Football writer Alex Keble analyses where the midweek fixtures could be won and lost, including:
- Can Forest enter the title race by beating Liverpool?
- Will Spurs’ openness allow Arsenal to overcome goalscoring issues?
- Can Man City pass a crucial test of their improved form?
- Will AFC Bournemouth’s injuries help Chelsea end their winless run?
- Will Moyes’ homecoming save Everton’s season?
- How will Potter fare with Ings as his only striker?
- Can Leicester win last favourable home match left until May?
- Can Ipswich build momentum following their Chelsea win?
- Will Isak take advantage of a wide-open Wolves team?
- Will Amorim take golden opportunity to end Old Trafford losing streak?
Can Forest enter the title race by beating Liverpool?
Nobody is seriously talking about Nottingham Forest "doing a Leicester". That will change if they beat Liverpool on Tuesday.
Victory would make it seven wins in a row, complete the double over the league leaders, and take Forest to within three points of top spot.
At that point it will be impossible to avoid the conversation. Every Forest fan will start to dream, and every neutral will jump on the bandwagon, willing them forward as they did that Leicester City team of 2015/16, who stunned the football world by winning the Premier League title.
Liverpool are unbeaten on the road this season (W7 D2) but it nevertheless feels like a good time to play them.
Arne Slot’s side have slowed down a little, winning only six of their last 10 matches in all competitions and appearing fatigued in the 2-2 draw with Manchester United and 1-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the EFL Cup.
The luxury of rotating players for the 4-0 FA Cup win against Accrington Stanley will have helped, however, and it’s hard to ignore the fact that Liverpool have scored three or more goals in each of their last five away matches in the league.
It is by far the biggest match of the Premier League season so far, and with the north London derby being played the following day, it makes for a midweek that might just define the title race.
Forest, in front of their own fans, have the chance to do something extraordinary. They may never get an opportunity like this again.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
19 | +28 | 46 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
20 | +21 | 40 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
20 | +10 | 40 |
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
20 | +15 | 36 |
| 5 |
Newcastle
NEW
|
20 | +12 | 35 |
Will Spurs’ openness allow Arsenal to overcome goalscoring issues?
It felt fitting that Kai Havertz, Arsenal’s attacking midfielder deputising as a No 9 through most of 2024/25, should produce the penalty miss that led to Mikel Arteta’s side bowing out of the FA Cup.
Struggling to score goals, and lacking the ruthlessness of an out-and-out No 9, threaten to be the defining features of Arsenal’s campaign.
They scored one goal in 229 minutes of football against Newcastle United and Man Utd in the last week - a deflected strike from centre-back Gabriel - and hit just 10 shots on target from 49 attempts across the two matches.
Arsenal might just welcome a derby against arch-rivals Spurs then.
A mixture of Ange Postecoglou’s gung-ho tactics and a defensive injury crisis has turned Spurs into one of the most porous teams in the country.
They have kept only one clean sheet in their last 13 matches in all competitions, and that was against bottom club Southampton.
The 5-0 victory against Saints was Spurs' only win from their last eight in the Premier League, and they needed extra-time to beat non-league Tamworth in the FA Cup on Sunday.
Arsenal supporters will expect to win. Their side are unbeaten at Emirates Stadium in the Premier League this season and have kept a clean sheet in each of their last four, making their goalscoring issues all-but redundant when on home soil.
But there’s a twist in the tale. Spurs' clean sheet against Liverpool in the EFL Cup caught many people by surprise. More surprising still, Postecoglou's side have conceded the fewest away goals in the Premier League this season (nine).
Arsenal will need to be at their creative best and will need to be in free-flowing form, despite Bukayo Saka’s continued absence, if they are to win.
Can Man City pass a crucial test of their improved form?
Pep Guardiola has made it clear that performances aren’t really improving, despite Manchester City’s return to winning ways.
They were outplayed for significant chunks against Leicester and West Ham United, but having caught both opponents at low ebbs, they were able to accelerate away in the second half.
An 8-0 FA Cup victory over Salford City means little in the wider context, and so a trip to Brentford - who have the second-best home record in the division - is a significant test of whether Man City’s heavily-caveated winning streak is a sign of things to come.
On the other hand, Brentford have now lost their last three matches at the Gtech Community Stadium, losing to Nottingham Forest and Arsenal in the Premier League before a second string were defeated 1-0 by Plymouth in the FA Cup.
We can discount that last one, perhaps, while Forest and Arsenal are formidable opponents, but nevertheless Brentford’s feeling of invincibility in home games has gone.
That could present Man City with the chance to put together a coherent and cohesive performance - and put themselves back in the driving seat for a top-four finish.
Will AFC Bournemouth’s injuries help Chelsea end their winless run?
Chelsea’s four-match winless run in the Premier League, coupled with AFC Bournemouth’s unbeaten eight-game sequence, makes this one of the most intriguing and important fixtures of a strong midweek round.
A win for Bournemouth would move them level with Chelsea, end the hosts’ title challenge, and possibly even drop them out of the Champions League places.
But there is a significant road block for Bournemouth: Evanilson’s metatarsal injury means Andoni Iraola is without a recognised striker.
Their European hopes, and more immediately their chances at Stamford Bridge, rest on how effective Dango Ouattara will be as a makeshift No 9.
The early signs are promising.
Ouattara was excellent in the 5-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion, scoring twice with neat strikers’ finishes and generally showing the movement of an instinctive No 9.
Ouattara's second goal v WBA
This team move 😮💨🌪️ pic.twitter.com/NmHDkgqN2M
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 12, 2025
But doing it against Championship opposition doesn’t necessarily mean he can deputise for Evanilson at Premier League level, of course.
Bournemouth have scored 30 goals from an Expected Goals (xG) of 39.9 in the Premier League this season, underperforming compared to their xG more than any other side (-9.9).
Scoring goals was already an issue before Evanilson’s injury. How Bournemouth adapt in his absence will define their second half of the campaign.
Will Moyes’ homecoming save Everton’s season?
David Moyes has returned to Everton and he could hardly have asked for a better first match in charge.
Beating Aston Villa would look like a major scalp (a marker of things to come and a much better reset moment than, say, beating Southampton at home) and Unai Emery’s side have lost their last five on the road, conceding at least twice in each.
Villa are there for the taking, with Pau Torres’s injury significantly damaging their defence just as Moyes comes in with fresh ideas for Everton’s stale attacking line.
It could be the perfect start for Moyes, who inherits decent foundations upon which to build.
Everton have only lost four of their last 15 Premier League matches and have kept seven clean sheets in their last 13.
If Moyes can just tweak the attacking output then Everton should have enough to avoid relegation and ensure they open their new stadium with Premier League football next year.
After the Villa match, seven of Everton’s next nine Premier League fixtures are against clubs currently in the bottom half, while they also face 10th-placed Brighton & Hove Albion.
Victory on Wednesday, then, could alter the trajectory of Everton’s entire season.
Everton's next 10 matches
| MW | Opponent | MW | Opponent |
| 21 | Aston Villa (H) | 25 | Crystal Palace (A) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 | Spurs (H) | 26 | Man Utd (H) |
| 23 | Brighton (A) | 27 | Brentford (A) |
| 24 | Leicester (H) | 28 | Wolves (A) |
| 25 | Liverpool (H) | 29 | West Ham (H) |
How will Potter fare with Ings as his only striker?
Graham Potter didn’t get off to a good start as West Ham's new boss on Friday evening, falling to a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park in the FA Cup third round, but having only signed the contract a couple of days previously, his impact was always going to be limited.
His first match at the London Stadium also comes before any significant work can be done in training, yet it’s the first of two home fixtures in a week that West Ham supporters would expect their side to win.
Fulham and Crystal Palace are clubs West Ham have the potential to beat on home soil. But it’s hard to win matches when you don’t have a striker.
Niclas Fullkrug’s fresh injury leaves the Hammers with only Danny Ings up front, and the latter has managed just five goals in all competitions since signing for the club in the January 2023 transfer window.
That’s a particular worry for West Ham given that Potter's teams aren’t historically high scoring.
Brighton scored 1.1 goals per Premier League match under his management (130 in 120) and the rate was even lower for his Chelsea side, at 0.95 (21 in 22).
Can Leicester win last favourable home match until May?
Leicester have lost each of their last five Premier League matches, conceding two or more goals in each one, and are in danger of sinking under Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The head coach has been unlucky with the fixture list, playing four of last year’s top six in that sequence, but things aren’t about to get any easier.
After Wednesday, the Foxes don’t have another home match against any team currently in the bottom half until they face Ipswich Town and Southampton in May.
By then, it might already be too late.
In other words, Leicester simply cannot afford to drop points at home to Palace, which on paper is their most favourable match left at King Power Stadium until the final couple of rounds of the campaign.
However, Palace's away form looks ominous for Van Nistelrooy - the Eagles are unbeaten in their last five league matches on the road (W2 D3).
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
20 | -7 | 21 |
| 16 |
Everton
EVE
|
19 | -10 | 17 |
| 17 |
Wolves
WOL
|
20 | -14 | 16 |
| 18 |
Ipswich
IPS
|
20 | -15 | 16 |
| 19 |
Leicester
LEI
|
20 | -21 | 14 |
| 20 |
Southampton
SOU
|
20 | -32 | 6 |
Can Ipswich build momentum following Chelsea win?
There’s a sense of something building at Portman Road.
Ipswich have won seven points - 44 per cent of their total for the season so far - from their last five matches, capping the sequence with a brilliant 2-0 home win against Chelsea that has the potential to redefine their first year back in the top flight.
But they will need to ride this momentum with victory against Brighton, or else risk the Chelsea success being a one-off.
There is reason to believe Kieran McKenna’s side will do just that.
First of all, Kalvin Phillips scored in the 3-0 FA Cup third round win against Bristol Rovers at the weekend, suggesting he may finally be settling in, while new signing Ben Godfrey went straight into the team at right-back.
But just as significant, Brighton are now winless in eight in the Premier League. Ipswich cannot afford to pass up this opportunity.
Will Isak take advantage of a wide-open Wolves?
It might not have headline billing but this one could be the most entertaining fixture of Matchweek 21.
Wolverhampton Wanderers' 20 games have featured 76 goals this season (32 scored, 45 conceded) - more than any other team's matches. At least two goals have been scored on each occasion.
Meanwhile, Newcastle - on an eight-match winning streak in all competitions - are scoring for fun. Certainly an open game suits the hosts, particularly Alexander Isak, who is in the form of his life and likely to breach a defence that’s particularly vulnerable on the road.
Wolves have won only two of their last 16 away matches in the Premier League (D5 L9) and only Leicester have conceded more away goals than their 22.
Newcastle's form make them confident of a ninth straight win.
Will Amorim take golden opportunity to end Old Trafford losing streak?
Manchester United are showing signs of life under Ruben Amorim.
Sunday's penalty shootout win at Arsenal in the FA Cup was their latest spirited performance and a further confidence boost, after their 2-2 draw at Liverpool, as they bid to end a three-match losing streak at Old Trafford.
The last time United lost more league matches in a row at Old Trafford was in 1933/34, when they suffered five consecutive defeats in the second tier, from Christmas Day until 24 February.
Surely they won’t go close to breaking that unwanted record when they play against the league’s bottom club. Southampton have won only two points from their last 10 matches.
Anything less than a home win would be disastrous for Amorim.