- Published
The Premier League takes a near three-week break as we enter a four-game international window.
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we → publish → window
So, what have we learned from the opening five matches of the season?
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we → learn → season
BBC Sport takes a look.
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Sport → take → look
Arsenal are beatable
Premier League champions Arsenal were looking fairly unstoppable in the opening weeks of the season.
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Arsenal → look → season
A win over Brighton on Saturday would have given the Gunners a club-record equalling eighth consecutive win in all competitions to start the season.
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win → give → season
But that all ended with a 3-0 loss at Amex Stadium on Saturday.
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that → end → Saturday
The Gunners had not lost a league game by more than one goal, let alone three, since October 2024.
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Gunners → lose → October
It was their heaviest defeat in the league since May 2023 when they lost 3-0 to the same opposition.
"That's not going to take away what the team has done and the boys have done in the last six or seven weeks since coming back from the World Cup," said boss Mikel Arteta.
uncertain
Arteta → lose → Cup
"What we've done, the way we've competed and the amount of games we've won has been remarkable - but this is a big lesson for all of us to understand what it takes to win at this level.
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it → do → level
Maresca hits ground running at Man City
Many wondered if Manchester City would experience a post-Pep Guardiola slump when the legendary boss left after a decade.
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boss → hit → decade
Things did not start too well under Enzo Maresca, with the Community Shield defeat by Arsenal.
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Things → start → Arsenal
But they have won all five games in the Premier League - and seven in a row in all competitions - after Sunday's entertaining 5-3 win over Sunderland.
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they → win → Sunderland
That takes them three points clear of Arsenal.
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That → take → Arsenal
"In the press conference before the game, I said I expect a very tough game," said Maresca.
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Maresca → say → game
"Then we also conceded two or three goals but we have learned a lot in these eight weeks and this is good."
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this → concede → weeks
Brighton & Brentford continue to impress
Brighton and Brentford, two clubs who have never won a major trophy, have continued to impress this season.
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who → continue → trophy
Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton enjoyed that 3-0 win over Arsenal to see them sit third in the table, only two points behind the Gunners.
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them → enjoy → Gunners
Brighton have won at home against the reigning Premier League champions in each of the last three seasons.
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Brighton → win → seasons
Star player Pascal Gross laughed and said "no" when BBC Sport asked him if Albion were in the title race.
But stranger things have happened...
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things → laugh → race
Many tipped the Bees to struggle after the departure of Thomas Frank last summer but if anything they improved under their former set-piece coach Andrews.
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they → tip → coach
And their start to this season - unbeaten after five games and fourth in the table - is showing he is no one-season wonder as a manager.
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he → show → manager
They go into the break on the back of their most impressive result, a 3-0 home win over Chelsea.
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They → go → Chelsea
Leeds, impressing again under boss Daniel Farke, are also on nine points and in a potential Champions League place.
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Leeds → impress → place
Seven years apart, United did the same thing twice hoping for different results - appointing a club legend who last managed in Britain in the Championship after a good start as caretaker boss.
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who → do → boss
But this season, after Carrick having a summer to work on his team, the Red Devils have only won once in the league.
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Devils → have → league
They go into the international break on the back of a 1-1 draw against Fulham, and even needed a late deflected Matheus Cunha strike to stop the Cottagers winning their first game all season.
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Cottagers → go → game
After the Lisandro Martinez own goal that give Fulham the lead, ex-United captain Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: "I've watched Manchester United since the age of five and that's the worst 15 minutes I've ever seen.
"
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I → give → five
I've never seen such a lack of effort."
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I → see → effort
United's owners will have almost three weeks to stew on this before they host fellow underachievers Tottenham (more on them soon) on 10 October.
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they → have → October
Promoted sides are no pushovers
In 2024 and 2025, the three promoted teams went straight back down - mostly with really low points tallies too.
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teams → promote → tallies
But that streak came to an end last year when Sunderland finished seventh to qualify for Europe and Leeds came 14th.
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Leeds → come → Europe
Only Burnley went down.
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Burnley → go → ?
And the early weeks of this season indicate we could be in for a similar situation.
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we → indicate → situation
And Coventry, after losing the first four games without scoring, beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 and only sit in the drop zone on goal difference.
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Coventry → lose → difference
No quick fix at Spurs
Tottenham finished 17th the last two seasons, their lowest two finishes since being in the second tier in 1977-78.
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Tottenham → finish → 1977
But expectations were raised after a summer of big spending - with Spurs splashing out £302m as well as making two high-profile loan signings.
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Spurs → raise → signings
Defence and midfield in particular were overhauled, with new wingers too.
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Defence → overhaul → ?
But they are left with one senior striker in Dominic Solanke, who has only scored 12 Premier League goals in over two years at the club.
"I feel they have overpaid for every player they bought this summer - you can't rule them out from being in and around the relegation battle," said TNT pundit and ex-England international Joe Cole.
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Cole → leave → battle
Saturday's 3-2 loss against Aston Villa sees them sit 19th going into the break - despite scoring their first two league goals of the campaign.
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them → see → campaign
"We have to put on the pitch something more than we are putting," said manager Roberto de Zerbi.
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Zerbi → have → something
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
