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Premier League Winners and Losers After Saturday's Updated Week 4 EPL Table
August 31, 2019
Chelsea and Manchester United suffered disappointments in the Premier League on Saturday, with both clubs losing leads to drop points.
Sheffield United's 89th-minute equaliser punished the Blues in a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, and Jannik Vestergaard's header gave Southampton a 1-1 draw against the visiting Red Devils.
Manchester City and Liverpool continue to set the pace, with both teams fashioning impressive wins.
City made short work of Brighton & Hove Albion in a 4-0 victory and Liverpool defeated Burnley 3-0 on the road.
Saturday Results
Southampton 1-1 Manchester United
West Ham United 2-0 Norwich City
Leicester City 3-1 Bournemouth
Manchester City 4-0 Brighton
Newcastle United 1-1 Watford
Chelsea 2-2 Sheffield United
Crystal Palace 1-0 Aston Villa
Burnley 0-3 Liverpool
Sunday Fixtures
Everton vs. Wolverhampton, 2 p.m BST, 9 a.m. ET
Arsenal vs. Tottenham, 4:30 p.m. BST, 11:30 a.m. ET
Latest EPL Standings (played, goal difference and points)
1. Liverpool: 4, 9, 12
2. Manchester City: 4, 11, 10
3. Leicester City: 4, 3, 8
4. Crystal Palace: 4, 1, 7
5. West Ham United: 4, -1, 7
6. Arsenal 3, 0, 6
7. Manchester United: 4, 3, 5
8. Sheffield United: 4, 0, 5
9. Chelsea: 4, -3, 5
10. Tottenham Hotspur: 3, 1, 4
11. Burnley: 4, -1, 4
12. Everton: 3, -1, 4
13. Southampton: 4, -2, 4
14. Newcastle United: 4, -2, 4
15. Bournemouth: 4, -3, 4
16. Brighton: 4, -3, 4
17. Wolverhampton Wanderers: 3, 0, 3
18. Aston Villa: 4, -2, 3
19. Norwich City: 4, -4, 3
20. Watford: 4, -6, 1
Winner: North London
Arsenal and Spurs do not meet until Sunday, but north London was a big winner after Saturday's results.
Manchester United and Chelsea's inability to hold onto leads against perceived weaker opponents means the north London giants can enter their derby at the Emirates Stadium with less pressure.
Southampton's pressing style was always going to cause issues for United on their visit to the south coast, but the Red Devils appeared to have control after Daniel James' 10th-minute goal. The Saints failed to trouble goalkeeper David De Gea for long spells of the match, but United once again could not maintain their form in the second half of a contest.
Chelsea were cruising with a two-goal lead at half-time against the promoted team, and home fans would have been forgiven for thinking three points was in the bag. However, Frank Lampard's outfit remain a work in progress, and Chris Wilder's side scored twice in the second half to claim a point.
The winner of the north London derby will rise into the top four on Sunday, and both will be grateful United and Chelsea continue to consistently leak goals and drop points.
Loser: Frank Lampard
With six minutes on the clock, Lampard substituted forward Tammy Abraham after his brace. However, Chelsea failed to kill the game, and a Callum Robinson cross was sliced into the back of the net by defender Kurt Zouma.
According to Tim Oscroft of BBC Sport, Lampard was disappointed with the finale:
"It was under control, it is our fault for gifting them a goal in the first minute of the second half. It's a similar story already.
"We had more than enough on the pitch to win that game from 2-0 up. There is no chance that that game should swing like that. We gave them the possibility to hurt us.
"We have to take responsibility, we allowed that to happen. It was on us to take the game away from them and we allowed them to get back into it."
Chelsea were the better side for long periods, and the elements of a promising team are present in west London. However, Lampard will need to learn quickly on the job in the top flight, with his team accepting what he requires in every match.
The Blues used to win these types of games against sides from outside the top four with ease. Lampard has a big job ahead to turn the current squad into winners while the club are unable to buy players because of a transfer ban.
Winner: Daniel James
United might have suffered disappointment on the road, but at least one Red Devils player came away from St Mary's with his head held high. James continues to successfully adjust to life as a United player after scoring his third goal of the season for the club.
The winger emphatically finished in the opening stages at Southampton, and his work off the ball suggests he possesses the perfect attitude required to succeed.
United have allowed forwards Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to leave Old Trafford, so faith is clearly high in James' potential.
The 21-year-old has much to learn to become the finished article, but the early signs suggest he could become an important member of United's attack for many years to come.
Loser: Victor Lindelof
When Harry Maguire was signed in the summer for a world-record fee for a defender, questions were raised about who should be his partner. Lindelof was the natural opening suggestion, but the Sweden international has not seemed comfortable since pre-season.
Lindelof was outjumped by goalscorer Jannik Vestergaard after 58 minutes at the back post in another unimpressive moment for United's defence.
Axel Tuanzebe, 21, is waiting in the wings, and another shaky performance from Lindelof may mean he should drop to the bench after the international break.