Aside from the weather forecast, here is a match-by-match guide of other key points to watch for this weekend.
Erling Haaland’s first competitive appearance in English football took place at the London Stadium. He excelled that day, scoring twice as Manchester City began the 2022-23 season with a victory, and this venue has continued to be a successful ground for Haaland. He scored again in another win in September 2023 and last season, but currently, his form is inconsistent ahead of City's crucial match against West Ham on Saturday night.
Thank you, Taha. Good morning to everyone. Are you attending a game this weekend? Let me know. I will be at Anfield on Sunday, which promises to be quite intense. Checking the weather forecast reveals it will be very windy, with gusts up to 40 mph. This is not ideal for two teams that tend to make errors even in calm conditions.
That’s all from me for now. I will hand over to David Tindall.
English Clubs' European Challenges
Arne Slot acknowledged it was a difficult week for English teams in Europe after six sides failed to secure wins in the Champions League but does not believe this fully reflects the quality of those clubs.
"To jump to a conclusion after one gameday, I think that is such a small sample size that is never the smartest thing to do because maybe, after the next week, we will have a different conclusion," Slot said.
"In general I think it is not helpful for English clubs not to have a winter break but I am not saying that all these teams have lost because we don’t have a winter break. Why? Because you are facing in the last 16 of Europe good teams and four of the five teams in the Champions League played away from home, it is usually an advantage to play at home and a disadvantage to play away.
"To jump to conclusions – missing a winter break or the level of the Premier League is not as high as we expected it to be – would be for me, at this moment in time, not right the conclusion to make. Let’s first judge us all after next week and then maybe it is still too early to jump to conclusions. But one of the things is definitely also is that if you are in the Champions League last 16 all the teams are good and strong teams and if you play four of the five teams away from home and the margins were quite as small as our own game – I thought we didn’t deserve to lose – Arsenal the margins were really small but I didn’t see the 3-0 coming when I saw the first half of City v Real Madrid. The only one I didn’t see was Paris St Germain v Chelsea but people told me Chelsea were very involved in that game and didn’t deserve to lose 5-2. Jumping to conclusions on one game is usually not what I would do."
Max Rushden chose to rewatch the first 20 minutes of Tottenham’s defeat in Madrid, a brave decision.
"Harry Redknapp rules himself out of return." A genuine person wrote these words about a 79-year-old ruling himself out of managing Tottenham again, in March 2026.
Time for a Premier League and Conference recap: Aston Villa performed well, Crystal Palace less so, and Nottingham Forest struggled.
Slot also commented on Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson, describing his injury as a "minor" muscle problem and expressing hope that he will be ready to play on Sunday.
"If not, I’m expecting him – if things go as planned – definitely against Galatasaray."
Reece James Signs New Six-Year Deal with Chelsea
Reece James has committed his future to Chelsea by signing a new six-year contract. The club captain’s previous deal was set to expire in 2028, but he has agreed to an extension. This move eliminates any possibility of the right-back, who progressed through Chelsea’s academy, leaving on a free transfer.
The England international, who signed his previous contract shortly after the takeover by a consortium led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, is understood to have agreed terms aligned with Chelsea’s incentivised pay structure. James enjoyed a strong season and, having previously faced fitness challenges, has largely remained injury-free. He is expected to be a key player for England at this summer’s World Cup.
Arne Slot spoke to reporters ahead of his team’s match against Tottenham on Sunday. He is hopeful that Alisson, who missed Liverpool’s loss at Galatasaray on Tuesday, will participate in training today.
"He’s been with the physios and rehabbed until now," said Slot. "We are training today and let’s see if he can join the team session. That’s something I expect but I am not 100% sure because I have not spoken to him or the medical staff this morning. I am hopeful."
In summary, English football has faced challenges in Europe this week, with Aston Villa the only winners across nine games (Unai Emery continues to deliver in the Europa League). Perhaps a return to domestic competition is welcome. Manchester City suffered a setback but remain contenders for the title; Nottingham Forest lost to Midtjylland but are closing the gap on Tottenham in the league table. The outlook for Spurs remains uncertain.
