Session 26 – Quick Summary

Day 26 Game Summary

Tuesday, February 10

Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Newcastle United

This game makes a lot of sense as to why Frank had to go, and the truth is, he’s been there for too long. If any coach has lost his dressing room, it’s Tottenham’s Frank. There were a lot of little moments where players were arguing with each other, not following the coach’s instructions, and then arguing with each other again. It was a perfect match for Howe, who was also struggling. My concern is that, from Newcastle’s perspective, it’s going to be difficult for them to beat a team 2-1 that is totally intent on blowing themselves up. They were by far the better team, but they weren’t good enough to achieve the goals their performance deserved.

Starman:
Gordon – I’m not a big fan of him. He falls down when the breeze blows, but is willing to rush at others unscrupulously. His overall performance is average, with little technique and relying entirely on rhythm. But he did have a great game.
Thio – takes advantage of opportunities when Spurs players are in trouble.
Ramsey – Another goalscorer for Newcastle.

trigger:
Spence – He has a terrible attitude. He does seem prone to attitude problems.
Van de Veen – Not sure why he’s rated so highly, he’s a pretty average defender for his speed and when that happens he can be terrible.
Bissouma – looks no different to the player he was before moving to Spurs.
Solanke – poor defensive performance.

Everton 1-2 Bournemouth

Once Moyes’ limitations are exposed again, it will be difficult for him to manage a team expected to win at home, as his style is to sit back, absorb pressure, and then counterattack quickly. Although it must be said that he was certainly hampered by senior selection. Either way, neither Barry nor Beto is cool. Elora has shown that he can turn the troubled ship around at Bournemouth on a number of occasions now. It’s no wonder he hasn’t accepted a new contract yet, as all he can do at Bournemouth is rebuild and maintain his status in the Premier League before losing his best players in the summer. Now seems like a good time for him to make the move to a bigger club where he can show if he can compete at European level.

Starman:
GHANA – Taking things to the next level this season.
Ndiaye – Everton will struggle to keep hold of this talented winger this summer.
Jimenez – Always a threat going forward.
Adley – Goal to win.
Hill – Great defensive performance.

trigger:
Barry – It’s hard to understand how he could be so bad at scoring goals.
George – Showed some nice flashes but also got robbed of the ball and looks like he needs more practice to figure out what he needs.
O’Brien – His sending off dashed Everton’s hopes of recovery.

Chelsea 2-2 Leeds United

Chelsea dominated the game and led 2-0 at one point, but ultimately lost the victory. They only have themselves to blame and I’m sure Leeds will go home happy with the result but worried about how one-sided the game actually was in Chelsea’s favour. This is one of the results that promoted teams need if they want to avoid falling straight back into the Championship. It’s strange that when they go head-to-head with their opponents, after such good results, Falke lets them retreat into their shells. Chelsea’s failure at the back has proven costly in their bid for next season’s Champions League.

Starman:
Fernandes – Playing a little further forward and having more freedom, looks a lot better.
Palmer – He’s pretty much a penalty cheat, are there any more clinical takers out there?
Pedro – Returns as the main striker, showing the good form he showed when first signing.

trigger:
Acheampong – A very good young player but his mistakes cost Chelsea dearly.
Aaronson – Hard to impress.
Gudmundsson – Not suited to the more restrained style of play required of him.

West Ham United 1-1 Manchester United

The Hammers look to be on the rebound now and although a draw isn’t ideal for them, every point counts and they’ve given themselves a real chance to survive with their current overall form. It may not be as aggressive as fans would like, but they play some good football at times and really look like a team on the rise. Some of their final moments were outstanding and they really should have scored at least one more goal, although United will also feel they should have scored more under pressure and opportunities. United have looked a better team since Amorim’s departure, whether that’s down to Carrick or simply relief from getting rid of a man who was holding them back, it’s hard to tell. With Villa having struggled of late, they will be looking to move higher up the table before the end of the season, something they now certainly look capable of doing.

Starman:
Wan-Bissaka – always seemed to perform well against his old club.
Potts – Not a great one, but a good performance from the young guys.
Soucek scored again.
Sesko – Saved a point late in the game.

trigger:
Castellanos – Still looks like he’s learning his teammates’ game.
Cunha – Hard to really make an impact as the focal point of the offense.

Wednesday, February 11

Manchester City 3-0 Fulham

City cruised around the park, leading 3-0 in the first half and cruising through the second half. A very one-sided game in which the Mancunians were almost completely dominant. It was disappointing for Fulham but they tried to go head-to-head with a better team and failed.

Starman:
Semenho – He has settled into the team quickly and looks to be an excellent acquisition wherever he plays.
Haaland – Only one goal, but always a threat. Surprisingly, this is his first open goal in the Premier League in 2026.

trigger:
Rodri – Still looking for form since returning to fitness.
Berg – In the core position of midfield, he is simply not enough to compete with Seater.
Iwobi – a player who is too erratic and has no real defensive understanding to play a central role in midfield against a team as strong as Manchester City.

Nottingham Forest 0-0 Wolves

While Forest were the better team, they never looked quite right. They were creating chances, but from the start it felt like one of those nights where nothing was going for them. Something was off about them and it was no surprise that Marinakis was quick to relieve Dyche of his role after the game. Watching this review again now, it’s hard to understand how Salvador were able to keep a clean sheet for the first time on the road this season. Some of the chances were incredible, including a 6-on-2 break, only to be missed. Wolves started the season in much better form than Pereira – who now replaces Dyche – but is clearly recruited and ready to play in the Championship next season. Although I still believe that January signing Armstrong is good enough at this level!

Starman:
Williams – His energy and effort will be huge for their wing.
Gomes – Wolves have three Gomes in the midfield but Joao stands out in the team.
Sa – He has his weaknesses but he performed well against Forest.

trigger:
Luca – Trying to get involved.
Armstrong – often out of breath, but not much else.
Arokodare – Tall, powerful and quick, but rarely looks like a goal threat.

Aston Villa 1-0 Brighton

Both teams entered the game with little confidence and what I would call a form of apathy (niceness). In the end, the game ended with an unfortunate own goal. Both sides looked terrible, with Villa sorely missing their midfield and their backup midfielders largely unable to produce any creativity. Brighton look a mess now and the pressure is mounting on Herzler, who seems to have no answer for their poor form. If they are not careful, they could easily find themselves in a relegation battle. As far as this performance goes, if they do fail, they won’t have much to complain about.

Starman:
Martinez – A great performance from Villa’s goalkeeper.

trigger:
Watkins – He’s having a bad season.
Baleba – He returned to action late this season due to injury, but he still doesn’t seem to have recovered. His form has disappeared. Getting a yellow card in the second minute didn’t help him at all.
Hinshelwood – Unlucky own goal, but that was on top of a very mediocre performance.
Dunk – His lack of speed is constantly being exposed.

Crystal Palace 2-3 Burnley

When Crystal Palace led 2-1 after just over half an hour, I doubt many believed that a team as offensively poor as Burnley had any hope of picking up a point, let alone all three points. Somehow, shockingly, the Clarets scored three goals before half-time and then went on to add to the points. Palace’s performances got worse as the season progressed, but the loss to Burnley hit a new low. If Glasner had always wanted to remain a head coach, I think this would have been the final straw for him. All Burnley almost have to do is keep Parker’s job, as they have been miserable this season.

Starman:
Strand Larsen – The marquee January signing scored twice and looked to have secured victory for Palace.
Anthony – His pace and running ability caused Palace no end of problems.

trigger:
HENDERSON – He must have been shocked after that.
Lerma – Out of position again at centre-back and looked out of place. His own goal helped Burnley win.
Guessand – A mare leased and owned from Vera.

Sunderland 0-1 Liverpool

A tired-looking Sunderland were overwhelmed by Liverpool, who really should have scored a few more goals to win comfortably. The McCanns really struggled to press, they had long legs and clearly needed a break. Liverpool pushed the ball forward as quickly as possible, which made it more difficult for them. They looked much better as a result and didn’t allow Sunderland any time to get into trouble.

Starman:
Mukiele – Runs around the pitch very well and is one of the few who looks full of running spirit.
Wirtz – Unlucky not to score.
Van Dijk – Scored the winning goal and looked more like his old self.

trigger:
Diarra – offers nothing.
Brobby – Gets into an ongoing battle with Konate. He managed to lure Konate into a scuffle, but he made the mistake of not letting go and earned a foul.

Thursday, February 10

Brentford 1-1 Arsenal

In the battle for the set piece king, Arsenal met their opponent for the first time. It was very interesting to see how the furious Gunners players used the exact same tactics they had used all season to overcome Brentford when awarded a corner kick. Combat between the two mirrors is surprisingly even, a situation that usually results in the better player winning the match. Both teams are missing an in-form forward and that will almost certainly have an impact, with Thiago in particular having some great chances as the focal point for the Bees.

Starman:
Vandenberg – Excellent defense and provided assists.
Lewis Potter – Scored for Brentford.
Gabriel – Has emerged as a top defender during his time at Arsenal.

trigger:
Janet – Received a silly early yellow card which made him very cautious throughout the game.
Thiago – Too many opportunities missed.
Gyokeres – Looks too slow at times.
Eze – Again had a chance to establish his position but looked seriously lacking in confidence.

Written by Tris Burke February 18, 2026 18:13:12

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