Full Results (Quarter Finals 1st leg) Real Madrid 1—2 Bayern Sporting CP 0—1 Arsenal Barcelona 0—2 Atletico Madrid PSG 2—0 Liverpool Game of the Matchday Real Madrid 1 –2 Bayern Since the final whistle at the Bernabeu, fans have hailed this tie as a "refreshing" exception from the recent norm. In an era where modern football, particularly in England, is often criticized for being too robotic and over-coached, this match felt like a throwback to the "classic" era, defined by a relentless, end-to-end rhythm. While Bayern appeared to be in the driver's seat, the numbers suggests a much tighter contest. The Bavarians were certainly guilty of wastefulness, with Luis Diaz and Dayot Upamecano spurning massive opportunities, but Real Madrid ensured Manuel Neuer remained the busiest man on the pitch. Bayern finally broke the deadlock and silenced the Madridistas in the 41st minute via Diaz, before Harry Kane doubled the lead just seconds...
Full Results (Matchday 25)
Leeds 3–1 Nottingham Forest
Manchester United 2–0 Tottenham
Bournemouth 1–1 Aston Villa
Arsenal 3–0 Sunderland
Burnley 0–2 West Ham
Fulham 1–2 Everton
Wolves 1–3 Chelsea
Newcastle 2–3 Brentford
Brighton 0–1 Crystal Palace
Liverpool 1–2 Manchester City
Game of the Matchday
Newcastle 2–3 Brentford
The back-and-forth nature of this match meant it kept slipping away from Newcastle every time they thought they had a grip on it, and Brentford deserve huge credit for repeatedly dragging it back into their own hands. At St James’ Park, Newcastle twice found themselves in positions where they should have taken control, but Brentford never allowed the tempo to settle, responding quickly, pressing with intent, and showing a level of belief that has quietly become their trademark this season. What made this stand out was not just the five goals but the flow of the contest, Newcastle pushing, Brentford absorbing and then striking with precision when spaces opened up. Dango Ouattara’s late winner capped off a performance built on patience and conviction, and winning a game like this away from home, against an opponent still chasing relevance in the top half, made it the candidate for Game of the Matchday. Tipped by many to be one of the teams amongst the relegation battle, the Bees have their eyes firmly set on European football, and if they keep producing exciting matches and exciting football like this, as they have shown they are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with the very best.
Biggest Surprise
Liverpool 1–2 Manchester City
Before we talk about the moment this match will be remembered by, lets talk about the result. Liverpool losing to Manchester City is not a surprise. Liverpool losing to Manchester City at Anfield is definitely a surprise, made even more shocking in the manner in which they lost. Anfield has a habit of bending games in Liverpool’s favour, especially when the stakes are high, which is exactly why this result lands here. Arne Slot's side took the lead through a stunning free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai which felt like the sort of moment that should settle nerves at home, but City showed resilience to level through Bernardo Silva and then win late with an Erling Haaland penalty in stoppage time. This wasn’t an overall dominant City performance, it was a performance that relied on moments, and that’s what made it surprising. Winning here, in this manner, at this stage of the season, sends a message far louder than a comfortable three nil ever could.
Best Team Performance
Leeds 3–1 Nottingham Forest
Ever since Daniel Farke has switched Leeds' formation after half-time at the Etihad Stadium during their match with Manchester City, the improvement has never been clearer. Right from the opening exchanges they looked sharper, more aggressive, and far more purposeful in possession, pushing Nottingham Forest back and forcing them into mistakes rather than waiting for openings to appear. What stood out most was how Leeds responded after finding the net for the opener, instead of retreating or losing control, they doubled down, kept the pressure on, and improved their cushion with authority. Leeds never looked like losing their grip on the game, and this result not only gave them precious breathing room above danger but did so in a way that felt convincing rather than lucky or opportunistic.
Player of the Matchday
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Probably the most in-form player in the entire league, Bruno Fernandes is on fire. Even before Cristian Romero lost his head and saw red, Bruno was already pulling the strings, constantly finding space between Spurs’ midfield and defence, and once United had the numerical advantage, he turned that control into punishment. He finished the match with six chances created, the most of any player this weekend, and capped it off with a goal of his own, arriving late into the box as Spurs struggled to reorganize after the red card. What made this performance stand out was how ruthlessly Bruno exploited the situation, he didn’t just recycle possession against ten men, he accelerated the game, demanded the ball, and kept forcing Spurs backwards until they broke. He is clearly benefiting from the more advanced role Michael Carrick has given him, with the freedom to roam and influence the game higher up the pitch.
Honorable mentions - Dango Ouattara (Brentford), Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle) & Ilia Gruev (Leeds)
Moment of the Matchday
Rayan Cherki's non-goal madness against Liverpool
An extraordinary moment for all the unusual reasons. Rayan Cherki’s non-goal stands out because moments like that just don’t happen all the time. In stoppage time at Anfield with Liverpool chasing an equaliser, when Alisson was upfield, Cherki’s shot from inside his own half rolled into the net as if City had completed the comeback and sealed a scoreline that would’ve been shockingly emphatic, only for VAR to review the sequence and rule it out due to a series of fouls involving Dominik Szoboszlai's and Erling Haaland's one-on-one race for the ball, which saw Szoboszlai sent off and the goal wiped off the board, a decision that neither team liked. When was the last time a referee made a decision that benefited neither teams? It was the kind of sequence that would’ve rewritten headlines. Even though it didn’t stand, it perfectly captured the madness of those closing stages, a moment that summed up just how fine the margins were in a game that could shape the title race.
Looking Ahead – Matchday 26 Fixtures (IST Kick-offs)
Wednesday, 11 February (IST)
Chelsea vs Leeds - 1:00 am
Everton vs Bournemouth - 1:00 am
Tottenham vs Newcastle - 1:00 am
West Ham vs Manchester United - 1:45 am
Thursday, 12 February (IST)
Aston Villa vs Brighton - 1:00 am
Crystal Palace vs Burnley - 1:00 am
Manchester City vs Fulham - 1:00 am
Nottingham Forest vs Wolves - 1:00 am
Sunderland vs Liverpool - 1:45 am
Friday, 13 February (IST)
Brentford vs Arsenal - 1:30 am
Thursday, 19 February (IST)
Wolves vs Arsenal - 1:30 am
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