Premier League Table: 2016 EPL Week 3 Standings and Sunday Results
Manchester City scored another convincing victory Sunday to join Chelsea and Manchester United atop the Premier League table with perfect records through three matches. The ease with which the squad is transitioning to Pep Guardiola's system bodes well for the rest of the campaign.
City's latest terrific display was a much-needed showcase of attacking prowess for fans who watched the earlier scoreless clash between West Brom and Middlesbrough. There probably won't be any highlights from that one in the season-end highlight reel.
Let's check out all of the final scores from the third week of play around the EPL. That's followed by a look at the updated table and a recap of Sunday's action.
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Matchday 3 Results
| Aug. 27 | Tottenham | Liverpool | 1-1 |
| Aug. 27 | Chelsea | Burnley | 3-0 |
| Aug. 27 | Crystal Palace | Bournemouth | 1-1 |
| Aug. 27 | Everton | Stoke | 1-0 |
| Aug. 27 | Leicester | Swansea | 2-1 |
| Aug. 27 | Southampton | Sunderland | 1-1 |
| Aug. 27 | Watford | Arsenal | 1-3 |
| Aug. 27 | Hull | Manchester United | 0-1 |
| Aug. 28 | West Brom | Middlesbrough | 0-0 |
| Aug. 28 | Manchester City | West Ham | 3-1 |
Updated League Table
| 1 | Manchester City | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| 2 | Chelsea | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 4 | Everton | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 7 |
| 5 | Hull | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| 6 | Middlesbrough | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 7 | Tottenham | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 |
| 8 | Arsenal | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 9 | Leicester | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | West Brom | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 11 | Liverpool | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 |
| 12 | West Ham | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| 13 | Burnley | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| 14 | Swansea | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 3 |
| 15 | Southampton | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | -2 | 2 |
| 16 | Sunderland | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| 17 | Crystal Palace | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| 18 | Watford | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 1 |
| 19 | Bournemouth | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -3 | 1 |
| 20 | Stoke | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | -4 | 1 |
Sunday Match Review
West Brom 0, Middlesbrough 0
It's possible for a match without any goals to provide entertainment. Perhaps it's a game with several scoring chances for both sides and a couple close calls late in the second half to provide drama. This match wasn't one of those.
West Brom and Middlesbrough combined for just four shots on target in a match that had scoreless draw written all over it from about the 10th minute on. The Baggies passed along comments from manager Tony Pulis after the listless fixture:
Bleacher Report UK summed up the feelings of most observers:
So did Sun Football:
Middlesbrough won't walk away from the match too disappointed, though. They are currently in sixth place with four points out of a possible six in matches away from home. It might not be pretty, but tallying points in any way possible is always welcome early in a campaign.
On the flip side, West Brom must find a way to jump-start their attack if they want to avoid an extended relegation battle this term. They have only scored two goals in three matches and struggled to even get in threatening positions Sunday.
Manchester City 3, West Ham 1
The fact City are emerging as a top title threat doesn't come as a surprise. The combination of Guardiola's arrival and the talent already on the squad gave the Sky Blues a lot of potential. But the lack of a transition period is a bit of a surprise.
They have faced little resistance through three weeks. The passing is clinical and the finishing, which was a bit shaky in the opener against Sunderland, has come around over the past couple weeks. To say they are already in midseason form may be an understatement.
Mark Booth of Manchester City's official site noted even Guardiola has been a little caught off guard by how well things have fallen into place:
"We can play better, no doubt about that.
We are just two months here, not too much and I didn’t expect to play in this short time, like this. We played good first half. After we received the goal from West Ham from their first chance, we had the mentality to control our emotions very well.
"
Alan Shearer of the BBC commented on the club's strong play:
Squawka Football provided a look at the stats from another lopsided win:
That's not to say there won't be some down periods during the course of the season. Every term has its natural ebbs and flows. But everything City have done so far suggest it would be a shock if they aren't at least contending for the title in the final weeks.
Next up is the first Manchester derby of the new campaign. It comes at a perfect time with United and City both in fine form. And, with both sides setting their aim on a championship, the clash could have a lasting impact on the title chase.
