By Matija Šerić
The first full round of the Premier League in the new year 2026 was, in short, a summary of the entire season so far. Arsenal were the only giant to justify their status this round, securing an away victory over Bournemouth. Manchester United and Liverpool slipped up again on the road against Leeds and Fulham, settling for draws. Manchester City and Chelsea shared the points despite the hosts being on the verge of victory. Favoured Tottenham were left without a win against the surprise package Sunderland. Season hit Aston Villa were convincing against Nottingham Forest, while the unconvincing Newcastle recorded a win over Crystal Palace.
Arsenal show consistency
Although the Gunners closed out the old year with a 4–1 win over Aston Villa, who had been on an 11-match winning streak, they successfully negotiated a difficult away trip to Bournemouth on Saturday with a 3–2 victory. Many expected the league leaders to stumble. When Gabriel passed the ball to Evanilson in the 10th minute, who made it 1–0, it seemed like we were once again watching the old, fragile Arsenal. However, Gabriel made amends just six minutes later to level at 1–1. With a fantastic performance and goals in the 54th and 71st minutes (assisted by Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka), Declan Rice led Arsenal to a 3–1 turnaround. After coming off the bench, Eli Junior Kroupi reduced the deficit to 3–2 in the 76th minute, but Bournemouth were unable to complete the comeback.
It was a fairly even match, and credit must be given to the Vitality Stadium side for an excellent performance. They played at the level of a Europa League club. Although Arsenal had 57% possession, the hosts had more shots on goal (15–12), while big chances favoured the visitors 2–1. Substitutes Junior Kroupi and Lewis Cook shone for the hosts, while every Arsenal player delivered a very good performance. Naturally, Rice was the conductor of the victory (rating 9.1), playing in the style of the game’s elite midfielders. Mikel Arteta deserves great credit for preparing the team for a so-called “small match”, because wins in such games are what bring trophies.
Aston Villa back to winning ways
After a long winning run, it seemed the Lions might take something from Arsenal. Although the 4–1 defeat was unpleasant, they faced another tough test against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. They responded with a commanding 3–1 victory. Ollie Watkins showed his striker’s instinct in first-half stoppage time, smashing the ball into the net from just outside the box after a pass from Morgan Rogers. It was his fourth goal in three matches. John McGinn was the man of the match (rating 8.5), underlined by goals in the 49th and 73rd minutes. Morgan Gibbs-White’s 63rd-minute goal was merely consolation for Forest. Villa were in complete control, with 73% possession and 645 passes compared to the visitors’ 239. Alongside McGinn and Watkins, special praise goes to midfielders Boubacar Kamara and Youri Tielemans, who cemented the centre of the pitch. Villa clearly have excellent team chemistry, and manager Unai Emery is doing quality work in building team spirit.
Man United fail to take full points again
Sunday’s schedule opened with Leeds versus Manchester United. After a 1–1 draw at Old Trafford against bottom-placed Wolverhampton, the Red Devils were under pressure to win. They were missing several key players such as Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount, Bryan Mbeumo and others. The match was evenly balanced. United were only slightly more proactive, with 53% possession and a 15–11 edge in shots, but their play was toothless.
After a weak duel by Ayden Heaven, Leeds playmaker Brenden Aaronson scored a fine goal for 1–0 in the 62nd minute. Joshua Zirkzee came on in the 63rd minute and just two minutes later delivered a superb pass to Matheus Cunha for the equaliser. Zirkzee was the only United substitute, as Amorim had limited options on the bench. In the remainder of the match, Leeds were closer to winning. It later emerged that this was Ruben Amorim’s final match as manager, having been dismissed after an unsuccessful 14-month spell—a topic for separate analysis. The impression remains that this version of United could hardly have done much better.
Tottenham fail to stabilise results
After a 1–0 win over Crystal Palace and a 0–0 draw with Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur recorded another 1–1 draw, this time with Sunderland. Although Spurs fans expected dominance and finally a convincing display, it once again did not happen. The only consolation was the number of absences due to injuries and suspensions to key players such as Xavi Simons, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke. Newly promoted Sunderland have been one of the surprises of the season, having recently occupied European qualification places, and they proved it again here. The match was competitive, and the Black Cats could even have won. Spurs took the lead in the 30th minute through Ben Davies after a scrappy goalmouth situation. After scoring, the hosts played cautiously and seemed content to protect a minimal lead. Visiting striker Brian Brobbey missed several good chances (as did his teammates), but made no mistake in the 80th minute to equalise. Once again, Sunderland’s 4-4-2 system under manager Régis Le Bris proved highly effective. Tottenham’s midfield remains their Achilles’ heel, and unless something changes soon, manager Thomas Frank could be on his way out.
Reds consistently poor
There is little need to dwell on Liverpool, as almost every one of their matches has fallen below the standard of England’s top clubs. Fulham led 1–0 (Harry Wilson scored in the 17th minute), then trailed 2–1 (goals from Florian Wirtz in the 57th and Cody Gakpo in the 94th), and it felt the visitors would surely have won had Harrison Reed not struck a stunning equaliser in the seventh minute of stoppage time. It appears referee Craig Pawson and the VAR room made a mistake by allowing Wirtz’s goal, which was offside. It was immediately obvious the goal was irregular, yet after several minutes of deliberation it stood (with a TV animation shown from a completely different angle). Justice was partially served by Fulham’s late equaliser after a very good performance. The hosts could even have won had Wirtz’s goal been disallowed, and Wilson hit the crossbar in the 77th minute. For the Reds, everyone performed below par except Wirtz and Gakpo.
City throw away victory
The final match of the round was the derby between Manchester City and Chelsea. It was Chelsea’s first game after the dismissal of manager Enzo Maresca, with Calum McFarlane acting as interim coach. Although expected to be the standout match of the round, it was largely one-sided in every aspect except the final score. City controlled the game: 57% possession, 14–8 shots, 8–2 corners and 580–436 passes. Tijjani Reijnders scored for 1–0 in the 42nd minute. Despite their dominance, City again let victory slip as fear of failure crept in, preventing them from playing as assertively as they can. Those fears were realised when Enzo Fernández scored in the 94th minute for 1–1, after Reece James burst down the right flank and took all four home defenders out of the play. With such poor defending, City face serious problems. Two costly points dropped for Guardiola in the title race.
Arsenal in an ideal position, others continue to struggle
In the remaining matches, Newcastle beat Crystal Palace 2–0 with goals from Bruno Guimarães and Malick Thiaw; Brighton defeated Burnley 2–0; Wolves recorded their first win of the season with a 3–0 victory over West Ham; and Everton lost 4–2 to Brentford.
After 20 rounds, Arsenal lead the Premier League with 48 points, while Manchester City and Aston Villa have six fewer. Liverpool are fourth with 34 points. A tight pack follows from fifth to 14th place. Fifth-placed Chelsea have 31 points, only four more than 14th-placed Crystal Palace on 27. Also in that group are Manchester United (31), Newcastle (29) and Tottenham (27). In the relegation battle are Forest (18), West Ham (14) and Burnley (12), while doomed Wolves have just six points.
So far, Arsenal are the only side to have lived up to their favourite status and are moving toward a long-awaited title, with only City and Villa capable of spoiling their plans. The other big clubs have underperformed and are battling for European qualification. The competitiveness of the Premier League remains the clearest indicator of its unmatched quality.
