We venture into the second half of the 2025-26 Premier League season this weekend with gameweek 20.
There are crunch games at both ends of the table as Wolves go in search of their first win against fellow strugglers West Ham, while Manchester City host managerless Chelsea, who axed Enzo Maresca on New Year’s Day.
Stats you might see
Villa aim for 11th home heaven
- Aston Villa could win 11 consecutive home games across all competitions for the first time ever in the Premier League era.
Aston Villa’s superb 11 game winning run in all competitions may have come to a sudden brutal end at the hands of league leaders Arsenal, but Villa now return to their own patch this weekend, where they have won their last 10 games.
If Villa bounce back by beating out-of-form Nottingham Forest, then they will have claimed 11 straight home top-flight league wins for the first time in 35 years (January 1990).
South coast solace for Burnley?
- Burnley could lose a Premier League game at the Amex for the very first time.
Burnley have picked up just two points from a possible 30 since the start of November, which leaves the Clarets six points adrift of safety in 19th.
Yet, they have a small reason to be optimistic ahead of their trip to the south coast, given that they are unbeaten in their last seven visits to Brighton – including all six Premier League encounters – during which they’ve collected two wins and five draws.
We’ll have to wait and see whether Scott Parker’s side can extend that record or not, although a flick through the odds show Brighton as the short-priced 1/2 favourites to collect all three points.
Bowen eyes club history
- If Jarrod Bowen scores or assists, he will have the most West Ham goal involvements in the club’s Premier League history.
Jarrod Bowen’s goal in West Ham’s 2-2 draw against Brighton saw him draw level with Michail Antonio on 101 goal involvements for the Hammers in the Premier League.
Another goal or assist this weekend against winless Wolves would fire Bowen storm ahead of Antonio as West Ham’s leading goal contributor in Premier League history.
Cherries teetering on record winless rot
- Bournemouth could set a new club record for games without a win within the same top-flight campaign.
Bournemouth claimed a point in the entertaining 2-2 draw at Chelsea, which brought an end to Enzo Maresca’s tenure at Stamford Bridge.
While the Cherries will be reasonably content with a point, it did extend the club’s winless run to double figures. They now face the daunting task of trying to overcome Arsenal on Saturday evening, and a failure to win would extend their longest-ever winless run in a single top-flight campaign to 11 matches.
The stats make grim reading too, with Bournemouth having lost 13 of their 14 league games against teams starting the day top of the table.
DCL chasing Viduka feat
- Dominic Calvert-Lewin looks to become the first Leeds player to score in four consecutive Premier League games at Elland Road since Mark Viduka in 2004.
Leeds have won just one of their last 19 Premier League games against Manchester United, yet they head into Sunday’s lunchtime clash on the back of a six-game unbeaten run, during which they held Liverpool both home and away.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin was surprisingly benched for the Anfield draw, before coming on and having a goal disallowed. The in-form striker will be expected to be brought back into the starting lineup as he bids to become the first Leeds player to score in four consecutive Premier League games at Elland Road since Mark Viduka in 2004.
Brentford’s away woes
- Travel-shy Brentford could already equal their away-day loss tally from the whole of last season.
Brentford have impressed under Keith Andrews and sit 9th after 19 games, but their strong league position has been built largely on home comforts. Where they’ve won 21 of their 27 points.
The Bees have lost seven of their nine games on the road and another defeat at Everton this weekend would see the club match their total number of away losses from last season (eight) in the space of just 10 away games this term.
Silva’s Champions fever
- Fulham boss Marco Silva could extend his 100% loss record against reigning Premier League champions to 12 defeats from 12 games.
Fulham were one of just three sides Liverpool failed to beat during their title-winning Premier League campaign last season, which included a 3-2 home victory for the Cottagers.
The Londoners head into Sunday’s clash unbeaten in four games, but weighed down by Marco Silva’s wretched record in games against reigning Premier League champions. The Portuguese boss has lost all 11 of these games, which is the highest 100% loss rate of any manager in the competition.
Palace in Toon’s firing line
- Newcastle could score 4+ goals in three consecutive home league games against the same opponent for the first time since 1947-1956 (Luton).
Newcastle returned to winning ways with a 3–1 victory at Burnley and now have the chance to secure back-to-back league wins for only the second time this season.
The Toon will back themselves against a Crystal Palace side without a win in six league and cup matches, which includes a 4-1 defeat to Leeds in their last top-flight away game.
Newcastle have won their last two Premier League home meetings with Palace by emphatic 4-0 and 5-0 scorelines, and could now score four or more goals in three consecutive home league games against the same opponent for the first time since doing so against Luton between 1947 and 1956.
Black Cats hunt Spurs hoodoo
- Sunderland could beat Tottenham for the first time in 15 Premier League games.
Sunderland head to Tottenham with the chance to end a long-running hoodoo: they haven’t beaten Spurs in the last 14 Premier League meetings since 2010, 10 of which they’ve lost.
But Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats have been the surprise package of the season, sitting above Spurs in the table, having taken points off the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool, while they beat Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Sunderland will feel they have a great chance of breaking their miserable run against Spurs, who lost 11 league home games in 2025, and claim a rare scalp in North London.
Man City blues for Chelsea
- Man City can go nine games unbeaten against Chelsea for the first time in their league history.
Manchester City’s eight game winning run in all competitions was ended by Sunderland after the clubs played out a goalless draw. Yet, Pep Guardiola’s side have won their last eight league home games, and are unbeaten in their last eight Premier League games against Chelsea (W6 D2), who themselves are managerless following Enzo Maresca’s sacking.
Should City avoid defeat to the Blues on Sunday night, they will go nine undefeated against the London club for the first time in their history, having also previously gone eight without a loss between 1936 and 1949.
