Premier League Gameweek 5 Tips: Tottenham’s Historic Goal Drought Meets a Struggling Aston Villa
Arsenal and Manchester City remain locked together at the top on 12 points apiece, but the fixture that will define gameweek 5 is happening in north London, where a Tottenham side without a Premier League goal in four games hosts a bottom-two Aston Villa. Here’s our full read on the round, plus Hull City’s toughest test yet and Leeds United’s remarkable start.
Our Angle
Zero goals in four Premier League matches is not a slump, it’s a club record — and it’s exactly where Roberto De Zerbi’s Tottenham find themselves going into Saturday’s visit of Aston Villa. Reports over the past week have linked several possible successors including Arne Slot, and De Zerbi has openly addressed sack speculation rather than dismissed it. Villa arrive in scarcely better shape: 19th on a single point, having lost Youri Tielemans, Ezri Konsa and Morgan Rogers to rivals over the summer and conceded nine goals in their last five matches in all competitions. Villa have, however, won four of the last five meetings between these two, including a 2-1 win in May. When two clubs this short of confidence collide, the tendency is for the team with something to hold onto — in this case Villa’s head-to-head record — to edge it, rather than for the home crowd’s frustration to translate into a breakthrough.
Top of the table — Arsenal & Man City, 12 points from 4, both unbeaten, neither in action against the other this round
Surprise package — Leeds United, 3rd on 8 points under Daniel Farke, unbeaten in four
Crisis derby — Tottenham (17th, 2 pts, no goals scored) host Aston Villa (19th, 1 pt), Saturday 12:30
Toughest test — Hull City away at a Newcastle side missing seven first-team players, Saturday 15:00
Headline fixture — Brighton v Arsenal, Saturday 15:00 — Arsenal’s first real away test of the season
Also playing — Brentford v Chelsea (Friday), Man City v Sunderland, Leeds v Crystal Palace, plus four more fixtures across the weekend
Tottenham v Aston Villa: When Crisis Meets Crisis
Tottenham have not scored a Premier League goal since the opening weekend — four straight games, a run the club has never previously produced this early in a season. De Zerbi’s side are missing Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons and Mykhailo Mudryk through injury, which strips out most of the attacking creativity a reported summer outlay of more than £350 million was supposed to buy, though Pedro Porro is confirmed fit to return. Reports this week have named Arne Slot among the candidates should the club move on De Zerbi, and while the manager has publicly addressed the speculation rather than brushed it off, Saturday’s game with Villa looks close to a must-not-lose. Unai Emery’s Villa aren’t in much better health — 19th, one point from four games, and having lost Tielemans, Konsa and Rogers to Premier League rivals over the summer while conceding nine goals in their last five outings in all competitions. The head-to-head record favours the visitors, with Villa winning four of the last five meetings including a 2-1 win in May, which is why we lean toward this staying uncomfortable for Spurs rather than being the day the drought ends.
Arsenal & Man City Both Unbeaten, Neither Facing the Other
Arsenal and City sit level on 12 points from four games, both still unbeaten, with Arsenal holding a marginal goal-difference edge (+7 to +6). Neither faces the other this round, which makes their respective away and home assignments worth watching for different reasons. Arsenal travel to a Brighton side sitting 5th with the division’s second-best goal difference (+8) after a 5-0 demolition of Coventry, arguably their toughest league test since matchday one. City, by contrast, host bottom-half Sunderland at the Etihad as heavy favourites and will expect to press their advantage at the top rather than cede ground.
Hull City’s Fairytale Faces a Newcastle Side in Turmoil
Hull City remain one of the stories of the season — 4th on 8 points, unbeaten in four, although their run without conceding ended in the 2-2 draw at Chelsea last time out. Saturday’s trip to Newcastle would ordinarily rank as a stern away test, but Eddie Howe’s successor Matthias Jaissle confirmed this week that Newcastle will be without at least seven first-team players, including Anthony Elanga, Dan Burn and Joelinton, after their 4-1 mauling at Leeds. Newcastle sit 12th on 5 points and head into this one considerably weakened, which shortens the odds on Hull extending their unbeaten start into a fifth match.
Leeds United’s Perfect Start Continues Under Farke
Leeds sit 3rd on 8 points, unbeaten in four matches since Daniel Farke’s summer rebuild, built around new goalkeeper James Trafford and a defence that has conceded only sparingly. They host a Crystal Palace side struggling for consistency in 16th on 3 points, and on current form Leeds will fancy themselves to extend one of the more unexpected top-four pushes of the early season.
Elsewhere in Gameweek 5
Friday night brings the round’s traditional early kick-off, with Brentford — unbeaten in four but yet to record a win — hosting a Chelsea side who sit 6th and have won two of their opening four. Saturday lunchtime also sees Everton at home to an Ipswich Town side still finding their feet back in the top flight, while bottom club Coventry, still without a point after four games, travel to Nottingham Forest chasing their first result of the season. Sunday closes the round with Liverpool looking to build on a steady if unspectacular start away at Bournemouth, and Manchester United — still searching for consistency in 13th — away at a winless Fulham side.
Gameweek 5 Match Odds
| Fixture | Home | Draw | Away |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford v Chelsea | 15/8 | 29/10 | 29/20 |
| Tottenham v Aston Villa | 21/20 | 11/4 | 14/5 |
| Brighton v Arsenal | 4/1 | 3/1 | 3/4 |
| Everton v Ipswich | 4/5 | 3/1 | 37/10 |
| Newcastle v Hull City | 4/6 | 7/2 | 22/5 |
| Nott’m Forest v Coventry | 4/6 | 3/1 | 9/2 |
| Bournemouth v Liverpool | 11/5 | 14/5 | 6/5 |
| Man City v Sunderland | 3/10 | 5/1 | 11/1 |
| Leeds v Crystal Palace | 5/6 | 14/5 | 18/5 |
| Fulham v Man Utd | 13/5 | 14/5 | 21/20 |
Odds correct at the time of writing and subject to fluctuation — always check the current price before placing a bet.
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Betting Sensibly on Gameweek 5
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