Premier League Preview: Arsenal Takes On Manchester United As Struggling Manchester City Meets Wolves In A Must-Win Clash

As the Premier League heads into another action-packed weekend, storylines across England are heating up.

‎Arsenal are chasing their fifth consecutive home win, Manchester City are fighting to reverse a shocking dip in form, and Tottenham’s Thomas Frank may be managing for his job.

‎Meanwhile, Brentford and Nottingham Forest prepare for a fixture loaded with historical stakes.

‎Here is a full breakdown of the weekend’s biggest talking points.

‎Arsenal on Alert for the Carrick Effect

‎Arsenal enter the weekend as strong favourites. They sit top of the Premier League and have remarkably not conceded a single shot on target in their last two league matches, despite being held to frustrating 0-0 draws against Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.

‎Yet the Emirates Stadium welcomes a familiar foe in Manchester United, now temporarily led again by Michael Carrick.

‎United’s performance in last weekend’s 2-0 win over Manchester City was their most fluid and confident display of the season.

‎Carrick’s return to the dugout delivered an immediate spark, and his players attacked with a purpose that had been missing for months.

‎However, United have struggled for consistency all season. Outside an early-season three-match winning run, they have been unable to put together back-to-back victories.

‎Arsenal may feel they have one hand on a long-awaited 14th Premier League title, but United, still chasing Champions League football, would relish the chance to disrupt the Gunners’ momentum.

‎With Arsenal’s defence in supreme form and United’s attack suddenly revived, this fixture could define the tone of both clubs’ seasons.

‎Manchester City’s Crisis Deepens

‎Manchester City’s alarming slump reached a new low with a 3-1 defeat away to Bodo/Glimt in one of the most shocking Champions League results in modern history.

‎Pep Guardiola’s side have yet to win a Premier League match in 2026, and the manager admitted that “everything that could be going wrong is going wrong.”

‎The injury crisis at centre-back remains a major concern. Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol, two leaders of City’s backline, are sidelined at a time when defensive stability is needed most.

‎Guardiola will hope that new signing Marc Guehi can immediately bring balance when he makes his debut against bottom-of-the-table Wolves.

‎Despite their league position, Wolves are enjoying a mini-resurgence under Rob Edwards, going unbeaten in their last five games in all competitions.

‎For City, the mission is simple, stop the bleeding, rebuild confidence, and keep their fading title hopes alive.

‎Tottenham and Thomas Frank A Make-or-Break Weekend

‎Tottenham’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Borussia Dortmund brought temporary relief, but Thomas Frank remains under intense pressure.

‎Spurs have fallen to 14th after a promising start to his tenure, and the fan frustration reached a boiling point following last weekend’s 2-1 loss to West Ham.

‎Frank knows Sunday’s match against struggling Burnley may be decisive for his future.

‎“We need to bring this performance into momentum,” he said after the midweek European win, fully aware that more dropped points could force the club’s hierarchy into action.

‎Burnley’s own struggles mean Spurs cannot afford anything less than a win, especially at a time when every Premier League fixture feels like a referendum on Frank’s credibility.

‎Brentford and Nottingham Forest Chase Historic Milestones

‎The meeting between Brentford and Nottingham Forest carries significant historical weight. Forest defeated Brentford 3-1 in the opening gameweek of the season, and they won this same fixture 2-0 last year.

‎Another victory this weekend would see Forest achieve two major firsts, their first Premier League double over Brentford and their first back-to-back away league wins over the Bees.

‎Brentford, however, has built an impressive home record in 2025-26. Only three Premier League clubs have collected more home points in the current year.

‎Even so, Keith Andrews’s side enter the match on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea, while Forest arrive reeling from a narrow 1-0 Europa League loss to Braga and having lost six of their last eight games.

‎The stakes are clear: Brentford wants to protect one of the league’s strongest home fortresses, while Forest aims to turn history in their favour and kickstart a season that has hit turbulence.