Carrick's United juggernaut rolls on, Arsenal cruising
Four wins from four. Michael Carrick is doing things at Old Trafford that nobody saw coming. United beat Spurs 2-0 despite playing the second half against ten men, and they looked thoroughly professional doing it. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring after Cristian Romero's reckless red card, then Bruno Fernandes sealed it late. That's four straight wins since Carrick took over, and suddenly United are tightening their grip on fourth place. The man is quietly building something here, and the doubters are running out of arguments.
Speaking of Bruno, he's done it again. Goal and another commanding performance. If you still don't own him, honestly, what's the plan? He's in that number 10 role under Carrick and thriving. Captain material all day long.
Palmer's statement: Three in 38 minutes
Cole Palmer absolutely destroyed Wolves with a first-half hat-trick — two penalties and a brilliant finish before the break. That's a Premier League record: his third first-half hat-trick in the competition's history. Nobody else has more than two. The ice-cold celebration where he covered his ears? That was Palmer telling everyone who's been chatting rubbish to pipe down. Scored on his 100th start for Chelsea too. Liam Rosenior's Blues have now won four straight in the league and are just one point behind United in the race for fourth. Chelsea look rejuvenated.
Arsenal extend their lead to nine
Arsenal are starting to pull away. They beat Sunderland 3-0 with Viktor Gyökeres coming off the bench to bag a brace, and Martín Zubimendi scoring another screamer. That's nine points clear of City before Sunday's big clash, and with just 13 games left, Arsenal are firmly in the driver's seat for their first title in 22 years. Gyökeres is finally finding his rhythm after a tough autumn — five goals and two assists in his last eight across all competitions. The Swede could be crucial down the stretch.
City keep it alive with dramatic Anfield comeback
Absolute chaos at Anfield. Manchester City came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 in stoppage time and keep the title race alive... just. Dominik Szoboszlai's stunning 74th-minute free-kick looked like it would seal the win for Liverpool, but Bernardo Silva equalized in the 84th minute before Erling Haaland converted a 93rd-minute penalty after Alisson brought down Matheus Nunes. Then it got even wilder: Szoboszlai was sent off in the dying moments after VAR chaos involving Rayan Cherki's disallowed goal. Drama doesn't even begin to cover it.
The gap to Arsenal is now six points instead of nine. City are still alive, but barely. Haaland finally scored at Anfield — his first goal there — and it couldn't have been more important. However, that's still just his second Premier League goal since Christmas. At around £15m, that's concerning. The underlying numbers are okay, but you need goals, not xG.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are sixth and now five points behind United in fourth. Their Champions League hopes are fading fast.
Summerville on fire as West Ham escape the mire
Crysencio Summerville has scored in five straight Premier League matches. Let that sink in. The Dutch winger opened the scoring again in West Ham's crucial 2-0 win at Burnley, then Taty Castellanos headed home his first Premier League goal. That's three wins from four for Nuno Espírito Santo's side, and they're now just three points from safety. Summerville in the mid-£5m range? Differential gold if he keeps this up.
Burnley, meanwhile, are in freefall. Sixteen games without a win. They're 11 points from safety with 13 to play. The writing is on the wall, and it's written in neon: Championship football next season.
Brentford's Ouattara magic sinks Newcastle
What a performance from Dango Ouattara. On his 100th Premier League appearance, he created the equalizer with a pinpoint cross for Vitaly Janelt, then scored the 85th-minute winner by nutmegging Nick Pope. Brentford came from behind twice to win 3-2 at St James' Park, and the Bees are now seventh, level on points with Liverpool at 39. They're six points clear of the relegation zone and dreaming of Europe.
Newcastle were booed off their own pitch. Eddie Howe's side have now gone four league games without a win and are 10 points off the Champions League places. The pressure is mounting.
Other weekend notes
Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa was notable for Rayan's impressive full debut for the Cherries — scored his first goal and looked lively. Villa's title hopes took another hit, though. Just one win in their last five.
Fulham 1-2 Everton saw the Toffees come from behind with an own goal helping the cause. Bernd Leno's nightmare added to Fulham's frustration.
What this means for your team
- Bruno is essential. Stop overthinking it. Four wins in a row, he leads the league in assists (12), and United's fixtures are decent. Captain-worthy.
- Palmer is back, baby. Three goals in one half, four league wins in a row for Chelsea. A Hold if fit, despite the £10.4m price tag.
- Gyökeres is a must-buy. 13 league goals and a confirmed DGW26 for Arsenal. He's the real deal at the number 9.
- Semenyo thriving at City. Already 6 goals since his January move from Bournemouth. Guardiola loves him. At 49.5% owned, get in before it's too late.
- Morgan Rogers is the budget enabler. 7 goals and 11 assists. Leads the league for open-play assists in 2025. Villa are flying.
- Enzo wearing the armband. 8 goals from midfield, captain's role, penalty duties, and Chelsea face three bottom-half teams next. Massive value at £6.9m.
- Sell Igor Thiago. Despite 17 goals, he blanked in GW25 and faces Arsenal, Newcastle, and Villa next. His value is set to drop.
- Bowen is a trap. West Ham are 18th and in the relegation zone. At £7.7m, the fixtures are brutal and the returns aren't there.
- Gabriel remains elite. Highest-scoring defender in the game with 135 points. Arsenal's confirmed DGW26 makes him essential.
Bottom Line
Carrick's United are the feel-good story, Palmer silenced his critics in style, and Arsenal have one hand on the trophy at nine points clear. City kept themselves in it with a dramatic Anfield win, but they're running out of road. The transfer market is clear this week: load up on Arsenal assets for DGW26, get Bruno and Mbeumo for United's run, and pivot away from Igor Thiago and Bowen before their values tank. Semenyo and Rogers are the budget gems making the difference.