Preview

Jan

2026

Preview: Arsenal head to Nottingham Forest for teatime kickoff

Nottingham Forest welcome the current leaders and the team with the best away form in the Premier League to the City Ground on Saturday evening.

By Filip Mishov

Forest’s recent home record against the stretched Gunners offers a glimmer of hope

Nottingham Forest experienced a rollercoaster of a week heading into last weekend, with Sean Dyche‘s squad securing a hugely important victory against West Ham to stay seven points above the Premier League’s relegation zone before suffering a Hollywood-style defeat to Wrexham and an early exit from the FA Cup. The furious Dyche labelled the team’s performance “unacceptable to the badge.”

Forest sit 17th in the table but continue to underperform their xG (the underlying numbers suggest they could be as high as 12th in the xG table), and an immediate reaction is both requested and expected by the fans against what could be a game-weary Gunners side at the City Ground.

The leaders continue the hunt for a long-coveted quadruple and with Arsenal’s busy fixture list culminating over the next few days, Mikel Arteta is making use of his full squad to remain in contention on all fronts. The set-piece specialists defeated Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final during the week, but given the Gunners’ recent record (2L, 1D, 1W) at the City Ground in recent years, the Spaniard will be wary of the threat that Forest pose despite their current league position.

Key players

Elliot Anderson earned a deserved rest after recording an assist against West Ham, but the Englishman’s presence was sorely missed in midfield against Wrexham and the coaching staff will have to think twice next time before resting Forest’s highest-rated (7.39) player this season. The 23-year-old has started each and every match of the Premier League campaign and his dominance in more than a few stats speaks of a complete midfielder. The energetic No. 8 is leading the squad in terms of assists (2), accurate passes per 90 (58.6)and chances created (31), displaying his all-round ability.

With Viktor Gyökeres still finding his feet and adjusting to the Premier League, Leandro Trossard is Arsenal’s unsung hero this season and the tricky Belgian is the squad’s joint-top scorer (5) and assist maker (4) in the top flight. Despite the rich competition in the Gunners’ attacking line, the experienced forward is proving his worth to Mikel Arteta season after season, and it is not a coincidence to see him earn a FotMob rating of 7.26 so far, which is his highest rating during his time in the Premier League.

Team news

Sean Dyche questioned his fringe players’ quality following their disappointing FA Cup exit and Elliot Anderson and Morgan Gibbs-White are expected to return to the starting XI among others. Willy Boly and Ibrahim Sangaré are back from AFCON while Oleksandr Zinchenko is ineligible to face his parent club. John Victor, Ryan Yates and Chris Wood remain injured.

For the Gunners, Cristhian Mosquera, Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Max Dowman all missed the midweek match against Chelsea and will not make the trip to Nottingham.

Prediction

The City Ground not as tough a place to go as it usually is this season, as Forest only have the 16th best home record in England’s top flight. With Arsenal the best travellers, we’re expecting another low scoring away with for the Londoners.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: Chelsea face Brentford in West London Clash

The current best side in West London travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday as the race for the European spots really heat up. Is everyone really bad, or are they really good? This season has been weird.

By Alex Roberts

Three games into his tenure and this will be Liam Rosenior’s first Premier League game as Chelsea manager. We can’t really judge just yet, but he seems to be cut from the same cloth as Mikel Arteta, in the sense that they would both do really well on LinkedIn.

Keith Andrews, on the other hand, has proven a lot of people wrong. Brentford currently sit in fifth and are well and truly in that European football race. Perhaps Thomas Frank was holding them back after all!?

Can anyone stop Igor Thiago?

The big, bearded Brazilian has been so good this season he’s even got Erling Haaland quaking in his boots. 16 goals in his 21 Premier League games, five of which have come in Brentford’s last two, Thiago is in the form of his life.

He’s one of those strikers that doesn’t really do much other than score goals, but in the words of Roy Keane, “that’s his job.” In the 3-0 win over Sunderland, he had 14 touches in the opposition box, so his teammates clearly have faith that he can bring home the goods.

In his first couple of games, it’s clear that Rosenior wants to emphasise playing out of the back at Chelsea, something Enzo Maresca recognised may not be the wisest move during his final year at the club. Thiago’s 16 goals have come from an xG of 12.57, so he’s clinical enough to make them pay.

*Thiago’s shot map in the Premier League this season*

Returning to his old ways

Over the past year or so, Robert Sánchez has been a remarkably reliable goalkeeper for Chelsea, keeping them in games at times as Maresca played to his strengths. In the midweek 3-2 defeat to Arsenal, it looked like he had reverted back to his old ways.

Sánchez was caught in no man’s land for Arsenal’s first goal, something that simply cannot happen when trying to defend one of their infamous corners. He then failed to get his hands on Bukayo Saka’s low cross, allowing Viktor Gyökeres to score a rare goal.

There are certain player at Chelsea that will be hit by Maresca’s sacking and Rosenior’s appointment harder than others. Rosenior uses his goalkeepers in a unique way, requiring them to heavily participate in build-up. Whether that got into Sánchez’s head or not, we don’t know, but he needs to get used to it.

Team news

Rosenior confirmed that an illness has swept through his Chelsea side, hence why Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens didn’t feature in the defeat to Arsenal. It’s unlikely they’ll be risked against Brentford either.

The manager has confirmed that Reece James (hip) and Cole Palmer (thigh) are set to return after their little setbacks, although it remains to be seen whether they would be able to start. Malo Gusto (unspecified) could also make his comeback.

Levi Colwill (ACL) and Roméo Lavia (thigh) are both out with no sign of them coming back any time soon. We’re starting to question whether Lavia even exists at this point.

Turning to Brentford, Josh Dasilva, Fabio Carvalho, and Antoni Milambo are all out with long-term knee injuries, while Jordan Henderson (ankle) will have assessed before the game.

Dango Ouattara has returned from AFCON duty with Burkina Faso and is available for selection. Frank Onyeka will return shortly after Nigeria were knocked out by Morocco, but this game is too soon.

Prediction

Chelsea don’t have a great recent record against Brentford, in fact they’ve won just one of their last five meetings. So, we’re going with a 1-1 draw.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Arbeloa takes charge of Madrid for the first time at home

It’s all happening at Real Madrid, isn’t it? First of all, Xabi Alonso is sacked as manager following a poor run of form, with Los Blancos drafting in Álvaro Arbeloa from the Castilla to take over.

By Ross Kilvington

A snap decision by Florentino Pérez no doubt, with the President looking to echo Barcelona’s success under Pep Guardiola, who was promoted to the senior side after a year with the B team.

Things got off to a horrendous start for Arbeloa, however, as Madrid suffered a shock defeat in the Copa del Rey to Albacete – a team sitting 17^th in the Segunda division.

Can Álvaro Arbeloa succeed at Real Madrid?

Alonso was appointed as a systems coach. A coach who had endured plenty of success at Bayer Leverkusen utilising a 3-4-3 system that brought the club a historic Bundesliga/German Cup double in 2023/24.

At Madrid, though, Alonso not only had to get his tactical philosophy across to the players, he had to manage a bunch of egos as well.

There were rumours of a falling out between the Spaniard and Vinícius Júnior in October last year, while the likes of Jude Bellingham and Federico Valverde have reportedly had run-ins with the manager.

As such, Arbeloa will be hoping to get the players onside immediately, although the midweek cup defeat has put a spanner in the works.

A victory over Levante would narrow the gap at the top of table between Real Madrid and rivals Barcelona to just a single point, until Barcelona play on Sunday that is.

Levante need to improve to avoid relegation

A trip to the Bernabéu is the last thing the club needs, especially as they remain four points adrift of safety in LaLiga.

Levante have only beaten Girona, Real Oviedo and Sevilla in the league this season, although the latter result came at the start of the month and offers plenty of hope they can retain their top flight status.

In September, they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Madrid and in order to avoid a repeat, they will be counting on forwards Karl Etta Eyong and Iván Romero – five and four goals respectively this term – to perform.

Team news

Arbeloa will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold, Éder Militão and Ferland Mendy for this match, with Antonio Rüdiger facing a fitness test to see whether he will be ready.

Brahim Díaz is still away on international duty with Morocco, as he bids to help his nation win the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday.

For Levante, Roger Brugué, Unai Elgezabal and Victor García are the only absentees for this vital league clash at the Bernabéu as the visitors look to be in good health.

Prediction

While Arbeloa may have gotten off to a dismal start at Madrid, a win over Levante will apply the pressure back on to Barcelona ahead of their clash on Sunday.

As such, expect Los Blancos to come out firing against Levante on Saturday afternoon and seal their first league win since January 4.

Real Madrid 3-0 Levante.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Spurs meet old enemies West Ham in critical contest

It’s Crisis Club vs Crisis Club at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, as Spurs take on West Ham United in the Premier League.

By Ian King

Neither Spurs nor West Ham arrive for this match in a terribly good condition

It’s fair to say that neither Spurs nor West Ham United arrive at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for Saturday afternoon’s showdown in a particularly good condition. Spurs were dumped out of the FA Cup by Aston Villa last weekend and have now been rocked by the news that director of football Fabio Paratici will be leaving the club at the end of the January transfer window, while injuries are continuing to mount up.

West Ham United did manage to squeeze past Queens Park Rangers after extra-time in the Cup last weekend, but they haven’t won in the Premier League since the 8th November and their last league outing resulted in a 2-1 home defeat in a relegation six-pointer against Nottingham Forest and a seven-point gap opening up between them and Premier League safety.

Spurs have the edge in recent meetings between the two teams

This can be a difficult fixture to predict, though West Ham’s recent form in it hasn’t been great. Last season, Spurs won the corresponding fixture at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while Spurs won 3-0 at The London Stadium earlier this season. West Ham beat Spurs 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December 2023, but this was their only win in their last nine meetings in all competitions.

Conor Gallagher’s Tottenham arrival gives them some cause for cheer, but West Ham could be set to lose one of their most accomplished players

There hasn’t been much to cheer about for Spurs fans recently, but the £35 million arrival of Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid last week did give them some cause for optimism. The former Chelsea midfielder has been in Madrid for the last two seasons, and his return to London gives his new club the sort of combative all-round midfielder that they’ve been missing for much of this season.

As one player arrives at Spurs, another could soon be leaving West Ham. There have been rumours that Lucas Paquetá could be set to leave the club for Chelsea, even though the player had previously been reported to be wanting to return to Brazil, such was his unhappiness at the way he perceived himself to have been treated over spot-fixing allegations, even though he was cleared of the charges in July 2025.

West Ham don’t want to sell him, but it does seem increasingly likely that he’ll be on his way before the end of this month, and if he is open to going to Stamford Bridge, a goal in this particular match would be the perfect way to intensify interest from elsewhere, or perhaps even sign off.

The Spurs injury crisis has deepened still further, but West Ham could also be missing key players

Spurs’ injury woes are continuing to get worse, with Richarlison limping off against Aston Villa in the FA Cup with a hamstring injury for which there is not yet a return date. Also suffering with his hamstring is Rodrigo Bentancur, who will now be missing for much of the remainder of the season. Destiny Udogie and Lucas Bergvall could return – Udogie hasn’t played since the start of December, while Bergvall missed the Villa match after picking up an knock in their previous outing against Bournemouth – but neither are confirmed.

James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski remain long-term absentees. Yves Bissouma returns from AFCON duties with Mali – where he was sent off as they were knocked out by Senegal – but might not be with the club for that much longer. Pape Sarr, however, will not be back in time after Senegal beat Egypt in the semi-finals of the competition.

In a similar vein for West Ham, Malick Diouf also remains with Senegal, so will be missing this fixture for them. On the injury front, meanwhile, there has been confusion this week over whether Lucas Paquetá will be fit to play in this one – some reports have described his chances as “50-50” – but Mateus Fernandes could return after missing the QPR match as a result of an injury picked up in his last Premier League outing against Nottingham Forest.

Konstantinos Mavropanos was stretchered off against QPR and is almost certain to miss this one, too.

Spurs in this state versus West Ham in this state feels like a comedy of errors waiting to happen

At what point does push come to shove for the embattled Spurs head coach Thomas Frank? The Aston Villa match ended in another early cup elimination, with the thinnest possible silver line of them having played marginally better in the second half than they had in the first, and Spurs are still chasing their first win of 2026, despite having now played four games in all competitions this year.

West Ham have, broadly speaking, been terrible this season. Under normal circumstances, this should be a home banker of a win for the home side that even their comfortable win in Stratford earlier this season already feels like a distant memory. But they picked up a win – eventually – in the FA Cup against QPR and, while they have an injury list of their own and it’s nothing like that of their opponents, but their remains the suspicion that they could yet be on for a three-manager season through getting rid of Nuno Espírito Santo.

These are, then, two clubs with enormous structural problems which are manifesting on the pitch, and it’s possible that the losing manager will get the sack afterwards. Tension, therefore, will be high, and it’s difficult to imagine this match being anything but a skittish, accident-prone mess of a game in which, if there are to be winners, they get over the line as a result of a catastrophic mistake by their opponents. I’ll go for a 1-1 draw and for both clubs’ winters of discontent to continue.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Liverpool can go a dozen games unbeaten with positive result vs. Burnley

Liverpool, somehow, find themselves on an 11 match unbeaten run ahead of their clash against a struggling Burnley team this weekend. The Premier League champions will be confident of making it 12 without defeat and potentially strengthening their grip on fourth spot.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

It’s been feast or famine for Liverpool this season in terms of results. They started the season with a perfect record in the Premier League of five wins from five. They then lost four on the bounce and six of their next seven before this nine match unbeaten run in the league. It’s not been free-flowing football though for the Reds, with five draws and four wins.

Still, Arne Slot’s side find themselves in fourth position after this resurgence and with upheaval at Chelsea and Manchester United over recent weeks, they’ll be hoping to capitalise on consistency and open up a bit of a gap between themselves and the chasing pack.

It has to be noted here that Anfield hasn’t been a fortress for the champions this term with the Reds winning just 60% of their league games there and conceding a goal a game.

Despite their patchy form at home, they’ll fancy their chances against Burnley.

Scott Parker’s side are 19th in the table and have just one away win all season. Only Wolves, bottom of the table, have a worse record on their travels. They have looked a little better recently with three draws in their last five. They held Bournemouth to a 1-1, Everton to a 0-0 and Manchester United to a 2-2.

The underlying numbers aren’t great though. They’re averaging just one goal per game this season and rank bottom for Expected Goals (18.1). They also rank bottom for possession (41%) and Expected Goals Conceded (41.9).

The Clarets give up goals and struggle to score them. It’s the worst combination you can think of. They will sit off at Anfield though and look to frustrate a Liverpool team who have struggled to break down low blocks this season.

Key Players

For the hosts, the main man right now is Florian Wirtz. He added a goal and an assist off of the bench against Barnsley in the FA Cup and has looked much better for the Reds over recent weeks. He’s struck up quite the understanding with Hugo Ekitike and the Frenchman should be back in the starting XI on Saturday.

For Burnley, their bright spark this season has been Jaidon Anthony. The 25-year-old has five goals in the Premier League this term and scored against Manchester United last time out. He also netted in the heavy 5-1 win over Millwall in the FA Cup. He’s the danger man for the Clarets.

Team News

Liverpool are without Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni for the remainder of the season. Alexander Isak could play against this term but he’s out for the foreseeable future while Mohamed Salah remains away with Egypt contesting the third place playoff at AFCON.

Burnley have absences to contend with too. Parker is without Josh Cullen, Connor Roberts, Joe Worrall, Jordan Beyer, Zeki Amdouni and Zian Flemming for the trip to Anfield. It makes life difficult for the one-time midfielder turned manager.

Prediction

We’re going with a win for the hosts. It’ll either be 2-0 or 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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Carrick leads United against City in the Manchester Derby

Michael Carrick is at the wheel, and it’s another fresh start with a familiar face at Old Trafford. And his first match in charge couldn’t be much more of a test.

By Ian King

Both teams need a win from this match

All aboard, then, for the next chapter in the Premier League’s longest running drama series. Michael Carrick is the new interim Manchester United head coach, and it’s reasonable to say that his first game in charge is a baptism of fire. United could do with a bit of a new manager bounce, having won just one of their last six in the Premier League, but for all the talk of CRISIS, they remain just three points off a Champions League place; just one point, should an English team win the competition this season.

*Both sides have drawn their last three in the league*

Manchester City, meanwhile, have been stumbling in the league somewhat, but have over the previous eight days found their aim a little in the cups, beating Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup and then running up a comfortable 2-0 lead by beating Newcastle away in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. Given that they’d drawn their previous three games of 2026, allowing Arsenal to open up a comfortable lead at the top of the table, they need a win to try and keep in touch at the top.

Honours have been even between these two sides over the last couple of years

If the last meeting between these two teams at Old Trafford is anything to go by, viewers could be in for a long afternoon, with these two having played out a soporific goalless draw there in the first week of April 2025. When the two sides met at The Etihad in the middle of September, though, City won 3-0 without breaking into too much of a sweat.

But United’s recent record against City isn’t that bad. They beat them 2-1 at The Etihad in December 2024 and then, of course, there was the 2024/25 FA Cup final, where two first half goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were enough to carry them to a 2-1 win which earned Erik Ten Hag a year’s extension on his contract. Different times.

Benjamin Šeško is coming to life, while Antoine Semenyo has hit the ground running

With three goals in his last two games, including two at Burnley in their last Premier League match, Benjamin Šeško has lumbered to life, of late. That Turf Moor brace doubled his Premier League tally for the season to four, and scoring against Brighton in the FA Cup took him up to five in all competitions. Adding to that tally in this match would be quite a continuation in that upswing in form.

With the perfect send-off from his former club Bournemouth coming in the form of a stoppage-time winner against Spurs in his final match followed by a big money move to Manchester City and two goals in his first two appearances for the club, January has already been a big month for Antoine Semenyo. It’s fair to say that he’s settled in quickly at The Etihad.

Manchester United welcome two back from AFCON, while City’s returnee could be on his way again soon

Manchester United have no fresh injuries, though Matthijs de Ligt remains sidelined, most likely until the start of next month. Michael Carrick can welcome back Bryan Mbuemo and Amad from AFCON duties, but Noussair Mazraoui is still out there with Morocco, having featured in their penalty shoot-out semi-final win against Nigeria on Wednesday. Shea Lacey is suspended after getting himself sent off against Brighton in the Cup.

Manchester City have a lengthy list of injuries: Joško Gvardiol, Mateo Kovačić , John Stones, Rúben Dias, Savinho and Oscar Bobb won’t be back in their team again for a while. Omar Marmoush is back from AFCON, but with rumours that he could be sold or loaned out, it’s unlikely that he’ll start.

United and City could be set to cancel each other out on Derby Day

On paper, this should be a comfortable win for Manchester City. They have better players than Manchester United in pretty much every position, quite aside from anything else. But United have a way of tapping into their Big Club DNA at such points, even if they couldn’t when these two sides met earlier this season. Add to that the return of another Club Legend as interim head coach, and they could build up quite a head of steam before kick-off.

But two wins and thirteen goals in the cups might have breathed some life into Manchester City, who’d sleepwalked their way through their first three fixtures of the new year. Erling Haaland hasn’t scored a goal from open play in 2026 so far, but Antoine Semenyo’s explosive start has rekindled a little optimism around The Etihad Stadium.

With a new head coach installed, Manchester United should be up for this one, and the result of all this may be two teams effectively cancelling each other out. I’m going for the 1-1 draw, for Manchester United to celebrate it like it’s a win, and for Manchester City to continue in an increasingly forlorn-looking pursuit of the Premier League leaders.

(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.

Jan

2026

AFCON 2025 Final Preview: Hosts Morocco set for epic battle with 2021 champions Senegal

The final showdown of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is set. Hosts and pre-tournament favourites Morocco will meet recent champions Senegal, who themselves ended a long wait for a title less than four years ago.

By Neel Shelat

Senegal vs. Morocco

The Lions of Teranga’s first-ever Africa Cup of Nations meeting with their Atlasian brothers is indeed an occasion fit for kings. The two sides have almost simultaneously risen in stature over recent years, with success in different major tournaments propelling them to the continent’s top two spots in the FIFA rankings. They both enter this game in incredible form, as the hosts are unbeaten in 23 matches overall while their visitors have not tasted defeat in 27 competitive fixtures!

An epic showdown is in the offing at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, the shiny new venue where AFCON 2025 both began and will end. Over 60,000 expectant fans filled the stands on the opening night against Comoros, and a similar number is expected to file in on the moonless Sunday night for what they hope is a dream ending to the tournament.

Indeed, Morocco are being given a very slight edge in the predictions, but there is very little in it. The Atlas Lions can make a strong case for having been the better team this tournament, with just one goal conceded (a penalty at that) in six matches and an impressive win over a formidable Nigerian side in the semi-final.

Senegal, on the other hand. can point to their superior record in recent AFCONs. Besides lifting the coveted title in 2021, they also reached the final in 2019, meaning they have been among the continent’s top two in three of the last four championships.

In contrast, Morocco are entering their first final since their loss to 2004 hosts Tunisia. Their only previous title came all the way back in 1976, when the tournament was decided by two rounds of group stages. Although their last match against Guinea effectively was a decider, they have yet to emerge victorious after a true AFCON final.

The Atlas Lions have felt the pressure of delivering on home soil throughout this tournament, so the role of the crowd cannot be understated. However, the bigger battle will certainly take place on the pitch, where there should be many points of intrigue.

The tactical battle

Senegal and Morocco have both been commanding in their tournament campaigns so far. They have let in just three goals between them in 12 matches, while the Lions of Teranga have scored three more goals than Morocco’s nine.

Both sides like to establish control over their matches, but their approaches have slight differences. Senegal have kept a higher proportion of possession as the experienced duo of Idrissa Gana Gueye and Pape Gueye have provided a lot of on-ball security and retention. Morocco are not frivolous with the ball either, but they have shown some more willingness to drop into a solid mid block.

The left wing from Senegal’s perspective should be the attacking hotspot. Pape Thiaw’s side can threaten down that flank with Malick Diouf making forward runs to support Sadio Mané, while striker Nicholas Jackson can drift across and support them as well. Morocco have also increasingly focused their attacks on that side, as Brahim Díaz is supported by the advancing Achraf Hakimi.

Senegal suffer two suspension setbacks

Senegal were allowed to almost entirely dictate proceedings in their semi-final against Egypt, but a couple of costly moments will leave them without two starters for the final. Captain and key centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly picked up his second yellow card of the knockouts early on in the match, though he soon went off injured anyway. More frustratingly, midfielder Habib Diarra also got a yellow card suspension after seemingly being booked for dissent before half-time. The pair were replaced by youngsters Mamadou Sarr and Lamine Camara, who may well both be in line to start the final.

Morocco managed to entirely stay out of the referee’s book in their semi-final, so the only absentee for them will be the injured Azzedine Ounahi.

Key players

Mané’s fantastic strike in the semi-final took him to a record-setting tally of 20 AFCON goal involvements over the course of his career. Having already led the Lions of Teranga to AFCON glory in 2022, the Al Nassr forward has little left to prove, but has still been on song with two goals and three assists this time around.

Díaz’s scoring streak might have been snapped in his last game, but he too has already done enough to ensure that his campaign will be treasured for a long time to come. Unlike Mané, though, he is still towards the beginning of his international career; this is the first time he is representing Morocco at a major stage. So, he still needs one more telling contribution to go from being unforgettable to legendary.

On the opposite side to the aforementioned pair, both Iliman Ndiaye and Abdessamad Ezzalzouli can offer a different dynamic to their own team’s attacks. They have only contributed to one goal each so far in the tournament, but they will never find a better occasion to add to their tallies.

In the absence of his more senior partner, Moussa Niakhaté will need to rise to the occasion and produce a commanding display as the leader of the Senegalese back line. Morocco have some strong defenders of their own, but they will need Neil El Aynaoui to continue doing some excellent screening in front of them if they are to keep a sixth clean sheet at this tournament.

With such fine margins at play, both teams will have to be prepared for a penalty shoot-out. Eduoard Mendy and Yassine Bounou both have fine pedigrees in such situations, so either of them could get the chance to be the hero in the late hours of Sunday night.

(Images via IMAGO)

You can follow the Africa Cup of Nations on FotMob – with deep stats and players ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2026

Preview: Barcelona head to Santander for Copa Del Rey clash

Pedro Munitis. Sergio Canales. Yossi Benayoun. Vladimir Beschastnykh. For watchers of European football of a certain vintage, the green and white of Racing Santander was for years a guarantee of quality.

By Karl Matchett

After almost a decade and a half in the wilderness, they’re aiming to show they are on the way back up as they test themselves against the very best: LaLiga leaders Barcelona.

To hell and (almost) back

It’s the end of 2007/08. Manchester United and Chelsea have just done battle in the Champions League final, Spain are about to blitz Euro 2008 undefeated the whole way through and a lot of people still liked Russia – or at least their all-out-attack style of football. In LaLiga, Racing Santander had just finished in sixth, qualifying for the UEFA Cup and reaching the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey too. It was their best campaign in modern history and the future, for Racing as well as for Spanish football, looked incredibly promising. Those futures did not follow the same path.

Four seasons later, Santander finished bottom and were relegated. Their first year back in the Segunda, they finished 20th again, this time of 22 teams, and were demoted once more, down to the third tier of Spanish football for the first time since 1991. They have been promoted or relegated a further five times since then and now, exactly halfway through the 2025/26 campaign, they are back on top of the second division, potentially four months away from a long-awaited return to LaLiga.

Domestic dominance

Slight speedbump in the road for Santander this week, mind: the small task of hosting the club top of the pile in the league above them. Fresh from winning the Supercopa on foreign soil, Barcelona will now turn their attentions to trying to complete a clean sweep of domestic trophies; leading Real Madrid by four points at the halfway stage of the season, there’s a real chance to win everything in Spain this term, even if European ambitions are on the cards too.

However, after games against Athletic and Real, and with Real Sociedad and the Champions League return to come in the next week, there’s no question that this particular fixture – competition and opposition level alike – might be the lowest priority for those at the Camp Nou.

Recent form

Draws have been frequent for Racing of late, with just one win in the last five in all competitions. Defeat last time out to Zaragoza was a first loss in ten however, which included knocking out Villarreal in the last Copa round. Barcelona’s form is more straightforward: ten wins in a row since late November.

Team news

Asier Villalibre looks the only absent figure for the hosts, while Gavi and Andreas Christensen are long-term injury concerns for Barca.

Key player

Fermín López is playing a regular role these days and has been in tremendous form with five assists and a goal in his last three. He’s top 9% for touches and top 5% for goals among support attackers in Europe this past year.

Prediction

Much might hinge on how strong a team Hansi Flick puts out so we’ll go romantic and back an upset: Santander 2-1 Barcelona!

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: The Arbeloa era starts at Albacete for Real Madrid

LaLiga 2 side Albacete host Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey Round of 16, facing each other for the first time since 2005. Albacete have been out of LaLiga ever since that year, and currently sit 17th in Spain’s second tier.

By Matt Smith

Madrid have reached the final of this competition twice in the last three years, winning it once in that period against Osasuna back in 2023. The Spanish giants will play their first game under the tutelage of Álvaro Arbeloa, following Xabi Alonso’s exit this week.

Team news

Albacete should have a strong squad to choose from, with no injury problems occurring after their game against Real Sociedad B last time out. They could name a similar side to the one that defeated LaLiga outfit Celta Vigo in the last round of the competition.

For Real Madrid, Éder Militão, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Brahim Díaz, and Ferland Mendy all remain out for the away side. Antonio Rüdiger and Federico Valverde are doubts after their Super Cup fixture in Saudi Arabia last week, while Madrid could make a host of changes after a busy period.

Albacete struggling in LaLiga 2

Albacete are enduring a difficult season in the second tier, sitting just above the relegation zone. Defensively, Alberto González’s side have had their struggles, conceding 32.6 xG this term, with only two teams conceding more in the league.

Although they managed to get past Celta in the previous round, it took a 93rd-minute equaliser before winning on penalties. Albacete conceded 18 shots that day, totalling an xG of 2.49, meaning they’ll have to tighten up as they face one of the best sides in Europe this week.

Barcelona clash was terminal for Alonso

Real Madrid started to pick up a bit of form in recent weeks, but it was the defeat against Barcelona that saw Alonso relieved of his duties. Madrid have been chasing Barcelona in LaLiga for most of the season, and as they sit four points behind in the race for the title, the loss in Saudi Arabia was the final straw.

Madrid are now entering a new era under Arbeloa, who was previously managing Real Madrid Castilla. It’s unclear how long he’s going to be in charge, but the former Liverpool defender will be in the dugout against Albacete.

The full return of Mbappé?

Kylian Mbappé made his first appearance of 2026 against Barcelona last time out, coming off the bench to play 14 minutes upon his return from injury. To get the French forward up to speed ahead of LaLiga action this weekend, we could see Arbeloa give him a run-out from the start to build up his fitness.

*Mbappé’s shot map in LaLiga this season*

Mbappé is enjoying a phenomenal season in front of goal, scoring a whopping 18 times from 18 starts in LaLiga. Albacete will be hoping he’s not fit enough to start, but if he is, he’s undoubtedly the player to watch ahead of this game.

Prediction

Real Madrid should have too much for the side from LaLiga 2. We’re going for a comfortable 3-0 victory in Arbeloa’s first game in charge.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Chelsea and Arsenal clash in Carabao Cup semifinal, first leg

We’re down to the final four Carabao Cup challengers. Man City and holders Newcastle will have played their first leg, now Chelsea host Arsenal as both sides attempt to lay down a marker and put one foot in the final.

By Alex Roberts

Enzo Maresca’s last win as Chelsea manager was their unconvincing 3-1 victory over Cardiff to get them to the semis. A lot has happened since then, and now Liam Rosenior is the man tasked with taking the Blues one step further.

Arsenal needed an own goal from Maxence Lacroix and then penalties to get past Crystal Palace in their quarter final, with the Frenchman missing the deciding spot kick. Still, Mikel Arteta’s side head into the Chelsea game as favourites.

Who do Arsenal play up top?

In mid-January, we’re starting to run out of reasons regarding why Viktor Gyökeres isn’t banging them in like many Arsenal fans had hoped. There are those that knew it wouldn’t work out, but the last time he scored from open play was against Burnley in early November. That’s not great.

Gabriel Jesus, back from a devastating ACL injury, has come off the bench for Gyökeres in four of their last five games across all competitions, and has contributed much more. Not only has he scored, he just looks up to pace with his fellow Arsenal players, while the Sweden international looks clunky and slow.

To make matters worse for Gyökeres, Kai Havertz is also back from his long-term injury. Arteta certainly has some decisions to make; does he drop the man signed to score goals but isn’t in favour of a potentially regressive move? We’ll see.

A different kind of beast

Chelsea looked really good in Liam Rosenior’s first game in charge, the huge caveat being it was against Championship Charlton. Still, he became the first manager since Antonio Conte back in 2016 to win his first competitive game.

We could already see Rosenior had set his tactical blueprint in motion. Jorrel Hato was playing as a number ten in possession, having his best game in a Chelsea shirt and opening the scoring with a wonderful volley.

There was even a couple of moments in which we saw Filip Jörgensen, Chelsea’s ‘keeper for the night, playing higher up the field, a trademark of Rosenior’s time at Strasbourg. Arsenal are a much better side than Charlton, though, so let’s see how the new manager does here.

Team news

Surprise, surprise, Moisés Caicedo has managed to find a way to get himself suspended for this one. Single yellow cards are usually wiped out at the quarters, but since the midfielder picked one up against Cardiff, he’s out.

Marc Cucurella will serve the second game of his three-game suspension for the red card picked up in the 2-1 defeat to Fulham. It’s been the story of Chelsea’s season so far.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Rosenior admitted that Reece James, Cole Palmer, and Malo Gusto were left out due to fitness concerns. Palmer remains a doubt but the other two could feature.

Dário Essugo returned to the Chelsea squad for the first time since August, but Roméo Lavia (thigh) and Levi Colwill (ACL) are still nowhere to be seen.

As for Arsenal, as we mention Havertz is back and could play against his former club. Although we’d be surprised to see him start so soon after coming back from such a serious injury.

Their defensive injury crisis isn’t as bad as it was this time last month. Riccardo Calafiori (muscle), Piero Hincapié (hamstring), and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) are all on the verge of returning, but this one is likely a little too soon.

Wonderkid Max Dowman (ankle) won’t be seen until early February.

Prediction

Rosenior was somewhat fortunate to have a game against Charlton as his first, it’s almost as if it was planned that way! Arsenal are steps above everyone on else in England at the moment, though, so we’re going with a 2-0 win for the visitors.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from the Carabao Cup (EFL Cup) with FotMob this season — featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.