The 2022/2023 Premier League season is now into its twentieth game week, and the entertainment continues to be relentless and thoroughly enjoyable.

As a result, we will be breaking down each round of fixtures by picking out 3 of the biggest talking points, covering the biggest results, goals and general talking points from the week. We then will round off by picking our player of the week and game of the week based on what we saw in that round of games.

Let us know over on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) if you have seen anything in a game that you think we should be talking about, or have anything to share from what you’ve seen at a game that week. Any funny stories, tactical analysis or general comments will be featured.

Arsenal Statement

Arsenal’s trip to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 15 January 2023 felt like one of those fixtures that could shape the mood of an entire season. In a derby crackling with tension and history, the Gunners delivered a composed and authoritative 2–0 win to extend their lead at the top of the table. An early Hugo Lloris own goal settled the nerves before Martin Ødegaard’s crisp strike from distance capped a dominant first half. For a side chasing its first league title in nearly two decades, this was the kind of victory that signalled both maturity and momentum.

What made Arsenal’s performance so impressive was how controlled it felt. They moved the ball with assurance, pressed intelligently, and handled the emotional weight of a hostile away ground with surprising calm. Ødegaard was the standout performer, pulling strings from midfield and dictating the rhythm of the game like a seasoned captain. The back line, too, looked unfazed, dealing with Spurs’ sporadic bursts forward without losing structure.

The match produced its share of off-field flashpoints, most notably when a Tottenham supporter confronted and kicked Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale after the final whistle. The incident cast an unfortunate shadow over an otherwise memorable day for the league leaders and prompted renewed conversations about player safety. Yet amid the noise, what endured for Arsenal fans was the sense that their team had passed a major test.

For Spurs, the defeat heightened frustration around their inconsistency and inability to control games against top opponents. For Arsenal, it was a statement: not just of local superiority, but of genuine title credentials. This was the day many supporters began to believe that something special might just be brewing.

Mid-Table Upheaval

While the title race dominated headlines, game week 20 also delivered drama further down the table. Nottingham Forest secured a massive three points with a spirited 2–0 win over Leicester City. Forest, still knitting together a heavily revamped squad, showed the grit and collective purpose that had begun to steer them away from the relegation zone. The atmosphere at the City Ground was electric, and the performance matched it, full of energy, aggression, and the belief that they belonged at this level.

Forest’s victory was more than just another win; it was a sign of confidence returning under Steve Cooper. A side that had leaked goals early in the campaign suddenly looked compact and well-drilled. Going forward, their transitions were sharp and purposeful, giving their season a jolt at just the right time. With survival on the line, small runs of form can reshape an entire campaign, and this was exactly that kind of moment.

Wolves, too, produced a big result by claiming a narrow but deserved 1–0 win over West Ham. It was the sort of hard-fought victory that they had struggled to grind out earlier in the season. Under new management, Wolves had been searching for composure in the final third and resilience at the back, and this match offered encouraging signs on both fronts. The goal may have been the difference on paper, but the performance felt like a step toward stability.

These mid-table and lower-table clashes highlighted how volatile the Premier League can be. A single weekend can rearrange the mood around multiple clubs, from panic to hope, from doubt to momentum. Forest and Wolves reminded everyone that the survival fight is its own kind of theatre, often just as compelling as the battles at the summit.

Shifting Narratives

Beyond the headline fixtures, Week 20 delivered a slew of results that underlined the league’s competitive edge. Newcastle’s narrow 1–0 win over Fulham kept their push for Champions League football on track, although they rode their luck at times. Chelsea, under heavy scrutiny, edged past Crystal Palace with a much-needed 1–0 victory that steadied the ship, if only slightly. And Brentford continued their impressive run with a confident win over Bournemouth, showing yet again that they were becoming one of the most organised and underrated sides in the division.

In the lower half of the table, matches like Everton versus Southampton carried enormous weight. Southampton’s victory piled yet more pressure on Everton and left Goodison Park simmering with tension. Brighton’s impressive win over Liverpool added another twist to the season’s evolving narrative, reinforcing Brighton’s credentials as one of the league’s smartest operators and raising more questions about Liverpool’s inconsistency.

What made the weekend so compelling was how many results carried narrative consequences that stretched beyond the immediate score line. A win for a struggling side suggested a possible turning point; a defeat for a big club signalled deeper issues brewing beneath the surface. Everywhere you looked, teams were either reinforcing their season’s story or rewriting it entirely.

By Sunday evening, the picture across the league had shifted, not just at the top where Arsenal surged ahead, but in the congested middle and the tense relegation scrap. Week 20 was a reminder that in the Premier League, every fixture has the power to reframe expectations, alter trajectories, and ignite fresh debates. And that, ultimately, is what makes the league so addictive.

Matchday 20 Player of the Week: Solly March With 2 goals and assist in the 3-0 hammering of Liverpool, March also created the most chances in the game as Liverpool lost again and Brighton looked impressive.

Matchday 20 Game of the Week: Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City With United claiming bragging rights in the derby, 2 goals inside of 4 minutes turned the game on it’s head as United produced a solid comeback to claim a huge win and morale boosting display.

Let us know over on Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) what you made of the twentieth round of fixtures, and what you’re looking forward to in the next game week.