A fair way to go yet in Manchester City’s title chase
Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal leaves almost nothing to separate the two title contenders, as they’ll be level on both points as well as goal difference if City win this game in hand by a single goal. That should set us up for a thrilling end to the season, which is sure to throw up more twists and turns along the way.
While City are in fantastic form having won 12 and drawn the remaining three of their last 15 domestic fixtures, they’ll have to do very well to keep up that pace until the end of May. They have a tough run of league fixtures against European contenders Everton, Brentford and Bournemouth coming up after an FA Cup semi-final at the weekend, so staying on pace to finish on 85 points will take quite some effort.
Relegation on the cards for Burnley
Burnley certainly have a lot of reasons to not look forward to this game. The Clarets will become the second team to be relegated from the Premier League this season if they lose this match, with their fate already all but mathematically confirmed. Worse yet, they’ll likely go down with a thrashing given their dismal head-to-head record against Manchester City.
City have won the last 14 meetings between these two sides with an aggregate scoreline of 51-3, while Burnley’s last win over them came way back in 2015. The Clarets haven’t put a goal past Pep Guardiola’s side’s defence at Turf Moor in the 2020s, so it’s safe to say that they are massive underdogs.
Manchester City will remain without defenders Joško Gvardiol and Rúben Dias, while Guardiola has also confirmed that Rodri will sit this game out after going off with a groin injury against Arsenal.
Key players
Martin Dúbravka is sure to have a particularly busy day in goal, so he’ll need to bring out the best of his shot-stopping to keep his side in the game for as along as possible, or at least keep the score down.
Jaidon Anthony scored the equaliser in the reverse fixture before his side ultimately went down 5-1, and he’ll be critical to their goal-scoring hopes again. James Ward-Prowse is the league’s leading creator from set-pieces since his Burnley debut in February, so he could provide an alternative.
Erling Haaland scored his first league goal in over two months on the weekend, so he’ll be hungry for more. Nico González will have an important role to play in midfield, while Rayan Cherki could well be the one to break the game open if it gets too tight.
Prediction
Manchester City have the attacking firepower to register a comfortable multi-goal win and go top of the league on goal difference.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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“Twenty-five years is a huge amount of time. If you don’t bounce back, you feel like it’s never going to happen.”
By Tom Hancock
Those were the words of chairman Doug King after Coventry City sealed their return to the Premier League after a quarter of a century away – and they must have been the thoughts of Coventry fans who’d seen their club go through the wringer since last playing top-flight football in 2001.
Bobby Thomas’ late goal against Blackburn Rovers on Friday night clinched the point Frank Lampard’s Coventry needed to confirm promotion from the Championship – only eight years after the Sky Blues had found themselves in the fourth tier of English football – before Tuesday’s 5-1 home thrashing of Portsmouth wrapped up the title.
Two relegations, three promotions and 17 managers later, Coventry are back in the big time, completing an epic story of survival and revival which once seemed so unlikely.
Coventry were confirmed as champions with two games to spare
During the 2019/20 season, Coventry, for the second time in less than a decade, found themselves in exile. Forced out of their own stadium, now known as the Coventry Building Society (CBS) Arena, by a dispute with their landlords, rugby club Wasps, the Sky Blues shared Birmingham City’s St. Andrew’s, having spent the 2013/14 campaign – their second following relegation to League One – playing home games at Northampton Town’s Sixfields Stadium under similar circumstances.
Coventry dropped to the fourth tier as recently as 2017
Despite effectively playing every game away in 2019/20, Coventry won promotion back to the Championship as champions as the League One season came to an abrupt end amid the onset of the pandemic. The Sky Blues were back at the CBS Arena for their Championship return – albeit the vast majority of the 2020/21 campaign took place behind closed doors due to Covid restrictions – though they only took ownership of the stadium in August last year, 20 years after leaving their old Highfield Road home – on what King called “a defining day” for the club.
There have been a number of defining days in Coventry’s recent history, and for Dominic Jerams, founder of independent Sky Blues website Sideways Sammy, two key ones came as the club were at their lowest ebb.
The first, says Jerams, was the 2017 EFL Trophy final in which Coventry beat Oxford United 2-1 – a bittersweet moment as they were heading for relegation to League Two but one which, Jerams reflects, made fans feel like the Sky Blues were no longer “fated to just keep on dropping and dropping” – a feeling reinforced by victory over Exeter City in the following year’s play-off final to secure an immediate return to League One.
It may have been relatively recently that Coventry came closest to the brink – in 2007, the club almost went bust before being bought out by hedge fund Sisu, whose ownership would represent the most tumultuous period in the club’s history – but, really, their decline pre-dates their relegation from the Premier League by quite some time.
“I think you might say they [Sisu] accelerated it,” notes Jerams, “but if you look at our history from the 70s onwards, we were in the top flight, but we were always scrapping to stay up and winning eight to 12 games a season and won the FA Cup [in 1987].
“There was a bit of a boost” after that FA Cup success, Coventry’s first major triumph, Jerams continues, “but [we] kind of returned to just circling the drain at the bottom of the Premier League and eventually it caught up to us.”
Indeed, Coventry’s average finish during their 34-year top-flight stay was 14th, but they were, objectively, an established entity at the highest level; they recorded eight top-half finishes, peaking with sixth in 1969/70. The hope must be that, ultimately, they can become Premier League mainstays again – not that there’s any rush.
“I think the main thing is beat Derby’s record,” Jerams says, alluding to Derby County’s Premier League-low points tally of 11 back in 2007/08, “and pull off one or two big results against some of the big teams.
“I think most people are expecting us to battle against the drop; I’d be surprised if you could find a single Coventry fan who’d say, ‘We’re not just going to stay up; we’re going to push beyond that’.
“Realistically, we’re probably going to be relegated; I think most people are aware of that.”
Coventry’s top scorers in the league this season
Coventry’s first season back in the top flight ought to prioritise enjoyment over expectation, believes Jerams, who emphasises the importance of using their time there wisely in order to be able to mount another promotion push should they drop straight back down to the Championship.
Lampard’s Coventry have surged towards the title with the league’s best attacking and defensive records, scoring 90 goals – for which three players have accounted for almost half: Haji Wright (17), Brandon Thomas-Asante (12) and Ellis Simms (10) and conceding 44 – helped in no small part by having one of the second tier’s standout goalkeepers between the sticks: Carl Rushworth.
And while Coventry own their three leading goalscorers – Wright and Simms having arrived in the summer of 2023, Thomas-Asante a year later – Rushworth is poised to return to parent club Brighton, making that a key area to address during the upcoming transfer window.
Rushworth has prevented more goals than any other Championship goalkeeper
In Jerams’ eyes, it’s also a case of seeing whether the current crop of Coventry players “have played above their level” en route to promotion this term or whether they can adapt to the demands of Premier League football. With breaking the bank à la Sunderland unlikely, continuity could be of the essence – but “strengthening the backbone” of the side will be important.
Coventry will also embark on their Premier League survival quest with a manager few were exactly keen on at the outset – not least because of the popularity of the man he replaced in the dugout.
Mark Robins’ second spell in charge of the Sky Blues lasted more than seven years, during which time he won the EFL Trophy, League Two play-offs and League One title, as well as reaching the 2023 Championship play-off final – where Coventry lost agonisingly on penalties to Luton Town. But a slow start to the 2024/25 season proved terminal for the universally popular Robins, who was sacked that November.
More than a few eyebrows were raised when Lampard was appointed as Robins’ successor, with a sense that King might have gone for a ‘name’ rather than someone with a more proven Championship track record – but, as Jerams acknowledges, it’s proved to be a masterstroke on the chairman’s part. And Lampard has just pulled off a masterstroke of his own by taking Coventry up automatically– having suffered Championship play-off final heartbreak as Derby boss seven in 2019.
“To go and get promotion automatically as a non-parachute [payment] team with three games to go…these boys have managed to achieve something special and unique,” Lampard enthused after the decisive draw with Blackburn, as well as praising the “incredible job” Robins did to give Coventry a platform for promotion.
The Sky Blues’ only previous promotion to the top flight came under the manager who introduced their now iconic kit colours, the inimitable Jimmy Hill – whose statue stands outside the CBS Arena, his welcoming gesture beckoning you into the stadium.
Coventry won’t want their ground to be too welcoming a place as they bid to stay up and take a few scalps along the way, but the feelgood factor the late Hill instilled at the club – and in the city – is well and truly back.
(Images from IMAGO)
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For those that haven’t paid much attention to the Polish Ekstraklasa this season, it’s been a wild ride. With just three games remaining, there are seven clubs that could STILL win it. The biggest story of the season, though, is happening at the other end of the table.
Legia Warszawa, Poland’s most successful club with 15 titles under their best, are bang in trouble. Now, we’re not talking ‘Tottenham trouble’, Legia aren’t in the relegation zone, but they’re currently only three points above the bottom three.
Looking at the underlying numbers, they’re not great, but they’re not relegation fight bad. Legia tend to dominate games, averaging 53.7% of possession per 90 minutes, they’ve kept the fourth most clean sheets (8), and have the seventh highest xG (41.6).
According to Polish football expert Michał Zachodny, though, it’s not that black and white. “The most important thing is that Legia’s problems are not strictly tactical. This might be one of the issues, like defending at set pieces and crosses, but in general I would say that what’s happened behind the scenes during the season has destabilised the squad on the pitch.”
Just four points separate mid-table to the relegation zone in the Ekstraklasa
“To keep it brief: Edward Iordanescu was appointed [as coach] very late in the summer, so future planning and transfers were put on hold. Until at the end of the transfer window Legia made changes which he didn’t like, causing him almost to walk out to show how unhappy he was.
“Then Legia were finally forced to let him go, yet they failed to sign a permanent replacement for almost two months, leaving an unsettled team in the hands of inexperienced interim coach, Iñaki Astiz, who didn’t even want the job.
“He had one of the smallest staff to help him, while they were playing twice a week. Hence they recorded the longest streak without a win in Legia’s history. It wasn’t until the winter when Legia appointed the long-sought after Marek Papszun as a permanent manager.
“He brought a clear plan, structure and know-how, but was not supported with new signings, bar two players – a back-up goalkeeper and an inexperienced striker from the lower Leagues. Given how many injuries and the level of problems the team had when he took over, he is doing quite well.”
Papszun has overseen one defeat since coming in
Constantly chopping and changing is very rarely a good thing in football. Legia’s big issues stem from the owner, Dariusz Mioduski. The businessman took over in 2017, and since then, the club have had 11 different managers, although Aleksandar Vuković has been appointed twice.
Decisions have felt rushed, too emotional for a club that should be qualifying for European football at a minimum. Coaches have been given limited time, squads were reshaped repeatedly, and a long-term identity has never truly developed.
Zachodny said in no uncertain terms that the responsibility for Legia’s troubles belongs to Mioduski. “Frankly, all of it. Since the sacking of Jacek Magiera [in 2017], there has been constant change and chaos.
“To be precise, Legia found themselves in a relegation battle again, just a couple of years after Mioduski’s decisions almost brought them down, only for another interim coach, albeit one with more experience than Astiz, to save them.
“Legia are constantly changing philosophies, changing sporting directors and structures, developing only theoretically, growing financially, yet without a significant rise in quality on the pitch.
“They are still able to sell their youth products, but this almost happens by accident, as it seems there is no plan to promote them. And if you look at the managers they’ve signed, they almost seem like twist after twist, with no sense of a greater plan.
“As the league itself grows, other teams have become more competitive and there is a need to use your wealth to your advantage. Legia are doing almost the opposite. As if there was an internal willingness to keep the club in chaos.”
Legia fans aren’t known to be cool, calm, and collected. They have some of the most intense ultras in Europe, in 2023, they were banned from selling away tickets for five European games after clashes at Aston Villa.
Some may say that this is the nature of the beast. Once a club from one of Europe’s bigger leagues comes calling, it would be hard for Legia to keep their stars. The problem is that the club need to make sure they’re replaced.
Zachodny confirms the fans are far from happy. “They’re quite furious at the club’s transfer policy, seeing these sales as a means to balance the books, not use the money to strengthen the squad.
“There were protests last summer because of the lack of transfer activity, only for them to stop when Mileta Rajović was signed for a record-breaking fee [€3m] and he has proved to be one of the worst signings of the season.
Only Rajović has scored more than two league goals for Legia this season
“Funnily enough, Legia have the highest wage bill in the league, but the quality simply isn’t there.
“So, even though Legia signed a couple of players for the final stages of the season, almost none of them are now a vital part of the starting line-up – bar one, which, ironically, is Rajović. And the only reason he’s playing is because Papszun doesn’t have any other option as a striker.”
Despite all of their troubles domestically, Legia have had some good moments on the continent. Last season, they faced eventual winners Chelsea in the Europa Conference League quarter finals, beating them 2-1 in the second leg.
This season wasn’t quite as successful as they bowed out after the league phase, but a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk should be celebrated. Now, with qualification for any European competition looking unlikely, Legia will have to take a major financial hit on the chin.
According to the club, in 2024/2025, Legia had a 13% decline in revenue to roughly €54.3 million. Now, they maintain they’re still in a healthy financial position but missing out on at least the Conference League will add up.
For reaching the league phase, Legia would earn €3.17 million, and once it kicks off, they would get €400,000 per win, €133,000 per draw, an extra €400,000 for a top eight finish, or €200,000 for a place in the play-offs. That isn’t an insignificant amount of money.
A lack of European football would be a big issue, and Zachodny agrees. “It would be a big problem, one that would hurt their business in the summer. Legia is a club that includes reaching the league stages of European competitions in their budget plans.
“Without it, they might be forced to sell several players, refrain from renewing contracts with those who are at the end of their current deals (and there are a lot of them in the starting line up). All in all, it will definitely make Papszun’s job all the more difficult.”
Ultimately, barring a truly catastrophic last few games, Legia will probably be fine. They can even still finish in those European spots due to the condensed nature of the league standings – even if a LOT of things would need to go their way. A midtable finish is the most likely outcome.
Zachodny reckons Legia will stay up too, but the warning signs are there, and if things don’t change, it could get worse. “I don’t think they’ll go down. What Papszun has done already is to make them tough to beat.
“It’s not impossible, but they’re better organised, they are leaking goals only at defensive set pieces, while steadily creating more chances and playing with more intensity. Relegation for Legia would be the greatest shock Polish football has ever seen.
“And yet it feels like that, under the current presidency, it’s a disaster just waiting to happen.”
(Images from IMAGO)
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Álvaro Arbeloa’s side sit nine points behind Barcelona as it stands, and they’ll need their LaLiga rivals to slip up drastically in order to leapfrog them into first place.
When these two sides met back in December, it took a late Rodrygo winner to secure a 2-1 victory for Madrid.
Team news
Real Madrid will once again be without both Thibaut Courtois and Rodrygo due to injury.
Raúl Asencio also joins the injury list after being diagnosed with gastroenteritis recently.
Alavés remain without Carlos Protesoni due to injury, but other than that, they should have a fully fit squad travelling to Madrid.
They will be without Abde Rebbach, however, as he will serve a suspension after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season last time out.
The form of champions?
It’s been a dismal last few weeks for Real Madrid, capped off by being knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich. The second leg defeat made it four games without a victory in all competitions for the Spanish side, who will be wanting for the season to end.
It’s certainly not the form of champions, and they can have few complaints if Barcelona are confirmed winners in the next few weeks. Madrid haven’t been clinical enough in front of goal, scoring 65 times compared to Barcelona’s 84.
Old school Alavés
Alavés have picked up some impressive results of late, and are unbeaten in their previous four games. Alavés favour an old-school-style, with only Getafe making more tackles than them in LaLiga this season.
Quique Sánchez Flores’ side like to get the ball out wide as much as possible, delivering into the box to try to create chances. Only Atlético Madrid have produced more accurate crosses than Alavés in LaLiga this term.
Their recent form sees them sitting just outside the relegation zone by one point, so they’ll be desperate to come away with something from this one.
Arda Güler the man of the moment
One player who was perhaps unfortunate to be on the losing side against Bayern Munich was Turkish star Arda Güler. The 21-year-old struck twice in Munich, while he was also sent off after the full-time whistle.
Güler’s passing numbers are some of the best in LaLiga
Güler isn’t a guaranteed starter for Madrid, but his performance against Bayern might lead to Arbeloa playing him from the beginning against Alavés. The Madrid boss will be looking for inspiration from somewhere, and Güler could be the man to produce.
Prediction
Despite Madrid’s inconsistent form of late, it’s difficult to see them not securing all three points in such a crucial game if they want to stand a chance of winning the title.
We’re going for a 2-0 victory for Arbeloa’s side.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Chelsea need to stop the rot if Rosenior wants to save their season
Brighton & Hove Albion’s resilience was on full display once again as Georginio Rutter scored a stoppage-time equaliser at Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend, extending their impressive four-match unbeaten run (3W, 1D) in the Premier League. Now, Fabian Hürzeler’s squad sit ninth and just a point off top six with five rounds to go, and the Seagulls’ ultimate aim will be to secure a return to European football for next season.
Fittingly enough, it’s sixth-placed Chelsea who are visiting the Amex Stadium on Tuesday.
Liam Rosenior‘s underperforming squad are in danger of slipping away from the top five with seven points now separating them from the Champions league places.
Key players
Jan Paul van Hecke is developing into one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League with the Netherlands international establishing himself as a mainstay in Brighton’s defence during the past three seasons. The talented defender is the highest-FotMob rated player in the squad (7.17), and the Dutch’s numbers stand up, with the 25-year-old leading the team in terms of accurate long balls per 90 (3.6), clearances per 90 (5.3) and blocks per 90 (0.9).
Van Hecke player traits comparison
Enzo Fernández returned to the starting XI at the weekend and the Argentine’s performance was one of the few bright spots in the defeat to United. The fiery midfielder was the squad’s highest-rated player at Stamford Bridge and continues to be their top performer in the league (season average FotMob rating 7.3). Whether or not there is a move to Real Madrid on the horizon, Rosenior is in no position to ignore his importance to the team given the fact that Enzo is Chelsea’s leading chance creator (56) and only João Pedro has more goals + assists than him this season (19 to Fernández’s 11).
Team news
Diego Gómez landed awkwardly and sustained a knee injury at Spurs, and although Hürzeler eased any fears about him suffering a long-term injury, the Paraguayan will miss the match, joining Adam Webster, James Milner, Solly March and Stefanos Tzimas on the sidelines. Lewis Dunk is, however, available again after serving a two-match suspension.
João Pedro missed the last match through injury, but the Brazilian has returned to Chelsea’s first-team training, meaning they’ll make a ‘late call’ on including the former Brighton forward in the matchday squad. availability. Estêvão is now injured and no one from the other long term absentees (Filip Jörgensen, Levi Colwill, Reece James, Jamie Gittens) looks set to return in midweek.
Prediction
Brighton have the third-best defensive record (conceding just 39 goals) but also the second-worst offensive record (scoring 45 goals) of the teams in the top half of the table, while Chelsea are on their worst league goal drought since 1998. A goal fest is not, therefore, on the cards, but I expect the formidable Seagulls to continue their unbeaten run and quite possibly get a result that would take them above Chelsea in the standings.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Another record crowd turned out to see Lionel Messi, as Timo Werner got his first MLS goal and some unlikely teams impressed, or continued to impress in Matchweek 8.
Colorado Rapids celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first-ever home game in MLS by shifting their game against Inter Miami to Empower Field at Mile High, the home of the Denver Broncos NFL team.
The Rapids first season in MLS was played at the original Mile High Stadium in Denver, but since 2007, they have played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, their soccer-specific home in Commerce City.
They expected a turnout of over 70,000 for this weekend’s game, with the eventual attendance coming in at a franchise record of 75,824. It’s the second-highest attendance in MLS history, and the third “Messi game” in the all-time top five MLS record crowds.
Fans turned out in their numbers for the anniversary, but, in truth, they were mostly there to see Lionel Messi.
The latest Messi League Soccer occasion even overshadowed the big news of Javier Mascherano resigning as Inter Miami head coach last week.
The shot map for Messi’s match winner
The idea that the majority of this crowd were there to see Messi was reinforced when he scored. His second goal, especially, was cheered by the crowd, providing the surreal experience of an away team’s go-ahead goal being celebrated.
Rapids fans had a couple of goals to cheer in the second half, and their team deserved at least a draw, but that magical Messi strike saw Miami leave with a 3-2 win.
Werner gets his goal
Timo Werner has impressed in bursts so far since his move to San Jose Earthquakes, and it was a particularly impressive burst that led to his first goal for his new club.
The clip of Werner breaking through the Los Angeles FC defence almost looked sped up, as he zoomed past opposition players to put himself in a great position to score.
The German’s settling-in period has been helped by the fact that the Earthquakes have been impressive whether he has played or not. Indeed, they were already a goal up versus LAFC through one of the Matchweek’s standout players, Ousseni Bouda, before Werner added the second.
San Jose are the in-form team in MLS, having won their last four games in a row. Long-time followers of MLS may have to read that sentence back to double-check its comtent, as this is a surprise statement given their form in recent years.
And wins don’t come much bigger than against an LAFC side who have looked like one of the best teams on the continent this year. The Earthquakes shrugged them aside with apparent ease, and the team that finished 20th overall in 2025 look to have improved dramatically in 2026, with Werner playing a big part in their statement of intent, and now on the field, too, with his first goal.
Real standout players
Two players earned FotMob match ratings well into the nines this week, and their respective teams deserve plenty of praise for their performances in Matchweek 8.
Prince Owusu registered three assists plus a goal of his own from the penalty spot as CF Montréal shocked New York Red Bulls with a 4-1 win at the Stade Saputo.
It gave Montréal their first home win of the season and some encouragement that they are capable of lifting themselves out of the lower reaches of the MLS table under interim head coach Philippe Eullaffroy.
Real Salt Lake have no such confidence issues this season, and a headed brace plus an assist from Sergi Solans gave them a 4-2 win against San Diego, which stretched their unbeaten run to six games, made up of five wins and a draw.
Solans is quietly one of the most impressive players in the league this season, and it’s worth keeping an eye on the Spaniard, who made his way to this level through the US college system and amateur leagues.
Roldan reinforces his USMNT importance
Between now and the World Cup squad announcements on May 26, there will be plenty of speculation as to the makeup of Mauricio Pochettino’s United States roster, not least around which MLS players will be involved.
One MLS player who has been regularly involved in Pochettino’s team of late is Seattle Sounders midfielder Cristian Roldan, who has not only been a useful squad option but also a player who can knit the various strands of the group together off the field.
For Seattle this weekend, he showed his importance on the field with two goals from the same set-piece move in an impressive 4-1 win against St Louis City.
Roldan’s player traits comparison
He has featured in every USMNT friendly since the 2025 Gold Cup, having not featured in the squad since the previous Gold Cup in 2023.
Maybe Pochettino has realised he needs more leaders in the dressing room, and Roldan is the type of player who can contribute in a tournament even if he is not playing games.
Though Roldan might be one of those players left out of many USMNT World Cup roster projections, he could be one of Pochettino’s key selections.
Nashville Cats
It’s been a big year for Nashville so far, as the team from Tennessee continue to impress both domestically and on the continent.
The 2025 US Open Cup champions recorded one of the biggest results in club history when they defeated Mexican giants Club América in the Concacaf Champions Cup last week. In doing so, they became the first MLS team to win a match at the famous Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, and the goal they scored in the Mexican capital gave them a 1-0 aggregate win across the two legs.
It doesn’t get more impressive than that, but following up an away match in the Champions Cup with a win in MLS can be just as difficult, and they managed it with a 2-0 win in Atlanta on Saturday night.
Nashville are looking like genuine contenders on multiple fronts this season, and it’s Tigres up next in the Champions Cup.
(Cover Image from IMAGO)
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For the first time in a while, the two Merseyside clubs go head-to-head, where they could be battling to finish in a similar position in the Premier League.
If the Toffees win, they go within just two points of their rivals and are in contention for a spot in the Champions League.
In this fixture last season, at Goodison Park, Everton secured a 98th-minute draw as James Tarkowski volleyed home an equaliser.
Recent H2H record
Team news
It was a positive press conference from David Moyes this week as he discussed team news ahead of the game. The Everton boss should have a fully fit squad, barring Jack Grealish, with Carlos Alcaraz now ready to be involved.
Moyes has to decide whether he wants his side to sit back and absorb pressure, or press high up the pitch to try to win the ball back. Liverpool struggled at times against PSG during the week when the French outfit applied pressure when the Reds tried to build out, and that could be key for Everton this weekend.
Only four sides in the Premier League have won possession in the final third more than Everton this season. Slot might be expecting the Toffees to sit deeper, but there’s every chance Everton look to take the game to them in front of their home crowd.
Who’s going to pounce in the box?
It’s been a difficult season for Liverpool, struggling to replicate the heights of their previous campaign. Plenty has gone wrong, but there’s no doubt they are getting the ball into the right areas.
No side has more touches inside the opposition box, but without Ekitike and Alexander Isak not being fully fit, who is going to be pouncing in the area? Liverpool fans will be hoping Isak is ready to start firing, but Slot has already confirmed he’s not ready to play 90 minutes.
Rio vs O’Brien
The most interesting match-up could be Rio Ngumoha against Jake O’Brien. Rio has started two of Liverpool last three Premier League games, scoring against Fulham last time out, and there’s every chance Slot hands him another start.
His pace and trickery could be key for Liverpool, and he’s up against O’Brien, who couldn’t be more of an opposite physical profile, standing at almost two metres tall. O’Brien is no slouch when it comes to a foot race, either, so it could be an interesting battle.
Prediction
The Merseyside derby is always a cagey affair, and we’re expecting no different this weekend. Everton are unbeaten in the last three meetings on their own turf, so we’re going for a 1-1 draw.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Even as top-of-the-table clashes go, Sunday’s encounter between Manchester City and Arsenal deserves a big billing. It could be a season-defining match for both teams.
What once looked like Arsenal’s title now appears to be slipping from the grip of Mikel Arteta and his players. The Gunners have won just one of their last five fixtures in all competitions and can ill-afford another defeat after last weekend’s damaging home loss to Bournemouth.
City, on the other hand, have won five of their last seven in the league including a statement victory away to Chelsea last weekend. Pep Guardiola has the scent of another title in his nostrils.
Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 11 home matches against Arsenal in all competitions and haven’t lost to anyone at home in the league since the opening day of the season.
Momentum seems to be with Guardiola’s team even if Arsenal still hold a six-point advantage at the top of the table. A City win might make them favourites to win a seventh Premier League title in nine years.
Key players
Rayan Cherki embodies the difference between City and Arsenal at the moment. While the Gunners are struggling for open play creativity, the French playmaker is producing assists for fun as the chasers close the gap on the leaders.
Indeed, Cherki has registered 10 Premier League assists this season despite starting just 15 matches. He is the creative force pushing Manchester City forward in the title race.
Erling Haaland has scored more goals than any other player in the Premier League this season, but has drawn a blank in six of his last eight outings for City. His goalscoring hasn’t been as consistent as in previous seasons.
Jérémy Doku is averaging more successful dribbles per 90 than any other player in the Premier League and will be a threat in the wide areas against Arsenal.
Declan Rice and Martin Zubimendi will be tasked with controlling the centre of the pitch for the visitors to the Etihad Stadium with the former particularly impressive in Arsenal’s mid-week Champions League performance against Sporting CP.
Arteta has a decision to make over the identity of his centre forward with Viktor Gyökeres and Kai Havertz capable of playing that position, albeit in a very different way.
Arsenal’s title challenge has been based on defensive solidity, making Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba central to the Gunners’ chances of leaving the Etihad Stadium with a positive result this weekend.
The Gunners have kept more clean sheets than any other Premier League side this season with David Raya another Arsenal player who must find top form against City.
Team news
Nico O’Reilly came off with a muscle injury against Chelsea and is a doubt to feature in Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash meaning Guardiola might be forced to reshuffle his defensive line.
Joško Gvardiol is still sidelined with a long-term injury while Rúben Dias and John Stones are concerns ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Arsenal.
At the start of 2026, both sides were in very similar positions, vying for a top four finish. Since then, Man United have pulled away, sitting in third and Chelsea are in danger of falling into mid-table.
Liam Rosenior hasn’t been the inspired appointment BlueCo had hoped he would be. If the Premier League had started when he joined, they would be in ninth, and the 3-0 defeat to Man City last time out is just their latest collapse.
Michael Carrick has been everything Rosenior hasn’t. Clearly commanding the respect of his players and the fans, Man United have gone from looking like a basket case club to one of the more sensible. Not even a 2-1 defeat to Leeds can bring them down.
Bad vibes in West London
Chelsea haven’t even scored a goal in their last four Premier League games, they’re now closer to Bournemouth in 11th, a three-point gap, than they are to Liverpool in 5th, the final Champions League spot this season.
They’ll be hoping to avoid a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat. The last time that happened, Frank Lampard was in the middle of his disastrous interim spell in 2023. Rosenior is a lot more like Graham Potter, he’ll probably get until the end of the season though.
To make matters worse, the protests have begun. Fan groups from sister club, Strasbourg, also unhappy with some ridiculous ownership decisions, have made the trip to make their feelings known alongside their Chelsea counterparts ahead of this game. It’s all a complete mess.
Martínez was shown a straight red for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair at Old Trafford in their last game, while Maguire was handed an additional one game ban for improper conduct after having a go at a fourth official.
Still, Heaven and Yoro are two young yet very capable centre-backs, and given Chelsea’s recent goal scoring issues, they may not have too much to worry about. We’re in to the business end of the season, and squads need to be used to their fullest.
Team news
Rosenior has confirmed that Enzo Fernández is back from Chelsea’s self-imposed two game suspension following his flirting with Real Madrid. Hindsight is 20-20, but he was certainly missed in their defeat to City.
Other than their issues at centre back, Man United don’t have too much to worry about. Patrick Dorgu (hamstring) is still out and not expected to return until the end of the month, with the same being said of Kobbie Mainoo (knock).
Prediction
This is the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, and we’re expecting it follow suit on Saturday. So, 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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Roberto De Zerbi’s honeymoon period at Spurs lasted just over an hour
If there was one at all, Roberto De Zerbi’s honeymoon period at Spurs lasted a few seconds over an hour. That’s how long it took Sunderland to find a way through their porous defence last Sunday, and with West Ham United having already picked up three points on the Friday night, the North London club are now in the bottom three following their 1-0 defeat on Wearside, a place they’ve deserved to occupy since about the start of November.
The relegation picture
De Zerbi’s second match now pitches him against the club with whom he fell out with two years ago, Brighton & Hove Albion. Somewhat ominously for him, his former club – who have broadly been a model of inconsistency throughout this season – are in a bit of a purple patch at the moment, having won five of their last six Premier League matches. They’re in 9th place in the table going into the weekend, and they’re only two points short of a Europa League place for next season.
De Zerbi was the Brighton manager, the last time Spurs beat them
It’s also been two years since Spurs last beat Brighton in a competitive match, when they won 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Last season brought a double for the Seagulls, including a 4-1 away win on the final day of the season which acted as something of a canary in the coalmine for this season’s Spurs calamities, while their meeting earlier this season at the Amex ended in a 2-2 draw.
Micky van de Ven needs start proving himself, with a World Cup looming
The injury to Cristian Romero which now seems likely to leave the Argentinian out of the World Cup puts even more pressure on Micky van de Ven. The Dutchman has had one of the most underwhelming seasons of all Spurs players in 2025/26, and he is playing for a place in the Netherlands squad for the upcoming World Cup. There’s certainly been little to warrant his inclusion in his form this year, but it’s not quite too late to turn that around.
At 35 years of age, he seldom plays a full 90 minutes any more, but there’s little question that Danny Welbeck has been Brighton’s star performer this season. With twelve Premier League goals and even calls for him to go to the World Cup with England this summer, Welbeck has been having one of the great Indian summers to a playing career this season, and he can cause even greater damage to an already wounded defence.
At this stage, serious injuries are no longer even a surprise for Spurs
In the latest instalment of this long-running series, Cristian Romero limped from the pitch at the end of the Sunderland match with a knee injury that will keep him out of the remainder of this season and the World Cup. Kevin Danso will most likely replace him in the centre of their defence.
Like most sensible Premier League clubs, Brighton’s injury list is nowhere near as severe as this. Stefanos Tzimas is out for the season and Adam Webster won’t be ready until the end of the month, and captain Lewis Dunk will be missing suspended after picking up his 10th yellow card of the season. One possible returnee is the ageless James Milner, who missed the trip to Burnley but could be ready again for this match.
Time is starting to run out for Spurs to hang onto their Premier League place, but Brighton have Europe on their minds
If Spurs fans had hoped that West Ham’s win against Wolves dropping their team into the bottom three might have sharpened the players’ resolve a little at Sunderland, they ended up mightily disappointed. There has been growing recognition in recent weeks that the players are a huge part of the problem with their club. When they haven’t been injured, they’ve broadly shown themselves to be a limited set of players running on microscopic amounts of confidence.
Those who are already calling this as done and dusted are, of course, being a little premature. There are six games left to play and a couple of wins could have a potentially transformative effect. But the opportunities to steer this listing vessel away from the rocks are diminishing, and it remains as difficult as it has since the new year to see where the win which may galvanise them is even going to come from.
Brighton have had a decent last few weeks and, in a congested middle of the Premier League table, still have a shot at securing European football for next season. This, plus a completely natural and understandable desire to put one over on Roberto De Zerbi makes it difficult to predict anything but a positive result for them.
But Spurs have a lot to play for and their performance at Sunderland wasn’t completely abysmal, so I’m going to go for a 1-1 draw in this one. The real make or break game for Spurs comes next week away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, but at this stage of the season every point counts, even if one is no longer enough to lift them out of the bottom three.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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