EPL Table: 2015 Week 4 Standings After Sunday's Premier League Scores
Manchester United suffered their first loss of the 2015-16 Premier League season on Sunday, losing 2-1 to Swansea City after a poor showing in Wales. The Swans had the better chances and deserved the win, and with just days left in the summer transfer window, the pressure will be on the Mancunians to make a big splash after this performance.
Meanwhile, Southampton managed to win their first match of the campaign, beating Norwich City 3-0.
Here are the latest Premier League standings:
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| 1 | Manchester City | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | +10 | 12 |
| 2 | Crystal Palace | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 9 |
| 3 | Leicester | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 5 | +3 | 8 |
| 4 | Swansea | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 8 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 7 |
| 6 | Arsenal | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 7 | Liverpool | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -1 | 7 |
| 8 | West Ham | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 6 | +3 | 6 |
| 9 | Everton | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 | 5 |
| 10 | Southampton | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| 11 | Bournemouth | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 4 |
| 12 | Aston Villa | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | -1 | 4 |
| 13 | Chelsea | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | -3 | 4 |
| 14 | Norwich | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 8 | -3 | 4 |
| 15 | West Bromwich Albion | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 4 |
| 16 | Tottenham | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 | -1 | 3 |
| 17 | Watford | 4 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -2 | 3 |
| 18 | Stoke | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | -2 | 2 |
| 19 | Newcastle United | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 2 |
| 20 | Sunderland | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10 | -4 | 2 |
Recap
United haven't been playing their best football early in the season, but until Sunday, the Red Devils managed to claw their way to two wins and one draw, courtesy of a healthy fighting spirit and a little bit of luck.
On Sunday, that luck ran out. The visitors once again put together a poor effort, particularly in front of goal, and this time, they happened to face a team capable of taking advantage of those struggles. Andre Ayew and Bafetimbi Gomis scored within minutes of each other, cancelling out Juan Mata's opener and giving the hosts the win.
In truth, United were shocking. The Red Devils had the better possession stats but hardly created any danger, and when they did, one of the forwards was always there to puck up the chances. Wayne Rooney appeared to get out of his slump in midweek against Club Brugge, but he again did very little on Sunday.
To add insult to injury, goalkeeper Sergio Romero was at fault for both goals, taking poor lines on the ball and letting a shot slip. It wasn't exactly his best outing for the Red Devils, per the Manchester Evening News' Rob Dawson:
The Palm Beach Post's Adam Hirshfield wasn't only going to blame the goalkeeper, however:
It's just one loss, so there's no reason to panic at Old Trafford, but there's no denying the Red Devils don't look even remotely capable of competing with their noisy neighbours, Manchester City, who already appear to be in mid-season form.
Silverware should be the goal for manager Louis van Gaal in his second season at the club, and based on what we've seen so far, fans shouldn't hold their breath. The Dutchman didn't escape some of the blame, via Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst:
"Strange subs again by Van Gaal. Schneiderlin and Herrera performed quite well, whereas Schweinsteiger was slow and Memphis was bad. #mufc
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) August 30, 2015"
The international break comes at the perfect time for the Mancunians, who need to come up with some answers in a hurry. In Week 5, rivals Liverpool will travel to Old Trafford, and if the Mancunians play against the Reds the way they did on Sunday, that match may not be pretty.
Southampton finally grabbed their first win of the season in convincing fashion, beating Norwich City 3-0 at St. Mary's. Graziano Pelle opened the score before Dusan Tadic bagged a brace, with the hosts taking full advantage of Steven Whittaker's dismissal.
The 31-year-old was booked twice inside four minutes, for obstructing a throw-in and a silly foul on Tadic. The sending off opened the door for the Saints to take control of the match, so Whittaker won't be a popular figure in Norwich tonight, per Paddy Power:
The Canaries had frustrated Southampton up until that point, but down to 10 players, their resolve crumbled. Pelle managed to grab a goal before half-time, and Tadic finished the job after the break.
As shared by the club's official Twitter account, the two scorers were more than happy to finally get their first win:
Southampton needed a win like this in a big way, and it's a shame the international break will take away much of the momentum the squad may have gathered on Sunday. A trip to West Bromwich Albion in Week 5 should give the Saints the opportunity to regain said momentum, however.
Norwich have enjoyed a solid, if unspectacular, start to the season, and the Canaries have a great opportunity to build on that in Week 5, when they face Premier League newcomers Bournemouth.
