While week 25 of the season began on Valentine’s Day, there was no love lost between the Premier League sides, as Brighton stunned Chelsea on Friday night, Manchester City hammered Newcastle on Saturday, and Liverpool edged past Wolves on Sunday as they look to maintain their top spot.

As always, in this post we will be picking out 3 of the biggest talking points of the weekend, along with giving out the game of the week and player of the week awards. If we’ve missed something in this post that you saw over the weekend please do get in touch with us on all the usual places (Bluesky @NextGoalWinner – Instagram @NextGoalWin), and if you prefer an audio round up of the action then do check out our YouTube channel (@NextGoalWinner) where we post weekly reviews on there of all the key talking points in the Premier League and around Europe.

City Look Dominant

When Manchester City hosted Newcastle United at the Etihad, there was a tangible tension in the air. City had been inconsistent in recent weeks, and questions were swirling about whether Pep Guardiola’s side had lost their edge. What followed was the perfect answer, a rampant 4-0 win capped by a stunning 14-minute first-half hat-trick from Omar Marmoush. The Egyptian forward, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt in January, produced one of the season’s standout individual displays, finishing with precision, pace, and composure.

Marmoush’s first was a delightful lob over the keeper after timing his run perfectly; his second came from a clinical low strike inside the box, and his third, a cool side-footed effort, sent the Etihad crowd into raptures. Beyond the goals, City looked like their old selves, sharp in transition, composed in midfield, and ruthless in attack. Kevin De Bruyne dictated play, Phil Foden sparkled between the lines, and defensively they rarely looked troubled.

This win mattered far more than just the three points. It re-established City’s top-four credentials and suggested that, even after a rocky spell, Guardiola’s men are still capable of going on a late-season charge. Marmoush’s performance also hinted at a new attacking dimension for City, someone to share the goalscoring load and stretch defences in a way Erling Haaland’s absence had sometimes left lacking.

For the neutral, it was a reminder that Manchester City remain football’s great chameleons, able to adapt, evolve, and re-ignite just when people begin to doubt them. For their rivals, it was a warning: the champions aren’t done yet.

Chelsea’s Collapse

Friday night at the Amex brought another chapter in Chelsea’s bewildering campaign. Despite dominating possession, nearly 70% of it, the Blues barely laid a glove on Brighton and ended up on the wrong side of a bruising 3-0 defeat. It was a performance that left manager Enzo Maresca visibly frustrated on the touchline, as his team once again played plenty of neat football without purpose or penetration.

Brighton, on the other hand, were everything Chelsea weren’t: organised, energetic, and clinical. They soaked up pressure intelligently and struck with precision on the counterattack. Kaoru Mitoma and João Pedro tormented Chelsea’s full-backs, while Pascal Groß and Billy Gilmour ran the midfield with quiet authority. It was the sort of win that defines Brighton’s identity under their evolving setup, smart, disciplined, and opportunistic against bigger-budget sides.

For Chelsea, the concerns go deeper than one bad night. There’s a pattern of sterile domination, impressive passing sequences that end with very little threat. The defeat exposed a lack of chemistry and attacking fluency, two things the club desperately needs to address if they want to salvage anything from the season.

For Brighton, though, it was a proud statement. They reminded everyone that the so-called “smaller” clubs in the Premier League can outthink and outplay the giants on their day. It also reinforced their European ambitions, proving once more that the South Coast club remains one of the league’s most intelligently run and competitive outfits.

Everton Are Resurgent

While most eyes were glued to the title race, a quieter but equally compelling story was unfolding at Selhurst Park. Everton, revitalised under David Moyes, secured another vital win, a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace, to continue their remarkable turnaround. Since Moyes’ return to Goodison Park, the Toffees have rediscovered their identity: disciplined, physical, and direct when it matters.

It wasn’t a pretty performance, but it was full of the hallmarks of a Moyes team, defensive organisation, quick transitions, and fight. January loanee Carlos Alcaraz grabbed the late winner, and his energetic midfield display summed up Everton’s current mood: determined, united, and quietly confident. After spending much of the early season flirting with the relegation zone, they’ve now climbed comfortably into mid-table, and the mood around the club has lifted significantly.

Moyes deserves credit for simplifying things. He’s tightened the defence, given Dominic Calvert-Lewin more consistent support, and re-introduced a sense of work ethic that had drifted in recent seasons. Everton now look like a side that knows what it is again, tough to break down and always in with a chance.

The wider impact of this resurgence shouldn’t be understated. The mid-table race is tightening, and Everton’s form has injected new life into that battle. In a season where momentum can change everything, Moyes’ steady hand might just be steering the Toffees toward one of the more impressive comebacks of the campaign.

Game of the week: Brighton 3-0 Chelsea While Friday night football doesn’t always grab the attention, this clash between Brighton and Chelsea could prove hugely important come the closing stage of the season. Brighton went ahead early in the game, leading 2-0 at half-time before adding the third shortly into the second period. Brighton will be hoping this confidence building win can help them push on for European qualification, while Chelsea will need to recover quickly if they are to claim a top 5 spot.

Player of the week: Omar Marmoush While Marmoush hasn’t seen the very best of City since his arrival, this showing helped put City back on the radar as a strong contender to qualify for Champions League football once again despite their mid-season wobbles. A hattrick against a strong Newcastle side showed his quality and puts City back as strong contenders to make the top 4.