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P.ublished 2nd February 2026
sports
What’s On This Week 2nd-5th February
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Image by Tim Bastian from Pixabay
Two cup semifinals, a relegation six-pointer and the maiden voyage into one of the best tournaments in British sports are all ahead this midweek.
The first action of the week is the EFL Cup semi-final, where Arsenal look to make the most of a goal up on aggregate and home advantage as Chelsea take the short trip to the Emirates for a hopefully memorable London derby.
The Gunners left the first leg with a 3-2 victory, which Arteta will be hoping is enough to guide his side to their first EFL Cup final in eight years.
If their form is anything to go by, it should be no challenge, as Arsenal have only lost one in their last 15 and look in pole position to capture the Premier League title. With their place in the top spot being extended following a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Leeds at the weekend.
Chelsea are also on a good run of form under new manager Liam Rosenior, with five straight victories, including their last league fixture against West Ham, which ended 3-2 after the Blues mounted a valiant comeback from two goals down.
The only match the ex-Strasbourg boss has lost in the first leg of the semifinal, revenge will likely be on the mind of all at Chelsea, especially if it will dent one of their bitterest rivals’ hopes of a domestic clean sweep.
Arsenal have shown that they are far removed from their previous stereotype of toothlessness, but much is still to be shown in terms of capturing silverware. If Arteta and Arsenal make it to their first final since 2020, this tournament is their first chance to prove doubters wrong.
Time: 20:00
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
The second semifinal comes next with two more titans meeting for a chance at the first final of the season.
Man City has the advantage of being two goals up from the first leg after goals from new signings Semenyo and Cherki secured victory on Tyneside.
City have not let their chase of the Premier League title deter them from deep cup runs, but they have looked slightly shaky. Losing back-to-back matches to bitter rivals Manchester United and minnows Bodo/Glimt would not have done wonders for the confidence, but Guardiola’s men did react with victories over Wolves and Galatasaray.
The two losses were the first defeats in 13 matches but have shown the cracks in a City team that at times seems unshakeable.
Newcastle will look to take advantage of any weaknesses as the reigning champions travel to Manchester to revive their title retention hopes at a time when their league form looks to be taking a dip after back-to-back losses to Aston Villa and Liverpool.
The Magpies are now tenth in the Premier League with a six-point gap to the European spots, which is not where they want to be if they are to continue to cement themselves as the elite in English football.
More silverware would be more like it for Howe’s men, but with a mountain to climb in Manchester, it could be a step too far to repeat their heroic feats in last year’s final, or it could be the start of another fairytale story.
Time: 20:00
Venue: Etihad Stadium, Manchester
The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
The Darts Premier League is finally back with a new lineup of the best of the best competing to see who will be crowned champion in May.
This first night is a chance to right wrongs of the previous year and cement 2026 as a year of change, or an opportunity to build on momentum built and make a deep run in a league that could make or break reputations and careers.
One man looking to prove himself is Stephen Bunting, the undeniable fans' favourite who has been ripping up the world of darts recently with his loveable presence that has delighted old and new darts fans alike.
That has come with its drawbacks recently, though, with what was a stop-start 2025 for the Bullet, who reached the semifinal of the World Championship and won the Bahrain and Nordic Darts Masters before also claiming the win in the Swiss Darts Trophy.
Since then, he has been struggling to establish himself and was eliminated from the third round of the 2026 World Championship, losing to James Hurrell 4-3. When the lineup for this year’s Premier League was released, many were sceptical of Bunting’s inclusion following his poor showing last time out when he finished dead last on 12 points.
Hoping to prove those sceptics right on day one is Michael Van Gerwen, a bona fide darting legend, seven-time Premier League winner and three-time World Champion. Despite his many accolades, he also ended his 2026 World Championship with a whimper, losing 4-1 to Gary Anderson in the fourth round, which signalled Van Gerwen’s earliest exit in the competition for a decade.
His Premier League campaign was no more successful, as Van Gerwen finished four points outside the playoffs in fifth place.
Following these untimely exits, Van Gerwen did go on to lift his 17th World Series title at the Bahrain Masters and made it to the final of the Saudi Darts Masters, where he lost to Littler.
With both men looking to make 2026 a fruitful year, a good start in the Premier League could be vital. It would take a lot for Bunting to win this battle after undoubtedly losing confidence following his 4-0 beating by Danny Noppert, which knocked him out of the World Masters last week.
But darts is becoming a more challenging sport to predict, and with the standard these two are capable of, anything is possible as we welcome back one of the biggest competitions in darts.
Time: 20:40
Venue: Utilita Arena, Newcastle
The match will be shown on Sky Sports Darts.
The bottom end of the Premier League is becoming more fraught with drama as the weeks tick by, with the gap between survival and doom at times feeling insurmountable and at others within reach.
Leeds and Forest currently occupy the two spots above the relegation zone and are both on 26 points, with only one point separating them.
Leeds were on an impressive run of form at the end of 2025 with five undefeated and highlight wins over Chelsea and Crystal Palace as well as impressive draws against Sunderland and Liverpool, but 2026 has been a slight dampener, as the Whites have won just one league match.
Losing 4-3 in a dramatic affair at St James’ Park and being hammered 4-0 at home to Arsenal has chipped their gap to West Ham in 18th down to six points, which could have been fewer if West Ham had not given up a 2-0 lead to Chelsea at the weekend.
That defeat was their first at Elland Road since November, but Daniel Frake will be hoping his side can move on quickly from what was an expected defeat and reap revenge on Forest, who claimed the victory in the reverse fixture at The City Ground.
Forest are currently experiencing a strong performance streak, remaining unbeaten in their last four league matches, which includes impressive victories over West Ham and Brentford, as well as a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace that has extended their lead over the relegation zone to six points.
Sean Dyche’s side have also been performing well in their Europa League campaign, finishing 13th and making it through to the next phase after winning four from eight matches, capping off their league phase with a 4-0 win over Ferencvaros.
Points are hard to come by at the bottom end of the table, but a good result in this one will create a sense of security for at least another week for two teams constantly looking over their shoulder.
Time: 20:00
Venue: Elland Road, Leeds
The match will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League.