Premier League Table: Final Week 5 2016 Standings, Results and Week 6 Fixtures
Manchester United slipped to a second Premier League defeat in a row, and a third-straight loss in all competitions, when they were beaten 3-1 by Watford at Vicarage Road on Sunday.
It was the notable result of a busy day in England's top flight, during which Tottenham Hotspur also narrowly beat Sunderland at White Hart Lane. Harry Kane scored his second goal in as many league games to get Spurs rolling on their way to three more points and third place ahead of north London rivals Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Stoke City remain rooted to the foot of the table, after conceding four for the second match in a row. Crystal Palace were the beneficiaries of Stoke's latest defensive collapse, as Potters manager Mark Hughes is coming under increasing pressure.
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One manager enjoying life in the Premier League is Southampton's Claude Puel. Ronaldo Koeman's replacement saw his team beat Swansea City at St. Mary's Stadium to move to 14th in the table.
Here are the final scores from Sunday's matches:
| Home | Score | Away |
| Watford | 3-1 | Manchester United |
| Southampton | 1-0 | Swansea City |
| Crystal Palace | 4-1 | Stoke City |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1-0 | Sunderland |
Here's what those results mean for the standings after five weeks:
| Position | Club | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal Difference | Points |
| 1 | Manchester City | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 15 |
| 2 | Everton | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 13 |
| 3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 11 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 10 |
| 5 | Chelsea | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 10 |
| 6 | Liverpool | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 10 |
| 7 | Manchester United | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
| 8 | Crystal Palace | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 |
| 9 | Watford | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 10 | West Bromwich Albion | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 11 | Leicester City | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| 12 | Hull City | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 7 |
| 13 | Middlesbrough | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 14 | Southamtpon | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 15 | Swansea City | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -3 | 4 |
| 16 | Burnley | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 4 |
| 17 | Bournemouth | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -6 | 4 |
| 18 | West Ham United | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -6 | 3 |
| 19 | Sunderland | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -6 | 1 |
| 20 | Stoke City | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | -11 | 1 |
Here are the fixtures for next week:
| Date | Time | Match |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 12:30 p.m. / 7:30 a.m. | Manchester United vs. Leicester City |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Bournemouth vs. Everton |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Liverpool vs. Hull City |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Middlesbrough vs. Tottenham Hotspur |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Stoke City vs. West Bromwich Albion |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Sunderland vs. Crystal Palace |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 3 p.m. / 10 a.m. | Swansea City vs. Manchester City |
| Saturday, Sept. 24 | 5:30 p.m. / 12:30 p.m. | Arsenal vs. Chelsea |
| Sunday, Sept. 25 | 4 p.m. / 11 a.m. | West Ham United vs. Southampton |
| Monday, Sept. 26 | 8 p.m. / 3 p.m. | Burnley vs. Watford |
Recap
United were lethargic and stunted in attack from the start. Etienne Capoue's opener for the Hornets was thoroughly deserved against a laboured away side.
In particular, Wayne Rooney's role in midfield yielded nothing for the Red Devils. He struggled to impose himself in the final third, as Squawka's Kevin Blundell helped illustrate via these two unflattering statistics:
Creating fewer chances than a defender naturally singles out Rooney for negative attention, but he was far from the only United man who struggled, despite Marcus Rashford netting a second-half equaliser against the run of play.
What should have been the platform for a famous comeback proved only a temporary reprieve, though. Watford substitute Juan Camilo Zuniga came off the bench to score his team's second, before winning a penalty in injury time for Troy Deeney to put away the third.
It was uninspiring stuff from United, and it has to concern manager Jose Mourinho after the way his side was handled easily by Manchester City last week and blanked by Feyenoord in the UEFA Europa League.
Things don't get any easier for United, though. Champions Leicester City will visit Old Trafford next. The Foxes' ability to play on the break could inflict more misery on a United team currently aimless and mistake-prone in possession.
At White Hart Lane, a terrible touch from former Chelsea defender Papy Djilobodji gifted Kane Tottenham's opener almost 15 minutes into the second half. It confirmed Tottenham's No. 10 as the most prolific marksman in England's top flight since the start of last season, per Squawka:
Kane's goal also finally broke what had been stubborn resistance from Sunderland. In particular, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford had frequently frustrated the hosts.
Spurs weren't particularly free-flowing at any point during the game. But they still did enough to win. The major downside came from possible injuries to Kane and midfield powerhouse Mousa Dembele, who both left the pitch early, according to BBC Match of the Day:
Still, manager Mauricio Pochettino must cultivate some more attacking impetus ahead of next week's trip to newly promoted Middlesbrough. Manager Aitor Karanka's side is well-drilled defensively. It could be another exercise in frustration for Spurs.
It took the Saints over an hour to break down Swansea, before Charlie Austin finally found the net. The goal was a just reward for Puel's men, who had played a composed and confident game.
Puel's midfield diamond sometimes made Southampton predictable, forcing them to funnel things through the middle. But a resolute defence, led by Virgil van Dijk, made sure Swansea rarely posed a threat.
Southampton will travel to face West Ham United next week. With the pace that Shane Long and Nathan Redmond offer, along with Dusan Tadic's trickery, Puel's team is well-built to thrive on its travels.
As for Stoke, the Potters rarely looked stable or threatening for a second against Palace. The rot was obvious from their lack of involvement in the opposing final third, something detailed by BBC Match of the Day:
Goals from James Tomkins, Scott Dann, James McArthur and Andros Townsend also emphasised Stoke's increasing defensive fragility, per the same source:
It's why Hughes finds himself under pressure. A home game against West Bromwich Albion next week may not be the tonic he needs. Hughes will have to hope his players want to get one over on their former manager.
It was initially a surprise when Stoke found themselves propping up the table. Now their losing has become a worryingly familiar pattern.
It's United who have to worry at the other end of the table. Mourinho's men are already six points adrift in the title race and look chronically disjointed up front.
