Good Morning! Matchweek 12 is here and we are officially done with international breaks until next year!🙌 

I think we can all agree this has been the most exciting break of them all, with teams qualifying (or not) for the World Cup and some absolutely ridiculous goals. Thanks in no small part to Scott McTominay’s gravity defying bicycle kick.

There will be a total of 80 games between now and Jan 1. That’s eight Prem Reports for those who measure time with newsletters. Now lets kick of the Holiday season with a bang!

-Gabe

In this edition

• Fixtures

• 3 Things to Watch

• Extra Slice

Matchweek 12 Fixtures

Saturday, November 22

🟣 Burnley vs 🦁 Chelsea - 4:30 - USA

🍒 Bournemouth vs ⚒️ West Ham - 7:00 - Peacock

🐧 Brighton vs 🐝 Brentford - 7:00 - Peacock

🏠 Fulham vs 🐈‍⬛ Sunderland - 7:00 - Peacock

🔴 Liverpool vs 🌲 Forest - 7:00 - Peacock

🐺 Wolves vs 🦅 Crystal Palace - 7:00 - Peacock

⚫ Newcastle vs 🌙 Man City - 9:30 - NBC
Even a blocked penalty couldn’t get Haaland down last week as he scored a header in City’s 3-0 win over Liverpool. With 14 goals for City this season, he leads his team and the league in goals. There is a seven-way tie for second in Cities goal tally, with each of the seven players having scored….One goal.

Definitely don’t listen to the newsletter guy, but Newcastle I think there is only one player you need to watch.

Sunday, November 23

🦉 Leeds vs ⭕ Aston Villa - 6:00 - USA

🔫 Arsenal vs 🐓 Tottenham - 8:30 - NBC
A good ol’ London derby at the Emirates stadium with both teams fresh off 2-2 draws their previous matches. Spurs have the best away record in the league and are performing well above preseason expectations having finished 17th last season, and fired their coach over the Summer.

Arsenal have a long list of stars on the beach with seven key players injured. But will still be the favorites boasting a brick house defense that has a kept a staggering, 7 clean sheets through 11 games.

Monday, November 24

🟥 Man United vs 🟦 Everton - 12:00 - USA
This will be Reuben Amorim’s 1st anniversary as manager of United. While it’s been a rock road to say the least, their current form is by far the best yet. With only two losses and two draws in their last nine matches, they are sitting quite pretty in 7th place, one of five teams with 18 points. Add to that a very favorable run of games heading into December and a top four challenge is well within their grasp.

^{Times are in Pacific Standard Time and channels are based in the U.S.
Stats are supplied by Opta Analyst.}

Three Things to Watch

1. 🥳Amorims Man U Bday Interview

2. 🥅Totenham VS Arsenal produces the best goals /

3. 💔 Liverpool and grief; missing Diogo Jota 

Extra Slice

Ross Barkley sat down with Jacob Tanswell of the Athletic for a candid interview and gave some insights into his career and the struggles he’s experienced over his 20 years in the game. We’ve summarized the article below and made some of our own observations for you to digest. Read the full article here (paywall)

Being compared to Wayne Rooney, and Steven Gerrard should be one of the highest compliments an English player could receive. But for Ross Barkley the comments were more like a burden he had to carry while trying to overcome his struggles on and off the pitch.

Barkley's journey from Everton wonderkid to journeyman midfielder has been anything but easy. Now 31 and at Aston Villa, Barkley has opened up about the struggles that followed him throughout his career. From high expectations as a youngster at Everton, and a major injury (triple leg fracture) at 16 years old, to a vulnerable isolating move to Chelsea where he let admitted to letting alcohol get in the way of his best football.

Barkley has been sober since the summer and credits fatherhood, therapy, and renewed mental clarity as turning points. After a standout year with Luton and a personal comeback moment against Bournemouth this season, he's now fully committed to squeezing the most out of his final years in the game and maybe earning an England recall in the process.

His reflections paint a picture of resilience: growing up in a single-parent household in Liverpool, catching buses alone to training, and being mentored by Duncan Ferguson and David Moyes. Barkley may never have reached the superstardom predicted for him, but in his own words, “I could have done things differently, but I feel everything’s made me become a better person.”

His current goal is to help Aston Villa reach a final and lift a trophy; something he firmly believes the club and this team truly deserve. After such a humble representation of himself, it’s hard not to root for him.

Good Luck Ross.