Round 4 of the Premier League 2025/26 season delivered the full spectrum of excitement: stoppage-time goals, red cards altering momentum, dominant displays, and tight wins. Liverpool maintained their perfect start with another 90+ minute winner; Tottenham made a loud statement away at West Ham; and Wolves’ woes deepened with a fourth loss in a row. This round reinforced early season narratives: toughness in defence, impact substitutions, and how small margins determine big outcomes.Below, detailed reports for all ten matches of Round 4, followed by overarching themes and implications for standings and next rounds.
Arsenal continued their strong start with a convincing 3-0 home win over Nottingham Forest. Martin Zubimendi scored twice (a volley in the first half, and a header later) and Viktor Gyokeres added a second-half goal after Forest’s defensive error.
Key moments: The first goal (Zubimendi) gave Arsenal control, Forest rarely looked comfortable. Forest’s error just after half time was punished by Gyokeres.
Standout players: Zubimendi (brace, composed), Gyokeres, Arsenal defense kept clean sheet.
Tactics: Arsenal kept possession, pressed from front, exploited Forest’s mistakes. Forest tried to sit in but couldn’t disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm.
Atmosphere: Home crowd energized by confident display; Forest fans frustrated by lack of chances.
In a pulsating west London clash, Chelsea twice took the lead, only for Brentford to snatch a late equaliser. Kevin Schade opened the scoring in the 35th with a deflected effort. Chelsea equalised through Cole Palmer, then Moises Caicedo put them ahead late, but Fabio Carvalho rescued a point for Brentford with a 93rd minute goal following a long throw.
Key moments: Carvalho’s stoppage-time equaliser; Schade’s initial goal; Caicedo’s powerful strike; impact from substitutes.
Standouts: Palmer (fresh legs, equaliser), Schade, Carvalho. Chelsea controlled possession but couldn’t close it out.
Tactics: Chelsea tried to dominate via midfield; Brentford dangerous on set pieces/throws. Long throw proved decisive.
Atmosphere: Drama at the end; Chelsea fans disappointed; Brentford elated.
Fulham secured their first win of the season courtesy of a dramatic own goal in stoppage time from Leeds’ Gabriel Gudmundsson. The match had been cagey — Leeds had spells of possession; Fulham compact and disciplined.
Key moments: Introduction of new signing “Kevin” sparked energy; final corner led to own goal.
Standouts: Kevin (off the bench), Fulham’s defence and goalkeeper. Leeds wasted possession and didn’t convert chances.
Tactics: Fulham sat in more, defended narrow, looked to press late and use set pieces. Leeds tried to build but lacked cutting edge.
Atmosphere: Intense, nervous for home fans until relief at the final whistle. Leeds frustrated by missed opportunities.
A dominant derby display from Manchester City. Phil Foden opened the scoring, then Erling Haaland added a brace (in the 53rd and ~68th minute) to seal a convincing win. United were overwhelmed at times and gave little in response.
Key moments: Foden’s opener; Haaland’s two goals; United’s defensive lapses; Donnarumma’s saves.
Standouts: Haaland (lethal), Foden, Donnarumma. United’s players struggled.
Tactics: City dominated possession, pressed high, exploited United’s gaps centrally. United tried wing-play but were cut off frequently.
Atmosphere: Electric at Etihad; City supporters confident, United fans uneasy.
Liverpool edged out Burnley with a stoppage-time penalty converted by Mohamed Salah after Burnley’s Hannibal Mejbri handled a cross in the box. The game was tight; Burnley defended well for most of the match.
Key moments: Burnley reduced to 10 men earlier (if any? Actually Ugochukwu red card late, but Burnley held until the penalty incident) ; late drama from Salah’s penalty.
Standouts: Salah (calm under pressure), Liverpool’s tactical changes/subs. Burnley’s defenders and keeper for resolute display.
Tactics: Liverpool struggled to break the low block, needed substitutions and pressure late. Burnley compact, defended stoutly.
Atmosphere: Tense, nervy; home fans relief when penalty awarded/conversion.
Newcastle got their first win of the season with a 1-0 victory over Wolves at St James’ Park, thanks to a debut goal from Nick Woltemade (header in the 29th minute). Wolves continued to struggle and couldn’t respond decisively.
Key moments: Woltemade’s goal; Wolves failing to create clear chances; Newcastle’s defense holding firm.
Standouts: Woltemade (debut goal), Newcastle’s defensive unit. Wolves under pressure.
Tactics: Newcastle set up solid defensively, perhaps more direct in attack; Wolves had possession but lacked cutting edge.
Atmosphere: Encouragement at home for Newcastle; disappointment for Wolves.
Bournemouth managed a hard-fought win over Brighton. The victory added to what is shaping up to be a very strong start under Andoni Iraola.
Goals & Timeline: Bournemouth took the lead, Brighton equalised, but Bournemouth found a winner. (Specific minutes less well-covered in sources.)
Key moments: Brighton equaliser offered hope; Bournemouth’s resilience; match perhaps decided by defensive lapses from Brighton or big chance finishing.
Standouts: Bournemouth attackers, their ability to respond under pressure. Brighton’s inability to convert dominance into goals.
A goalless draw in a game with few clear chances. Sunderland defended deep, Palace probed but couldn’t find the final pass or finish.
Key moments: Possibly some near misses; lack of clinical edge.
Standouts: Goalkeepers and defenders. Sunderland, in particular, got a result via solid defensive organization.
Another stalemate. Everton had more possession/chances; Villa remained compact, frustrating their opponents. Still seeking first goal(s) in the season.
Key moments: Everton spurned several decent chances; Villa kept clean sheet; possibly controversial refereeing or missed opportunities (but not major incidents reported).
Tottenham emphatically beat West Ham 3-0 at the London Stadium. The match turned after a red card: Tomáš Souček was sent off for a dangerous challenge, which altered the momentum. Spurs then added goals via Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, and Micky van de Ven.
Key moments: Red card at 54th minute; goals followed from Spurs exploiting numerical advantage; Bergvall's first Premier League goal.
Standouts: Van de Ven, Bergvall, Pape Matar Sarr. West Ham’s discipline and defensive stability broken badly.
Tactics: Spurs, with extra man, switched to more attacking options; used set pieces well; West Ham left exposed.
| Position | Team | P | W | D | L | GD | Points* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | +? | 12 |
| 2 | Arsenal / Tottenham / Bournemouth | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | positive GD | 9 |
| … | … | … | … | … | … | … | … |
| Mid-table | Brighton, Chelsea etc. | 4 | some wins/draws | various | … | … | around 5-7 |
| Bottom | Wolves, West Ham etc. | 4 | 0 | some draws | many losses | negative GD | low points |
*Exact goal differences vary; these results solidify early season ranking patterns.
Implications:
Round 4 of Premier League 2025/26 reaffirmed that early in the season, no match is straightforward and small margins matter hugely. Late goals turned the tide in multiple fixtures. Discipline (red cards), debut performances, and tactical substitutions have started to differentiate the confident sides from those still finding their shape.
The biggest storyline: Liverpool’s perfect run, but looking less comfortable in some matches; Tottenham’s assertive away performance; Wolves’ alarming start.
Looking ahead to Round 5: we will see if Liverpool can maintain momentum, whether teams under pressure can respond, and who steps up to close the gap. Big matchups loom, and as we’ve seen, one moment can change everything.