Category: English Premier League

The teenager Charalampos Kostoulas scored a brilliant overhead kick in injury time to rescue a point for Brighton

4 min Kadioglu, playing at left-back tonight, cuts inside and hits a hopeful shot from the left edge of the penalty area. It bounces just in front of Petrovic, who holds on with authority. Good boy.

2 min “I have much interest in the game tonight,” writes Roger Kirkby. “If Bournemouth don’t win tonight, no team in the Premier League will have won their last two games. Something rare in the world of anoraks.”

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Manchester United jog memories, Nick Woltemade comes up short and there’s a tough crowd for Chelsea’s owners

• Top scorers: check out the latest top-flight standings

Sir Jim Ratcliffe was present to see the best victory and performance of his two years of minority ownership. When Ratcliffe bought in, the public impression given was of a billionaire signing up to taste the magic for himself. Saturday, and beating Manchester City, was an undoubted revival act where Michael Carrick’s team played the football of yore. That will almost certainly be unsustainable in the medium term, since most opposition will not play City’s high-line, high-wire act. But in engaging their supporters with determination and aggression, United jogged memories. There was a time when just about every big game had Old Trafford rocking like this, when the opposition could not hear themselves think. Surely that was the myth and legend Ratcliffe wanted to be part of? Would that be possible in the new stadium the Ineos chief has plans for instead of Old Trafford? Tottenham’s recent experiences suggest otherwise. Would Liverpool’s owners cash out the Anfield experience? Surely not. John Brewin

Match report: Manchester United 2-0 Manchester City

Match report: Aston Villa 0-1 Everton

Match report: Wolves 0-0 Newcastle

Match report: Nottingham Forest 0-0 Arsenal

Match report: Tottenham 1-2 West Ham

Match report: Sunderland 2-1 Crystal Palace

Match report: Chelsea 2-0 Brentford

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Newcastle struggled to find a way through a determined Wolves team, who remain unbeaten in 2026

1 min: Sandro Tonali takes the ball deep as Newcastle attempt to pass their way through. Harvey Barnes gets an early touch from a Woltemade layoff. Good energy from the home fans. How long will that last?

Here’s Jeff Beck’s Hi Ho Silver Lining, with the Led Zep medley you will always hear in pre-match at Molineux.

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A guide to each club’s setups, from Chelsea’s multi-headed structure to Brentford’s smooth planning and Manchester United’s muddles

The appointment of Andrea Berta as sporting director in March was greeted with much enthusiasm by Arsenal’s supporters, given his impressive track record in more than a decade at Atlético Madrid,. The Italian, who began his career in finance, has made an instant impression. Known as a shrewd negotiator, the suave and softly spoken 54-year-old masterminded Arsenal’s outlay of more than £250m in the summer that included the arrivals of Viktor Gyökeres, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke. Berta takes the lead on recruitment in consultation with Richard Garlick, who was promoted to chief executive in September, the manager, Mikel Arteta, and the co-chair Josh Kroenke. James Ellis, a former scout who then spent two years as head of recruitment, was appointed as technical director in the summer and is tasked with “delivering the club’s long-term player progression strategy”, with a focus on creating a pathway from academy to first team. Ed Aarons

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The points were shared on an evening when Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the table but almost certainly left the field feeling a modicum of regret

• Read Peter Lansley’s match report from the City Ground

An email: Arsenal fans will have mixed memories of Sean Dyche teams; probably most saliently here his new-manager-bounce inspiration of a previously useless Everton side to a 1-0 win, smashing a 14-game unbeaten Arsenal run,” writes Charles Antaki. “Admittedly Arsenal haven’t been quite that consistently good this year but Forest have certainly been that consistently bad, so there are omens around for those who care to read them.”

Having paid a visit to Dr Tottenham this afternoon and surprised nobody by leaving his North London clinic with three points and a restorative sense of enormous wellbeing, West Ham have closed the gap to Forest to just four points. No pressure Dychey …

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On 65 minutes Michael Carrick’s second tenure went electric as Manchester United scored a classic breakaway goal by Bryan Mbeumo that sent the interim head coach berserk in the technical area.

After a clearing Harry Maguire header, the ball evaded Rayan Cherki and Bruno Fernandes galloped forward. He had Amad Diallo to the right and Patrick Dorgu and Mbeumo on the left; United’s streetwise captain delayed the pass, then found the Cameroonian, whose finish beat Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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Lukas Nmecha stepped off the bench to fire a stoppage-time winner as Leeds marked their tribute to Terry Yorath with a valuable win The striker, an 81st-minute replacement for Jayden Bogle, latched on to Ethan Ampadu’s cross in the first minute of added time to clinch victory, which keeps Leeds eight points clear of the Premier League’s relegation zone.

Leeds dominated after an even first half, but by failing to take their chances it appeared Fulham would extend their unbeaten run to seven league matches.

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Bryan Mbeumo and Patrick Dorgu scored as Man Utd ran City ragged in Michael Carrick’s first game in charge

Michael Carrick is the first manager of United or City to begin a spell in charge with a Manchester derby.

This is how Man Utd’s post-Fergie managers fared in their first derby; all were Premier League games.

David Moyes 1-4 (A) 2013-14

Louis van Gaal 0-1 (A) 2014-15

Jose Mourinho 1-2 (H) 2016-17

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 0-2 (H) 2018-19

Ralf Rangnick 1-4 (A) 2021-22

Erik ten Hag 3-6 (A) 2022-23

Ruben Amorim 2-1 (A) 2024-25

[On Man Utd’s tactics] No, I don’t know. They could play with a four or a back five; they could play with a false nine or Mbeumo up front. I’d love to know but we have to focus on ourselves.

[On the importance Rodri’s return] It’s not news! He’s so important. He was out for a long time, then he had a setback. We’re trying to manage his recovery.

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Michael Carrick faces a baptism of fire as City visit United in the Manchester derby while Tottenham host West Ham

Saturday 12.30pm Sky Sports Premier League Venue Old Trafford

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Chelsea need to avoid long-throw blues, plus: a vacant spot for Liverpool and West Ham’s best hope for survival

• Race for the golden boot: Premier League top scorers

Can the 198th derby be any spicier for Manchester United and their latest interim manager, Michael Carrick? This is his second caretaker tenure though the three games of November-December 2021 (beating Villarreal and Arsenal, drawing with Chelsea) hardly compares to sending out an XI to try to beat Manchester City in Saturday’s early kick-off. Pep Guardiola’s high-performing unit remain in contention on all fronts. Carrick takes charge of a United suffering the aftershocks of a latest manager sacking, hoping to salvage the season via European qualification. The lad from Wallsend has 17 games to do so – his new team are in seventh place on 32 points, so victory over City would be a fine start. But you wonder if the match might end with Carrick and United humbled or, even worse, humiliated. Jamie Jackson

Manchester United v Manchester City, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)

Chelsea v Brentford, Saturday 3pm

Leeds v Fulham, Saturday 3pm

Liverpool v Burnley, Saturday 3pm

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• Midfielder signs long-term deal after move from Atlético

• Thomas Frank: ‘Conor will bring leadership and maturity’

Conor Gallagher has pledged to bring “special moments” to Tottenham after completing a £34.6m transfer from Atlético Madrid. The London club moved quickly for a midfielder they have long admired after losing Rodrigo Bentancur to a hamstring injury at Bournemouth last Wednesday, beating off competition from Aston Villa. Bentancur has since undergone surgery.

Spurs looked at Gallagher at the end of the 2023-24 season only for him to go from Chelsea to Atlético for £34m. Before the Premier League game between Chelsea and Spurs in May 2024 at Stamford Bridge, the home support unfurled a giant banner of Gallagher. “Chelsea since birth,” read the caption about their academy product. The subtext was clear: do not sell him to Spurs.

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Arsenal moved six points clear after a goalless game of two halves against the reigning champions

“Arsenal have been annoyingly composed and consistent over the winter holidays and into the new year,” writes Peter Oh, “but I’m an optimist and haven’t given up hope of an imminent ‘Oh Arsenal!’ extended dip in form.

“Preferably starting today.”

Commentating on the Brugge v Arsenal game, Martin Keown reckoned that Arsenal were benefitting from having three quarters of the Spanish midfield with Merino and Zubimendi, which immediately impressed on me the importance of ruthless precision and accidental comedy for those hoping to make it at the business end of the #punditry game.

Niche, but somehow I thought you’d appreciate it. If you’re explaining, etc.

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Tactical anarchy reigned supreme on a night of chaotic, bewildering, thrilling drama played out amid freezing conditions.

Not that the on-pitch temperature ever seemed to drop below boiling point as a renascent Leeds led three times yet departed with their seven‑match unbeaten run at an end and Yorkshire hearts broken by Harvey Barnes’s stoppage -time winner.

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Even with Aston Villa enjoying their best season for years, Unai Emery cannot get one over Oliver Glasner. The Crystal Palace manager has been struggling with a threadbare squad that still has not recorded a victory for several weeks but stretched his unbeaten record against Emery to seven matches after a game which both sides felt they could have won.

A late Victor Lindelöf header that struck a post was the closest anyone came in the end as neither Adam Wharton nor Morgan Rogers could quite inspire their sides to victory in front of the England manager, Thomas Tuchel, watching on in the stands. But despite losing Emiliano Martínez to injury at half-time, it was Villa who ended the evening more frustrated as they missed an opportunity to move into second place in the table despite bombarding the Palace goal in the final 10 minutes.

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Benjamin Sesko scores twice in Darren Fletcher’s first game as United manager, but a fine finish from Jaidon Anthony earns Burnley a draw

They’re about to discuss Mainoo on Sky, so here’s my take. He’s got incredible ability in tight spaces, but needs to get better and finding the ball – too much of too many games passed him by – stronger, faster, and better at passing it forward. That said, United’s dreadfulness made his continuing omission completely unjustifiable, and I’m sure he’ll now get a chance in the three-man midfield he needs to thrive. If, in a year, he’s got a young, physical six behind him, the best creator in world football ahead of him, and he’s still not making it happen, we can wonder if, perhaps, he’s not quite good enough, despite his strengths. But not until then.

There are plenty of other matches tonight, just underway. Niall McVeigh has you covered.

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