Manchester City reduced Arsenal’s lead at the top to three points with a 3-0 victory over Fulham, a result that arrives before Arsenal’s next game on Thursday. The opener came from Antoine Semenyo after a cross from Matheus Nunes created the breakthrough. Six minutes later Nico O’Reilly applied a composed finish to a sweeping team move that started deep in City territory; the referee allowed the advantage to unfold when Erling Haaland was fouled in the buildup.

Haaland added the third before half-time, powering a finish beyond Bernd Leno after Rayan Aït-Nouri won the ball near the halfway line and Phil Foden played it into the Norwegian’s path. The second half saw Fulham threaten on a couple of occasions, but there was a sense that any comeback would be too late and the game fizzled out.

Rúben Dias started his first game in just over a month and his return was notable for the title race. He was last named in the XI for the 1–1 draw against Chelsea on Jan. 4 and was forcibly withdrawn shortly before City conceded the very late equaliser in that setback. Dias made a comeback off the bench against Liverpool at the weekend, but during his absence the side recorded just three clean sheets in 10 games without the 2020–21 FWA Footballer of the Year. Keeping a clean sheet on his proper return feels like a turning point.

There were questions elsewhere in defence. With no disrespect to Abdukodir Khusanov, it has not been easy on the talented 21-year-old in 2026. He is still raw himself, but has had to either be Nathan Aké’s legs or the senior man next to Max Alleyne. Marc Guéhi is still learning his new surroundings, too.

Notable performers included Gianluigi Donnarumma, Matheus Nunes, Rúben Dias, Marc Guéhi, Rayan Aït-Nouri, Bernardo Silva, Rodri, Nico O’Reilly, Antoine Semenyo, Erling Haaland and Phil Foden. Match statistics showed City 56% possession to Fulham 44%, expected goals 1.47 to 1.50, total shots 13 to 14 and passing accuracy 91% to 85%.

The Premier League has published its January 2026 shortlists for Player and Manager of the Month.

Brighton & Hove Albion’s Yasin Ayari is nominated after a productive month. The 22-year-old contributed to a goal in each of his four games across January, recording two goals and two assists.

Michael Carrick is included among the managerial nominees after a perfect start as Manchester United’s interim manager. Patrick Dorgu is cited as a key inspiration. Playing as a winger, he scored against both Arsenal and Manchester City, adding to an assist in Darren Fletcher’s league game as caretaker. Carrick oversaw two matches in January, both ending in victories over Manchester City and Arsenal.

Chelsea vice-captain Enzo Fernández featured in January’s goals, popping up at crucial moments for Liam Rosenior. Stoppage-time strikes against Manchester City and West Ham United were headline moments in a month which included a total of three goals and an assist.

Crysencio Summerville’s run also caught attention. Fernández’s late strike against West Ham United broke the heart of one of the game’s earlier scorers, Crysencio Summerville. Entering January, the Dutch winger had not scored in the Premier League since October 2024, but he now has three in his last three outings after netting against Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.

Brentford striker Igor Thiago added five goals in January, with a hat-trick against Everton and a brace versus Sunderland, and he seeks to become the first player to win the prize twice this season. Harry Wilson makes the shortlist again after goals against Chelsea, Brighton and Liverpool while approaching the end of his contract. Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz earns a first nomination after a return of three goals and an assist in a month that produced just one win in six for Liverpool.

On the managerial side, Nottingham Forest began to recover under Sean Dyche, turning four straight defeats into two wins and a draw from four fixtures, losing only to Aston Villa. Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola ended an 11-game winless run when his side beat Tottenham Hotspur 3–2, with Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers also beaten by the Cherries. Chelsea newcomer Liam Rosenior receives his first nomination after winning all three of his Premier League outings in January, seeing off Brentford, Crystal Palace and West Ham to become the fourth English manager to win their first three Premier League games.

Fulham’s proposed signing of Ricardo Pepi has been called off, leaving the United States men’s national team forward to finish the 2025–26 season with PSV. The 23-year-old Texan has scored 11 goals in 22 matches across all competitions so far this campaign.

Pepi found the net in five consecutive Eredivisie appearances between the end of November and early January. He has been sidelined for the past three weeks with a broken arm. The injury meant he would have joined Fulham injured and been unable to play until some time in March.

If Pepi’s recovery goes as expected, he should be fit in time for the USMNT’s late-March friendlies at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Belgium and Portugal. The FC Dallas youth alum will have roughly two months to build match fitness for those fixtures and for subsequent World Cup warm-ups on May 31 and June 6 against Senegal and Germany respectively, before the Group D opener on June 12 versus Paraguay.

Domestically, Pepi remains part of a PSV squad chasing a third successive Dutch league title. PSV lead nearest competitor Feyenoord by 17 points with 13 games to play, giving him an extended run of high-level matches to regain form.

Fulham’s interest this month was prompted by Pepi’s performances in what is described as a title-winning season for PSV. As long as he returns to a similar level once his arm is healed, there is no reason why the Cottagers or other suitors would not consider a move for him in the summer.

For now, Pepi will complete the season in the Netherlands, focus on his recovery and work to restore the form that attracted Premier League interest this window.