Arsenal face a tricky trip to in-form Leeds while Manchester United bid to continue their revival at home to Fulham
Saturday 3pm Venue Amex Stadium
Continue reading...The top five moves of the 2026 January transfer window – video
Before transfer deadline day, Guardian football writer Ed Aarons gives his top five moves of the 2026 January transfer window and what they mean for the 25-26 Premier League season.
Continue reading...Pitch Points: Which Arsenal narrative will prevail, and how has Carrick reset Man United?
The world of soccer throws up no shortage of questions. In today’s column, we endeavor to answer three of them
One narrative has been set: Arsenal are bottling it. Last weekend’s home loss to Manchester United confirmed what the Gunners’ biggest doubters always suspected: that Mikel Arteta and his players don’t have it in them to win the Premier League title. Arsenal’s haters already started their victory lap.
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Nico O’Reilly gives Manchester City options, Sunderland miss Granit Xhaka’s grit and West Ham find a way
Just when Brighton supporters were hoping their side was building some momentum after a run of five games undefeated in all competitions, Saturday’s stoppage-time loss to Fulham arrived. Fabian Hürzeler’s side led at half-time, but their collapse was typical of performances on the road this season. Securing only two away wins – against Chelsea in September and Nottingham Forest in November – has undermined their challenge for Europe. Their next two games at the Amex, against Everton on Saturday and arch-rivals Crystal Palace next week, are an opportunity to make up some ground. Only seven points separate them from Chelsea in fifth place, but Brighton’s record against David Moyes’s side at home is terrible, having failed to beat them since 2019 when a late Lucas Digne own goal sealed the points for Graham Potter against an Everton team managed by Marco Silva. Ed Aarons
Brighton v Everton, Saturday 3pm (all times GMT)
Leeds v Arsenal, Saturday 3pm
Wolves v Bournemouth, Saturday 3pm
Chelsea v West Ham, Saturday 5.30pm
Continue reading...Replacing a manager midseason is a big call, and not as simple as it sounds | Jonathan Wilson
Liverpool and Tottenham are in different situations but face the same problem: a manager in the hot seat but few ideal options
Another weekend, another few days of soul-searching for Liverpool and Tottenham. Liverpool had been on a 13-game unbeaten run before Saturday’s defeat to Bournemouth, but nobody could claim a string of results that included home draws with all three promoted clubs was convincing. Spurs had won just two of their 13 league games before Saturday’s away draw at Burnley, which was salvaged only thanks to an injury-time goal from Cristian Romero.
For both, European competition had offered some relief – Liverpool looked very good in a 3-0 win away to Marseille while Spurs, at least in the first half, produced probably their best performance since August in beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 – but the sad truth is that the vast majority of European sides these days simply cannot live with the physicality of the Premier League. That’s not to say that Bournemouth or Burnley are better than Marseille or Dortmund, but it is to say that the challenge they pose a Premier League side is less.
Continue reading...Ødegaard admits Arsenal title tilt fuelled by pain of three runners-up finishes
Captain says it is a ‘good factor’ in Premier League push
Arsenal ‘not good enough’ against Manchester United
Martin Ødegaard says that Arsenal’s near misses in the Premier League over the past three seasons are on the players’ minds – but only in a way to motivate them to go all the way this time.
The captain sought to push a line that Mikel Arteta has also mentioned – the need to stay in the moment and blot out the external noise – as he reflected on Sunday’s 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United. However, the Norwegian midfielder did admit that his club’s run of three successive runners-up finishes was a part of the picture.
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Casemiro is thriving under Michael Carrick, Newcastle look short of ideas and Sean Dyche takes aims at … towels?
Casemiro will depart Manchester United this summer. His four years in English football have been mixed but he may yet go out on a high. At one point in his first season, such as his performance in the 2023 League Cup final, he was hailed as the club’s best signing since Eric Cantona. He never lived up to that billing, the accusation that United had overpaid for someone who left his legs in Madrid. At the Emirates in 2026, just as against Manchester City the previous week, he showed his muscle memory endures. Kobbie Mainoo is a project player for Michael Carrick. Mainoo can learn much in his remaining months alongside Casemiro, who completed the 90 minutes at Arsenal and retained his influence. United are linked with younger midfielders in Carlos Baleba, Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson. They may now have something to live up to. John Brewin
Match report: Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United
Match report: Newcastle 0-2 Aston Villa
Match report: Burnley 2-2 Tottenham
Match report: Manchester City 2-0 Wolves
Continue reading...Arsenal 2-3 Manchester United: Premier League – as it happened
Patrick Dorgu and Matheus Cunha scored outrageous goals as Man Utd came from behind to stun the league leaders
This, from my MBM colleague Tim de Lisle, is a terrific read on what Michael Carrick’s Manchester United did so well last weekend.
United showed more intensity than usual, as you’d expect in a derby, but they also showed more composure. Carrick had called for it beforehand, and as possibly the calmest player ever seen in a United shirt, he speaks with some authority on the subject. When Amad broke away in the 33rd minute, he coolly rounded Donnarumma and rolled the ball into an empty net. When Fernandes broke away eight minutes later, he went one better, landing a defender on his backside after rounding the keeper. Both goals were disallowed, but they stood as statements of intent.
It’s never the same again! Every game is different but we’ve had a good week and we’re in good shape. We understand this has been a tough place to come for many teams. But we’re going into the game in a good spirit and that’s the most important thing.
Continue reading...Newcastle v Aston Villa, Crystal Palace v Chelsea and more: football clockwatch – as it happened
Villa win at Newcastle, Chelsea take the points at struggling Palace, and Forest record a crucial victory at Brentford
Oh, but here’s Rosenior, explaining that Cole Palmer isn’t fit to play today, but has a chance of making Wednesday’s trip to Naples.
He notes that the league is close and physical, but he has good players and is excited to see where the project goes – the club “demands winning in this moment”. There aren’t many days on the training pitch, but he hopes the work they’re doing with the team and with individuals are working.
Continue reading...Fernández helps Chelsea into top four as Palace pay penalty before Wharton red
If this was a taste of what life on the road under Liam Rosenior might be like for Chelsea fans, then anyone who doubted his appointment may have to think again.
A brilliant performance from Estêvão, who scored the first after a mistake from his fellow teenager Jaydee Canvot before setting up João Pedro for the second, inspired Chelsea to end a run of five Premier League games without an away win at their new head coach’s first attempt, as they piled on the misery for Crystal Palace, who also had Adam Wharton sent off.
Continue reading...Buendía and Watkins stun Newcastle to keep Aston Villa’s title hopes alive
Some wins are a little bit lucky and others downright fluky or simply ground out, but this Aston Villa victory belonged to a different category.
It was the sort of triumph that can be filed under “thoroughly deserved”. Indeed, much of Villa’s attacking play was so fluid, fluent and gloriously improvisational that, by comparison, Newcastle looked as if they were engaged in a footballing equivalent of painting by numbers.
Continue reading...Manchester City get back on track against Wolves despite VAR handball rarity
After Pep Guardiola dropped Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, Manchester City enjoyed a first Premier League win in four games. It handed Wolves a first defeat in six and was notable for the referee, Farai Hallam, on his top-flight debut, daring to stick with his decision not to award a penalty after being sent by video assistant referee for a pitchside review.
That was for a Yerson Mosquera handball and it infuriated Guardiola, though after City’s dire recent form a first three points since 27 December is what matters. The manager reiterated a long-held belief that City can receive unfair officiating and pointed to his 11 injured players as being needed to mitigate against this.
Continue reading...Premier League team news: predicted lineups for the weekend action
Arsenal host Manchester United on Sunday while Arne Slot takes his Liverpool team to Bournemouth
Saturday 5.30pm Sky Sports Premier League Venue Vitality Stadium
Continue reading...Premier League: 10 things to look out for this weekend
Mateus Fernandes steels West Ham, Dominic Calvert-Lewin faces a homecoming and Manchester City need Marc Guéhi
The absence of the wantaway Lucas Paquetá has given Mateus Fernandes a chance to take on more responsibility for West Ham. Paquetá, who is said to be nursing a minor back problem, was unavailable again for last week’s win against Spurs but Nuno Espírito Santo’s struggling side coped without the Flamengo target. They called on Fernandes to dictate the flow in midfield and the diligent Portuguese did not disappoint. Fernandes moved the ball cleverly, picked up an assist and looked like that rarest of things: a smart signing from West Ham. They will need the 21-year-old, who joined from Southampton for £38m last summer, to shine again with Paquetá looking unlikely to return against high-flying Sunderland at the London Stadium. Jacob Steinberg
West Ham v Sunderland, Saturday 12.30pm (all times GMT)
Burnley v Tottenham, Saturday 3pm
Fulham v Brighton, Saturday 3pm
Manchester City v Wolves, Saturday 3pm
Bournemouth v Liverpool, Saturday 5.30pm
Continue reading...Brighton 1-1 Bournemouth: Premier League – live
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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