Preview

Nov

2025

Preview: Liverpool gearing up for Forest clash

Nottingham Forest, under former Everton boss Sean Dyche, travel to Anfield on Saturday afternoon looking to extend Liverpool’s run of poor form.

By Sam McGuire

The story so far

Liverpool’s start to the season was perfect. Granted, performances weren’t great, Arne Slot’s side kept finding ways to win and it felt like a matter of when and not if the new-look side would finally click.

However, this wasn’t the case. Performances didn’t improve and the reigning champions just stopped winning. They lost four on the bounce in the Premier League, were defeated by Galatasaray in the Champions League and were ruthlessly knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace.

The Reds looked a little more themselves against Aston Villa but were brought back down to earth with a bump at the Etihad in a 3-0 loss before the international break. Slot’s side find themselves eighth in the English top flight. Over the last five matches, only Wolves (one) have picked up fewer points.

They really have been in freefall and they’re up against a team in Nottingham Forest who Slot is yet to defeat.

Forest, meanwhile, are onto their third manager of the season following the sackings of Nuno Espírito Santo and Ange Postecoglou.

Their form has improved following the hiring of Dyche too, with Forest drawing with Manchester United and beating Leeds United. They head into this game at Anfield having lost just one of their previous five outings across all competitions and they’re actually above Liverpool in the form table, despite still finding themselves in the relegation zone.

Recent form

It is feast or famine for Liverpool. They either win or they lose. The Reds are yet to be involved in a draw this season. The 2024/25 champions are also finding clean sheets hard to come by, keeping just one in the league since their 1-0 win over Burnley in September.

Forest, despite their horrendous start to the season, have conceded just three more goals than their hosts. Their problem, however, is in attack. Wolves (seven) are the only team to have scored fewer goals (10), but things have looked brighter under Dyche with Forest scoring five in their last two Premier League outings.

Key Players

For Liverpool, it has to be Mohamed Salah. There’s been a lot of talk over the international break whether the Reds should drop the legendary left-winger with him failing to really impact things this term. The four-time Golden Boot winner is away for the AFCON from the end of December so his window to really put a stamp on things this season is shortening. Sooner or later, the champions are going to figure out a way to get their No. 11 involved again. This could be the game.

For Forest, it could well be Igor Jesus. He started the last three in the Premier League and was a real threat against Leeds United. The 24-year-old didn’t find the back of the net but did manage five shots in 59 minutes, racking up an xG total of 0.61, showing he’s a genuine goal threat.

Team News

The Reds should be able to recall Alisson Becker this weekend but Florian Wirtz, Conor Bradley, Stefan Bajčetić, Jeremie Frimpong and Giovanni Leoni and all out injured. Alexander Isak was on the bench against Manchester City and went away with Sweden during the international break so should be back fit for this clash.

Forest are without a host of names, including Callum Hudson-Odoi, Chris Wood and Ola Aina for the trip to Anfield.

Prediction

Dyche’s side can, and likely will, cause problems on Saturday but we’re still going with a Liverpool win. It won’t be comfortable though, so we’re saying 2-1 to the hosts.

(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.

Nov

2025

Preview: Chelsea visit Scott Parker’s Burnley in early KO

Enzo Maresca’s inconsistent Chelsea head to Turf Moor for Saturday’s early Premier League kick-off knowing a win would make them three points off league leaders Arsenal…temporarily at least.

By Alex Roberts

Burnley on the other hand are starting to fall further towards the bottom after a decent start with their 3-2 defeat to West Ham on Matchday 11 looking more and more like a relegation fighting six-pointer lost.

Moisés Caicedo needs a rest

He’s arguably the best central midfielder in the Premier League at the moment but there is only so much he can do, even Maresca has admitted that Caicedo has been playing through the pain at points this season.

Roméo Lavia was the man signed to be his understudy, but he can’t last five minutes on the pitch without something happening, and fans are starting to lose faith after just 30 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons.

Dário Essugo was brought in this summer, but he isn’t expected to return until the new year. Chelsea have some season defining games coming up, and they’ll need Caicedo at his best. Would it be wise to give him a break against Burnley?

Jaidon Anthony is Burnley’s best hope

Scott Parker’s side have ten points, three wins, one draw, and seven defeats from their opening 11 Premier League games. It’s not the end of the world, worse sides have survived with worse, but things are looking dicey.

Thankfully, they have Jaidon Anthony. The winger has been at the centre of everything good Burnley have done this season, not only scoring against some of the league’s big boys but performing when it matters too.

Anthony got a goal and an assist in their crucial 2-0 win over Sunderland as well as the equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. Parker needs to get him on the ball as much as possible if he wants to keep his side in the Premier League come the end of the season.

Team news

The big team news for this one is that Cole Palmer was expected to return to the squad but has since suffered a further injury setback. Maresca reported that the mercurial forward has now fractured a toe and will miss Chelsea’s upcoming games against Barcelona and Arsenal, at least.

Maresca is sweating over the fitness of Enzo Fernández (knee), Pedro Neto (groin) and Benoît Badiashile (unspecified), while Essugo (thigh), Levi Colwill (knee), and Lavia (thigh) are all definitely out.

As for Burnley, ex-Chelsea academy product Armando Broja, he was stretchered off while on international duty with Albania, but it’s looking like his ankle injury isn’t as bad as initially feared, thankfully.

The striker will still likely miss a reunion with his old teammates, however, with Jordan Beyer (thigh), Zeki Amdouni (knee) and Connor Roberts (Achilles) also out.

Prediction

This feels like one of those games Chelsea drops points in. The 2-1 defeat to Sunderland and the 2-2 draw with Qarabağ will doubtless be on the minds of fans, and Burnley have done well against the bigger sides, having some rotten luck.

So, we’re going with a 1-1 draw at a rainy Turf Moor.

(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.

Nov

2025

Preview: Scotland set for Hampden showdown against Denmark

Scotland eh? Somehow, despite losing 3-2 against Greece in Piraeus, Steve Clarke’s men still have a chance to seal automatic qualification for the 2026 World Cup.

By Ross Kilvington

The catch? Beat Denmark at a sold out Hampden on Tuesday evening. Easier said than done.

Scotland’s fate is in their own hands

The clash against Greece had everything. A stunning comeback was on the cards, but the Scots simply ran out of time in the end.

Thanks to the Danes slipping up against Belarus, drawing 2-2 against a side who had lost all four of their matches in the group, Scotland can still win the group with a win on Tuesday.

If so, a ticket to North America will be sealed. Anything but three points and it will be another foray through the playoffs.

Scotland only started playing while trailing in Greece on Saturday and Clarke’s tactical approach must change ahead of the do or die showdown with Denmark.

Bringing on Anthony Ralston and Scott McKenna with 15 minutes left and chasing an equaliser was hardly throwing the kitchen sink at the Greek defence.

The good news is, Denmark are beatable. But, and it’s a massive but, the system has to change.

The saying goes that you cant teach an old dog new tricks. If Clarke persists with the same old philosophy on Tuesday, then the Danes will be licking their lips.

Denmark aiming to make history

The Danes are looking to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup – a record for the country.

They really should have wrapped it up against Belarus, but it took a late Gustav Isaksen goal to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat in Copenhagen.

Denmark’s recent record against Scotland will give Clarke some confidence. Indeed, dating back to 2004, the Danes have won just once across five meetings.

The last time the two teams met at Hampden? Scotland won 2-0 in what was the final World Cup qualifying match for the 2022 edition.

As good an omen as any for the Scots.

Team news

Angus Gunn will still be missing, suggesting Craig Gordon retains his place between the posts.

It looks as though Billy Gilmour and Lennon Miller will also miss out, despite it looking as though they could return to the squad ahead of the match on Tuesday.

The Danes, however, could potentially be facing a small crisis. Rasmus Højlund and Joachim Anderson missed the draw with Belarus due to a sickness bug.

Head coach Brian Riemer is concerned that this could spread to other members of the squad.

“Is it a worry ahead of Scotland? Yes, if you ask me if I would have wished that there had been no illness, and that there also will not be on Tuesday, then of course that’s the answer. But that’s natural,” said the manager.

Prediction

Following Scotland is never the easiest of journeys, never mind when the nation stands one win away from a first World Cup since 1998.

The game will be tight, but with the backing of the Tartan Army, I predict a narrow and tense 1-0 victory that sends the country into raptures worthy of a national holiday.

Then again, I predicted a 1-1 draw against Greece, so make of that what you will.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every World Cup qualifier on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: England go to Albania for final World Cup qualifier

England go chasing a perfect eight from eight in World Cup qualifying with their last game a trip to Albania – themselves guaranteed runners-up. A dead rubber, or a vital chance for some squad members?

By Karl Matchett

How many spots does Tuchel have to fill?

It’s not just eight wins from eight that the Three Lions will want at this stage, but also a remarkable eight clean sheets. That kind of record would naturally spur hopes going into the tournament next summer, but would also be vindication for Thomas Tuchel’s selection process which has seen some big names left out at times, familiar faces overlooked and a few new faces called into the mix.

Forget the wider squad for a moment, what about the starting XI? With one cap to his name, Nico O’Reilly might well have locked down left-back. But further forward? Jude Bellingham will surely get more starts, and left wing can’t be sealed down just now either. Beyond that there might be little more to decide. Dan Burn, Djed Spence, Adam Wharton and Jarrod Bowen face fights just for squad spots and will hope to show what they can do.

Prep mode for potential first-ever World Cup

As for Albania, they sealed their immediate fate with a narrow win over Andorra – they will finish second in Group K and head into the playoffs. It means that for them, while this fixture in isolation won’t change anything in the table, it does bring an opportunity to practice the defensive resilience and ability to have spells of creating chances that they will need during potentially tough matches during the playoff paths. Albania have played at the European Championship twice, but they’ve never been to a World Cup. This qualifying campaign is already a national record as they’d never even finished runner-up in qualifying before, but taking the final step would be historic.

Recent form

The hosts could hardly be in better shape – it’s five straight wins for Albania and eight in a row unbeaten. Their last defeat was, of course, against England in March. Over the past year, England themselves have played 11, won ten – a 3-1 friendly defeat to Senegal the only blemish on the record. Since then it’s five in a row without conceding a goal.

Team news

At the time of writing, Marc Guéhi needs a fitness check and Anthony Gordon withdrew from the squad so won’t play a part but the wider question is over how many of the aforementioned non-starters from midweek against Serbia get their opportunity to feature here. Three players in the squad are awaiting their first-ever senior cap, with new midfield inclusion Alex Scott perhaps most likely to get his chance.

Key player

Probably Phil Foden, given there’s most variance to his inclusion: After failing to shine out wide and with so much competition at No.10, is he actually Tuchel’s best alternative to Harry Kane? Get runners around him and it could work – Foden ranks higher than 94% of attacking midfielders around Europe for chance creation.

Prediction

A perfect record for the Three Lions in qualifying to be kept intact with another win. Despite the irrelevance of it points-wise, it might actually turn out to be one of the more impressive ones if they manage it, precisely because of those low stakes: Albania 0-2 England.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every World Cup qualifier with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: Scotland head to Greece for crucial World Cup qualifier

After 27 years of hurt, six failed qualification attempts and 57 games, Scotland have an excellent chance of reaching the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

By Ross Kilvington

A trip to Greece is up first on Saturday evening, before a potential winner takes all showdown against Denmark at Hampden on Tuesday night.

For that to happen, Steve Clarke’s men must match Denmark’s result in the penultimate set of matches. If so, whoever wins in Glasgow next week will seal an automatic World Cup place.

Is it now or never for Scotland?

Scotland may have qualified for the previous two European Championship tournaments, yet their displays at said finals posed more questions than answers.

Two underwhelming group stage exits perhaps indicate that this could be Clarke’s final hurray as Scotland boss. Recent results have been more uplifting, losing just two of the previous 11 matches.

Before that, however, the Scots won just once between September 2023 and October 2024. Even so, that was against Gibraltar.

Clarke has a squad brimming with talent. Players such as Scott McTominay, Billy Gilmour and Lewis Ferguson are plying their trade in Serie A, while Ben Gannon Doak, Lennon Miller and Kieran Bowie represent the future generation.

This is a golden chance for Scotland to end their near 28-year World Cup exile. Should they reach North America, performances will have to be far better than what was on show at the 2024 European Championship.

Greece haven’t qualified for a major tournament since 2014

Greece’s stunning triumph at the 2004 Euros feels like a very long time ago now. Since then, they have qualified for just four major tournaments.

The last one came at the 2014 World Cup, reaching the knockout stages. Despite having talented youngsters such as Giannis Konstantelias, Konstantinos Karetsas and Stefanos Tzimas, Greece have stumbled during the current campaign, winning just one game.

They may have been the better team when these two sides met last time out at Hampden, yet the Greeks still ended up the receiving end of a 3-1 defeat.

Thoughts now turn to qualifying for the 2028 Euros, which will begin next year.

Team news

Defender Konstantinos Mavropanos and forward Fotis Ioannidis will both be absent for the match against Scotland this Saturday.

Clarke will be without the services of Miller and Ross McCrorie, with the two midfielders pulling out of the squad due to injury issues.

Gilmour will also be missing, but he could return for the crunch tie against Denmark next week.

Goalkeeper Angus Gunn isn’t in the squad either, which could see Clarke bring Craig Gordon into the starting XI for his 82^nd international cap.

Prediction

Despite Greece’s struggles in the group, travelling to Piraeus, knowing that they must match Denmark’s result, is something Clarke would preferred to have avoided.

As such, the clash could turn into a tight affair, with Scotland aiming for the point needed to turn ensure they have the chance to secure qualification at a sold-out Hampden on Tuesday evening.

We at FotMob predict a drab 1-1 draw.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every World Cup qualifier on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: England meet Serbia at Wembley

Thomas Tuchel could use Thursday’s final home qualifier to experiment with England’s place at the 2026 World Cup already confirmed.

By Graham Ruthven

Time to try new things?

England can play their final two 2026 World Cup qualifiers in the knowledge that their place at next summer’s tournament is already secure. This could give Thomas Tuchel the freedom to experiment.

Bournemouth’s Alex Scott was a surprise call-up to the squad and could be in line to feature as Tuchel’s search for the right balance in central midfield continues. Adam Wharton is another midfielder surely intent on making an impression.

If Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka are nailed on starters, that leaves an open spot on the left wing where a resurgent Marcus Rashford could be given an opportunity.

Jude Bellingham is back in the squad after his omission in October. The Real Madrid star has found form after a staggered start to the season, but there remains a question mark over his role in Tuchel’s team.

Serbia, on the other hand, have no time for experimentation. They desperately need points to climb above Albania into second place in Group K.

Dragan Stojković lost his job after the damaging home loss to Albania last month, making Thursday night Veljko Paunović’s first match as Serbia boss. Will there be a new manager bounce?

Key players

Kane’s relentless pursuit of goals means he is likely to start for England on Thursday even if Bayern Munich would rather the 32-year-old take a seat on the bench.

Saka remains England’s most productive and consistent winger and is expected to start on the right side with Rashford likely to feature on the left after the withdrawal of Anthony Gordon due to injury.

Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice could pick up their partnership in the centre of midfield again with the former now firmly seen as Tuchel’s favoured option at the base of the unit.

With Aleksandar Mitrović currently sidelined, Serbia need Luka Jović and Dušan Vlahović to step up and provide a threat in the final third. Paunović could deploy the pair as a front two.

Filip Kostić will give the visitors a direct outlet on the left wing while Nikola Milenković will attempt to match up physically against Kane as Serbia’s dominant defensive presence.

Team news

Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah and Manchester City keeper James Trafford were called up to the England squad following the withdrawals of Gordon and Nick Pope.

Marc Guéhi is carrying a knock picked up in Crystal Palace’s Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar last week and is a doubt to feature much for The Three Lions in the games against Serbia and Albania.

Jarell Quansah, Nico O’Reilly and Scott are all uncapped and could be given their England debut as Tuchel looks to bulk up his squad before the 2026 World Cup.

Serbia will be without all-time top scorer Mitrović for the trip to Wembley, depriving Paunović of his best and most effective focal point to build around. Mitrović will be a big miss for the visitors.

Prediction

Despite this being a dead rubber for the home side, England have a proud unbeaten record in World Cup qualifiers that dates back to 2009, so they won’t want to lose that here. Which only complicates matters for an away side who really need a result: England 2-0 Serbia.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every qualifier for the 2026 World Cup with FotMob – featuring deep stats coverage, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Nov

2025

Preview: Barcelona head to form side Celta Vigo

Celta Vigo and Barcelona go head-to-head at the Estadio Abanca-Balaidos in LaLiga, as Hansi Flick’s side look to close the gap at the top of the table. Celta Vigo are on a run of eight games without defeat, winning their previous five matches in all competitions.

By Matt Smith

It was a thrilling encounter the last time these two sides met, with Raphinha scoring a 98th-minute penalty to secure a 4-3 victory in LaLiga back in April. Borja Iglesias, who has been among the goals for Celta this season, scored a hat-trick that day.

Team news

Celta look set to be without Williot Swedberg, Javi Rueda, Hugo Álvarez, and Ionuț Radu for their game against Barcelona this weekend. Iván Villar should be between the sticks in Radu’s absence.

For Barcelona, Gavi, Marc-André ter Stegen, Raphinha, and Pedri all remain on the treatment table. Andreas Christensen and Joan García have been unavailable of late, but they are edging closer to returning to the squad.

Eric García is the latest player to join the injury list, suffering a potential broken nose last time out.

Celta Vigo’s bizarre home run

Interestingly, both of Celta’s victories in LaLiga this season have come away from home, with Claudio Giráldez’s side struggling on their own turf. At home, in LaLiga, they are still searching for their first victory, and since an opening day defeat, they have drawn all five of their consequent league games by the same 1-1 scoreline.

There’s no doubt they look difficult to beat this season, losing just twice, but they have struggled to get games over the line. In their opening nine games of the league campaign, they failed to win, but they’ve now secured three points in two matches on the bounce.

Barcelona struggling at the back

Scoring goals hasn’t been an issue for Barcelona this season, which is no surprise considering the attacking talent Hansi Flick has at his disposal. Conceding chances has been a real issue, and is a key reason why they are falling behind Real Madrid in the title race.

Barcelona rank eighth in LaLiga for xG conceded, which isn’t at the level a side that want to win the league would expect. Flick’s side average eight shots on target per match and have created 40 big chances this season, more than any other side in both metrics, but they need to tighten up at the back if they want to catch Madrid.

Fermín the man of the moment

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Lamine Yamal take a lot of the credit in the Barcelona attack, but it’s Fermín López who has been the standout player in the final third over the last few weeks. The Spanish midfielder has provided eight goals and assists combined in his last four games in all competitions, making the number 10 position his own of late.

Fermín is keeping Dani Olmo watching on from the sidelines at the moment, and he’s becoming undroppable for Flick in the attack. He’ll be one of many players for Celta to watch out for in this game.

Prediction

Barcelona should have too much for a side who have struggled to pick up wins this season. We’re going for a 3-1 away victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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

Nov

2025

Preview: Rayo meet Real in Madrid

Rayo Vallecano welcome Real Madrid to the Estadio de Vallecas on Sunday afternoon as the leaders look to maintain their advantage at the top of the table.

By Ross Kilvington

Real must bounce back from Liverpool defeat

Until Los Blancos travelled to Anfield on Tuesday night, they had won six successive games, including two in the Champions League.

Xabi Alonso was outdone on his return to Merseyside, however, despite Real dominating possession throughout the match.

They have a five-point lead at the top of the table, which could be stretched to eight should three points be secured on Sunday, as Barcelona don’t play until the evening.

Kylian Mbappé failed to register any shots on target against Liverpool, while Jude Bellingham succeeded with just one dribble and missed a glaring chance.

Remarkably, the Frenchman has scored in all but one of Madrid’s 11 league matches this season, leading the race for the Pichichi award by six goals.

Alonso will be hoping his team can bounce back to winning ways against Rayo Vallecano, extending their lead over Barcelona in the process.

Rayo Vallecano can cause Real Madrid problems

Rayo Vallecano have enjoyed a decent campaign thus far. Four wins from 11 league matches has them 10^th in LaLiga ahead of Saturday’s matches. Furthermore, the club are unbeaten in the Conference League.

So far this season, Rayo have defeated Real Sociedad and drawn against Barcelona domestically, utilising an effective counter-attacking strategy which has worked wonders.

While the recent 4-0 defeat to Villarreal skews the figure, Rayo had conceded only ten goals in as many league matches this season.

As such, Madrid will have to be at their best to break through this stubborn defence on Sunday.

Team news

For this massive tie against the leaders, Rayo will be without the services of Abdul Mumin, who is out with a knee injury. Pep Chavarría is suspended and therefore wont be available for the match, while Luiz Felipe remains a doubt and he will be assessed closer to the match.

Alonso will be missing several key players for the short five-mile trip across Madrid to take on Rayo.

Indeed, Argentinian starlet Franco Mastantuono won’t return until after the international break after suffering a groin injury. He missed the clash against Liverpool in midweek.

Elsewhere, Dani Carvajal is out until 2026, despite making a brief return against Barcelona in October. Defender Antonio Rüdiger could be missing for another few months yet after suffering an injury in September.

David Alaba is a doubt as he aims to make only his fifth appearance of the campaign.

Prediction

Rayo have certainly pushed above their weight recently, backing up an impressive eighth place finish last season by starting the current campaign solidly.

Real should have more than enough quality to seal another three points in the league this weekend, however, especially if Mbappé and Vinicíus Júnior click into gear.

Given Alonso can lead his men further clear at the top of the table, we predict the away side to emerge 2-0 victors.

(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.

Nov

2025

Preview: Title chasers Manchester City and Liverpool face off in a pivotal clash

Two of the Premier League’s top three are involved in this weekend’s headline fixture, which could well determine the next twist in the title race.

By Neel Shelat

City returning to full strength

Injury issues were a big part of Manchester City’s problems last season, and they haven’t had a fully clean bill of health so far this term either. Rodri hasn’t been able to hit the ground running on his return, Rayan Cherki and Omar Marmoush have missed a fair few games each, and a number of defenders have come in and out of the squad.

Going into this game, though, Mateo Kovačić is the only confirmed absentee, so Pep Guardiola will have the opportunity to pick from pretty much all of his options.

Another tough test for Liverpool’s thin defence

While a lot of attention went to Liverpool’s attacking renovation in the transfer window, their lack of investment in defensive depth perhaps did not get as much scrutiny as it deserved. It certainly has come into focus now, as injuries have further limited Arne Slot’s options. Giorgi Mamardashvili has done well enough in place of Alisson, but Giovanni Leoni’s long-term absence has forced Ibrahima Konaté and the 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk to start almost every game together.

Although the Reds are going into this fixture on the back of successive clean sheets, they conceded in each of their 10 matches prior to the win over Aston Villa last weekend. They will definitely need to be on their A game to stop Erling Haaland from adding to his tally of 27 goals in 17 games this season.

Have Liverpool found the formula for their attack?

The quest for balance in the team has been the story of Liverpool’s season so far. They got off to a flying start with seven straight wins, but were soon derailed and lost six of the next seven. The number of attacking options and different full-back profiles have possibly given the coaching staff too many options to pick from, but they might well be hoping to have landed on something successful in the win over Real Madrid this week.

The most noteworthy omission in this lineup is Cody Gakpo, who often looked to be a bright spark in an otherwise faltering attack in that string of defeats. Alexander Isak may be back in the squad after missing the last few games due to a groin injury, but he likely won’t be fit to start.

Can Mohamed Salah deliver on the big stage again?

After enjoying arguably his best-ever season last term, Mohamed Salah has gotten off to a concerningly quiet start this time around. He does have an incredible record against City of 13 goals and eight assists in 23 appearances, so this should be a great opportunity for him to silence the doubters and extend his side’s head-to-head unbeaten run to five games.

Prediction

Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 in both of their meetings last season, but the two sides seem much more evenly matched now. A score draw or 2-1 win either way could very much be on the cards.

(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.

Nov

2025

Preview: Arsenal visit fourth placed Sunderland

Few would have had Sunderland hosting Arsenal as a top-four clash at the start of the season, but the Black Cats’ excellent start has them about halfway to safety only 10 games into the campaign.

By Karl Matchett

Tricky road starts now

Régis Le Bris and his team might be preaching about either surviving or thriving behind closed doors, but it’s really only the latter which matters in reality. Two years running, the promoted teams have gone straight back down again but at least one of the trio to come up last year looks capable of bucking that trend. Even with an excellent spine put together – goalkeeper Robin Roefs looks a steal, Omar Alderete has performed well in defence and Granit Xhaka has brought nous and quality on the ball in the centre – there will be an acknowledgement around the club that the early fixture list was kind. Now starts a much bigger test of their top-flight credentials, but Sunderland face it with all the confidence built up over the past three months: Arsenal today, then the other members of the top five – Bournemouth, Liverpool and Man City – within the next four weeks or so. How many points they take in this run, before several stars depart for the AFCON, might be very telling.

*Sunderland’s best rated players this season, led by former-Arsenal and Xhaka*

Back line puts Gunners in all-timer territory

Quite aside from the fact Arsenal are simply a very good team, there’s a key reason they win so many matches. No, not the set pieces – well, yes, that too – but their defensive resolve. José Mourinho’s 04/05 vintage Chelsea conceded 15 goals in a single season, an average of 0.4 per game and the long-standing Premier League record in that regard. Arsenal have currently seen just three in ten get past them – a 0.3 average and, extrapolated over the season it would be just 11 or 12 conceded all year. That same Chelsea team conceded nine away from home; Arsenal have let in only two thus far. Still, you need a title to go with the numbers, which means the emphasis for Mikel Arteta’s men remains on winning, not just not conceding or losing.

Recent form

Sunderland have lost just one of their last eight matches, a superb run pushing them into fourth place. Following a home draw with Everton last time out, they’ve won two of the last three. Arsenal give that some perspective though: ten straight wins in all competitions after an easy Champions League win in midweek.

Team news

Habib Diarra is out and the aforementioned Alderete needs to be assessed following concussion.

For Arsenal, the attacking absences continue to grow with Viktor Gyökeres now sidelined too, in addition to Noni Madueke, Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Martin Ødegaard.

Key player

With Gyökeres missing, if this isn’t to be a battle between two of the league’s most impressive goalkeepers this term then someone must step up at a key moment. Declan Rice often takes that mantle for the Gunners and with two goals and two assists he’s joint-most productive for Arsenal in the league. He’s above 94% of midfielders for xA per 90 this term and 75% for xG per 90.

*Declan Rice’s passing stats per 90, Premier League 2025/26*

Prediction

A narrow but again solid away win, probably involving a corner: Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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