With every Premier League match this midweek live on Sky Sports, our writers pick the main talking points.
Will Haaland join the 100 Club on Tuesday?
Fulham vs Man City – Tuesday, 7.30pm
Erling Haaland sits on 99 Premier League goals after City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool on November 9. He played the full games against Newcastle and Leeds but remains a goal short of 100 — a milestone only 34 players have reached. Historically, Haaland has six goals in six league appearances versus Fulham since their return to the top flight, including a penalty on the final day of 2024/25. Fulham have been strong at Craven Cottage, improving from a 1.36 to a 2.17 points-per-game average at home versus last term and have conceded only three at home this season (only Arsenal have conceded fewer). Fulham’s home form could either deny Haaland or be the stage for history. — Dan Long
Leaky defence forces Cherries’ fast start to falter
Bournemouth vs Everton – Tuesday, 7.30pm
Bournemouth sat fifth at the end of October, unbeaten in seven, but November was poor: one point from 12 and 12 goals conceded in four games. They’ve slipped to 11th and need to arrest the slump to keep European hopes alive. Everton, unbeaten at home this season and historically weaker opponents for Bournemouth, arrive with striker Thierno Barry struggling for form (no shots on target in 551 league minutes). This is the sort of fixture Bournemouth need to revive momentum; a defeat would raise serious questions. — Noah Langford
Is Frank going down the same road as Nuno?
Newcastle vs Spurs – Tuesday, 8.15pm
Tottenham’s start under Thomas Frank has echoes of Nuno Espirito Santo’s brief, troubled reign: early promise followed by damaging home defeats and fan unrest. Issues inside the squad have bubbled up — incidents involving Guglielmo Vicario, Pedro Porro, Micky van de Ven and Djed Spence — and Spurs rank in the bottom three for shots and chances created this season while committing the most errors leading to shots. Frank talks about rebuilding and “adding layers,” but with Spurs travelling to Newcastle (they’ve already lost to them this season in the Carabao Cup), pressure is mounting on the Dane. — Sam Blitz
Should Arteta rotate his Arsenal squad?
Arsenal vs Brentford – Wednesday, 7.30pm
Arsenal were below their best at Chelsea, losing duels and many early aerial battles. William Saliba and Gabriel’s absences contributed, and a packed schedule following clashes with Spurs, Bayern and Chelsea raises rotation questions. Wednesday’s visit from Brentford is a chance to rest key players and give minutes to those returning from injury — candidates include Ben White for Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Christian Norgaard and Ethan Nwaneri. Brentford’s ability to win first and second balls means Arsenal may need fresh legs rather than wholesale changes. — Sam Blitz
Undervalued Gomez finally gives Reds defensive stability
Liverpool vs Sunderland – Wednesday, 8.15pm
Liverpool kept their first Premier League clean sheet since beating Aston Villa a month earlier in a win at West Ham that also saw Joe Gomez make his first league start in almost a year. Gomez, back on the right of Liverpool’s defence, made the most interceptions and created the second goal for Cody Gakpo. After calamitous defensive displays in recent weeks, Gomez’s return brought assurance; if fit, he’s likely to start against high-flying Sunderland at Anfield. — Richard Morgan
Palace’s big chance problem outweighs squad depth
Burnley vs Crystal Palace – Wednesday, 7.30pm
Crystal Palace have missed 26 big chances this season — one of only two Premier League teams over 25 — and Jean-Philippe Mateta alone has missed 12. While creativity was a concern after Eberechi Eze’s summer exit, Palace are creating chances; their problem is converting them. Burnley, who have conceded the highest expected goals in the league, provide a stern but potentially fertile test for Palace’s goalscoring woes. — William Bitibiri
Can Wolves avoid unwanted records against Forest?
Wolves vs Nottingham Forest – Wednesday, 7.30pm
Wolves are in deep trouble and remain winless as the year closes. A defeat to Forest would be their seventh straight top-flight loss — a sequence last seen during the 2011/12 low under Terry Connor — and would push them toward historically poor season totals. At this stage they have two points; Derby County in 2007/08 had six. Survival looks unlikely, but a positive showing against Forest would at least offer some pride. — William Bitibiri
Will the red mist come down for Chelsea again at Leeds?
Leeds vs Chelsea – Wednesday, 8.15pm
This fixture has a bruising history and promises another intense atmosphere at Elland Road. Moises Caicedo’s red card against Arsenal was the latest in a run of dismissals: Chelsea have had six red cards this season (four in the Premier League), twice as many as any other side. Ill-discipline has become a recurring problem and cost Chelsea late last season in the race for Europe. Enzo Maresca’s side must keep their composure to maintain their positive start. — Peter Smith
Villa to test Brighton’s unbeaten record
Brighton vs Aston Villa – Wednesday, 7.30pm
Brighton’s home unbeaten record will be tested by an in-form Aston Villa. Both teams started slowly but are now pushing for Europe. Villa have the division’s second-best defensive record and recorded their fifth clean sheet on Sunday, though their attacking output has been light (low xG and Ollie Watkins has one goal). Brighton, helped by 35-year-old Danny Welbeck’s seven goals and contributions from Yankuba Minteh, present a big test: Welbeck ranks highly for assists and box touches, and Brighton’s dribbling threat will demand Villa’s best defensive performance. — David Richardson
Time for Amorim to roll the dice on Mainoo?
Man Utd vs West Ham – Thursday, 8pm
Manchester United’s away win at Crystal Palace must be built on at Old Trafford after the embarrassing home loss to 10-man Everton. Ruben Amorim may need personnel changes to break down West Ham’s low blocks, and Kobbie Mainoo could be offered a route back in. The 20-year-old has only 171 Premier League minutes this season, far less than after his 2024 FA Cup final winner. United consistently struggle against deep blocks; with important fixtures against Bournemouth, Villa and Newcastle ahead, Amorim must decide whether to preserve Casemiro’s minutes or give Mainoo a chance to influence games more regularly. — (no byline)