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Dull, defensive, dramaless days dominate the early 2026 landscape is anyone ready to make a move?
Published Jan 22, 2026 • 5 minute read
Arsenal's Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus eyes the ball during a English Premier League match against Liverpool.
Arsenal's Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus eyes the ball during a English Premier League match against Liverpool. Getty Images
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The most remarkable thing about this Premier League season may well be it’s mediocrity.
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The league seems to be stuck with a case of the January blahs.
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Last weekend saw 16 total goals in 10 games. There were two 0-0 draws. Eight teams couldn’t muster a goal. Only Chelsea, Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham scored two goals, everyone else either drew a blank or notched a single goal.
Last season there were 16 bore draws, a 0-0, after each team had played their 38 game allotment. This season there already have been 17 with teams still all having 16 games to go — that’s another 160 total games and they’ve already topped last season.
The record of 51 scoreless draws was set in 1995, so that record is probably safe, but the lack of quality in the league this season is clear.
There’s not a single team in the league that presently has won at least two games in a row.
Arsenal, the runaway league leaders, haven’t scored in their past two games. Manchester City — you know, the behemoths who just paid $158 million for Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi (who apparently is making close to $600,000 a week in wages) — got within two points of Arsenal and haven’t won a game in their past four.
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Last year’s champions Liverpool haven’t lost in 10 matches, but that includes five draws, including Leeds (twice), Sunderland and Burnley. It’s the most underwhelming 10-game undefeated streak you could imagine.
Is it fatigue? Is it too many games with the international calendar stuffed with competitions? Is it teams playing more directly while packing defence and hoping for goals off set plays or hopeful long-ball counter attacks?
Probably a combination of all of it, but it’s dull as dishwater. Try and get through a game without going to your phone or a laptop these days.
The drama still probably will arrive by season’s end around the Champions League spots. While there’s some dire teams at the bottom, there’s a five-point gap between the last safe team, Nottingham Forest, and the relegation zone.
While Arsenal has a comfy lead at the top, which probably allows them to play the ultra-conservative, take-no-risk style that has seen them play back-to-back 0-0 draws and STILL increase their lead over the chasing two, it’s the middle of the table where the anticipation will reign.
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Between Liverpool in fourth and Everton in 10th, there’s a difference of just four points. Three between Sunderland in ninth and that coveted fourth-place Champions League qualification berth.
This weekend doesn’t really have a game that you’d desperately want to see — maybe Newcastle who haven’t lost in four, against Aston Villa, who have one win in their past four — there are teams in that mushy middle that can drastically alter their fortunes.
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Everton: Just one loss in their past five sandwiched between two draws, two wins and home date against Leeds this week. David Moyes has really steadied the ship, yet they’re in 10th but three points out of fifth.
Manchester United: Beating their neighbour, Man City — convincingly, too — is a message. Yes they have an interim manager after back-room turmoil with ousted Ruben Amorim, but they looked like a solid squad in such a big win that moved them up to fifth. They also haven’t lost in five, the last one came on Dec. 21 against Aston Villa. Massive game this weekend against leaders Arsenal, can they continue their run?
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Newcastle: OK, yes, they had a dire 0-0 with bottom-dwelling Wolves, but prior to that they had three wins and have climbed the table. Statement game against Villa this weekend.
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Manchester City: If you eliminate wins in the Carabao and FA Cup (a 10-1 thrashing of mighty Exeter City), City haven’t won since getting a lucky late goal to beat 17th-place Nottingham Forest on Dec. 27. If it’s not embarrassing enough to lose to fallen-angels Manchester United, that was on the heels three draws. After grabbing a hold of Arsenal’s heels at the turn of the year, they’ve dropped nine points in the past four games. And, to make things worse, they lost in the Champions League 3-1 to Bodo/Glimt of the Norwegian league. Star striker Erling Haaland hasn’t scored a non-penalty in more than month. Surely they won’t continue the slide, having a home game against last-place Wolves. Though Wolves are unbeaten in four.
Liverpool: You seemingly have to separate Liverpool’s Champions League form from their league form. They looked like last year’s champions beating Marseille 3-0 on Wednesday with Mo Salah back from the African Cup of Nations. But last weekend they only managed a 1-1 draw with boring Burnley at home. Liverpool missed a penalty, had 72% possession, 32 shots to Burnley’s seven, 11 on target to Burnley’s single one that netted a goal, nine corners to one. But dropped two points. Yes, they’re still in a Champions League spot, but they’re just four points out of 10th. They go to Bournemouth this weekend. Draws are no longer an option. It’s mystifying that this is a club that has beaten Real Madrid, Internazionale and Marseille but can’t beat Burnley, Leeds or Fulham.
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Tottenham: It looks destined that Spurs will be moving on from yet another manager as the home crowd seems to have turned on Thomas Frank. Spurs haven’t won in their past four and lost last week to woeful West Ham to leave them in 14th place. If they don’t win at Burnley this week, that pressure gets cranked up even more.
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[Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg match against Chelsea.
Why the EPL title is Arsenal’s to lose heading into second half of season](https://torontosun.com/sports/soccer/why-epl-title-arsenal-to-lose)
2. [(FILE) Enzo Maresca has left his role as Chelsea head coach after 18 months in charge, the Premier League club announced on January 1, 2026.
Chelsea chaos rules again as manager ousted](https://torontosun.com/sports/soccer/everythings-coming-up-arsenal)
Crisis Club
Crystal Palace: They sold their captain, they lost in the first round of the FA Cup, their manager has all but said he’s leaving at the end of the season and they haven’t won in seven games. In four of those games they haven’t scored a goal. They sit in 14th and host topsy-turvy Chelsea this week.
This weekend’s EPL schedule
Saturday: West Ham vs Sunderland; Burnley vs Tottenham; Fulham vs Brighton; Manchester City vs Wolves; Bournemouth vs Liverpool.
Sunday: Brentford vs Nottingham Forest; Crystal Palace vs Chelsea; Newcastle vs Aston Villa; Arsenal vs Manchester United.
Monday: Everton vs Leeds.
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