Will Nottingham Forest show they’re title contenders towards Liverpool as depleted Arsenal host Tottenham – Premier League speaking factors

Are Forest the actual deal or just overachievers?

Nottingham Forest vs Liverpool, Tuesday, kick-off 8pm

It was solely 4 months in the past that Nottingham Forest inflicted the one blemish on Arne Slot’s in any other case near-perfect Premier League file. Liverpool have additionally drawn 4 video games, however their solely loss got here at Anfield in September, and the style by which it occurred clearly harm Slot.

He believed – as a newcomer to the league – that Forest, a group who completed seventeenth final season, shouldn’t be difficult his title-chasers on residence turf. Maybe he is proper. The end result was considered unilaterally as a serious shock and Slot himself referred to as it “a giant setback”.

A lot has occurred since then to change notion, nonetheless. Slot’s perspective has definitely softened: “For us to lose on that day was, for me, laborious to take,” he stated on Monday. “Now, wanting again and seeing the place they’re within the league, it has not been such a shock.”

Forest have received every of their final six Premier League video games, whereas a win over Liverpool would equal their longest ever profitable run. They’re at present equal on factors with hotly-tipped Arsenal. And so they have registered extra wins than another group besides leaders Liverpool.

Their respective positions within the desk imply this fixture conjures up recollections of the late Nineteen Seventies, early Eighties when Liverpool and Forest have been on the peak of their powers collectively. Clearly Slot’s Reds stay modern-day juggernauts, however Nuno Espirito Santo’s shock contenders are starting to hark again to their golden age.

Forest are this season’s overachievers, sure, however ought to they produce one other upset to dent Liverpool’s cost in direction of Premier League silverware, they might effectively take into account themselves formally within the working too.
Laura Hunter

Man Metropolis cannot afford one other Brentford scare

Brentford vs Man Metropolis, Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm

“They’re a rare group. We’ve got suffered since they have been promoted,” stated Pep Guardiola about Brentford, the final time he got here up towards Thomas Frank’s facet final September.

He isn’t incorrect. Brentford have given Man Metropolis some actual scares in recent times. Frank’s Bees have taken the lead towards Metropolis in 4 out of the final 5 encounters, regardless of Guardiola’s facet occurring to win the title after every of these matches.

And that was when Metropolis have been good. When Guardiola admitted his group have been “fortunate” to come back again and beat Brentford 3-1 final September, the reigning champions had an 100 per cent file within the Premier League and it was the week earlier than Rodri picked up his season-ending harm.

If Metropolis’s struggles towards Brentford proceed they usually fall behind, do the reigning champions have sufficient to come back again?
Sam Blitz

Heavy burden for Ings to hold at West Ham

West Ham vs Fulham, Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Graham Potter made the dream begin to life as West Ham boss when Lucas Paqueta put the Hammers in entrance towards Aston Villa within the FA Cup on Friday evening – however the rug was swiftly and ruthlessly pulled from beneath his toes.

Chasing the ball down at full velocity, Niclas Fullkrug pulled up clutching his hamstring and gestured to the bench that his night was over earlier than he had even hit the bottom.

Talking in his post-match press convention, Hammers boss Graham Potter stated: “I’d think about it is fairly a extreme hamstring harm once you pull up like that, in order that’s a priority for us.” Fullkrug has since posted on Instagram that the harm will “sideline me for some time”.

With each Jarrod Bowen and Michail Antonio out of motion for the foreseeable future, too, it leaves Danny Ings as the one out-and-out No 9 at Potter’s disposal. Counting on only one man shouldn’t be ultimate at one of the best of occasions, however when that one man has began simply 4 league video games because the starting of 2023/24, the state of affairs turns into just a little extra stark.

The slate has, in fact, been cleaned with Potter’s arrival – and there may be nonetheless the potential for January signings – however, in the meanwhile, Ings has a heavy burden to hold.
Dan Lengthy

Chelsea should flip tide in Champions League hunt

Chelsea vs Bournemouth, Tuesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Chelsea’s festive interval turned a promising league run of 9 unbeaten to 4 in a row with no victory. Their dismal run dripped into their first sport of 2025 once they have been held to a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Chelsea’s type dented their daring title hopes and is at risk of unravelling their aspirations to earn a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League.

Three factors separate Chelsea in fourth and Bournemouth in seventh, that means Enzo Maresca’s Blues might drop out of the highest 5 if the Cherries handle a victory at Stamford Bridge.

When Maresca says no one anticipated Chelsea to be competing, there was reality in that. However as type impresses, expectation all through the season begins to alter. Chelsea followers will now count on a robust end and it is as much as Maresca’s facet to ship that, beginning by turning the tide of some poor league outcomes.
William Bitibiri

Derby poorly-timed for misfiring Arsenal

Arsenal vs Tottenham, Wednesday, kick-off 8pm

Additional time and penalties, new accidents and one other confidence-sapping night at an more and more edgy Emirates Stadium. Arsenal’s FA Cup loss to Manchester United, following defeat to Newcastle within the Carabao Cup, was not ultimate preparation for Tottenham’s go to.

Arsenal, already with out Bukayo Saka, are actually more likely to be with out Gabriel Jesus for even longer. Their attacking accidents, with Ethan Nwaneri additionally out, go away them reliant on a struggling Kai Havertz. Jurrien Timber and Jorginho have been additionally compelled off in Sunday’s sport.

Bodily, they have been wanting jaded even earlier than the 2 cup video games, their exhaustion clear of their second-half collapse towards Brighton. With no time for a restorative journey to Dubai this yr, Mikel Arteta should discover a approach to reinvigorate his gamers on the fly.

It’s a robust process. How the Arsenal boss would have liked a transparent schedule this week. As an alternative, he should navigate one among their largest video games of the season, one by which something lower than victory can be even more durable for the membership’s supporters to tolerate.

After all, Tottenham endured an FA Cup ordeal of their very own on Sunday, needing further time to beat non-league Tamworth. However the bodily calls for of that sport have been much more modest than Arsenal’s. Ange Postecoglou additionally had the posh of rotating his facet.

Their latest Premier League has been far worse than Arsenal’s, with a solitary level taken from their final 4 video games. However final week’s Carabao Cup win over Liverpool hinted at a nook being turned. They need to make the journey throughout north London sensing a chance.
Nick Wright

If something can take Isak up one other stage…

Newcastle vs Wolves, Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Alexander Isak has develop into an unstoppable power towards Premier League defences and if there may be something that may increase him up one other notch, Newcastle have given it to him.

A relaxation.

Isak began all the Magpies’ 16 video games previous to Sunday’s FA Cup win over Bromley, the place he wasn’t even within the squad owing to a minor hamstring criticism, however must be match to function towards Wolves on Wednesday.

Within the absence of any real competitors with Callum Wilson’s continued harm issues, the onus has been on the Swedish objective machine and he has delivered, with 14 objectives throughout that run.

It is the longest run of consecutive membership begins since he moved to Tyneside in 2022. Within the face of necessity he has delivered, which itself was removed from a assure.

It is a participant who scored solely six objectives in his remaining season at Actual Sociedad earlier than becoming a member of Newcastle. One who was dropped at Borussia Dortmund as the subsequent Zlatan Ibrahimovic however left with no league strike to his title.

A troublesome opening marketing campaign at Newcastle was largely hampered by harm however he has not regarded again since. His capacity to carry the ball up, play together with his again to objective, drift broad or play as a traditional No 9 was lacking only one factor – the arrogance any prime striker wants.

With that, is there a greater out-and-out striker in world soccer proper now? His 9 objectives because the starting of December prime the Premier League charts, and with a full week between matches for the primary time since mid-October, Wolves had higher have their wits about them.
Ron Walker

Can Moyes’ return get Everton firing?

Everton vs Aston Villa, Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm

David Moyes’ first spell answerable for Everton started with a objective after 30 seconds by David Unsworth as they clinched a 2-1 win over Fulham regardless of a first-half red-card to Thomas Gravesen. It sparked a run of three wins from 4 video games which lifted them to security.

13 years on, how they’d love a repeat. Moyes, now 61, as soon as once more inherits a group in want of a saviour. They’re with no win in 5 video games and some extent above the drop zone.

His first problem is to get them scoring. Everton laboured to a 2-0 win over Peterborough within the FA Cup underneath the interim cost of Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines on Thursday however they’ve solely discovered the online as soon as in 5 video games within the Premier League. Solely bottom-side Southampton have scored fewer objectives this season.

The numbers make grim studying. Everton are even decrease than Southampton when it comes to anticipated objectives, underlying simply how blunt they’ve been underneath Sean Dyche. However the hope for supporters is that the return of Moyes gives an instantaneous confidence increase to those that have struggled so badly in entrance of objective.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa make for a troublesome opponent however they’ve clear weaknesses defensively and head to what’s more likely to be a revitalised Goodison Park having misplaced their final 5 Premier League away video games, conceded a mixed 14 objectives within the course of.
Nick Wright

Welcome indicators for Leicester

Leicester vs Crystal Palace, Wednesday, kick-off 7.30pm

Ruud van Nistelrooy admitted the Premier League is the precedence for Leicester this season – however the emphatic win towards QPR within the FA Cup was precisely what they wanted heading into the sport towards Crystal Palace.

A run of 5 losses on the bounce had rapidly soured the preliminary optimism Van Nistelrooy’s arrival had offered till a 6-2 win towards the Hoops fired them into the fourth spherical.

Except for snapping the dropping streak, it’s the method of the victory that may please Leicester followers most.

Wasteful ending performed a serious function in seeing the membership stroll away from promising performances towards Manchester Metropolis and Aston Villa with zero factors – so watching objectives flood in from all angles would have been a welcome signal for Van Nistelrooy and his squad.

Carrying this type over into the league is now crucial to their season and survival probabilities. Beginning with Palace.
Patrick Rowe

Saints conflict a check of Man Utd’s mettle

Man Utd vs Southampton, Thursday, kick-off 8pm

Amidst all the FA Cup third-round euphoria, layered on prime of a spirited show at Anfield, it is easy to neglect that Manchester United are with no win of their final six. Since their final victory, a 2-1 comeback win at Manchester Metropolis, United have misplaced 4 and drawn twice.

The final two outings confirmed a unique facet to United, a brand new one. There was a facet to the group Ruben Amorim hoped for since taking cost however has been compelled to attend for. United have risen to the problem at Anfield and the Emirates in showings of nice psychological fortitude however the actual problem for Amorim’s males is whether or not they can preserve their stage towards among the so-called ‘lesser sides’.

There is not any higher check of United’s resolve for the time being than a house conflict towards the facet all-time low of the Premier League. Ought to they win convincingly, we are able to start to take this supposed new leaf severely.
William Bitibiri

Can Brighton spark into profitable Premier League type?

Ipswich vs Brighton, Thursday, 7.30pm

After simply three defeats in 15 video games in all competitions in the beginning of the season, Brighton went eight video games with out victory via the festive interval – though nonetheless with simply two losses.

However for a membership with aspirations of European soccer, persistently drawing will not get them there. Their 10 attracts this season are essentially the most within the Premier League.

Nonetheless, the Seagulls can be hoping a 4-0 win towards Norwich within the FA Cup will give them the increase they should begin choosing up factors within the league. One of many brightest moments from the third-round tie was Solly March’s advantageous objective, scored after a prolonged harm lay-off.

It is one other journey to East Anglia on Tuesday night as they tackle Ipswich – a group solely within the relegation zone on objective distinction and enhancing with every Premier League sport. The Tractor Boys too have been victorious of their FA Cup outing on the weekend, and are actually three video games unbeaten.

It won’t be a simple night for both facet and each will really feel they will take most factors. They want them for various causes, however equally as necessary.
Charlotte Marsh