The 20th Premier League matchday will wrap up between Sunday, January 5, and Monday, January 6. Marco Silva’s Fulham, currently eighth with 29 points and just three points behind fifth-placed Newcastle, is maintaining an impressive pace. The Cottagers have suffered only one defeat (a 4-1 loss to Wolverhampton) in their last 11 league matches, with four wins and six draws. Among their standout performances is the Boxing Day victory at Stamford Bridge, where late goals from Harry Wilson and Rodrigo Muniz completed a comeback against Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea, who had initially led thanks to Cole Palmer’s strike in the 16th minute.
Fulham will host Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town at Craven Cottage. Ipswich, third from the bottom with 15 points, is just one point behind fourth-last Wolverhampton. The visitors arrive with renewed confidence after a surprising 2-0 home win over Chelsea at Portman Road Stadium.
The highlight of the round is undoubtedly the clash between league leaders Liverpool, led by Arne Slot, and Manchester United, managed by Ruben Amorim.
Premier League, Forest holds Liverpool as City and Chelsea falter
15 Jan - 11:55 •
2' min
The iconic "North-West Derby" will take place at Anfield on Sunday at 5:30 PM CET. The Reds are storming toward the title with 14 wins, 3 draws, and only one defeat (to Nottingham Forest on matchday four) - their sole loss across all competitions this season. Led by the phenomenal Mo Salah, who tops the Premier League scoring charts with 17 goals, Liverpool boasts both the league’s best attack (45 goals) and best defense (17 goals conceded, tied with Arsenal).
With 45 points, Liverpool holds a six-point lead over Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, but they still have a game in hand - the Merseyside derby against Everton.
Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United has yet to yield positive results. The Red Devils have suffered three consecutive Premier League defeats (3-0 at home to Bournemouth, 2-0 to Wolverhampton, and 2-0 to Newcastle) without scoring a single goal. Including their Carabao Cup exit - a 4-3 defeat to Tottenham in the quarterfinals - they’ve endured four straight losses. United’s current 14th-place position with 22 points is troubling. They sit 10 points behind fifth place and only seven points above the relegation zone. With a negative goal difference (-5) and just 21 goals scored compared to 26 conceded, the Red Devils are in dire need of a turnaround.
The Monday Night fixture will see Wolverhampton face the remarkable Nottingham Forest led by Nuno Espírito Santo. Since Vitor Pereira took charge, the Wolves have bounced back from four consecutive losses with a 3-0 away win over Leicester, a 2-0 home victory over Manchester United, and a dramatic 2-2 draw with Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Wolverhampton has climbed to 16th place with 16 points, just above the relegation zone.
Nottingham Forest, however, is the biggest surprise of the season. With five consecutive wins (against Manchester United, Aston Villa, Brentford, Tottenham, and Everton), they’ve surged into third place with 37 points after 19 matches. Led by their prolific striker Chris Wood, who has scored 11 goals, Forest’s record stands at 11 wins, 4 draws, and 4 losses, with 26 goals scored and just 19 conceded - making them the third-best defense in the league, behind only Liverpool and Arsenal.
