Key events
31 min: Fulham 0-1 Brighton Yes, Bernd Leno should have done better with the goal. It was a crisp rising drive from Ayari but Leno will be annoyed that he was beaten at the near post.
GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Brighton (Ayari 28)
Yasin Ayari blasts Brighton ahead against the run of play. It sounds like the Fulham keeper Bernd Leno might have done better.
The latest in our featured games
Premier League
Championship
League Two
Bundesliga
On this day in 1973… Ajax beat Rangers 3-2 to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory in the European Super Cup.
GOAL! Hull 1-0 Swansea (McBurnie 24 pen)
‘Big’ Oli McBurnie has put promotion-chasing Hull in front from the penalty spot after a clear handball in the Swansea area.
On this day in 1990… a tremendous League Cup quarter-final between Spurs and Nottm Forest.
It’s pretty quiet in our featured games. Sounds like Man City are well on top against Wolves; a win today would put a bit of pressure on Arsenal ahead of their game against Man Utd tomorrow.
On this day in 1987… Norman Whiteside boots Arsenal all round Old Trafford.
GOAL! Bromley 0-1 Swindon (Holman 10)
Swindon lead in the League Two top-of-the-table clash. No idea what happened, because of the 3pm blackout, only that Fletcher Holman scored the goal.
The latest scores in our featured games
Premier League
Championship
League Two
Bundesliga
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Wolves (Marmoush 6)
An early goal for City. Matheus Nunes’s superb cross – I’m paraphrasing Soccer Saturday – is volleyed in by Omar Marmoush, who is starting his first Premier League game since August.
Jacob Steinberg
Bayern Munich are interested in Josh Acheampong and are considering whether to move for the Chelsea defender this month.
Chelsea remain intent on keeping the 19-year-old and have had no contact from Bayern but that has not stopped a host of clubs in England and Europe from tracking the youngster’s progress. Bournemouth had a loan offer rejected last summer and Crystal Palace, who have just sold Marc Guehi to Manchester rity, are monitoring Acheampong. City showed furtive interest in the England Under-21 international last summer.
Acheampong is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in England and his ability has caught the eye of Bayern, who are planning a defensive rebuild this summer. The Bundesliga champions could need additions if they lose Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae. Bayern are looking hard at Acheampong and despite being prepared to wait until the summer before making their move they have not ruled out an attempt to sign him before the end of the current transfer window.
Chelsea have not received an official bid for Acheampong and sources at the club have repeatedly stressed that they want to keep the versatile defender. Acheampong is a product of the club’s academy and has played at right-back, centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield. He has made 17 appearances in all competitions this season and excelled against Alexander Isak and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
However Chelsea have plenty of competition for places in central defence and playing time is a consideration for Acheampong, whose contract expires in 2029. His opportunities may be limited if Chelsea press ahead with a deal for the Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino will also return from respective loans at Strasbourg and Borussia Dortmund this summer.and are considering whether to move for the Chelsea defender this month.
Chelsea remain intent on keeping the 19-year-old and have had no contact from Bayern but that has not stopped a host of clubs in England and Europe from tracking the youngster’s progress. Bournemouth had a loan offer rejected last summer and Crystal Palace, who have just sold Marc Guehi to Manchester rity, are monitoring Acheampong. City showed furtive interest in the England Under-21 international last summer.
Acheampong is regarded as one of the brightest young prospects in England and his ability has caught the eye of Bayern, who are planning a defensive rebuild this summer. The Bundesliga champions could need additions if they lose Dayot Upamecano and Kim Min-jae. Bayern are looking hard at Acheampong and despite being prepared to wait until the summer before making their move they have not ruled out an attempt to sign him before the end of the current transfer window.
Chelsea have not received an official bid for Acheampong and sources at the club have repeatedly stressed that they want to keep the versatile defender. Acheampong is a product of the club’s academy and has played at right-back, centre-back, left-back and defensive midfield. He has made 17 appearances in all competitions this season and excelled against Alexander Isak and Jean-Philippe Mateta.
However Chelsea have plenty of competition for places in central defence and playing time is a consideration for Acheampong, whose contract expires in 2029. His opportunities may be limited if Chelsea press ahead with a deal for the Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet. Mamadou Sarr and Aaron Anselmino will also return from respective loans at Strasbourg and Borussia Dortmund this summer.
GOAL! Bayern Munich 1-0 Augsburg (Ito 23) Hiroki Ito has given Bayern a shock lead against Augsburg.
Jacob Steinberg
Premier League match report: West Ham 3-1 Sunderland
The unfamiliar sensation coursing through West Ham is hope. Seemingly down and out after their devastating defeat to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, the prospect of Nuno Espírito Santo masterminding the unlikeliest of escapes feels far from outlandish after seeing his side treat the London Stadium to the rare sensation of a performance full of craft, desire and tactical intelligence.
Sunderland were blown away by three goals inside the first 43 minutes. They looked stunned by West Ham’s intensity and quality in attack. Jarrod Bowen was outstanding, Crysencio Summerville scored for the third time in as many games and the brilliance of Mateus Fernandes in midfield suggested that West Ham will be able to cope if they grant Lucas Paquetá his wish to join Flamengo.
Suzanne Wrack
WSL match report: Chelsea 0-2 Arsenal
A cathartic strike from Beth Mead and a second from Mariona Caldentey earned Arsenal a 2-0 win over Chelsea and pulled them to within a point of their London rivals in the WSL table.
A first victory for Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, and first away win against Chelsea in eight years, dented the holders’ title hopes in the process. The Blues now sit six points behind rampant league leaders Manchester City, who travel to London City Lionesses on Sunday with the chance to extend that lead to nine.
“Howdy Rob!” chirps Simon McMahon. “Scotland’s game of the day is, eh, tomorrow, when Martin O’Neill’s Wilfried Nancy’s Martin O’Neill’s Celtic travel to face league leaders Hearts at Tynecastle. Next in line would have been Dundee United v St. Mirren at Tannadice but that has fallen victim to the weather.
“So, will Aberdeen v Livingston do? Thought not. Motherwell v Kilmarnock? Ok, how about Falkirk v Hibs? That should be a decent game. Think I’ll probably watch the indoor bowls, you don’t get this at the football, do you?”
League One results
The Cardiff match was delayed for 12 minutes in the first half when Yousef Salech suffered a nasty head injury. He needed oxygen on the field and was stretchered off; there has been no update since then but hopefully he’s okay.
Sheff Utd v Ipswich team news
Sheff Utd Cooper, Seriki, McGuinness, Mee, McCallum, Peck, Tom Davies, Brooks, Hamer, O’Hare, Bamford.
Subs: Adam Davies, Arblaster, Cannon, Hoever, Burrows, Campbell, Chong, Matos, Sasnauskas.
Ipswich Walton, Furlong, O’Shea, Kipre, Greaves, Matusiwa, Taylor, Walle, Szmodics, Clarke, Hirst.
Subs: Palmer, Johnson, Baggott, Davis, Cajuste, Burns, McAteer, Mehmeti, Azon.
Referee Tom Nield (West Yorkshire)
Championship
A couple of thumping home victories in the lunchtime games.
This is what it does to the table.
Full time: West Ham 3-1 Sunderland
Back-to-back wins for West Ham, who are now just two points behind 17th-placed Nottingham Forest in the table. Forest have a tricky game away to Brentford tomorrow.
Full time: Chelsea 0-2 Arsenal
A fabulous result for Arsenal – and Manchester City, who will go nine points clear at the top of the WSL if they beat London City Lionesses tomorrow.
Beth Mead and Mariona Caldentey scored the goals for a very impressive Arsenal, who themselves more to within a point of Chelsea.
Bromley v Swindon team news
Bromley Smith, Samuel, Sowunmi, Cameron, Odutayo, Charles, Whitely, Krauhaus, Arthurs, Pinnock, Cheek.
Subs: Long, Jenkinson, Thompson, Kabamba, Hondermarck, Ajayi, Ilunga.
Swindon Ripley, Ball, Wright, Tafazolli, Wilson-Brown, Nichols, Borland, Kilkenny, Drinan, Palmer, Holman.
Subs: Ward, Snowdon, Middlemas, Olakigbe, McGregor, Kirkman, Oldaker.
Referee James Oldham (England)
Hull v Swansea team news
Hull Pandur, Coyle, Hughes, Egan, Famewo, Hadziahmetovic, Slater, Joseph, Gelhardt, Millar, McBurnie.
Subs: Phillips, Lundstram, Akintola, Hirakawa, Jacob, Ndala, Crooks, Dowell, McCarthy.
Swansea Vigouroux, Galbraith, Cabango, Burgess, Tymon, Fulton, Ronald, Goncalo Franco, Cullen, Eom, Vipotnik.
Subs: Fisher, Key, Stamenic, Widell, Yalcouye, Nunes Gomes, Wales, Ward, Cooper.
Referee Josh Smith (Lincolnshire)
Jamie Jackson
Pep Guardiola has dropped Erling Haaland and Phil Foden to the bench for this afternoon’s visit of Wolves to the Etihad Stadium, the manager selecting Marc Guehi to give the £20m defender a Manchester City debut.
Excluding Haaland and Foden from the XI is a big deal and at the same time no massive surprise. Big because they are two of Guardiola’s main acts but no great surprise because, as outlined here, they are each badly out of form.
The surprise, to this correspondent, is that Rodri retains his place as he was the poorest of the three in Tuesday’s 3-1 hammering by Bodo/Glimt in the Arctic Circle on Tuesday. But as Nico Gonzalez, his deputy is injured, there was maybe no choice.
Burney v Tottenham Hotspur team news
No surprise that Scott Parker sticks with the Burnley side that drew at Anfield. Thomas Frank brings in some of the players who were unavailale for Spurs’ victory over Borussia Dortmund in midweek: Micky van de Ven, Yves Bissouma and Conor Gallagher replace Destiny Udogie, Archie Gray and the injured Lucas Bergvall.
Burnley (3-4-2-1) Dubravka; Tuanzebe, Esteve, Humphreys; Walker, Ugochukwu, Florentino, Lucas Pires; Edwards, Anthony; Broja.
Subs: Weiss, Bruun Larsen, Foster, Tchaouna, Ekdal, Sonne, Mejbri, Laurent, Barnes.
Tottenham Hotspur (poss 4-2-3-1) Vicario; Porro, Danso, Romero, Van de Ven; Bissouma, Gallagher; Odobert, Simons, Spence; Solanke.
Subs: Kinsky, Dragusin, Tel, Udogie, Gray, Muani, Scarlett, Byfield, Williams-Barnet.
Referee Peter Bankes (Merseyside)
Man City v Wolverhampton team news
Marc Guehi goes straight into City’s starting line-up; Erling Haaland and Phil Foden are among those on the bench. Wolves bring in Jhon Arias for Tolu Arokodare.
Man City (4-3-3) Donnarumma; Matheus Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly; Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Reijnders; Cherki, Marmoush, Semenyo.
Subs: Trafford, Ake, Haaland, Doku, Ait Nouri, Foden, Mukasa, Alleyne, Lewis.
Wolverhampton (3-5-2) Jose Sa; Mosquera, S Bueno, Krejci; Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes, Andre, Mane, H Bueno; Arias, Hwang.
Subs: Johnstone, Doherty, Wolfe, Larsen, Agbadou, Arokodare, Pedro Lima, Rodrigo Gomes, Lopez.
Referee Farai Hallam (Surrey)
Fulham v Brighton team news
Kevin and Alex Iwobi come into the Fulham XI. Brighton bring in Olivier Boscagli, Carlos Baleba and Yasin Ayari. It’s not clear who will start at right-back for them, possibly Pascal Gross.
Fulham (4-2-3-1) Leno; Castagne, Andersen, Cuenca, Robinson; Iwobi, Berge; Wilson, Smith Rowe, Kevin; Jimenez.
Subs: Lecomte, Bassey, Reed, Cairney, Kusi-Asare, Chukwueze, King, Sessegnon, Diop.
Brighton (poss 4-2-3-1) Verbruggen; Gross, Van Hecke, Dunk, Boscagli; Baleba, Ayari; Kadioglu, Gomez, Mitoma; Welbeck.
Subs: Steele, Rutter, Minteh, Hinshelwood, Kostoulas, Milner, De Cuyper, Veltman, Coppola.
Referee Michael Oliver (Northumberland)
GOAL! West Ham 3-1 Sunderland (Brobbey 66)
Brian Brobbey has given Sunderland a whiff of hope at the London Stadium.
GOALS! Tommy Conway has scored his second to make it Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston in the Championship. And in the big WSL game, Mariona Caldentey has doubled Arsenal’s lead at Stamford Bridge.
50 min: Cardiff 1-1 Stockport There was a 12-minute delay in this game after Cardiff’s star forward Yousef Salech suffered a nasty head injury. He needed oxygen on the field and was eventually stretchered off. We don’t have any further news but will keep you posted.
League One
Three of the top four teams are in action this lunchtime. Cardiff (1st) are drawing 1-1 at home to Stockport (4th), while Bradford (3rd) are a goal down at Huddersfield (7th at the start of play).
Will Unwin
Burnley v Tottenham (3pm)
It is bitterly cold at Turf Moor, where a Burnley side without a win in 13 Premier League matches host the under pressure Thomas Frank and his Tottenham side. Last week’s defeat to West Ham, who start the day one place above the Lancashire club in the relegation zone, felt like a new low for the Dane but a loss here could be the nadir. Few hold out hope of Burnley mounting a serious survival bid, further hindered by a very quiet January, so two defeats in a row to struggling sides will not support the idea that Frank can turn things around.
The good news is that 10-man Borussia Dortmund were brushed aside in the Champions League to alleviate some of the mounting scrutiny. It felt last Sunday that Frank would be out of the job and an interim be left in charge. But he is here and a second victory in four days would provide the breathing space Frank desperately wants.
Women’s Super League
There’s been a goal in the big game at Stamford Bridge. If you don’t want to know how scored it, don’t click this.
Premier League
West Ham’s survival charge is under way. After winning at Spurs last week, they put three past Sunderland in the first half at the London Stadium. Dominic Booth is following that one.
Championship
Promotion-chasing Middlesbrough are cruising to victory over Preston at the Riverside. Alan Browne, Tommy Conway and Morgan Whittaker scored in the first half; Preston have just had Jordan Storey sent off early in the second half.
Preamble
Helo, good afternoon and welcome another heaving plate of vaguely edible tasty Saturday afternoon football. There are three 3pm games in the Premier League, with Manchester City v Wolves the most relevant to the title race. It’s a reflection of the form of both teams that 2nd v 20th doesn’t quite feel like a home banker.
City should win, and probably will, but they’ve had a miserable start to 2026. Wolves have been playing some good stuff under Rob Edwards, inspired by the exciting Mateus Mane, and came close to taking a point from the Emirates at Anfield just before Christmas.
Wolves’ upturn in form is too late to save them from relegation. The team in 19th, Burnley, are running out of time and could really do with taking three points at home to Spurs this afternoon. The other match is between two of the Premier League’s quiet overachievers, Fulham and Brighton.
We’ll be keeping an eye on the lunchtime games, including Chelsea v Arsenal in the WSL, and a handful of matches in the EFL. The top two in League Two, Bromley and Swindon, meet at Hayes Lane.
These are our featured games, all 3pm kick-offs unless stated.
Premier League
West Ham 3-0 Sunderland (12.30pm)
Burnley v Tottenham
Fulham v Brighton
Man City v Wolves
Bournemouth v Liverpool (5.30pm)
Women’s Super League
Championship
League One
League Two
Bundesliga
