Big Midweek: Arsenal v Villa, Eddie Howe on the brink, Man City, Matheus Cunha v Wolves… | OneFootball

It’s the time of the year when we are blessed with plenty of midweek Premier League football.

It’s the best part of December, much better than Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve. Unless you’re a Newcastle United fan, who needs more excuses to get drunk and forget all of their problems…until the hangxiety kicks in and they realise their team are 14th in the Premier League.

There are some belting matches. We have a genuine title clash between Arsenal and Aston Villa, while second-place Manchester City face a brilliant Sunderland team in their cauldron.

It’s going to be great. Strap in for a Big Midweek.

Game to watch: Arsenal v Aston Villa

After five games this season, nobody expected Aston Villa to turn things around to the extent that they’d be on an 11-match winning run and in the title race with Arsenal and Manchester City. Back then, they were winless and had only just scored their only 2025/26 Premier League goal. Oh and Liverpool boasted a 100% record. How times have changed.

The most recent Villa win came at Chelsea on Saturday evening, in a true Game of Two Halves. In the opening 45 minutes, Unai Emery’s side might as well not have been there. In the second period, they were absolutely fantastic and two Ollie Watkins goals got them over the line.

It will be a tactical battle between Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery. The latter seems to have his compatriot’s number, especially at the Emirates, which he once called home. Emery has righted the wrongs of his Gunners spell with his outstanding work at Villa Park and seems to have taken his sacking personally – why wouldn’t he? – with a title-denying victory in north London in 2023/24 and a 2-2 comeback draw last season. Not to mention literally beating them 2-1 at home earlier this month.

One big advantage for Arsenal is Villa’s suspensions. Emery will be without right-back Matty Cash and holding midfielder Boubacar Kamara, whose absence really cannot be understated. The Frenchman has been brilliant and incredibly consistent, but having Amadou Onana as a direct replacement isn’t too shabby, while Youri Tielemans is capable of filling Kamara’s role.

But there is no doubt that Kamara’s absence gives Arsenal the edge over their title rivals. Revenge will also be on the mind due to the freshness of Emi Buendía’s last-gasp winner on December 6.

It’s a huge game that is hard to call. Villa’s winning run should make them favourites in any match, and their favourable record under Emery at the Emirates – and how important the aforementioned win and draw were – could give them a psychological boost. Win and the Villans go joint-top on 42 points. Lose and it’s six points, with the rest of the Premier League hoping it’s the start of their title push fading away.

Manager to watch: Eddie Howe

We are spoilt for choice in this department. Howe’s opponent on Tuesday, Scott Parker, is someone we suspect is on the brink. And then you have Andoni Iraola, with Bournemouth winless in nine, Nuno Espírito Santo, with West Ham in the bottom three, Rob Edwards, who is reportedly on the brink of being sacked with Wolves still on two points, Enzo Maresca after Chelsea capitulated again, and Thomas Frank, the Spurs head coach on his return to Brentford.

But it has to be Howe.

He has never been closer to the sack. They ought to have scored at Old Trafford, but they didn’t. Their performance at Sunderland was simply pathetic. They have only won once away from home in the Premier League this season. They have five wins on the road in 2025, three of which came between January 4 and March 10.

It feels like Newcastle need a new voice, new ideas, new formations, new signings. They just look like they need change. And unfortunately, despite big players like Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali and big signings like Anthony Elanga underperforming, it always comes back to the manager.

The mental and physical edge that Howe’s team once had has completely eluded them all season. They have had first halves like the one against Chelsea, but followed them up with absolutely dismal second halves and capitulations. Late goals have cost them dearly at home, and simply crumbling under the pressure of an away day has become more than a fear…it’s become an expectation.

Not only do Newcastle need a rare away win, but they need to look good. They need to be Howe’s Newcastle at their best. There has to be a glimmer of hope that this team is capable of putting a decent run of results together, and that Howe and his management are what will make something of this season.

But now imagine if they lose at Burnley…

Man City left it late to see off Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with Rayan Cherki once again providing the goods with a go-ahead assist and match-winning goal. Cherki will likely start in attack with Erling Haaland and Phil Foden when Pep Guardiola’s side face Sunderland away from home on Thursday.

In the 2025/26 Premier League, Sunderland haven’t lost at home and have scored in all nine of their matches. They have beaten Newcastle United, drawn with Aston Villa and Arsenal, and come from 2-0 down to beat Bournemouth 3-2. This is a serious test for City, whose last league defeat came in the north east against the Magpies.

Since then, they’ve won six in a row and also beat Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in the Champions League. They’ve not had the most brutal of fixture lists, but the manner of some victories – three consecutive 3-0s and showing mettle to edge out tough opponents on the road like Forest – have really strengthened their position in the title race with Arsenal.

But there have been examples over the last six games of City wilting. They conceded four at Fulham and almost dropped points from 5-1 up. A tactical switch by Leeds United turned a comfortable 2-0 lead into needing a 91st-minute winner. City are capable of looking very vulnerable, and you’d back Sunderland to make it very uncomfortable for them under the Stadium of Light lights.

It’s another big test of their title credentials and comes 48 hours after Arsenal potentially drop points against Villa. If they do and City win, they’ll go into a matchday above their rivals for the first time since beating Wolves 4-0 on week one.

Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo are at the Africa Cup of Nations, Benjamin Sesko’s stock is falling, Mason Mount and Bruno Fernandes are injured. It’s a crucial game for Cunha and, given the opposition, the perfect opportunity for a statement performance.

Amorim is likely to stick with a back four and how his team attempt to break down a deep block will be very intriguing to see. A pivot of Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro isn’t ideal, while there’s a strong chance young Jack Fletcher starts in the No.10 role, with Patrick Dorgu on the right wing after his winner against Newcastle last Friday.

But in a potentially beatable line-up, Cunha might be the only player you’d back to produce something brilliant. There’s a genuine chance Wolves turn those narrow defeats at Anfield and the Emirates into something better at Old Trafford. This is not a given; nothing is for Man United. But Cunha can and should be the difference-maker against his old club.

EFL game to watch: Southampton v Millwall

Slim pickings here, but we have a full Football League fixture list on New Year’s Day, which is just fantastic.

Out of all 36 matches on Thursday, we reckon Southampton against Millwall will be the tastiest affair.

Both clubs have promotion aspirations but are on poor runs, winning none of their last three games. They met as recently as November 29, when it finished 3-2 to the Lions, who came from two goals down to win courtesy of a 97th-minute Tristan Crama goal. More of the same, please.

AFCON game to watch: Mozambique v Cameroon

It would be rude to ignore the wonderful competition that is the Africa Cup of Nations.

There’s enough on the line in Group F for the final matchday to be interesting, with Mozambique hoping to cause an upset against Cameroon to knock them down to third.

While Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s Gabon take on Ivory Coast, Mozambique will face Cameroon on a high after earning their first-ever AFCON victory against Gabon.