England English Football 2025/26 - Premier League, Championship & lower leagues discussion

[spkutano]

Leeds vs Nottingham Forest Preview (Friday, 06.02.2026) Premier League:

Possible starting lineups:

Leeds:
Darlow; Bornauw, Rodon, Struijk; Bogle, Ampadu, Gruev, Justin; Stach, Okafor; Calvert-Lewin

Nottingham Forest:
Ortega; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Jesus

Leeds will welcome Nottingham Forest to Eland Road on Friday night in the opening match of the 25th round of the Premier League. The two teams are currently sharing the 16th place with 26 points, meaning that both teams have six-point advantage to 18th-placed West Ham, the first club in the drop zone. At the same time it means the situation is complicated as both teams are involved into the relegation battle.

I think Leeds fans are satisfied with the actual situation, particularly because they are newcomers in the Premier League. They were excellent during the festive period when recorded a series of seven unbeaten league matches. Nevertheless, the Whites were heavily beaten by Arsenal last weekend. The leaders demolished Leeds winning 4:0, but I don't think the defeat will impact the players confidence. Manager Daniel Farke will be eager for his side to get back on track and start controlling the distance between themselves and the drop zone. Farke has additional issues as some players are struggling with injuries. He will be without Jaka Bijol, Daniel James and Lukas Nmecha for this match, although they should return soon. Despite the high defeat on the last match, Farke should continue with five defender system.

As I already wrote above, Nottingham Forest have 26 points and they are just outside the drop zone. This is in contrast with their European form. But Playing in Europe is sometime very complicate, particularly for the teams outside Top-6. The current manager Sean Dyche must rotate the players, or he is risking injuries. The fatigue is another problem, some players are desperate for rest. But Nottingham Forest are not Arsenal or Manchester City, they haven't two players for each position. To be worse, Dyche has some missing players. John Victor, Matz Sels, Nicolo Savona, Chris Wood and Callum Hudson-Odoi are out injured, while Neco Williams is suspended after last round's sending off. It was a stupid decision, Crystal Palace converted the penalty, while Williams will serve suspension.

Leeds vs Nottingham Forest Prediction:

Despite the high defeat from Arsenal, I will say that Leeds are in solid form. They have just two defeats on the last 11 matches in the Premier League and the players confidence is high. On the other side Sean Dyche has some issues. I am sure he feels big pressure, club owner Marinakis expect Nottingham to be between the top teams. Like the previous season. But frequent managerial changes (Dyche is the third manager this season), the injury situation (best scorer Chris Wood missed the entire season due to knee problem) and limited roster are the reasons for the poor results. On top of that, Nottingham will be without two important players on Friday as Callum Hudson-Odoi is injured, while Neco Williams is suspended. In the time of VAR Technology, it was a stupid decision to save the goal with hand, hoping nobody will notice. Now he could serve a three-match ban. I think Leeds are closer to the victory.

Leeds vs Nottingham Forest Pick: Leeds to win @ 2.20 with Everygame

 

[spkutano]

Manchester United vs Tottenham Preview (Saturday, 07.02.2026) Premier League:

Possible starting lineups:

Manchester United:
Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Martinez, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Diallo, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo

Tottenham:
Vicario; Spence, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke

Manchester United will welcome Tottenham to Old Trafford on Saturday lunchtime. The Red Devils are fourth on the table with 41 points, one more than fifth-placed Chelsea and two ahead of sixth Liverpool. According to UEFA, England are the most successful country and they will participate with five teams in the Champions League next season. It is an opportunity Michael Carrick should not miss. United are in excellent form under Carrick, three victories on the last three matches in the Premier League. Even more, the opponents were Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham. Mbeumo was excellent since the first match, but Benjamin Sesko also started with goals. Captain Bruno Fernandes should also be mentioned, he has registered 12 assists, more than any other Premier League player this season. I believe the players confidence is very high at the moment. Carrick has the majority of his players available, but Patrick Dorgu and Matthijs de Ligt remain sidelined with thigh and back injury respectively. In addition, Mason Mount is rated as doubtful after picked up a knock in training. According to the latest news, he will be ready in time for this derby.

Tottenham were awful last season and finished just outside the drop zone. Nevertheless, the Spurs were fantastic in Europe League and won the competition, beating Manchester United in the final in Bilbao. As a result, they qualify directly to the Champions League, though Ange Postecoglou was sacked. Thomas Frank was announced as new manager and the fans were expecting better results. However, the inconsistency is their biggest problem, at the moment they are six matches without a win in the Premier League. The longest run is seven matches from the previous season. And just like the previous season, Tottenham are excellent in Europe. They finished fourth on the table and go directly to the knock-out stage of the Champions League. In other words, teams like Barcelona, Manchester City, Real Madrid, PSG, Inter or Juventus ended behind the Spurs and that should be respected. The injury situation is still complicated as James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Mohammed Kudus, Pedro Porro, Richarlison, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Lucas Bergvall and Kevin Danso are sidelined with injuries. Nine players so far, but could be worse as Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence, Dominic Solanke and Cristian Romero are rated as doubtful.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Prediction:

According to UEFA, England will have five teams in the Champions League again. Three of these tickets are already reserved for Arsenal, Man City and Aston Villa, meaning that next three teams (Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool) will fight for the remaining two. Of course, some other teams could surprise as well, like 7th Brentford or 8th Sunderland, but generally that rarely happens. So, three points from this derby are extremely important for the Red Devils. And I think they are able to win. The home advantage is between the reasons for my pick, United fans will give a big support to their players. But more important, the current form is on Man United side. While Tottenham have no win on the last six Premier League matches, a win for Manchester United would also see them winning four consecutive games for the first time since February 2024. The last reason for my pick is connect with the injury situation. While Carrick has two injured players, Frank will be missing at least nine players due to injuries, maybe more. Tottenham are very handicapped and it is not easy for Frank, who feel huge pressure. Nobody would be surprised if the club officials decided to sack the Dane.

Manchester United vs Tottenham Pick: Manchester United to win @ 1.62 with 1xBet

 

[spkutano]

Liverpool vs Manchester City Preview (Sunday, 08.02.2026) Premier League:

Possible starting lineups:

Liverpool:
Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Manchester City:
Trafford; Nunes, Dias, Guehi, O’Reilly; Ait-Nouri; Reijnders, Rodri; Cherki, Marmoush, Semenyo; Haaland

Liverpool will welcome Manchester City to Anfield on Sunday afternoon in the most interesting match of the weekend. The reigning champions are very inconsistent in the current season. They started fantastic, with five victories in the first five rounds, but were poor in the next period. The Reds will try to save the season in a way to secure a Champions League spot, but it won't be easy. I already explained the situation in my previous article, but shortly - three teams (Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool) fight for two tickets. The opponents are improving, while Liverpool are very inconsistent. The Reds have just one defeat on the last 12 league matches, but at the same time dropped 15 of the possible 36 points. For example, the draw against Burnley at Anfield is like a defeat. The players confidence is not at desired level The injury situation is another problem for Slot. Giovanni Leoni, Alexander Isak and Conor Bradley are long-term absentees. Slot has confirmed that Jeremie Fringpong remain sidelined, but Joe Gomez is in contention.

Manchester City are second with 47 points, six adrift of the leaders Arsenal. Considering the fact Arsenal will host Sunderland on Saturday, the difference could be even bigger. That means only one thing, Manchester City are in must win situation. Usually, a draw at Anfield is a desirable outcome, but not now. Guardiola is well aware they need three points from this derby. City bought two new players in January, centre-back Guehi from Crystal Palace and Semenyo from Bournemouth. Both players were in Arne Slot's notebook, but Guardiola outsmarted him and secured their signatures. I believe Guehi and Semenyo are excellent players and the Citizens are much stronger now. However, the Citizens let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2:2 with Tottenham last Sunday. Three days later Man City won 3:1 against Newcastle and secured the League Cup final next month on Wembley. Guardiola has several injury worries ahead of this match. He will be missing Jeremy Doku, Josko Guardiol, Savinho, John Stones and Mateo Kovacic,, while Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias are rated as doubtful.

Liverpool vs Manchester City Prediction:

After five games without a victory, Liverpool finally won a Premier League match. Last Saturday they beat 4:1 Newcastle. High victory, but shouldn't be overrated. After all, even the bottom-placed Wolverhampton have one win on the last seven matches. Of course, the Reds can't be compared with the Wolves, but the fact is they are in poor form. Newcastle were really good in the first 30 minutes against Liverpool. If Manchester City can play like Newcastle did there, it will be a different story. And I think they are able. Guardiola will try to quiet the game early, with possession on their side. I think they will win. Guardiola has lot of players able to make a difference. Haaland, Doku and Nico Gonzalez were enough City to destroy Liverpool 3:0 in the reverse fixture played in November. Now they are much stronger with Cherki and Semenyo. At the end I will mention Guehi. His decision to join Manchester City instead of Liverpool says a lot. Now he has to stop Ekitike. Considering the fact Salah is out of form, Gakpo is miles away from the last season's form, Szoboszlai will play as right-back etc, the duel between Ekitike and Guehi will determine the outcome.

Liverpool vs Manchester City Pick: Manchester City to win @ 2.80 with Everygame

 

[spkutano]

West Ham vs Manchester United Preview: (Tuesday, 10.02.2026) Premier League:

Possible starting lineups:

West Ham:
Hermansen; Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Disasi, Diouf; Soucek, Potts; Bowen, M. Fernandes, Summerville; Castellanos

Manchester United:
Lammens; Dalot, Martinez, Maguire, Shaw; Mainoo, Casemiro; Diallo, B. Fernandes, Mbeumo; Cunha

West Ham will welcome Manchester United to the London Stadium on Tuesday night. The Irons are in very complicated situation, they are in the drop zone, deeply involved into the relegation battle. Nevertheless, they are in solid form at the moment. West Ham have four victories on the last five matches across all competitions. They managed to beat QPR in the FA Cup, plus three victories in the Premier League - Tottenham, Sunderland and Burnley last weekend. The only defeat came at Stamford Bridge where they had a 2:0 lead after the first half, but conceded three in the second half. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo could be satisfy with the team performances, particularly because the key creative Luis Paqueta decided to return to Brasil. Nuno has additional worries as Jean-Clair Todibo is serving suspension after being sent off against Chelsea two weeks ago. Veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski remain out injured. Young Chelsea loanee Axel Disasi make his debut against Burnley and could play again.

Manchester United are fourth with 44 points, just three less than third-placed Aston Villa. A victory here would see the Red Devils third on the table, at least for 24 hours as Aston Villa play with Brighton on Wednesday. The Red Devils are in fantastic form at the moment. They are in series of four victories in the Premier League for the first time since February 2024. Initially I wasn't happy with Ruben Amorim's departure, but now I changed my mind. New manager Michael Carrick is doing a fantastic job and the fans are enjoying in their performances. It is not easy to record four victories, but even more knowing the opponents were leaders Arsenal, second placed Manchester City, Champions League participants Tottenham and high flying Fulham. The atmosphere in the squad is good, while the players confidence is very high. Carrick has the majority of his players ready, but Patrick Dorgu, Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt remain out. Carrick could consider some changes, with Benjamin Sesko first in line to play.

West Ham vs Manchester United Prediction:

As hosts, West Ham have an advantage in duels against Manchester United: 35 wins and 19 defeats in 75 games. However, that's history and every new game is a new challenge. Manchester United are in fantastic form at the moment, they won the last four matches in the Premier League. The players confidence is very high. West Ham are in the drop zone and the points from this match are extremely important for them. However, the quality is on Man United side. They have players able to make a difference here, like Mbeumo, Cunha and Sesko. And don't forget captain Bruno Fernandes with his 200 goal involvements for Manchester United. It is true West Ham have Boven, but I think he's not enough. The guests are closer to the victory.

West Ham vs Manchester United Pick: Manchester United to win @ 1.81 with 1xBet

 

[spkutano]

Sunderland vs Liverpool Preview: (Wednesday, 11.02.2026) Premier League:

Possible starting lineups:

Sunderland:
Roefs; Mukiele, Ballard, Alderete, Reinildo; Sadiki, Diarra; Hume, Le Fee, Talbi; Brobbey

Liverpool:
Alisson; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Sunderland will welcome the reigning champions Liverpool at Stadium of Light on Wednesday night. The Black Horses currently sit on the ninth place with 36 points. The fans are satisfied with the current situation as their club are not involved into the relegation battle. On contrary, Sunderland are just three points away from the sixth place that guarantees European football. Most of the points are obtained at home (26). Furthermore, Sunderland are the only club still unbeaten at home. Seven wins and five draws is their home record that includes matches against Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa, three top sides in the Premier League. Only three teams - Arsenal, Man City and Man United - have picked up more points on home soil. Manager Regis Le Bris is doing a fantastic job and the fans are afraid he could attract attention from the bigger clubs across Europe. Key midfielder Granit Xhaka and January signing Jocelin Ta Bi are out injured, while Bertrand Traore is rated as doubtful due to a knee injury.

Liverpool are the reigning Premier League champions, but at the same time the biggest disappointment. The Reds are out of the title race and they are four points away from Top-5. Some fans are hoping for successful finish of the campaign, but the ex-Reds Jamie Carragher doesn’t believe that his former club will qualify for the 2026-27 UEFA Champions League through a top five-finish. And I agree. Manchester United and Chelsea look better at the moment and they are much closer to 4th and 5th place. Liverpool have two defeats on the last three matches. Both defeats came in the finish. Bournemouth scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of the stoppage time, while Haaland secured the victory for Man City in the 93rd minute. Arne Slot is under enormous pressure, but his job is safe. Should Liverpool finish outside the top five, they would need to win the 2026 Champions League final to qualify for next year’s competition. However, it's easier to say. For this match Slot has no option for the right-back position. Jeremie Frimpong is sidelined with a thigh injury, Conor Bradley is out with a knee injury, while this match comes too soon for Joe Gomez. As a result, Domenic Szoboszlai was transformed into a defender and he was solid. The problem is his suspension as he was send off in the closing stages at Anfield.

Sunderland vs Liverpool Prediction:

Sunderland are relaxed in the middle of the table with 36 points, 13 more than the first team in the drop zone. The home form is fantastic, they are the only club still unbeaten at home. Seven wins and five draws is their home record. Arsenal and Manchester City were two strongest opponents that try to beat Sunderland at Stadium of Light, but without success. The Black Cats are physical team based on strong defense and fast counter-attacks. The whole pressure is on Liverpool manager Arne Slot and his players. The main problem is they reacted wrong when face such opposition. Liverpool had no problem against Frankfurt and Marseille in the Champions League, but weren't able to handle the pressure and set-pieces chaos against teams like Crystal Palace, Brentford, Fulham or Bournemouth. In addition, they lost to Manchester City on Sunday and the players confidence is low. The Reds are well aware of the inconsistency, but it can't be fixed overnight. Slot has no option for the right-back position. Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez are out injured, while the back-up solution in the name of Domenic Szoboszlai isn't available due to suspension. The fact that Mohamed Salah rarely help his defensive colleagues is just another reason for my pick. Regis Le Bris knows that and he will focus attacks on the left side. I see big issues for the actual champions.

Sunderland vs Liverpool Pick: Sunderland +0.5 AH @ 2.08 with Bet365

 

[spkutano]

Brentford vs Arsenal Preview (Wednesday, 121.02.2026) Premier League:

Possible starting lineups:

Brentford:
Kelleher; Kayode, Van den Berg, Ajer, Henry; Janelt, Henderson; Ouattara, Jensen, Lewis-Potter; Thiago

Arsenal:
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli

Brentford will welcome the leaders Arsenal on Thursday night in the last match of 25th round. Brentford are seventh with 39 points and they are out of the relegation battle. Usually 40 points means safety, so it is clear they will play in the Premier League next season. I believe the fans are satisfied, though Brentford will not "shutdown the engines". Manager Keith Andrews and his players will try to secure an European spot. A victory here would see them just two points away from the fifth-placed Chelsea. The Bees are in good form at the moment, they won the last two matches in the Premier League. The opponents were not easy at all - Aston Villa and Newcastle. Furthermore, both victories were obtained away from home. Brentford somehow left Villa Park with a narrow 1:0 win before stunning the Magpies 3:2 in the last round after Dango Ouattara scored a late winner. Five players are not available - Kevin Schade is suspended, Reiss Nelson cannot face his parent club, while Fabio Carvalho, Antoni Milambo and Josh Dasilva are injured.

Arsenal are leaders in the Premier League and main candidates for the title. After years of disappointments and frustrations, the fans hope this is the season for celebration. It will be catastrophe if they miss the opportunity. Mikel Arteta did a fantastic job, they are six points ahead of second-placed Manchester City. But Pep Guardiola's clubs are well known for their strong finish. The players need time to understand and adopt his tactical ideas, but once they did their homework, nobody could stop them. The Gunners are in fine form at the moment, they recorded two victories in the Premier League, but also secured a Carabao Cup final after beating Chelsea in the semi-finals. Arsenal dominated and won both games, 3:2 at Stamford Bridge and 1:0 at Emirates. They were also fantastic in the Champions League, ending the group stage with maximal effect. The injury situation is a problem for Arteta, but nowhere near the last few seasons. The Spaniard now have long roster and two good players for each position. That is why Arsenal easily beat Leeds and Sunderland without two key players Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka. They are rated as doubtful, as well as Leandro Trossard. Two player are definitely sidelined - Max Dowman and Mikel Merino.

Brentford vs Arsenal Prediction:

Both teams will go for the victory. Arsenal are fighting for the their first Premier League title since 2003-04 season. They can't drop any point as Manchester City are waiting their mistake. The Gunners won the last two matches, scoring seven goals and keeping two clean sheets. But Brentford are also in good form, they managed to beat Aston Villa and Newcastle. Manager Keith Andrews is doing a fantastic job and his players will try to secure an European spot. A victory here would see them just two points away from the fifth-placed Chelsea. However, I think Arsenal are closer to the victory. Simply, they are class above Brentford. In addition, the Bees will be missing the suspended Schade, club's second best scorer with 6 league goals. As You probably know, Andrews' roster isn't long and the absence of Schade is definitely a problem. On contrary, Arteta will find adequate replacement for Saka and Odegaard.

Brentford vs Arsenal Pick: Arsenal to win @ 1.74 with 1xBet