, showcasing against the Hammers what a prolific touch he boasts in front of goal.
Goal-Shy Wayne Rooney Leads Stale United
Manchester United's unbeaten start to the 2015-16 season continued on Saturday, but not in the fashion fans would have wanted following a goalless draw at home to Newcastle.
Captain Wayne Rooney saw a goal disallowed due to a debatable offside decision, stretching his scoring drought to 13 matches.
Manager Louis van Gaal was quoted by the Irish Independent, insinuating technology is needed to clear up difficult refereeing decisions: "Wayne scored. Only it was not allowed. It is doubtful and the rules are that when it is doubtful, then do not flag. But it is also football and I have said already many times you need more equipment to help the referees and linesmen because it is not easy."
A lack of firepower has been evident for United so far this season after a Kyle Walker own-goal gifted them a win over Tottenham Hotspur before looking similarly tame en route to a 1-0 win over Villa last Friday.
However, the Telegraph's Mark Ogden says it's not the captain's fault, positioning some of the blame with the less-than-quick Juan Mata and others who need to inject more pace in attack:
The one positive for the Red Devils is that they're yet to concede a goal this season, and summer signing Sergio Romero is doing his part to uphold that record in David De Gea's absence.
Meanwhile, Steve McLaren's Newcastle can be overjoyed with a point earned at Old Trafford, giving them confidence to build from here as a new-look squad seeks to adjust.
Claudio Ranieri's Leicester Proving Their Mettle
A 1-1 draw against Tottenham is enough to ensure Leicester City remain poised atop the Premier League standings for the time being, and Claudio Ranieri's miracle work at King Power Stadium appears to be no fluke.
A 4-2 win over Sunderland perhaps wasn't the best result to gauge the Foxes' talent, but after beating West Ham 2-1 last weekend, the result against Spurs on Saturday shows Leicester are actually a very real threat.
Riyad Mahrez continues to play the role of talisman for the team, and the Algeria international bagged an equaliser barely minutes after Dele Alli's opener on Saturday to salvage a draw.
Match of the Day presenter Gary Lineker was in awe of Mahrez's strike and hailed the efforts of the Foxes, unbeaten since Ranieri replaced Nigel Pearson at the helm this summer:
Manchester City could take the summit on Sunday with a win at Everton, while three points at Arsenal on Monday could also see Liverpool into first place.
However, Leicester will be sure to enjoy their bout of good form for now, hoping their bump up in class is more than just a temporary deal.
