#premier-league

#premier-league

Andy Davies (@andydaviesref) is a former Select Group referee, with over 12 seasons on the elite list, working across the Premier League and Championship. With extensive experience at the elite level, he has operated within the VAR space in the Premier League and offers a unique insight into the processes, rationale and protocols that are delivered on a Premier League matchday.

Just five months after Tommy Watson's dramatic stoppage-time winner against Sheffield United at Wembley - and some seven years since dropping down to League One - the Black Cats are now flying high in fourth in the top flight, with another late winner at Chelsea arguably their most impressive yet of their five victories so far.

Starting with the hosts, while Tottenham might have put in a rampant performance away at Everton last weekend as they stormed their way to a 3-0 victory on Merseyside, Spurs came crashing back down to earth on Wednesday night. Watching their EFL Cup adventure come to an end as they slumped to a 2-0 loss against Newcastle, Thomas Frank's men are seeking some recent stability.

Watch Brighton v Leeds as the Seagulls look to bounce back following last weekend's defeat against Manchester United, with all the information on live streams and TV channels in this guide. Brighton v Leeds key information Date: Saturday, 1 November 2025 Kick-off time: 3:00pm BST / 10:00am ET Venue: Amex Stadium, Brighton TV & Streaming: Peacock (US), Stan Sport (Australia) Watch from anywhere: Get NordVPN's Black Friday deal

The striker wants a solution in the January transfer window with a move away from Old Trafford highly likely, sources close to the agents industry have informed CaughtOffside. The club, meanwhile, are looking to cash in, with an asking price in the 35-40 million range. United hold advantage at the moment with the player contracted to the club till June 2029. Zirkzee has made five appearances for the Red Devils so far this season.

Whether it's questioning Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo's ability to perform on a cold, rainy night in the Potteries, or being written off as a team of agricultural bruisers and set-piece behemoths, Stoke fans of that era heard it all. But according to former Stoke midfielder Rory Delap, this physicality on its own was not enough to see the Potters establish themselves as a Premier League team and enjoy a ten-year spell in the top flight.

Last season, all three promoted sides in the Premier League were relegated. The season before that, all three promoted sides were relegated. The fear was that the gulf between the Premier League and Championship had become too big, with the increasing stratification of the English game essentially making it impossible for the promoted sides to survive, much less to thrive.

However, in recent weeks, they have turned around their form and with four Premier League wins in a row, they have managed to accumulate equal points as defending champions Liverpool at the moment. Both Villa and Liverpool have 15 points so far this season and both of them will come up against each other in the Premier League this coming weekend.

The Boxing Day footballing feast that is usually served up for Premier League fans across the country is set to be cancelled for 2025. No-one has been placed on the naughty list and been delivered coal, but due to Boxing Day falling on a Friday and scheduling conflicts it means that the traditional full-slate of fixtures will not occur this year.

The spirit of Stoke City's legendary ball flinger lives on with the long throw-in enjoying a renaissance in the Premier League this season. Indeed, statistics show that the number of long throw-ins per match has more than doubled from last season, pointing to a very real and meaningful trend. It's a trend bemoaned by some, including Jamie Carragher, who in his punditry has taken issue with the way long throw-ins disrupt the game (the game's lawmakers are considering taking action too).

West Ham have been quite disappointing in the Premier League, and losing one of their best players would be a blow for them. It remains to be seen whether they are prepared to let him leave in January. The Hammers will be desperate to secure safety in the Premier League this season. They will not want to go down to the Championship. They need to keep their best players in order to survive.

I love him. He's a fantastic player. He will be unbelievable, trust me. Hopefully, he will be patient. Hopefully, he'll have good people around him, agent, family, whatever. Hopefully, the coach sees his quality like everybody sees him. I'm sure that everybody sees his quality, and they'll give him that time that he needs to fit into the team. And I guarantee you, he's going to be a success.