Every big match of the day, previewed from the data: recent form, team news, head to head, where to watch it live and our lean — then three AI engines take over on match day.
This week in football
A column on every big match before the week starts, and the full story once it ends.
Arsenal left Anfield with a 1-0 win and the Premier League summit to themselves, while Manchester City lost at home to Brighton despite 21 shots. Lazio hit six at Sassuolo and Barcelona six against Alaves.
Liverpool v Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday 1 November caps a 20-match week across three leagues. Before it, Lazio's hold on second place in Serie A is tested at Sassuolo on Tuesday.
Read the week ahead
Match previews
Football match previews, predictions and team news · Page 7 | MATCH PULSE
Feyenoord, 26th, host Inter, 20th, in the fourth round of the Champions League league stage on Tuesday 3 November 2026, with both sides on three points. Seven home absentees and a stronger recent Inter run shape this preview.
Winless Lille, 35th of 36 with no points, travel to 28th-placed Bodo/Glimt on Tuesday 3 November 2026 in matchday four of the Champions League league phase. Both defences have leaked heavily, which shapes our lean toward a home win and goals.
Second-placed Aston Villa, with nine points from three wins, visit eighth-placed Barcelona at Spotify Camp Nou on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Our preview weighs Barcelona's high-scoring, leaky recent form against Villa's modest away scoring.
Atletico Madrid host Bayern München in matchday four of the Champions League league phase on Tuesday 3 November 2026, with both sides in the play-off places. Atletico's home defence meets Bayern's scoring run, and Bayern's injury list is long.
Charlton and Bolton meet at The Valley on Tuesday 3 November 2026, level on 14 points in 20th and 19th place. Both sides concede 2.2 goals a game over their last five, so this preview leans towards an open match.
Watford, 21st, host 16th-placed Lincoln at Vicarage Road on Tuesday 3 November 2026 in a Championship game between two leaky defences. Our preview covers form, absences and a calm lean on the result and goals.
QPR, ninth, host 22nd-placed Burnley at Loftus Road on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Our preview weighs a strong home attack against a visiting side with one win in 13 and a long absence list.
Bottom-of-the-table Preston host tenth-placed Sheffield Utd at Deepdale on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Our preview weighs a 14-point gap and two very different recent runs.
Second-placed Swansea travel to Fratton Park on Tuesday 3 November 2026 to face 11th-placed Portsmouth in the Championship. Our analysis weighs Portsmouth's unbeaten five-game run against Swansea's shaky away record.
Derby, 23rd with seven points from 13 games, host 15th-placed Norwich at Pride Park on Tuesday 3 November 2026. Our preview weighs a leaky home side against a visitor who has found some goals.
Blackburn host Stoke City at Ewood Park on Tuesday 3 November 2026 in Championship Round 14. Thirteenth faces seventh, with a home side that has won both home games in the run-in against a visitor with three clean sheets in five.
Shakhtar Donetsk meet Sporting CP at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday 3 November 2026, with 17th play second-bound 12th in the Champions League table. Our preview weighs a sound home record against a Sporting side strong away but shaky elsewhere.