The Pulse of Football

Mar

2026

Jens Berthel Askou: Motherwell’s Danish manager working miracles at Fir Park

Motherwell might not win the title this season, but The Steelmen might be the best footballing side in the Scottish Premiership right now.

By Graham Ruthven

Scottish football has waited decades for a season like this one. In a country dominated by two teams, four teams are being talked about as title challengers. Leaders Hearts have been the defining story of the Scottish Premiership so far, and rightly so. Motherwell, however, deserve a spotlight of their own.

Jens Berthel Askou’s team probably won’t win the title. 10 points might be too much ground to make up even if Motherwell hold a game in-hand over two of the three teams above them. That the title question is even being asked of them, though, shows how far they have come under their Danish manager.

*Motherwell – the fourth horse in a two-team title race*

Nobody in Scotland had heard of Berthel Askou when he was appointed at Fir Park last summer. The former defender arrived at Motherwell having been assistant manager at Sparta Prague and FC København, but quickly imposed himself on a team that hadn’t finished in the top half for four seasons.

Only Celtic are averaging a higher possession share per match in the Scottish Premiership this season than Motherwell. This level of control helps The Steelmen construct attacking opportunities in a repeatable way, but also protects the defence – Motherwell boast the second-lowest Expected Goals Conceded in the division.

Berthel Askou wants his side to play with the ball and has imposed an ideology that has made Motherwell the most dynamic, modern team in the country. As if this wasn’t impressive enough, the Dane has done this with one of the smallest budgets of any Scottish Premiership manager.

Tawanda Maswanhise has been a revelation. The Zimbabwean is the Scottish Premiership’s top scorer with 16 goals in 25 games after netting only six times for Motherwell last season. Maswanhise’s willingness to get in behind gives The Steelman a valuable element of unpredictability, offsetting their possession-heavy approach.

Elliot Watt and Elijah Just, both signed for nothing last summer, have also thrived at Fir Park this season, but Berthel Askou’s biggest success has been in drawing more quality out of the players he inherited as Motherwell manager. The Dane has lifted standards across the board at the club.

Stephen O’Donnell and Paul McGinn are two notable examples of this. While respected as experienced performers at Scottish Premiership level, nobody expected the pair to reach the sort of standard Berthel Askou has taken them to this season. O’Donnell in particular has caught the eye. The 33-year-old’s playing like prime Cafu.

It is the unfortunate reality of modern football that Berthel Askou won’t be at Motherwell for long. Celtic fans are openly discussing the possibility of the Dane taking over from Martin O’Neill at the end of the season. Clubs in Europe’s Big Five leagues are surely monitoring his progress as well.

Everything about Berthel Askou is impressive. He speaks with authority without ever raising his voice. Communication has been a key part of his success. Players and fans hang on his every calm and composed word. Even as outsiders have started talking about Motherwell as potential title challengers, the Dane has kept his cool.

“I know there’s been a lot of talk about us being in a title race now,” he said. “In terms of being in a race, racing with other clubs, there needs to be some conditions that are more or less the same. And we just compete in a totally different league, even though we’re in the same football league.

“There are some circumstances that the other teams above us have in their hands that we don’t have, and that’s why it’s irrelevant for us to discuss that question or to approach it internally or externally. What’s important is that we’re developing and we’re growing as a club, and that we are aware of where we need to grow as a club.”

Motherwell have lost just once in their last 20 league games, and that was away to Rangers when the Ibrox side were fortunate to nick a narrow 1-0 victory. The novelty of seeing an underdog like Motherwell out-play one of Scotland’s Big Two on their own patch still hasn’t worn off even as The Steelmen have made a habit of it.

If Motherwell are to have any realistic hope of winning the Scottish title for the first time since 1932, three points away to Celtic on 14th March will be required. A win against table-toppers Hearts in the final round of fixtures before ‘The Split’ would also be a huge boost to their cause.

Ultimately, this might prove beyond Berthal Askou and his players, but Motherwell’s story still deserves to be told in a season that could be remembered for Hearts’ heroics. At the very least, this could be the start of a managerial career destined for the top. What Berthal Askou has done isn’t normal.

(Images from IMAGO)

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

Mar

2026

Preview: Can City keep the heat on Arsenal as Forest visit the Etihad?

Manchester City can pile more pressure on Arsenal in the Premier League title race by beating Nottingham Forest on Tuesday.

By Graham Ruthven

Title momentum

Champions know how to win ugly and that’s what Manchester City have done in some of their recent matches, including Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Leeds United.

Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last six games in all competitions, peaking at the right time of the season to put pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table. A City win on Tuesday would narrow the gap to two points again.

Nottingham Forest have plenty to play for too. Vítor Pereira is still searching for his first league win since taking over from Sean Dyche with the bottom three getting closer and closer.

City have kept a clean sheet in five of their last six home matches against Forest in all competitions and are well-placed to continue that streak on Tuesday.

*The top of the table prior to Tuesday’s games*

The stakes at both ends of the Premier League table are higher now than at any other stage of the season. City need three points to stay on Arsenal’s tail while Forest are scrapping for survival.

Key players

Erling Haaland is a doubt to face Forest after winning the win over Leeds with a minor injury. The Norwegian has scored 22 times in 27 league appearances this season and was missed by City even as they won at Elland Road.

Antoine Semenyo delivered the decisive moment against Leeds and is a good bet to start on Tuesday. The Ghanaian has scored four goals in seven games since joining from Bournemouth.

At the back, Rúben Dias and Marc Guéhi have shown signs of a developing partnership, giving Manchester City the sort of solid foundation they lacked earlier in the season.

Morgan Gibbs-White scored his seventh league goal of the campaign in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton and will be a threat in between the lines against City. Callum Hudson-Odoi could also be a danger.

*The bottom of the table, prior to Tuesday’s games*

Elliot Anderson is averaging more accurate passes per 90 than any other Nottingham Forest player this season. Pereira needs the England international in top form at the Etihad Stadium.

On their day, Nikola Milenković and Murillo are among the strongest centre back partnerships in the Premier League, but Forest have kept just one clean sheet in five games, and that was against bottom-side Wolves.

Team news

Haaland remains a doubt after missing the win over Leeds United, meaning Omar Marmoush could once again start as Manchester City’s centre forward against Forest.

Nico O’Reilly will also face a late fitness test before the match. Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol, however, are definitely sidelined through injury having missed a large portion of the season so far.

Chris Wood, Nicolò Savona and John Victor are unavailable for Nottingham Forest while goalkeeper Stefan Ortega is a doubt after starting Pereira’s one win as manager away to Fenerbahçe.

Prediction

Nothing about the Premier League at this point in the season is predictable, except that is, the likelihood of a Pep Guardiola side pulling off result after result. We expect City to maintain the pressure on leaders Arsenal: Man City 2-0 Nottingham Forest.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Mar

2026

Preview: Barcelona praying for a miracle against Atlético Madrid

“If any team are capable of a comeback, it’ll be us.” So said Raphinha this week, but it’s probably worth Barcelona remembering that most notable comebacks in recent years have been against Barca – and Atlético Madrid hold a massive lead.

By Karl Matchett

Attack vs. Defence?

If the Brazilian’s prediction is to come true, then Hansi Flick’s side will have to come out all guns blazing, keep Atleti pegged back and score reasonably early on. Whoever wins this tie will be favourites to triumph in the Copa del Rey final itself – Athletic Club and Real Sociedad are in the other semi – but overcoming a 4-0 first-leg deficit is a mammoth challenge for a club whose bigger focus will still be on a LaLiga title and an open road to the semi-finals in the Champions League.

Even so, assuming the Camp Nou side go all out, the evidence isn’t wildly in their favour that they’ll achieve the mission. They’ve only kept six clean sheets this side of the new year from 15 matches in all competitions – and four of those came against either bottom-three or lower-league teams. Atleti have kept more clean sheets in LaLiga and allowed a lower xG tally this season (28.9 – 33.4), as well as actually conceding three fewer goals.

Atlético’s forwards might not feast in the same way Barca’s do, but they still have the third highest shots on target per 90 rate in LaLiga and have scored at above their xG rate too. Keeping los rojiblancos at bay so soon after shipping four against them might well be beyond Barcelona, meaning they’d need at least five goals themselves. Six against Valencia and Olympiacos, five against Real Betis and Athletic: those are the only games they’ve managed it this term.

Flick’s century, Simeone’s 15 years

Last time out Barcelona were rampant, giving Flick a win in his 100th fixture in charge of the club. He’s clearly got the team on the right path overall, even if there remain elements of the squad overused or understocked for a real assault on Europe.

Meanwhile, Diego Simeone is at this stage basically synonymous with Atlético – yet we’re just a couple of weeks down the line from a wild suggestion that the club’s new director of football might want him to depart. It seems improbable mid-season and even if the Copa isn’t the biggest prize, Simeone will surely want to add a trophy to his club collection – it’s 13 years since he won this one.

Recent form

A defeat and two wins since the first leg for the hosts; Atleti have had a defeat, a draw and then three straight wins.

Team news

Eric García is suspended and Frenkie de Jong is out injured, along with Gavi. Robert Lewandowski also misses out after a fracture.

Atlético will be without Pablo Barrios and Johnny Cardoso.

Key player

He’s talking up the team, he needs to produce himself. Raphinha’s last year sees him above 95% of European midfielders for chance creation, 98% for goals and 99% for shots – but he hasn’t scored or assisted in the last four.

Prediction

They’ll give it a go…and fall short. Atlético are just too frustrating to play against when they want to be: Barcelona 3-1 Atlético Madrid.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Mar

2026

Preview: Wolves meet Liverpool for game one of league and cup double header

Wolves host Liverpool twice this week. On Tuesday evening, the two sides face off in the Premier League.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Perhaps surprisingly given the narrative, Liverpool are third in the form table right now with 12 points from a possible 15. Only Manchester United and Manchester City (13 points each) have more across this period.

The Reds are the Premier League’s set-piece kings in 2026, scoring eight times from dead-ball situations since the turn of the year. It’s been quite the turnaround since the dismissal of set piece coach Aaron Briggs at the end of December. In the 5-2 win against West Ham United last time out, the reigning Premier League champions scored three from set pieces in the first half alone.

*The top of the table heading in to the midweek round*

The victory over the Hammers lifted them into fifth position, just three points behind third-placed Manchester United. Despite the issues this term, losing nine of 12 at one stage of the campaign, Liverpool could still claim a top three finish this term.

Wolves are anchored to the foot of the table but their form has picked up recently. They drew with Nottingham Forest and fought back from 2-0 down against Arsenal to claim a 2-2 draw. Last time out, they beat Aston Villa 2-0 and head into this game against Liverpool quietly confident that they might be able to cause yet another upset.

In recent outings, the Reds have lost the possession battle against Sunderland, Nottingham Forest and West Ham. In fact, the Hammers won the xG battle at Anfield. Wolves aren’t as potent, they’re also at the bottom of the table for goals and rank 18th for xG, but they are now scoring and they’ll worry their visitors.

Key Players

With Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz out injured and Mohamed Salah going through a difficult period, the focus will be on Hugo Ekitike. The Frenchman opened the scoring against West Ham on Saturday and added two assists in the 5-2 win. He’s now on 11 goals and four assists across a little shy of 1,700 minutes. Stop him and you likely stop this current iteration of Liverpool.

For the hosts, the main focus will be on Liverpool transfer target Mateus Mané. With just two goals and one assist this season, he’s hardly an output machine, but he’s a genuine threat and has the potential to cause the away side a lot of issues. Performing against the Reds allows him to put himself in the shop window too.

Team News

The big news for the hosts is the return of Hwang Hee-chan from a calf strain he sustained against Chelsea in February, while Ladislav Krejčí is available after serving a suspension.

Liverpool are without Wirtz due to a back issue, while Isak, Wataru Endo, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are all missing. Jeremie Frimpong’s recent return to the squad provides a boost, giving Arne Slot another option at right-back.

Prediction

We’re going to go with a narrow, ugly 2-1 win for Liverpool ahead of their clash in the FA Cup on Friday evening.

(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.

Mar

2026

The MLS Wrap: Messi League Soccer is back!

The 2025 MLS Most Valuable Player was back in the goals on Sunday night, and back leading the way as the outstanding performer of Matchday 2.

By James Nalton

Inter Miami underwhelmed on the opening weekend of the new season, though they did face what will likely be the toughest fixture in the league this year: a trip to Los Angeles FC. They won’t be the first team to go there and lose by multiple goals.

Their second game of the new campaign offered a chance to get back on track, but it wasn’t exactly a gimme as they travelled up the Florida peninsula to face Orlando City, a place they had yet to taste victory.

As Orlando took a two-goal lead in the first half, it looked like Miami’s poor record there and their stuttering start to the season would continue.

Then Lionel Messi happened, but not before a wonderful strike from halftime substitute Mateo Silvetti gave the No. 10 the platform from which to complete the comeback.

Messi scored twice from outside the area, including a 90th-minute free-kick for good measure, getting his eye in for the rest of the season, as he’ll be the favourite to be named MLS MVP once again.

…with support from Telasco Segovia

This is where the top performer of the week, per the FotMob ratings, might normally get a mention, but we’ve already spoken about Messi, so, instead, it offers a chance to talk about the second-highest rated player of the week, Messi’s teammate, Telasco Segovia.

The 22-year-old Venezuelan has been an important part of Messi’s supporting cast since joining the club last season.

His role has naturally increased in 2026 following the retirement of Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, and Luis Suárez’s legs being another year older.

The replacements for those players don’t necessarily come in the shape of positionally like-for-like successors, but in difference-makers across the pitch who can contribute alongside Messi.

Segovia showed he could step up to be one such player, providing assists for Silvetti and Messi before adding a goal of his own, which gave Miami the lead.

Repeat performance from Red Bull wonderkids

When praising young players who’ve impressed in one particular game, the worry is that it can be some time until they follow that up and back up the hype.

The nature of the pathway from a youth academy to first-team, senior football means inconsistency can be expected, as lessons are learned and players find their feet.

This was not the case for the New York Red Bulls contingent, who made the league sit up and take note on opening day and followed that up with another influential performance this weekend against New England Revolution.

This was epitomised by the game’s only goal as 17-year-old Matthew Dos Santos crossed to 16-year-old Adri Mehmeti, who headed on for 17-year-old Julian Hall to finish at the far post.

Hall was named the league’s Player of the Matchday last weekend, and though this week’s accolade is likely to go to Messi, the young Red Bulls continued to impress.

The excitement around these players will surely see more fans flock to the Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, New Jersey, as they show that MLS is as much about developing players as it is offering a home to headline-grabbing older stars.

Nectarios Triantis: good at football

As mentioned earlier, there is no like-for-like replacement for Sergio Busquets, not for Inter Miami, not for anyone, but you do wonder if David Beckham’s lot considered Triantis as the Spaniard’s successor in South Florida.

Instead, Minnesota United moved for the Aussie-born Greek international central operator in August, signing him from Sunderland following his spell on loan at Hibernian. The Loons seem to have a player on their hands.

Though no one is really like Busquets, Triantis’ height and comfort on the ball, especially in tight situations in midfield, bear brief resemblance.

He’s also able to use his physique to power out of situations, making him worth a watch, and he was part of a 1-0 win for Minnesota against Cincinnati this weekend.

Matt Wells vs. Phil Neville

Colorado Rapids new head coach won one of MLS’s battles of the English head coaches, defeating Neville’s Portland Timbers this weekend.

It was a convincing performance from Wells’ side in their home opener, as the former Spurs assistant joins Neville and Dean Smith as the league’s English head coaching contingent.

Müller speaks and scores twice in Canada clash

Thomas Müller is a thinker on the pitch and off it.

He scored twice in Vancouver Whitecaps’ 3-0 win against fellow Canadians Toronto at the weekend, and has also had some interesting things to say about football’s place in the sporting landscape up there in the west of Canada, specifically.

Speaking to German outlet Kicker, translated by Derek Rae on Bluesky, Müller said:

“You must separate two different things. Football here still has no big significance in the life of the general population. It’s not spoken about in the office on a Monday morning, but the football bubble is not in fact so small.

“In the stadia, there’s a euphoric atmosphere. The people are interested in the game, but the rest of the population doesn’t know the football bubble at all, they have other topics and other sports.

“They grew up with ice hockey, basketball, and [gridiron]. The ranking of football is perhaps comparable to handball in Germany. Due to the topography in Canada, there are significantly fewer football pitches than ice hockey rinks. However, in the playoffs, our stadium was packed with 50,000 spectators.”

Müller’s compatriot Timo Werner also made an impact this weekend, getting an assist for San Jose Earthquakes after coming off the bench for his debut in their 2-0 win against Atlanta United.

LA Galaxy’s five-minute treble

Goals from Lucas Sanabria in the 8th minute and João Klauss in the 11th and 13th minutes left Charlotte stunned on Saturday night.

The linkup for the second goal, between Gabriel Pec and fellow Brazilian Klauss, was very encouraging for the Galaxy, who are looking to return to the form that won them the MLS Cup in 2024.

This 3-0 win was a sign they might be able to do so.

(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.

Mar

2026

Preview: Real Madrid in LaLiga action against Getafe

Real Madrid welcome Getafe to the Bernabéu on Monday evening as they look to close the gap to league leaders Barcelona.

By Ross Kilvington

Real Madrid are looking to build momentum

Los Blancos may have lost to Osasuna last time out in LaLiga, but momentum has been building in recent weeks.

The 2-1 win over Benfica in midweek ensured progress into the last 16 of the Champions League, while a victory against Getafe would move them to within a point of leaders Barcelona.

Barcelona remain favourites for the title, but the narrative could still be flipped, meaning every game is now a must win for Álvaro Arbeloa’s men.

Key to any success Madrid have had in recent weeks has been due to the attacking output of both Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

Indeed, the duo have scored nine and seven goals respectively since Arbeloa took over as interim coach, enjoying plenty of freedom in the process.

The Brazilian in particular has been impressive. He scored yet again in midweek against Benfica and looks primed to play a vital role in the title run in.

Arbeloa will also be buoyed by the fact several first-team stars are nearing a return from injury. Rodrygo could add something extra in the final third when he recovers from a hamstring issue, while Jude Bellingham looks set to be back in action sooner rather than later for Madrid.

With the club fighting on both European and domestic fronts over the next couple of weeks, having a full strength squad to call on will be imperative for success.

Getafe looking for first win over Real Madrid since 2022

January 2022 was the last time Getafe defeated Real Madrid, with the Spanish giants going on to win the eight subsequent meetings between the two.

Could Getafe find solace in the fact Osasuna sealed a 2-1 victory against Los Blancos last weekend?

They have lost just one of their last five LaLiga matches and a win over Madrid would see them edge closer to the top half of the table.

Top scorer Borja Mayoral could miss the match due to injury, so the away side will have to count on Mauro Arambarri (5) and Juanmi (5) as their main goal threats.

Team news

Despite things on the injury front looking more promising for Madrid compared to a few weeks ago, the likes of Éder Militão, Bellingham, Dani Ceballos, Dean Huijsen, Mbappé, and Raul Asensio are ruled out of this match.

For Getafe, Davinchi and Abu Kamara will both be absent for the clash on Monday evening.

Elsewhere, Djené is suspended and Abdel Abqar faces a late fitness check ahead of the game to see whether he is fit or not.

Prediction

Madrid will be keen to follow up their 2-1 triumph over Benfica with another victory.

The desire to avoid losing ground in the title race should be enough incentive for Arbeloa and his men and they will seal all three points in comfortable fashion.

(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.

Feb

2026

Preview: Arsenal and Chelsea set for third clash of 2026

Liam Rosenior will face Arsenal for the third time since becoming Chelsea manager on Sunday. His side put up decent fights in the previous two, but the Premier League leaders proved too strong. Could third time be the charm?

By Alex Roberts

Remember that Gennaro Gattuso meme, “sometimes maybe good…”? Well, that sums Chelsea up at the moment. They’ve dropped an incredible 19 points from leading positions in the league, 17 of which have been at home, so far this season. If they held on to those leads, Chelsea could be above Arsenal.

Talk of Mikel Arteta’s lads bottling the title race it have simmered down following their comfortable 4-1 win over a dismal Tottenham side in the North London derby. Still, that narrative will shift once again if they were to drop points here.

*The standings prior to Saturday’s games*

Discipline continues to be an issue

There is only so many times ‘inexperience’ can be used as an excuse for Chelsea. Yes, they have the youngest squad in the Premier League, but that doesn’t make six red cards any less unacceptable.

Wesley Fofana was the latest player to throw his teammates under the bus. 1-0 up against likely to be relegated Burnley, once the Frenchman picked up his second yellow, the game completely shifted, and Chelsea dropped even more points.

A lot can be said about the squad that has been built by the ownership over the past few years, especially when Chelsea’s pre-tax loss this financial year is the WORST in English football history. They simply won’t be winning any major trophies if they don’t sort their discipline.

The REAL Viktor Gyökeres

It’s taken a little while, but we’re starting to see the Gyökeres we all expected when he joined from Sporting last summer. The tenacity, instinctive finishing, it’s all coming to the forefront just when Arsenal need it.

His performance against Spurs was the best we’ve seen from him since arriving at the Emirates. Scoring twice from an xG of 0.32, having 41 touches, and making five defensive contributions, it was almost perfect.

Now, he’s level on Premier League goals with Liverpool’s Hugo Ekiteke, who has largely been considered a successful signing by pundits and journalists alike. Whether people are ready to have the conversation or not, Gyökeres has been a good buy for Arsenal.

Team news

Bukayo Saka went off injured late in Arsenal’s win over Spurs but came back out to celebrate with his teammates after the final whistle. He should be good to face Chelsea, if not, we’ll probably see Noni Madueke face off against his former club.

Arteta doesn’t have too many injuries to stress about. Kai Havertz (muscle) is a doubt, Ben White (knock), Max Dowman (ankle), and Mikel Merino (foot) are all out.

As for Chelsea, Fofana will see out his one-game suspension here, perhaps he just didn’t fancy it. Levi Colwill (ACL), Filip Jorgensen (knock), Marc Cucurella (hamstring), Dário Essugo (muscle), and Jamie Gittens (muscle) will be on the sideline.

Prediction

We’re going to go a little deeper than usual with this one, because almost every Chelsea game seems to play out the same way. So, we think they’ll take the lead in the first half, and then Arsenal will rally and win 3-1.

(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

Preview: Man United look to continue their good run as Palace visit Old Trafford

Michael Carrick’s team are really on a roll in pursuit of Champions League football next term and facing a midweek-fatigued Crystal Palace presents another big chance to move closer to that prize.

By Karl Matchett

All eyes will be on United’s starting lineup and, more to the point, whether Benjamin Šeško is given the nod up front. After some wretched struggles – he wasn’t the only one – under Ruben Amorim’s style and set-up, the Slovenian has come to the fore during the Red Devils’ resurgence…but from the bench.

Juggling act or fixed decisions?

One of the most important early acts Carrick took was to play the 4-2-3-1 system but, more notably, play players within that in their primary roles. So, Bruno Fernandes was pushed to the No. 10, Amad Diallo is back as a winger and the likes of Noussair Mazraoui, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot are full-backs when they are used, not outside centre-backs.

A knock-on of that was a strict pick of one starting striker – Bryan Mbeumo most of the time – rather than fitting in several attackers, with some needing to play from the channel or in deeper support roles. But Šeško’s form might mean reconsideration is needed. After scoring a brace under Darren Fletcher in early January, he has since netted off the bench against Fulham, West Ham and Everton – across 94 minutes of action during five sub appearances.

If Šeško is to start it might mean no true winger, with Matheus Cunha and one other out wide – or we might see Carrick make a bold managerial call to drop one of those impactful options to the bench, maintaining a tactical plan which has worked well.

Selhurst discontent

For Palace, the Conference League win over Zrinjski means their European campaign will roll on, but their domestic one hasn’t been fun. Amid Oliver Glasner’s imminent departure and some questionable transfer activity, plus sinking to 13th in the table, fans have been vocal about wanting better from the board.

At the very least, they’re over the dismal run of 12 winless games in succession, but uncertainty over the future remains a cloud and it’s probably no bad thing to be away from home for a couple of matches for the Eagles.

Recent results

It’s five wins in six for United, while at home in the Premier League they’ve lost only once since late November – there’s been a few draws in there though. Palace have now lost only one in the last six in all competitions but on the road it hasn’t been pretty this season. One win from eight is their current streak, though they did end a two-month win for a league victory at Brighton recently.

Team news

Patrick Dorgu remains out, while Mason Mount, Mbeumo, and Lisandro Martínez are doubts for United. Jean-Philippe Mateta is still sidelined for the visitors, with Jefferson Lerma out too.

Key player

It could Benjamin Šeško, why not!? He now has the most shots on target per 90 minutes than anyone else in the whole league (1.9). Can he do it from the start?

Prediction

This should be three more points on the board for Carrick and it would be no surprise this game needs another late decider: Man United 2-1 Palace.

(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

Preview: Tudor takes Spurs to Fulham looking for a first win

Igor Tudor’s arrival at Spurs didn’t dampen the fire currently raging at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but will a trip across London to play Fulham calm their relegation fears?

By Ian King

The arrival of Igor Tudor did not automatically cure Spurs’ ills

Still without a Premier League win in 2026, the arrival of emergency interim head coach Igor Tudor has so far shown few indications that Tottenham Hotspur’s form is going to change much in the foreseeable future.

A 4-1 home defeat in the North London Derby last weekend saw a passable first half performance from struggling Spurs, but an abject second 45 minutes only reaffirmed the feeling that the problems at the club run so deep that changing the head coach is akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic.

Fulham, meanwhile, are settled and comfortable in mid-table. They’re exactly halfway down the Premier League going into the weekend (they will likely be a little lower by kick-off), with an impressive 3-1 win at Sunderland having ended a run of three successive defeats.

Who needs to finish where in order to qualify for Europe next season remains up in the air, but seventh – possibly even eighth – could be enough for the Europa Conference League. The Cottagers are only three points off that position, so they still have much to – potentially – play for in their remaining fixtures.

Fulham have the upper hand in recent meetings between these two teams

The historical omens for Spurs from this fixture do not look much better than their current form. Fulham have won four and drawn one of the two teams’ last six meetings, and they won 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the two clubs met in the corresponding fixture this season, at the end of November.

In order to find a straw for Spurs fans to grasp at, you have to go a little further back into the history books. Fulham only beat Spurs once between 1948 and 1999, though it should be added that they ‘only’ met each other 30 times over those 51 years.

Randal Kolo Muani’s improved performance was Spurs’ sole bright spot from their North London Derby humbling

Two goals at Sunderland last week makes Raúl Jiménez Fulham’s main goal threat. He’s scored eight goals and registered three assists, and he’ll be fancying his chances of increasing that tally against a defence which hasn’t kept a clean sheet in the league since New Year’s Day.

Randal Kolo Muani has worked with Igor Tudor before, and one of the tiny bright spots of Spurs’ North London Derby defeat was a better performance from the French striker. He scored his first Premier League goal and had a second slightly harshly disallowed last weekend; Tudor will need more of the same throughout the rest of the season.

Both sides have players returning, but Spurs remain deep in a horrendous injury crisis

With Tudor favouring three at the back, it’s expected that Kevin Danso will return, so the new head coach will be able to play his preferred system without having to crowbar defensive midfielder João Palhinha into his back line. Pedro Porro should be available again following his lay-off.

Cristian Romero remains suspended, while Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski all remain out of action. Spurs essentially had 13 fit first-team players for last weekend’s match, which gives an indication of just how severe their injury situation has been. Why the club didn’t even really attempt to rectify this during the January transfer window remains completely mystifying. The word ‘crisis’ is thrown around far too cheaply in football these days, but Spurs remain deep in the midst of an injury crisis.

Fulham have few such concerns. They’ve had Saša Lukić, Samuel Chukwueze and Antonee Robinson out with injury, but all three of these players should be returning in the very near future. Of the three, Lukić seems the least likely to be ready for this match. Robinson should be available again, while Chukuwueze is touch and go. Tom Cairney returned against Sunderland with a late cameo from the bench after three weeks out without any issues.

Doctor Tottenham remains on call, and Fulham should take advantage of his services

Wolves, Burnley, West Ham and Nottingham Forest may beg to differ, but there really are no other teams in the Premier League who need a win quite as much as Spurs do at the moment. Their current winless run feels like a seal that they need to break; a losing mentality seems to have become deeply embedded in their players.

It remains the case that the watching media and public alike are of the view that it’s inconceivable that the ninth-richest football club in the world could get relegated from the Premier League, but scales do seem to be falling from some eyes. The unthinkable is rapidly becoming very thinkable indeed, and Igor Tudor does not have much time left to rearrange those deckchairs if he wants it to make any material difference to their fortunes.

Fulham’s win at Sunderland last week ended a brief downturn in form, and with all Premier League clubs apparently now welcoming their visits from Doctor Tottenham, they’ll be looking forward to this visit as an opportunity to push back into the top half of the table. The grim truth for Spurs fans is that, for opposing teams, this is currently the most winnable fixture in their remaining schedules. A comfortable 2-0 win for Fulham would hardly lift the sinking feeling that is now rapidly descending over The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Feb

2026

Open road in Europe but rough terrain in the Premier League: What now for Eddie Howe and Newcastle?

A path for a major Champions League run has been laid before Newcastle United, but is it more their domestic form that poses the question of whether Eddie Howe has taken the Magpies as far as he’s realistically able to?

By Karl Matchett

The two-legged hammering of Qarabağ meant Newcastle made light work of reaching the round of 16 in the Champions League, and there’s no immediate reason to think the St. James’ Park club will stop there.

Light at the end of the Euro tunnel

In the bottom half of the draw, they’ll face Barcelona next – tough opponents but one that Newcastle have held their own against this term already. They lost to the Spanish champions 2-1 in the league phase but it was a close-fought game until final-third quality told after the break.

Over two legs, they’ll fancy their chances of being able to out-muscle and out-tactic Barca if a majority of players are fit and, should they triumph, neither Atlético Madrid (13 points behind Barca in LaLiga) nor Tottenham would hold further fears. Overall, the draw is a decent one: it’s far from unthinkable that Newcastle, at the very least, have a reasonable possibility to reach the Champions League semi-finals.

Where’s the consistency, Eddie?

If that’s what the north east side could aim for over the last three months of the season, it also brings another question: How can the last four in Europe be a possibility, if the top ten in England still isn’t assured? Newcastle are 11th in the Premier League, as close by points to Nottingham Forest, who are just outside the relegation zone, as they are to Liverpool, who are just outside the Champions League spots.

It has been an infuriating campaign of inconsistency where the Magpies are concerned, only managing back-to-back league wins twice, in November and across the new year, when they managed three in a row. They’ve been both four unbeaten and four without victory. Those runs actually criss-crossed each other: three wins, a draw, three defeats in a seven-game span, highlighting the fickle nature of a side which won a cup and looked on the up only a year ago.

*Howe’s points per game average is down this season*

Management and supporters alike will point to injuries, and that’s fair to an extent, but every big club has a similar tale to tell. Analysis in January showed Newcastle had lost the most days to player absences, but each of Spurs, Arsenal, Chelsea and Leeds had suffered more individual injuries.

Results also show that’s far from the full story. Only four teams have won fewer points away from home this term than Eddie Howe’s side, and that dismal stat started right at the beginning of the season – they didn’t win away until late November. The Guimarães–Tonali–Joelinton midfield trio was in-situ for all three defeats at Brighton, West Ham and Brentford; only Yoane Wissa was missing from the attack options for most of the first six on the road, which yielded three points and three goals.

*Newcastle’s home and away record this season*

St. James’ is meant to be a fortress, but they’ve won three of the last seven and lost the last two. Newcastle are very much middle of the pack overall: 11th place in a “home games only” league table, seventh for possession, ninth for clean sheets, ninth for xG, eighth for big chances created, 12th for possession won in the final third. They are top four for xG conceded (32.5), so credit is more due there – but it’s somewhat spoiled by being only 12th for actual goals conceded (39), with Nick Pope conceding 2.7 more than he might have and his understudy, Aaron Ramsdale, almost matching that tally (2.4), conceding ten goals and making ten saves this term.

Backwards numbers don’t tell all but they’re on course for around a 51-point season, good for 13th last term – and recent form points down, not up.

Howe to reinvent yourself

There was a train of thought which suggested Eddie Howe might look to England for his next job, with Thomas Tuchel only contracted to the World Cup – but that’s now no longer an option, whether Howe, as a rare trophy-winning English manager, is good enough to warrant a turn or not.

As such, his immediate future may be dictated by what Newcastle’s ownership expect and are willing to back – a £98m net spend last summer was equal to or less than eight other top-flight English clubs.

Given the relentless competition from at least six teams now for four or five Champions League spots – and probably eight who think they are capable in any given year – it’s more often than not going to be a question of how much you back your coach, your teambuilding plan and your style of play.

As for considering what a manager might do next, it’s important to have the context of what he’s done before. And Howe, for certain, deserves credit here: his Bournemouth side were full of possession, playing out, idealism and rapid wingers.

Newcastle under the same manager have been both a battling outfit with set plays and height, and a free-flowing swarm with magnificent central creativity. He hasn’t stuck to one way of playing regardless of what the context of the league demands – that will likely set him up for future success, at Newcastle or elsewhere, but it might be that this particular journey has run out of road come the summer.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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