Premier League: Gameweek 26 recap

• We look at the major talking points of the Premier League gameweek 26.

We look at the major talking points of the Premier League gameweek 26.

John Stones is back in form

John Stones Photo/ The Independent

The center-back, who plays a hybrid role between the backline and midfield, was the star performance as Manchester City defeated Bournemouth to cut the lead on leaders Liverpool. Under Pep Guardiola’s direction, Stones is allowed to roam wherever he sees necessary, creating room for teammates with deft inversions into the engine compartment and lung-busting sprints forward.

Stones‘ ability to adjust to Guardiola’s particular demands last season allowed City to win three trophies, and the 29-year-old will be essential to the team’s hopes of retaining those crowns. With Stones on their side, the Citizens are more adaptable, unpredictable, and—most importantly—more in charge.

Throughout the final stretch, Gareth Southgate will be closely monitoring Stones and hoping the defender can avoid any further injuries. In the summer, England’s prospects of winning a European Championship may rest on Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, but Stones is unquestionably the most important player on the team.

Arsenal overcome Porto setback

Arsenal’s season took a knock as they lost midweek in Porto. It was a dismal evening at The Estádio do Dragão, as the Gunners failed to register a single shot on goal.

With a convincing victory over Newcastle, Arsenal made sure their performance in Portugal was forgotten, contrasting it with their current Premier League record. With no side in the division having scored more goals in 2024, the Gunners become the first team in Premier League history to score two or more goals in seven straight halves of play.

Ahead of the team’s championship push, Mikel Arteta’s team should be encouraged by their ability to score goals freely and have the best defensive record in the Premier League since the year’s beginning.

In front of a stretch of games that may decide their season, Arsenal has found its groove. Next up is the visit from Porto back to the Emirates on March 12 followed by Sheffield United and Brentford. The remaining five games for Arsenal include trips to Chelsea and Manchester City, and the North London team could not be starting this time of year in better shape.

New manager bounce at Palace?

Oliver Glasner Photo/ Premier League

The Eagles defeated Burnley to create a cushion between themselves and the bottom three, setting up a fantastic start to Oliver Glasner’s tenure at Crystal Palace. In his first game, Burnley gave the South Londoners a clear edge at Selhurst Park, providing the new head coach with the most friendly opponent he could have asked for.

Josh Brownhill was given a first-half red card for a last-man challenge after James Trafford’s shoddy pass out of the back placed the midfield player in difficulty. Jordan Ayew, Jean-Philippe Mateta, and Chris Richards scored goals for Palace in the second half as they overcame Burnley a man up and secured a crucial three points.

When the game was goalless, Glasner introduced Matheus Franca, and he deserves credit for it. The Brazilian has only made one Premier League start since joining from Flamengo for a €20 million price last summer.

The 19-year-old, nevertheless, was excellent coming off the bench, winning the penalty and setting up one goal. He might offer some much-needed originality when Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze were away.

Muniz finding form at Forest

Rodrigo Muniz Photo/ Evening Standard

Keep Armando Broja in your thoughts. In January, the attacker, who had few options at Chelsea but failed to impress Mauricio Pochettino, inked a loan deal with Fulham in an attempt to get regular playing time.

A significant and unforeseen barrier has appeared in Broja’s way of earning Premier League minutes since he moved from the blue to the white side of West London. After a somewhat disappointing two and a half seasons in English football, Rodrigo Muniz has blossomed at Fulham amid the competition from the on-loan Albanian.

Muniz made it four goals in three games after netting his first Premier League goal against Burnley earlier this month. He then scored twice more against Bournemouth and once more against Aston Villa. The 22-year-old demonstrated against Manchester United this past weekend that he is not dependent on scoring goals to be productive, putting up what may have been the best performance of the game at Old Trafford.

The Manchester United defense had no answer for Muniz, who provided Fulham with a focal point with forceful play with his back to the goal. He put Andre Onana to the test with a headed effort from a set-piece, then bullied Victor Lindelof off the ball and struck the crossbar with another spin-moving shot. A rough diamond that is starting to show through in Marco Silva’s life.