Man City host Brighton at the Etihad Stadium
Aiming to extend a club-record streak and pile the pressure on Premier League leaders Arsenal, Manchester City host Brighton at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday evening.
The Sky Blues’ hopes of title glory suffered another blow in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea, but the Seagulls snapped their winless sequence by taking down Burnley 2-0.
Facing a managerless Chelsea side devoid of confidence and defenders was seemingly a recipe for success for Man City, and it should have been, as Pep Guardiola‘s men were in the ascendancy before and after Tijjani Reijnders’s opening strike.
While City have been held by Sunderland and Chelsea in the past two gameweeks, Arsenal have been busy racking up the wins to move out of sight of the second-placed hosts, who are now six adrift of the Gunners and only above Aston Villa on goal difference.
The Sky Blues will at least close the gap to three points with victory here before Arsenal host Liverpool on Thursday, but a draw would equal a personal record for Guardiola, who has only ever played out three straight stalemates twice before.
Wednesday is a wonderful day for City to play, though, as they have won their last 22 Premier League matches on the third day of the working week, the longest victorious sequence of any team on a specific day in the competition.
City’s defensive problems may be piling up, but the Seagulls travel to the Etihad having let in at least two goals in each of their last three away games; not since the 2022-23 season have they suffered a worse sequence.
Veteran striker Danny Welbeck has never scored in nine league matches at the Etihad, and there is a strong chance that could become 10 on Wednesday.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Fulham, Chelsea faceoff in West London derby
With or without Liam Rosenior at the helm, Chelsea are in West London derby action on Wednesday evening, when they make the short trip to Craven Cottage for a Premier League date with Fulham.
The near neighbours both stole draws thanks to last-minute levellers last time out, as the Blues rescued a 1-1 at Manchester City after the Cottagers’ 2-2 stalemate with Liverpool.
The three-point gap to Liverpool and the Reds’ inferior goal difference means that Chelsea could force their way back into the top four with victory in midweek, though, whether that be under McFarlane or Rosenior – the Strasbourg boss is on the brink of being sworn in.
By virtue of extending their unbeaten Premier League run to five matches – taking 11 points from 15 on offer in that time – the 11th-placed Fulham are only three points off fifth-placed Chelsea, and one more positive result will propel them straight back into European contention.
The absences of Africa Cup of Nations trio Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze have not impacted Marco Silva‘s side as much as some may have anticipated, and the hosts have now scored in 11 of their 12 home games this term, only drawing a blank against leaders Arsenal.
Some uncertainty still lingers while Chelsea fans await the official Rosenior announcement, but whoever is at the helm will likely oversee yet another low-scoring stalemate.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Bournemouth host Tottenham at Vitality Stadium
For the second time in the space of two Premier League matchweeks, the Vitality Stadium welcomes a North London powerhouse, as Bournemouth host Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday night.
Andoni Iraola‘s men came out on the wrong end of a five-goal thriller with Arsenal in gameweek 20, while the Lilywhites were held to a painful home draw by Sunderland over the weekend.
Seventh heaven for Arsenal, 11th hell for Bournemouth, whose appalling winless run in the top flight stretched further into the double figures despite a valiant effort against the league leaders.
However, Gabriel Magalhaes’s redemption strike and Declan Rice’s brace put Arsenal firmly in control, before Eli Junior Kroupi’s fabulous finish proved to be little more than mere consolation for the soon-to-be apoplectic Cherries.
Eleven games without a win is Bournemouth’s longest-ever in a single top-flight season, but thanks to the dismal results of the bottom three, the 15th-placed hosts are still closer to the top five points-wise than they are the relegation zone.
Furthermore, four of Bournemouth’s five top-flight successes so far in 2025-26 have come at their Vitality Stadium home, but Iraola’s men now welcome a visiting side who could regain their status as the Premier League’s best away team.
Semenyo will likely not be squaring up to compatriot Mohammed Kudus, though, as the Spurs winger sustained a thigh injury in the first half of the draw with Sunderland.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Crystal Palace 19:30 Aston Villa
Manchester City 19:30 Brighton
