EVERTON vs TOTTENHAM (Feat. Rodger Armstrong)
It's the biggest game in the world.
OK, it may not be the very biggest game across world football this weekend, but consider one important factor: I’ll be there.
Yes, The Football Weekend will venture to Goodison Park on Sunday as EVERTON host TOTTENHAM in the Premier League. It’s been a strange few years for the home side, no doubt about it. Farhad Moshiri’s tumultuous ownership of the club has ended, and the Friedkin Group is coming in. The Sean Dyche era is over, too, and former stalwart David Moyes has returned to the manager’s chair. Plus, it’s Everton’s last season at Goodison, their home since 1892.
Joining us to trace all this—and tell me what I can expect to see in the Gwladys Street End this weekend—is podcaster and Everton fan Rodger Armstrong of Blue Monday, a production of The Blue Room podcast:
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MORE MATCHES WORTH WATCHING
NEWCASTLE vs BOURNEMOUTH
Sat @ 7:30am ET, 12:30pm UK
The hosts are the form team in the Premier League at present, winning six in a row to surge into the Champions League places. The Magpies have pecked away at Chelsea just as the West Londoners were losing their touch, and now they’ve jumped above them. Add in a 2-0 away victory over Arsenal in the League Cup, and it’s good times indeed for Eddie Howe’s side. Bournemouth are a legitimate test, however: Andoni Iraola’s outfit are undefeated in nine.
BRENTFORD vs LIVERPOOL
Sat @ 10am ET, 3pm UK
Just when many observers started blowing their trumpets to mark the Liverpool title procession, the Reds have started dropping points. Arne Slot is still undefeated in the league since that defeat to Nottingham Forest back in September, but the draw last time out against the same side was their fourth in seven matches. Arsenal finally capitalized in midweek, making up two points on the leaders, and now the pressure’s on as they head to one of the tougher venues in the league. Brentford are not to be trifled with as Man City found out a few days ago, and this one will test Liverpool’s mettle.
ARSENAL vs ASTON VILLA
Sat @ 12:30pm ET, 5:30pm UK
As mentioned, the Gunners finally punished Liverpool for dropping points this week. It only required winning the North London derby, though the Gunners made hard work of it. Not only did they concede a go-ahead goal from Son Heung-min against the run of play, they struggled to put the game away having turned things around and made it 2-1. They’ll need to be more clinical against the Villa, who are a far superior side to Tottenham. Ollie Watkins is coming into the kind of form that eluded him across the first half of the season, and Unai Emery loves to match up with his old employers and Mikel Arteta, the man who replaced him.
ATALANTA vs NAPOLI
Sat @ 2:45pm ET, 7:45pm UK
This might be the biggest match of the weekend, even if Atalanta have fallen from the very pinnacle of Serie A. Three successive draws have seen the Bergamo side slip to third, as reigning champions Inter overtook them and their opponents here seized first place. The Neapolitans are seriously back under Antonio Conte, though they’ll have to weather a bizarre storm: Their star creative force of the last few seasons, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, is reportedly moving to PSG in this January transfer window.
MAN UNITED vs BRIGHTON
Sun @ 9am ET, 2pm UK
For all of you who dare to tune out of the EVERTON vs TOTTENHAM encounter—and risk missing this writer’s mug popping up on TV—there’s another quite intriguing Premier League encounter available. Ruben Amorim looked in severe halftime distress on Thursday as United went into the break 1-0 down to rock-bottom Southampton, but a stunning hat trick from exploding star Amad Diallo brought them storming back. They’ll hope to build on that against Brighton, a frankly inexplicable team. They seem good and also not. They’ve drawn six and won just one of their last nine matches, but they can hurt anybody on their day. This one could be end-to-end.
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