The "Our season's all but over, hand me that travel brochure will you?" PL Games List for 6th - 8th January 2026

[Mike Oxsaw]

Tuesday, 6 January 2026 20:00
West Ham United v Nottingham Forest
Venue: The London Stadium
League Positions: 18 v 17
Current Forms: 4 v 3

If there were prizes for being out of form, both these teams would be a shoo-in.  There are "must win" games, and then there are "must win" games. But this...this is a "must win" game - in fact, the mother of all "must win" games. For both teams. Who will prevail? After our weekend omnishambles I can't see it being us. At least Forest managed a goal while shipping their 3. No home advantage because we've got no home, so a draw would be over-optimistic. Not even hope gets a look in. Sadly:

Prediction: Away Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 19:30
A. F. C. Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur
Venue: Dean Court
League Positions: 15 v 13
Current Forms: 7 v 18

Spurs are the more "in form" team in this tie, but don't let all that N17 glitz & glamour fool you. Bournemouth will be looking to get their show back on track. I'm tied between a home win and a draw, but, because Spurs are involved:

Prediction: Home Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 19:30
Brentford v Sunderland
Venue: Brentford Community Stadium
League Positions: 8 v 7
Current Forms: 34 v 17

Yeah, Brentford's current form surprised me, too. Sunderland seem to have come off the boil somewhat (but not by nearly enough to join us in the league basement); not winning much, but not losing much either. Home advantage & current form should play their part, and the Bees will be buoyed after their win at Goodison Park the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Prediction: Home Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 19:30
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Venue: Selhurst Park
League Positions: 14 v 3
Current Forms: 4 v 33

Home advantage is just about all The Eagles can bring into this game. Villa put 3 goals past Forest at the weekend, whilst Palace gave Newcastle 3 points. Is this the game Palace get their mojo back? Has the Villa bubble burst or is it a slow puncture initiated by a little prick (who works at The Emirates Stadium)? Tune in Wednesday night, batshit fans, where all will be revealed:

Prediction:Away Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 19:30
Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Venue: Hill Dickinson Stadium
League Positions: 12 v 20
Current Forms: 15 v 19

Wolves pissed all over whoever they were playing at the weekend to get their first win of the season. First. Win. Everton got Muellered at home by "lowly" Brentford (can't be any more frank than that). I'm tempted to call a draw here, but, as they say, "The league table never lies". OK, it sometimes does, but in this case:

Prediction: Home Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 19:30
Fulham v Chelsea
Venue: Craven Cottage
League Positions: 11 v 5
Current Forms: 24 v 14

The War of the Roses? Pah! The 100 Years War? Bleagh! THIS is a proper war. The war of the west London wankers. OK, it might have woke overtones, but being at war seems to be trending right now, and Americans ARE involved, so make headlines while the bombs rain. The match? What....? Oh, yes. the match. Both teams drew the last time out, but Fulham lost 2 points at the death while Chelsea did the exact opposite, which I feel will be the significant issue here:

Prediction: Away Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 19:30
Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion
Venue: The Etihad Stadium
League Positions: 2 v 10
Current Forms: 27 v 21

City will want need to get back to winning ways pretty sharpish if they have any thoughts of catching Arsenal. The Seagulls won't be the easiest opponents for them (We hold that title, by a country mile). I believe home advantage and the un-lying league table positions will swing it:

Prediction: Home Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 20:15
Burnley v Manchester United
Venue: Turf Moor
League Positions: 19 v 6
Current Forms: 5 v 19

Turf Moor offers Manchester United yet another corner to turn.  Will they take it or are they using a Sat-Nav they bought cheap off David Sullivan' barrow and drive straight on? If, like us, they trust Rolf Harris babysitting more than anything Sullivan has touched, this will be a season where they Turn! Turn! Turn! (sorry. I mean, I'm really sorry. I'm so fucking sorry...):

Prediction: Away Win

---

Wednesday, 7 January 2026 20:15
Newcastle United v Leeds United
Venue: St James' Park
League Positions: 9 v 16
Current Forms: 32 v 19

Northern monkeys host slightly less northern monkeys. Leeds will be mightily pissed off at giving up 2 points to Man Utd. over the weekend, but, I feel, not pissed off enough to overcome the Bar Codes who's win against Palace will give them a boost:

Prediction: Home Win

---

Thursday, 8 January 2026 20:00
Arsenal v Liverpool
Venue: Emirates Stadium
League Positions: 1 v 4
Current Forms: 45 v 27

If Liverpool even want to consider European football next season, they simply have to take something from this game; if it were to be played over a month of Sundays I can't see them doing so and the Arsenal machine will roll on. You might start to see/hear the word "insufferable" a little more often than usual in this part of the season.

Prediction: Home Win

---

My Throw-more-money-away acca for these games:
Manchester United (Away @ Burnley 8/11)
Aston Villa (Away @ Crystal Palace 7/5)
Manchester City (@ Home to Brighton & Hove Albion 1/3)
Everton (@ Home to Wolverhampton Wanderers 3/4)

Total stake: £11.00
Potential returns: £51.29

---

 

[Mad Ferret]

West Ham United v Nottingham Forest: Draw
A. F. C. Bournemouth v Tottenham Hotspur: Draw
Brentford v Sunderland: Home
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa: Draw
Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers: Home
Fulham v Chelsea: Draw
Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion: Home
Burnley v Manchester United: Away
Newcastle United v Leeds United: Home
Arsenal v Liverpool: Away

3/10

[Manuel]

That was hard to see, apparently he's a good kid and it was out of character for him. It should have been a red as a yellow basically means he has got away with it, which leaves a bad taste.

[Massive Attack]

Nasty cսnt even pushed him on his injured knee off the pitch. Geezer's got to get a ban for that surely.

[twoleftfeet]

That was a very hard watch. 

[Massive Attack]

The Arteta Effect

[Fauxstralian]

Threw the ball at him and then pushed a seriously injured player off the pitch
Disgraceful 
Should have been a red card

[Metroplex]

Horrible little cսnt

[Mad Ferret]

Martinelli is a proper little scrote.

[Massive Attack]

Fucking disgusting from Martinelli there trying to force someone off the pitch when he coukd have done a cruciate. Typical win at all costs cunty Club Arsenal.  

[Mad Ferret]

Liverpool have played well.

Hope they nick a winner.

[twoleftfeet]

That’s a penalty if we did that. Game is bent. 

[Fauxstralian]

Perhaps tv’s ‘business expert’ Lady Karren Botox could analyse the business model of the seemingly small club in Brentford against the dismal shit show she & Sullivan have run at West Ham & previously at Birmingham?
YOU’RE FIRED 

 

[Massive Attack]

They just have better decision making all round than our circus clowns running the show. A lot of it aint even difficult, like keeping this tit Nuno in a job as a clear example.

This shit aint hard.. But it is for our hard of thinking Chairman and Chairwoman.

[El Scorchio]

Brentford have a SYSTEM and a BUSINESS MODEL, along with solid SUCCESSION PLANNING in player and manager recruitment.

Just like Brighton, just like Bournemouth. Just like plenty of smaller clubs doing much bigger and better things.

Sullivan wouldn't recognise any of those things if they were staring him in the face- which they are.

[the coming of gary]

When we played Brentford it was billed as the team that couldn't win at home against the team that couldn't win away. Had we won we'd have been level with them.  They're now 5th

Don't forget our world class stadium has a bigger capacity than Brentford, Bournemouth, and Brighton, all put together
.

[Massive Attack]

When we played Brentford it was billed as the team that couldn't win at home against the team that couldn't win away. Had we won we'd have been level with them.  They're now 5th

Another Manager maximising every bit out of a limited Squad by comparison to those currently around them. 

 

Absolutely. 
I had them as certainties to struggle. Inexperienced manager... no Mbuemo, Norgard, Wissa

Keith Andrews has done a marvellous job that no one would have seen coming and just as important to point out like you did, they have done AFTER selling some serious talent recently as well.

The only real issue I have with Keith Andrews is my irrational hatred for his Medusa hairdo.

[onsideman]

When we played Brentford it was billed as the team that couldn't win at home against the team that couldn't win away. Had we won we'd have been level with them.  They're now 5th

Another Manager maximising every bit out of a limited Squad by comparison to those currently around them. 

 

 

Absolutely. 
I had them as certainties to struggle. Inexperienced manager... no Mbuemo, Norgard, Wissa

[Massive Attack]

We got away with Leeds losing that the way they bravely took the game to Newcastle where no one would have given them much if a hope. 

Seeing how all these sides down the bottom are playing with real spirit and picking up points over the festive period should make the Board sit up and take notice and if it doesn't by now, then nothing will. All the evidence is there to see that even Blunkett can.

[Massive Attack]

When we played Brentford it was billed as the team that couldn't win at home against the team that couldn't win away. Had we won we'd have been level with them.  They're now 5th

Another Manager maximising every bit out of a limited Squad by comparison to those currently around them. 

[onsideman]

When we played Brentford it was billed as the team that couldn't win at home against the team that couldn't win away. Had we won we'd have been level with them.  They're now 5th

[simons]

Still a decent point on the road for them. 

Nobody likes going to Elland road.

Or maybe not laugh  

[Mad Ferret]

Still a decent point on the road for them. 
 

What’s that mate?

[onsideman]

They're all so much better than us

[simons]

Still a decent point on the road for them. 

Nobody likes going to Elland road.

[Mad Ferret]

Leeds don’t actually win many games.