The Pulse of Football

Feb

2026

Sam Surridge, the English striker fulfilling a dream in MLS

Wise men say, only fools rush in, but sometimes, it all works out. Sam Surridge wasted no time in swapping a bit part role at Nottingham Forest to become the leading man in the home of country music.

By Alex Roberts

Like any real country musician, Surridge made it the hard way, playing in football’s equivalent of a dive bars, loan spells with Yeovil Town and Oldham Athletic before making it to the big time with parent club Bournemouth in the Premier League. He’s more of a Willie Nelson than a Keith Urban.

Surridge made just two Premier League appearances back in 2018/19 with the Cherries before being shipped out on loan to Championship Swansea the season after. Some decent performances saw him return to the South coast in January 2019, but again, chances were limited.

Bournemouth were relegated that season, finally giving Surridge the chance to show what he can do for a promotion chasing side. Under Scott Parker, they went back up in 2021/22, but Surridge didn’t come with them and was sold to Stoke.

Another underwhelming six months followed with just two goals in 20 league appearances, but Forest came sniffing in January 2022, and he became a fairly integral part of the side that earned promotion under Steve Cooper.

Forest beat relegation by the skin of their teeth in 2022/23, and Surridge had a decision to make. At 24-years-old, he was entering his prime years, he could either continue to ride the bench at Forest or head across the Atlantic.

Rightly or wrongly, MLS has been painted as a ‘retirement league’, where ageing European stars turn up and cash in their final paycheques. For those of us that watch it, logistically it is slightly confusing but it’s a league with tonnes of quality.

Surridge joined Nashville as one of their Designated Players, a rule that was brought in so that teams could bring in players outside of the league’s salary cap. It’s helped lure the likes of Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, and Frank Lampard to the MLS.

If you’re looking for a comparison, though, Surridge is closer to Bradley Wright-Phillips, a Championship/lower Premier League level striker who wanted to chase what’s left of the American dream and ended up living it.

*Surridge player traits compared to strikers in similar leagues*

The summer of 2024 was a big one for MLS. None other than Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami a month before Surridge went to Nashville. Two players with a vastly different history before heading to the US but have been performing at a similar level since.

MLS’s ‘Messi-fication’ is a big deal, you can’t watch any game, whether Inter Miami are involved or not, without seeing his face. Considering he’s the greatest player in the history of the game, it’s hard to blame them for using him as such a huge piece of their marketing.

Speaking to GQ, Surridge addressed how much of an influence the legendary Argentinian had on his decision, saying: “I wouldn’t say it was one of the main reasons why I came out here, but it was another incentive to come out here and be in the same league as the best player ever.

“Speak to everyone, you can see how much the league’s grown, how much exposure it gets. We’re on Apple TV now so people from home can watch Messi so it is huge.”

Founded in 2017, Nashville are one of MLS’s more recent additions. It’s hard for the European mind to comprehend such a thing, but it allows players to play without pressure. Instead of trying to live up to history, they’re making it.

MLS has a lot of high scoring individuals in the league, largely because there are 29 sides competing in separate Eastern and Western conferences. Former Liverpool and Aston Villa forward Christian Benteke ended the 2024 season as top scorer with 23. Messi was in joint third on 21, and Surridge down in 28^th with 12.

Surridge really found his feet last year. He was operating like a proper number nine, each of his 25 MLS goals came from inside the box, from a non-penalty xG of 19.95. Everything he touched turned to gold, but it wasn’t down to luck.

His best game in front of goal was the 7-2 win over Chicago Fire. Yes, his first two goals were penalties, but you can only score the chances you’re given. His third and fourth were the types of goals we’ve come to expect from Surridge.

With his side 5-0 up, Andy Najar clocked some smart movement from Surridge, popping an inch perfect ball over the top right onto the Englishman’s foot, putting him one-on-one with Chris Brady, before cooly slotting past the ‘keeper.

His fourth was pretty much identical. Only Gregg Berhalter knows why his side continued to play such a high line, but Najar once again found Surridge with a simple ball over the top and a couple of seconds later it was 7-0.

Surridge faced off against Messi on four consecutive occasions at the end of the 2025 season, once in the regular season and then three times in the play-offs. By this point, Messi had the golden boot pretty much nailed down, he just decided to show Surridge levels for the love of the game.

Nashville won just one of those four games, the second play-off fixture, forcing a tiebreaker, which Inter Miami won 4-0. Surridge can’t be faulted, he scored twice across those four games. Messi? He bagged eight.

Now, the 2026 season is underway, and one game in, Surridge doesn’t look like he’ll be letting up. He scored two goals in 16 minutes as Nashville beat New England Revolution 4-1 on Saturday (February 21). That’s two more than Messi…

Surridge has taken a path not many have dared try in the pursuit of footballing stardom. He’s since been linked with a move back home, but he doesn’t need to. The Premier League isn’t the be all and end all.

He may not be a huge fan of country music or fried chicken, but Nashville is where he belongs, and more players should take that same risk.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from MLS on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, xG, and player ratings, where available. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

Viktor Gyökeres is coming good in 2026

Of all the big money strikers to move during the 2025 summer transfer window, Viktor Gyökeres was the one with the biggest challenge.

By Sam McGuire

The 27-year-old moved to Arsenal in a deal reportedly worth £63.5million, inclusive of add-ons. The Gunners earmarked him from the off, believing him to be the final piece of the puzzle at the Emirates. Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, João Pedro and Benjamin Šeško were all on the move but the powerhouse Swede was the one for Mikel Arteta.

During his final season with Sporting, the one-time Brighton forward scored 39 goals and averaged an astonishing 4.46 shots per 90 in the Portuguese top-flight. He was a final third machine. With Arsenal wanting someone to fire them to the title, adding someone who had 68 goals across his last two league campaigns seemed like smart business.

*Gyökeres’ player traits compared to strikers in top 5 leagues*

There was, however, one large problem. For all of their dominance, Arsenal weren’t exactly renowned for their ability to carve out chances. They ranked sixth in the Premier League last season for Expected Goals with a total of 61.6. For context, league winners Liverpool had an xG total of 83.5. During the 2023/24 campaign, Arteta’s men ranked third for xG, 12 behind stat leaders Liverpool. They also ranked third during the 2022/23 season.

Last season, Kai Havertz topped the charts for Arsenal with nine goals in the Premier League. Jamie Vardy, Tomáš Souček, Iliman Ndiaye, and Alex Iwobi also all finished with nine goals to their name. Beto and Amad, for example, trialled the former Chelsea man by a single goal.

And it isn’t as though Havertz had been wasteful with his opportunities. The No. 29 finished the season with an Expected Goals haul of just 9.56.

Arsenal did everything well up until the final part. Their forwards are starved of service. So while adding a goalscorer to a team lacking goals seemed like an obvious solution, Gyökeres was going to have to adapt. He was going to have to change up his game. At Sporting, he was the main man and the attack was centred around getting the best out of him. It’s why he was averaging over four shots per 90 and had an Expected Goals per 90 average of 0.99.

He wasn’t ever going to be able to replicate those numbers at the Emirates. Did they need him to though? Probably not. They just needed him to put the ball into the back of the net when it mattered.

*Gyökeres’ raw shooting numbers in the Premier League this season*

As we head into March, the narrative around Gyökeres is that he’s been a waste of money for the Gunners. Before the North London derby last weekend, the Sweden international had failed to have a shot on target in 60% of his appearances in the Premier League. In the English top-flight, he’d failed to deliver in a big game for Arteta’s side.

His eight goals had arrived in games against Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, Burnley, Everton and Sunderland.

Against Tottenham, though, he stole the show. He claimed a FotMob rating of 9.0 following his two goal haul.

What was positive from an Arsenal point of view was how well he combined with Eberechi Eze. The pair split the four goals on the day and Gyökeres seemed a lot more involved due to the presence of the No. 10 on the pitch.

Eze struck up quite a good understanding with Jean-Philippe Mateta while at Crystal Palace and his experience playing with a pure centre-forward no doubt benefits Gyökeres. Against Spurs, as evidenced in his heat map, he dropped a little deeper and found pockets of space. His first goal summed it up. Eze pinned Radu Drăgușin with a run that freed up Gyökeres on the edge of the area. He curled home an emphatic effort to give the Gunners the lead. It was simple but effective. A lot of the time this season he’s been isolated. Against Igor Tudor’s side, he wasn’t.

It was probably his best game of the season. He finished the game with two goals from four shots, one big chance created and a 100% dribble success rate.

His two goals took his haul for the season to 10 in the Premier League. We’re only in February and he’s already surpassed Havertz’s return. He’s only appeared in just over 1,700 minutes in the English top-tier and he’s into double digits. While he is not in the same realm as Erling Haaland, Gyökeres has delivered for Arsenal. The 27-year-old is exceeding his underlying numbers (8.32 xG this season) and still finding the back of the net despite a reduction in shot volume (he’s averaging just 2.13 per 90).

Gyökeres has been a success story for the Gunners. Of the big money summer signings, only João Pedro (11) has more and he had Premier League experience. And, more importantly, Arteta’s side have a five point lead at the summit.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

PSG are giving Dro Fernández the platform he was denied at Barcelona

Dro Fernández is already demonstrating why Paris Saint-Germain were right to make such an effort to sign him from Barcelona.

By Graham Ruthven

Paris Saint-Germain could have paid less for Dro Fernández. Indeed, the European champions felt so bad about poaching one of Barcelona’s best young players that they paid more than the 18-year-old’s release clause to lure him to the Parc Des Princes in the January transfer window.

That PSG sent a reported €8.2m to Barca instead of the €6m it would have taken to activate the release clause in Fernández’s contract was most likely politically motivated to maintain relations between the two clubs rather than a sympathy payment. Nonetheless, the teenager’s move caused controversy.

Fernández hasn’t had to wait long for vindication, though. While the young midfielder played just 91 minutes for Barcelona in the first half of the season, he has already surpassed that number in game time for his new team. PSG are giving Fernández the platform he was denied in Catalonia.

*Fernández has featured three times for PSG already*

Barcelona argued that Fernandez needed to bide his time. “If you want to play for Barca, then [do it] 100% with your whole heart,” said Hansi Flick when asked about the teenager’s situation. “This is what I want to say to everyone who is now with us, or in the future with us, this must be 100%.

“We give them the opportunity to train with us, to grow, every day, with the best players in the world. These colours, you have to live for them, this is what I want to see. All the others I don’t want, this is what I can say. Sometimes you do not agree with what they are doing, but they are 18, they are old enough to make the decisions, they have people around them.”

Considered one of the finest players to emerge from La Masia in a generation, Fernández was possibly entitled to feel he was being held back by Flick. Other youngsters such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí and Marc Bernal are key first team figures. Fernández, on the other hand, was barely in the first team picture.

At PSG, Fernández has immediately found a more suitable environment. Luis Enrique’s 4-3-3 formation appears to be a better fit for the 18-year-old who was never able to find a clear role in Flick’s 4-2-3-1 shape. Surrounded by some of the best midfielders in the word, Fernández has a lot of protection.

Positionally, Fernández is an unusual player. His natural dribbling ability has led some to suggest he is most effective on the wing whereas others see his pressing against the ball and consider him a central midfielder. The truth is he is somewhere between the two and Enrique seems to understand this.

“Luis Enrique is an incredible coach,” said Fernández. “Everyone told me he was an incredible coach, and that’s one of the reasons I signed here. He has a lot of faith in young players.” That faith led to Fernández being handed his first Ligue 1 start in PSG’s comfortable 3-0 win over Metz on Saturday.

Fernández played 63 minutes and registered 53 touches of the ball. He completed 39 of his 41 attempted passes and did a good job of circulating possession in the centre of the pitch. He also completed a successful dribble, fed a pass into Bradley Barcola that led to a shot and had an effort on target of his own.

It wasn’t the most eye-catching of performances, but Fernández has a lot more to offer. He will give Enrique a different option to utilise in his midfield trio with the 18-year-old a more vertical player than the likes of Vitinha, João Neves and Fabián Ruiz. In tight spaces and in open areas, Fernández is comfortable.

Not so long ago, PSG was a volatile environment for young players. It was a club geared towards its star players in the age of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Neymar. Of course, PSG still have star players, but Enrique is the figurehead of an organisation now far better equipped to improve and develop.

Such is the strength in depth at the Parc des Princes, Fernández shouldn’t expect to start many more matches before the end of the season. PSG have a crucial Champions League last 32 second leg this week followed by a run of pivotal fixtures in the French title race culminating in a clash with Lens in mid-April.

Even still, Fernández is clearly on the radar for Enrique in a way he never was for Flick. PSG went to the bother of extracting the 18-year-old from Barcelona because they can see his potential and have already given him an opportunity to show what he can do. La Masia’s loss can be PSG’s gain for years to come.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from Ligue 1 on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

Bodø/Glimt: The Norwegians making their mark on the biggest stage of all

Bodø/Glimt are fast becoming everyone outside of Norway’s favourite second team after their recent exploits in the Champions League.

By Ross Kilvington

The Norwegian side may have dominated their own domestic league, winning the Eliteserien four times since 2020, but it took until last season for that form to translate into serious progress in Europe.

Reaching the semi-finals of the Europa League, then, was seen as a massive success.

Nearly 12 months on from that 5-1 aggregate defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, Glimt find themselves on the verge of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.

Not since Rosenborg reached the quarter-finals of the same competition in the 1996/97 season has a Norwegian side made it to the knockout stages.

Heading into the second leg against Inter Milan at the San Siro, having won 3-1 in Norway last week, Glimt are looking to finish the job and seal a place in the last 16.

As seismic as that result was, it has become the norm in recent weeks for Glimt to perform against European heavyweights, just ask Manchester City and Atlético Madrid supporters.

How then, has a club located 200 miles into the Arctic Circle, been able to pull off such feats recently? It turns out there are a few factors in play.

Arctic conditions are a major advantage

Just like the Bolivian national team utilise the extreme altitude of La Paz to their advantage, the conditions in Bodø allow the club to have a psychological hold over their European opponents before they even step out on the pitch.

The city, with a population of just 54,000 people, can go months in the winter without experiencing sunlight, while in the summer, the sun doesn’t set for weeks on end.

When Man City played there in January, the temperature dropped to -9. A few weeks later against Inter, the Italians also struggled to cope with the freezing conditions during their own 3-1 loss.

Elite European teams simply haven’t been able to deal with these conditions, thus giving Bodø/Glimt a huge advantage.

A strong core of Norwegian players also helps, signifying another reason why the club have outperformed various clubs with much bigger budgets in recent months.

Home grown players offer a unique spirit

PSV Eindhoven, Ajax, Napoli, Eintracht Frankfurt and Benfica are all teams who finished below the Norwegian side in the league phase of the Champions League.

Collectively, those five teams spent £400m on players during the summer transfer window last year. In comparison, Glimt signed two players for a vast sum of £5m.

Furthermore, when you consider the millions that Man City, Atlético and Inter have spent on players in recent years, Glimt’s progress on the continent becomes even more remarkable.

Across their 25 man first-team squad, 19 players were born in Norway, with four others from Denmark, building the sort of team spirit required to defeat some of the most successful clubs in Europe.

Kasper Høgh is one of the four Danes and he has shone recently. Against City, the 25-year-old scored a brace.

He then followed that up with the winner against Atlético a week later. To top things off, Høgh netted the clincher against Inter, scoring a tap in to seal a memorable victory against the Serie A side.

Jens Petter Hauge is another who has showcased his talent in this European campaign. The Norwegian winger scored a stunning goal last week, adding to efforts against Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund and Man City.

Add in the collective efforts of players such as captain Patrick Berg and defenders Fredrik Bjørkan and Odin Bjørtuft, it becomes clear just how important it is for manager Kjetil Knutsen to forge this exemplary team spirit.

While all of these factors have played their part in Bodø emerging as a team primed for more success in Europe, it has been Knutsen who has brought everything together and raised expectations.

Kjetil Knutsen is the man behind the success

Since taking over at the club in January 2018, Knutsen has led Glimt to four league titles, three runners-up finishes and to the semi-finals of the Europa League.

Aside from his first season in the dugout, Bodø have lost just 28 of their 210 league games over the previous seven campaigns.

Domestic dominance has now turned into a need for progress in Europe. Nearly making the final of Europe’s second tier competition last year has clearly spurned on the 57-year-old, who led them into the Champions League group stages for the first time.

Utilising a fluid 4-3-3 system, the manager encourages his side to press deep in the opposition half, thus drawing comparisons with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.

Not only has this philosophy worked wonders domestically, but it is starting to pay off in Europe also.

Riding on the wave of that stunning 3-1 win over Inter at the Aspmyra Stadion, a trip to the San Siro is the ultimate test for Knutsen and his men.

A two goal-advantage is wonderful, but should they concede early, things could turn quickly.

By keeping a cool head and performing like they did the last time they travelled for a Champions League game should see Bodø move into the knockout stages.

If so, just how far can the club go? Is a place in the quarter-finals a realistic prospect?

Given their performances in the competition since the turn of the year, the sky is the limit for Bodø/Glimt.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Champions League with FotMob this season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

The MLS Wrap: Son’s LAFC trounce Messi’s Miami on opening night

The opening weekend of the 2026 MLS season pit two of the biggest stars of world football against each other, while wonderkids emerged and promising American coaches impressed.

By James Nalton

Son vs. Messi

An opening-day face-off between two teams tipped to top their respective conference tables in 2026 ended in a convincing win for Los Angeles FC, as the battle between Son Heung-min and Lionel Messi went the way of the former Tottenham man.

The game was played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, just across the road from LAFC’s usual home, BMO Stadium, in an attempt to encourage a larger attendance for this high-profile season opener.

It worked, with the crowd of 75,673 making it the second-highest all-time MLS attendance for a single game, still a bit behind the 82,110 who watched LA Galaxy vs LAFC at the Rose Bowl in 2023.

The home crowd had plenty to celebrate, too, with their forward line of Son, Denis Bouanga, and David Martínez causing problems for the Inter Miami defence all game.

The visitors, on the other hand, looked worryingly susceptible to transition play, as they often did in 2025, but on this occasion were unable to find the Messi magic to bail out their leaky defence.

Miami’s head coach, Javier Mascherano, commented after the game that he didn’t think the three-goal margin of the defeat was a fair reflection of the game.

“The reality is that they beat us fair and square,” Mascherano told reporters after the game.

“I think it can be difficult to explain when you lose 3-0, but my initial analysis gives me the feeling that the result was somewhat misleading.

“There wasn’t that much of a difference [between the two teams] throughout the game itself.”

The stats, and in truth, the game itself, told a different story, though.

Inter Miami did have 68% of the ball possession, but created an xG of just 0.85 from 12 shots. Six of those were blocked, and six were from outside the box.

LAFC, on the other hand, created an xG of 3.26 and had six big chances in total. If anything, the misleading part of the result is that the home side could have scored more.

Defence remains an issue for Inter Miami. Only four teams in the Eastern Conference conceded more goals than they did in 2025, and they have got off to a worrying start.

It is difficult to judge them on one game against LAFC, though, as the Western Conference side have the potential to run away with their side of the league in 2026, such is their firepower in attack. Stopping Messi and co. will also give them confidence in their defence.

On this evidence, the 2026 MLS season could belong to Son and LAFC.

Wonderkid Mehmeti shines under boss Bradley

Michael Bradley’s managerial debut at the senior team level would have been a story in itself, but, in what is no doubt a pleasing outcome for any head coach, the resulting narrative was around what he enabled his New York Red Bulls players to do in their 2-1 victory at Orlando City, rather than solely around the manager himself.

In this case, it was the remarkably young lineup the former United States captain, Roma midfielder, and son of former Fulham manager Bob, fielded in this opening game, and in particular the performance of 16-year-old midfielder Adri Mehmeti.

The inclusion of Mehmeti, plus 17-year-olds Matthew Dos Santos and Julian Hall, saw the Red Bulls become the first team in MLS history to start three players aged 17 or younger in a regular season game.

Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty (21), Ronald Donkor (21), Justin Che (22), and Cade Cowell (22) were also in the starting lineup, while two 21-year-olds, Juan Mina and Omar Valencia, and a 17-year-old, Tanner Rosborough, came off the bench in the second half.

A case for a promotion to the first team could have been made for many of the young players who won the MLS Next Pro championship for the Red Bulls’ second team under Bradley last season, but the one most needed in this Red Bulls senior setup was midfielder Mehmeti.

It was a composed and controlling performance from box to box by the teenage midfielder, who ended the game with a pass success of 89%, eight defensive contributions, and an assist.

Rather than being a one-off injection of youth and energy with which to open the season, Bradley will be considering Mehmeti and a few others for key starting roles throughout 2026, given their performance.

Crepeau leads the way

The quality of the Red Bulls’ performance in attack is also shown in the FotMob rating of Orlando City’s goalkeeper, Maxime Crepeau, which was the highest of any player in Matchday 1.

The Canadian made 11 saves in total and faced an xG on target of 5.63.

The Red Bulls created eight big chances but only scored two of them, and the performance of Crepeau was enough to keep Orlando in with a chance of getting something from the game, and the result to a narrow 2-1 defeat, when it could have been much more.

San Diego and Varas start strongly

Another American head coach looking to impress in his first senior head coaching role is San Diego FC’s Mikey Varas.

The 43-year-old took the 2025 expansion team to the top of the Western Conference table in their first season in the league, and began 2026 impressively with a 5-0 win against CF Montréal.

It bodes well for another impressive season for the league’s newest team and another of its promising homegrown coaches.

(Cover Image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from MLS with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

Preview: Rejuvenated Man United travel to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium

Everton are unbeaten against Manchester United over their past three meetings, but are winless at their new home since early December.

By Filip Mishov

Former United manager, David Moyes, faces his former player, Michael Carrick

Everton went into their two-week break with a lot of areas to work on after suffering a comeback defeat to AFC Bournemouth last time out home, which only continued the Merseyside club’s poor form since the turn of the year. The David Moyes-led squad is one of the lowest scoring in the Premier League and only five teams (all from the bottom half of the table) have scored fewer goals (29) after 26 rounds played. With the Toffees celebrating only a couple of wins, both on the road, from eight matches across all competitions in 2026 (2W, 3D, 3L), the Blues are sitting in ninth place and eight points behind United, who occupy fifth place.

Fresh from winning the Premier League’s Manager of the Month award for January, Michael Carrick is strengthening his case for staying at the helm on a permanent basis . Even though the Englishman’s honeymoon start was halted by West Ham at the London Stadium, Manchester United are on a five-match unbeaten run under his guidance, and the Red Devils remain the only undefeated side in the top flight during 2026.

However, Bruno Fernandes & co. have struggled away from Old Trafford this season, and with just four wins, six draws and three losses, accompanied by a neutral goal difference, being some cause for concern.

Key players

James Garner starred at the Theatre of Dreams back in November last year with the 10-man Everton coming away victorious and the Carrington graduate is deservedly catching the eye of England manager Thomas Tuchel ahead of the March international break. With that being said, the versatile midfielder whose idol is interestingly, Steven Gerrard, is the Blues’ highest-rated (7.45) player this season. He also leads the Everton squad in terms of accurate passes per 90 (41.2), big chances created (9) and interceptions per 90 (1.5), which speaks volumes about his quality on and off the ball.

Benjamin Šeško is continuing to impress of late but the talented striker is still waiting for his first start under Carrick despite earning United four points over the past three matches with his goals. Only Bryan Mbeumo (9) has scored more league goals (6) and the Slovenian is averaging 1.9 shots on target per 90, with only the current leading goalscorer, Erling Haaland, boasting a better record for this metric in the Premier League. Is it the right time to unleash Šeško from the first whistle?

Team news

Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined with a back injury and the Dutch centre-back is targeting a return next month alongside Patrick Dorgu, while Mason Mount is getting closer to being fit.

For Everton, Jake O’Brien is suspended after getting sent off against the Cherries, while Jack Grealish underwent foot surgery and is out for the season.

Prediction

Everton have scored more than one goal in a match only twice so far in 2026, and although I do not rule out Iliman Ndiaye & co. finding a way past Senne Lammens, Manchester United have enough firepower to record a debut win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and move back in to the top four and closer to the leading trio in the table.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Premier League with FotMob this season – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2026

Preview: Igor Tudor debuts in crucial North London Derby

Formerly managerless Spurs take on title favourites Arsenal on Sunday in a North London Derby laden with almost too much narrative.

By Ian King

Spurs and Arsenal are undergoing very different psychodramas at the moment

The soap opera that is Tottenham Hotspur ended its last episode on a cliffhanger; a new head coach that no-one was expecting and then a short break before a derby against local rivals who are showing frayed edges in their chase for a first league title in more than twenty years. Welcome, Igor ‘The Firefighter’ Tudor. This is what is known as a ‘baptism of fire.’ Spurs remain without a win in any competition bar the Champions League in 2026.

Arsenal’s last outing at Wolves also felt as though it was following some sort of script, although any storyline involving a league leader who’d been wobbling going to a team miles adrift at the bottom of the table, racing into a two-goal lead, throwing it away thanks to a – frankly hilarious – stoppage-time defensive mix-up and then completely losing their heads at the final whistle would probably be rejected by most producers as a little too unbelievable.

Arsenal have the upper hand in previous meetings between these two

Historically, in recent meetings and in their previous match this season, Arsenal have a clear upper hand in this fixture. They won their first meeting in 1896 – although it wasn’t a local derby then – have 90 wins to Spurs’ 67 over the intervening 130 years, have won six of the sides’ last seven meetings, and swatted them aside by a comfortable 4-1 margin at The Emirates Stadium earlier this season. They’ve even won the league at White Hart Lane twice, in both 1971 and 2004.

This match could be an opportunity for two creative players with a bit of a point to prove

It was reported last week that, even though Spurs had given their players five days off to rest, Xavi Simons opted not to take it and carried on training anyway. In amongst all the doom and gloom around The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since the new year, Simons has been quietly putting together a run of decent performances, and has the creativity to be able to unlock the Arsenal defence.

That Spurs are expected to try out a three-man defence for this match could provide Arsenal with attacking opportunities, which could provide room for Bukayo Saka, who was one of the few Arsenal players to put in a decent shift at Wolves, even though he had to be withdrawn with a knock. Moving him into the centre seemed to work for Mikel Arteta, and it can hardly be said that there won’t be opportunities for him to potentially exploit.

The Spurs injury list remains as long as ever, but Arsenal’s worries aren’t as bad as had been anticipated

WIlson Odobert has twanged his ACL and is now out for the season for Spurs, joining Destiny Udogie, Pedro Porro, Kevin Danso, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski in a treatment room which will presumably be having an extension built on it at the end of the season.

Richarlison was spotted training this week, but there’s been little indication that he’ll be ready to start this match, so expect to see Randal Kolo Muani supporting Dominic Solanke up front. Cristian Romero is, as he tends to be rather too often, suspended. Tudor prefers a back three, so João Palhinha may join Radu Drăgușin and Micky Van De Van at the back.

For Arsenal, Bukayo Saka limped off against Wolves but is expected to be okay for this match, and there’s a good chance that Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz will return from injury too. Mikel Merino is probably out for the remainder of the season, while Max Dowman is due back some time around the end of the month, but won’t be ready for this match.

For both teams, this is a match being played at both the best of times and the worst of times

The North London Derby might have been renamed the “Oh, Do We Have To?” Derby in recent years for Spurs, and the ease with which Arsenal brushed them aside earlier this season is an obvious concern about their prospects for this match.

But much has been made of Igor Tudor’s ability to quickly turn around a team’s fortunes, so there is a version of this storyline in which the new manager carves himself a little place in the club’s history by getting a result of this match. Who will turn up for this match? Will Doctor Tottenham be on call, or has that 999 call to Emergency Paramedic Tudor already performed some effective triage on them?

And Arsenal are wobbling. They’ve only won two of their last seven, and their commanding lead at the top of the Premier League table has been whittled away. With Manchester City playing on Saturday night, it could be as little as two points by the time you read this.

*The top of the table before Saturday’s games*

In addition to this, their performance at Wolves – a team already essentially, if not mathematically, relegated – only added credence to the theory that they may not have the mental fortitude to be able to hold onto the top spot until the end of this season.

This is, therefore, a match with a full spectrum of potential outcomes. If Igor Tudor has waved a magic wand and goes with a formation that works for them while Arsenal put in a performance like they did at Molineux in the week, Spurs could take something from this game and blow a hole in their bitter rivals’ title ambitions. But if any of these outcomes don’t come to pass, we’d realistically expect Arsenal to do to Spurs again what they did earlier this season.

The answer to this is probably somewhere in the middle. Ultimately, this is top of the table away to a team in a relegation fight, and that reality makes it impossible to predict much beyond a win for the title-chasers. I’ll go 1-0 to the Arsenal, but this really does feel like a match with a plentiful number of potential outcomes.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2026

Preview: Liverpool head to a Forest side looking for a new manager bounce

The Vítor Pereira era kicks off at the City Ground this weekend as Nottingham Forest host reigning champions Liverpool.

By Sam McGuire

Unwanted history

Nottingham Forest have just appointed their fourth manager of the campaign, a Premier League record. Following the 0-0 draw with bottom of the table Wolves, Sean Dyche was dismissed and Pereira was appointed. The Portuguese tactician worked under Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis when he took charge of Olympiakos in 2015 for a brief stint.

The pair have reunited at the City Ground with Forest hoping the one-time Porto boss can keep them in the Premier League. With 12 matches left to play this season, they’re just three points above the drop zone and have won only two of their last 10 outings in the English top-flight.

There haven’t been many home comforts for Forest this term either. They’ve won three of their 13 matches at home in the Premier League, averaging a goal a game and conceding 1.38. They have, however, drawn their last three at the City Ground, holding Arsenal to a 0-0 draw, claiming a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace before the 0-0 with Wolves last time out.

Forest did also stun Fenerbahće in the Europa League on Thursday evening, claiming a 3-0 win in Istanbul.

Liverpool, meanwhile, stuck with manager Arne Slot despite the Dutchman coming under severe pressure just a few months after guiding the Reds to the Premier League title.

A 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest at Anfield was perhaps the lowpoint of the season for Liverpool and it forced Slot into making changes to his system. It even saw him drop Mohamed Salah.

The Reds did manage to put together a rather unconvincing 12 match unbeaten run across all competitions before defeat to Bournemouth. Slot’s side have won four of their consequent five though, scoring 15 times in the process. In a recent press conference, the former Feyenoord boss said Liverpool need to be near perfect to claim a top four finish this season, meaning Sunday is a must-win games.

Easier said than done. Perhaps surprisingly, Slot has yet to taste victory against Nottingham Forest.

Key Players

For the hosts, the main man is once again Morgan Gibbs-White. It’ll be interesting to see whether Forest can keep hold of him again this summer having fended off Tottenham ahead of the 2025/26 campaign. The England international leads the way for goal involvements with nine.

For Liverpool, the focus will be on Mohamed Salah. He’s been scoring and assisting since returning from AFCON and his return coincides with Liverpool finding the back of the net on 20 occasions across their last seven outings. If anyone can fire the Reds into the top four, it’s him.

Team News

Matz Selz and Chris Wood are definitely out for Nottingham Forest but Murillo and Nicolo Savona could be back after missing the draw with Wolves.

Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are ruled out for the season for Liverpool while Stefan Bajčetić, Jeremie Frimpong and Alexander Isak are out for the foreseeable future. Dominik Szoboszlai – whose importance we profiled earlier this week – will return to the starting XI in the Premier League having missed the 1-0 win over Sunderland after picking up a red card against Manchester City.

Prediction

We’re sticking with a narrow win for Liverpool regardless of the changes in the home dugout. Let’s go with 2-1.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2026

Preview: Barcelona playing catch up against relegation threatened Levante

Back to back defeats and a lack of options to rotate have left Hansi Flick complaining about Barcelona running out of steam this week; home to struggling Levante though has to be nothing but a win to get the title tilt back on track.

By Karl Matchett

Defensive deficiencies

While Flick might hope to outscore most teams Barca come up against, the last two defeats have revealed a more immediate problem: they have been continually exposed at the back, with six conceded across those matches and a combined xG allowed of 5.23 suggesting it was far from undeserved. That included a massive nine big chances being conceded – with Girona, not Atlético Madrid in the 4-0 cup loss, racking up five of them – despite just 29% possession.

Eric García for one might find himself in line to be “rested” if Ronald Araújo’s fitness can hold up. He scored an own goal and was sent-off against Atleti, then was booked and hooked last weekend in the league clash.

Title talk

It’s just one of two again in Spain this year in terms of a title, even though we’re only in February. Barcelona start the weekend two points behind Real Madrid but ten ahead of Villarreal – given they’ve both won the same number of games it’s looking like defences will decide the title, so if you underperform in any given game, keep a clean sheet and make sure you don’t lose it. Madrid are inches ahead in that regard so far.

The end is nigh

Levante’s season really crumbled across autumn and the start of winter, as they lost five straight games in LaLiga. A new year burst of form saw them defeated only once in six outings to make up a little ground towards safety, but since then it has been back to the bad – three defeats in a row leave them seven points from safety. Barring a bit of a miracle run, the team with the worst defensive record in Spain’s top flight are going to make a swift exit after just one season back among the elite.

Recent form

Barcelona had won six in a row prior to those recent losses to Atlético and Girona, while at home in LaLiga this term it’s 11 wins from 11 games and just five goals conceded. Levante have actually won more points away (11) than at home (7) but it would still be a major shock for them to get a result.

Team news

Marcus Rashford should be back for Barca, but Pedri is probably set to miss out. Gavi and Andreas Christensen remain sidelined.

For Levante, Kervin Arriaga is suspended and Pablo Martínez will sit the match out with a leg issue. The visitors are awaiting a verdict on Unai Elgezabal’s fitness.

Key man

Lamine Yamal is second in LaLiga for combined goals and assists this season (18), third for shots per 90 (4.6) and top for chances created (58). However, he’s Barcelona creative key because he’s top by miles when it comes to big chances created – 21, compared to next-best 11 for Luis Milla and Arda Güler.

Prediction

It might not be pretty but a win is a win, and Barcelona should manage it this time out: Barcelona 2-0 Levante.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2026

Preview: Real Madrid aiming to stretch LaLiga advantage as they face Osasuna

Real Madrid benefitted from a shock slip up from Barcelona in the last round of games to remain at the summit of LaLiga.

By Ross Kilvington

Having defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 on Saturday evening in what was an impressive display by Álvaro Arbeloa’s men, Barcelona suffered a surprise defeat to Girona on Monday.

As such, Los Blancos have the opportunity to extend their advantage to five points when they travel to face Osasuna on Saturday.

Álvaro Arbeloa is turning into a shrewd appointment for Real Madrid

When the Spaniard was announced as Xabi Alonso’s replacement earlier this year, there were plenty of doubters.

Losing 3-2 to second tier side Albacete in the Copa del Rey was hardly the finest of debuts, but things have only gotten better since then.

In LaLiga, the club have won five consecutive matches to overhaul Barcelona at the top of the table.

During those games, Real have scored 12 goals and conceded only twice in the process. In midweek, Arbeloa led his side to revenge against Benfica, winning the first leg of their knockout playoff clash 1-0 in the Champions League.

Three weeks prior, the Portuguese giants claimed a 4-2 victory which condemned Real to the playoffs, but Arbeloa adapted ahead of the rematch.

More importantly, however, is Vinícius Júnior’s return to form under the interim coach. He scored just seven goals under Alonso, but he has already registered eight goal contributions in just eight games for Arbeloa.

He scored the winner against Benfica on Wednesday and another game-winning performance wouldn’t go amiss this weekend.

Osasuna are on a good run of form

Real wont have it all their own way in Pamplona, especially considering the solid run of form Osasuna are currently on.

Although they occupy tenth place in the table, the club have won three of their previous five league matches, drawing the other two.

Striker Ante Budimir has been excellent of late. The Croatian has scored five goals across Osasuna’s last five matches, including a brace in the 3-2 win over Real Oviedo.

Overall, he has scored 11 goals in LaLiga this season, which ranks him fourth on the list of top scorers this campaign. He could pose a big threat to Real this weekend.

Team news

For this match, the home side will be without Iker Benito due to a cruciate ligament injury and Flavien Boyomo, who is struggling with an ankle issue.

Arbeloa wont be able to call on a trio of players, as Jude Bellingham (hamstring), Éder Militão (tendon injury) and Rodrygo (hamstring) remain absent for Real.

Prediction

Real Madrid won this fixture 1-0 at the start of the season and they will be expecting another victory over Osasuna this weekend.

While the home side are unbeaten in five matches, it will take a near perfect display for them to grab all three points at the Estadio El Sadar.

Following a solid victory over Benfica in midweek, Arbeloa’s men head into this game high on confidence.

As such, Real will extend their lead at the top of the league table with a comfortable victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from LaLiga on FotMob in the 2025/26 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.