Drudgery Beckons: PL Games for 17th - 19th January 2026

[Mike Oxsaw]

Saturday, 17 January 2026 12:30
Manchester United v Manchester City
Venue: Old Trafford
League Positions: 6 v 2
Current Forms: 12 v 33

The clash of the northern monsters monkeys. Home advantage and (yet another) new boss bounce will bring the expected benefits to the Great Expectakers, but City seem to have found their scoring boots in the FA Cup. Remind me again, please,  who Manchester United have in the 4^th round...

Prediction: Away Win

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 15:00
Chelsea v Brentford
Venue: Stamford Bridge
League Positions: 8 v 5
Current Forms: 15 v 41

Chelsea's FA Cup demolition of mighty Charlton will have been tempered by their home loss to Arsenal in their 1^st League cup  semi-final. Fulham are unbeaten in their last 5 (and are no longer even remote candidates to challenge us for a highly coveted relegation spot). That being said, Chelsea last won a league game 5 rounds (yes, I know already. If someone can come up with a better noun, collective or otherwise for a group of 10 league games, let me know) ago. Home advantage rules though, in this game.

Prediction: Home Win

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 15:00
Leeds United v Fulham
Venue: Elland Road
League Positions: 16 v 9
Current Forms: 21 v 35

Fulham are the most "in form" side, Leeds are the most "At Home" side in this game. That fence was clearly refurbished over FA Cup weekend, and I'm on it.

Prediction: Draw

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 15:00
Liverpool v Burnley
Venue: Anfield
League Positions: 4 v 19
Current Forms: 27 v 20

15 of Burnley's "current form points" come from their 5-1 demolition of Millwall (who? Never heard of them!) last week. Liverpool though, seem to, single handed, be redefining "Blowing hot & cold". I believe that home advantaged abetted by a slight form tail-wind will be the decider.

Prediction: Home Win

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 15:00
Sunderland v Crystal Palace
Venue: Stadium of Light
League Positions: 10 v 13
Current Forms: 21 v 6

My how we laughed at Palace crashing out of the cup at their first attempt at defending it. Got just over £52 on that game alone which bought me 3 cases (36 pints) of Singha beer out here in Thailand, which I naturally shared with the 2 Man Utd. fans I regularly drink with. This match? Oh! If I must. Sunderland all day long.

Prediction: Home Win

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 15:00
Tottenham Hotspur v West Ham United
Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
League Positions: 14 v 18
Current Forms: 8 v 17

15 of our current form points also come from our FA Cup game last weekend. As for our form in the league? I'd rather not go there. But, as they say, "Needs must", so here we go: Every team we play from now on - especially this lot - will have their fixture with us circled in "3 point red ink" in their calendar. No Lanzini to rescue a point for us this time round, and surely even Tottenham cannot be that "spursy" to not come away from this with all 3 points. Ladies & Gentlemen. It is with deep regret and a heavy heart that I am forced to predict:

Prediction: Home Win

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Saturday, 17 January 2026 17:30
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Venue: City Ground
League Positions: 17 v 1
Current Forms: 12 v 39

Talk about "Lucky, lucky Arsenal"! Their recent run of games must feel like manna from heaven. I strongly suspect that they'll feast again on foraged Forest food.

Prediction: Away Win

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 14:00
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Newcastle United
Venue: Molineux
League Positions: 20 v 7
Current Forms: 30 v 30

Boy! Oh boy! Do Newcastle need (NEED) this fixture. Half of both team form points come from cup wins, so neither have a league form they can sing about from the mountains. Wolves cup win, though, was against pretty ropey neighbours of theirs, whilst the Bar-codes won a penalty sudden death against fellow PL side Bournemouth. Probably going to go only one way, this one:

Prediction: Away Win

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Sunday, 18 January 2026 16:30
Aston Villa v Everton
Venue: Villa Park
League Positions: 3 v 12
Current Forms: 31 v 11

Sunderland soundly dumped Everton out of the cup; someone was clearly playing the "dick" in their stadium sponsor's name. Talking of stadiums though, this game is at one of the better ones in the League still standing. As for the result? Well, Villa do need to keep in touch with Manchester City from now on, and maintain the gap between themselves and teams sitting 4^th to 10^th below them. I think that this they will do.

Prediction: Home Win

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Monday, 19 January 2026 20:00
Brighton & Hove Albion v A. F. C. Bournemouth
Venue: Falmer Stadium
League Positions: 11 v 15
Current Forms:  v 

South coast shenanigans! Shiver me timbers, matey! Do we care? Well Bournemouth are only (only!!!) 3 places above us in the league, so...No! No! and thrice No! Michael. They've got almost twice the amount of points we have!...Can't see them adding to that total, but, even so, they're still not relegation candidates. Brighton will be pushing (ooh-er, missus) for Europe again next year, so:

Prediction: Home Win

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Acca? What do you mean acca? Oh, this...

Arsenal (Away @ Nottingham Forest 1/2)
Liverpool (@ Home to Burnley 2/11)
Newcastle United (Away @ Wolverhampton Wanderers 7/10)
Aston Villa (@ Home to Everton 8/13)

Pretty poor odds all around this week.

Total stake: £11.00
Potential returns: £31.52

[Maverick180180]

Fucking idiot. 

You’re long overdue a fucking slap 

You offering, which one of your aliases will turn up to do it? You? Sad Ferret? Thundercunt? Who will you be? 

What the fuck are you talking about you fucking helmet
youre an absolute crack pot lunatic with conspiracies over a fucking football forum, thinking people have multiple accounts and accusing everyone of being a spurs fan
if you spent more time concentrating on watching football and less time trying to work out which member of WHO shot JFK you might not be such an annoying parasitic cսnt 

[Mad Ferret]

Thought Everton were superb.

Had a good goal disallowed and a stonewall penalty not given.

[twoleftfeet]

Before Sad Ferret comes on - Everton’s first win this year and out of all competitions.

[Fauxstralian]

I thought home to Villa was as well as we have played all season
Very harsh result
Villa haven’t got the squad to win the league and had to sell Malen last week who has been scoring regularly 
Meanwhile Pep gets to buy Semenyo & Guehi while not winning in 4
Arsenal have it wrapped up. Unfortunately 

[twoleftfeet]

That’s us down now.

Really needed Forest to lose that.

Fucking idiot. 

You’re long overdue a fucking slap 

You offering, which one of your aliases will turn up to do it? You? Sad Ferret? Thundercunt? Who will you be? 

[Mad Ferret]

Moyesy got Everton leading at title-chasing Villa.

[THUNDERCLINT]

That’s us down now.

Really needed Forest to lose that.

Fucking idiot. 

You’re long overdue a fucking slap 

I suspect gets at least one a day, but yeah, still overdue.

[Fauxstralian]

Am guessing the Madrid fans supported Xabi Alonso’s attempts to make cunts like Vini Jr work harder for the team and know who is to blame for his sacking 
No fan of Madrid but make them right
Ex West Ham Arbeloa is just the no name nonentity with no power that the players will love as they can do what they like 

[Massive Attack]

It's always been a rich basket case of a Club where no manager lasts long with their OTT expectations even when they win things. Even Del Bosque, Mourinho and Ancelotti only got about 3/4 years at a time as some of their most successful.

[Sydney_Iron]

Not PL but Seeing the Madrid fans booing Vini junior and Bellingham all game this morning was a bit fucked up?

They won the game as well and currently sit 2nd in the League only 1 point behind Barca, lost 2 games in the CL but on track for the knockout stages yet the fans don’t find this acceptable?????

How fucked up is that! 

[Maverick180180]

That’s us down now.

Really needed Forest to lose that.

Fucking idiot. 

You’re long overdue a fucking slap 

[twoleftfeet]

That’s us down now.

Really needed Forest to lose that.

Fucking idiot. 

[twoleftfeet]

How the fuck did Dalot not get sent off for that tackle? 

[El Scorchio]

The manager I long wanted whilst he was available after he left Boro was Carrick. Pointed out at the time that his last stint in interim charge of the Club that he instantly got 3 impressive results against Artetas Arsenal, Emerys Villareal and Tuchels Chelsea. Now he's taken Guardiolas scalp 1st game back in charge. He just has 'it' and we stupidly overlooked him when we had an excellent chance of getting him. 

Thick as pigshit management since 2010 - BS Trademark. 

This lot of owners would only drag him down to their level and get him run out of the club sooner or later, even if he does have something about him and especially if he is popular with us, which he would be. It's the Sullivan way.

[Massive Attack]

The manager I long wanted whilst he was available after he left Boro was Carrick. Pointed out at the time that his last stint in interim charge of the Club that he instantly got 3 impressive results against Artetas Arsenal, Emerys Villareal and Tuchels Chelsea. Now he's taken Guardiolas scalp 1st game back in charge. He just has 'it' and we stupidly overlooked him when we had an excellent chance of getting him. 

Thick as pigshit management since 2010 - BS Trademark. 

[Mad Ferret]

That’s us down now.

Really needed Forest to lose that.

[fraser]

Man U v Man C -away win
Chelsea v Brentford - away win
Leeds v Fulham - home win
Liverpool v Burnley - home win
Sunderland v Palace - home win
Spurs v West Ham - home win
Forest v Arsenal - draw
Wolves v Newcastle - home win
Villa v Everton - home win
Brighton v Bournemouth - draw.

Forest vs Arsenal - draw

[El Scorchio]

Typical fucking Arsenal giving a point to Forest. 

VAR with another fuck up though. That was a penalty all day long. Bloke moved his hand to the ball to control it for fuck's sake.

[twoleftfeet]

What a dull game.

[honky cat]

Fucking arsenal

[El Scorchio]

That is an absolute bullshit decision to deny Arsenal a penalty there. It's a clear handball and the VAR official thinks its in a natural position. Fuck off is it.

[El Scorchio]

They might as well get rid of Glasner now seen as it's turned sour quickly already. It'll just be a poor atmosphere there until the end of the season and they could get sucked into it, especially with Guehi virtually gone and the rest maybe going or demotivated. You would think with 11 points over us at this point they'll be fine regardless come the end of the season but you never know if we pick up a couple more wins in the next 2-3 games and they carry on winless. All of a sudden it could be 4-5 points.

As an aside I see Arsenal really aren't doing us any favours in a game they should easily win.

[Fauxstralian]

Think he knew Guehi was going at some point but was told 10.30 Friday morning the day before a game
Someone was saying Mateta will go in Jan as well if someone offers enough
Wharton almost certainly off in the summer so you can understand Glasner thinking it’s not worth staying 
Would he be right for Man Utd? Not sure
Palace could go for Thomas Frank when he gets railroaded out of the No Name Stadium 

[El Scorchio]

Dalot's yellow earlier on should have been a red. Would have been if he was wearing most other team's shirts. If it was Wan Bissaka, he's walking for that no questions.

I've seen a lot worse, but yea agree it was a red. He didn't go in at much pace as was near to the player, so maybe that saved him, plus it was early, not that it should matter of course.

Same. It clearly wasn't full force but it was shin high studs up wasn't it. His shirt alone saved him there.

[Manuel]

Glasner might not make the summer, laying into the owners for lack of support and selling Guehi.