Today, it’s time to celebrate, eat until your heart’s content, and maybe watch some other sports (it’s a good NBA schedule today).
It’s good to take a day off from soccer every once in a while, because come tomorrow, we’ll need you at your couch-watching, focused best.
The next five days may play a big role in who wins the English title, and with technology the way it is, you can see almost all of it without flying across the pond.
(All times are Eastern)
SATURDAY
7:45 a.m.- Birmingham v. Chelsea (ESPN2)
We start off with a doozy (official term), as struggling Chelsea meets in-form Birmingham at St. Andrews.
Daniel Sturridge will likely take center stage, as Nicolas Anelka is out. This is likely Didier Drogba’s last game (along with Solomon Kalou, Michael Essien, and John Obi Mikel) for a month because of the African Nations Cup.
Hope for Chelsea: Birmingham has dropped eight points at home this season, and have not beaten Chelsea since 1980.
Bad news for Chelsea: They will probably have their navy, striped, hideous away kits on.
8 a.m. – West Ham vs. Portsmouth (Setanta)
Talk about a 6-pointer. West Ham played well at home last week, but needs three points here badly. Meanwhile, Portsmouth is playing well lately, is relatively healthy and well-coached. Won’t be a great game, but a big game nonetheless.
Fulham vs. Tottenham (FSC)
Now we’re trying to watch three games at once, tough but not impossible.
This is another good one, Tottenham would like to get three points and show they are a Champions League contender, Fulham wants to keep proving they are a legitimate European contender. Really hard to call this one, Craven Cottage has become one of the toughest places to play in the Premier League (one loss this season).
10 a.m. – Manchester City vs. Stoke City (Setanta)
Welcome, Roberto Mancini to English football, and you make your debut against one of the teams that plays the least football in the top flight.
But Stoke will create problems for the backline with their size. Still, the new manager bump should allow City to get three points here.
Sunderland vs. Everton (FSC)
Talk about two teams in desperate need of three points. Sunderland’s home form has been really poor of late, while Everton has shown better, but doesn’t have the results to show for it.
Darren Bent is due to do something here.
12:30 p.m. – Liverpool vs. Wolves (FSC)
What can you say here? When the score is nil-nil at halftime, how supportive will Anfield be? I’m guessing not very. Liverpool should get three points, but I’m sure they’ll make it interesting.
3 p.m. (tape) – Wigan vs. Blackburn (Setanta)
Which Wigan team will show up? That should tell you how this game goes. Blackburn (maybe Stu Holden’s next club) will give a relatively weak backline fits and may be able to pull out a point here.
Onto Sunday
8:30 a.m. – Arsenal vs. Aston Villa (Setanta)
This gets doozy status, too. If one of these teams win, they will officially be on a roll, which will get them more headlines that the hobbling teams above them. Probably means a draw then.
11 a.m. – Hull vs. Manchester United (FSC)
Does Jozy get a run? Do we want him to get a run in this game (I think so)? If United struggles here, it may be time to start being very concerned in Manchester.
Get your rest because here comes Monday:
7:45 a.m. – Tottenham vs. West Ham (FSC)
This has to be three points for Tottenham, which makes their game against Fulham even bigger, six points this weekend will go a long way for them. Meanwhile, six dropped points for Gianfranco Zola puts them in deep trouble. See why I love this week?
10 a.m. – Blackburn vs. Sunderland (FSC)
How ugly will this game be? Will either team care if they get three points? If you get a chance, look of Sunderland’s road form in the Premiership this decade. Gruesome. Steve Bruce could use three points in a big way here.
Chelsea vs. Fulham (Setanta)
The wheels may be completely off Ancelotti and his bunch by this point. Ivory Coast wants Drogba and Kalou by this point, and if they go, Chelsea has only Sturridge as a true striker. Add the fact that Fulham has given them fits recently (and they can walk down the street from the Cottage to Stamford Bridge), and it’s a tricky fixture for Chelsea. But a champion gets three points here.
Noon (tape) – Everton vs. Burnley (Setanta)
Burnley will battle, but Everton should get the three points here, and would like to make it a six-point weekend and jump ahead of the relegation bunch and into the middle bunch (a small group this year).
2:45 p.m. – Wolves vs. Manchester City (ESPN2)
Ironic that Mancini gets Stoke and Wolves to begin his English career. Mancini on Monday night: “What the hell is that? You call that football? I’m going back to Italy.” Meanwhile, Wolves doesn’t want to get blanked on the weekend, so would want to get something here.
No rest for the weary, off to Tuesday:
2:45 p.m. – Aston Villa vs. Liverpool (Setanta)
Wonder what the odds will be on the betting sites by kickoff. Probably Villa as a shocking favorite (at least in terms of where they were at the beginning of the season).
Goes without saying that if Liverpool wants back in the Champions League, they need a result here. But will Torres play? Does Gerrard care? Is he healthy? This game will tell us a lot about the mental makeup of the Reds.
3 p.m. – Bolton vs. Hull (FSC)
Can’t say I’ll have an eye on this one, but maybe half an eye. If Jozy is playing. Bolton has quietly gotten some results lately, and may win the war of attrition in the end and stay up.
One more day, off to Wednesday:
3 p.m. – Portsmouth vs. Arsenal (FSC)
Does Wenger go to some young kids with the fixture list what it is? What does the pitch at Fratton Park look like by Wednesday night? Inquiring minds want to know, and this has the potential to be – maybe not good – but interesting. Very interesting.
Manchester United vs. Wigan (Setanta)
A bad defense which played days earlier against a potentially angry United? Doesn’t bode well for Roberto Martinez, does it? Well, one dud out of five days of action isn’t bad, is it?
Hope you enjoy your Five Days of an English soccer Christmas as much as I do. I’ll be back to recap next week.
Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good morning.
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