Manchester City remain unbeaten after matchday 5, Leeds United gatecrash the top five, and several Nigerian internationals had big weekends. Here’s the full picture.
Matchday 5 of the 2026/27 Premier League season is done, and the table is already taking an interesting shape. Manchester City remain the team to catch, Leeds United have crashed the top five, and Nigerian fans have plenty to follow among the players representing their country abroad. Here’s where things stand — and why the next round of fixtures will have to wait.
Manchester City stayed top of the pile with a 5-3 win over Sunderland, though it wasn’t a comfortable afternoon by any means — Sunderland pushed back hard, with Brian Brobbey scoring a hat-trick in a losing effort. Elsewhere, Brighton produced one of the results of the weekend, beating Arsenal 3-0, while Brentford eased past Chelsea 3-0 in another one-sided scoreline.
Tottenham’s inconsistent start continued with a 2-3 defeat to Aston Villa, and there were tight, low-scoring results too: Liverpool edged past Bournemouth 1-0 to keep their unbeaten start alive, Everton beat Ipswich 1-0, Newcastle saw off Hull City 2-1, and Coventry City claimed a 1-0 win away at Nottingham Forest. Leeds United, meanwhile, drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace but still climbed into the top five off the back of a strong opening month.
City’s perfect record after five matchdays puts them clearly at the top of the table, with Arsenal and Brighton the closest challengers chasing them down. That said, five games is still a small sample, and City’s 5-3 scoreline against Sunderland shows a defence that isn’t quite watertight yet, even while the goals keep flowing at the other end. Meanwhile, Brighton’s win over Arsenal will have Gunners fans concerned heading into the international break — three points dropped against a side many expected them to beat comfortably.
There are no Premier League fixtures on the weekend of 26-27 September, with clubs releasing players for the September international window. For Nigerian fans, that’s a significant one — several Premier League regulars link up with the Super Eagles for the opening 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, so club form takes a back seat to international duty for a fortnight.
Fulham’s Alex Iwobi is among the Nigerian internationals affected, coming off a tough weekend for his club after a narrow defeat, and he’ll now switch focus to Super Eagles duty. Other Nigeria-eligible players across the league face the same schedule squeeze — a demanding club weekend followed almost immediately by a long-haul trip for AFCON qualifiers. It’s the kind of fixture congestion that makes squad depth, on both sides, worth watching closely over the next month.
When Premier League action resumes after the international break, expect a run of fixtures where fatigue and minor knocks picked up on international duty start to matter. Clubs with several players away this window — City, Arsenal, Fulham and Brighton among them — will be managing return-to-training schedules carefully, and squad rotation is likely in the first game back.
For the latest match-by-match breakdown, the official Premier League table is updated after every round of fixtures, and it’s worth checking closer to kick-off of the next matchday for any late team-news changes.
With Premier League action paused, this is a good window to catch up on Super Eagles preparations instead. We’ve got build-up coverage on both qualifiers, plus the squad news for the friendly against Russia that follows straight after. If you’re planning to bet on Premier League matches once the season resumes, our summer transfers roundup is a useful primer on how squads have changed heading into this campaign, and our Fulham vs Man United preview has more on how Iwobi’s side have started the season.
Who is top of the Premier League after matchday 5?
Manchester City, unbeaten through five matches, sit top of the table with Arsenal and Brighton their closest challengers.
Why is there no Premier League matchday 6 this weekend?
The weekend of 26-27 September falls during an international break, when clubs release players for World Cup and continental qualifiers, including Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
Which Premier League result surprised people most on matchday 5?
Brighton’s 3-0 win over Arsenal stood out, along with Leeds United climbing into the top five after a 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
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