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For a plausibly bright bloke Gianni Infantino is impressively dim, taking us all for fools with his brazen sycophancy. A primary school ethics class would have little trouble weeding out the fallacies and contradictions in the Fifa president’s inane proclamations, the latest of which calls for the lifting of the ban prohibiting Russia from playing international football.

We should not, according to Infantino, “ban any country from playing football because of the acts of their political leaders”. We see you Infantino. The knee bend before Russian president Vladimir Putin is as clear an example of fawning over power as the award of a Fifa peace prize to Donald Trump, which of course gave the big, fat lie to the separation of sport and politics.

It is so far beyond parody to reward the Russian state with inclusion four years after it launched an illegal invasion of a sovereign neighbour, it does not deserve the consideration of mutant ninja turtles let alone salient human beings. Not only does it insult the intelligence of right thinking souls, it offends the victims of Russian murderous aggression in Ukraine, the war dead, military and civilian, the casualties and the displaced among the near 38 million population.

Infantino knows this, of course, but can’t help himself. Whether it be a direct siren call to Putin or at the bidding of Trump, his faux separation of sport and state is an appalling act of opportunism and appeasement that should be called out and was by Ukrainian sports minister Matvii Bidnyi, who described his comments as “irresponsible not to say infantile. They detach football from the reality in which children are being killed.”

The ban, according to “Infantilo”, has achieved nothing, other than contributing more “frustration and hatred”. So we welcome the Russians back into Infantino’s world and skip along holding hands while Putin continues his monstrous imperialist drive to make Ukraine Russian again.

“Having girls and boys from Russia being able to play football games in other parts of Europe would help.” If only someone had thought of this before. We could have brought Adolf Hitler to his senses, persuaded Joseph Stalin gulags were not the way, helped South Africa’s leaders understand the folly of apartheid, because no matter how brutal the regime, the beautiful game has a way of making us whole again. Ye gods.

What is really happening here is the appropriation of the world game by its most powerful figure for the purpose of personal aggrandisement. Infantino is a conceited, vainglorious, fool, who believes the world leaders to whom he kow-tows actually value and admire him. That he might be their useful idiot, allowing them to use the world’s biggest sporting event as a propaganda tool, has not crossed his tiny mind.

How could it? He is too absorbed by the man he sees in the mirror. He loves the power his post affords him, mistaking that for what he believes are inherent qualities of his own. Big Gianni energy. God I’m so f***ing impressive, everybody worth a dime wants me at his table, the maker of men, the god of all things.

Trump would not touch Infantino with a goal post were he not Fifa head boy. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman would not wipe his feet on that polished cranium were Infantino not accelerating the normalisation of Saudi Arabia via the gift of the 2034 World Cup.

It was never you, Infantino. Your obsequious tokens of affection, the bizarre Fifa “peace prize”, the smug self-importance, all expose you for the absurd vassal you are, an inconsequential lickspittle masquerading as substance.   

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Manchester United’s new hierarchy is anything but faultless, but the club’s recent transfer record has been impressive. And Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his executives want to keep it that way.

Evolving their approach from a previous wildly unsuccessful scattergun one has been crucial. Meticulous planning now goes into every recruitment move.

Instead of splashing the cash desperately in January, the summer is where they will likely do plenty of business, with particular focus on midfield. The pursuit of their three top targets – Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba – is in full swing. More than one midfield purchase is likely.

It is not just new arrivals who will give United senior figures major decisions to make.

Maguire’s future

Harry Maguire is very highly thought of at United for his conduct around Carrington and how young players look up to him. His performances in recent weeks, after he fought hard to win his first-team spot back yet again, have been crucial to Michael Carrick’s mini-revival.

The 32-year-old’s contract, where he earns around £200,000 a week, runs out in the summer. Senior figures are divided over whether to offer him a new one, The i Paper has been told, and are unlikely to exercise the option for an extra year in his current deal.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen to cut the wage bill down, especially by getting rid of ageing top earners. Casemiro, the club’s highest-paid player, and others on large salaries will leave.

But Maguire could be the exception, and the England international is willing to take a substantial pay cut of about £80,000 a week.

Some senior executives feel Maguire’s value on and off the pitch, in a dressing room devoid of leaders, could be crucial.

No decision has been made yet over whether a new deal will be offered, with interest from other Premier League clubs and across Europe, mainly from Italy, in Maguire.

Funds from exits

Whenever Manuel Ugarte plays for United, chaos ensues. His appearance from the bench on Sunday was no different, with Carrick’s side vulnerable in the extreme whenever Casemiro and the Uruguayan trade places.

As a result of his poor form, United are understood to be looking to move Ugarte on in the summer, with three Turkish clubs, including Galatasaray, interested.
Recovering even half the £50m they paid Paris Saint-Germain for the defensive midfielder will represent a major result.

Others will also leave. Marcus Rashford should secure his dream permanent switch to Barcelona, even though the cash-strapped Catalans are currently struggling to match his £26m option-to-buy included in his loan move.

Jadon Sancho will be released after his nightmare five-year spell at Old Trafford comes to end this summer. Sancho and Rashford’s exits alone will save around £500,000-a-week in wages.

Bruno Fernandes’ future is less clear, with talks expected between the skipper’s representatives and United officials before he heads to this summer’s World Cup.

Sesko forces rethink

The area of the squad that has had the most recent investment is the striker department – to startling success. United have gone from a turgid watch last term to Premier League’s third top goalscorers, with no team having more shots at goal this term.

New, proven Premier League forwards Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have particularly impressed, but £74m signing Benjamin Sesko has not had quite the same impact, ensuring United’s recruitment department remained on alert when putting together their summer transfer plans. Another number nine was not out of the question.

Sesko’s conduct behind the scenes at Carrington, however, has started to win officials over, persuading them to remain focused solely on the midfield rebuild.

Despite spending plenty of time on the bench, the Slovenia international is described as one of the hardest workers in the group and has not showed any effect of his on-field inconsistency.

His determination to not become the latest in a long line of big-money flops has not gone unnoticed.

The culmination of his hard work came with his stoppage-time winner against Fulham on Sunday. Sesko was mobbed by every single one of United’s substitutes warming up on the touchline, showing his growing popularity and stature at the club.

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With the utmost respect to Haydeer Abdulkareem, the Iraq Under-23 international who was Al-Nassr’s only signing of the Saudi Pro League January transfer window, he was never going to move the needle for Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo has reportedly gone on strike over that lack of activity. Can you imagine his facial expression? Yes, because it’s the only way to imagine his face.

I know what you’re thinking: fair enough for playing the long game. Ronaldo has lived in Saudi Arabia for three years, so he’s now fully educated himself on the human rights issues surrounding the treatment of migrant workers and the LGBTQ+ community. And he’s taken a stand. All power to the fight!

According to A Bola in Portugal, Ronaldo refused to play in Al-Nassr’s league game against Al-Riyadh on Monday in protest at the lack of transfer activity of his club. Part of his concern: Al Hilal eyeing up Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad, a move that did eventually go through on Deadline Day. Benzema also went on strike after a deterioration in contract talks, to force a move.

How better to epitomise football’s slow dance with late-stage capitalism than such a farce: ageing elite-level footballers making themselves unavailable to get their own way and shape the business done by the four major clubs in the Saudi Pro League, all of whom have the same majority owner: Saudi’s own Public Investment Fund. At least you save money on the biscuits during transfer negotiations.

Ronaldo, we should remember, signed a new contract with Al Nassr/Saudi Arabia/Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud – delete as you feel appropriate – last July that runs until 2027 and is worth a reported £488,000 a day – a day – before all the myriad extras. As glorious sick days go, earning a cool half a million while you watch repeats of Hoarders and Minder is up there.

In Ronaldo’s defence, he may well have expected a little preferential treatment given that he has accepted being a key actor in Saudi Arabia’s soft power regime. At his contract unveiling Ronaldo did literally say the words: “I belong to Saudi Arabia”. Truly the romcom of our age.

And he’s paid his dues. In November, Ronaldo travelled to the White House for a meeting with Donald Trump and the Saudi crown prince. Elon Musk was there. There’s even a photograph of Ronaldo guffawing at something Trump said. That must be worth a new £20m signing in January at least.

Ordinarily, you might expect that Al Nassr’s response to Ronaldo’s world-class dummy-throwing would be to point at the numbers in that new contract and mutter “Are you taking the piss, pal? Our average home attendance is below 19,000”.

But nothing is normal here. Saudi Arabia’s original plan, as the great sportswashing disruption project of modern football through their own domestic league hoovering up the best talent, hasn’t really worked.

It has created a weird dichotomy: a league that services a series of vastly overpaid, ageing players who simultaneously seem to hold more power than their clubs and yet can only subservient to the ultimate kingmakers, the Saudi state itself.

For Ronaldo, merely the latest slide into prolific parody. Whatever you make of him, and of this gold-plated football mirage in the desert, he was at least always playing and scoring goals. Fewer goals than Ivan Toney this season, granted, but goals all the same.

That became the defence of this move to those who cherish him: he just wanted to keep on keeping on. Look past the individualism, the ego and the sulks and you still had a freak of talent and professionalism.

It reminds of Mike Clegg’s anecdote from when he was development coach at Manchester United and was asked how Ronaldo does it: “Thousands and thousands of hours of graft. He would be in the gym with me doing core work, then he would do activation, then his actual football training.

“After training, back into the gym and do some power work for his legs. Then home to the right food, swim, more work, sleep and then repeat. He did that for five or six years.”

Now the ultimate professional is refusing to play; a tantrum about a lack of new players that he feels Al Nassr need or risk Ronaldo missing out on a first domestic trophy in Saudi once again. He is missing the point. This isn’t about transfers because it isn’t about football because it isn’t about sport. It is merely reinforcing sport’s place within a nexus of geopolitical willy-waving.

Presumably it will all be smoothed over soon – perhaps they could give Ronaldo a pay rise? Until then, he is the £492m figurehead sat on his own naughty step, the geopolitical influencer who took the money, wore the crown and then realised that he still wasn’t the boss.

This hot mess would be quite entertaining if it wasn’t so damned bleak. Bask in this glorious football-themed dystopia.

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January is a notoriously difficult month to do business and this winter, it has felt like many Premier League clubs have been more reluctant than ever.

Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) has tied the hands of Aston Villa, Newcastle and Everton – among others – but the deals are still rolling in on deadline day.

Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are both looking to be active at the 11th hour, for very different reasons. The Gunners are looking for the final pieces to get them over the line in the title race, especially after an injury to Mikel Merino, while Spurs are in the midst of an injury crisis of their own and aren’t totally out of the woods in the battle to avoid relegation.

Top-flight clubs have to register their revised squad lists by Thursday 5 February.

Stay tuned throughout the day for the biggest updates.

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As business transactions go, it really was the deal of the century.

In taking a 27.7 per cent stake in Manchester United two years ago, Sir Jim Ratcliffe lined the Glazer family pockets with over £700m in cold, hard cash, agreed to fund some vital improvements himself, all while still leaving the much-maligned American overlords the majority stakeholders.

And that is not all. What makes this deal the gold standard, one that should be talked about in Havard lecture halls, is that by publicly declaring they would take control of the football operations at Old Trafford, Ineos and Ratcliffe simultaneously agreed to shoulder the blame for future, and inevitable, decline, almost absolving the Glazers in the process.

Several advisors who worked on the deal told The i Paper that this was always part of the plan. Ever since the Glazers’ takeover in 2005, the vitriol has headed in one direction only.

When Ratcliffe expressed an interest, part of the proposal had to be a willingness to absorb some responsibility for further failure. Sunday’s protests only solidified the Glazers lofty position of ultimate power.

Fan group “The 1958” meticulously planned a march ahead of Fulham’s visit, insisting this would be the biggest protest yet, with numbers topping 5,000, dwarfing any previous gatherings.

For the first time, Ratcliffe and Ineos were included in the messaging ahead of the latest event.

Supporters still want the Glazers gone, but it was the Manchester-born shareholder who is the one who “doesn’t know what he is doing”. Some donned clown masks to emphasise how the club has become a circus under Ratcliffe’s stewardship.

Will the message have got across the pond? And do the Glazers even care? There was even acceptance among organisers that attempts to make their voices heard will never break through. Not enough to make any lasting difference, anyway.

“We want Ratcliffe to listen to us,” Steve Crompton from The 1958 tells The i Paper.

“What this bloke’s doing is destroying the culture, destroying fan culture. He’s pricing fans out. I’ve looked this morning at tickets available for the Villa game and there isn’t a ticket for less than 300 quid. It’s disgusting.

“Football in general is heading the wrong way. The Americanisation of the sport is happening in front of our eyes, and it’s how it stopped, I don’t know. It’ll be like Disneyland here with this new stadium design, Jim’s vanity project.

“If there is a big turnout then yes, we’ll look at upping the ante. But let’s be realistic. We have people clamouring for an empty Old Trafford.

“What good will that do? You won’t even notice it. People need to take a stance.”

As the protesters got to the meeting point where the angst was supposed to really boil over, those in green and gold mingled into the queues for the club megastore and dispersed. Greater Manchester Police said afterwards 500 or 600 took part, with no arrests made. Take that, Joel and Avram.

The Glazer brothers are the most heavily involved, with the other family board members remaining in the shadows. Senior figures at the club insist they are more active than supporters realise.

Upon Ratcliffe’s initial investment, the structure that was put in place was never going to last – with Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer and Sir Dave Brailsford overseeing football operations, with a chief executive and sporting director to come in and work under them.

In reality, once chief executive Omar Berrada, sporting director Jason Wilcox and chief finance officer Marc Armstrong had been appointed – the supposed “best in the class” – it was then always going to be run like the business a global sporting behemoth always would be.

Ratcliffe has his own enterprises to run, as do the Glazers. There is a Glazer family member at every meeting between United board members, however, meetings that tend to happen every month. Largely in Monaco or London.

It was Avram and Joel’s decision to switch the venue of the latest meet-up to Carrington to speak with Michael Carrick upon his appointment – a key show of support, and a reminder who is really in charge.

Details around the Glazers’ movements are otherwise difficult to obtain as, 21 years in, they still remain frustratingly silent. Even recently-departed staff, of which there are many, all had to sign non-disclosure agreements as part of their exit, only adding to the maddening lack of accountability or structural understanding.

Berrada and Wilcox’s silence this season, in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s departure especially, only heightened the irritation. All of which just plays more into the Glazers’ hands, safe and sound thousands of miles away.

The deal of the century, even if events on the pitch aren’t improving much, just keeps getting better and better.

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More relaxed, Arsenal fans? No, probably not – but it was still an excellent weekend for the Premier League leaders as both Aston Villa and Manchester City dropped points in surprising circumstances. The lead is six and it will surely not slip.

Manchester United keep on winning under Michael Carrick and scored late again, while exactly the same thing is true for Liam Rosenior at Chelsea. Those two and Liverpool now have a nice buffer if the Premier League is to get five Champions League spots.

At the bottom, Forest and Palace are probably the two happiest teams after drawing with each other although the pattern of the game (Forest leading, Palace then playing for 45 minutes against 10 men) means either could have pulled further clear of West Ham. This one is going to go deep into May; I can feel it.

Here is one piece of analysis on each of the top flight clubs who played this weekend (in reverse table order)…

This weekend’s results

• Brighton 1-1 Everton
• Leeds 0-4 Arsenal
• Wolves 0-2 Bournemouth
• Chelsea 3-2 West Ham
• Liverpool 4-1 Newcastle
• Aston Villa 0-1 Brentford
• Man Utd 3-2 Fulham
• Nott’m Forest 1-1 Crystal Palace
• Tottenham 2-2 Man City

Wolves’ striker woes laid bare again

There was a double dose of negativity after Rob Edwards bemoaned Wolves’ inability to take their chances before conceding against Bournemouth. Edwards’ point was certainly valid, but supporters pointed out that starting Hwang Hee-chan again reduces sympathy given his profligacy has become expected.

It has also been a theme of Wolves’ season as a whole. Before Sunday’s games, 17 Premier League teams had scored between nine and 13 per cent of their shots, but Wolves’ figure – the worst in the Premier League – is five per cent.

It gets no better when Wolves get their shots on target. Again, 17 Premier League clubs score between 27 and 36 per cent of their shots on target. Not only is Wolves’ 16 per cent the lowest in the division, it’s also five per cent lower than any other club.

Burnley

Play Sunderland on Monday night.

West Ham lack ability to close out games

At Nottingham Forest last season (or at least in the first half), Nuno’ Espirito Santo’s strength was using tactics and substitutions to close out games after taking the lead. Between mid October and mid February, Forest took the lead in 14 league games and won 12 of those matches.

West Ham’s worry is that either Nuno has lost that ability or his squad does not contain enough reliable defensive depth for it to work well. Since beating Burnley in November, West Ham have led in eight Premier League matches, won only two of them and dropped 15 points. If even half of those dropped points had been avoided, West Ham would not be in the bottom three.

Here is another statistic: At Forest, Nuno never once allowed a two-goal lead to slip. At West Ham, it has already happened twice – West Ham led 2-0 at half-time against Bournemouth and 2-0 at half-time against Chelsea.

Nottingham Forest’s diamond in the rough

Seasons can turn on moments such as Neco Williams’ handball and red card, but Forest were fully deserving of a point against Crystal Palace that feels like one gained when you consider the half-time situation in theirs and West Ham’s games this weekend.

I wanted to single out Morgan Gibbs-White, whose skill on the ball has never been in doubt but who produced a monumental captain’s performance in the second half. His pressing, often on his own, repeatedly stopped Palace playing quick balls into midfield and he still somehow had the energy to knit together attacks when Forest did get the ball.

Morgan Gibbs-White pokes Nottingham Forest in front inside five minutes! pic.twitter.com/3LhFxZKoo4

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 1, 2026

For the last 15 minutes, Gibbs-White was clearly knackered and yet continued to work as best he could and created a chance in the final minutes. He is an absolute diamond and I think people overlook his pressing effort.

Leeds need a quick response

It is an age-old adage: when your unbeaten run contains a high number of draws, how that run ends matters. For all the upturn in Leeds United’s performances and results, they have taken seven points from their last seven league matches.

Losing to Arsenal is no cause for deep worry, of course. But it will now be fascinating to see how Leeds respond.

Six of their last seven home league opponents are Forest, Sunderland, Brentford, Wolves, Burnley and Brighton. If Leeds take 13 points from those games, hardly unthinkable, they will stay up.

Opportunity missed for Crystal Palace

Moving a point further clear of West Ham and drawing away from home with a decimated squad is cause for celebration; stay up this season and nobody will reflect upon what might have been here.

But Palace were still abysmal in their attempts to break down 10 men for the entire second half. They failed to record a single shot on target at backup goalkeeper Angus Gunn and actually recorded a lower xG than Forest in the second 45 minutes.

Ismaïla Sarr draws Crystal Palace level from the spot! pic.twitter.com/en5aRcPuiM

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 1, 2026

The passing was slow away from goal and inaccurate when they eventually got there and too often Palace shot from distance because they were incapable of doing anything more creative.

Solanke earns his Spurs with England place available

If you turned off at half-time, judging the sadness and anger at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as something irretrievable, I both sympathise and understand your call. Never forget the curse Spurs hold over Manchester City.

Thomas Tuchel stayed until the end and he must have been impressed by Dominic Solanke’s finishing. The second was a genuine Puskas Award nominee, a scorpion kick that looked a little messier than Olivier Giroud’s back in the day but only because Solanke had to adjust his body to somehow loop the ball up and over Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Dom Solanke draws Spurs level with a SCORPION KICK! pic.twitter.com/0qIFpjhneP

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 1, 2026

With Ollie Watkins not prolific and Dominic Calvert-Lewin receiving support for a World Cup place, there is clearly room for a striker to make a mad dash for the US. Could that possibly be Solanke, or is that late injury going to cause yet further absence for a player with bags of talent but no luck?

Hurzeler now a target for Brighton fan ire

A late goal that completely shifts the pressure facing Fabian Hurzeler. Brighton’s home support is largely still supportive of the manager, but social media has seemingly made its position clear: demands for corner flag posts, a proud refusal to engage with the club until he is sacked. It is hyperbolic and performative, but it is also growing.

And Brighton should be better than one win in 11 Premier League games (against Burnley at home), given that run began just when the lack of European football should have provided an advantage. It hardly helps Hurzeler that Everton’s equaliser came in time added on for his decision to bring on James Milner in the last minute, also something plenty of supporters disagreed with.

Next weekend, Brighton have the M23 derby against Crystal Palace at the Amex. Win that and doubts easily dissipate. Concede late again, as Brighton have done to drop points in each of their last two matches, and the knives may come out in the stadium.

A great day for Bournemouth’s teenage recruitment

Last week we praised Andoni Iraola for the manner in which he has handled the sale of key players and the uncertainty over his own future. This week, some love for a recruitment team that has done superb work in identifying young talent to develop.

A year ago, Bournemouth signed Eli Junior Kroupi for £10m and on Saturday he scored his eight Premier League goal of the season; he has been a steal and his chance conversion is off the scale. A week ago, Bournemouth signed Rayan for an initial £25m and on Saturday he got his first Premier League goal involvement.

This is how a club recovers to stay clear of any trouble. You also need a manager prepared to give youth a chance, which must be the principal selling point of whoever replaces Iraola this summer (assuming he does leave).

Sunderland

Play Burnley on Monday night.

Newcastle’s Howe error

As Mark Douglas wrote on Saturday, Newcastle’s record against the top six this season is one win, two draws and five defeats. For a team that looked to have broken into the elite, it is a miserable record that highlights their away struggles.

I think we can also conclude that Newcastle’s summer transfer window was an expensive failure. Nick Woltemade’s decent start feels a long time ago now, while Jacob Ramsey and Anthony Elanga – at a cost of £95m between them – didn’t even get that. Yoane Wissa was expensive for a player out of contract a year later; he is 30 in September and has one Premier League goal or assist.

Whenever Howe mentions the limits imposed by profitability and sustainability rules, think back to those failures. The mind wanders back to the criticism of his transfer business when Bournemouth manager. Was giving him the keys to Newcastle’s recruitment really a good idea?

Moyes has a point

The best post-match quote of the season, from David Moyes about his yellow card for over-celebrating:

“I bloody will do it again. Actually, if I’d been a bit more mobile, I might have done a knee slide. That would only have got me a yellow as well, so I might as well have gone the whole hog.”

I am normally a “well those are the rules, to be fair” kind of guy – I am not a bootlicker, I promise – but in this case it really does feel particularly joyless. Firstly, we have to allow managers, who are under immense pressure, the leeway to celebrate if they are not harming anyone in the process. Secondly, if the yellow card was for leaving the technical area then managers do that all the time.

Never leave Fulham games early

If you want late entertainment, never leave Fulham games early. And when you are a mid-table club punching above your weight, that is a compliment.

Since the beginning of December, Fulham have had a mad close comeback against Manchester City and lost in the 87th minute against Crystal Palace. They have lost in the last minute at Newcastle and won in the 85th minute at West Ham. They have conceded and scored in second-half stoppage time against Liverpool and done exactly the same against Manchester United.

WOW! Kevin equalises in stoppage-time at Old Trafford in some style! pic.twitter.com/QtqOOsub6M

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 1, 2026

And more: they have scored a last-minute winner against Brighton, directly after conceding a last-minute winner against Leeds. And since 8 November, the only Fulham game settled by a margin of more than one goal was against Championship opposition in the FA Cup (when, naturally, they scored in the last minute).

Brentford’s magnificent defensive grit wins out

The perfect response to losing at home to Forest is to win at Villa – this Premier League season is silly and unpredictable and Brentford’s last 10 days prove as much.

If there is one thing Brentford are good at, it is defending deep. They have won 11 of their 16 games in which they have led this season, but three of those five failures came in the first month of the season.

"How's that for a finish!"

Dango Ouattara strikes from a tight angle to put Brentford ahead before half-time pic.twitter.com/IIuTwQQumE

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 1, 2026

This season, Brentford have avoided defeat against Leeds, Villa (twice), Bournemouth, West Ham, Wolves, Tottenham and Sunderland. They have conceded two goals in those games from a total of 118 shots faced. They sit in a low block and allow opponents to take shots but aim to limit their quality. Interestingly, that was Sean Dyche’s defensive strategy at Burnley.

Ekitike steps up for Liverpool (again)

If Liverpool qualify for the Champions League this season (the Premier League is overwhelmingly likely to get five places, then nobody will have done more for the cause than Hugo Ekitike.

It could easily have been different, had Newcastle got their principal target. Ekitike holding up his fingers to goad the away fans, sticking out his tongue too, will ingratiate him further with Liverpool fans but he hardly needs any boost there.

HUGO EKITIKE, WOW!

Two goals in two minutes from the Frenchman as Liverpool turn the game around. @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/PMNqKX7UfM

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 31, 2026

This season, 25 Premier League players have attempted 40 shots or more. Only Erling Haaland has scored with a higher proportion of his shots than Ekitike (and even then only just). Only two players have scored with more than 45 per cent of their shots on target: Phil Foden with 54 per cent and Ekitike with 59 per cent.

Chelsea’s comeback offers evidence against rotation

One of the reported reasons for Enzo Maresca falling out with his superiors at Chelsea was him being coerced into rotating his team at the advice of medical staff. Given the number of changes made from game to game by Liam Rosenior so far, it suggests that he is listening to the same advice.

The complication was obvious on Saturday: Chelsea’s backup players simply are not of the standard required.

Stamford Bridge erupts as Enzo Fernández completes Chelsea's comeback in stoppage-time! pic.twitter.com/9kObW22Oh4

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 31, 2026

Liam Delap is a mid-table Premier League striker at best on current form, Jorrel Hato couldn’t cope with Jarrod Bowen, Alejandro Garnacho produced an all-time bad first half and Reece James offers so much more tactical versatility.

Man Utd’s happy habit

We asked all week whether Manchester United could break down a lower block, something that they struggled with immensely under Ruben Amorim. The results were mixed: a loss of control, a sticky patch, set-piece goals, late collapse that happened often under Michael Carrick’s predecessor.

But who cares when the good late goal vibes are back? Before Carrick took over, United had a -2 goal difference in the 80th minute of their league games this season – 14 goals in the last 10 minutes of their league games. That goal difference is -1 under Carrick and their last two matches have seen five goals scored after the 80th minute.

"This is old-style Manchester United"

Benjamin Šeško, WOW! pic.twitter.com/4XzEnIrTQp

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 1, 2026

The difference? This time it is falling United’s way. To score once in a week late on to win a match is one thing. To do twice, continue the winning run and retake your place in the top four is another. This squad definitely believes again.

Why Aston Villa’s momentum has stalled

It is the theme of Villa’s season. In the 11 league games where they have recorded their lowest possession, Unai Emery’s team have taken 28 points.

In the eight games where they have recorded their highest possession, Villa have taken eight points. They have a low-block kryptonite and twice this season they have had more than 70 per cent of the ball against Brentford and lost 1-0.

When Villa have succeeded in this type of match this season, the breakthroughs have come from long-range, low-xG chances. Against Brentford, karma came to haunt them. Villa attempted 10 shots from outside the box, 16 more from inside the area and just one from inside the six-yard box. If anything, the red card made it harder.

Second-half Man City are a mess

Manchester City have a huge second-half problem. In 2023-24, when they last won the Premier League title, City “lost” seven second halves. They are already at nine in 2025-26 – only four teams have more defeats and that figure is level with Burnley.

Now you might reason that this is because City often have commanding leads and coast through matches (and that is definitely a thing and was in 2023-24), but it has also cost them points against Chelsea, Brighton and Spurs and almost did against Fulham and Leeds.

Those six points are the difference between them being level on points with Arsenal and not. If it is complacency, it is completely unacceptable.

Arsenal take a firm step towards the title

Given that Arsenal supporters seem to have entered into an emotional psychodrama that can only be ended by their club marching to the title with a succession of comfortable wins, this was a vital weekend. The recent sticky patch, plus Elland Road’s febrile atmosphere, presented further opportunity for existential crisis. Arsenal swatted Leeds aside eventually.

The identity of a key ingredient was also important. Nobody at Arsenal underestimates how crucial Bukayo Saka will be over the next four months, so the sight of him leaving the pitch during the warm-up caused a rush of “We are cursed” negativity.

Step forward Noni Madueke, about whom some Arsenal fans protested when he was signed. Madueke created Arsenal’s first and second goal, but he also completed four dribbles, two fewer than every other Arsenal player combined. We have been crying out for Arsenal to stretch the game in open play; having a right winger who wants to get to the byline and cross, rather than Saka cutting back or driving infield, was actually a nice change.

Read more: I fear for football if this Arsenal side win the league

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Tottenham 2-2 Man City (Solanke 53’, 70’ | Cherki 11’, Semenyo 44’)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – The term “gallows humour” has been described by psychologists as a last indicator of morale amongst oppressed peoples. So who could have blamed Tottenham Hotspur fans for indulging in a little self-deprecation if it might have stopped Arsenal winning the title?

All week it had been suggested that Spurs supporters were willing their own team to lose to Manchester City. Instead, they provided the chorus to a remarkable fightback from two goals down and showed what happens when they are finally given something to get behind.

Before kick-off, stadium announcer Paul Coyte issued a rallying cry against “all those people who think we want to lose”. In the first half, it looked like they had no choice in the matter – this was not so much a moral abstention as a team being totally outplayed as they spiralled deeper into the jaws of a relegation battle.

Even Thomas Frank’s most ardent critics would have been hard-pushed to argue that such domination by Pep Guardiola’s City ought to be a sackable offence. Yet the manner of supine Spurs’ initial self-implosion hinted it might be, Yves Bissouma conceding possession in the build-up to Rayan Cherki’s opener and Guglielmo Vicario once again facing questions over his positioning.

As Radu Dragusin’s botched clearance allowed Antoine Semenyo to score his fourth in five games since joining City, it will have been no consolation that Frank insisted that his own club had “tried” to sign the forward themselves.

So for 45 minutes, there was every reason for the ground to feel submerged in apathy. As the rain poured, it was as if Frank was trying to shout underwater. He said this week that he was operating in real life, “not Football Manager”; at points it had looked like one player had put their controller down.

With Dominic Solanke’s second-half brace, something shifted. In the scheme of Frank’s turbulent reign, these moments might ultimately not mean that much. But in a season like this, they are a rushing lifeblood. Spurs fans merely entertained the prospect of deflating Arsenal’s dreams because they have ceased to harbour any of their own.

It is a gross mischaracterisation nonetheless, the idea that there was not anger, elation and desperation in equal measure on show. The half-time boos are so regular that they have almost stopped having any effect, but what followed should be a lesson for Frank and his cautious pragmatism.

Solanke blew it away with two moments of brilliance, outmuscling Abdukodir Khusanov and Marc Guehi for his first before pulling out an outrageous flick for the second. Frank has to engineer this siege mentality more regularly to save his job, particularly as he makes do without nine senior players. Cristian Romero did not last the 90 minutes.

Tottenham fans have endured an awful lot, not least another underwhelming transfer window. And still their spitting savagery directed at Xavi Simons’ early misjudgements transformed to ecstasy at his superb late runs. The vast majority remained in the ground to applaud their team off and start talk of a late Solanke charge for England’s World Cup squad.

If you were being ungenerous, you might think this was peak, Arsenal-cup-wielding Frank, bursting to life when the fans least wanted him to. But that would be just another dose of humour in this peculiar, puzzling campaign.

Joy is back in fashion at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – and the roar was so loud it could probably be heard in the other half of north London.

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