Preview

Jan

2026

Preview: Spurs meet Villa in all-Premier League FA Cup tie

Storm clouds may be gathering over The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening when Spurs take on Aston Villa in the FA Cup Third Round.

By Ian King

Time is definitely running out for Thomas Frank at Spurs

The performance was better in places, but the result still ended up the same. Spurs’ 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Wednesday night may have only been decided by a stoppage-time winner scored by The Narrative’s Antoine Semenyo, but losing again has only pushed head coach Thomas Frank’s feet a little closer to the fire at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

All of this makes it feel like a bad time for his team to be taking on Aston Villa, a team who remain on the fringes of the Premier League title race, despite having dropped five points in their last three matches following their goalless draw against Crystal Palace at the same time as Spurs were chucking a point away on the Dorset coast. Villa may have wobbled a little since the start of 2026, but there are no pitchforks currently being sharpened around Villa Park.

Aston Villa beat Spurs three times in 2025

We’ve all been here before, of course. These two teams met at Villa Park on the 9th February last year in the Fourth Round of this very competition, with Villa winning 2-1, the first of three consecutive wins they managed over Spurs during 2025.

Spurs fans looking for a positive omen might wish to console themselves with the fact that their team have beaten Aston Villa on their way to winning the FA Cup no fewer than four times, having done so in 1921, 1961, 1962 and 1982.

Cristian Romero’s leadership has been one of Spurs’ few strengths over the last couple of months

Few Spurs players have emerged from the last couple of months with much credit in the bank, but one of those who has is captain Cristian Romero, whose strong performances – although undermined a little by yet another sending-off, this time against Liverpool – has been the nearest thing that the team have had to leadership this season.

Prior to their goalless draw against Palace, Aston Villa’s man in form had been Ollie Watkins, with four goals in his previous three matches, a figure all the more impressive considering that two of those matches came against Chelsea and Arsenal. If Watkins can maintain this sort of form, his passage into the England squad for this summer’s World Cup starts to look considerably smoother.

Expect changes from both Frank and Emery from their midweek Premier League XIs

There are no fresh injury concerns for Spurs ahead of this match, although there are no players due to return, either. James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski all remain injured, while Destiny Udogie and Pape Sarr remain on AFCON duty. Brennan Johnson, meanwhile, has left the building for Crystal Palace.

Ross Barkley and Amadou Onana are both confirmed as sidelined for Aston Villa, while Evan Guessand is AFCON duty. Villa could welcome back Pau Torres and Tyrone Mings from injury, though they’ll be subject to fitness tests.

Of course, with this being an FA Cup match, there’s a strong possibility that both Thomas Frank and Unai Emery will make substantial changes from the teams that played in their midweek Premier League matches.

Thomas Frank might be about to find out how much the FA Cup means to Spurs fans

This is a match which should mean something to both clubs. The 1996 League Cup remains Aston Villa’s last major trophy, and for all the progress they’ve made under Emery, winning some actual silverware would be the club’s next step up in terms of their growth.

Villa have a proud history in the FA Cup, having won it seven times. But the last of those wins came almost 70 years ago, in 1957. Winning it this year would also be a tangible milestone of their recent revival.

Thomas Frank would do well to pay close attention to how much winning the Europa League meant to Spurs fans last year. With eight wins, the FA Cup means a lot to this club too, and with unhappiness growing at his team’s shortcomings, he’d be fooling himself if he considers this a free swing and nothing else. A groundswell against him is growing, and he’s rapidly running out of runway.

But none of this really impacts upon what’s likely to happen on the pitch. The simple fact is that Aston Villa have a better team than Spurs at the moment and that, even allowing for a marginally improved performance at Bournemouth and the likelihood of substantial team changes from both managers, it’s difficult to see Spurs turning up for this match with their deficiencies resolved and ready to take on and beat a stronger team.

So I’m going for a 2-0 Aston Villa win, and for there to be little let-up of the current levels of grumpiness currently circling around N17.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: Man City aim to avoid FA Cup shock against Exeter City

Manchester City welcome League One side Exeter City to the Etihad in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

By Ross Kilvington

The third round of the oldest national football competition in the world used to be one of the best weekends in the footballing calendar. Sadly, the magic of the cup has dwindled over the years.

Nevertheless, Exeter will be dreaming of taking a massive scalp as Pep Guardiola’s men look to claim their first victory of 2026.

Man City have hit a roadblock

The final few weeks of 2025 saw City at their imperious best, winning eight successive matches in all competitions.

This year, however, the club have drawn all three matches they have played, failing to beat Sunderland, Chelsea or Brighton in the Premier League.

*For more graphics like this, follow @fotmobapp on Instagram*

Despite all of his success in Manchester, Guardiola has lifted the FA Cup on just two occasions and will be eyeing the famous old trophy once again.

City have lost just once to lower league opposition in this competition under the Spaniard and that came in his second season. Since that 1-0 loss to League One side Wigan in 2017/18, the club have reached at least the semi-finals in every edition.

While that was a shock, a defeat against Exeter this weekend would surely go down as the biggest surprise of his reign at the club.

Can Exeter City pull off a major surprise?

The simple answer would appear to be no. This is the FA Cup, however, a competition which is famed for the heroics of lower league clubs against top flight opposition.

The Grecians have won just four games since October 23 and currently sit 14^th in League One, although they defeated Halifax Town and Wycombe Wanderers without conceding a goal to reach this stage.

Jayden Wareham is their top scorer with 11 goals in all competitions so far this season and if Exeter are to pull off an almighty shock at the Etihad, they will be relying heavily on the 22-year-old striker.

Team news

Guardiola will be missing several of his first team players for the tie. Indeed, John Stones, Mateo Kovačić, Oscar Bobb, Savinho, Rúben Dias and Joško Gvardiol are all absent due to injury issues.

Elsewhere, Rayan Aït-Nouri and Omar Marmoush are still on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco.

Johnly Yfeko, Josh Magennis, Ryan Rydel and Danny Andrew will be missing for the away side for the trip to Manchester.

Both Pierce Sweeney and Jake Doyle-Hayes will be looking to return to the starting XI after they both dropped to the bench last time out.

Prediction

Remarkably, City have won their last 19 FA Cup matches against clubs outside of the Premier League, scoring 72 goals in the process.

While the club may have hit a stumbling block recently, a big win against Exeter will surely bolster their confidence heading into the next few weeks.

As such, expect the home side to dominate proceedings and stroll through to the next round with ease: Manchester City 4-0 Exeter City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow all the games from the FA Cup 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: Atletico meet Real in Supercopa Madrid Derby

Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid’s rivalry heads to Saudi Arabia, with the two sides going head-to-head in Jeddah for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final, with the winner going on to face Barcelona in the final.

By Matt Smith

Diego Simeone will be hoping for a repeat of the last meeting between the two teams, which saw Atlético secure a 5-2 win in LaLiga back in September.

Neutrals will be hoping for a repeat of the last meeting in this competition, where an eight-goal thriller was played out, with Real Madrid securing a 5-3 victory back in 2024.

Team news

Atlético will be without both Clément Lenglet and Nicolás González for this one, while Pablo Barrios is a doubt after he was substituted due to injury last time out.

As for Madrid, Kylian Mbappé remains on the treatment table, while Éder Militão is also out. Brahim Díaz is currently enjoying himself and leads the race for the golden boot at the African Cup of Nations with Morocco, but Trent Alexander-Arnold could return, as he’s been named in the squad following his injury.

Simeone’s defensive solidity continues

No team in LaLiga has conceded fewer goals per 90 minutes than Atlético Madrid (including Real Madrid) this season, Simeone will be hoping for a little more in terms of attacking output ahead of the second half of the season, but he’ll have minimal complaints with his side defensively.

Atlético are preparing to face one of the best attacking sides in Europe in this clash, but they more than held their own in the last meeting. It’s been an impressive few months for Simeone’s side, losing just twice since 21st October.

Real Madrid bouncing back

It’s safe to say it’s not been a perfect season for Madrid, particularly in LaLiga where they sit four points behind Barcelona. Xabi Alonso’s side have started to turn a corner in recent weeks, winning four games on the bounce in all competitions.

The loss of Mbappé was expected to hurt Madrid, considering the phenomenal impact he’s made this season in terms of goal contributions, but it certainly didn’t seem that way last time out. Madrid secured a comfortable 5-1 victory over Real Betis, with Mbappé’s replacement stealing the headlines…

Garcia steps into Mbappé’s shoes

Many Real Madrid supporters will have been worried when it was confirmed that Mbappé was going to be on the sidelines this month, but his replacement has slotted in seamlessly. Gonzalo García made just his second league start of the season last time out, and Alonso couldn’t have asked for more.

The 21-year-old his a hat-trick in Mbappé’s place, helping Madrid secure a 5-1 victory. You’d imagine he’s done enough to keep his place in the starting XI, and he’ll be hoping to put his name up in lights once again.

Prediction

It’s a difficult game to predict, with local rivalry games often throwing up surprises. Despite García’s impact last time out, it could be tough for Alonso’s men without Mbappé. We’re going for a 2-1 win to Atlético.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Jan

2026

Preview: League leaders Arsenal host defending champions Liverpool

Arsenal’s first home match of 2026 sees them welcome Liverpool to the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night.

By Neel Shelat

Arsenal hoping to continue stellar home form in 2026

Arsenal’s comprehensive win over Aston Villa last week extended their mightily impressive record at the Emirates Stadium to 14 wins, two draws, and zero losses since May 2025. The Gunners have now picked up 28 out of a possible 30 points at home in the Premier League this term.

Including their penalty shootout victory over Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup, Mikel Arteta’s side have emerged victorious after all seven matches in the last four weeks, showcasing great consistency through the busiest period of the season.

Liverpool enduring another slump

Although Liverpool are currently on a nine-match unbeaten run, they’re definitely not heading into this game in the best of shape. The dramatic conclusion at Craven Cottage on the weekend made it two consecutive draws for the Reds, leaving them with just four wins since the start of December.

The lack of attacking endeavour displayed by Arne Slot’s side has become a real source of frustration for fans in recent weeks, but their defence has also been far from solid.

Worse yet, the Dutch coach’s task is being further complicated by a number of key absences.

Team news

Arsenal are almost back to full strength after dealing with long injury lists for the last couple of months. Their only expected absences are Cristhian Mosquera and Riccardo Calafiori in defence, as well as teenage midfielder Max Dowman.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are particularly depleted in the attacking department. Hugo Ekitike’s minor hamstring issue left them without a recognised striker in the last game, with Alexander Isak set to be out for a few months following his leg fracture against Tottenham. The Frenchman is a major doubt for this match as well, while Mohamed Salah remains unavailable as his Egypt side have advanced to the AFCON quarter-finals.

The Reds’ lack of depth at centre-back has been a concern all season, and they will once again have to rely on Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk to see out the full 90 as Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo remain out.

Key players

Gabriel will fancy his chances of scoring in a third consecutive match since Liverpool’s record of 13 goals conceded from set-pieces is the joint-worst in the league. No team has scored more than Arsenal’s 12 goals from such situations, so Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice’s deliveries could prove just as crucial as their contributions from open play.

Alisson will surely be tested between the sticks, but Liverpool will be keen to pose an attacking threat themselves. Florian Wirtz has been on the scoresheet in three of their last four matches, while Arsenal will certainly also be aware of Dominik Szoboszlai’s threat after his stunning strike in the reverse fixture.

Prediction

Arsenal should have enough quality to largely control proceedings, keep a clean sheet and win by a one or two goal margin.

(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: Manchester City face midweek Brighton test

It’s the mid-season grind now as far as the Premier League goes and for title hopefuls like Manchester City, only consistency in winning matters. Hosting a leaky Brighton defence should help.

By Karl Matchett

A drought!

It says a lot about how lethal he was earlier that he’s still five goals clear in the golden boot race, but Erling Haaland hasn’t scored for three games now and City could probably do with him rediscovering that clinical edge. He came close against Chelsea more than once, hitting the post in particular, but when it comes right down to it, it’s his goals which will likely prove the difference between whether City can catch Arsenal in the title race or not. When he’s plundering one or two a game, it means Pep Guardiola’s team almost certainly win. Without them, the fine margins – as the late concession of a goal against Chelsea highlight – in football mean dropping points is always a possibility.

City have created the most big chances this season, completed the most passes, scored the most goals and kept the joint-most clean sheets, but that hasn’t translated to the most points and they trail the Gunners by six points just past the halfway stage.

Reckless or ambitious?

As for the Etihad visitors, Brighton are a fun team to watch without question, but an erratic one. They seem caught between going all-out as an attack-minded team and trying to balance the number of youthful prospects in the side with some experienced and more steady heads – it’s a little chaotic overall as they are very much a ‘home’ team: only one defeat in ten at the Amex, but only two victories from ten on the road.

Recent form

Ten unbeaten in all competitions for Manchester City, a run of eight straight victories and then two draws of late. Brighton were on a run of six without a win until beating Burnley last time out. Albion have also conceded six in their last three away league games and haven’t won back-to-back matches since November.

Team news

Further emphasising the need for City to fire in attack are a spate of defensive injuries, which now sees Joško Gvardiol and Rúben Dias added to John Stones and the absent Rayan Aït-Nouri.

Omar Marmoush is also still away with Egypt. Mateo Kovačić is a long-term absentee but Rodri is back in action. Carlos Baleba is away at AFCON too for Brighton, with Yankuba Mintah likely to miss out, while Stefanos Tzimas is definitely out.

Key players

Rayan Cherki has been outstanding recently and although he’ll likely be rested sooner or later, with Savinho a doubt, Antoine Semenyo not having signed yet and both Oscar Bobb and Marmoush unavailable, he could be required to continue. Over the last year he’s ahead of 99% of European midfielders for chances created and all 100% for touches of the ball. In the Premier League this term he’s top for assists, xA per 90 and big chances created.

*Rayan Cherki’s passing numbers in the Premier League this season*

Prediction

Might be more chances and goals than you’d expect as Brighton look to make a match of it, but firepower will win out: Man City 4-2 Brighton.

(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: Barcelona meet Athletic Club in Supercopa semifinal

LaLiga leaders Barcelona have won an impressive nine league games in a row – yet Hansi Flick knows there are things to work on in the wake of a late derby win over Espanyol. The Supercopa offers a chance to hone matters against a struggling Athletic Club.

By Karl Matchett

Comebacks vs. consistency

Despite 16 wins out of a possible 19 this term, Barcelona are only four points clear of Real Madrid – such is the need to be relentless in the manner of victory to claim the title in Spain’s top flight. While the three points keep coming, Flick and his team know there’s little margin for error…and the worry will be that, too often of late, Barca have had to do it the hard way. Near the end of November, this exact fixture was played out in LaLiga and Barcelona won 4-0. Thereafter, they had to win from behind in their next three, before needing late winners in two of the most recent three. Control has been lacking too often, so Flick will want to see an improvement on that score in the Supercopa.

Even played out in the still-strange environment of Jeddah (or ‘the s**t environment’, as Athletic Club captain Iñaki Williams said), Barcelona will feel they have the early upper hand in this four-team tournament, given the other semi-final is the Madrid derby, Real v Atlético.

With the final set for Sunday, the Catalan outfit will no doubt be hoping that they can have one, rather than two, demanding fixtures to get through, rotate the team a little if necessary and emerge by retaining the trophy they won last year. The chances of that are boosted by their Basque opponents’ struggles of late.

Trying times

Ernesto Valverde’s team won the opening three league matches of 2025/26, but since then it has been a dismal campaign. Take only points won after that August run – so from 1 September – and Athletic are only just hovering outside LaLiga’s relegation zone, a more than four-month stretch which at this point is more than just bad form, it’s quickly becoming a forgettable season, despite still sitting in eighth.

As for any hopes of a shock triumph in this cup, the squad will be keenly aware that following that heavy loss at Barcelona, they also lost 3-0 to Real Madrid soon after. A victory over Atlético provides at least some confidence – but they look woefully undercooked right now.

Barcelona have seven straight wins in all competitions against two wins from the last nine for Athletic. PSG, Sevilla, Real Madrid and Chelsea remain the only teams to beat Barcelona so far this season.

Team news

Barca are without Andreas Christensen, Gavi and Ronald Araújo.

Athletic are missing Yeray, Aymeric Laporte, Yuri Berchiche and Beñat Prados.

Key player

With three goals and three assists in his last eight league games, Lamine Yamal looks like he’s gearing up again. Over the last year he’s in the top two percentile in Europe for touches, top 9% for goals for players in his position, and simply top for shots taken!

Prediction

A “home” win without too much concern this time – and another failure to find the net for the Basque outfit: Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Club.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from this week’s Supercopa tounament with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jan

2026

Preview: Darren Fletcher takes Man United to Burnley

Burnley’s last home victory against Manchester United dates back to 2009 with the latter winning six of their eight meetings since then.

By Filip Mishov

Burnley desperate for a spark to end their three-month winless run

Scott Parker finds himself under severe scrutiny after defeat to Brighton extended the Clarets’ winless run to 11 games at the start of the new year, leaving Burnley second from the bottom in the Premier League standings. And with Wolves finding a bit of form lately, the Lancashire club is now one of the most out-of-form teams in the top flight, boasting both the third-worst defence (39 goals conceded) and attack (20 goals scored) after 20 league rounds played. With this match against United, and games versus Liverpool and Spurs coming soon, the writing could be on the wall for the under-fire coach if results do not improve quickly.

Ruben Amorim’s disastrous reign at Old Trafford finally came to an end on Monday as the Portuguese coach seemingly forced the club’s hand after his latest public outburst. The decision leaves the Red Devils in no man’s land midseason, with their U18s coach, Darren Fletcher, taking over first-team duties for the Turf Moor visit at the least. The former midfielder began his coaching career only last summer, and although the sample is quite limited, a change of system feels inevitable, with a back four in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, aided by fast-attacking football, which the 41-year-old has successfully implemented in the youth side.

Key players

Jaidon Anthony is Burnley’s main attacking threat this season and the Englishman’s importance grew further in recent weeks with both Lyle Foster and Zian Flemming absent due to international duty and injury, respectively. The electric winger is leading the way in terms of goals + assists (5) and the 26-year-old is the second-best chance creator (15) in the squad, earning him an average FotMob rating of 6.70.

Casemiro continues to play a central role in United’s starting XI and despite the Brazilian’s contract running down, he has been one of Manchester United’s top performers this season, averaging a FotMob rating of 7.17, the fourth-highest in the squad. Furthermore, the 33-year-old is ranking high in more than a few key categories for his position – blocks per 90 (0.7) being one, and only Manuel Ugarte (4.8) is ahead of Casemiro for tackles per 90 (3.1). He is also outshining a lot of his teammates in an attacking sense, with only three players scoring more than the four goals he has recorded in the Premier League.

Team news

A number of players are missing in Scott Parker’s squad for various reasons and most are not expected to be back for the upcoming match. Hannibal Mejbri and Lyle Foster are, however due back from AFCON duty with Maxime Estève also close to a return.

For United, captain Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount are back in training and expected to be in the squad and to get some minutes in the match, but Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire and Kobbie Mainoo remain doubtful while all of those players away at the AFCON represent sides who have made it through to the tournament’s quarterfinals.

Prediction

Even though the Red Devils are in turmoil both on and off the pitch, the Clarets are in much worse position at the moment, and I expect a debut win for Darren Fletcher at the helm of Manchester United to lift their spirits and kickstart the chase for a top four finish.

(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: Bournemouth take on Spurs in a game both sides are desperate to win

Can Tottenham Hotspur overcome a struggling Bournemouth side to ease the growing pressure on Thomas Frank?

By Graham Ruthven

Tottenham troubles

Tottenham Hotspur’s home 1-1 draw against Sunderland followed a familiar pattern for Thomas Frank’s team this season, adding to the sense of frustration around the North London club.

After taking the lead, Spurs invited pressure on to themselves, making Sunderland’s second half equaliser an inevitability. It was another indicator of Frank’s failure to forge a team capable of playing on the front foot for 90 minutes.

Bournemouth are experiencing troubles of their own. The Cherries are without a win in their last 11 league games and have conceded 14 goals in their last five outings. Andoni Iraola must find a way to tighten things up.

Not so long ago, Frank and Iraola were both considered among the best managers in the Premier League. Now, they are under pressure to turn around the fortunes of their respective sides.

Key players

Ireola insists Antoine Semenyo will feature against Tottenham despite the Ghanaian being on the verge of a £65m transfer to Manchester City. Semenyo is Bournemouth’s top scorer this season and will be a threat in attacking transition should he play.

Evanilson found the back of the net against Arsenal on Saturday and will lead the line for Iraola’s team once more on Wednesday. Only Semenyo has a higher Expected Goals (xG) than the Brazilian forward this term.

Alex Scott and Marcus Tavernier will start in central midfield with Justin Kluivert ahead of them in a free role behind the forward line. Tavernier has created 26 chances in total this season, highlighting his creative threat.

Richarlison has scored seven goals in 20 league outings and is at his best when he is a chaos merchant in the opposition box. His erratic finishing, however, can be an issue.

As can Tottenham’s lack of creativity in possession. Archie Gray and João Palhinha are expected to start in central midfield – the pair have created just one Big Chance between them this season.

Xavi Simons could return for the visitors after seeing red against Liverpool. The Dutch international was starting to find his feet for Spurs before his suspension and has been missed in recent matches.

Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are top-level central defenders on their day, but have struggled to find their best form this season, like so many Tottenham Hotspur players.

Team news

Tyler Adams is still sidelined through injury for Bournemouth and will be a big miss in the centre of the pitch for the hosts on Wednesday. Ben Gannon-Doak and Veljko Milosavljević are also unavailable for the Cherries.

Tottenham’s injury list remains a lengthy one with James Maddison, Dominic Solanke, Dejan Kulusevski, Yves Bissouma and Destiny Udogie all stuck in the treatment room.

Mohammed Kudus is a doubt after limping off with a knock against Sunderland. In better news for Spurs, as mentioned, Simons is back from a three-game suspension and is expected to come back into the starting lineup.

Prediction

For all the concern among Spurs supporters, their side remain the second best on the road in the Premier League this season, so with them, and Bournemouth desperate for a result, we’ll go for a draw. A scoreline that doesn’t really suit anyone: Bournemouth 1-1 Tottenham.

(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.

Jan

2026

Preview: Chelsea visit neighbours Fulham before Rosenior appointment

Both Fulham and Chelsea snatched late equalisers to bag precious points in the previous round of fixtures. There isn’t any reason either shouldn’t be looking to go one better when they meet at Craven Cottage in midweek.

By Alex Roberts

It’s been a mental week for Chelsea, even by their standards. Enzo Maresca walked out after what appeared to be some major differences with the board only for under-21s boss Calum McFarlane to come in and pull off a tactical masterclass against none other than Pep Guardiola.

Liverpool looked set to secure the win in Fulham’s last game, only for Harrison Reed to rocket in a 97^th minute goal of the season contender. This West London derby should be pretty tasty.

Keeping Liam Rosenior’s seat warm

Liam Rosenior being appointed the next Chelsea manager is looking like nothing more than a formality, but he won’t be in charge for this one. McFarlane will get a second bite of the cherry in a must win game for the club.

McFarlane certainly deserves his flowers, though. This time last week, his pass didn’t even let him into Chelsea’s first team training complex, he turned up to the Etihad with a notebook that said ‘Academy Staff’ on the front.

He managed to galvanise a squad that by all accounts loved Maresca. Picking up a much-needed win over West London rivals Fulham would further cement his status as a cult hero for Chelsea, and who knows, give him some cred should another first team opportunity come knocking.

Harry Wilson is tearing it up

The now 28-year-old was a bit of a wonderkid at Liverpool, but after a bunch of loans, Wilson finally found his home at Fulham. Since joining back in 2021, he’s never been in the kind of form he is now.

Wilson scored the opener against his former club last time out, but his celebrations were muted as VAR checked to see if he was offside. He then RIGHTFULLY erupted once it was given, none of that ‘woke’ not celebrating against a former club nonsense.

*Harry Wilson’s shot map in the Premier League this season*

It was the latest in a run of really fine performances from the Welshman. Wilson now has eight goal contributions in his last ten Premier League games, which is already his best return for the club in England’s top flight. Adding one or two against Chelsea would be sweet.

Team news

Chelsea will be happy to have Moisés Caicedo back following his suspension against Man City, it’ll be another five yellow cards (or a red) before another one, so we’ll probably be talking about it again in a month or so.

Robert Sánchez (muscle) is still a doubt for this one after being forced to pull out of the City game shorty before kick-off. It’s the same for Wesley Fofana, who missed the draw due to an illness.

Marc Cucurella is also a doubt with a hamstring injury, but McFarlane will definitely be without Roméo Lavia (thigh), Dário Essugo (thigh), and Levi Colwill (ACL).

Fulham are going to miss their Nigerian trio Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, and Samuel Chukwueze for a little longer following their 4-0 AFCON round of 16 win over Mozambique on Monday.

The Chelsea game will likely come too early for Kenny Tete (knock), Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), and Josh King (knee), as they’re all expected to return over the next couple of weeks.

Rodrigo Muniz (hamstring) will definitely be out.

Prediction

Fulham are a good side, but they’re even better at home. There games are usually pretty tight, and with Chelsea’s current predicament, 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: Managerless Chelsea head to Manchester City

Where to start with this one? Man City host managerless Chelsea (at the time of writing) in the first game of the post-Enzo Maresca era as Pep Guardiola’s side hope to keep league leading Arsenal within touching distance.

By Alex Roberts

Chelsea’s frustrating 2-2 draw with Bournemouth was ultimately Maresca’s final game at the club. Results haven’t been great, one win in seven Premier League games is damning, but its clear other factors have been at play.

As for City, a pretty exciting 0-0 draw with Sunderland last time out, ending an eight-game winning run across all competitions leaves them five points off Arsenal at the top of the Premier League.

New year, same circus

Maresca became the first manager in Premier League history to be sacked, or leave by mutual consent, depending on who you ask, on New Year’s Day. Not the best way to start 2026 but a fat cheque will have likely smoothed things over.

It’s just the latest in a long line of confusing decisions made by the club’s sporting directors and ownership. Yes, it was a poor end to 2025, but reports are suggesting that this wasn’t necessarily due to footballing reasons, but more because Maresca was less willing to be a yes man led by those who face zero accountability.

There have also been reports that Maresca was in talks with Man City over eventually taking over from Guardiola, so maybe Chelsea decided to pull the trigger before he jumped ship. Under-21s boss Calum McFarlane will be keeping the seat warm for Liam Rosenior in this one.

Rayan Cherki lighting it up

Getting back to the stuff that happens on the pitch, Rayan Cherki is starting to look like the Kevin de Bruyne replacement Man City replaced him to be. He was good in the Sunderland draw, but incredible in the 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.

Playing off the right, Cherki’s goal and assist will get all the headlines, and rightfully so, but his overall performance shouldn’t go overlooked. He created the most chances in the game (3), completed two successful dribbles, and won five ground duels.

He now has two goals and seven assists in his 14 Premier League games, only nine of which have been from the first whistle. Comparisons with Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz feel a little insulting at this point.

Team news

Maresca is gone, but there are still a few things we can say for certain with Chelsea. Moisés Caicedo is once again suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, even if it was harsh.

Jorrel Hato (discomfort), and Marc Cucurella (hamstring) are both out, leaving Chelsea without a natural left-back. Levi Colwill (ACL), Dário Essugo (thigh), and Roméo Lavia (thigh) are also out.

Don’t expect too many changes from Guardiola. Omar Marmoush and Rayan Aït Nouri are both away at AFCON, while Mateo Kovačić (ankle), John Stones (muscle), and Oscar Bobb (muscle) are both also out. Savinho is a doubt.

Prediction

This isn’t going to be a good day for Chelsea fans. No manager, little confidence, and with Caicedo out, we expect City to put in a BIG BOY performance and teach the visitors a lesson. So, 4-1 to City.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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