Honestly, if you thought today was going to be a quiet Saturday on the couch, you clearly haven't looked at the fixture list. Between the Premier League title race getting messier by the minute and the NFL playoffs serving up absolute heartbreakers, football games happening today are basically a masterclass in why we love this sport—and why it stresses us out so much.
It's January 17, 2026. The weather in Europe is miserable, the transfer window is wide open, and the stakes are through the roof.
The Premier League Is Eating Itself
Let’s start in England because, frankly, what happened at Anfield today is going to be talked about for weeks. Liverpool hosted Burnley in a game everyone—and I mean everyone—penciled in as a home win. Instead? A 1-1 draw that felt like a funeral.
Burnley’s low block was a nightmare. Liverpool threw everything at them, but they looked leggy. This gives Arsenal a massive opening, even though the Gunners were held to a 0-0 stalemate by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground earlier. It's like nobody actually wants to win the league this year.
- Chelsea 2-0 Brentford: Finally, some signs of life at Stamford Bridge.
- Sunderland 2-1 Crystal Palace: The Black Cats are actually putting together a decent run.
- Tottenham 1-2 West Ham: A London derby that lived up to the noise. Spurs fans are going to be fuming about that defending for the second goal.
You’ve also got the Manchester Derby looming large. The tension in the city is basically vibrating. With City and United both trying to claw back points after a shaky December, that match is basically a six-pointer with extra spice.
The Bundesliga Just Saw a Massacre
If you want to talk about "statements," look at what Bayern Munich just did to RB Leipzig. 5-1. In Leipzig.
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It started out looking like a disaster for Bayern. They were 1-0 down at the half, and Leipzig looked like they might actually hand Bayern their first loss of the season. Then Jamal Musiala came on. Remember, the kid just came back from a broken leg suffered against PSG at the Club World Cup. He looked like he hadn't missed a day.
Michael Olise was the real story, though. Coming off the bench to grab three assists and a goal? That’s some video game stuff right there. Captain Manuel Neuer called the team's desire "unbelievable," and he’s not wrong. They ran six kilometers more than Leipzig in the second half alone.
Europe’s Other Giants: Lens Is for Real
In France, RC Lens is officially the story of the season. They beat Auxerre 1-0 today thanks to a Wesley Saïd volley that was, quite frankly, disgusting. That’s ten wins in a row. Ten. They are sitting at the top of Ligue 1, and while PSG has a game in hand (and a 3-0 win over Lille from Friday), Lens doesn't look like they’re going away.
Toulouse also put five past Nice today. 5-1. Elye Wahi scored for Nice, but it didn't matter because Toulouse’s attack is currently on fire. They’ve scored 29 goals in 18 rounds, their best start since the late 90s.
Over in Spain, Real Madrid did what Real Madrid does. They beat Levante 2-0 at the Bernabeu. It wasn't flashy, but it was efficient. Osasuna and Real Oviedo played a five-goal thriller (3-2 for Osasuna), which is exactly the kind of chaotic mid-table La Liga energy we need.
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Serie A: The Old Lady Stumbles
Cagliari 1-0 Juventus.
Read that again.
The Unipol Domus was rocking as Juventus struggled to find any sort of rhythm. It’s a massive blow for their Scudetto hopes. Meanwhile, Inter Milan scraped a 1-0 win against Udinese, and Napoli did the same against Sassuolo. The gap at the top of the Italian table is tightening, and Juve is the one looking over their shoulder right now.
NFL Divisional Round: Heartbreak in Denver
Switching shapes of the ball for a second because we have to talk about the Denver Broncos. They just beat the Buffalo Bills 33-30 in an overtime thriller at Empower Field at Mile High.
This game had everything. Josh Allen had four turnovers. The Broncos blew a 13-point lead. Matt Prater, at age 41, nailed a 50-yarder with 5 seconds left to force overtime.
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But the victory is bittersweet. Bo Nix, the guy who has been the heartbeat of this Denver turnaround, is out. He broke his ankle in the win. Sean Payton had to come back to the podium after the game to tell the press that Nix is done for the playoffs. Jarrett Stidham is now the man tasked with taking Denver to the AFC Championship.
And don't overlook the Seahawks. They absolutely demolished the 49ers 41-6. It wasn't even a contest. Seattle is heading to the NFC Championship looking like the most dangerous team left in the bracket.
Key Insights for Today's Results
If you're looking at the big picture of football games happening today, a few things are becoming very clear.
First, the "gap" between the top and bottom of the Premier League is effectively gone. When Burnley can go to Anfield and take a point, and Forest can shut out Arsenal, the "Big Six" label feels more like a marketing term than a reality.
Second, Bayern Munich is inevitable. Even with injuries, even with a deficit, they have a gear that no one else in Germany can find. Musiala’s return is the scariest thing that could happen to the rest of Europe.
Finally, in the NFL, the "next man up" philosophy is about to be tested in Denver. Winning your first playoff game in a decade only to lose your franchise QB in the same hour is a level of sports cruelty that's hard to process.
To keep up with the shifting lines, watch the injury reports for Musiala's minutes and Stidham's practice reps this week. In the Premier League, keep an eye on the fatigue levels of the top four—the mid-January slump is officially here. If you're betting or just following along, look for value in the defensive underdogs in Ligue 1; the "Lens effect" is making every mid-table French side play like their lives depend on it.