A full midweek slate arrives with contrasting pressures, streaks, and histories pulling each fixture in its own direction. Catch all the action live on SuperSport.
From old imbalances that refuse to shift to clubs chasing momentum after months of inconsistency, Matchday 29 doesn’t lack narrative weight. Here’s how the round shapes up, match by match, through the lens of Opta’s key trends.
WEDNESDAY ACTION
ASTON VILLA V CHELSEA
Villa’s win at Stamford Bridge earlier this season has opened the door to a potential first league double over Chelsea since 1990. The Blues arrive without a win in their last two visits to Villa Park and burdened by a rough midweek history: eight losses in their past 10 away games played between Tuesday and Thursday.
Villa, though, are wobbling. Only one home win in four, just two goals from 76 shots in that spell, and a slide from the attacking fluidity that defined their autumn. Chelsea haven’t been much more stable, but Joāo Pedro’s consistent output in this fixture — five goal involvements in five games — gives them a dangerous edge.
With Ollie Watkins scoring freely against Chelsea and Tammy Abraham chasing a personal milestone at home, this meeting may hinge on which frontline can rediscover its spark first.
BRIGHTON V ARSENAL
Arsenal have steadied their away form since January, scoring at more than double their early-season rate on the road. Yet Brighton have a knack for unsettling the league’s elite at home, including wins over sides beginning the day top of the table.
Arsenal’s remarkable run of 19 unbeaten evening kick-offs is counterbalanced by three straight draws in 2026. Brighton, meanwhile, have finally snapped out of a long slump with back to back victories, pushing for their first three match winning streak since 2025.
Danny Welbeck’s renaissance — chasing an 11 goal season at 35 — and Viktor Gyökeres’ hot away run add individual intrigue to a matchup often shaped by fine margins and away success.
FULHAM V WEST HAM
Fulham have the recent upper hand, eyeing only their second-ever league double over West Ham and boasting seven wins in their last 10 home evening kick-offs. Harry Wilson’s involvement in 15 league goals pushes them closer to mid-table safety.
West Ham, by contrast, cannot shake their derby woes: seven losses in eight London derbies this season and a defence that has already conceded 54 league goals. Their Wednesday away record is similarly bleak — just two wins in their last 19.
Even Jarrod Bowen, often their derby spark, has never scored at Craven Cottage. If they’re to avoid sliding deeper, something has to break.
MANCHESTER CITY V NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Forest’s trips to the Etihad have been brutal: three matches, 11 conceded, none scored. Their away league record at City stretches back to 1989 without a win.
City, meanwhile, continue to treat Wednesday nights at home as a personal playground — 24 wins from 26 under Guardiola on this particular midweek slot. With two straight one goal victories and Nico O’Reilly hunting a rare three match scoring streak for a player under 21, this feels poised to follow the script.
Forest’s added challenge? Manager Vítor Pereira remains winless in the league this season across two clubs.
NEWCASTLE UNITED V MANCHESTER UNITED
St James’ Park has not been kind to Manchester United lately — Newcastle have beaten them in three straight home league meetings. Yet the Magpies now stumble into this one after three consecutive home defeats, their worst run since 2018.
Manchester United, conversely, are becoming comeback specialists, recovering more points from losing positions in 2026 than any other side. Their away form has improved significantly too, with just one loss in their last 11 on the road.
Bruno Fernandes continues to be the creative heartbeat with 13 assists — a tally no United player has reached in more than a decade.
THURSDAY NIGHT ACTION
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR V CRYSTAL PALACE
Tottenham’s home form is among the league’s bleakest storylines: one win in 13 and a string of London derby defeats that have laid bare their inconsistency. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, arrive with momentum in away derbies, losing just one of their past nine in the capital.
Palace also hold a rare and unusual psychological edge — they’re above Spurs in the table for the third straight meeting, something scarcely believable a few seasons ago.
Add in Spurs’ 12 match midweek drought and the league wide trend of low scoring Thursday fixtures this season, and the night points toward another tight and tense affair.
Conor Gallagher, intriguingly, has scored more Premier League goals against Palace than any other opponent, creating a subplot that may yet shape a match where moments trump flow.
Tuesday's Results
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2–1 Liverpool
Wolves stunned the reigning champions with a late surge that will live long in Molineux memory. Liverpool, so often burned by late collapses this season, suffered yet another cruel twist as André delivered a 90th‑minute winner — the fifth time the Reds have lost a league match to a stoppage‑time goal this campaign, a Premier League record.
Before that dramatic finale, the match had barely offered Wolves a glimmer of hope. Their first shot didn’t arrive until the 78th minute, but it was worth the wait: Rodrigo Gomes pounced to break the deadlock with Wolves’ very first attempt of the evening. For the substitute, it continued a remarkable personal trend — all three of his league goals this season have come off the bench, and he now stands as the club’s top scorer.
Liverpool responded through Mohamed Salah, who finally ended a three‑month drought in the league with a long‑awaited equaliser. But their relief didn’t last. As the clock hit 90, André swept home a historic winner — the first time a side sitting in the relegation zone has ever hit a stoppage‑time victory against the defending champions.
For Wolves, the resurgence is real: back‑to‑back league wins after managing just one across their previous 32. And in beating Aston Villa (3rd) and Liverpool (5th) consecutively, they became the first bottom‑placed side to take down two top‑five opponents in a single season since West Brom in 2017–18 — and the first to do so in successive matches.
Bournemouth 0–0 Brentford
Bournemouth’s unbeaten run stretched to nine games, but this one was a story of frustration, near misses, and the width of a goalpost. Brentford extended their flawless Premier League record against the Cherries — eight matches without defeat — by digging in for a hard-earned draw.
For Bournemouth, it was their fourth goalless stalemate of the season, already a club record in the top flight. Remarkably, their campaign has produced both a glut of goals (their matches feature a league‑high 90) and a growing collection of 0‑0s.
Marcus Tavernier embodied the Cherries’ attacking intent. He led all players for shots (5) and touches in the penalty area (7), twice striking the woodwork — something only one other Bournemouth player has ever managed in a Premier League game.
Brentford, unusually subdued, mustered only five shots — one of their lowest tallies in the past two seasons — but held firm. Bournemouth, now three straight home draws deep, may feel two points were lost rather than one gained.
Everton 2–0 Burnley
A long-awaited exhale swept through the Hill Dickinson Stadium as Everton ended a seven‑match home drought with a commanding win over Burnley. It was also their first victory over promoted opposition this season — their first since the final day at Goodison last year.
The Toffees were crisp, composed, and unusually precise in possession, completing 505 passes — their highest mark in more than three years — as they controlled the match from start to finish.
Burnley’s defensive issues resurfaced yet again. A season‑high 58 goals conceded now weighs heavily, with the Clarets allowing multiple goals in 20 league matches already.
James Tarkowski added his name to a unique Premier League list by scoring against his former club, becoming just the sixth player to net both for and against Burnley. Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall, enjoying his best scoring campaign yet, sealed the result with his sixth league goal — more than double his combined tally from previous seasons.
With Jack Grealish and James Garner, Everton also have two English midfielders on at least five assists each — a first for the club since 2010–11. For a side desperate for stability, this was an afternoon full of encouraging signs.
Leeds United 0–1 Sunderland
Leeds’ fortress fell silent for the second time in a week as Sunderland escaped Elland Road with a smash‑and‑grab victory that defied every rhythm of the match. Not only was it Leeds’ second straight home defeat — their first such pair since 2023 — it ended an extraordinary run of 23 unbeaten evening home games stretching across both Premier League and Championship.
Sunderland needed just one shot on target to steal the points, becoming only the fifth side this season to win a Premier League match that way — and their second such win after beating Newcastle in December.
The decisive moment came from the penalty spot, a domain where Sunderland have been almost automatic. They’ve scored 27 of their past 28 Premier League penalties, and Leeds’ own history didn’t offer much hope: no side has conceded a higher proportion of penalty goals in the competition’s history.
Sunderland managed only 143 completed passes — the second‑fewest by a winning side all season — but left with a vital victory. A pair of milestones quietly accompanied the chaos: Granit Xhaka making his 250th Premier League appearance, and Dominic Calvert‑Lewin recording his 200th start.