EPL Matchweek 20 Roundup: Manchester City Stumble And Liverpool Slip Further Behind In Title Defence

Matchweek 20 of the 2025–26 Premier League delivered drama, goals and crucial points across the table. From Chelsea’s late strike at the Etihad to Arsenal’s relentless charge at the summit and vital wins in the relegation battle, the weekend produced several defining moments that could shape the season ahead.

Here is a quick recap of what transpired in the league over the weekend:

1. Aston Villa's crucial win over Nottingham Forest (Aston Villa 3 - 1 Nottingham Forest)

Aston Villa bounced back from their defeat against Arsenal in the league as they defeated Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Villa netted three goals thanks to a brace from John McGinn and a goal by Ollie Watkins. Morgan Gibbs-White fired in Nottingham Forest's only goal of the match.

The victory kept Villa at third place on the Premier League points table with 42 points. Meanwhile, Forest currently sit in 17th place with 18 points.

2. Brighton defeat Burnley (Brighton 2 - 0 Burnley)

Brighton notched their first league win in five games as they defeated Burnley at home. Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari were the goal scorers for Brighton while Burnley failed to breach Brighton's defence.

The result helped Brighton claim the 10th spot in the league with 28 points. Burnley continue to struggle and remain in relegation zone at 19th place, having just 12 points.

3. Wolves finally end their winless streak

Wolverhampton Wanderers long wait for their first win of the league this season finally ended this matchweek as they defeated West Ham United at home.

Wolves headed into the match with an unwarranted record of the longest winless start to a Premier League campaign, having failed to win any of their first 19 matches.

The winless streak broke as Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-chan and Mateus Mane scored goals for the hosts. There wasn't any goal scored by West Ham as Wolves earned all three points.

Despite the win, Wolves remain at the bottom of the points table with mere 6 points. West Ham are 18th, having collected 14 points.

4. Arsenal edge past Bournemouth (Bournemouth 2 - 3 Arsenal)

Arsenal continued their red-hot form as they edged past Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.

Evanilison fired Bournemouth into an early lead, but Arsenal drew level thanks to a goal by Gabriel. Declan Rice scored two goals in the second half as Arsenal took a two-goal lead.

Eli Junior Kroupi's goal helped Bournemouth reduce the deficit to one goal but the hosts couldn't score any more goals beyond that in the match.

The win helped Arsenal retain the top spot in the league with 48 points. Bournemouth are 15th with 23 points.

5. Leeds hold Manchester United for a draw (Leeds United 1 - 1 Manchester United)

Manchester United's poor run this season continued as they held for a draw against Leeds United at Elland Road.

After a goalless first half, Brenden Aaronson opened the scoring to give Leeds the lead. However, their lead lasted for only three minutes as Matheus Cunha scored the equaliser for United.

The result helped United claim the sixth spot with 31 points. Leeds are 16th in the league with 22 points.

6. Sunderland manage a draw against Tottenham (Tottenham Hotspurs 1 - 1 Sunderland)

Sunderland's impressive run this season continued as they managed a 1-1 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Ben Davies' goal gave the hosts a first-half lead, but Brian Brobbey's goal late in the second half meant that the two teams walked away with a point each.

The result kept Sunderland inside top 10 at eighth place with 30 points. Spurs are five spots below Sunderland at 13th with only 27 points in their kitty.

7. Everton and Brentford play out a six-goal thriller (Everton 2 - 4 Brentford)

Everton and Brentford played a six-goal thriller at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Igor Thiago's hat-trick and a goal by Nathan Collins helped the visitors score four goals in the match. For Everton, goals came from Beto and Thierno Barry.

Defeat to Brentford kept Everton at 12th place with 28 points. The win took Brentford's points tally to 30 and kept them at seventh place.

8. Newcastle United win against Crystal Palace (Newcastle United 2 - O Crystal Palace)

Newcastle United defeated Crystal Palace at St. James' Park thanks to second-half goals from Bruno Guimaraes and Malick Thiaw. Newcastle's resolute defending meant that Crystal Palace failed to score any goals in the match.

The result took Newcastle inside the top-10 at ninth spot with 29 points while Crystal Palace remained 14th with 27 points.

9. Fulham draws against Liverpool (Fulham 2 - 2 Liverpool)

Fulham welcomed champions Liverpool at Craven Cottage. Former Liverpool man Harry Willson fired Fulham to a first-half lead. In the second half Florian Wirtz's goal helped Liverpool restore parity.

It looked like Liverpool were going to clinch all three points when Cody Gakpo scored a goal in the injury time. But just a few minutes later, Harrison Reed's wonder strike from distance helped Fulham score a second and secure a well-deserved draw.

Liverpool remain in fourth place with 34 points, and Fulham are 11th with 28 points.

10. Chelsea frustrate Manchester City (Man City 1-1 Chelsea)

The most significant result of the matchweek came late on Sunday night from the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City welcomed Chelsea in a big-ticket fixture.

Chelsea were playing under interim manager Calum McFarlane following the dismissal of Enzo Maresca and were winless in their last five league games.

Tijjani Reijnders' goal gave Manchester City a first-half lead and it looked like City would claim all three points but Enzo Fernández scored deep in the injury time and helped Chelsea snatch a dramatic 1-1 draw.

The result kept Manchester City at second place, but the points gap between them and Arsenal has widened to six. It is a massive jolt for City's title hopes. Meanwhile, Chelsea retained their fifth spot in the league.