Man City eye Premier League title twist as pressure mounts on Frank and Howe

Manchester City have the chance to crank up the heat on Premier League pacesetters Arsenal when they host Fulham on Wednesday, trimming the gap at the summit to a mere three points ahead of Arsenal’s Thursday trip to a resurgent Brentford.

The champions’ breathless 2-1 comeback victory over Liverpool on Sunday—sealed after Bernardo Silva admitted many squad members feared the title race was slipping away—has reignited belief at the Etihad. City, champions in six of Pep Guardiola’s previous campaigns, have won only two of seven league fixtures in 2026, yet a favourable run of games before Arsenal’s visit in mid-April offers a gilt-edged opportunity to turn momentum into silverware.

Erling Haaland, runaway leader in the Golden Boot standings, has scored just once from open play in 13 appearances since the turn of the year and publicly challenged himself to raise his level. “We need to believe and to start winning games. This is what matters in the end,” the Norwegian said.

Arsenal, chasing a first championship in 22 years, have responded to their January wobble with four straight wins across all competitions, but Brentford—beaten only twice at the Gtech this season—present a formidable hurdle.

Liverpool, meanwhile, risk drifting further from the Champions League places. Arne Slot’s injury-hit side are four points shy of the top five and must travel to Sunderland, the only side still unbeaten at home in the Premier League, without Dominik Szoboszlai after the Hungarian’s late red card against City. With Manchester United and Chelsea facing ostensibly easier assignments this week, the Reds could find the gap widening and scrutiny on Slot intensifying.

The relegation picture is equally fraught. Tottenham and Newcastle, both comfortably through to the Champions League knockout phase, sit mired in the bottom half and meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.

Thomas Frank’s Spurs are six points above the drop zone in 15th and the Dane conceded his side are the “more desperate” of the two. Despite persistent fan unrest, the board have so far resisted making a change.

Eddie Howe, adored on Tyneside after ending a 70-year trophy drought with last season’s League Cup and twice delivering Champions League football, insists he remains the right man for the job. Yet with England and Manchester United reportedly monitoring the 48-year-old, Howe may conclude he has reached the ceiling of his Newcastle project.

Fixtures this midweek include Chelsea v Leeds, Everton v Bournemouth and West Ham v Manchester United on Tuesday, followed by a full slate on Wednesday headlined by City v Fulham and Sunderland v Liverpool.