All right all right all right (said like McConaughey). Matchweeks like this one remind us how sweet it is to be a Premier League fan.

The headliner is the Manchester derby…with a bit more drama then ususal. We have a new (old) coach (caretaker) taking the reigns of United, key play makers back from injury (Mbuemo, Fernandes), and a general sense of desperation by both sides to get a freaking win.

It’s Poetry to my ears.

Enjoy!
-Gabe

In this edition

• Fixtures

• Extra Slice

Matchweek 22 Fixtures

Saturday

• 🟥 Manchester United vs 🌙 Manchester City — 4:30 AM — NBC
  Here we gooooo!! Will Manchester be painted red or a soft sweet baby blue this weekend? United and City are each on three straight Premier League draws, the first time two teams on such runs have met since 2001. While City sit second and six points off Arsenal after surrendering late leads against Brighton and Chelsea, United remain seventh and could jump into the top four with a win in the weekend’s early kickoff.
  

  Much of the pre-match story revolves around familiar villians/heroes. Erling Haaland has been involved in 11 Premier League goals against United (8 goals, 3 assists), more than any City player, and contributed to all three goals in City’s 3–0 win at Old Trafford in 2023. Though he has just one goal in his last six appearances, history suggests United are the ideal cure. City’s attacking depth only sharpens the threat, with Rayan Cherki posting 13 goal involvements since November and new lad Antoine Semenyo already scoring in his first two City outings.
  
  United do have reasons for belief, though: they rank second in the league for expected goals (38.3) behind City, and the returns of Bruno Fernandes, Amad, and Bryan Mbeumo give caretaker Michael Carrick immediate attacking ammunition. This is huge considering United have failed to score in four of their last five home league games against City.
  
  Michael Carrick’s first match as Manchester United’s interim head coach dropped him straight into the deep end, and Old Trafford responded in kind. With United drifting through a turbulent spell —
  

• 🦁 Chelsea vs 🐝 Brentford — 7:00 AM — Peacock
  

• 🦉 Leeds vs 🏠 Fulham — 7:00 AM — Peacock
  

• 🔴 Liverpool vs 🟣 Burnley — 7:00 AM — Peacock
  

• 🐈‍⬛ Sunderland vs 🦅 Crystal Palace — 7:00 AM — Peacock
  Sunderland’s home form is good…like Christian Bale in The Prestige good. The Black Cats are unbeaten in all 10 of their Premier League home games this campaign (W5 D5), a start bettered by only seven newly promoted sides in top-flight history.
  
  For Palace, the data paints a less encouraging picture heading into the Stadium of Light. Over the last six matchdays, only West Ham have collected fewer points than the Eagles, who have managed just two (D2 L4) in that span. Their away form is wobbling too, with back-to-back road defeats, and a third straight loss would mark their worst such run since February 2024.
  
  Sunderland may be winless in their last five home league games against Palace, but with momentum firmly on their side and the eagles reeling from recent personnel news (check out the extra slice), the Black Cats should be able to get the job done.
  

• 🐓 Tottenham vs ⚒️ West Ham — 7:00 AM — Peacock
  

• 🌲 Forest vs 🔫 Arsenal — 9:30 AM — USA

Sunday

• 🐺 Wolves vs ⚫️ Newcastle — 6:00 AM — Peacock
  

• ⭕ Aston Villa vs 🟦 Everton — 8:30 AM — Peacock
  Aston Villa return to Villa Park as heavy favorites in the most-played fixture in top-flight history (216 games). They have good reason to be favorites: Villa have won 11 straight home games in all competitions, are unbeaten in 13 Premier League meetings with Everton since 2019, and have outperformed everyone in the league since September, winning 13 league matches and netting 32 goals. Their defensive output has been just as impressive, conceding only 19 goals in that span.
  

  Everton arrive with mixed feelings: Four clean sheets in their last five road games (good) but only 23 goals on the season (not good). But the infamous Jack Grealish returns to Villa Park as a real threat nonetheless; the former Villan has created 36 chances from open play, second only to City’s Jérémy Doku, and was fouled a competition-high 52 times.
  
  Everton have lost their last four league visits to Villa Park, and will have their hands full as Morgan Rogers, who leads Villa in goals and assists, continues to drive the team toward Champions League qualification.

Monday

• 🐧 Brighton vs 🍒 Bournemouth — 12:00 PM — USA
  

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

Extra Slice 

Ok I’m officially getting tired of writing about coaches departures…but here we go again. This time at least the coach isn’t leaving effective immediately… (for now at least)

It’s astounding that a coach can have the most successful spell in a club’s history, and still feel like they fell short. That’s the feeling around Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace departure, which is scheduled for the end of the season (mark your calendars).

Appointed after Roy Hodgson stepped aside in early 2024, the Austrian brought a new aggressive style of play to the team which brought entertainment and real results. A blistering end to the 2023–24 campaign which saw them go 8 games without losing, an FA Cup triumph over Manchester City, European qualification for the first time ever, and even a Community Shield win the following season. It was tangible proof that Palace were the real deal. Glasner had already proven his skills at Eintracht Frankfurt, winning the Europa League in 2022. But he made a name for himself at Selhurst Park, with his tactical clarity and man-management leading to the breaking of a 119 year goal drought.

Yet beneath the trophies, cracks were forming. Glasner made it clear as early as October that he would not renew his contract, quietly informing chairman Steve Parish who agreed to keep it private. His public explanation has remained consistent: He was hungry for a new challenge.

Still, context matters. Palace failed to capitalize fully on their 2025 momentum, recruitment lagged, squad depth was stretched by European football, and key players departed. Glasner’s frustration at limited summer reinforcements, reluctance to rotate, and concerns about sustaining progress was maybe the sign that the coach was outgrowing his club.

The timing of his announcement coinciding with Guéhi’s £20m move to Manchester City would have hit Palace fans like an unplanned ice bucket challenge …except for no charities were benefiting. Losing the club’s most successful manager and captain in the same moment will be the official end of an era.

Whoever takes over at Palace will now face the task of rebuilding identity as much as personnel. While Glasner exits with his head held high he leaves behind the somber truth that In modern football, even historic success does not guarantee alignment, longevity, or satisfaction. Sometimes, winning isn’t everything.