Thursday, February 26, 2026

Premier League Match Week 28 Preview: London Derby Could Impact Title and Champions League Races

Arsenal hosts Chelsea on Sunday in the feature match this weekend. The Gunners are presently five points clear of Manchester City in the title chase but have also played one additional match than the Citizens. A loss to Chelsea coupled with a Manchester City win at Leeds would reduce the margin to only a two-point advantage with Manchester City holding a game in hand as the top two teams hurtle towards a mid-April clash at the Etihad.

The Gunners made short work of another London rival last weekend in dismantling dysfunctional Spurs by a 4-1 margin. The Gunners have lost only once at home this season, a surprising defeat to Michael Carrick led Manchester United, while winning 10 of their 13 Premier League matches at the Emirates.

Chelsea, meanwhile, has squandered leads in successive home matches to promoted sides, a lack of discipline which has seen the Blues drop 19 points from winning positions. The disappointment of the last two weeks makes the task even more daunting for Chelsea than its usual painful visits to the Emirates. The Blues have not won at Arsenal since August of 2021 and have won but one of the last 13 contests between the clubs staged anywhere in any competition.

Chelsea, still locked in a battle with Manchester United and Liverpool to secure Champions League qualification, has performed better this season when away from the not quite friendly confines of Stamford Bridge. Only Arsenal has a better away record than Chelsea this season.

Manchester City will be trying to keep the pressure on Arsenal when the Citizens visit Leeds. The Whites have much to play for as well with Leeds still sitting only six points above the drop line. The surprisingly game promoted side has grabbed valuable points against quality opponents in draws with Aston Villa and Chelsea in its last two league outings.

Manchester United, meanwhile, will try to remain undefeated under Manager Michael Carrick and preserve its current top four standing when the Red Devils host Crystal Palace. The performance under Carrick since the former club midfielder took the managerial reins, five wins and a draw, has lifted the Red Devils three points clear of fellow Champions League aspirants Chelsea and Liverpool.

Liverpool will be home to West Ham in a critical match for both the Reds and Hammers. Liverpool has won three of its past four matches as it tries to claw north from its sixth-place position in the table. West Ham is fighting for survival and trying to run down stragglers like Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur in the battle to see who survives to play again next season in the Premier League.

Spurs will be the visitor in a London derby at Fulham on Sunday. The Cottagers have prevailed in the last three meetings between the clubs across all competitions, outscoring their London rival by an aggregate 6-1. Nottingham Forest will take the pitch at the same time on Sunday, visiting Brighton where the Tricky Trees will hope to maintain, or increase, a current two-point advantage over West Ham in the relegation battle.

Aston Villa can ill afford a slip up at relegation bound Wolverhampton on Sunday. Once a title contender, Aston Villa is now only six points above sixth place Liverpool in the table and could fall into the battle to secure Champions League qualification. Three points against last place Wolverhampton, should help avoid, or at least delay, any such battle for the Villans.

Seventh place Brentford, meanwhile, has its own European hopes as the Bees visit relegation zone resident Burnley on Saturday while mid-table clashes this weekend will include Everton at Newcastle and Bournemouth playing host to Sunderland.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2026

Premier League Match Week 27 Results: Arsenal Smashes Spurs; Manchester City Continues Dominance Over Newcastle; Chelsea Wilt Once Again; Forest Creeps Closer To Relegation; Another Draw For Leeds

Spiraling Tottenham Hotspur proved just the right medicine for Arsenal to rediscover its top of the table form. The Gunners dominated at the home of their rival, winning by the same 4-1 score by which the Gunners had prevailed in the reverse fixture. For Tottenham Hotspur Manager Igor Tudor, his first Premier League match clearly conveyed the challenge he faces with a Spurs side that seems either not to recognize or to not overly care about its perilous league position. A video circulated on social media after the match showed Spurs defender Mickey van de Ven disregarding the urgent and repeated instructions of his new manager. Van de Ven also clashed with former Manager Thomas Frank, and he is just one example of the toxic brew that Tudor has now accepted.

For Arsenal, it was a confidence boosting three points that were critically needed following Manchester City’s win on Saturday. Victor Goyerkes scored twice for the Gunners to bring his season total to double digits, having now scored five goals in his last five Premier League matches. The other two goals for Arsenal came from Eberechi Eze, the former Crystal Palace star who has largely had a difficult time settling into Manager Mikel Arteta’s rotation. The creative form which Eze can provide could be a critical spark for Arsenal down the stretch. Ironically, Eze had been close to a deal with Spurs last summer. Not only did he dodge a toxic situation for a chance at a title, but Eze has now scored five goals against Arsenal’s north London rival this season.

Arsenal needed to respond after Manchester City pulled within two points of the Gunners with the Citizens 2-1 victory over Newcastle the day before. Nico O’Reilly scored both goals for the Citizens, his 27th minute winner assisted by none other than Erling Haaland. The Norwegian striker is joint second in the league for assists this season in addition to his league leading 22 goals. Newcastle pressed hard for a second half equalizer but once again fell short at the Etihad where they have failed to come away with a victory in their last 21 Premier League matches at the home of Manchester City. The Citizens have now won in the past 17 such encounters between the clubs.

Third place Aston Villa salvaged a point when Tammy Abraham found the net in the 88th minute of a 1-1 final versus Leeds. Title hopes are dead for Aston Villa, which now finds itself 10 points removed from league leading Arsenal. Leeds, despite the late concession, accumulated another valuable point in its effort to stay up for another season of Premier League play. Leeds stayed six points clear of West Ham and the relegation zone as the Hammers were also held to a draw in a goalless affair on Saturday versus Bournemouth. The point did pull West Ham closer to both Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest with both those clubs becoming increasingly vulnerable to a potential drop.

New Forest Manager Vitor Pereira faces the same problem as his sacked predecessor Sean Dyche had. These Trees cannot score. Only bottom of the table Wolverhampton has failed to find the net in more than the 13 matches that Nottingham Forest has been held scoreless. Twenty shots were wasted by Nottingham Forest on Sunday before Liverpool’s Alexis MacAllister scored in the 97th minute to seal a 1-0 victory for the Reds, both damaging the Trees’ survival prospects and keeping Liverpool in the thick of the Champions League qualification race. If the Trees are relegated, paltry goal production will be the reason.

Even relegation bound Burnley has scored more goals than Nottingham Forest. The Clarets’ latest goal, a stunning 93rd minute header by defender Zian Flemming, rescued a draw in front of a shocked Chelsea home crowd at Stamford Bridge. The 1-1 draw saw Chelsea’s dropped points from a winning position climb to an unfathomable 19 points this season, 17 of those points being thrown away at Stamford Bridge. A 72nd minute red card assessed to Chelsea’s Wesley’s Fofana was a club Premier League record sixth red card of the season, reflecting the self-destructive indiscipline of the young club. Home supporters watched their heroes drop points for a second consecutive home match against a promoted side.

Manchester United capitalized on Chelsea’s latest misstep to take sole possession of fourth place in the Premier League table with its 1-0 victory at Everton on Monday. Benjamin Sesko, whose stoppage time goal had saved a point against West Ham, played super sub once again, this time claiming all three points with his 71st minute strike. Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick remains unbeaten with five victories in his six matches since taking over from Ruben Amorim.

Brentford suffered a setback in its efforts to capture a European place when the Bees suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Brighton. The Seagulls won for the first time since January 3rd to lessen some of the heat on young Manager Fabian Hurzeler. Perhaps even more noteworthy in the grand scheme of things was the 654th Premier League appearance made by current Brighton midfielder James Milner. The 40-year-old former Manchester City and Liverpool player moved past Gareth Barry to set the new Premier League appearances record.

Yet another senior citizen in the league, thirty-four-year-old Raul Jimenez, had two goals to pace Fulham’s 3-1 win at Sunderland, only the Black Cats’ second defeat at the Stadium of Light this season. Sunderland has lost four out of its last five matches to fall out of the top half of the table, but the promoted side remains well clear of any relegation concern. Wolverhampton, its relegation assured, has still shown fight and was close to posting a third straight draw on Sunday. Unfortunately, Wolves fell 1-0 to a 90th minute goal by Crystal Palace substitute Evann Guessand.

Crystal Palace were poor once again under increasingly unpopular manager Oliver Glasner. Wolves, however, handed the Eagles just their second win since early December. First, there was a missed first half penalty kick by Wolverhampton’s Tolu Arokodare which would have given the visiting club the lead. Ladislav Krejci then received a red card in the 61st minute to hand a man advantage and the initiative to the homestanding Eagles. Palace relegation fears are allayed for the moment. Wolves, meanwhile, still needs two points to avoid having the worst season in Premier League history.

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Friday, February 20, 2026

Premier League Match Week 27 Preview

The north London derby will again draw the full attention of Premier League followers when the hated rivals square off at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday. The Thomas Frank era is over at Tottenham Hotspur, but what comes next remains clouded in uncertainty. Igor Tudor has been signed as manager only though the balance of this season with the mandate to keep Spurs safe from the unthinkable prospect of the club’s first relegation from the Premier League. Tudor takes over a team that is only five points above the drop line after failing to win any of its last eight league matches. A thin roster has been ravaged by injuries and the challenge of this difficult season seemed only to be exacerbated by the struggles of Frank who was taking the helm of a big club for the first time. Tudor, while having no Premier League experience, is familiar with the demands of a large club with a rabid fan base, having formerly managed Italian giant Juventus in Serie A.

Arsenal, meanwhile, visits Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Tudor’s debut with the Gunners themselves appearing a bit wobbly of late. Arsenal has dropped four points over its last two matches and has won just two of its last seven Premier League matches to bring Manchester City back into the title race. Wednesday saw the Gunners squander a two-goal lead in a draw at Molineux Stadium against Premier League worst Wolverhampton. Could another title opportunity be slipping away from the Gunners? A win at rival Spurs could provide a much-needed confidence boost.

Manchester City will try to keep the pressure on by extending its surprising Etihad invincibility versus Newcastle. The Citizens have won their last 16 Premier League matches when home to the visiting Magpies. Manchester City’s 21 match unbeaten run at home versus Newcastle is the longest such streak at a single venue in Premier League history. Magpie hopes to end their futility are dampened by the absence of Bruno Guimaraes. Newcastle has not won a Premier League match without Guimaraes in the lineup since the Brazilian midfielder joined the club in March of 2022.

There is no title chase for Liverpool this season, but the Reds are trying to qualify for Champions League play next season. Approaching Saturday’s match at Nottingham Forest, Liverpool is sixth in the table with five clubs expected to qualify for Europe’s top competition. Three points are thus critical to the Liverpool mission, but the stakes are equally high for Nottingham Forest, which is but three points above the relegation line. Sean Dyche was sacked for his inability to free the Trees from relegation peril and now Vitor Pereira makes his debut as Nottingham Forest’s fourth manager of this Premier League season. No Premier League club has ever experienced such managerial turnover in a single season. Pereira will need to find a way for the Tricky Trees to find the net with more regularity as only cellar dwelling Wolverhampton has scored fewer goals than Nottingham Forest this season.

Leeds is just three points further north of Nottingham Forest in the table with the Whites traveling to Aston Villa on Saturday. Only two Premier League sides have lost fewer matches than Leeds since the beginning of December, though the Whites have drawn more often than any league club during that same span which leaves them vulnerable to falling into the relegation mix. Chelsea was embarrassed last weekend when Leeds erased a two-goal deficit to split the points with the Blues at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea had also previously lost at Leeds earlier this season. As the Blues were also beaten by Sunderland, Saturday’s match at Stamford Bridge versus Burnley has historic potential because Chelsea has never lost to all three promoted sides in a single Premier League season.

The way Chelsea responds after last week’s disappointment could say a lot about new manager Liam Rosenior. The Blues are battling with Liverpool and Manchester United for Champions League qualification. United, like Chelsea, have not lost in the Premier League since a recent change in manager. Unlike Rosenior, however, Michael Carrick is an interim appointment with Manchester United, his second such appointment for the team he once played for. Carrick’s first four matches after replacing Ruben Amorim were all victories, including defeats of rivals Manchester City and Arsenal. The draw with West Ham last time out was less impressive but demonstrated some resilience when a 96th minute goal salvaged a point. Carrick and his men are at Everton this week.

Practically speaking, West Ham are the only club with a chance to change this season’s relegation story. The Hammers are present residents of the drop zone but trail Nottingham Forest by three points, Spurs by five and Leeds by six with 13 matches yet to be played. West Ham has rallied from a horrendous start to the season which cost Graham Potter his job. Manger Nuno Espirito Santo has led the club to 10 points in the last five matches, as many points as West Haam captured in its first 15 matches of the season. The Hammers host Bournemouth at London Stadium on Saturday with the Cherries riding a six-match unbeaten run in the league.

Crystal Palace has not joined the relegation rumble just yet, but the Eagles are descending fast under Manager Oliver Glasner who has already said he is leaving the club and has transformed from hero to zero in the eyes of supporters. The south Londoners host Wolves on Sunday looking for their first home win at Selhurst Park in nine matches. Sunderland, meanwhile, has lost just once at the Stadium of Light where the Black Cats will face Fulham on Sunday. Brentford has also performed well at home this season, losing just two home matches. Brighton will be at Gtech Community Stadium to face the Bees on Saturday. While Brentford has two wins and a draw with Arsenal in its last three matches, Brighton is a train wreck right now with no wins in its last six matches and the Seagulls netting no more than a goal in any of those winless efforts.

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Friday, February 13, 2026

Premier League Match Week 26 Results

Arsenal dropped points in a 1-1 draw at Brentford on Thursday to narrow the Gunners’ advantage over Manchester City in the title chase. Ironically, it was a dead ball play beginning with a long throw into the box that equalized the match and stole points from the league leaders. Set pieces are supposed to be the purview of Arsenal so the equalizer proved to be an example of “live by the sword, die by the sword.”

Questions now will be asked whether Arsenal’s attack is too dependent on set pieces. The Gunners created little in attack at Brentford and generated only two shots on target. Eberechi Eze, brought in from Crystal Palace to provide some creativity, was terrible and benched at halftime. On the season, Arsenal is 16th in the league with respect to the percentage of its goals which come from open play. That could prove a fatal flaw as Manchester City continues in hot pursuit of the Gunners.

The Citizens had rolled over Fulham 3-0 the day before and the difference between the clubs at the top is now a mere four points. The prospect of Arsenal falling short once again was loudly reminded to Arsenal and their supporters by the Brentford faithful who were thrilled with their Bees’ performance. Somewhat surprisingly, Brentford seems improved after the change-in of current Manager Keith Andrews for legendary Bees gaffer Thomas Frank last offseason.

Perhaps not all that surprising, however, given the debacle that proved to be Frank’s stay at Tottenham Hotspur. Frank alienated both players and supporters during this miserable season in north London. Finally, the higher ups could wait no longer after the club’s seventh home loss of the season on Tuesday. Only relegation bound Burley and Wolverhampton are poorer at home this season and Spurs is now just five points away from joining those two clubs in the relegation zone.

Newcastle’s 2-1 victory over Spurs on Tuesday was followed by the sacking of the former Brentford manager who seemed out of his depth in charge of the large London club. Frank’s eight-month tenure never gained traction as horrible results were wed with clashes with players and supporters who regularly questioned Frank’s tactical decisions. Spurs are now faced with the problem of who replaces Frank. A more impressive pool of candidates will be available after this season. There remains the romantic notion that the club will be reunited with current USA coach Mauricio Pochettino.

As the club hurtles toward the relegation fight, however, reliance on an interim solution could be dangerous. While relegation might still seem an unlikely reality for Spurs, the specter of demotion has been all too real for Nottingham Forest which is now searching for its fourth manager of the season, a Premier League record. First there was current West Ham Manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Then Ange Postecoglou stopped by for a brief 39-day debacle.

Sean Dyche has now been sacked after a four-month stint following the Tricky Trees’ goalless draw with cellar dwelling Wolverhampton on Wednesday. Capturing only two points from a run of three winnable matches against Crystal Palace, Leeds and Wolverhampton was the final straw for Dyche as impulsive owner Evangelos Marinakis sacked his third manager of the season. A haul of only 25 goals in 26 Premier League matches this season has been infuriating to the Greek owner who has spent heavily on offensive weapons.

Marinakis is now rumored to be turning to former Wolves Manager Vitor Pereira who previously managed Olympiakos for the Nottingham Forest owner. Pereira is credited with saving Wolves from relegation last season and would seem a reasonable choice to address the desperate situation whereby Forest is only three points from the drop. Seven Premier League managers are now no longer with the clubs they started the season with, including Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca who purportedly left by “mutual consent.”

Oliver Glanser has told Crystal Place that he is done after this season, but supporters would be okay with an earlier parting with the irascible manager who is producing poor results while taking shots at ownership. Crystal Palace suffered disaster at Selhurst Park on Wednesday when the Eagles squandered a two-goal lead and lost 3-2 to Burnley. New Crystal Palace signing Jorgen Strand Larsen gave the Eagles a two-goal cushion before disaster struck in a seven-minute span where Burnley scored twice on its own and then saw the winner find the net on an own goal by Crystal Palace winger Jefferson Lerma.

It was the first Premier League victory in 17 matches for Burnley. Meanwhile, a Crystal Palace win over Brighton last weekend proved to be fool’s gold and more a reflection of Brighton’s incompetence than a resurgence by the Eagles. Brighton has won just one of its last 13 Premier League matches after Wednesday’s 1-0 loss to Aston Villla and pressure is building on Manager Fabian Hurzeler, the Premier League’s youngest manager whose relative inexperience has become a subject of debate.

The winning runs of managers Michael Carrick and Liam Rosenior came to an end during the week though both remained undefeated since taking over Manchester United and Chelsea, respectively. A Benjamin Sesko goal in the 96th minute salvaged a point for Manchester United against West Ham at Old Trafford. While it was perhaps the worst performance under Carrick for the Red Devils, it was West Ham which squandered a golden opportunity to make up more ground in its struggle for survival.

The one point moved the Hammers to within three points of presently safe Nottingham Forest in the relegation fight. Chelsea remained a point behind fourth place Manchester United after the Blues drew with Leeds at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea moved to a two-goal advantage on Cole Palmer’s 58th minute penalty kick but then conceded two goals in a span of six minutes to the visiting Whites. Leeds had not had a shot on target until Lukas Nmecha converted from the penalty spot in the 67th minute.

The equalizer came in a shambolic scramble in front of Chelsea’s goal in the 73rd minute. Sunderland finally lost a match at the Stadium of Light after an unbeaten run of 12 matches at their fortress in northeast England. The Black Cats were the only undefeated club at home in the Premier League until Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk put an end to that with his 61st minute goal which proved the difference in a 1-0 final.

Bournemouth executed yet another comeback to defeat Everton 2-1 on Tuesday and extend the Cherries’ current unbeaten run to six matches. Only Aston Villa and Sunderland have rescued more points from a losing position than the Cherries this season. With his goal to tie the match, Bournemouth’s Rayan became just the third teenager to register a goal or assist in each of his first three Premier League matches. After a goal by Amin Adli put the Cherries ahead in the 64th minute, Everton’s efforts to level terms were stunted by a 69th minute Jake O’Brien.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2026

Premier League Match Week 25 Results: Manchester City Wins At Liverpool; Villa Drops Points At Bournemouth; Manchester United Wins Fourth Straight Under Carrick. Leeds Crushes Forest While West Ham Wins To Tighten Survival Race

Manchester City roared back with two late goals to defeat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield. The tense match was scoreless until Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai broke the ice with a 74th minute goal, a swerving free kick which further solidified his growing reputation as a dead ball master. Liverpool’s goal scorer would later be disqualified for a shirt pull on a goal bound Erling Haaland late into stoppage time. The damage was already done, however, by a Manchester City comeback which began with a scrappy Bernardo Silva equalizer in the 84th minute.

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson would then interfere with City’s Matheus Nunes and send Erling Haaland to the spot. The Golden Boot leader did not disappoint as he registered his 21st goal of the season which would secure all three points for the Citizens and allow them to keep pace with Arsenal in the Premier League title race. City almost lengthened its lead but for an odd occurrence 13 minutes into extra time. The Citizens’ Rayan Cherki launched a hopeful ball from midfield when seeing Alisson out of position.

Haaland set chase after the ball only to be grabbed by Szoboszlai. Haaland would then grab Szoboszlai, preventing the Liverpool man from clearing the ball as Cherki’s prayer rolled into the net for what appeared to be Manchester City’s third goal. VAR intervened, however, and the referee agreed that the goal should be disallowed because of Haaland’s interference. Szoboszlai’s earlier infraction, however, was deemed a clear prevention of a goal scoring opportunity by Haaland.

The result of the adjudication was no goal, a direct free kick to Manchester City, and a red card for Szoboszlai who will now be suspended for the Reds’ midweek clash with Sunderland. Manchester City remains six points behind Arsenal which dispatched Sunderland 3-1 on Saturday. 

Arsenal is a deep and powerful squad that is much improved over the version which has fallen short in recent title races. Manager Mikel Arterta was missing both Bukayo Saka and Maritn Odegaard for the match with the Black Cats, a situation which would have been perilous in recent seasons. This season, however, summer signing Viktor Gyokeres stepped up with a brace after fellow transfer Martin Zubimendi opened the scoring to help the undermanned Gunners to victory. Gyokeres has scored six goals in his last eight appearances across all competitions, and his eight Premier League goals lead the squad. Zubimendi, meanwhile, has proved a reliable option for Arteta and has played more minutes than any other Arsenal outfield player this season, adding five goals in league play.

The title battle is beginning to look like a two-horse race after Arsenal’s emphatic victory and Manchester City’s dramatic win at Anfield while Aston Villa dropped points once again in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. The Villans have won but one of their last five matches to now trail Arsenal by nine points. Nineteen-year-old Brazilian Rayan scored his first Premier League goal to salvage a point for the Cherries and damage Villa’s title dreams.

Assuming five clubs qualify for Champions League, Aston Villa should still be in that mix with Liverpool now sitting in sixth position, a full eight points back of third place Villa. Manchester United and Chelsea, the current fourth and fifth place clubs, continue to surge under new management. Michael Carrick remained perfect as Manchester United manager as the Red Devils downed Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 for a fourth straight victory under the interim manager.

Tottenham Hotspur center back Cristian Romero was disqualified after a rash tackle in the 29th minute to take the wind out of a Spurs side which is now winless in its last seven Premier League matches. Carrick, meanwhile, has won his first four matches in charge whereas predecessor Ruben Amroim never won four games in a row during his entire disappointing tenure.

Liam Rosenior has also won his first four league matches since taking over in charge of Chelsea and joins former Leicester manager Craig Shakespeare as the only English managers to win their first four Premier League matches. The English born Carrick has not technically been appointed permanent manager and is in his second interim stint for Manchester United.

Chelsea’s 3-1 win over Wolverhampton on Saturday featured a hat trick by Cole Palmer, the first two coming by penalty after teammate Joao Pedro was fouled in the box by Wolves defenders. All of Palmer’s goals came in the first half as Chelsea sprinted to a three-goal halftime lead before a second half consolation goal by woeful Wolves. For Wolverhampton, it was a third consecutive league loss in a season which has seen only one win in 25 matches to date.

Burnley will be joining Wolves in the second-tier next season. The third team to go down, however, remains a question mark after West Ham took care of business by winning 2-0 at Burnley on Saturday, one day after Nottingham Forest was defeated 3-1 by Leeds on Friday night. Crysencio Summerville registered his fifth goal in as many matches across all competitions in West Ham’s win.

The victory moved the Hammers to within three points of Forest for the final ticket to next year’s Premier League. Leeds victory over Nottingham Forest, meanwhile, moved the Whites six points clear of the drop line with Friday’s win. The relegation battle could take another turn during the week, however, as West Ham will need to play red hot Manchester United while Forest will face cellar dwelling Wolverhampton.

Crystal Palace supporters have feared their own club might join the relegation fight. Some of that anxiety was relieved on Sunday when the Eagles defeated rival Brighton 1-0, ending a nine-match winless run in the Premier League. Ismaila Sarr scored his tenth goal of the season to capture all three points for Crystal Palace winner. Brighton supporters understandably voiced their anger with the loss to rival Palace in the contrived “M23 derby.” Manager Fabian Hurzeler is feeling enormous pressure as his club has won only one of its last 12 Premier League matches.

A 2-1 home loss to Brentford did nothing to improve Newcastle Manager Eddie Howe’s popularity. The Magpies lost their third consecutive league outing and are floundering in 12th position in the table. Brentford’s Dango Ouattara scored the 85th minute winner which gave the Bees their first victory at St. James’s Park since 1934.

Fulham was also a home loser when Cottager goalkeeper Bernd Leno bundled a corner kick from Everton’s Kieran Dewsbury-Hall into his own net for the winning Toffee goal in a 2-1 victory at Craven Cottage. Dewsbury-Hall had knotted the match earlier with his 75th minute equalizer. Everton has now won five times and drawn twice in their last eight away games. Match week 26 will be played out midweek and conclude with a potentially tricky match for Arsenal at Brentford on Thursday. Brentford is seventh in the table after back-to-back league victories.

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Thursday, February 5, 2026

Premier League Match Week 25 Preview

The feature game at the top of the table this weekend sees Manchester City going to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday. The Citizens are still in the title race despite some damaging recent results. The deficit is now six points to catch Arsenal and win yet another trophy which no one, but Manchester City supporters, wants to see. Liverpool, the only side to interrupt Manchester City’s monopoly on titles over the past eight years, will be particularly keen to spoil the hopes of opposing Manager Pep Guardiola. Self-interest is also at play for Liverpool which, despite dashed title hopes, is still vying for the Champions League from its present sixth place position in the table.

Manchester United and Chelsea are immediately above the Reds, and both are within two points of the Reds in a lively scramble to secure participation in Europe’s premier tournament. Manchester United is home to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday attempting to extend Manager Michael Carrick’s perfect run of three Premier League victories so far, including massive wins over Arsenal and Manchester City.

League leading Arsenal, meanwhile, is home to Sunderland on Saturday. The Black Cats have surprised the league with their current eighth place standing in the table after a nine-year absence from the league. Home results have powered the Black Cats’ success, however, and the road has been far less friendly. Sunderland visits the Emirates on Saturday with the fourth worst away record in the Premier League. Arsenal, meanwhile, has lost only to Manchester United at home this season.

Aston Villa could fall 10 points back of the Gunners, essentially ending their title hopes, should Arsenal handle Sunderland and Aston Villa falter at Bournemouth this weekend. Manager Unai Emery has seen his lineup ravaged by injury in recent weeks as new transfers such as Douglas Luiz and Tammy Abraham have been rushed into the lineup to help keep hope alive. Abraham had a goal reversed on VAR review last week in his debut performance as he stands in for the injured Ollie Watkins.

Bournemouth, meanwhile, has found form in recent weeks, winning three times in a four-match unbeaten run. The Cherries have displayed a penchant for dramatic stoppage time goals which includes a late winner at Liverpool two weeks ago.

Two consecutive losses, including last week’s demoralizing 4-1 defeat at Liverpool, have dropped Newcastle into the bottom half of the table. In the congested Premier League table, however, Newcastle is only three points south of seventh place Brentford, the Magpies’ Saturday opponent. Brentford stopped a two-match losing run of its own with a hard-earned win at Aston Villa last week where the Bees were obliged to play with ten men for the entire second half of a 1-0 victory.

Brentford is one of six teams separated by only three points in place 7-12 in the Premier League table, all of those clubs hoping to emerge from the gaggle and secure a spot in Europe next season. Two of those clubs, Fulham and Everton, will clash at Craven Cottage on Saturday. Everton may boast a four-match unbeaten run but three of those outcomes were draws with the Toffees scoring exactly one goal in each of the four matches.

Low scoring matches are Everton’s forte, not so much for Fulham. The two clubs have exactly the same goal differential, but Cottager matches have seen 69 goals scored in aggregate compared to just 53 balls finding the net in Everton matches. While Marco Silva and David Moyes are well regarded by Fulham and Everton faithful, respectively, a slew of dropped points in recent weeks has increased the heat on Brighton Manager Fabian Hurzeler.

The Seagulls are floundering far from the European places which supporters have now become accustomed to contending for. Brighton will be playing for its coach and trying to defeat a hated rival when Crystal Palace visits American Express Stadium on Sunday. The Eagles are trying to fly clear of the relegation zone and calm the disharmony between Manager Oliver Glasner and Chairman Steve Parrish over transfer policy. Alarmingly, the Eagles have not replaced center back Marc Guehi after the club captain’s transfer to Manchester City.

The relegation fight sees an important matchup on Friday when the Premier League weekend begins with a contest at Elland Road between Leeds and Nottingham Forest. The Whites and the Tricky Trees are both six points clear of the relegation zone as they fend off a suddenly threatening West Ham side and former Nottingham Forest Manager Nuno Espirito Santo. Leeds has joined the relegation battle after winning just two of its last ten Premier League matches, punctuated by a 4-0 home defeat to Arsenal last week.

Nottingham Forest has flirted with the drop zone throughout the season, Manager Sean Dyche having been brought in to replace Santo and ensure survival for the Tricky Trees. Santo meanwhile finds himself below the drop line with his Hammers currently one of the three clubs in the relegation places. Back-to-back victories had raised some optimism before the Hammers squandered a two-goal lead in a crushing 3-2 loss to Chelsea last Saturday.

West Ham faces lesser opposition this week, however, when it travels to Burnley. The Clarets are buried in the relegation zone after going winless in their last 15 Premier League matches. Only Wolverhampton, which hosts Chelsea on Saturday, has accumulated fewer points this season. 

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Tuesday, February 3, 2026

Premier League Match Week 24 Results: Arsenal Wins, City Draws, Villa Loses As Gunners Widen Their Lead; Manchester United Stays Perfect Under Carrick; Chelsea Lowers Second Half Hammer On West Ham; Liverpool Drills Newcastle; Sunderland Stays Undefeated At Home

Arsenal’s lead is six points over Manchester City after a weekend when the Gunners romped to a 4-0 win at Leeds while Manchester City and Aston Villa both dropped points. The depth of Arsenal was again on full display Saturday. Bukayo Saka suffered a hip issue in warmups. No immediate problem for Manager Mikel Arteta who turned to Noni Madueke as next man up. The former Chelsea player responded with a goal and an assist in the annihilation of a Leeds side which had played well at Elland Road this season but was clearly overmatched versus the league leaders. Madueke’s goal from a corner kick was originally booked as an own goal as a cluster of Leeds players failed to clear with no Arsenal players in sight and managed to bumble the ball into their own net. Madueke had earlier executed a beautifully placed cross to set up Martin Zubimendi for his opening goal header. Viktor Gyokeres and Gabriel Jesus would add second half goals to complete the rout.

All signs pointed to an easy victory for Manchester City on Sunday after a dominant first half and resultant two-goal advantage at the break. After the customary halftime booing by the home fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Manager Thomas Frank’s side turned on a dime and exhibited the kind of grit which had been missing in its six previous home losses. The defense stiffened after Frank changed the formation to a back four for the second interval. Dominic Solanke took care of the goalscoring. The forward halved the margin with a controversial 53rd minute goal where he may or may not have fouled Manchester City center back Marc Guehi on the play.

The equalizer for Spurs was a thing of beauty. The newly acquired Conor Gallagher launched a cross which was off the mark for a flying Solanke attempt. The Spurs forward, however, was able to accommodate and proceeded to score what could be the goal of the season. The airborne and horizontal Solanke flicked the ball with his trailing back heel from a flying scorpion position. The ball floated beyond understandably flatfooted Gianlugi Donnarumma to cap an unforgettable moment. Solanke’s skill and acrobatics recalled a similar scorpion kick goal by then Arsenal forward Olivier Giroud back in 2017.

The equalizer was heartening for the under-fire Frank and his players. It was not only disheartening but highly damaging to Manchester City’s title hopes as the dropped points left the Citizens six points behind victorious Arsenal. Doubt was seeded once again for this Manchester City side which has now drawn four times and lost once in its last six Premier League matches. Manager Pep Guardiola has seen his side drop seven points since the turn of the year by conceding second half goals.

If possible, Aston Villa had an even worse day. At home versus Brentford, Manager Unai Emery and his charges suffered a 1-0 defeat despite the Bees’ Kevin Scahde being red carded in the 42nd minute, leaving Brentford to play with 10 men for the duration of the match. Just minutes after Schade’s red card, Dango Ouattara scored the only goal of the match in first half stoppage time for the Bees. Villa failed to capitalize on its man advantage and lost a second consecutive home match. Aston Villa is now seven points adrift of the top. The gritty defensive effort by the Bees ended a two-match losing run for Brentford.

The steadfast second half defensive performance by Brentford contrasted dramatically with what happened to West Ham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday. Chelsea Manager Liam Rosenior chose to make six changes to his lineup to balance workloads after a midweek European match and an upcoming Carabao Cup semifinal this Wednesday versus Arsenal. West Ham capitalized by going up two goals against an opponent lineup peppered with reserves. Chelsea benchwarmers Alejandro Garnacho and Jorrel Hato made Chelsea’s left flank particularly vulnerable with Garnacho adding little up front and doing a poor job in tracking back.

Rosenior swung the game by bringing in the cavalry for the second half. Garnacho and Hato were benched. Replacements Joao Pedro and Marc Cucrella scored second half goals. An Enzo Fernandez stoppage time goal completed Chelsea’s 3-2 comeback win, leaving West Ham Manager Nuno Espirito Santo to rue the second half collapse by his defense.

Chelsea’s win kept them one point behind fourth place Manchester United which stayed perfect under interim Manager Michael Carrick with the Red Devils’ 3-2 win over Fulham at Old Trafford. Carrick’s third consecutive victory since his recent appointment became nervy when Manchester United surrendered a two-goal halftime advantage late in the match. Following a Raul Jimenez penalty kick which pulled Fulham close in the 85th minute, a stoppage time equalizer by Fulham’s Kevin seemed to dictate a sharing of points. Benjamin Sesko, however, had other ideas and scored the winner for the homestanding Red Devils just minutes later to conclude the dramatic late match fireworks. The summer signing from RB Leipzig has had a rough first season in England but Carrick applauded the extra work in training that has shown in improved form for the Slovenian striker.

Hugo Ekiteke now has 10 goals in his debut season for Liverpool. The Frenchman scored a brace in an easy Liverpool 4-1 win over Newcastle at Anfield which also saw fellow summer signing Florian Wirtz deliver a goal and an assist. It was the first Premier League win of 2026 for Liverpool while Newcastle is reeling after back-to-back losses.

Bournemouth, victors over Liverpool last weekend, won for a third time in four league matches with a 2-0 victory over Wolves. Eli Juniour Kroupi and Adam Scott found the net for the Cherries who are managing to overcome the departure of former top scorer Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City.

Burnley joined Wolves and West Ham in settling deeper into the relegation zone when the Clarets were spanked 3-0 at the Stadium of Light by Sunderland, extending Burnley’s winless run in the league to 15 matches. The Black Cats, meanwhile, remain the only undefeated Premier League team at home this season. Sunderland’s unbeaten run of 12 home matches is the longest streak by a team newly promoted to the topflight since Nottingham Forest in 1977/78. After waiting nine years to see Premier League football back at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland supporters are yet to witness a league defeat this season at their seemingly invulnerable fortress.

Nottingham Forest pulled further away from the relegation zone by salvaging a point in a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace. The Tricky Trees got off to a 1-0 lead in just the fifth minute of play when Morgan Gibbs-White scored from close range. Disaster then almost felled the Trees. Neco Williams received a red card and gave Crystal Palace a penalty try when he handled a goal bound header from Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma. Ismaila Sarr converted to knot the match as time ran out on the first half. Ten-man Forest battled on and appeared the more likely side to score in a second half where the Eagles were unable to put a shot on target despite their man advantage.

The hard-won point by Nottingham Forest increased their distance from the relegation sides. Crystal Palace ended a three-match losing run but remains without a win for twelve matches across all competitions. A deal to sell disgruntled striker JP Mateta fell though for the Eagles when a knee injury did not survive a medical by AC Milan. The Frenchman may now require surgery while still pulling a paycheck from the club he wants away from. To cover their bets, Crystal Palace has signed underperforming Jorgen Strand Larsen from Wolves. The Norwegian scored 14 times last season but has just a single goal in the Premier League this season.

After losing on a stoppage time goal last week, Brighton was again victimized in extra time when Everton striker Beto scored in the 97th minute of a 1-1 draw at American Express Stadium. Home supporters booed their Seagulls at the final whistle as dissatisfaction is heating up the seat of Manager Fabian Hurzeler whose side has won just one of its last ten Premier League matches. The road warrior Toffees, meanwhile, have lost but one of their last seven away matches after snatching their late point on Saturday.

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