Preview

Apr

2026

Preview: City meet Arsenal in title showdown

Sunday’s result at the Etihad Stadium could have a big bearing on the outcome of an increasingly tight Premier League title race.

By Graham Ruthven

Season-defining

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.

Arsenal also have several injury doubts with Riccardo Calafiori, Noni Madueke, Martin Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber all carrying knocks at the moment. Ødegaard and Saka’s fitness is of particular concern.

Prediction

We’re predicting a serious shake up in the title race, and an impetus changing home win for Pep Guardiola: Man City 3-1 Arsenal.

(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.

Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Chelsea face Manchester United in the battle for Champions League qualification

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.

By Alex Roberts

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 11^th, a three-point gap, than they are to Liverpool in 5^th, 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.

Short at the back

Man United are looking a little light on defensive numbers heading into this one. Carrick’s only real options at the heart are Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven with Lisandro Martínez and Harry Maguire suspended alongside Matthijs de Ligt’s injury.

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.

Reece James (hamstring), Levi Colwill (knee), Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (thigh), Filip Jörgensen (groin) are all out for at least the next couple of games. Trevoh Chalobah (ankle) is “very close” to returning, but not quite yet. Benoît Badiashile (illness) will be assessed ahead of the game.

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)

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.

Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.

Apr

2026

Preview: De Zerbi set for Brighton reunion in first home game at Spurs

Spurs entertain Brighton in the Saturday tea-time kick-off with their position near the foot of the Premier League looking increasingly desperate.

By Ian King

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.

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.

There is one potential bit of good news, that goalkeeper Gugliemo Vicario could return after missing the Sunderland match with a groin injury, although Antonin Kinsky put in a decent shift in his place. Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski will also be absent.

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)

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

Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.

Apr

2026

Preview: Can Sporting find a way to further derail Arsenal’s campaign?

The Portuguese giants visit North London looking to overturn a one goal deficit.

By Filip Mishov

Under-fire Gunners seek a confidence boost ahead of Man City showdown

The pressure is reaching an all-time high at the Emirates following Arsenal’s damning defeat to Bournemouth in the Premier League and ahead of this return leg in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Mikel Arteta‘s squad were sloppy in possession and lacked both composure and the belief to inspire a comeback against the Cherries, enabling the away side to inflict a damaging defeat.

However, the fact remains that the Gunners are still in control of the title race in England and hold a hard-earned 1-0 lead from Lisbon going in to what is the most important week of their season to date, and it is up to them to rise from the setback and prove their title-winning credentials, both domestically and in Europe.

Sporting put that first leg’s stoppage-time loss to Arsenal behind them with a victory at Estrela da Amadora over the weekend, a result that keeps them in the Liga Portugal title race.

Now, the focus of the Rui Borges-led squad is on sparking a surprise in London and continuing their fairytale campaign in the Champions League, and judging by their past visits, that might not be so far-fetched.

The reigning Portuguese champions are unbeaten at the Emirates Stadium, as Sporting held the Gunners to a draw both in 2018 and 2023, respectively, before then progressing to the Europa League quarter-finals via a penalty shoot-out on the latter occasion.

Key players

David Raya is a dark horse in the race for Arsenal’s Player of the Season award, with the in-form goalkeeper’s performances becoming increasingly important in recent weeks, as their opponents enjoy more possession and thus more chances to score. The Spaniard is leading the charts for clean sheets, both in the Premier League (15) as well as the Champions League (7), and furthermore, the 30-year-old boasts the highest save percentage (90%) in Europe’s elite competition.

*Key goalkeeper stats in the Champions League*

The free-scoring Luis Suárez might be stealing the headlines, but Pedro Gonçalves‘s importance is as crucial to Sporting this campaign and in recent years as well.

Tasked with the mission impossible of replacing Bruno Fernandes back in 2020, the so-called ‘Pote’ is the Lions’ maestro, and apart from his injury-plagued 2024/25 season, the Portuguese international has scored at least 15 goals across all competitions in five of the past six seasons.

Additionally, the versatile playmaker is the squad’s third-highest-FotMob rated player (7.70) in the league and is ranking second in terms of goals + assists (19) and chances created (45) as well.

It was also Pote who scored the incredible goal from the halfway line during their last visit to London.

Team news

Riccardo Calafiori, Jurriën Timber, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka were all absent from Arsenal’s last training session and their availability remains doubtful, while Mikel Merino is ruled out.

For Sporting, Nuno Santos, Luis Guilherme and Fotis Ioannidis missed the first leg and are not expected to return for the trip to London.

Prediction

Arsenal’s nervous body language is becoming quite telling, and their fragile confidence has been exposed in recent weeks, resulting in both EFL Cup final defeat and exit from the FA Cup. But despite the strength of this Sporting team, I still expect the Gunners to progress to the semi-finals with a win or draw, mainly due to their outstanding defensive stability and individual quality.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Bayern Munich host Real Madrid for second leg of blockbuster tie

The 30th competitive meeting between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid promises to be a cracker as both sides are well in with a shout of advancing to the semi-final.

By Neel Shelat

Bayern’s defence to come under scrutiny

Bayern Munich’s attack has been nothing short of spectacular this season. They have already smashed the single-season scoring record in the Bundesliga with five games to spare, having taken their tally to 105 last weekend. They are also the top scorers in the Champions League this season with 34 goals in 11 matches so far.

So, the fact that they built up a two-goal lead against Real Madrid’s subpar defence in the first leg was no surprise, but their subsequent inability to tighten up the game was concerning. Los Blancos created plenty of chances, eventually halved their deficit and could easily have scored another on a different day. Either way, that kept the tie wide open for this second leg.

Winless streak building pressure on Real Madrid

Despite mounting a good fightback in the second half last week, Real Madrid have to be quite disappointed with their recent form and results. That defeat was their first loss to Bayern in nine matches (since 2011), and built up to what is now a three-match winless run.

Los Blancos have only picked up one point in their last two league matches, dropping nine points behind leaders Barcelona. Should they fail to win again in Munich, this will be their longest winless streak since the days of Julen Lopetegui in 2018.

Needless to say, pressure is building on Álvaro Arbeloa. The Champions League is the only competition his side can realistically win, so his job may well be on the line with this tie.

Team news

Bayern Munich significantly rotated their side on the weekend, so their stars will be fit and raring to go for this game. Their only noteworthy absences are teenage starlet Lennart Karl and back-up goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.

Real Madrid will also be without a shot-stopper, but they’ll miss their number one in Thibaut Courtois. Aurélien Tchouaméni is suspended after being booked in the first leg, while Rodrygo remains absent with a long-term injury.

Key players

Harry Kane is on the cusp of reaching the 50-goal mark across all competitions in a single club season for the first time in his career. He’ll surely cross it at some point in the coming weeks to join an exclusive list of just six other men to have achieved this feat in the 21st century.

Kylian Mbappé is among those on the list, but has a mere 39 this term. He’ll be counting on Vinícius Júnior’s support while Michael Olise will be keen to add to his tally of 42 goal involvements this term. Against such big-name attackers, centre-backs Dayot Upamecano and Dean Huijsen will have to put in big shifts for either side.

Prediction

Both teams have scored in the last seven meetings between these sides, and that run should be expected to continue here. In the end, Bayern might just have enough to get over the line.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Atletico and Barcelona set for final showdown of epic run

LaLiga leaders Barcelona have it all to do as they head to Atlético Madrid for the Champions League quarter-final second leg and a fixture which has already yielded 16 goals this season alone.

By Karl Matchett

Another meeting of two of Spain’s big three, but this time with the stakes much higher and the context much more intriguing. Barcelona were favourites to make the Champions League final from this side of the draw prior to the first leg – but one red card and one exceptional free-kick later, that all changed. Atleti hold a 2-0 lead and home advantage and are 90 minutes from the semis.

Erratic encounters

This being the sixth encounter of the two clubs in 2025/26 already, it might be reasonable to expect a form guide of sorts to suggest an outcome – but not so. Barcelona beat Atleti 3-1 in LaLiga at home and edged the match 2-1 at the Metropolitano as well – but Atlético trounced Barca 4-0 in the Copa Del Rey first leg as well as emerging victorious in the game last week. The Catalan side hold a 3-2 advantage for the season so far after winning the Copa second leg 3-0, but lost that tie overall – a repeat performance in terms of winning the 90 minutes but going out of the competition is far from off the agenda when it comes to this latest battle.

Nine and ten the crucial calls

Big decisions for Hansi Flick rest on whether to start Ferran Torres or Robert Lewandowski, and Dani Olmo or Fermín López, as the nine and ten respectively. It was a surprise to see no López in particular in the first leg XI, but in attack at least Barca do have strength in depth – whereas at the back and midfield it’s more likely a question of playing those who are fittest.

Recent form

Atlético have lost four and won one of their previous five in all competitions – but had won six in a row at home before losing to this opponent in early April. They haven’t lost at home by two this term.

It’s five wins in the last six for Barcelona – the first-leg defeat the outlier there. Away from home they’ve won two of their last five; and they’ve won by at least two goals away on four occasions since Christmas.

Team news

Marc Pubill is suspended and there’s a doubt over Dávid Hancko in defence for Atlético, with José Giménez likely out too.

Barcelona have Pau Cubarsí suspended after his first-leg red card, with Raphinha still sidelined. Frenkie de Jong has just returned from a layoff so should be a bench option.

Key player

Lamine Yamal was praised for dragging his team on in the first leg. This time Barca need him to have the end product as well as the determination and the maturity in his game. He’ll well capable too – among Europe’s best attackers he’s ahead of 94% for chances created, 97% for goals, 99% for touches and 100% for shot attempts. Stop him if you can.

Prediction

Atlético to score an all-important goal at some stage and it’ll be too much damage for Barcelona to undo: Atlético 1-2 Barcelona (3-2 on aggregate).

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: European champions PSG out to defend 2-0 lead at Liverpool

It isn’t quite mission impossible for Liverpool but the Reds have a lot to do at Anfield if they’re to knock Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

By Sam McGuire

Comeback required

The story of the season is irrelevant right now. This is a one-off game and Liverpool need to win by three clear goals to progress following their 2-0 loss in Paris last week.

It is as simple as that really.

In truth, the tie should already be a formality. PSG dominated on Wednesday, taking full advantage of Arne Slot’s decision to switch to a 5-2-3 shape. The hosts had 74% possession and racked up 18 shots to Liverpool’s three. They amassed an Expected Goals total of 2.35 and finished with four big chances to their name. With better finishing on the night, this could’ve easily been a 4-0 win for Luis Enrique’s side.

Ousmane Dembélé rattled the woodwork and spurned a glorious chance. Nuno Mendes tried to walk the ball into the net when presented with an opportunity from about eight yards out and Giorgi Mamardashvili was forced into making a number of saves.

Liverpool, by comparison, offered nothing going forward. They finished the game with an xG of 0.17 and Slot admitted in his post-match interview that his side were lucky to have lost 2-0.

The Premier League champions will need to do something completely different on Tuesday if they’re to have any hope of reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League.

PSG have options at Anfield. They could look to kill the tie off in the first half and go for the jugular or simply bide their time, ride out the Liverpool onslaught early on and pick off their hosts after the break.

The French side have one foot in the semi-final. They don’t even have to win, they just need to manage the game.

*PSG match ratings vs. Liverpool last week*

Key Players

Mohamed Salah missed the first leg with Slot opting to sit him on the bench. The No. 11 needs to start on Tuesday if Liverpool are to have any chance of overturning the 2-0 deficit. He scored over the weekend as the Reds claimed a 2-0 win over Fulham and he was one of the better players. This could be his final game in the Champions League for the Merseyside club, he’ll want to make it memorable.

For PSG, their entire team could qualify for this particular preview slot. The key player for this game, however, could well be Nuno Mendes. Likely up against Salah, if he gets the better of the Egyptian King, he’ll effectively win the game for the away side.

Team News

Liverpool are without Curtis Jones now following the injury he picked up against Fulham. He joins Giovanni Leoni, Alisson Becker and Conor Bradley on the sidelines for the Reds.

PSG are expected to be without Fabián Ruiz and Bradley Barcola. Other than those two absentees, Enrique has a full squad to pick from.

Prediction

We’re going with a 2-1 win for the hosts but PSG will progress.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Man United host rivals Leeds United on Monday night

Man United remain in a great position to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, sealing a return to the Champions League in the process.

By Ross Kilvington

Man United looking to get back to winning ways

Last time out, Michael Carrick’s men could only draw 2-2 with Bournemouth and he will be looking to return to winning ways at Old Trafford against Leeds.

The reverse fixture finished 1-1 and Carrick knows that a victory will enable his team to remain in third place heading into the final six league matches of the season.

Having suffered just one defeat in his opening ten Premier League matches, another win will further bolster his chances of landing the top job on a permanent basis.

Former Man United midfielder Nicky Butt believes that the Red Devils will be far too good at home for their opponents.

“I really fancy Man United at Old Trafford at the moment. I think they’re on a roll where I just don’t see them getting beat. I think Man United in the next few games will just keep finding ways to win. It’s brilliant,” said Butt, who was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power.

“The players have stepped up to the plate. The coaches and the managers are doing a good job. I think they’ll get to third and I think they’ll continue to win.”

Leeds fighting hard to retain Premier League status

Leeds have only lost four league matches since the turn of the year and this form means they occupy 15^th place in the table.

Daniel Farke has even led the club to a first FA Cup semi-final for 39 years and they will be looking to take this confidence to Old Trafford tonight.

The last time Leeds avoided defeat in either of the meetings against Man United in a top flight campaign was in 1994/95. Surely this enough incentive for Farke and his squad to seal another positive result.

Team news

Carrick will be without Harry Maguire due to suspension for the game. Elsewhere, Matthijs de Ligt and Patrick Dorgu are missing because of injury.

Anton Stach, Daniel James and Joe Rodon will all definitely be absent for Leeds heading into this clash.

Key players

Bryan Mbuemo and Benjamin Šeško have both scored ten goals each across all competitions this season. Carrick will be expecting them to continue their fine form over the next few weeks.

Across his last four Premier League games, Bruno Fernandes has registered six goal contributions and he can be United’s key man once again.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has endured somewhat of a rejuvenation this season. After scoring just 12 Premier League goals across his previous three campaigns, the Englishman is already on ten this term.

Brenden Aaronson scored in the 1-1 earlier this season and he could play another vital role for Farke at Old Trafford.

Prediction

Despite Leeds playing well in recent weeks, a trip to Old Trafford could prove to be a dauting task. Indeed, Leeds have not won at the ground since an FA Cup third round upset back in January 2010.

As such, expect the home side to deliver another three points, which will bolster their Champions League ambitions in the process.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: De Zerbi takes charge for the first time as Spurs visit Sunderland

Spurs continue their battle to avoid sliding into the Championship with a long journey north to play a Sunderland team who are still playing for a place in Europe next season.

By Ian King

It’s been a busy three weeks off for crisis club Spurs

A combination of the international break and the FA Cup mean that it’s been three weeks since Spurs capitulated at home to Nottingham Forest, but that’s not to say that the club haven’t been busy in the meantime. Igor Tudor has now departed the head coach’s position and, in true Tottenham Hotspur style, have gone for a replacement who may prove divisive among the club’s fans in the form of Roberto De Zerbi.

A long trip north to Sunderland is probably the last thing that De Zerbi will have wanted. The Black Cats have been one of the surprise packages of the Premier League season, and although they’re down in 11th place in the table, they come into the match off the high of having beaten Newcastle United away from home in their last league match, while they’re still chasing a place in Europe for next season.

Sunderland haven’t beaten Spurs in a competitive match in 16 years

It’s been 16 years since Sunderland last beat Spurs in a competitive match, with that win coming by three goals to one at The Stadium of Light in April 2010. When the two clubs met earlier in the season at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium they drew 1-1, and curiously this was also the score between the two teams when they met at White Hart Lane during Spurs’ last relegation season, 1976/77. For those looking for omens for this weekend’s match, Sunderland won the return match at Roker Park 2-1.

Archie Gray has been one of the few Spurs players to emerge from this season with much credit

Few Spurs players have impressed this season, but one of those who has is midfielder Archie Gray, who’s played in several different positions over the course of this season but who is, at heart, a defensive midfielder. Gray has shown notable maturity under difficult circumstances this season, and he would be a big loss, should he decide that his development as a player would be served better elsewhere during the summer.

The £20 million that Sunderland paid Roma for the 21-year-old midfielder Enzo Le Fée is already starting to look like a bargain. Le Fée has been a consistent performer for the Black Cats in recent weeks, and he’s also their second-highest goalscorer behind Brian Brobbey in all competitions, with five, while he’s also contributed four assists in the Premier League.

Kudus setback is the latest in a long line of Spurs injuries

The latest in the epic saga that Spurs’ injury woes throughout the 2025/26 season has become is the news that Mohammed Kudus has not, as had been hoped, recovered from his injury and has now had a setback which may keep him out for the remainder of this season. He joins Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski in their very congested treatment room.

Sunderland could welcome back Robin Roefs and Dan Ballard from thigh injuries, though both remain doubtful for this match. Jocelin Ta Bi, Romaine Mundle, Bertrand Traore and Nilson Angulo remain longer-term absentees.

Spurs need strength of character from their team for a tough trip north

Reports from the training ground at Spurs have been that there’s been a positive reaction to the arrival of the new head coach, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s going to be the quick success that the club needs if they’re to retain their Premier League status. And given his previous comments while at Marseille, his appointment has already been a deeply divisive one which has upset many supporters.

There is no manager that would get a great deal of patience at the moment, but the decision that the senior management of the club have made may get less than most. And the Brighton captain Lewis Dunk told the Telegraph in 2023 that De Zerbi’s early meetings with players were “baffling” and that his first fortnight at the Amex were “a carnage two weeks.”

Sunderland have had an excellent season, They were pre-season favourites to go down, but Régis Le Bris has done a superb job of keeping his team organised and picking enough points for relegation not to have been a major concern for the team all season. With seven games to play, they’re three points off a place in next season’s Europa Conference League, and five off a Europa League position. That’s quite an incentive to keep going until the end of the season.

Time is running out for Spurs to save their season, and with West Ham winning on Friday night, they will be sitting in the bottom three when they kick off at The Stadium of Light. The problem is that matches like this are a test of character, and they’ve shown precious little of that, this season. I’m going to say a 2-0 win for Sunderland, and any new manager bounce to be so slight as to be unnoticeable.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Apr

2026

Preview: Chelsea set for Man City clash without key man Enzo Fernandez

There is a lot on the line for both clubs in this one – as former Chelsea man Joe Cole helps us explain. City are just about still in the title race, and Chelsea’s hope of qualifying for next season’s Champions League are hanging by a thread. They face off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea ended their four-game losing streak with a 7-0 FA Cup win over bottom of League One Port Vale. Don’t read too much into that, their last clean sheet came in the 4-0 win over Hull, and Man City are an entirely different kind of opposition.

Pep Guardiola’s side appear to have entered their end of season flow state. Their elimination from the Champions League at the hand of Real Madrid lit a fire under them, going on to beat Arsenal in the League Cup final, and then dominate Liverpool.

Unsung hero

City have some tremendously talented players on their books, but do you know who not enough people are talking about? Matheus Nunes. He has gone from being a fringe central midfielder to one of the best right backs in the league.

Of course, a Guardiola right-back isn’t a typical right back, but his numbers speak for themselves. 20 chances created, 23 successful dribbles, 48 tackles, and 134 recoveries. Simply put, he’s taken his game to a level few thought he had.

Erling Haaland and Rodri, who happen to be FotMob’s top two rated Man City players, still get all the plaudits, and rightly so, they’re great, but Nunes, who is third, deserves his flowers, and we’re here to give them to him.

“I don’t see how this benefits the player or the club“

Enzo Fernández spent the international break flirting with Real Madrid, although he never mentioned them by name. Chelsea then decided to suspend him for two games, and he has since apologised to the squad and manager Liam Rosenior.

Unsurprisingly, they didn’t need him against Port Vale, and in all honesty, it was probably pretty unlikely he would have started in the first place. Fans called for his suspension to be lifted for the City game, but Rosenior has now confirmed that it stands.

It’s a huge call from a manager that is yet to win the supporters over. If Chelsea go on to lose this game, questions about how they would have performed with Fernández in the line-up are inevitable.

For Chelsea legend Joe Cole, who was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power during the week, the situation reflects badly on both parties:

“It’s a difficult one, it’s not so much the punishment’s right, it’s the fact that it’s the second time this has happened now [with Enzo Fernández]. The club has got to take a stand.

“For players like Enzo, this wasn’t the Chelsea he was sold at the start when he joined. I don’t think it’s right coming out and saying you’d leave the club, but I do understand his frustration.

“Then you get to the question of whether the punishment is right. The rubber is going to hit the road at some point where if he does want to leave, he’s going to have to put a transfer request in.

“We don’t know how long this has been going on for, but if it’s got to the point where Chelsea have had to ban him for a crucial match (against Manchester City), I don’t see how this benefits the player or the club.

“If you’re the club, you say to Enzo ‘You’re contracted with us for five more years. You carry on with this rubbish and we’re happy to throw away whatever we’re paying a week and your career’ [by not playing him].

“I must admit, I don’t know if this is the right model. I haven’t thought of a better way [of dealing with Fernandez], so it’s a mess, it really is.”

Team news

Man City don’t have any self-imposed suspensions to deal with, but they do have a few injuries. John Stones (calf) and Joško Gvardiol (broken leg) are both out.

Guardiola confirmed that Rúben Dias (hamstring) is close to making his return as we head into the final few games, but the trip to West London has come a little too soon for him.

The hosts have a few more worries. Reece James (hamstring), Trevoh Chalobah (ankle), Jamie Gittens (hamstring), Filip Jörgensen (groin), and Levi Colwill (ACL) are all out.

With Fernández suspended too, Chelsea are without their captain and vice-captain, leaving a major leadership void. Cole Palmer wore the arm band against Port Vale, but his performance wasn’t the best, so it remains to be seen who will get it against City.

Prediction

We’re not expecting much from Chelsea in this one, City are a far better side, and that should show. So, we reckon it’ll be 3-0 win for Guardiola’s lads.

(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.

Joe Cole was speaking exclusively to Paddy Power.