Preview

May

2026

Preview: Man City can afford no slip ups at Bournemouth

It’s a must-win game for Manchester City at the top of the Premier League tonight, as they travel to play a Bournemouth team with more than one reason to want to topple them.

By Ian King

It’s do or die for Manchester City tonight, and Bournemouth have more than one reason to want to try and trip them up

It’s crunch time, then, at the top of the Premier League table. Manchester City have now won both of the domestic cups this season, but the league title remains out of their reach, and although Arsenal only edged a 1-0 win against Burnley last night, at this point of the season that’s all you have to do. Fail to beat Bournemouth, and Arsenal are the champions for the first time in 22 years. Coming on top of reports that Pep Guardiola is to leave the club at the end of this season, it’s been a difficult 24 hours for the blue half of Manchester.

And Bournemouth will be more than up for this. Not only do they still have a chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League (though the permutations are too complex to go into here), but this evening also marks Andoni Iraola’s final home game as their manager before departing for (as yet unknown) pastures new. They come into this match off the back of a 16-game unbeaten run, the longest that any club has managed in the Premier League this season.

Bournemouth’s record in this fixture is abysmal, though they did manage to edge it last season

The good news for Guardiola is that Bournemouth’s record in this fixture is historically, famously abysmal. These two clubs have met each other previously 25 times before – strangely, the first of these meetings was as late as 1987 – and of these, City have won 22, drawn two and lost one.

The slightly better news for Andoni Iraola is that the one win that Bournemouth have ever managed in this fixture came last season, with the Cherries winning this very fixture 2-1 in November 2024. City beat them twice last season after this at the Etihad, in the league and the FA Cup, but their last meeting at the Vitality Stadium resulted in a Bournemouth win.

Antoine Semenyo has made light work of moving to an elite level club

Cup Final-winning goalscorer Antoine Semenyo has made light work of moving to an elite level club. He’s bounced back to form following a bit of a dip in February and March, and has scored in each of his last two appearances for them. The goalscoring outlet that he has given City beyond Erling Haaland has been one of the key factors in keeping them in the title race for as long as they’ve managed and this is, of course, his first return to the Vitality Stadium since his January move north.

*Semenyo scored 10 of his 16 Premier League goals for Bournemouth this season*

Bournemouth also have an in-form attacking player. Junior Kroupi has scored four times in his last six appearances for Bournemouth and has attracted reasonably strong match ratings in recent weeks, although his performance in their last match at Fulham was a little more tepid than we’d seen in previous weeks. His recent run means that he’s now overhauled Semenyo as their top scorer for the season, and he could break Semenyo’s heart tonight.

Manchester City came through the FA Cup final pretty much unscathed

All the Manchester City injury chatter before the FA Cup final concerned Rodri, but he came through his return unscathed before being withdrawn midway through the second half. The only other small concern they had was over Omar Marmoush, who was withdrawn at half-time against Chelsea, but this was confirmed as a tactical switch and he should be available again tonight.

Things aren’t quite as straightforward for Bournemouth. Ryan Christie was sent off in their last match at Fulham and both are suspended for this one. With a three-match ban for his red card, Christie won’t play for them again this season. Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook could return for this one (though Cook has to be considered doubtful, given that he hasn’t played since February), but Bournemouth will be missing Julio Soler with a thigh injury, while Alex Jimenez remains suspended by the club.

Bournemouth have as much to play for as City tonight, but City have the big match pressure experience

There was a time when you’d look at a fixture like this and consider a Manchester City win pretty much inevitable, but there are plenty of good reasons that this might not be the case tonight. Bournemouth have a lot to play for, with European qualification on the line, and that’s before we even look at a desire for the home fans to give a positive goodbye to their manager and put one over on the starboy who left them in pursuit of the elite level of the game in January.

It’s also reasonable to say that City haven’t been the team they were again, this season. That feeling of the crushing inevitability of them winning match after match – which manifested itself most obviously in their record in this exact fixture – has been missing again this season, most obviously in the way in which they re-seized the initiative in the title race by beating Arsenal in the middle of April before scrambling to a 1-0 win at Burnley and then conceding a near-fatal three goals in 13 minutes at Everton in the game after that.

Bournemouth have been unbeaten for not far short of half the entire Premier League season. That’s a record which cannot be overlooked. If Pep Guardiola is the generational coach that he’s universally claimed to be, then he should be able to get his expensively-assembled collection of star players up for this match, at this of all times. But there are too many good reasons why this could go wrong for them, so I’m going for a 1-1 draw, and for the title race to be over with a game to spare.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Leaders Arsenal take on relegated Burnley

Arsenal can take another big step towards the Premier League title by beating an already relegated opponent at home.

By Graham Ruthven

Foregone conclusion?

Everything points to a comfortable Arsenal win when Burnley visit the Emirates Stadium on Monday to face the team many now believe is destined to win this season’s Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta’s side have won their last three league games and can go five points clear of Manchester City with a fourth successive victory. The finish line is well and truly in sight.

Burnley, on the other hand, are only playing for pride following their relegation back to the Championship. The Clarets are without a win in their last 11 league outings.

And yet the pressure of the title race could stiffen Arsenal. It wasn’t so long ago that the Premier League table toppers were struggling to find fluidity due to the anxiety that built up over a number of matches and culminated in the shock home loss to Bournemouth.

Arsenal can’t take anything for granted. It would be easy to get caught up in the anticipation of what might follow only two games from now, but Arteta and his players still have work to do.

Key players

Bukayo Saka looks like his old self again. Having endured a season of persistent injuries and patchy form, the winger has registered three goal contributions in his last three games for the Gunners. He is peaking at the right time.

Martin Ødegaard is another Arsenal player who hasn’t always been able to perform at his best this season. However, the Norwegian’s cameo off the bench against West Ham was crucial to his side snatching an important victory.

Declan Rice remains Arsenal’s heartbeat in central midfield. He has created more Big Chances than any other Arsenal player in the Premier League this season, underlining his importance.

At the back, Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba are Arsenal’s defensive foundation while David Raya is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers around, especially after his one-on-one save from Mateus Fernandes last weekend.

*Our best rated Arsenal players in the Premier League*

Zian Flemming will pose the biggest threat to the Arsenal backline. Not only has the Dutch forward notched an impressive 10 league goals this season, he can handle himself physically in and around the box.

Jaidon Anthony could be another attack-minded player capable of doing harm to the Gunners from his usual position on the left wing of the Burnley frontline.

To stand any chance of an upset in North London, goalkeeper Max Weiss will surely have to be a brick wall to prevent the Arsenal attack from finding the back of the net in a critical match in the title race.

Team news

Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt for Monday’s match after coming off at half time of the win over West Ham with Ben White now sidelined through injury until the end of the season.

Myles Lewis-Skelly could keep his place in central midfield considering his recent form in that area of the pitch while Viktor Gyökeres is a good bet to start as the Gunners’ centre forward once more.

Jordan Beyer, Josh Cullen and Connor Roberts all missed Burnley’s 2-2 draw against Aston Villa and are expected to be unavailable for the trip to the Emirates Stadium.

Prediction

This might not be the game that springs a surprise in this title race. We expect this one to go with form and for the Gunners to send a marker to Man City ahead of their game against Bournemouth on Tuesday night: Arsenal 2-0 Burnley.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Sevilla host Real Madrid in penultimate round

Real Madrid travel to Sevilla as the home side look to cement their place as a LaLiga club heading into next season.

By Matt Smith

Sevilla are in an interesting position, still able to be relegated despite three wins on the bounce, while they could also snatch a place in the Europa Conference League.

There’s little on the line for Madrid except to try and end the season in a positive way after a tumultuous few weeks.

Team news

Sevilla are set to be without Marcão and Manu Bueno, while Isaac Romero is a doubt as he requires a late fitness test. Other than that, Sevilla should have a fully fit squad against Madrid.

Meanwhile, Madrid have a host of injury troubles to contend with. Rodrygo, Arda Güler, Éder Militão, Ferland Mendy and Federico Valverde are all missing, while Dean Huijsen and Andriy Lunin are doubts.

Worrying times for Madrid

As mentioned, it’s been a worrying few weeks for Madrid, not only on the pitch but also off it. President Florentino Pérez came out and produced a fiery press conference, while Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni were involved in an altercation in the dressing room.

Results haven’t been good enough on the pitch, and the Madrid supporters have been getting frustrated. Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior were both on the receiving end of jeers from supporters during their victory over Real Oviedo earlier this week.

Sevilla turn things around when it matters

It was looking like an incredibly disappointing season for Sevilla until they started to turn things around over the last few weeks. They’ve now won three games on the bounce, and there’s a small chance they manage to qualify for Europe.

It’s rare that a side can be relegated and qualify for Europe with just two games remaining, but considering their recent form, finishing in the top seven is looking more likely at the moment. Despite Madrid’s difficulties, it certainly won’t be easy for Sevilla, especially considering they haven’t beaten them since 2018.

Mbappé has a point to prove

It was a hostile atmosphere at the Santiago Bernabéu earlier this week, with Mbappé booed as he went to warm up and booed a little more as he entered the pitch. The French international saw the funny side, smiling as he took in the abuse, something which might have riled up the supporters a little more.

Despite the fans’ disappointment with Mbappé, it is hard to argue with the numbers he has produced this season. The former Monaco man will know he has got the ability to prove people wrong, and it is an opportunity for him to do that against Sevilla.

Prediction

This game might mean a little more to Sevilla, so we’re going for a 2-1 victory to the home side.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: West Ham head to Newcastle in survival bid

West Ham United have two games left to save their Premier League status, starting with a long trip north to play Newcastle United at St James’s Park.

By Ian King

West Ham’s task for this fixture is very straightforward

Two games left, two points to make up. West Ham United’s – to say the least – controversial 1-0 home defeat against Arsenal last Sunday left them in the bottom three, but they’re still very much in the survival game as a result of Spurs’ failure to beat Leeds United at home the following evening.

Their task for this match is straightforward. Win, and Spurs have to get something from their trip to Chelsea on Tuesday night to avoid being in the bottom three for the final round of matches next Sunday. Fail to win, and Premier League survival will depend on them getting a better result than Spurs on the final weekend of the season, while an away win for Spurs in their rescheduled match at Stamford Bridge would send them down.

Four points from their last two games have eased the pressure on the Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe a little, but there remains the feeling that this has been a bit of a lost season for them. They’re in 13th place with two games to play, and a top half finish is just about the best that they can hope for now.

West Ham’s recent record against Newcastle isn’t great

West Ham have only won three of their last 13 Premier League meetings with Newcastle, a run going back to 2019, but there are a couple silver linings for them ahead of this weekend’s meeting. Two of those three wins have come at St James’s Park, while they also won the meeting between the two teams at The London Stadium earlier this season fairly convincingly.

Fans who don’t care about the result and are only interested in entertainment will be hoping for a little of the spirit of 1960 to leak into this match. The clubs met twice in that calendar year, with Newcastle winning 5-3 at The Boleyn Ground in February and the two teams playing out a 5-5 draw at St James’s Park the following December.

Jared Bowen has a straightforward route out of a potential bit of family drama

It’s that time of the season when big personalities matter, and few have a bigger one at West Ham than Jarrod Bowen. Not only is he their captain and top scorer this season, but he’s married to the daughter of their most famous fan.

Bowen will face quite the dilemma this summer, should West Ham go down. Stay, and at 29 years of age he could be impacting his England chances. Go, and he might have some explaining to do to his in-laws. The best solution to this for him is to score or create the goals to keep them up, and the good news for him on that front is that he is plenty capable of doing that.

The match is also a homecoming for Callum Wilson, who transferred to West Ham from Newcastle last summer, but he’s been largely limited to appearances from the bench this season and a place in their first XI for this fixture would be a surprise.

Harvey Barnes is on the fringes of a call-up for England’s World Cup squad this summer and he was included for their March friendlies. Two goals in his last two Newcastle games indicate that his form is tacking in the right direction, and strong performances in his final two remaining games would strengthen his claim to getting the nod from Thomas Tuchel, come the end of the season.

West Ham have few injury concerns ahead of this key fixture

West Ham haven’t had that awful a time of things with injuries, compared to others. They have one injury concern ahead of this match. Adama Traore has tight quadriceps, and faces a late fitness test; a return to the performance he put into their FA Cup match against Leeds United would be most welcome, should he be available. Other than him, their only injury concern is veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski, who’s been out since September with a back injury.

Newcastle’s injury issues are largely of the longer-term variety. Lewis Miley, Emil Krafth and Tino Livramento won’t play again this season. Fabian Schär may return for the final weekend of the season, but he’s highly unlikely to be ready for this match.

The relegation scrap seems most likely to go to the wire

We’re at the point of the season at which fine margins are everything, and the late drama at The London Stadium last weekend has impacted West Ham United. Two points behind Spurs and with an inferior goal difference, they really need to win both of their final two matches to give themselves a better than average chance of staying up. Defeat coupled with a Spurs win at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday would send them down. Defeat coupled with a Spurs draw would render their chances of survival mathematical only, on account of that inferior goal difference.

Newcastle’s season isn’t quite over yet. But Eddie Howe does have something to play for – his job, essentially – and a top half finish, which is achievable, would lift a little bit of the pressure on both the manager and the players. They’ve improved since the return of Bruno Guimarães in the middle of April, but they’ve been wildly unpredictable all season and their motivation levels for this match are almost impossible to gauge.

Newcastle’s recent win over Brighton was the first time they’d scored more than once in a Premier League game since the start of March, and with West Ham having failed to score in three of their last four matches, there’s little to suggest that this game will be a thriller. A 1-1 draw gives the Hammers a decent chance of still being in the game by the last weekend of the season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Man United welcome Forest with Bruno Fernandes eyeing Premier League history

Nottingham Forest are unbeaten in their last three meetings with Manchester United, holding them to a 2-2 draw earlier in the season.

By Filip Mishov

Old Trafford set for United’s last home game of the season

United’s bleak performance at the Stadium of Light last weekend exposed a lack of depth, as the Red Devils failed to impress on both sides of the pitch after Michael Carrick made five changes to the starting XI, with Sunderland accumulating a higher xG (1.25 to 0.62) and United failing to create a single big chance. They are, however, on a four-match (3W, 1D) unbeaten run and know a single point in this game will be enough to clinch a top three finish only behind Man City and Arsenal.

Forest earned a hard-fought draw against Newcastle through Elliot Anderson‘s late equaliser last time out, with their Premier League safety secured for a fourth consecutive season by other results later in the round of games. Manager Vítor Pereira has ultimately accomplished the main goal set by the demanding Evangelos Marinakis. Forest are now on an eight-match (4W, 4D) unbeaten run in the league and could theoretically still finish in the top half of the table if they can repeat last season’s victorious performance at the Theatre of Dreams.

Key players

Casemiro is set to bid an emotional farewell at Old Trafford, as the Brazilian is expected to be named in the starting lineup after getting a much-deserved rest last weekend. The 34-year-old will be sorely missed in Manchester United’s midfield, not only for his defensive contribution, but also for his experience, leadership and attacking output as well. The defensive midfielder has scored more goals this season than he has anywhere in his career (with nine goals) and is only behind Bruno Fernandes in the average FotMob ratings in the United squad this season (7.36 to Brunno’s 8.0).

Interestingly enough, Forest’s Elliot Anderson is the preferred candidate to replace the departing Casemiro, but his 100 million price tag and interest from the other side of Manchester are an issue. The England international is the most sought-after midfielder in the Premier League and his goal against Newcastle was additional proof of his all-around qualities. Comfortable both in and out of possession, the 23-year-old is the cornerstone of Forest’s squad, leading the side in terms of accurate passes per 90 (54.6), chances created (49) and defensive contributions per 90 (13.8), making him the highest-rated player (7.49) in the squad (7.49).

Sunday might be Anderson’s final audition to convince the United hierarchy that he is worth the money to replace Casemiro and slot in alongside Kobbie Mainoo.

Team news

Matthijs de Ligt, Benjamin Sesko, Manuel Ugarte, and Casemiro and all missed the match at the Stadium of Light last weekend, but the latter two are back in contention, giving Michael Carrick plenty of options to choose from.

Forest’s extensive injury list is worrying, but Ibrahim Sangaré, Morgan Gibbs-White and Dan Ndoye are back in training, which is a much-needed boost.

Prediction

Manchester United have more than enough incentive to win on Sunday, with this being Casemiro’s swansong at Old Trafford, Bruno Fernandes still chasing the Premier League’s single-season assist record, and Carrick closing in on a permanent contract by clinching a top-three finish.

Even though I do not think that Nottingham Forest will make it easy for them, I expect United to what is Forest’s longest unbeaten league run since the 1995/96 season.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: LaLiga champions Barcelona host Real Betis

Celebrations from both teams are likely to have been the case even before LaLiga has played out, with Barcelona claiming the title and Real Betis sealing a return to the Champions League.

By Karl Matchett

Hansi Flick’s side secured one of the more memorable El Clásico victories last weekend, beating Real Madrid to ensure back-to-back league championships at the same time – though perhaps a midweek defeat at Alavés was a bit of a comedown. Regardless, they have two major objectives left in the remaining games this season.

Camp Nou perfection

With the final round of matches seeing Barca head to Valencia, this is their last on home soil for the season – and they’ve a chance to claim maximum points in the process. Not just on the day, but for the entirety of 2025/26 in the Camp Nou…well, and the Estadi Johan Cruyff and Olimpic Lluis Companys, as they played at “home” in both of those grounds too, only moving into their rebuilt ground in late November.

*Barca’s home and away points breakdown this season*

Regardless of location, the outcome at home has been the same so far: 18 league games, 18 league wins. One more makes a perfect campaign – they managed 18 wins and one draw back in 12/13 and 09/10, but no Spanish side have had a 100% home record since Real Madrid a full 40 years ago, in an 18-team league so with two home matches fewer.

As an additional side note, winning both their last two games will give a season tally of 97 points, putting this Barca side third on the all-time list of single-season hauls. Barca have previously managed 99 (09/10) and 100 (12/13), with Real Madrid also the joint-record holders on 100 (11/12).

Kings of consistency

Real Betis have quietly become one of LaLiga’s most impressively consistent teams over the last few years, having already guaranteed they’ll finish fifth this term – and with that comes a Champions League place for the first time in 20 years. Back in 05/06, though, they finished third in their group and exited to the Uefa Cup, disappointingly losing then to Steaua Bucharest. This time it’s straight into the main 30-team league for at least eight fixtures among the elite.

Betis have finished 5th, 6th or 7th in each of the last six campaigns now, which may give rise to questions of LaLiga’s glass ceiling, despite the club’s undeniable progress.

Recent form

Six straight wins before losing last time for Barcelona. Only one defeat in nine for Betis – and three wins. They love a draw.

Team news

Lamine Yamal’s season is done, but everyone else is available.

Betis are without suspended pair Diego Llorente and Cucho Hernández, plus injured former Barca centre-back Marc Bartra.

Key player

Robert Lewandowski faces his final home game for Barcelona, so he’ll probably score. The 37-year-old ranks top for non-penalty xG per 90 in LaLiga this term, with 47% of his shots on target. Surely he goes out with a celebration.

*Lewandowski’s season-by-season record at Barcelona*

Prediction

Barcelona to end the season on a positive note and a perfect home record for the league campaign: Barcelona 3-1 Real Betis.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Stuttering Chelsea take on title-chasing Manchester City in the FA Cup final

While Manchester City can still dream of a domestic treble, Chelsea can only hope to salvage an otherwise disappointing season in the FA Cup final.

By Neel Shelat

Coaching change unable to turn Chelsea’s form around

A run of seven straight losses against top-flight opposition ended Liam Rosenior’s short-lived tenure as Chelsea head coach. With just a month to go to the end of the season by the time he was dismissed, the Blues decided to ask Calum McFarlane to reprise his interim role. He managed to lead them to the FA Cup final by grinding out a one-goal win against Leeds United, but the subsequent loss to relegation-battling Nottingham Forest and draw against a subpar Liverpool have not done anything to alleviate concerns about the team’s performances.

Over the last three months, Chelsea’s only wins have come against Aston Villa, Wrexham, Port Vale and Leeds United. In the meantime, they have lost nine matches, over half of which were by three-goal margins.

Manchester City’s dominant recent record against the Blues

Further stacking the odds against Chelsea is the fact that they have failed to beat Manchester City in almost five years. Their last win over Pep Guardiola’s side came on the biggest occasion possible in the 2021 Champions League final, but they have drawn just three and lost 10 since then.

McFarlane did oversee a draw against his former employers in Manchester thanks to Enzo Fernández’s last-gasp winner during his initial interim stint earlier this season, but City have won all four of their other meetings over the last couple of seasons.

*Recent H2H results in the Premier League*

The 10-time English champions are generally in imperious form, having won eight and drawn the outlier in the last four weeks. They will also set a record of becoming the first team to appear in four consecutive men’s FA Cup finals when they take to the pitch at Wembley.

Team news

Robert Sánchez, Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto have all returned to training for Chelsea after missing recent matches due to minor injuries. That leaves Estêvão and Jamie Gittens as their only major absentees.

Manchester City have a near-fully fit squad to take into this match, with Rodri being the only doubt due to his recent groin injury. Guardiola rested some of his stars in the midweek league game against Crystal Palace, so fatigue won’t be too big a concern either.

Key players

Reece James returned from his latest hamstring injury last weekend to make his first appearance since March. He will be in contention to start here, and could have a big defensive role to play against Jérémy Doku. João Pedro will be keen to cap off his best-ever goal-scoring season with a flourish on the biggest day, while Cole Palmer could produce a moment of magic against the side he made his senior debut for.

Nico O’Reilly has been a surprise big-game contributor for Manchester City this season, and could well repeat his heroics from the EFL Cup final. Rayan Cherki produced two memorable assists when these two sides met last month, Erling Haaland didn’t get on the scoresheet then, so he’ll be raring to score in his first cup outing against Chelsea.

Prediction

Chelsea will be eager to share their record of three-consecutive FA Cup final losses with Manchester City, but it is hard to see them getting the win here in order to do that.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Aston Villa host Liverpool in final Champions League push

It’s fifth vs fourth on Friday night in the Premier League as Aston Villa welcome Liverpool to the Midlands.

By Ross Kilvington

Aston Villa just one win away from the Champions League

While Unai Emery would lead Villa back into Europe’s premier club competition by winning the Europa League next week, a win over Liverpool on Friday would take care of that.

One eye will be on that Europa League final against Freiburg, but a good performance against the Reds would set them up nicely.

Villa enter this game having not won against Liverpool in nearly six years. That was the remarkable 7-2 thrashing in October 2020, yet they have lost eight times since in all competitions.

The question is, will Emery go with his strongest XI at Villa Park? Or will he rest some of his star performers ahead of Wednesday’s European showpiece? Only time will tell.

Arne Slot faces an uncertain future at Liverpool

After a superb debut season which saw Slot lead Liverpool to the Premier League title, the 2025/26 campaign has been somewhat of a damp squib.

Slot spent nearly £450m last summer and has nothing to show for it. Add in the fact club legends Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson leave this summer, it could be an interesting pre-season for the Reds.

Is he the right man to lead Liverpool into next season? Former Liverpool and Villa goalkeeper David James believes so.

“Yes,” said James, who was speaking on behalf of Zamsino. “When Arne signed, I can assure you that there would have been a two or three season plan with expectations at the beginning and within that, possible talk of winning the Premier League further into that.

“You take the two years that he’s had, this season will be qualification for the Champions League without a trophy, but over the two years, Champions League qualification twice, and a Premier League title.

“I think next season will obviously be the acid test and there shouldn’t be any real criticism for him this season. If this was to replicate again next season, then over two years, you’d be thinking, okay, where is the future? I think he’s done a tremendous job this season.”

A big summer awaits the Dutchman and a couple of wins to end the campaign might ease the growing tension around Anfield.

Team News

Emery will be without Boubacar Kamara, Alysson Edward and Amadou Onana, but these are the only injury absentees for Villa.

The Spaniard will be hoping no other player joins the trio on the treatment table, especially with the Europa League final just around the corner.

Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Giovanni Leoni and Wataru Endo will all miss the clash at Villa Park.

Elsewhere, Ibrahima Konaté, Florian Wirtz, Salah and Alisson will undergo late fitness tests to see if they can feature.

Prediction

Emery will hope to get through this match unscathed, while Slot knows that a win would mathematically secure Champions League football.

Both teams enter the game in mixed form. Considering that, I expect this one to end all square at Villa Park.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Madrid look to pick up the pieces in midweek round of LaLiga

Real Madrid host Real Oviedo on Thursday, with both sides’ season already over in reality.

By Matt Smith

Madrid suffered a 2-0 defeat against Barcelona last week, allowing Hansi Flick’s side to seal the title in LaLiga. Real Oviedo will finish bottom of the table with their relegation already confirmed, sitting on just 29 points after 35 games.

When the two sides met back in August, it was a comfortable 3-0 win for Madrid, although it took until the 83rd minute for them to grab their second goal.

Team news

Madrid are likely to be without a host of players heading into this game with Dean Huijsen, the latest player to potentially join the injury list. The former Bournemouth defender pulled out of the game against Barcelona at the last minute so he could miss out.

Rodrygo, Dani Ceballos, Ferlan Mendy, Dani Carvajal, Éder Militão, and Arda Güler are all confirmed absentees.

Real Oviedo will be without Javi López and Kwasi Sibo, who are both suspended for this one. Jaime Vázquez and Eric Bailly are both ruled out, while Leander Dendoncker is a doubt.

Two teams playing for pride

Both sides will undoubtedly want their seasons over with already, although Madrid are guaranteed a runner’s up finish. It is certainly not what they would have been aiming for heading into the season. They are currently 14 points behind Barcelona with just three games remaining.

Oviedo were promoted to LaLiga this season and were undoubtedly one of the favourites to go down. Unfortunately for them, their fate was sealed fairly early, and it’s back down to the second tier.

For some of these Oviedo players, it’s a chance to experience the Estadio Bernabéu for the first time. For Madrid, it’s a chance to give something back to their disappointed fans.

Arbeloa heading for the exit door?

There are strong rumours that Álvaro Arbeloa will be replaced at the end of the season with the ‘Special One’, José Mourinho reportedly set to replace him. It would certainly be no surprise if Arbeloa is shown the boot, as he’s been one of Real Madrid’s poorest performing managers in recent years.

Mourinho last managed Madrid back in the 2012-2013 season, and he has unfinished business after failing to win the Champions League during his time at the club.

Time for Bellingham to prove his worth

It’s been a disappointing few months for Jude Bellingham at Real Madrid, producing just one assist and no goals since the turn of the year in LaLiga. Despite their season being basically over, there will still be some expectant supporters at the Bernabéu, and it’s a chance for Bellingham to prove his worth.

Question marks are starting to surround the England international after his poor displays, and it’s time for him to stand up and be counted, even through difficult times.

Prediction

With the pressure off for Real Madrid, we’re predicting a comfortable 3-0 victory.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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May

2026

Preview: Spurs face Leeds United in Monday Night Football

West Ham’s controversial defeat to Arsenal has given Spurs an opportunity to all-but secure their Premier League status for another year if they can beat Leeds United at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but Leeds are in decent form themselves.

By Ian King

An opportunity for Spurs to take a giant step toward Premier League survival

Whisper it quietly for fear of breaking it, because it’s very delicate, but Spurs might be coming into some form. Their last three performances have each been an incremental improvement on that which preceded them.

Against Brighton, one individual mistake cost them a much-needed home win. Against Wolves they were poor and lost a key player to a long-term injury, but they did at least get the win. Against Aston Villa, their opponents were a little flattered by a stoppage-time consolation goal to pull the score back to 2-1.

On Sunday afternoon, meanwhile, a late Leonardo Trossard goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 win at West Ham under, shall we say, ‘controversial’ circumstances, which left the Irons in the bottom three and still a point behind Spurs. With only two games left after this, the four-point gap that would come with a win would leave Spurs with one foot jammed firmly in the emergency exit.

Leeds United, meanwhile, are safe as a result of West Ham’s defeat. Ten points from their last twelve have left them in 14th place in the Premier League table, though it is also worth mentioning that two of those wins came against Wolves and Burnley, who occupy the bottom two places in the division.

Spurs have become a bogey team for Leeds United in recent years

In terms of the historical record, Spurs have a clear advantage over Leeds. Over the last 24 years the two clubs have met fifteen times, of which they’ve won eleven, drawn two and lost two. They’ve also won their last five a row against them, including a 2-1 win at Elland Road at the start of October, meaning that a Spurs win in this fixture would complete a league double for them over Leeds in each of the last three seasons.

Conor Gallagher proved a point at Villa Park last week

The player who really stepped up at Villa Park last weekend was Conor Gallagher, who scored an outstanding goal and put in a half-season-best performance in a season-best performance for the team. His arrival at the club in January raised an eyebrow or two, but his showing against Aston Villa went some way towards explaining his signature.

After going four games without scoring, Leeds United have remembered how to again, though it remains to be seen, the extent to which the absence of Noah Okafor affects them in front of goal. They’ve scored 10 in their last four games, and the only player to have scored more than one of that ten other than Okafor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, may have to shoulder a little extra goalscoring as a result of his absence.

James Maddison could make a cautious return for Spurs

There are no fresh injuries for Roberto De Zerbi to have to worry about, for once. Xavi Simons, Gugliemo Vicario, Cristian Romero, Mohammed Kudus, Pape Mate Sarr, Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke, Ben Davies, and Dejan Kulusevski are all in the treatment room, though James Maddison continues to edge towards getting onto the pitch for a few minutes.

Leeds’ most notable absentee is Okafor, who’ll be missing their next two matches with a calf strain. Pascal Struijk faces a late fitness test. Gabriel Gudmundsson remains out with a hamstring problem and Ilia Gruev’s season is over following a meniscus injury. Head coach Daniel Farke had to miss Friday’s media duties with illness, so he may even face a late fitness test himself.

Recent improvement hints that Spurs could edge this match

Regardless of what happened at The London Stadium on Sunday afternoon, Spurs’ task against Leeds remains unchanged; they need to win. And when we remove everything else – all that other noise – from the equation, recent form has been a steady improvement, with seven points from the last nine and incrementally improving performances in each match.

Winning this game would leave them on the cusp of safety, four points above West Ham and with a superior goal difference. One win from their final two games would seal it, and that’s if West Ham find a way of winning their final two games. There’s little question that the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi is having a positive effect on the team. The question is whether the club left his appointment too late to be able to correct their course for this season.

Leeds are safe. Mission accomplished. And with three wins from their last four games they’re also in decent form. Daniel Farke has done an outstanding job in getting his team to the position in which they find themselves. He’s absolutely vindicated the decision not to pull the plug on him last summer.

But the combination of improving performances and results starting to flow benefits Spurs, and a home win would do them good. Both of their Premier League wins in 2026 have come away from home and it’s now been more than five months since they last won at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but their recent upward swing and the fact that they need the points more than Leeds could swing it in their favour. 2-1 to Spurs, and potentially a big step towards safety.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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