There is a big twist in the title race courtesy of Arsenal underperforming in their games, while the top four battle heated up following the conclusion of Gameweek 26.
The latest round of fixtures in the Premier League had the feel of a hinge point: not because the table was rewritten overnight, but because the small moments started carrying title-weight, top-four tension and relegation dread all at once. Arsenal’s schedule was always going to be uncomfortable with a reshuffle creating a Double Gameweek 26, sending them to both Brentford and Wolves in quick succession.
Arsenal left West London with a 1-1 draw after Noni Madueke’s header put them ahead and Keane Lewis-Potter replied, the kind of game where the leaders looked hurried rather than hunted. At Molineux, it got louder, as Arsenal were 2-0 up before being dragged into a 2-2 draw, conceding late and making the Premier League title race feel less like a procession and more like a scrap
Manchester City, by contrast, did the calm, professional thing, scoring three first-half goals and clinching a 3-0 win over Fulham that kept the pressure firmly on the team above them. Liverpool also went minimalist but effective, Virgil van Dijk’s header from Mohamed Salah’s corner sealed a 1-0 win at Sunderland that nudged their top-four chase back onto steadier ground.
Manchester United and Chelsea, two sides expected to hoard the UEFA Champions League spots from here on in, instead handed some away. The Red Devils needed a stoppage-time equaliser from Benjamin Sesko to draw 1-1 at West Ham United, which was dramatic but not ideal in a tight race. Chelsea threw away a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 with Leeds United in a game that felt like a warning siren about game management.
Finally, over at Tottenham, the noise became the story: a 2-1 loss to Newcastle United was followed by the club sacking Thomas Frank, with their position in the table suddenly close enough to the bottom to leave them in the “relegation fight” more than a lazy headline. The Hard Tackle now looks at the five major stories to emerge from Gameweek 26 of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Arsenal: what went wrong, really?
The easy read is “four points dropped”, but the more damaging detail is how Arsenal dropped them: Brentford turned the game into a series of second balls and uncomfortable restarts, and Arsenal never fully settled into their usual rhythm before conceding an equaliser.
The match against Wolves was worse because it was not just a flat performance, but a lead surrendered. Arsenal were two goals up before being pulled back to 2-2, including a stoppage-time twist that screamed loss of control.
Tactically, this looks less like a system collapse and more like margins slipping: the distances between Arsenal’s lines got stretched once the games became messy, and the protection for their centre-backs started arriving a second late instead of a second early. Psychologically, that matters, because front-runners live off certainty, when you go from seeing games out to surviving games, doubt spreads through decision-making.
So the favourites tag changes shape rather than disappearing. Arsenal can still be the best team over 38 games, but this week reminded everyone that they are also the side with the most to lose: when you are top, every draw feels like proof for the chasing pack.
Manchester City: advantage, without the noise
Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Fulham was the classic Pep Guardiola pressure play. His team had the early control, early goals, and no sense of panic even when the second half went quieter. The wider title-race point is simple: City are close enough that Arsenal can feel them breathing, and the gap can move quickly when one side is drawing and the other is banking routine wins.
If City really do have that game-in-hand edge in your framing, it tilts the psychology even further. A game in hand is not points in the bank, but it is permission to be patient, especially for a team that’s comfortable winning ugly in April as long as they have kept contact in February. The danger for Arsenal is that the “favourites” tag becomes a week-by-week label now; for City, it becomes a steady accumulation exercise.
Liverpool: the 1-0 that can start a run in the Premier League
Sunderland away was not designed for highlight reels, but it was designed for UEFA Champions League races: Liverpool won 1-0, with Virgil van Dijk glancing in Mohamed Salah’s corner, and they protected the lead to the end.
The significance is twofold; first, these are the kinds of away wins that separate fourth from sixth; second, Liverpool’s ability to win without everything clicking suggests a team learning how to manage pressure again under Arne Slot.
From the match itself, the headline is efficiency: they did not need a flurry of chances, just one moment of set-piece quality and enough defensive focus to keep Sunderland from landing the equaliser. In a crowded top-four/top-five chase, that profile travels well, and it is exactly how runs begin: one tight win becomes two, then suddenly the table looks different.
Chelsea and Manchester United: Do they have Champions League nerve?
Chelsea’s 2-2 draw with Leeds United had the shape of a statement win until it did not. The Blues were 2-0 up, then pegged back, with Leeds levelling through Noah Okafor. So, Chelsea were left regretting missed chances late on. The concern is not only defensive errors, but the feeling that Chelsea still oscillate between control and chaos inside the same match, which is costly when the margin for top-four points is thin.
Meanwhile, Manchester United’s 1-1 draw at West Ham United was the opposite kind of frustration, as they had lots of the ball, but not enough incision when they engaged rescue mode. Nevertheless, Benjamin Sesko scoring deep into stoppage time salvaged a point.
The good news for them is resilience (they are still hard to beat right now), but the warning is obvious: if you keep leaving points on the pitch, you eventually need a perfect run elsewhere to compensate.
On remaining fixtures, the basic test for both clubs is consistency against the bottom-half teams. Everyone can raise their level for a big-six night, but Champions League qualification is usually decided by who does not slip on the awkward nights in between. Chelsea must prove they can close games; United must prove they can open them.
Tottenham: why it unravelled again, and are they truly in danger in the Premier League?
Tottenham’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United left them 16th, and the club moved quickly, as Thomas Frank was sacked in the aftermath. The context was brutally clear: they were sitting five points above the relegation zone at the time. The pattern of what went wrong is familiar: Spurs had moments, even an equaliser, but they could not control the key phases, and Newcastle regained the lead quickly; too quickly for a team that is supposed to have structure.
The relegation question is uncomfortable but real. Being five points clear is not “down”, yet it is close enough that one bad month turns fear into maths, and Spurs have also had the added weight of Champions League involvement this season, which changes legs, rotation and focus.
Compared to most relegation sides, Tottenham should have more quality to climb away, but quality only helps if it shows up weekly; right now, their league position says survival is something they will have to earn, not assume.
