Happy New Year! And what better way to ring in 2026 than with one of English football’s fiercest rivalries – the Roses Derby! With Leeds’ form on the up and Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United more than capable of a slip up at every opportunity, it could be the Whites’ best chance to give their rivals a bloody nose in over a decade. A game fuelled by over 100 years of hatred that could have massive repercussions at both ends of the table – the perfect game to be the first preview of the year!
After a couple of years apart, this historic rivalry will be renewed again this weekend, and what a game it promises to be. Leeds are flying and battling hard to stay in the division this time following promotion, and Manchester United are well in the race for the European places after an upturn in their own form and the spectacular ability of the teams around them to keep throwing points away at every turn.
Both of these sides have plenty to play for, not least claiming bragging rights over a hated rival. Bodies will be on the line and it’s bound to be fiery, just what we love to see!
Form:
Leeds have been sensational as of late, and it’s come out of nowhere. Following six losses in seven that left them looking doomed, Daniel Farke’s side have gone unbeaten in six games and have dragged themselves seven points clear of the relegation zone. They’ve beaten Chelsea and Palace handily, two sides who would’ve travelled to Elland Road expecting a fairly routine victory, and managed draws against solid Brentford and Sunderland teams away from home. The jewels in the crown of this run, however, have been two draws against reigning champions Liverpool. A pulsating 3-3 at Elland Road at the start of December followed by a pretty stagnant 0-0 on New Year’s Day saw the newly promoted side take two points from Arne Slot’s men, showing themselves to be adaptable and tactically astute enough to repeat their feat shortly after the first one in an entirely different manner. Leeds’ run isn’t fortune, it’s hard work and clever set-up, and by the looks of it they’re showing no sign of slowing down with Manchester United in their crosshairs.
As far as Amorim’s boys go, things have unquestionably improved since the dark days of Grimsby away in the Carabao Cup, but they’re still a far cry from their glory days. Only one loss to high-flying Aston Villa in their last seven is a great return, but three draws in that time has stopped them taking the leap into the Champions League spots. The draws themselves have been bizarre too, just two points from Wolves and West Ham at home is nothing short of horrific and the 4-4 draw against Bournemouth was a masterclass in how not to defend in the Premier League. How they do this weekend all depends on which version of Manchester United actually turn up.
Both teams are in the midst of an improved spell of form and will be well up for this game. Whose run will carry on through the start of the New Year?
Head-to-head:
Games between these two had been few and far between after Leeds’ tumble down the divisions in the early 2000s. That all changed in 2020 thanks to the man heralded as a God in West Yorkshire, Marcelo Bielsa. Leeds have since spent three years in the top flight before dropping down to the Championship, losing a play-off final and then coming back up as 100 point champions last year for another crack at Premier League survival.
Unfortunately for them, their record against their rivals from Manchester has been less than stellar in that time. In the six league games they played across their three seasons in the division, Leeds managed to scrape a draw on two occasions and lose the other four. The manner of the defeats was also historically bad, with a 4-2, 5-1 and 6-2 loss in that time. Their last league win in this fixture? A 1-0 victory in September 2002, Harry Kewell the goalscorer.
Their record has been terrible, but the tide might just be changing. Manchester United look vulnerable and more than capable of being beat by any opponent at this level, and Leeds are in their best top-flight form for years. Could this be the game that Leeds finally take three points from their old enemies for the first time in over 23 years? New year, new Leeds.
Key Matchup:
Dominic Calvert-Lewin vs Ayden Heaven
You’d have to have a cold, cold heart (or be a supporter of one of the many teams with a generation-spanning grudge against Leeds United) not to be enjoying this run of goalscoring form for Dominic Calvert-Lewin. Seven goals in seven games, only halted from scoring in that time in his 20 minute substitute appearance at Anfield, DCL’s hot streak has been one of the most important catalysts in Leeds’ surge up the table.
It might sound old fashioned, but maybe the old-school pundits that have been pedalling the idea that “promoted teams need a big number nine” have a point. If they can keep him fit, and that’s a big if, Calvert-Lewin will be able to cause enough chaos in the box to drag Leeds to the points total required to ensure Premier League survival this term. Next up in the firing line, the notoriously shaky defence of Manchester United in a rocking Elland Road. He will be licking his lips at the prospect.
One of the few defenders for Manchester United that has come through this season with any credit is 19 year-old Aydan Heaven. The teenager worked his way into the starting lineup for the West Ham game at the start of December and hasn’t looked back since. For such a young man, he looks extremely assured at the top level. He is comfortable on the ball and more than capable of playing a short passing game from the back without caving to the pressure of long-time Premier League pros bearing down on him, and also more than happy to get stuck in to the physical side of the game. If they can manage to nurture him without ruining him, a tough ask for Manchester United in recent years, Heaven could start at the heart of their defence for years to come. If not, he’ll be starting for Barcelona in a few years time after being told he’s not good enough.
Calvert-Lewin is a wiley operator at this level and in the form of his life, and he will be relishing putting the young defender through his paces. In the pressure-cooker atmosphere of Elland Road, this will be his biggest test yet. Will he crumble under the weight of the occasion or will it be a match made for Heaven?
Preview:
On paper this should be the tightest Roses Derby in decades, with both sides capable of beating – and more importantly getting beat by – absolutely anyone. The visitors have a couple of days extra rest, and the margins are that tight that it could make all the difference.
The crowd will be pumping at Elland Road for this match, Manchester United need to control the early passages of the game or the atmosphere could propel their hosts into steamrolling them before they realise what’s happening.
A massive, massive game for the first preview of 2026. Let’s hope it lives up to the promise!
Who are you backing to start the year with the bragging rights?
The Brewers vs The Cobblers in the “Jobs only done by hipsters and old people” Derby. Hardly the most glamorous of ties on paper, but a massive game at the bottom end of League One. With the strength of some of the promoted sides and the looming threat of high-budget teams below them that could splash the January cash, every point on the board is crucial at this stage in the race to avoid the drop back to the fourth tier. Northampton travelled up to Burton with their bellies full of turkey hoping to put some clear air between themselves and relegation. The Brewers were more than aware that a loss at home to a relegation rival could spell disaster for their season as we approach the halfway point.
These sides finished up last season occupying the two positions above the dreaded relegation zone. Coming into a strong League One season with plenty of quality across the board and with the budget constraints on both of them seemingly tightening each year, many expected to find the pair of them in the bottom four this time around. While the sailing certainly hasn’t been plain, and they’re both well in the mix to go down with a lot of football to play, they’re currently sat in 15th and 16th respectively – three points and a game in hand clear of the drop zone. Not too shabby for teams you’d traditionally associate with the fourth tier, or even lower.
Burton and Northampton typify inconsistency. Both are capable of turning up and turning over a superior opponent on their day, and also equally likely to get rolled over at home against a team you’d fancy them to get a result against. Whichever way this result would swing would hinge on which versions of each team showed up. Right from kick off, Northampton decided to make it evident which side they’d sent to Burton.
Centre-half Conor McCarthy decided to disregard everything he’d been taught in Defending 101 and swung a lazy pass across the face of his own goal. Burton man Kyran Lofthouse reacted fasted and latched on to the loose ball just before being clipped by a poor challenge from Nesta Guinness-Walker. The referee immediately pointed to the spot while the Cobblers’ defenders were stood around wafting their arms trying to direct the blame at one another. While they were still arguing, Jake Beesley hammered home his penalty with aplomb to take his tally to 7 for the season. If Albion are going to stay up, they’ll need him to carry on providing the goals at the steady rate he is doing.
A deviation from the norm in this match, as Northampton’s defence managed to go a full twenty minutes without caving in on itself for no discernible reason. Right wing-back Sam Hoskins completely misjudged the flight of a Burton cross-field ball and ended up nudging it beautifully into the path of Jack Armer rather than clearing it. Armer’s shot was well saved by Ross Fitzsimons in the Northampton goal, only for the ball to fall to his colleague, centre-half Max Dyche. Dyche cleared the ball straight into an onrushing Burton player and it fell to Armer for a second bite of the cherry, no mistake this time. Burton had doubled their lead and, once again, it came from a late Christmas gift from their visitors. I know it’s impolite to turn up empty handed, but a bottle of red would’ve been fine.
A true defensive meltdown is never complete without a totally avoidable and inexplicable own goal, so it wasn’t long before Northampton handed Burton a third. Just five minutes after he’d provided the second goal, Max Dyche turned the ball into his own net to make it three. Dyche will be credited with the own goal, but you simply have to acknowledge the fantastic self-destructive work of his partner in crime Conor McCarthy. Burton launched a free-kick into the box that was met by Beesley, the chance initially looked dangerous before he miscued his shot under a bit of defensive pressure and the ball bounced harmlessly towards the ‘keeper. Fitzsimons came to collect, Dyche was on standby shielding the ball. And then, for reasons unbeknownst to anyone in attendance, McCarthy decided to attempt to clear it out of the area. His clearance made it a whole three inches before bouncing off of Dyche and looping into the Northampton net. If any of you have any elderly relatives that spent the Christmas period watching the classics and lamenting the loss of proper British slapstick comedy, sit them down in front of the highlights package for this game. I promise you they’ll love it.
For fans of calamities at the other end of the pitch, Northampton had you covered too. Midfielder Cameron McGeehan had a chance to make it 3-1 as a corner dropped to his feet. About two yards out and with the goal at his mercy, McGeehan crashed his shot off the underside of the bar. At this point, it clearly wasn’t going to be the Cobblers’ day. At least it wasn’t a long drive back for the fans. Silver linings.
Much to the dismay of Burton fans, McCarthy was withdrawn from the game after his nightmare display after just 38 minutes. To make it look even worse for him, Northampton scored a minute later. Former Brewer Terry Taylor’s corner was cleared straight back to him, he made no mistake with the second delivery and found the head of Tom Eaves to head home his fourth of the season and inject a bit of hope into his side. With nearly an hour of football left to play, there was no reason Northampton couldn’t get back into this game.
No reason except, of course, that Northampton just cannot defend. Keen to live up to his predecessor, McCarthy’s replacement Jack Burroughs failed to cut out a fairly routine cross from the right-hand side. This left Tyrese Shade in miles of space in the box with time to pick his spot and finish confidently to send his side into the break with a commanding 4-1 lead.
In case I’m not getting across just how bad this was for the visitors, Burton had scored just 6 goals at home prior to this game all season. In fact, I’ll let Northampton manger Kevin Nolan (yes, that one) do the talking. At half-time he substituted the remaining two starting centre-halves as well as Hoskins at wing-back. I’ve watched a lot of football, and seen some bad defensive showings, but I’ve never seen all three starting centre-backs and one of the wing-backs subbed off before the second half has even started. The only man remaining from the original back five was Guinness-Walker, who gave away the penalty. A clumsy challenge or two was the least of Nolan’s worries.
Did it work? Well, sort of. They didn’t throw the ball into their own net any more, and probably edged the second-half on chances. That will happen when you’re left chasing the game through your own doing against an opponent that are comfortable in their lead and happy to hit you on the break. The fifth goal came from a lighting-fast breakaway from the Brewers, with seventeen year-old Sulyman Krubally the architect. As Northampton pushed forward, the ball was cleared and fell to the teenager. He played a perfectly weighted defence-splitting pass to Shade, who one again used the time and space offered to him to pick his spot and score his second of the match to put the seal on a perfect Boxing Day for the Brewers.
Fans at the Pirelli were growing tired of their team picking up impressive away wins and then backing them up with lacklustre and limp defeats in their home matches. If they can straighten out their home form, their relegation worries could be a thing of the past. Who knows, they could even be looking at that eight point gap to the play-offs with hopeful eyes. Lots to be hop-timistic about for the Brewers!
Northampton will be hoping that trouble isn’t brewing in their backline and that this was just a blip. They really were astonishingly bad, but at this stage in the season they’ve picked up some impressive wins and the league is packed so tightly it’s hard to judge anyone in this middle pack. Four points separate Barnsley in 9th and Rotherham in 21st still as we approach the new year and the halfway mark in the reason. For context, at this point last season if you were four points above 21st you’d be 18th, and the gap up to 9th was twelve points. With the standard being so level and everyone being able to disrupt each other, nobody is safe and even some traditionally big sides you’d expect to be fine will be looking over their shoulders at relegation if they don’t start to rapidly pick up wins.
For Northampton and Burton, it’s all about cobbling together enough points to get you over that dotted red line come May by any means necessary. A busy January window awaits and teams around them will have the financial muscles to flex to help brute force their way to safety, can both Burton and Northampton keep up with the chasing pack? Or will the early-season relegation odds be proved right as one, or both, of these sides sink to the fourth tier once again?
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! While the rest of the nation sits down with their family watching films and eating leftover turkey, a select few of us will be bounding out of bed in our new club-branded pyjamas on the morning of the 26th desperate to see how our team gets on. Nothing says Christmas like Boxing Day football, and the Championship has served up a full helping of twelve matches to sink your teeth into this year. The last game of the day sees a resurgent Sheffield United cross the border to visit Disney’s own Wrexham in front of the cameras, and they’re this weeks’ preview!
The Championship is a funny old beast. Sheffield United looked doomed until they fired up the Bat-Signal and ushered in Chris Wilder’s eighteenth term as Blades manager. Now they’ve put some distance between themselves and the dreaded bottom three they’re daring to look up the table and dream. If they do somehow make it to the top six by May, it would be akin to a Christmas miracle.
The Red Dragons haven’t taken to the second tier as easily as they did after the last two promotions, but for a side that was in non-league three Christmases ago they’re going steady and are well clear of the relegation zone.
The hosts and the visitors were both making eyes at a promotion charge in pre-season, we’ve made it to Christmas and neither have quite lived up to expectations. Could this Boxing Day fixture knock some sense into the winners and see them fly up the table in 2026?
The Form:
Sheffield United have been on a tear since they lost at Coventry at the start of November. Two draws, five wins and just one loss in their proceeding eight games isa fantastic turnaround from their early-season meltdown. Chris Wilder, eh? The only blemish on their record was a disappointing loss at West Brom, otherwise they have been free-scoring – netting 3 or more goals in 5 of their last 7 outings. If Wrexham want to have any hope of winning, they’ll need to be resolute at the back and weather the Blades’ relentless attack.
Wrexham have made themselves tricky to beat, but have also struggled to convert draws into wins as of late. Just two losses in their last nine league games is great going, but they’ve also only hit maximum points twice in this period. The rest have been five draws and they’ve only scored more than one goal in two of their last nine games. Their issue is clear, find the net more and you’ll win more. This is the sort of expert analysis you don’t get anywhere else
The 15th best home side take on the 14th best away team. It doesn’t get much tougher to call than this.
Head-to-head:
Not loads to go on here! As you’ll know, these two have been separated by as many as four divisions at points in recent years, only meeting occasionally if the magic of the cup sprinkles itself in the right direction.
Luckily, they have drawn each other in both the League Cup and FA Cup over the last two years, with the FA Cup game going to a replay. We have three games to sort of go on, but the clubs were still in different divisions at the time.
The first FA Cup game ended 3-3 with a 95th minute Blades equaliser. The replay finished in a 3-1 Sheffield United win with both winning goals coming in the 94th and 96th minute and the League Cup match wound up as a 4-2 win, again for the Blades.
If there’s anything to read into here, there will be goals goals goals and late drama. What a Christmas treat this could be.
For those interested, the last time Wrexham won this fixture was in the Sherpa Vans Trophy in January 1989. Oh what a night.
Key Matchup:
Ben Sheaf vs Callum O’Hare
Callum O’Hare has been an unlikely hero for Sheffield United this year. After a lacklustre first season, he seemed to be the only one trying and single-handedly dragged the club to a few points in the early days this season. He has continued his good form as the team around him have improved and needs just one goal or assist to better his tally from 47 games last season already. Finally, O’Hare is showing the promise of his early days at Coventry. Could he be the man that fires the Blades back into the top-flight?
If anyone’s going to keep him quiet, it might have to be someone who knows his game well. Stepping up to the plate, former Coventry teammate Ben Sheaf.
The midfielder made his move to Wales for a reported £6.5m in summer, a big statement signing for Wrexham in a window of necessary upheaval. Proven Championship quality is exactly what they needed. Sheaf is an ideal midfielder for this level, he sees a lot of the ball and is confident in possession, is able to transition his team up the pitch either by dribbling or passing the ball and isn’t afraid of getting stuck into a tackle. He’s one of the leading midfielders at this level for ball recoveries and very rarely strays into the opposition box. He’ll need to have his wits about him to stop O’Hare working his magic on Boxing Day.
Two former Cov boys at centre stage in this weeks’ matchup! Who will take home the bragging rights as a late Christmas treat?
Preview:
It’s a huge game that could see either side catapulted into a play-off race! The division is so tightly packed that anything could happen still, all you need to do is get as many points on the board now and see who falters around you.
We could see both of these sides in the play-offs come May, we could see neither. With the state of this year’s Championship, who really knows?
Merry Christmas everyone! Thanks for reading the previews this year – I look forward to misguiding you on who to pick to win next year!
It was a game decided by offside goals at Vicarage Road this weekend, one rightfully ruled out for the visitors and one gifted to the hosts. It is Christmas after all.
Stoke were surprise early challengers at the top end of the table, with new signing Sorba Thomas hitting the ground running and the ever-reliable Viktor Johansson between the sticks, they made themselves tricky to beat and devastating on the break. That was until recently. The wheels have fallen off and they now find themselves in 8th place, two points from the play-offs and with two wins and six losses from their last eight games. Before the season started they would’ve bitten your hand off to be where they are by Christmas, but after their scintillating form to open the campaign, it’s hard not to feel a little bit disappointed with how the last few weeks have transpired. The latest in their run of defeats came this weekend at Watford, and the Potters will certainly feel hard done by.
Watford have recovered from their tricky start to the season and started picking up points and making their way up the table as of late. Four wins in their last ten is solid, if unremarkable, but their real strength has come in being hard to beat. Of the other six games in that run, five have been draws and they were defeated just once. A point is a point, and it’s always better than losing, the ability to grind out draws and win from behind is what’s separated them from Stoke as of late. They beat Derby and Norwich 3-2 from 2-0 and 2-1 down respectively and scored a 97th minute equaliser to claim a point against Sheffield Wednesday. This Watford side just don’t give up, and in a league this close every point is vital in the hunt for a play-off spot.
The first-half passed both teams by with little of note happening at either end, but in the second period the game really came to life. It was as if both teams woke up and realised they were in a play-off fight. With a lot of sides around them dropping points, this was a great chance for either one of them to stake their claim and edge closer to that top six.
Stoke thought they had the lead as half-time substitute Sam Gallagher rose well to head a cross from the right down into the bottom corner. The linesman correctly flagged, however, as he had strayed offside. A disappointing one for the Potters’ striker, the defender couldn’t get near him anyway and if he had timed his run slightly better he would’ve put his side a goal ahead on the road and changed the course of the game.
Watford were next to create a great chance, the ball being cut back from the byline to Tom Ince just inside the area. The experienced midfielder has been deadly on his left foot in the Championship for over a decade now, but he was denied this time by a great stretching save from Johansson. The Sweden international has been making a case for a few years now that he is the best goalkeeper at this level, and it’s saves like this that really show his quality. If Stoke don’t get promoted, could he be on a few top sides’ wish lists in summer?
Johansson was called into action again as eventual goalscorer Luca Kjerrumgaard picked the pocket of Bosun Lawal in midfield and fired off a shot from range. His effort was powerful but lacked direction, flying straight at the ‘keeper and allowing him to tip it over the bar. Another warning shot from Watford.
Stoke’s best chance of the game came soon after, following a corner. Watford goalie Egil Selvik had come to punch the ball and found himself stranded with the goal gaping. It dropped for Thomas on the edge of the area, who got everything right with his volleyed effort but it sailed just wide of the post. The technique to keep that ball down and get it over a crowded box and back down was superb, but yet again the direction was lacking and the score remained 0-0.
On balance of play, Watford had the better of the chances and should have put the game to bed. If it wasn’t for some heroics from Stoke’s big Swede in goal and a bit of last-ditch defending then the hosts could’ve easily made off with a two or three goal victory. The fact is though, they didn’t. The winning goal came with 15 minutes to play as the Hornets’ star-man Imran Louza lined up a free-kick on the left-hand side. He bent an excellent ball into the box that was met by the head of his midfield partner Hector Kyprianou. The Cypriot flicked his header on towards the far post and perfectly into the path of an onrushing Luca Kjerrumgaard for him to tap home. The striker is now up to seven for the season and is really starting to find his feet in English football after moving from his native Denmark in the summer. On a second look, the goal is offside. It’s tight, there are only a couple of inches in it, but he’s off. The linesman didn’t see it, or he didn’t see the touch from Kyprianou, so the goal stands, and Watford claim a vital three points at home.
Losing to a goal like that is always a tough pill to swallow, but Watford were worthy winners. For Stoke fans, yet another defeat sees them slip out of the play-offs for Christmas Day. They shouldn’t be too disheartened, this is clearly a talented squad with the ability to challenge right at the top and Mark Robins is an excellent manager at this level. A couple of fresh faces in January could be all the Potters need to restart their promotion push and get themselves battling with the big boy again.
The Hornets will be buzzing with their form since the return of Javi Gracia. From relegation threatened to now just three points from the top six, the league being so tight means anyone who puts a decent run together can find themselves challenging for promotion almost by accident. If they can turn a few of their draws into wins, it could be a season to remember down at Vicarage Road.
Both these former Premier League sides are looking for a long-awaited return to the big time. With some of the heavily-backed sides in the division faltering and nobody able to string a serious play-off charge together, could this be the year we see a return to top-flight action for Watford or Stoke?
Saturday’s early kick-off sees two of the Champions League hopefuls face off at St. James Park. Is it a chance for Newcastle to make some ground up after starting well off the pace? Or will Chelsea get a result and start build a cushion between themselves and the chasing pack? It’s a big game for some big teams in this weeks’ big preview!
A League Cup win and a couple of European jaunts is all well and good, but the real measure of success for the Saudi regime at Newcastle was always wether or not they could make it to back-to-back big game previews. You’re welcome, lads. They’ll be hoping the result is better this week than their showing at the Stadium of Light last time out, they could start by actually turning up.
Chelsea are also recent preview alumni and will be looking to raise their performance levels back to where they were in the game against Arsenal. Their form has taken a bit of a hit since, and a big game against a struggling Newcastle could be just the tonic to get them back on track.
Form:
Newcastle’s league form has been patchy all season, and they seem to have saved their best stuff for the glamorous Champions League and EFL Cup nights. Last season’s trophy lift showed them just how huge winning any type of trophy can be for a club like Newcastle and the Champions League is the biggest and best club competition in the world, so you can hardly blame them, but at some point they have to turn things around in the league to have any hope of being in Europe again next season. If they keep struggling, questions will begin to be asked of Eddie Howe.
Results have certainly improved since the last international break, even if performances have still lacked a real spark, they got a fantastic win against Manchester City at home and followed that up with a huge win away at Everton. Just as things were looking up, they drew at home to a sub-par Spurs side, limped past 10-man Burnley and lost to Sunderland in embarrassing fashion last weekend. Still, three wins, a draw and a loss in their last five league games is nothing to be sniffed at, especially while balancing European commitments alongside it all
St. James’ Park is still a fortress, too. They’re 6th in the home league table with 5 wins, a draw and 2 losses from their 8 games so far. Their only two Premier League losses at home have come to Arsenal (when they were really good) and Liverpool (when they were less rubbish) so it looks to be a difficult test for Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea to try and overcome.
Speaking of patchy form, introducing Chelsea FC. It’s a patch-off. The Blues backed up their thumping victory over Barcelona with a spirited and hard-fought draw against league-leaders Arsenal which they earned with a man disadvantage for an hour. Liverpool are a mess and with City looking shaky, were Chelsea going to be Arsenal’s true title challengers? They then lost 3-1 to Leeds and saw out a weak 0-0 draw at Bournemouth that they probably should’ve lost. Star-man Cole Palmer was back in business and got up and running with a goal in a 2-0 win over Everton last time out, could he be the difference in this game? 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss in their last 5, if they want to stay in the hunt and not be left behind by Villa, City and Arsenal at the top they need to pick up wins consistently, and fast.
Chelsea are, to their credit, the second-best away side in the league. They’ve put on some of their best displays on the road and have managed some big results, they’ll hope it’s that version of Chelsea that turns up this weekend and not “gets turned over 3-1 at Elland Road” Chelsea. You never know with them.
Both sides need a win here, Chelsea top the red-card standings with 4 and Newcastle will be chasing a big reaction from the Sunderland game. It could get feisty. Andrew Madley may end up dishing out more Christmas cards than he had planned.
Head-to-head:
Chelsea have lost their last four trips to St James’ park in all competitions, with their last win there in October of 2021. The Newcastle team certainly looks a lot different now than it did on that day pre-Saudi billions.
Over their last 10 Premier League meetings, Chelsea lead the way with 6 wins to Newcastle’s 3, with just a single draw in that time. The last 0-0 between these two was all the way back in April 2007, so expect goals in any case.
All three of Newcastle’s wins in their last 10 meetings came after their big cash injection, so their form is turning around against the Blues in recent years. Can they add another big victory to their catalogue a jump-start a push for European football from here?
Key Matchup:
Sandro Tonali vs Cole Palmer
I had Bruno as my difference make for Newcastle last week, and he let me down big time. It was a stale game that nobody really did much in, but it’s just the kind of occasion you’d hope he could grab by the scruff of the neck and make his own. Alas, it wasn’t to be, so this week I’m turning my attention to his Italian teammate Sandro Tonali.
Joelinton does all the tough-tackling, dark arts side of the game, Bruno is their high-energy attacking threat and Tonali fills in the blanks. He is such a luxury for a team like Newcastle, and the fans have really taken to him since he worked his way back into the team following a ban for gambling. His ball retention abilities are phenomenal, gliding with it at his feet to escape danger and feeding a pass to a teammate in a stronger position is his speciality. He creates a lot of chances, sees a lot of the ball and is the victim of fouls much more often than he is the perpetrator. If you lose control of the midfield and allow Tonali to have his run of the park, you’ll find your defence unpicked sooner rather than later. He is also fond of a long-range pile driver, but we are yet to see him find the net this season so far. Has he been saving up a screamer for the visit of Chelsea?
Stepping up to the plate to disrupt Newcastle’s plans, Cole Palmer. Chelsea’s maestro made his long-awaited return from injury recently, and got himself on the scoresheet for the first time since September with a goal against Everton last week.
I don’t need to tell you how brilliant Palmer is. Since his move to Chelsea, he has been one of the most efficient goal scorers and chance creators in the league and really made his name as one of the best players in the world. If he’s back firing fit, he is a danger to anyone. That Newcastle midfield will have their work cut out trying to contain an on-song Cole Palmer.
The Newcastle fans, like naughty children across the world, will spend the Christmas period worried that Cole will turn up at their door.
Preview:
A Christmas Cracker at St. James’ Park awaits to ring in the festive period!
Chelsea arrive in Newcastle to play the villain, a role they know all too well. If results go their way, Chelsea could be right back into the title mix, even if they won’t quite top the tree on Christmas Day. A loss could see them drop as low as 8th and put some clear space between them and those who have true title credentials.
Newcastle need a win, and they need it badly. Another loss here would see the coveted European spots slip further from their grasp as the top four and chasing pack would have yet another opportunity to peel away from the Magpies’ reach. Crucially, Sunderland could extend their lead over their rivals to seven points, it’s unlikely the decision makers at the club would accept this, and it could spell worrying times for Howe and Tindall. Neither team can really afford to lose this one, both have everything to play for. Can Newcastle atone for their display at the Stadium of Light with a big home win to appease the Toon Army? Or will they be frantically writing to Santa with “New Manager” scrawled at the bottom of their Christmas lists?
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas as the fixtures pile up! It’s a time for sharing joy and cheer, but there can only be one winner here. Who will come out on top in this weeks’ big game?
These two were some of the early frontrunners in League One this season, but their form has dipped as of late. With both sides dangling at the edge of the play-offs and some big teams nipping at their heels, this game was a huge opportunity to take a defibrillator to their season and get themselves back into the race for promotion.
After their play-off semi final defeat last time out, many expected Stockport to be back up challenging at the top end of the division again this year. Stevenage, however, have performed well above expectations. They finished 14th and 21 points shy of a play-off position last season and didn’t exactly have a blockbuster summer, but Alex Revell has led his side to an odds-busting season opening and they currently sit 5 points and 2 games in hand clear of Luton in 7th. Win their game in hand on Bradford by any margin greater than a single goal and they’ll leapfrog them into 2nd too, not bad for little old Boro. They actually topped the table for large swathes of the early-season chaos, tailing off into the play-off race in recent weeks as this victory marks just their second in eight league games. The rest of the league have also faltered at stages and nobody looks like they can easily grab promotion and run with it, so this run hasn’t harmed Stevenage too badly. They’ve managed to draw enough games in the meantime to keep the pace, and a win today has kept them right in the mix for promotion. Of course, victory in Stockport is only worth anything for Boro if they can springboard from this result and get back to winning ways.
Stevenage have, for years now, been rock solid at the back. That’s never been their problem, and they have the best defence in the league by some distance so far this year, it’s the other end of the pitch that causes the Boro fans some stress and discomfort. Prior to this game, they’d scored just twice in their last seven league games. If you aren’t scoring, you aren’t winning, and coming to a tricky ground to visit like Edgley Park without a clear plan as to how they’re going to score goals is a set up for a difficult afternoon in the Greater Manchester sunshine.
Luckily for those of a Stevenage persuasion, Welsh winger Chem Campbell woke up and decided goals aren’t that hard, actually. He received the ball on the right-hand flank and dropped his shoulder to release himself from his marker in to space. From there, he bent a beauty from the edge of the box into the upper left-hand corner far beyond the reach of Ben Hinchcliffe in the Stockport net. If there’s any goal to kickstart your team’s goalscoring form, it’s a 25-yard belter like that one.
Half-time, 1-0 to the visitors. Next up after the break, Jamie Reid. The forward started the season off at a blistering pace, with 5 goals in his first 4 league games. Was this the season that Stevenage’s goalscoring woes finally ended? Well, he managed just one more goal between then and this weekend, so it doesn’t look like it. Number 7 for the season came in front of the travelling faithful early in the second-half. Antiguan full-back Luther Wildin battled hard down the right-hand side and worked the ball well with teammate Louis Thompson to make room for a cross. The ball fizzed along the six-yard box and Reid was there to stab it home to double his side’s lead and hopefully kickstart a fresh bout of goalscoring excellence for himself.
Stockport were left dumbfounded at 2-0, they’d played pretty well and created their fair share of chances against a side that have been struggling for goals, yet they found themselves two down at home and staring over the abyss into mid-table. They needed to dig themselves out of this mess, and dig they did. Substitute Owen Dodgson had possession in the corner on the left-hand side for his team, managing to get his foot under the ball and dig out an inch-perfect cross onto the head of Kyle Wooton. As they say in the business, he doesn’t miss those.
As soon as they had the ball in the net, Stockport made two attacking substitutions. They could smell blood and they were going for it, with half an hour left there may even be time to grab two more goals and all three points. Kick off, keep it tight, win the ball back and get it up the pitch to- Stevenage have scored. Just 6 seconds after the restart, Louis Thompson profited from a defensive mixup as Ethan Pye misjudged a header back to his ‘keeper following a long-ball straight from the Stevenage kick off. The ball dropped between the goalie and Pye, perfectly placed for Thompson to dink it beyond Hinchcliffe, restore his side’s advantage and secure their victory on the road.
Full-time, 3-1 to the visitors and an invaluable three points in Stevenage’s hunt for Championship football. For Stockport, that’s now just one win in eight in all competitions, five of those being league games. If they’re going to build on their play-off failure from last season, and with their significant financial muscle that should be the goal, they’ll need to arrest this slide quickly to avoid ending up chasing the play-off pack from the position of leading it. They have the worst defensive record in the top 6 and they’re only ahead of their opposition Stevenage on goals scored, both ends of the pitch need to sharpen up for the Hatters to carve out a promotion challenge for the remainder of the campaign.
Two sides who hadn’t won in ages and are struggling in front of goal, and yet it produced a classic of the League One genre. This division never disappoints, and there’ll be plenty more twists and turns between now and May. With a gap between the top 6 and the chasing pack slowly beginning to form, will we see either of these sides marching down Wembley Way by the end of the season? Or will they even manage to go one step further and finish in the oh-so-coveted automatic promotion spaces? Whatever happens between now and game 46, to see Stevenage or Stockport in the second tier would be a fantastic achievement for either club and be a breath of fresh air as opposed to the yo-yoing Rotherhams and Wigans of the past.
Boro dug in and drove the Hatters mad at Edgley Park, just how big will this end up being in the context of the League One play-off race?
Round 6 is upon us and you can’t start pulling punches now. It’s crunch time in the Champions League as the final rounds of League Phase action kick off, who has what it takes to cruise through to the next round and who will find themselves dumped out at the first hurdle?
It’s the last Champions League round before Santa Claus comes knocking, and a few players have definitely found themselves on their manager’s naughty list this week. Mohammed Salah has thrown his toys out of the pram and won an all expenses paid trip to the reserves as his side travel to Italy to take on last year’s runners-up Inter while Pep Guardiola once again returns to face an old nemesis in Real Madrid in a game that could see Xabi Alonso lose his job. I’m sure a certain bald Dutchman will be hoping Liverpool hero Alonso remains at Madrid a while longer.
Round 6, time to put up or shut up. Who has what it takes to qualify and who is kissing their Champions League campaign goodbye under the mistletoe?
Source: Juventus FC
The Results:
Tuesday 9th December
Kairat Almaty 0-1 Olympiacos
Olympiacos managed the tricky away trip perfectly, dominating from the first whistle and controlling the game before finally scoring the winner midway through the second half. It’s probably too little, too late for the Greek side, but with Leverkusen and Ajax up next they could be eyeing up 6 points that may see them make the play-off stage. It’s not quite time to give up just yet in Athens. Unfortunately for Kairat, they’re now out of the play-off equation, but what a run they’ve had. To make it even this far is spectacular for a Kazakh team, and they have performed admirably across a difficult run of fixtures. They even managed to pick up a point! Whatever happens next, they’ll always have Pafos.
Bayern Munich 3-1 Sporting CP
Not to panic anyone, but Harry Kane didn’t score. Maybe it isn’t coming home? Bayern survive a second-half scare to come back and win comfortably against a spirited, but ultimately not at the level, Sporting display. Lennart Karl, Bayern’s 17 year old wunderkind who shares his name with Homer Simpson’s two best friends, grabbed his fourth Champions League goal of the season to put his side ahead. Nothing better to make you question your mortality than someone who can’t even legally drink yet running rings around Europe’s elite. Bayern are through, and well on their way to automatic qualification despite their blip in North London. Spotting will probably be fine, PSG and Athletic Club will provide stern tests, and automatic qualification may be out of reach, but they’ll comfortable make it to the play-offs. You’d hate to be the team that picks them out of the hat for the play-off stage.
Atalanta 2-1 Chelsea
Since their big win over Barcelona, Chelsea have gone winless in their next four games. Atalanta took full advantage of their visitors’ shaky form and capitalised on some suspect defending to overturn a 1-0 deficit to win the game. Belgian Charles De Ketelaere grabbed a goal and an assist to fire his team well into the top 8 with just two games to go, level on points with PSG and ahead of Real Madrid and Inter. It’s been an astounding league phase for the Italian side, and with Athletic Club and USG to come it could become even better. They’ll fancy themselves as one of the favourites to automatically qualify to the round of 16 now. Chelsea will be gutted with the result as their chase for the top 8 has taken a massive hit. Pafos are up next and then they end with a trip to Naples, nothing short of 6 points will do for Chelsea to ensure they make it through and avoid a play-off round.
Barcelona 2-1 Frankfurt
Barcelona turned the game on its head through the use of Jules Koundé’s head. Two headed goals within 3 minutes flipped the 1-0 deficit to a well-deserved 2-1 lead, Marcus Rashford grabbing yet another assist for the Catalan side in this resurgent season. Had they lost, Barca would have been in big trouble going into their final games needing to win, but with a win and with København and Slavia Prague on the horizon they should be okay. Win both, and they might just sneak through to the top 8. Frankfurt aren’t officially gone but it’s looking dire. Qarabag and Spurs await them and you’d think they’ll need 6 points to have a shot at making it to a play-off.
Inter 0-1 Liverpool
Slot’s lot are back in business. Aren’t they? A bit. It was a cagey game without a lot going for it, but Liverpool came out on top through a controversial late Dominik Szoboszlai penalty. A win is just the tonic the Red’s needed after all the off-field drama involving notable absentee Mohammed Salah, and it drags them well into the race for automatic qualification. With the way their form is going, skipping the extra play-off games will be vital for them moving forward with their season. As is usual for games involving Inter in this competition, there weren’t a lot of chances or goals, and they only sit above Liverpool in the top 8 on goal difference after 6 games. This might have been their last chance for a win as they have Arsenal and Dortmund next, it’ll take some big showings from the Italians to get into the top 8. Both will be hopeful, and neither will drop out of the play-offs entirely, skipping those games is the only target left for now.
Monaco 1-0 Galatasaray
Galatasary have lost both games since I tipped them to sneak into the top 8 a few weeks ago. Sorry about that, lads. After a disappointing draw in Pafos, this victory is huge for Monaco and edges them closer to the front of the queue to guarantee a place in the play-offs. USA international Florian Balogun grabbed his third of the Champions League campaign, on the eve of a home World Cup is a great time to start hitting form. Monaco didn’t let their missed penalty weigh too heavily on them and they powered through to a well-earned victory against a difficult to beat side. Both now sit on 9 points, you’d think 2 points from their remaining games would be just enough to push them over the line to the play-offs. Monaco have Real Madrid and Juventus while Gala face Atletico and Manchester City, horrible fixtures to have remaining for both of them and it’ll require a massive result against a more fancied team to get them the points they need. Monaco will definitely be eyeing up the Juve game, but leaving it until the last day comes with it’s own challenges.
PSV 2-3 Atletico Madrid
PSV took an early lead before Atleti hit them with a devastating 19-minute flurry of goals and sealed the points for Simeone’s side. A late goal from another American forward in Ricardo Pepi wasn’t quite enough to pull PSV level in the tie and the Dutch side may feel hard done by as the game was pretty even throughout. PSV have failed to capitalise on their huge win over Liverpool and now face an uphill battle to qualify as Newcastle and Bayern Munich are their final two fixtures while they need a minimum of three points. Atleti have sealed their place in a knockout round and the top 8 positions are well within their sights – struggling Galatasaray and minnows Bodø/Glimt will fear Simeone’s wrath in the coming weeks.
Tottenham 3-0 Slavia Prague
Heung-Min Son returned to watch his old side for the first time after leaving in the summer and was treated to a rare dominant display by his former employers. An own goal and two penalties isn’t the sexiest way to win, but Spurs created plenty of chances and they won’t care how they go in. Vicario made his fair share of saves to keep the visitors at bay, it was an entirely convincing display but a win is a win. A German double-up of Dortmund and Frankfurt is next for Spurs, and a good result against BVB could have them right in contention for a top 8 spot without ever really playing too well. Slavia aren’t making it through despite some solid showings, all they can do now is play spoiler for Barca and Pafos in their remaining games. Slavia Prague also requested a Pride flag was removed from their corner of the stadium due to “safety” concerns. Cheerio, lads.
Union St. Gilloise 2-3 Marseille
USG will struggle to make it to the next stage now, with 6 points on the board they’ll probably need to win both of their final games to guarantee a spot. Just the Bayern Munich and Atalanta games to win, then. No biggie. Marseille have 9 and will probably be fine with games against Liverpool and Club Brugge to come. Greenwood got two, the fact he is allowed to play at this level is still an unbelievable disgrace. The sooner the footballing world moves on and he is out of sight, the better.
Wednesday 10th December
Qarabag FK 2-4 Ajax
Gutting. As an honorary Qarabag fan, it’s a shame to see them throw away this result. Ajax picked up their first points of the Champions League campaign, but still won’t be able to qualify, so they’re just ruining the fun! No Azerbaijani side had even picked up a point in the competition before this season, so Qarabag’s 7 are practically miraculous. Had they held on at 2-1 here, 10 points might have even squeezed them through to the knockouts. It’s tough to take, with Frankfurt and Liverpool to go they’ll need at least another win, can the miracle makers make another miracle? They held the lead until 79 minutes before Ajax realised what shirt they’re wearing and hit three in quick succession. Too little, too late for the Dutch giants.
Villareal 2-3 FC København
Villareal are out and København have thrown themselves a late qualification lifeline. Despite having the lion’s share of the chances, Villareal’s horrible Champions League showing continued with a home loss to the Danish side, and they still have just one point. It was a great, late last-minute win for Køvenhavn that keeps them just inside the play-off spaces with 2 games remaining. Napoli and Barcelona are their final tests, so it might be tricky to get through, but at least they’ve given themselves a chance.
Athletic Club 0-0 PSG
Uncharacteristically goalless from PSG, and uncharacteristically good from Athletic Club. The Basque side have had to face Real Madrid, Atletico and PSG within 7 days, it doesn’t get much harder. They’ve come away with 4 points, you can’t argue with that. Unai Simon in the Athletic net had a great game and his side fought for every ball and earned their clean sheet. PSG will feel they should’ve won, but they got out-fought and out-worked at every turn. Quality isn’t everything. PSG still sit third and will be confident of achieving a top 8 spot, Athletic have 5 points and will probably need to beat both Atalanta and Sporting to see themselves through to the next stage. Not impossible, but unlikely. Not everyone can get through, I suppose!
Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon’s Premier League season has been so-so, but in Europe he seems to come alive. 5 goals and 2 assists in 6 games, scoring the first and assisting the second here, makes him the second best contributor to goals in the competition behind someone called Kylian Mbappe. He might be one to watch, too. A draw felt fair on the night and it was a good result for both teams, with 9 and 10 points respectively just one more win will see them safely to a play-off spot. A point might even be enough. Eddie Howe’s boys have a big trip to Sunderland this weekend to focus on now, it’s been a big week for the Toon Army.
Benfica 2-0 Napoli
Jose Mourinho was reunited with the prodigal son Scott McTominay as his Benfica side comfortably saw off their Italian visitors. Napoli had plenty of the ball but, and you’ll never believe this, Mourinho has coached his team to be effective without it! Who’d have thought. Goals either side of half time were enough to claim victory for the hosts in Lisboa, and take them to within a point of the play-offs. When Jose took over they were rock bottom with Ajax on zero points, you can imagine the smug little grin on his face if they sneak into the play-offs from there. They’ll have to overcome one, or both, of Real Madrid and Juventus to do it. That last gameweek matchup against Real could be box office.
Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Bodø/Glimt
It was nice to see the tables turned and watch Bodø claim a point they probably don’t deserve, rather than be robbed of 2 in a disappointing collapse. Dortmund will be furious they haven’t put this game to bed, a victory would’ve seen them up in 4th and cruising to a top 8 finish. Alas, work to do for BVB still as they face Spurs and Inter in the coming weeks. Beating the teams around them could be all they need to hoist themselves over that line into the automatic qualification. Bodø’s heroic maiden Champions League run is, heartbreakingly, over. But what a run it’s been! If they carry on the trajectory they’ve been running at for the last few years, they’ll certainly be back.
Club Brugge 0-3 Arsenal
Will anyone beat Arsenal in Europe? Will anyone score against them? Not this week. 6 wins from 6, 17 goals scored and 1 conceded. That’ll probably do. With their goal difference advantage, even if they lose their last two games, the top 8 is all but secured already and they can afford to take their foot off the gas slightly and rotate. Of course Arteta won’t let up, but he could. They are in tremendous form and look unplayable, even with a heavily rotated team that featured Christian Nørgaard at centre half. Brugge have been in tricky form, but with Kairat and Marseille as their final two games they hold a glimmer of hope that they could sneak into the next round. 2 wins might not even be enough, but they’ll need them both to stand a chance.
Juventus 2-0 Pafos FC
A professional display from a Juventus side that have picked up their form as of late. No drama, the majority of the ball and the majority of the shots and 2 second half goals to confirm the three points. It couldn’t have gone much better for the Italian giants. It was needed too, they’re up to 9 points now and will need to take something from Benfica and Monaco to ensure they make it to the next stages. Pafos have had a great debut campaign and are lingering just outside the play-offs, it’ll be a tough ask but they face an unpredictable Chelsea and Slavia Prague next. Anything can happen, it would be great to see a Cypriot team make it to the knockouts.
Real Madrid 1-2 Manchester City
Xabi Alonso is, at time of writing, still the manager of Real Madrid. The complaints from the players seem to be that he is over-coaching them and too focussed on tactics as opposed to massaging their egos. It was always a worry as to if the man who had coached a middling Leverkusen side to undefeated Bundesliga and cup glory would be able to manage the star power available to him in Madrid, and clearly cracks are starting to form. The Madrid job has now devolved to being mostly man-management and making sure all your expensive toys are kept happy. Get the ball, pass to Mbappe, score. Even I can do it! You have to feel for Alonso, and his opposite number in Pep is a very similar personality as a coach. But obviously a bit more mental. Manchester City had the better of the game and saw out a first half lead to win fairly comfortably in the end. Haaland scored just his 2nd in 6 games. Washed up.
Game Of The Round:
Villareal 2-3 FC København
The great Danes forced them selves back into play-odd contention with a big win on the road in Spain.
Their victory has finally condemned Villareal to an early elimination, it turns out having just 1 point from the first 6 matches isn’t enough to win the Champions League. Who knew?
Villareal are in third place just a point behind Real Madrid in LaLiga with a game in hand. 11 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses from 15 games in a difficult league is incredible for the Yellow Submarine, but their Champions League form could do with some Help! They’ve had one of the trickier draws, but a loss away at Pafos is inexcusable for any of the sides from the top divisions.
As for the Danes, they occupy the final play-off spot with 2 games remaining and are dreaming of making it to the next stage. Napoli and Barcelona will provide stern tests, and may seem insurmountable, but anything is possible in this competition. København hero Andreas Cornelius popped up with a last-gasp winner to keep the dream alive despite a prolonged spell of Villareal pressure.
It will be difficult, but they can do it. Could we see the Danes in the next round?
Left-back has been a problem position for England for a while now, with Luke Shaw incapable of staying fit and the rest of the options being lacklustre or right-backs playing out of position. Up steps Uncle Pep once again to develop us another superstar, Nico O’Reilly.
The 20 year-old picked up a first career Champions League goal at the Bernebau, there aren’t many better places to announce yourself on the big stage. His emergence as City’s premier attacking full-back option this season has been amazing to see, beating out big summer signing Rayan Ait-Nouri for a starting spot. He is as adept going forward as he is at defending, notably giving Mohammed Salah a horrible day out at the Etihad earlier this season as well as bothering Fede Valverde all day this time out. These aren’t kids, these are established world-class pros and O’Reilly is having none of their nonsense. He ran the show on the biggest stage and should now have his name down on Thomas Tuchel’s squad list in permanent ink.
Man of the match, goalscorer, defensive rock. Nico O’Reilly, remember the name.
TNT Sports
Table:
Automatic QualificationPlay-OffsElimination
Atalanta are upsetting the Champions League boys club in the top 8, while everyone else up there is exactly who you’d expect. For all the excitement and amazing fixtures the new format throws up, it really does benefit the bigger sides. Thank God they finally got a bit of help from UEFA, the governing bodies of football have long neglected to support teams like Real Madrid and PSG.
Teams have started dropping out slowly but surely, next gameweek should see another bunch of casualties too. Villareal and Kairat are officially gone, and anyone on less than 4 points may as well be. Even the 4 point sides may not qualify with 2 wins from the final 2.
I’ll be back to cover the next round in the new year, and then we’ll have a look at all the sweet, sweet permutations going into round 8.
Two to go. It’s getting nervy from top to bottom. Except Arsenal, they’re alright I suppose.
The Tyne-Wear Derby! Or is it the Wear-Tyne Derby? To stay out of trouble, we’ll just call it this weeks’ big game! Sunderland are back in the big time and flying high, sitting a point above their Saudi-owned neighbours, but who will come out on top as the two sides face off this weekend?
Champions League places, title charges, relegation battles – sure, they’re all important, but nothing in football quite beats the glory of holding the bragging rights over your fiercest rivals. And they don’t get much fiercer than Sunderland and Newcastle. They’ve spent some time apart as Sunderland slipped down the leagues and had chance to reflect, and they’ve both come to the realisation that they still really hate each other. It doesn’t get better.
Contrary to pre-season expectations, this game might actually mean something in the context of the battle for Europe too! Sunderland have performed well over-odds and currently sit just three points from fourth, while Newcastle seem to have overcome their sluggish start and are back in the race to return to the Champions League again next season. With so much on the line, expect fireworks in North East this weekend!
Form:
Newcastle stuttered a bit at the start of the season as they re-adjusted to playing in Europe and shook off the hangover from the Isak drama that raged on all summer, but they’ve been much better as of late. They’ve picked up three wins and lost just once in their last five league games, including an impressive victory over Manchester City and a 4-1 away thrashing of Everton. The win on Merseyside is their only away win in seven attempts so far this Premier League season, however, they’ll hope it’s the start of a trend and not an outlier.
Newcastle also have a midweek Champions League game in Leverkusen to contend with while the Sunderland players rest up and prepare for Sunday’s big game.
Sunderland have suffered a little dip in form after their blistering start, winning just once in their last six. That being said, they have drawn three of those and only lost two, one of the losses coming at the hands of Manchester City and two of the draws against Liverpool and Arsenal in this time. I doubt Sunderland fans will be overly worried about their form with the difficulty of their run-in. The crucial stat is that they are yet to lose at home. The Stadium of Light has been a fortress since their return to the top-flight, with 4 wins and 3 draws in 7 games they have one of the best home records in the division and are the only other unbeaten home side alongside leaders Arsenal. It’ll be a tough ask for their rivals to break the home streak, but nobody will be more motivated to do so than them.
Head-to-head:
The Black Cats are back in the big time – marking the return of this fixture for the first time in the league since 2016!
There was an FA Cup fixture between the two in January of 2024, which Newcastle handily won 3-0, but there was a clear gulf in quality between the Championship side and their Champions League rivals. That gulf has now closed, and with just one point between them it really is anyone’s game.
As far as league games go, as I’m sure the Sunderland fans are well aware, it’s been a rough time in recent memory for the Toon Army.
In their last 10 league meetings, Newcastle have won just once, and that was 10 games ago. In the proceeding 9 matchups, Sunderland have won 6 and there have been 3 draws.
History certainly favours Sunderland, and Black Cats have proven to be unlucky for Newcastle. Can Eddie Howe’s men break the curse after 9 years without a league meeting between the two northern giants?
Key Matchup:
Granit Xhaka vs Bruno Guimaraes
Even this far into his tenure as a Sunderland player, I’m still double checking as I write this to make 100% sure I didn’t dream that Granit Xhaka signed for Sunderland over the summer. It was a massive statement of intent from the club, and a big gamble for the Swiss midfielder as he banked his reputation on the Sunderland project. For all parties, it has worked out better than we could have imagined.
Xhaka is a force in the midfield, everything runs through him for Sunderland and he has hardly put a foot wrong since his debut. The tendency to see him as a rough-and-ready defensive enforcer is harsh, I think, he has many more strings to his bow than just kicking the ball and people incredibly hard. He is a creative threat, as evidenced by his 4 assists already this term, he can pop up with a goal and also break the play up to allow Sunderland to fly up the pitch on one of their trademark devastating counter attacks. He is the engine in their well-oiled machine, and it will take a serious player to stop him.
Newcastle, fortunately for them, are flush with midfield talent of their own. Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and even young Lewis Miley have all been fantastic in spells this season and bring something different to that energetic Newcastle midfield, but the pick of the bunch for me has always been Bruno Guimaraes.
Bruno, like Xhaka, makes his side tick. As crucial as they both are, they both operate in very different ways and seeing how they counteract one another and try to deal with the challenges they each pose will be extremely interesting. The game could be won and lost in the middle of the park between these two.
Bruno is more of an out-and-out goalscoring threat, he has hit 5 in the league already, but is also plenty capable of creating chances for his teammates. He tends to push high to win the ball in the final third and get his team on the front-foot and has also been one of the most accomplished long-passers in the league this season.
The direct tenacity of Bruno vs the more measured control of Xhaka. Who can come out on top in the biggest battle of the weekend?
Preview:
One of English football’s fiercest rivalries finally renewed on the big stage. Both teams have very different looks than the last time they both met at this level, will it be Regis Le Bris’ odds-defying Black Cats or the Toon Army fronted by Eddie Howe that control the North East on Sunday?
Everything’s at stake and there’s nowhere to hide in the Derby.
Newly-minted Saints manager Tonda Eckert took charge of his first game of his official tenure this weekend at home to Birmingham. After impressing with 4 wins from his 5 games as the interim head coach, the German was awarded the position on a permanent basis this week and celebrated in style. Two from Armstrong proved too strong for Blues as their away form, or lack thereof, continued on the south coast.
Home is where the heart is. In the case of Birmingham City, home is the only place they have any hope of picking up a win as of late. If they’re going to achieve their promotion dreams they set out in pre-season, sorting out their away form needs to be a priority. At St. Andrew’s they’re strong, they have the third best home record in the division and have only lost once in nine games, but they’re 21st in the away table. They’ve won 2, drawn 2 and lost 6 of their 10 away games thus far, crucially only managing to score 7 goals across those games. It isn’t good enough, and it won’t get your promoted no matter how easily you put teams away at your place. In their last 4 homes games they’ve hit a maximum 12 points and scored 14 goals in the process, away from home in the same period they’ve managed just a singular point and three goals, the disparity is plain to see. The away fans will certainly be feeling blue on the coach back to the midlands.
In Southampton’s case it’s all smiles as Tonda Eckert has delivered an early Christmas present by returning the now unfamiliar winning feeling back to the south coast. In his six games in charge, he has already picked up more points than the previous regime had in their eleven games. You wonder if Will Still will still be hot property now the footballing world sees what his Saints side can really do. Southampton, much like Ipswich and potentially Sheffield United, have had their slow starts almost totally forgiven by the rest of the league as everyone continues to beat each other and drop points in unexpected games leaving the gap from the bottom half to the play-off places relatively short. Despite being really quite dreadful, Saints are just three points from Stoke in 6th with 27 games to go. They should be able to close that gap. With the win this weekend, Tonda Eckert has also surpassed the points total achieved by Southampton in the whole Premier League season last time out, the good times are well and truly back at St. Mary’s.
Finn Azaz’s £10m+ summer move from Middlesbrough had been largely ridiculed after a poor start to the season, and it was clear to see why. The attacking midfielder just couldn’t replicate his scintillating form from last year in his new colours, failing to register a single goal or assist in the eight games he played under Still, finding himself eventually being used as a bit-part substitute at times. Up to that point, Azaz looked like another expensive bust in a long line of Southampton failed transfers in recent years, and his own fans began to get on his back. Since Eckert has come in, however, Azaz has come alive. He has yet to go a game under the new boss without registering a goal contribution, netting 6 goals and providing 2 assists in the 6 matches since the German took charge.
The Irishman managed a goal and an assist today to take the game beyond Birmingham’s reach in the first half. His goal was the opener, and the first in a series of goals in this game that seemed to be part of a 90 minute goal of the season competition. It was interesting defending from a Birmingham perspective, Azaz found himself with acres of space and plenty of time just outside the box, shifted the ball onto his left foot and drilled his shot from the edge of the area into the bottom right-hand corner and well beyond the reach of the outstretched hand of James Beadle.
Similarly for the second, Azaz found Armstrong in miles of room 30 yards from goal. The forward took the ball inside and effortlessly beat the weak challenge of Christoph Klarer, lining up a shot as nobody charged him down and firing his effort into the opposite corner to double the hosts’ advantage. It looked like Chris Davies’ side were playing with ten men for both of these goals, that amount of space and time afforded to players of that quality will hardly ever go unpunished, and they found themselves 2-0 down before the half hour mark. You can’t help but feel it was preventable.
For the remainder of the first half and the start of the second, Blues piled on the pressure in search of a way back out of the hole they’d dug for themselves. Finally, on 54 minutes, Southampton cracked after some magic from Demarai Gray. The Blues’ hometown hero made his triumphant return in summer following a 10 year absence that saw him lift a Premier League title at Leicester, compete in Europe at Leverkusen and travel across the globe to play for Al-Ettifaq. And who can forget the pre-season Florida Cup win with Everton? He showed once again that he hadn’t left all the magic in his boots in the Saudi sand dunes, cutting in from the left onto his right foot and bending a beauty across goal and into the far corner. It’s always a shame to see goals of that quality scored in big losses, another belter that will be lost to the sands of time.
Deficit halved, Birmingham were back in the game. All they had to do was keep it tight and continue pushing for the all-important equaliser. Four minutes later, Saints restored their advantage. Feeling left out and wanting to get in on the action, Brazilian attacking midfielder Leo Scienza worked the ball from the left flank across the box to the same area the first two goals had been scored from, and lo and behold he was also greeted with an expanse of green grass and a half-hearted challenge from Klarer. At least this time Beadle was ready, saving the shot from Scienza into the path of Armstrong for a proper poacher’s finish. 3-1, and that’s how it would stay. A huge 3 points and the continuation of Eckert’s stunning record for Southampton, while Blues’ away blues continued.
All of Birmingham’s best work came at two goals down, wether that be at 2-0 or for the remainder of the game at 3-1, they were able to create chances and dominate the ball against a very adept Southampton side. But playing well at 2-0 down doesn’t win you any points. Davies needs to tighten them up defensively on the road, this isn’t League One anymore and teams aren’t just going to sit back and pray at the sight of a £40m team bowling into their patch. If they can manage to sort themselves out when they travel, they’ll be comfortably in the play-offs and have a chance at a second consecutive promotion, but if Davies can’t manage to get them there then there’ll be questions as to if someone so inexperienced should be trusted with such a big job and financial war chest.
Jolly old Saint Nick won’t be the only Saint eyeing up the December calendar with glee (yippee). Southampton have a blend of real top-to-bottom tests of their capabilities in Coventry and a return trip to St. Andrews as well as some games they’d really fancy themselves to dominate with ease on current form away at Norwich and Oxford. If they can pass their tricky assignments and turn over the teams they should be beating, things could look a lot more merry and bright for Tonda Eckert’s side as 2026 rolls around. Who knows, they might even be making faces at automatic promotion if their run-in continues at the same pace.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The Rams are kicking off the busy Christmas fixture list with the first of two games against Leicester City in December.
There’s a sense that this six-game run will be make-or-break in regard to the Rams’ potential foray into the play-off race this season. Leicester will always give you a difficult game and we play them home and away, Birmingham and Millwall are well in the mix at the top end and will provide Derby with a thorough examination and Portsmouth and Wednesday are there to be beaten at the moment, and if you can’t beat them then do you really deserve to be up there? When the New Year fireworks are popping overhead, will the Derby fans be dreaming that 2026 could be the year we return to the top tier?
Before we get ahead of ourselves, we need to take it one game at a time, and Leicester at home are first up to the plate. How are the visitors likely to set up and are Derby likely to get a result? Let’s take a look.
The Run-In:
Since the return of Sondre Langas and the back 5, Derby have been on a bit of a tear. From relegation battle to promotion fight in just over a month, the Rams are a prime example of just how much a good run of form can change your fortunes in a league as tight as this. 6 wins from 8 has Eustace’s boys sat in 11th and within touching distance of the play-offs. Three points against Leicester would give their promotion credentials some real legitimacy.
Leicester have been operating under a self-imposed transfer ban to try and balance their allegedly extremely wonky books since their relegation from the Premier League last time out. A hearing over a potential points deduction still looms, and we may hear the outcome of that very soon. On the pitch, the Foxes have struggled. They started strongly, winning 3 of their opening 4 league games, but have since found victories hard to come by. They’ve only won another 4 from the proceeding 14 games, instead opting to draw or lose most of their games – an interesting strategy from Cifuentes. 2 of those wins did come in their last 4 games, but they were immediately followed by two big losses to Southampton and Sheffield United. They certainly have the quality in their squad to compete at a higher level than they’ve shown, so does the blame fall on Marti Cifuentes’ tactical setup?
If there’s a solace for Leicester fans, we are awful against them. The clubs last met competitively over eight years ago in the February of 2017, the infamous FA Cup replay in which Abdoul Camara managed his one and only Derby goal. Good times, eh?
Leicester have won 9 of the last 11 meetings between the two sides, drawing the first game in that FA Cup round and somehow managing to lose to us all the way back in 2013. Our last win against the Foxes was that long ago that Craig Forsyth assisted the winner. I wonder where he ended up.
Leicester have Derby’s number but their recent form has left a lot to be desired. Winning streaks have to end somewhere – don’t they?
Tactics:
I expect the lineups to look something similar to, if not exactly like, this. The only possible changes may be a replacement for Ben Brereton Diaz, who has struggled of late, and Oliver Skipp starting in the holding midfield area with James pushed forwards and Reid dropping to the bench. Eustace likes Diaz, and he provides a third aerial outlet up front for the Rams, so I doubt he’ll be dropped. As for Leicester, Skipp has started more frequently than Reid but Reid started their last game. They did lose that game, however, so Cifuentes may revert to Skipp once more.
Something I’m sure Eustace will have highlighted are Leicester’s struggled against back 3/5s this season. They’ve played against them on 6 occasions, losing 3, drawing 2 and only beating Sheffield Wednesday – which hardly counts. If the rams can exploit their weaknesses in the same way these other sides have, we could see an end to the Leicester curse at Pride Park this weekend. That being said, both of the Rams’ recent losses to Boro and Watford have been against sides playing 4-2-3-1 as you’d expect Leicester to line up, so it could go either way.
Going forwards, Leicester like to play high-possession football with high volumes of short passes in their build-up play. They have the 3rd highest average possession in the league, the 4th most total passes but the second fewest total long balls. They like to work the ball steadily out wide and cross into the box, completing the 6th most crosses in the division. Their difficulty against 5 at-the-back systems may stem from the fact the outside channels are typically more congested with the wide centre-half covering alongside his wing-back as well as an attacking winger potentially dropping deep to cover. This stops Leicester playing their natural game and they don’t seem to have a plan B on file. At least not one that works.
If they advance down the flank with their full-back on the ball, their winger will curve their run into the box to draw a defender away from the ball, while the opposite winger makes a run from deep towards the back post to turn in a cross if it comes. Daka will peel slightly to one side, leaving room centrally for the 10 to advance into and further room the other side for one of the holding midfielders to step up into to latch onto any loose balls or challenge for the ball aerially. The other midfielder will sit around the edge in the event of a counter attack, also to pick up loose balls and recycle possession to keep an attack going, and the opposite-side full back tucks inside centrally for the same reasons as well as to drag their opposition out of position and create an overload in attack.
Alternatively, if their wingers have the ball the full-back will burst inside for an underlap to create central pressure and drive into space inside the box to shoot or square the ball to a forward to miss an open net. Fatawu and Mavididi are both so dangerous that they cannot reliably be shown inside or outside as they are capable of whipping crosses, finding through-passes or just beating their man and finding the far corner with an effort from the edge of the box. Joe Ward’s limited defensive capabilities will certainly be tested in this game.
Luckily for Wardy, he could also get a lot of joy. This will be music to Derby fans’ ears, Leicester are particularly susceptible to crosses and set-pieces. Hoorah! They conceded two goals from corners in the loss to Sheffield United last time out and one form a corner and one from a free-kick in the 3-0 defeat at Southampton. They also let in both of their goals in the loss to Blackburn from crosses into the box, if any team are going to exploit that weakness it’ll be Derby. Just 12 of our 25 goals this season have been from open play, and even the majority of those have been from crosses. With big Pat and Lars lurking, Leicester will certainly be worried.
Despite their preference for excessive passing, Leicester have actually looked most threatening from fast breaks. It baffles me that they don’t look to exploit this more with the pace and quality they have in attack, but that’s also part of the reason Cifuentes is potentially facing the sack with a loss to Derby this weekend. They’re also more than capable of a defensive calamity or silly error, as well as an inexplicable miss at the other end. Once is a coincidence, every game is definitely more like a pattern.
My final word of warning is to watch out for James shooting from range. They look to overload the final third and leave him unmarked from 25 yards knowing full well he is capable of burying a shot in the top corner from miles out. Keep tight to him, Bobby.
Prediction:
It’ll be tight. It’ll be cagey. I expect both sides to score here, Leicester have an overwhelming amount of quality and Derby are in the middle of a hot-streak. I probably make us the favourites, and if any other side than Leicester were facing us in this form I’d be certain of a home win, but I just can’t shake the fact that we don’t seem to be able to beat them.
For that reason, I’m going for a draw.
If you want to get really specific, it’s a Matt Clarke opener from a Joe Ward corner in the first half and a late leveller from Bobby Reid.
White Noise 