Arsenal head to the West Midlands to battle Wolves
Facing up to one of their favourite Premier League opponents, Arsenal head to the West Midlands to battle Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners gave themselves a shot in the arm in midweek with a 3-0 Champions League win over Dinamo Zagreb.
Being able to bypass the playoff stage may mean that the mid-season trip to Dubai – a godsend for Arsenal in recent years – is on for Arteta and co, who are in desperate need of that season-saving trip if last weekend’s excruciating 2-2 stalemate with Aston Villa is anything to go by.
By throwing away a two-goal lead to draw with former manager Unai Emery, Arsenal fell six points behind Liverpool – who still have a game in hand – in the Premier League table, and surprise package Nottingham Forest are only behind on goal difference at this juncture.
As agonising as that result was, the visitors have now navigated each of their last 12 Premier League matches without suffering defeat – the second-longest unbeaten sequence in the division behind Liverpool’s 17 – and Arsenal’s attackers are always up to the task against Wolves.
Arsenal and clean sheets away from home do not go hand-in-hand – the Gunners have shipped goals in each of their last nine Premier League away matches – but any rearguard frailties should count for nought at Molineux.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Atlético Madrid to get title challenge back on track as they host Villarreal
Atletico Madrid will be bidding to get their La Liga title challenge back on track when they welcome Villarreal to Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday afternoon.
Diego Simeone‘s side are currently second in the La Liga table, two points behind the leaders Real Madrid, while Villarreal occupy fifth spot, six points behind fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao in the race for Champions League qualification.
Atletico saw a 15-game winning run in all competitions come to an end last weekend, when they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Leganes, but Simeone’s team bounced back impressively in the Champions League on Tuesday, beating Bayer Leverkusen 2-1.
The Red and Whites are fifth in the Champions League table and on course to automatically qualify for the knockout round of the competition, while they are firmly in the La Liga title picture, sitting second, two points behind Real Madrid.
The reigning champions are not in action until Saturday evening against Real Valladolid, so a win here would move Atletico back to the top of the division, and they have been excellent on home soil this term, picking up 26 points from their 10 La Liga matches at Wanda Metropolitano.
This is set to be a fascinating match; Villarreal will be the fresher of the two sides and will enter the clash off the back of an excellent performance against Mallorca.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
League leaders Liverpool take on relegation-battling Ipswich Town
Still seeking their first Premier League home win of 2025, Liverpool will hope to take care of business against relegation-battling Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon.
Arne Slot‘s men resume domestic action after confirming their place in the Champions League last 16, while the visitors are reeling from a six-goal slaughter at the hands of Manchester City.
Preserving their impeccable European record and virtually guaranteeing a first-placed finish in the 36-team league phase, Liverpool survived a brief scare to see off 2020-21 Ligue 1 champions Lille at Anfield on Tuesday evening, thereby ensuring that they would bypass an unwanted two-legged playoff.
Since being unexpectedly slain by Nottingham Forest in mid-September, the Reds have remarkably managed to score at least twice in each of their last 14 home matches across all competitions, and the form book certainly suggests that 14 will become 15 when Ipswich pay a visit.
Ipswich have proven to be a tough nut to crack on the road in recent times – just ask Arsenal or Tottenham Hotspur – but their pitiful performance against Man City even with a defence-heavy setup was alarming.
McKenna’s men might boast the fresher legs, but we can only picture Slot’s Liverpool running riot as they take another giant step towards Premier League supremacy.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Las Palmas to contest against Osasuna today
Las Palmas will be bidding to bounce back from three straight defeats when they continue their La Liga campaign with a contest against Osasuna at Estadio Gran Canaria on Friday night.
Pio Pio, who are 14th in the La Liga table, will enter the match off the back of a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid, while 10th-placed Osasuna drew 1-1 with Rayo Vallecano in their last fixture.
Las Palmas have had a difficult start to 2025, losing twice in La Liga and once in the Copa del Rey, conceding 10 times in those three fixtures, and they will enter this match off the back of a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid at Bernabeu.
Los Amarillos boast a record of six wins, four draws and 10 defeats from their 20 league matches this season, which has left them in 14th spot in the table on 22 points, three points outside of the relegation zone.
Las Palmas are also without a La Liga victory over Osasuna since May 2017, but it was a close contest between the two sides earlier this season, with Friday’s visitors running out 2-1 winners on home soil.
Osasuna have only won once on their travels in La Liga during the 2024-25 campaign, so we are finding it difficult to back them here, even taking into account Las Palmas’ recent issues; it would not be a shock to see a victory either way.
Credit: sportsmole.co.uk
Premier League
Saturday 25th January
AFC Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
Brighton &Hove Albion 15:00 Everton
Southampton 15:00 Newcastle United
Wolverhampton Wanderers 15:00 Arsenal
Sunday 26th January
Crystal Palace 14:00 Brentford
Tottenham Hotspur 14:00 Leicester City
Aston Villa 16:30 West Ham United
Fulham 19:00 Manchester United
Spanish La Liga
Friday 24th January
Saturday 25th January
Atlético Madrid 15:15 Villarreal
Real Valladolid 20:00 Real Madrid
Sunday 26th January
Italian Seria A
Friday 24th January
Saturday 25th January
Sunday 26th January
