Statistics can flatter a player long after the finer details of a match have been forgotten, and Florian Wirtz provided a clear example on Saturday. A single eye-catching number suggested a towering display, but the reality was more complicated than that.

Wirtz did not produce the kind of performance that the raw data seemed to imply. He was useful rather than devastating, and his influence only grew after Yehor Yarmoliuk was sent off just before half-time. Even then, much of the credit attached to Wirtz came from a statistic that deserves a closer inspection.

For much of the game, the Liverpool No. 7 was asked to probe a compact Brentford defence. He drifted into the right halfspace, looking for gaps, but too often his contributions became sideways or backward passes that led to speculative efforts. That pattern defined many of the chances he was credited with creating.

One of the most striking details was that several of those chances came from corners, a reminder of Liverpool’s wider set-piece problems this season. They remain one of only four Premier League sides yet to score from a set piece, despite having collected 18 last season under Arne Slot.

There was still merit in Wirtz’s play. He showed neat touch and awareness in the move that led to Víctor Muñoz’s equaliser, helping move the ball into a dangerous area before Muñoz finished. It was not a straightforward assist in the purest sense, but it did matter at a time when Liverpool were still behind and struggling to break the rhythm of the match.

Wirtz’s official return from the game is his latest reminder of how deceptive modern numbers can be. His 11th assist since joining Liverpool last summer has him second only to Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki for open play assists among Premier League players over the same period, yet the wider picture still asks more questions than it answers.

Matchday 6 left the table untouched in one sense, but the performances were impossible to ignore. In the post-verdict era, points can feel fragile, yet the evidence on the pitch still matters. City’s second-half surge past a faltering Liverpool side may be revisited later, but Erling Haaland’s strike and Rayan Cherki’s invention are already part of the record.

Sunderland, deprived of key figures, were left with too little invention and too little calm in possession. Régis Le Bris was right to question the side’s lack of “quality or composure” after they controlled much of the ball but found no answers without Brian Brobbey. Bournemouth also remain short of rewards, and their latest defeat under Marco Rose brought another reminder that encouraging spells mean little without a first win. “The last games we had some good performances,” the incoming manager admitted, “but today we struggled.”

Manchester United’s problems continue to widen. Michael Carrick’s side were exposed again, this time by Tottenham Hotspur, and the mood around Old Trafford is growing less forgiving. Carrick’s own assessment was blunt: “I understand the disappointment,” he shrugged, “the reality is what it is.”

Elsewhere, Newcastle’s 4–1 defeat at Coventry City was harsh on the chances they created, yet costly for the gaps they left behind. Liverpool’s collapse after Ryan Gravenberch’s dismissal became the major talking point in a contest Andoni Iraola felt was shaped by the referee, while Crystal Palace were celebrated after a win that owed plenty to a generous interpretation of events from Pierre Sage.

There were also hard-earned points for Everton, Hull, Aston Villa, Brentford, Tottenham, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. Some wins were built on control, others on stubbornness, and a few on little more than survival. On a weekend where margins dominated, several teams learned how thin the line remains between progress and frustration.

The first five matchdays of the 2026/27 Premier League season have already given shape to a campaign that promised uncertainty from the outset. With the table still settling and another international break leaving a long pause before Matchday 6, there is time to take stock of what has emerged so far.

Arsenal’s title defence has already met resistance after a heavy defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion. Before that trip, they looked close to untouchable, but the champions have not yet shown enough to pull clear of their rivals. Bruno Guimarães has added quality, though injury has delayed his rhythm, while Christos Tzolis has stepped in as a serviceable replacement for Leandro Trossard. Even so, Arsenal’s attack was found wanting in their toughest test to date, with concerns lingering over the goalscoring burden on Bukayo Saka and the lack of a set-piece breakthrough.

Aston Villa, meanwhile, are navigating a period of change after rebuilding their core in the summer. Their first league win of the season offered encouragement, with Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and João Gomes all making useful contributions. Bournemouth have begun slowly under Marco Rose, but there is little panic as they balance league form with European demands after an opening win at Real Sociedad. Brentford continue to look like a difficult assignment at home, built on physicality and a set-piece threat that has already caused problems for visiting sides.

Brighton’s pressing game has been a feature of the early weeks, while Chelsea’s start under Xabi Alonso has raised serious questions about their structure without the ball. Coventry City finally recorded a first Premier League win in more than 25 years, though goals remain a concern. Everton’s window left them thin on options, Fulham are showing signs of adjustment under Álvaro Arbeloa, and Hull City have been one of the early surprises, even if history offers a warning.

Elsewhere, Ipswich Town, Leeds United, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest, Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur all have distinct questions to answer as the season develops.