⚽︎Friday, August 25: Luton Town Visit Stamford Bridge Amid Chelsea’s Billion-Dollar Madness
Plus: Kylian Mbappé's PSG homecoming, and Liverpool test Newcastle's Top Four credentials at St. James' Park.
Welcome to THE FOOTBALL WEEKEND, your Friday morning rundown of all the best matches across world football over the coming weekend in the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, and more. Get kickoff times and broadcasters, betting odds and what to watch for—all in your inbox to mark the beginning of the end of the workweek.
Brighton are top of the English pile to start the season, and they’re happy to play it up. And why not? The Seagulls are among the league’s great entertainers having posted eight goals in two games, including Kaoru Mitoma’s scything run through the Wolves defense this past weekend. The blue and white stripes are a box-office draw at the moment, but things are less rosy for some of the Premier League’s traditional powers.
Manchester United are in some disarray, as whatever transfer blueprint they had has been detonated. They’ve brought in £72 million striker Rasmus Højlund—presumably hoping he’s like Erling Haaland in more than just name—but he’s injured, and so is £60 million Mason Mount. They were looking lightweight in midfield even before the former Chelsea man went down, and now they’ve got problems in defense as well. Luke Shaw has also gone down with an injury, and while Raphaël Varane is still solid, the jury remains out on Lisandro “The Butcher” Martinez in his sophomore season. The headline, though, is that United have been unable to get Harry Maguire out the door and are set to bring 35-year-old prodigal son Jonny Evans back in. There’s talk now that Maguire—who was stripped of the captain’s armband last month—could be sixth in the depth chart at centerback. At least he’s well-compensated for his time.
Nobody’s spent money worse than Manchester United have over the last decade, but Chelsea seem determined to prove it’s possible to spend more. More on that below, though one young player the Blues were unable to secure on a 16-year contract is Michael Olisé, the 21-year-old Londoner who’s chosen instead to sign a new long-term deal at Crystal Palace. U.S. Men’s National Team captain Tyler Adams also veered away from a mooted move to West London, where Premier League newcomers Luton Town will arrive at Stamford Bridge on Friday hoping to profit on the Chelsea madness.
Which matches are you looking forward to this weekend? You can make your case in the comments below. And if you know someone who might enjoy THE FOOTBALL WEEKEND, please spread the good word by forwarding along this week’s edition!
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THE HEADLINES
Arsenal and USMNT striker Folarin Balogun is nearing a move to Monaco in Ligue 1, Fabrizio Romano reports.
Chelsea signed Serbian keeper Djordje Petrovic from the New England Revolution this week to take the club’s summer spending to £340 million. It’s an all-time record, beating the one they set in the January window. Their total across the 15 months since Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital bought the club is approaching £1 billion. They’ve sent some players out in the other direction, including to the Saudi league on premium fees, but they’ve hardly balanced the books. Is this Playing Fair Financially? Or, as Pep Guardiola put it in a press conference last week: “I couldn't sit here if we spent what Chelsea spent in the last two transfer windows—you would kill me,” he said. “We'd be under scrutiny like you couldn't imagine.”
has embedded quite a graph in a larger report on Chelsea’s numbers.
Guardiola will be away from the City squad for the next month after he underwent surgery to address “severe” back pain, the club announced Tuesday. As the schedule shakes out, though, he’ll miss just two Premier League matches. The disruption has not hampered City in the transfer market, either, as they announced the £55.5 million signing of Belgian dribbling machine Jeremy Doku this week.
Melissa Reddy of Sky Sports News is out with a report on Manchester United’s internal deliberations leading up to their ultimate decision that Mason Greenwood will not play for the club again.
Some tickets for Lionel Messi’s New York debut—well, Red Bull Arena is technically in New Jersey—have soared to upwards of $20,000 a pop on Stubhub. (Thanks to TFW Member Erin for the tip!) You can get into the corner of the upper deck for just under $400 a seat.
And now, the games…..
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THE EARLY WEEKEND: CHELSEA—LUTON TOWN
Friday 3:00pm ET on NBC Sports (USA) / 8:00pm GMT on Sky Sports Main Event
Chelsea have taken one point from two matches and surely must find their first win when they host fresh-faced Luton at Stamford Bridge. Somehow, after all that money, there are still questions about the Blues as an attacking force. Carney Chukwuemeka looks a promising trickster as he shuffles his way into the 18-yard box, while Raheem Sterling was decent in the 3-1 loss to West Ham last weekend. Is Nicolas Jackson ready to play the #9 for Chelsea, though? Is Conor Gallagher at the level in midfield? And surely Mauricio Pochettino can summon more verve and togetherness even from this haphazardly assembled squad. His Tottenham teams were vibrant and dynamic before he endured that challenging spell managing PSG.
CHELSEA-400 | DRAW+550 | LUTON+1200
Luton Town haven’t seen huge turnover in the squad since they won the Championship Playoff Final in May, and the question as usual for a newly promoted club is whether they’ve done enough in the transfer market to cope with the physicality and the technical intensity of the Premier League. Marvelous Nakamba was the only one with real experience in the top flight among those who started the loss against Brighton two weeks ago. (Luton had a bye last week as their stadium renovations weren’t finished in time to host Burnley.) The Hatters will be hoping Carlton Morris’s 20 goals at Championship level last season will translate to something significant against Prem defenses. He looked an aerial threat last time out and dispatched a penalty.
LIGUE 1: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN—LENS
Saturday 3:00pm ET on beIN Sports / 8:00pm GMT on TNT Sports 1
Kylian Mbappé celebrated his goal with defiance on his return from PSG exile against Toulouse last week. He’s nearing the end of a tumultuous summer where the superstar attacking triumvirate in Paris has splintered: Lionel Messi took his talents to Miami, Neymar Jr. took his to Riyadh, and Mbappé himself seemed halfway out the door for weeks on end. The previous summer’s dalliance with Real Madrid combined with the French phenom’s declaration he would not extend his contract beyond the year he’s got left saw club management go scorched earth on him, banishing him from the squad with the not-so-subtle message that he would not be permitted to go somewhere on a Bosman next summer.
PSG-175 | DRAW+335 | LENS+440
PSG wanted to recoup some of the reported €180 million they spent to bring Mbappé to Paris from Monaco in 2017, but the player passed on a Giant Sack of Cash from Saudi (numbers like €300 million were thrown around in the press) and Real never came through with a bid. So in Paris he stays, at least for now, the man best positioned to step into the space at the pinnacle of the game that Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have finally begun to vacate after all those years. The transfer rumors were still swirling this week as PSG prepared to face last season’s runners up, Lens, who finished just one point behind the (inevitable) champions. It’s an early test, even if les sang et or (the blood and gold, for the Lens kit colors) have lost key contributors Loïs Openda and Seko Fofana this summer. Mbappé himself will be under strict examination: How will he be received in his first match back home at the Parc des Princes after last season’s fan protests and the summer shenanigans that followed?
PREMIER LEAGUE: BURNLEY—ASTON VILLA
Sunday 9:00am ET on Peacock
Tough luck for folks in the United Kingdom, as this one looks a tastier match than Sheffield United-Man City in the same time window. The Clarets host the Claret-and-Blue in a reminder that, particularly when you factor in West Ham and (yes) Scunthorpe United, the English really love this color scheme. This matchup is not just trivia fodder, to be clear: both these teams can really play on their day, with Villa in particular looking a force going forward across their first two games this season. They’ve got electric pace in new signing Moussa Diaby and they battered Everton last time out, though Unai Emery will harbor some concern over how they shipped five to Newcastle on the opening weekend.
BURNLEY+240 | DRAW+265 | VILLA+118
Vincent Kompany never had much trouble with Emery’s Arsenal teams as a player at Man City, and he will look to continue that trend as a manager. This is really the first opportunity to judge his team at Premier League level having watched them completely dominate the Championship last season. Burnley’s match last week was postponed, and they took a 3-0 hiding from City on the opening day—not a result that tells us much. As far as threats, Manuel Benson scored 14 goals across all competitions from midfield last term and will be looking to wack something with his left foot if he gets the chance. But while Burnley will play some slick stuff, they’ve got to find the killer instinct now that last season’s top scorer, Nathan Tella, has returned to Southampton.
LA LIGA: VILLAREAL—BARCELONA
Sunday 11:30am ET on ESPN+ / 4:30pm GMT on Viaplay
The Yellow Submarine of Villareal chugged into fifth place in La Liga last season partly on the energy of Nicolas Jackson and Samuel Chukwueze, but they’ve now departed to Chelsea and A.C. Milan respectively. Gerard Moreno remains, and he will have to help fill the 18-goal void those two leave alongside José Luis Morales—also a fixture last season—and Alexander Sørloth, a new arrival from RB Leipzig. Spain international Pau Torres is off to play centerback for Aston Villa, so manager Quique Setién will have to find a new solution for the rearguard as well. The class in midfield is usually provided by #10 Dani Perejo, who’s a highly technical passer with range.
VILLA+250 | DRAW+280 | BARCA+105
In the other dugout, Barça legend Xavi leads the club into another win-or-die season amid not-inconsiderable turmoil. The Catalonians were champions of La Liga last term, but they crashed out at the Champions League group stage for the second consecutive year. Barcelona teams are expected to compete on all fronts deep into April and May. Add in a murky financial situation and a renovation of the legendary Camp Nou that’s left them playing to somewhat sparser crowds at the Olympic Stadium across town, and you’ve got the seeds of discord. The whispered return of Lionel Messi never materialized this summer, and neither did many other headline signings.
Except for the German genius İlkay Gündoğan, that is, who’s arrived on a free transfer from European champions Manchester City. Xavi will be hoping he’ll form part of the creative engine for the Blaugrana, but Dutch schemer Frenkie de Jong was deployed in the backline last time out in Ronald Araújo’s absence, while the precocious Pedri is…also injured, having scored the opener in a 2-0 victory over Cádiz last week in which 16-year-old Lamine Yamal started on the wing. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Robert Lewandowski springs eternal: the Polish sharpshooter has scored over 600 goals for club and country, including 23 in 34 La Liga matches last term.
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In case you missed it this week, check out Karl Porter’s incredible rendition of a slow-mo goal celebration. Top quality:
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PREMIER LEAGUE: NEWCASTLE—LIVERPOOL
Sunday 11:30am ET on NBC Sports (USA) / 4:30pm GMT on Sky Sports Main Event
Alexis Mac Allister has seen his red card against Bournemouth rescinded this week, saving him a three-match ban and putting him in the reckoning for Liverpool’s trip to St. James’ Park. Will fresh signing Wataru Endō join him in midfield from the start? It could be the key as Jurgen Klopp seeks some balance in his team. #8 Dominik Szoboszlai put in a fantastic shift last weekend, showcasing his ability to beat a man and thread a throughball from attacking midfield. There’s undeniable quality in front of the Hungarian, especially when wide forwards Mo Salah and Luis Díaz spread their opponents out and start tormenting fullbacks 1-on-1. Liverpool are among the league’s premier sides on the counterattack, often getting three or four powerful runners downfield against a retreating back line.
The concerns for Liverpool are a bit further back, where Trent Alexander-Arnold has long had questions asked of his defensive instincts and now has been tasked with stepping into midfield a la Arsenal’s Oleksandr Zinchenko. Except TAA has not been as comfortable receiving the ball facing back towards his own goal. He may prefer having the game out in front of him, where he can spray pinpoint longballs and occasionally slalom towards the byline on the overlap. That’s a big part of what made him and Andrew Robertson famous in those proper Liverpool teams of 2018-2022, but does this squad have the same pace and power? Even Virgil van Dijk has something to prove after a down season, having expressed doubts himself over their summer recruitment.
CASTLE+123 | DRAW+295 | POOL+210
They’d enjoy the statement, then, of beating up the up-and-comers. Newcastle are surely ahead of schedule on their nation-state buildup, and they’ve been assigned back-to-back tests of their Top Four legitimacy early in the season. It’s hard to say they passed the one administered by Man City on Saturday as the Magpies failed to create much, albeit away at the Etihad Stadium. Julián Álvarez powered a 16-yard strike past Nick Pope’s fingertips in the 31st minute and City ground out the 1-0 without too much trouble. In fairness, no Newcastle keeper has kept a clean sheet against City in the league since Steve Harper in 2006.
The guys in black and white will feel they can hurt Liverpool a bit more easily than City, particularly at home. There is no Rodri, and the threesome of Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton, and Sandro Tonali will back themselves to cover more ground and win the physical challenges in the midfield trenches. If they can turn the ball over midway or high up the pitch, hunting in packs, they can get onto that Liverpool backline and see what they’re made of. Alexander Isak and Callum Wilson look ready to gobble up the chances as they come.
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THE FANTASY DIARY
It was another decidedly lackluster performance from The Weekenders last time out, as only Diogo Jota (£8.0), Mo Salah (£12.5), and Julián Alvarez (£6.5) turned in any significant points. TFW’s decision to pick three Manchester United players has proven something of a disaster. Erik ten Hag’s insistence on playing Marcus Rashford (£9.0) as a central striker has not been good, and the lack of pace and power in United’s midfield has left the backline exposed—and conceding goals. Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta continues to spurn Gabriel (£5.0) in his starting lineups. Bringing him on for 10 minutes or so—and preventing the FPL machine from auto-subbing someone else in from the bench—adds insult to injury.
Take a long look at the teams who are banging in the goals at the moment. Aston Villa are getting forward well under Unai Emery, with nice budget options in John McGinn and Leon Bailey (£5.5 each) and Moussa Diaby (£6.6). Up top, Ollie Watkins (£8.0) is a bit pricier, and he seems to score in streaks of a few games or so. If you catch one of those, he’s worth the cash. At Spurs, consider James Maddison (£7.6) or Dejan Kulusevski (7.0), though Son Heung-min may be overvalued at £9.0. It seems like almost anyone at Brighton is worth it at the moment, but I’d focus on Pervis Estupiñán (£5.2) as a defender who can get forward and find some goal contributions. In midfield, Solly March (£6.6) has flown out of the blocks with three goals and four bonus points in two games. Kaoru Mitoma (also £6.6) is maybe the league’s most dangerous player right now when he gets on the ball.
Bryan Mbuemo (£6.6) is a midfield scoring option at Brentford—who have some favorable fixtures coming up—while teammate Yoane Wissa (£6.1) continues to fill in well for Ivan Toney. Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard could better his 15 goals last season now that he’s on penalty duty, while Oleksandr Zinchenko (£4.9) is returning to fitness and could be an offensive option in defense. Ben White (£5.5) or William Saliba (£5.1) may be a better bet than Gabriel, though knowing how things have gone for TFW’s predictions so far, the latter will end up starting this weekend.
If this gameweek is another stinker, it may be wildcard time for this band of misfits. Man City have Sheffield United, Fulham, West Ham, and Nottingham Forest coming up, so the smart money’s on Manuel Akanji, Kyle Walker, and Nathan Aké (all £5.1) at the back and Phil Foden (£7.5) in midfield. For now, we pray that Mo Salah will have one of those Mo Salah days against Newcastle.⚽️