Arsenal and Man City are battling for the Premier League title with the Gunners five points clear, though City have a game in hand ahead of their Carabao Cup final clash

Arsenal and Manchester City both secured crucial victories this weekend as the Premier League title race intensifies. The Gunners maintain their position at the summit, five points clear of City, who have a game in hand.

Pep Guardiola’s side claimed a 1-0 victory over Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday evening, courtesy of Antoine Semenyo’s decisive goal. On Sunday, Arsenal responded with a 2-1 triumph against Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium.

The coming week will pose another challenge for both teams before the title race takes a break for the FA Cup next week. Both sides are also vying in the Champions League and will face each other in the Carabao Cup final.

Here, MEN Sport examines how the fixtures stack up and the specific matches that could be pivotal before the season concludes….

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Manchester City

Nottingham Forest (H) – Wed 4 March (7.30pm) – Premier League.

Newcastle (A) – Sat 7 March (8pm) – FA Cup.

Real Madrid (A) – Wed 11 March (8pm) – Champions League.

West Ham (A) – Sat 14 March (8pm) – Premier League.

Real Madrid (H) – Tues 17 March (8pm) – Champions League.

Arsenal (N) – Sun 22 March (4.30pm) – EFL Cup.

Champions League quarter-final first-leg – 11/11 April.

FA Cup quarter-final – Sat 4 April.

Chelsea (A) – Sat 11 April (3pm) – Premier League.

Champions League quarter-final second-leg – 14/15 April.

Arsenal (H) – Sat 18 April (3pm) – Premier League.

Burnley (A) – Sat 25 April (3pm) – Premier League/FA Cup semi-final.

Champions League semi-final first-leg – 28/29 April.

Everton (A) – Sat 2 May (3pm) – Premier League.

Champions League semi-final second-leg – 5/6 May.

Brentford (H) – Sat 9 May (3pm) – Premier League.

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Bournemouth (A) – Sun 17 May (3pm) – Premier League/FA Cup final.

Aston Villa (H) – Sun 24 May (4pm) – Premier League.

Arsenal

Brighton (A) – Wed 4 March (7.30pm) – Premier League.

Mansfield Town (A) – Sat 7 March (12.15pm) – FA Cup.

Bayer Leverkusen (A) – Wed 11 March (5.45pm) – Champions League.

Everton (H) – Sat 14 March (5.30pm) – Premier League.

Bayer Leverkusen (H) – Tues 17 March (8pm) – Champions League.

Man City (N) – Sun 22 March (4.30pm) – EFL Cup.

Champions League quarter-final first-leg – 11/11 April.

FA Cup quarter-final – Sat 4 April.

Bournemouth (H) – Sat 11 April (3pm) – Premier League.

Champions League quarter-final second-leg – 14/15 April.

Man City (A) – Sat 18 April (3pm) – Premier League.

Newcastle (H) – Sat 25 April (3pm) – Premier League/FA Cup semi-final.

Champions League semi-final first-leg – 28/29 April.

Fulham (H) – Sat 2 May (3pm) – Premier League.

Champions League semi-final second-leg – 5/6 May.

West Ham (A) – Sat 9 May (3pm) – Premier League.

Burnley (H) – Sun 17 May (3pm) – Premier League/FA Cup final.

Crystal Palace (A) – Sun 24 May (4pm) – Premier League.

Champions League final – 30 May.

The NBA is a fickle league. It wasn’t so long ago that it seemed as though the sky was falling for the New York Knicks. In a three-week stretch between New Year’s Eve and an embarrassing home loss to the lowly Mavericks on Jan. 19, the Knicks went 2-9 with the 28th-ranked defense in the NBA. There were a few scattered injuries in there — Josh Hart missed seven of those games, Mitchell Robinson missed three — but it was a mostly self-inflicted funk. After a strong start to the season that culminated in an NBA Cup-clinching victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Las Vegas, the Knicks fell into old habits, got sloppy defensively, and nearly triggered a panic.

They’ve been the NBA’s best defense since. By a mile, in fact. The 3.3 points per 100 possession gap between them and the No. 2 Spurs in that window is bigger than the gap between the Spurs and No. 9 Rockets. Sunday gave the Knicks a shot at yet another marquee win over the Spurs, who, this time, entered their matchup with New York riding an 11-game winning streak. New York delivered its best defensive performance of the season en route to a 114-89 win.

The Knicks allowed just 89 points against a Spurs team with its entire roster available. It was the first time the Spurs were held below 90 points all season, and it made plenty of sense as you watched it. Few teams have both a high-end wing and a high-end big to throw at Victor Wembanyama, but between OG Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks could present him two completely different sets of problems. Jose Alvarado can exhaust opposing guards on the ball so Mikal Bridges can force turnovers off of it. Between their energetic guards, long wings and giant rebounders, the Knicks have always had the tools to at least defend adequately. Over the past six weeks or so, though, they’ve started putting it all together.

There was some shooting variance baked into this performance, of course. San Antonio made just nine of its 34 3-point attempts, and the Knicks have benefitted from great 3-point luck throughout this defensive renaissance, as opponents have made a league-low 32.6% of their 3-pointers during this 14-4 stretch. But virtually every element of New York’s defense was on point just as it has been for the past six weeks or so.

The Knicks gave up just 38 points in the paint in Sunday’s win. Only Boston has allowed fewer than New York in this stretch. They forced 22 turnovers on a Spurs team with the fifth-lowest turnover rate in the NBA. Sure enough, the Knicks are generating an extra turnover or so per game since their turnaround. The Knicks forced the seventh-fewest mid-range shot attempts in the NBA over the season’s first three months. They’ve forced the third most ever since, and they forced the Spurs into plenty on Sunday. Meanwhile, they’ve drastically cut down on the number of 3-pointers they allow, as they gave up the fifth-most in the league through our Jan. 19 cutoff while getting back to league average ever since. They’re even fouling less.

There haven’t been drastic roster or health changes in this window. Getting Jose Alvarado helped, of course, but they haven’t had Deuce McBride, who’s not expected back until around the beginning of the playoffs. The growth here has been internal, a team executing its vision and playing aggressive, connected basketball. 

“We had five guys on a string,” head coach Mike Brown told reporters after Sunday’s victory.

That’s been a problem for the Knicks for some time. The locker room was reportedly frustrated last season over some of the freelancing Karl-Anthony Towns is known for when things are going poorly. When the Knicks last played the Spurs, Brown even criticized the team for not sustaining defensive effort across the full game. On Sunday, they were ferocious.

The Knicks probably aren’t going to be the best defense in the NBA when the postseason arrives. The shooting numbers will flatten out, if nothing else. The defensive limitations of building a team around a too-small point guard (Jalen Brunson) and an inconsistent center (Towns) have been talked to death. But the goal here doesn’t need to be dominance. The Knicks have the NBA’s third-ranked offense. That’s where they’re built to win.

The defense just needs to do its part, and it’s more than done so over the past month and change. No offense is good enough to make up for the way the Knicks defended in early January. But when they’re locked in and executing, they have the size, the depth and the know-how to compete with the best teams in the NBA.

Unsettled Sydney skies have created uncertainty across the board, though the majority of Chris Waller’s elite runners stay locked in for the carnival’s debut Group 1 assembly.

Featuring prominently among Saturday’s two Group 1s is the Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m), where the handler controls seven of nine fields, securing a firm advantage.

The mile highlight may not rank as an autumn centrepiece, but Waller sees it as an essential pathway race, proven by past successes of Via Sistina, namesake Verry Elleegant, and Winx.

This campaign, favourite Autumn Glow spearheads the assault, accompanied by Australian Derby winner Aeliana, seasoned Lindermann, plus resuming endurance specialists.

“It’s a fork in the road. Some stick around the 1500-metre and mile path, some will go up in distance, and some might go to easier races,” Waller said.

“Those previous winners, their class told. Verry Elleegant was a little bit different to the other two because she was more dominant over further, but she had the class to win over a mile.

“Autumn Glow fits those three horses.”

Waller stands to influence the Skyline Stakes (1200m) strongly, via unbeaten colt Fireball and fresh face Central Europe.

Quoted fifth for the Golden Slipper at $18 after standout trials, Central Europe hails from Frankel, renowned for distance performers, yet Waller cites Hungry Heart as evidence otherwise.

That Frankel filly took out the Sweet Embrace Stakes on this corresponding bill in 2020, later fifth in the Golden Slipper.

“We have respected Frankel since then, and he was a very good horse himself, a fast horse,” Waller said.

“So I’m not totally surprised.

“This horse hasn’t been pushed yet. He has got there himself. He is having his first start in a Group race so it’s straight to the NRL first time. They have to be very good, and he is. It’s just whether he’s ready for it.”

Barrier seven falls to Central Europe, while Fireball copes with post 12, but the Inglis Millennium conqueror remains committed per Waller, future plans paramount.

“We’re keen to go three weeks into the Slipper,” he said.

“We just need to get the first half right and make sure he is finishing off so we’re not scratching our head going into the Slipper. That will have some bearing on how we ride him Saturday.”

Friday morning saw Randwick at soft 7, with precipitation due to lift later.

Fans should check leading betting sites for the best prices on the Verry Elleegant Stakes action.

In past years, the UFC would have a show called The Thrill and the Agony, detailing a look at the winners and losers of fights that took place during pay-per-view events (now just known as numbered cards). The world of MMA has its ups and downs, ebbs and flows, for every fighter – it happens practically in all sports.

This weekend’s UFC event in Mexico brought about three fighters in featured contests who, at one point, had a lot of momentum going for them. Now, after their losses, we’re left with plenty of questions about what is next.

Brandon Moreno

This was a must-win situation for Brandon Moreno to keep himself relevant at the top of the weight class. He was fighting in front of a native crowd against an unranked opponent – granted, one who took the fight as an injury fill-in on about a month’s notice. The setup for the rebound after getting knocked out for the first time in his career was perfect.

He lost. And not only did he lose in a shocking upset, but he lost in pretty convincing fashion. Kavanagh’s strikes were quicker, he showed great counter work, and he even rocked Moreno a time or two. The only thing Moreno seemed to have going for him was the clinch game, and even then, he didn’t do much with it. Kavanagh stopped Moreno’s takedown attempts, injured one of his legs, and flat out was in control for most of the 25 minutes.

This is now four losses in six fights for Moreno, stretching back to him dropping the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantojs at UFC 290. Even if he drops only one spot in the UFC rankings, the result is clear – Moreno, a former two-time champion, is no longer in the flyweight title picture.

Moreno is 32 and will need multiple wins to work his way back up to the upper echelon of flyweight. Does he look to build himself back up through fights with Alex Perez, Tagir Ulanbekov, Charles Johnson, and originally scheduled UFC Mexico City opponent Asu Almabayev? Does he move up to bantamweight?

Brandon Moreno and his team need to have an honest conversation.

Marlon Vera

That said, Moreno is still in a better position than Marlon Vera. “Chito” has now lost four straight and five of his last six. His only win since 2023 was the unanimous decision over Pedro Munhoz that earned him a bantamweight title shot – one in which he convincingly lost to Sean O’Malley at UFC 299.

This may be a hot take considering Vera’s popularity; however, if Moreno is out of the title picture but still somewhat relevant at flyweight, then “Chito” is no longer relevant at bantamweight. He’ll be very lucky if he’s still ranked in the top-15. And considering his losing streak and his age (33), he’ll probably get matched up with someone unranked next.

And if Vera loses that fight, then we’re talking realistically about the chance Vera probably gets cut by the UFC.

Daniel Zellhuber

Remember when Daniel Zellhuber was a name people had their eye on in 2024? That was the year he defeated Francisco Prado in the UFC Mexico City Fight of the Night in February, and then went on to have the Fight of the Year with Esteban Ribovics that Noche UFC 2: UFC 306 in September.

Even though he lost to Ribovics, it seemed pretty certain that Zellhuber could be considered a future Mexican-born star in the UFC. Now, he’s not only lost three in a row, but he’s lost the goodwill of the fans, and he may just be one fight away from getting the axe, too.

I don’t want to take away from King Green’s incredible run at 39 years old. He’s showing he can still go. But Zellhuber looked lost. Green’s mobility helped him, and he honestly looked faster than Zellhuber at times! When the only thing you have going for you against Green is a buggy choke, you’re in trouble.

Zellhuber was given two veteran opponents to do the classic setup of defeating the notable name to build some momentum, but he looked disappointing and lost both times against Green and Michael Johnson.

Chelsea could join the race for Al-Hilal striker Darwin Nunez, Manchester City looking to make a big move for Newcastle United defender Tino Livramento and Crystal Palace determined to hold on to keeper Dean Henderson.

Chelsea have emerged as potential rivals to Newcastle United for the signature of Uruguay international Darwin Nunez. The 26-year-old forward has been frozen out at Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in favour of 38-year-old French forward Karim Benzema. (Chronicle Live), external

Manchester City are willing to pay £70m – a world record fee for a full-back – in order to land England international Tino Livramento, 23, from Newcastle United. (Teamtalk), external

Germany centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck’s contract at Borussia Dortmund runs out in 2027 and the 26-year-old, who has been linked with Liverpool, is one of Real Madrid’s top targets for the summer. (Mundo Deportivo – in Spanish), external

Sunderland and West Ham are interested in 24-year-old Mexico striker Santiago Gimenez, who could be allowed to leave AC Milan. (AS – in Spanish), external

Manchester United keeper Altay Bayindir is expected to leave the club in the summer, with Besiktas a possible destination for the 27-year-old Turkey international. (Football Insider), external

England striker striker Marcus Rashford, 28, has agreed to his wages being reduced while also foregoing some bonuses in an effort to make his loan move from Manchester United to Barcelona permanent. (Teamtalk), external

Crystal Palace will block any approaches for Dean Henderson from Tottenham and other clubs. The 28-year-old, who has four England caps, has been a crucial part of Palace’s success under Oliver Glasner. (Football Insider), external

Juventus could be prepared to sell Dutch midfielder Teun Koopmeiners but want at least 30m euros (£26m) for the 28-year-old, who has been linked with Galatasaray and Roma. (Tuttosport – in Italian) , external

Nottingham Forest do not intend to exercise a 35m euro (£31m) option to turn Italy striker Lorenzo Lucca’s loan move from Napoli into a permanent switch. (Niocolo Schira, via Football italia), external

Brooks Koepka has been back on the PGA Tour for nearly a month. Now, his confidence appears to be returning, too.

After opening with a scruffy 74 at this week’s Cognizant Classic, Koepka rebounded with a second-round 66 to make the cut on the number, then carried that momentum into the weekend with his sharpest play since returning to Tour competition. On Sunday, he posted a 6-under 66 — tied for the low round of the day — an encouraging step foward as the five-time major champion seeks to regain his winning form.

The biggest difference showed up on the greens.

Koepka needed just 18 putts through his first 16 holes Sunday and finished the round with 23 total despite a disappointing three-putt for par on the par-5 finisher. It was a key turnaround for a player who said his poor putting had been bleeding into other parts of his game.

“Honestly, it was just the putter,” Koepka said. “I wasn’t making any putts, I felt like I had to hit it to tap-in distance, and that was putting pressure on everything else.”

Seeing a few putts fall this week allowed him to return to what he calls a “conservatively aggressive” approach — trusting targets, accepting pars on difficult holes and allowing his confidence to grow naturally.

“To be able to make a few of those putts, you can build a rhythm and build momentum,” he said.

The progress marks a welcome sign for Koepka, who has returned to the PGA Tour as something of a prodigal son — the first marquee player to come back after leaving for LIV Golf. His reinstatement came through the Tour’s new Returning Member Program, which opened a pathway back with provisos.

Among the conditions: a $5 million charitable contribution, ineligibility for the Tour’s player equity program for five years, and the requirement that Koepka play his way into signature events rather than rely on sponsor exemptions. A portion of that donation, including $1 million directed to the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, is tied to this week’s Cognizant Classic.

Since returning to the PGA Tour, Koepka has seen mixed results, starting with a T56 at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines and a missed the cut at the WM Phoenix Open.

Koepka, though, is known for saving his best for golf’s biggest stages, and two are fast-approaching: the Players Championship and, soon after, the year’s first major at Augusta National.

He’s in a position to look ahead, now that an adjustment period is behind him

“I think a lot of that was the first week,” Koepka said of his return to the Tour. “Once you get inside the ropes, it feels natural. Getting all the media stuff out of the way was huge, and now it’s just a matter of going to play and build a rhythm.”

On Friday, Arne Slot considered the number of league goals Liverpool’s forwards have scored this season and said simply: “That is not enough.” If the message was conveyed privately to his players, they were swift to provide the right kind of answer. Hugo Ekitike scored inside five minutes against West Ham on Saturday. Cody Gakpo ended his own drought.

As no Liverpool attacker had found the net in their previous three Premier League matches, it was a step in the right direction. And yet Slot’s overall analysis probably still rings true to him: Liverpool, who spent £200m on strikers last summer, have too few goals from the front three. Certainly they have a lot fewer than last year.

After 28 league matches of last season, Liverpool’s six main forwards had 51 goals. Now that number is down to 26, little more than half. The first may represent more than could realistically be expected, the second fewer.

Some of the explanation lies in the breakdown of who has scored – or, this season, who has not.

2024-25 (first 28 league games only): Mohamed Salah 25, Luis Diaz 9, Gakpo 8, Diogo Jota 5, Darwin Nunez 4, Federico Chiesa 0.

2025-26: Ekitike 11, Gakpo 6, Salah 4, Chiesa 2, Alexander Isak 2, Rio Ngumoha 1.

There is a case for adding Florian Wirtz into the equation, given that he was the third major attack-minded signing last summer and that some of his minutes have come when playing on the wings, though the majority have come as a No 10. If so, the 2025-26 forwards tally goes up to 30.

It may be simplifying matters but the drop-off can be traced to two players: Salah and Isak. Even by the Egyptian’s standards, he was scoring at a remarkable rate in the first two-thirds of last season, averaging a goal every 99 minutes, allying them with 17 assists. His numbers had tailed off even before the end of a campaign that ended with him anointed PFA Player of the Year and Footballer of the Year. Now, however, Salah has his smallest return at the start of March in his time at Anfield. He has gone four months – albeit interrupted by a spell on the bench and the African Cup of Nations – without a Premier League goal.

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Then there is Isak. After Newcastle had played 28 top-flight games last season, the Swede had 19 goals in the division. At one every 109 minutes, he was almost in Salah territory. If some of Liverpool’s thinking was that, as Salah got older, Isak would assume the goalscoring mantle, his fragile fitness means he has not yet. A broken leg accounts for his absence now, incurred a fraction of a second after scoring just his second Premier League goal. They have come in 519 minutes. Salah, meanwhile, averages one every 429.

Each may be paying a penalty for Liverpool’s lack of spot kicks. Slot is aware it is a factor. Liverpool got nine, the joint most in the division, last year. So far this, they have been awarded two, the joint fewest, and Dominik Szoboszlai missed one of those.

But Salah and Isak’s numbers are down in other respects. Twelve months ago, they had overperformed their expected goals by 4.77 and 3.29 respectively. Now they have underperformed them, Salah by 2.78. The Egyptian’s xG per 90 minutes has halved, from 0.73 to 0.36. His shot count is down, but not as dramatically.

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For Isak, semi-fit for some of his time on the pitch with Liverpool, his shot count is reduced from 2.97 per minutes to 2.60, his xG from 0.68 to 0.48; again, the average quality of the chance is not as high.

In the rest of the forward line, the evidence is mixed. Chiesa and Ngumoha have overperformed their xG and have excellent goal-per-minute ratios, but have one league start between them. Ekitike and Gakpo have underperformed theirs; but, in the Frenchman’s defence, he was perhaps not bought to be the top scorer in his debut season and he is. When the final whistle blew on Saturday, only three players had more Premier League goals.

Go back a year, meanwhile, and Gakpo and Diaz could call themselves clinical, each with a goal tally that exceeded his xG. The late Jota and, unsurprisingly, Nunez had fewer than the statistics suggested they should.

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A year ago, Liverpool’s attacking numbers – goals, xG – were far and away the best. Now they stand fourth, or close to it, in most markers. Some it comes down to chance creation. Their six forwards have 15 Premier League assists now. A year ago, Salah had 17 on his own, the others 11 between them.

Salah’s shift from unstoppable to unexpectedly impotent has come quicker than envisaged; indeed, Liverpool scored five goals on Saturday without him scoring or assisting. Isak’s injuries and ineffectiveness are another factor in a drop-off. If Ekitike should be exempt from much of the criticism, Slot’s verdict probably still stands. Twenty-six goals from their forwards is not really enough.

Form WWDWW: Manchester United are desperate to return to the Champions League after a two-season absence and are flying under caretaker boss Michael Carrick. He has six wins and a draw from his seven games, taking 19 points from 21.

What Carrick says: [On going third] “It doesn’t mean an awful lot at the moment. It’s nice, of course it is. We want to keep progressing and moving up the table as much as we can and in that respect, it’s a step today.”

Run-in: Newcastle (A), Aston Villa (H), Bournemouth (A), Leeds (H), Chelsea (A), Brentford (H), Liverpool (H), Sunderland (A), Nottingham Forest (H), Brighton (A).

Chances: United are the form horse, without Europe or the FA Cup to distract them, and they are looking favourites to make it back to the Champions League.