Hello there! It was an eventful weekend in England, where the title race began to take shape and an entertaining edition of the Manchester derby took center stage. I’m Pardeep Cattry with the latest.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Monday, Dec. 16
🏆 Women’s Euro: draw, 12 p.m. ➡️ FS2
🇮🇹 Serie A: Lazio vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🏴 EPL: Bournemouth vs. West Ham, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Network
Tuesday, Dec. 17
🇪🇺 UWCL: Real Madrid vs. Chelsea, 12:45 p.m. ➡️ DAZN
🇮🇹 Coppa Italia: Juventus vs. Cagliari, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇪🇺 UWCL: Lyon vs. Wolfsburg, 3 p.m ➡️ DAZN
⚽ The Forward Line
🔴 Manchester United’s surprise derby win
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The Manchester derby lived up to the hype on Sunday as Manchester United notched a surprise 2-1 win over Manchester City, taking advantage of their rivals’ months-long downward turn as new manager Ruben Amorim notched his first big win in the job.
Sunday’s game was not exactly a tactical masterclass from either manager, but pre-game chatter was focused primarily on Amorim with the statement he made through his team selection. Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were excluded from the squad, which Amorim attributed to their performances during training, in a decision that appeared to be costly as City took the lead through Josko Gvardiol’s 36th minute goal. City did little to turn that advantage into true dominance, offering an opening for United to get into the game. Though Amorim’s side were not particularly impressive, one person shone above the rest – 22-year-old Amad Diallo. He scored the game-winner in the 90th minute, which James Benge writes was a reward for his outstanding showing.
- Benge: “When the ball came United’s way, they went straight to Amad. He went straight at that City rearguard. They looked ill at ease, hardly ready to slow, let alone stop, a well-executed counter. United rarely delivered those, particularly in the first half, but they really did threaten. A bit more propulsion for Manuel Ugarte, a better touch from Diogo Dalot when Amad went from the right flank to the left side of the penalty box: had that come it might not have been so long before United broke through. These full-tilt counters are hard to pull off, particularly given that Amorim is not exactly blessed with high grade talent. Still Amad, would keep putting United in positions where they were just a pass away.”
United’s success is equally as noteworthy as City’s downward slide, which could not quit on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s side now have one win in their last 11, their drab form clearly impacting the team’s mentality. Instead of confidently closing out a game in the dying minutes, they were frantic and sloppy as they approached the end of the game. That sense of panic resulted in them conceding a penalty, which Bruno Fernandes scored in the 88th minute, and then Diallo’s late winner. Guardiola and City still seem without answers for their slump, with Bernardo Silva having some choice words for his team’s form.
- Silva: “I don’t know what happened at the end. I think we played a very good game and football at this level is about doing the little things properly. We have a corner in the 87th minute and it ends up with your keeper. We’re playing like under-15s at the moment. 87th minute, corner for your team and the ball ends up with your keeper. for a penalty. You cannot make these stupid decisions. You pay the price.”
United finished the weekend in 13th place, though this season’s tight margins mean they are only six points off of fourth place Nottingham Forest. City, meanwhile, slipped down to fifth place and sit nine points behind league leaders Liverpool. Though City have overcome similar deficits in years past, doing so is beginning to feel like a stretch this time around.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🏆 Is a title race brewing in England?
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Liverpool’s once insurmountable lead atop the Premier League table is now down to just two points, with Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Fulham and Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Brentford closing the gap and building the foundation for what could be a competitive race to the finish line.
The Reds notched their second draw in as many league games over the weekend, salvaging a point after going down a goal through Andreas Pereira’s 11th minute effort and down a man after Andrew Robertson was sent off six minutes later. Cody Gakpo leveled the score in the 47th minute but Rodrigo Muniz restored Fulham’s lead in the 76th minute. Diogo Jota came to Liverpool’s rescue in the 86th minute with the equalizer, saving his side from a second loss under new manager Arne Slot.
A day later, Chelsea cruised to victory over Brentford, extending their status as the Premier League’s best attacking side with 37 goals this season. They demonstrated their offensive skills by taking 26 shots to Brentford’s nine, with Marc Cucurella and Nicolas Jackson giving them a 2-0 lead before things went out of their favor at the end of the game with Bryan Mbeumo’s 90th minute goal and Cucurella’s 98th minute red card.
Though Chelsea closed the gap to two points at the top of the table, Liverpool remain the strong favorites for the title with a game in hand. Still, with the Reds’ imperfections on display in recent weeks, Chuck Booth writes that the next few weeks will be crucial in determining whether or not Slot’s side are true title favorites or not.
- Booth: “To maintain their title charge, Liverpool will need to be almost perfect which is a tall ask for any team. Perfection isn’t easy to come by in the Premier League, especially with injuries impacting large portions of the defense. Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley are out with injuries and Robertson will also miss Liverpool’s next match giving Slot another lineup decision to think about. Jota and Alisson’s return helps, but during the festive period, matches slow down for no one. Failing to win in two consecutive matches is hardly a crisis, especially when Liverpool are perfect in Champions League play and are close to securing an automatic berth to the last 16. Taking over for Jurgen Klopp is a dream scenario, but patches like this one are where Slot’s leadership will be tested. It’s easy to get your ideas across when a team is winning but dropped points can create doubt.”
🔗 Top Stories
🏆 EPL title contenders: It’s time to rank Liverpool’s rivals for the Premier League title, with Chelsea leading the chase and Manchester City on the verge of slipping off the radar.
👋 EPL’s sack race: Wolverhampton Wanderers fired Gary O’Neil first thing in the morning on Sunday, while Southampton saved Russell Martin’s pink slip for after a 5-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the evening.
🇺🇸Reyna’s new record: Gio Reyna scored for Borussia Dortmund on Sunday, setting a new goalscoring record for USMNT players under the age of 23 in Europe’s top five leagues.
🇫🇷 PSG’s big win: Paris Saint-Germain beat Lyon on Sunday, with Desire Doue taking center stage as they continue to map out life post-Kylian Mbappe.
🇲🇽 Rodriguez resigns: Juan Carlos Rodriguez resigned as the head of both the Mexican Football Federation and Liga MX, creating a leadership shakeup ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
🧤 Martinez’s big save: Emiliano Martinez came up with a huge save for Aston Villa in their 2-1 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, one that rivals the big stop he made for Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final.
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bets
- Serie A: Lazio vs. Inter, Monday, 2:45 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Lazio and Inter to tie 1-1 (+600) – Reigning champions Inter have not lost in league play since their September defeat to AC Milan, but they are up for a tough battle on Monday against Lazio, who are equal on points with them heading into this match. Expect Lazio to continue their impressive season with a hard-fought point, blocking Inter from the chance to rebound after a defeat in the UEFA Champions League last week. - Coppa Italia: Juventus vs. Cagliari, Tuesday, 3 p.m.
💰 THE PICK: Kenan Yildiz to score (+210) – It has been a breakout season for 19-year-old Kenan Yildiz, who is joint-second on the team’s goalscoring charts with four so far this season. He could add another to the account on Tuesday against Cagliari, who are the heavy underdogs against Juventus as they take a break from their relegation battle in Serie A.
For more picks, predictions, expert tips and the latest betting news, don’t miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting home page.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
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