Football writer Alex Keble looks at where the remaining midweek games could be won and lost, including:
– Can Manchester City play with a renewed focus and put pressure on Arsenal?
– Will Arteta’s team have a nerve-wracking evening against a stubborn Brentford?
– Can Villa use the tactical chaos to claim their first home win in a month?
– Can Palace put together a run to save their season?
– Can Sunderland match Liverpool?
– Will Forest achieve a crucial victory to alleviate the lurking danger?
Can Manchester City play with a renewed focus and put pressure on Arsenal?
Manchester City’s extraordinary comeback at Anfield was one of the craziest games in Premier League history, and could be the catalyst they need to energize themselves and focus on the title battle ahead.
It wasn’t just the result, not even Erling Haaland’s winning goal in added time. There was something about Pep Guardiola’s frenetic emotional energy – flying like Gianluigi Donnarumma after his save, running down the touchline like José Mourinho when his team scored – that suggested this is the moment Man City really woke up and believed.
Of course, it won’t help if they can’t beat Fulham, but that hasn’t been a problem in the past. Manchester City have won the last 19 club meetings in all competitions, the longest winning streak by one team against another in the history of English football. Fulham have lost their last eight games at the Etihad Stadium, by an aggregate score of 25-4.
But as Manchester City’s 5-4 victory at Craven Cottage in December demonstrated, winning is not the only thing that matters. Guardiola’s men need to do it with control, with order and with purpose: a sweep that indicates they are ready to put together a sinister winning streak.
Watch: Fulham 4-5 Man City 2025/26 summary
Will Arteta’s team have a nerve-wracking evening against a stubborn Brentford?
Throughout the 2025/26 season, pundits have questioned whether Arsenal will crack under pressure and, admittedly, that has not happened so far. But it’s also fair to say that if Man City beat Fulham on Wednesday, the pressure on the Premier League leaders will increase to a whole new level for their game at Brentford on Thursday.
It is up to Mikel Arteta to ensure that the celebrations that electrified Manchester City on Sunday night do not have the opposite effect on his side. Arsenal must focus solely on their own task and ignore the shadow growing behind them.
The parties have not been kind. Brentford have won six of their last nine Premier League games, second only to Arsenal in that period. Keith Andrews’ team will have no problem sitting in a deep defensive shell on Thursday, absorbing the pressure in the hope of holding their opponents back until their nerves get the better of them.
Premier League: the five best teams in the last nine games
| Equipment | W. | God | points |
| Arsenal | 6 | +12 | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brentford | 6 | +8 | 19 |
| Manchester United | 5 | +6 | 18 |
| city man | 4 | +5 | 16 |
| Chelsea | 4 | +5 | 15 |
There’s simply no way around it: this will be an anxious night for the Gunners, as it would be for any club in their position, needing to find a way past one of the Premier League’s most in-form teams.
How Arsenal navigate this could have huge ramifications on a title race that has, out of nowhere, come to life.
Can Villa use the tactical chaos to claim their first home win in a month?
Matches between Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion are always chaotic. When Villa won 4-3 at the Amex Stadium in December, the two coaches’ respective desires to press high and provoke the press (pushing defensively and playing vertical, attacking football) created a game of basketball.
This surely favors Villa. Unai Emery’s side have lost their last two Premier League games at Villa Park, but Brentford and Everton were precisely the type of low block opponents who refused to put pressure on Villa and fall into Emery’s trap.
Brighton probably will. Fabian Hurzeler’s side have won just one of their last 12 Premier League games and are looking increasingly beatable when the competition is open. What’s more, Ollie Watkins has scored more goals (nine) against Brighton than any other opponent in the Premier League, partly because he loves being able to make so many runs into space.
Villa haven’t won a home league game since January 3, so a win would be a sigh of relief. Another wild, high-scoring game in their favor, like the one against Brighton in December, would blow away the cobwebs and get Emery’s team back on track.
Can Palace put together a run to save their season?
Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win against arch-rivals Brighton could be the moment their season completely changes direction, ending an 11-game winless streak ahead of two very attractive home games against Burnley and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
If they win both, Palace could return to the hope of finishing in the top eight, and equally significantly feel the confidence flowing again in time to achieve success in the UEFA Conference League.
Oliver Glasner hopes to finish the job by Wednesday.
Palace have not lost a Premier League game at home against a team that starts the day in the relegation zone since losing 4-0 to Sunderland in February 2017, a run of 19 games. Meanwhile, Burnley have gone 16 Premier League games without a win.
Can Sunderland match Liverpool?
Manchester City’s late recovery at Anfield has the potential to be hugely detrimental to Liverpool, who are left with just one win in their last seven Premier League games.
Worse still, they are in danger of being isolated from the rest of the top five at a critical time in the season and ahead of a very challenging match at the Stadium of Light, where Sunderland remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season.
Sunderland’s record is the longest run by a promoted team since the start of a top-flight season since 1977/78, when Nottingham Forest went unbeaten in 21 games en route to winning the title.
They can’t go that far in a 38-game season, but like Forest back then, Sunderland are very much gunning for a place in Europe. With Liverpool having won just two of their last 10 away games, Regis Le Bris will believe his players can claim another big scalp in midweek, moving level on points with Arne Slot’s side in the process.
If they do, Liverpool will find themselves in all sorts of trouble.
Will Forest achieve a crucial victory to alleviate the lurking danger?
It is the nature of Wolves’ difficult Premier League season that every hosting club demands three points and sees anything but a missed opportunity.
But that feeling is particularly acute for Forest who, after missing a vital three-pointer against Leeds at the weekend, cannot afford to take another step back.
Forest are winless in their last four home games, which only increases the pressure to get a positive result this time around. But if they can beat Wolves, West Ham host fourth-placed Man Utd, meaning there is every chance Sean Dyche’s side could be six points clear of the relegation zone at the end of Week 26.
Forest fans will dare not contemplate anything less than a victory.
