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Welcome to the soap opera, Rúben.

Seven great matches to take you from Friday to Sunday. It’s the Sound of Football Weekend Boxset.

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All times are UK

Friday

FA Cup first round: Tamworth v Huddersfield Town

19.45 on BBC Two & iPlayer
All told, it’s not been a bad season for Tamworth so far. Back in the National League for the first time in a decade, the Lambs sit 16th and have adjusted reasonably well to the non-league top flight, with a recent win over promotion chasing Gateshead showing that they’re capable of giving better teams a bloody nose. In terms of the draw, Huddersfield might not be the most glamorous of ex-Premier League teams but they’re still one of the biggest fish in the pond in this particular round and will bring a crowd to The Lamb Ground. That said, the Terriers are currently one of the form sides in League One, having put a dismal September behind them and are unbeaten in five, taking points off close rivals to now sit four points out of the automatics. If Tamworth are to stand a chance, much will depend on if Michael Duff decides to give his core set of players a rest to keep them fresh for the league, although plenty of the fringes have non-league experience. It’ll take something special for the Lambs to progress to the next round, with the magic of the cup more likely to be felt in the atmosphere in the stands rather than on the pitch. GA

Saturday

A-League: Western Sydney Wanderers v Adelaide United

08.35 on TNT Sports 1
It’s early days in the A-League but the issues at Western Sydney Wanderers feel worryingly familiar. A squad that doesn’t quite seem to have gelled yet, a soft underbelly and an over reliance on Brandon Borello for attacking threats. Wanderers have arguably the league’s highest profile import in Juan Mata but the ex-United man is 36 and his appearance against Western United in round 2 was just the Spaniard’s second start in two years. Whether turning their base into Para-Mata (geddit) is anything more than just a marketing move remains to be seen. Facing them are an Adelaide side it’s impossible to draw any conclusions about given they’ve only played one match - a draw at last season’s champions Central Coast. Adelaide being Adelaide, they’ll probably be brilliant and maddeningly inconsistent again this season. While it’s good to have the A-League back it is, as the French would say, very much plus ca change. GA

Premier League: Newcastle United v Arsenal

12.30 on TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate
It’s been a mixed week for Newcastle, in the league they lost 2-1 to Weekend Chelsea but then went on to beat Midweek Chelsea in the EFL Cup to progress to the quarter finals where they’ll play Brentford at home. Having reached the final in 2023, the competition represents an opportunity to get something from this season, which is already looking a struggle for under pressure Eddie Howe. The main problem for his side this season is goals. Last season it was only the top three sides that out-scored the Mags in the league, this season there are only three sides to have scored fewer. And the underlying stats show that isn’t a statistical blip: they’re comfortably lower-half in terms of xG. After a brief wobble Arsenal looked more their usual selves in the 2-2 against Liverpool last weekend and should have won the game if not for the need to replace the injured Gabriel Magalhaes forcing a reshuffle of their defence, already weakened by the suspension of Saliba. Gabriel is reportedly fit enough to return alongside Saliba for this match though Ben White is a doubt. This match last season was settled by a single goal (awarded somewhat controversially by VAR) and it might be just as tight this time around. GS

Premier League: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Crystal Palace

17.30 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event &Ultra
The last time these two met at the Molineux was back in May when Palace were tearing apart the league, reinvigorated by their new coach. The Eagles won 3-1 and none of us wanted the season to end. But the 24/25 iteration of this fixture is very much a six-pointer. Their 1-0 win against an obliging Tottenham Hotspur and Wednesday’s 2-1 EFL Cup win against a much-changed Aston Villa side has tweaked the narrative but there is still more to see before confidence in Oliver Glasner’s project is restored. New signings Eddie Nketiah and Daichi Kamada have yet to gel (although the latter was on the scoresheet on Wednesday) and despite good notices Maxence Lacroix and Trevoh Chalobah are still settling into Glasner’s three-man central defence. Moreover, the coach’s decision to not rotate for the EFL Cup backfired somewhat at Villa Park on Wednesday as Ebere Eze and Adam Wharton limped off in the first half. Wolves of course had no League Cup to contend with and have a week to prepare. Since their last appearance in the Boxset, they managed a 2-2 draw at Brighton. Matheus Cunha scored an injury time equaliser to rescue the point and show their fans that the players have not given up. Despite their opponent’s modest bounce in form, coach Gary O’Neil can be confident of masterminding their first win of the season in front of an expectant home crowd. TD

Sunday

Serie A: Napoli v Atalanta

11.30 on TNT Sports 1 and OneFootball
Suddenly Napoli have a four point lead at the top of the table, thanks mostly to Juve dropping points twice in the space of a few days. With the Old Lady slipping to the bottom of a particularly tight chasing pack of five clubs, Atalanta have eased their way up to third, ahead of Fiorentina on goal difference. All which sets this up to be a great match: Atalanta are the league’s top scorers, Napoli have the meanest defence. That said, however, while Atalanta are on a great run right now, five of the six wins they have this season have come against teams who are currently in the bottom six, so it’s fair to say that this game should be a better indicator of what we can really expect this season from Gasperini’s side. Top scorer is Mateo Retegui who arrived in the summer from Genoa (who he’s gone on to score a hat-trick against). Born and raised in Argentina, 25-year old Retegui came to Serie A in the summer of 2023, having already broken into the Italy national team, qualifying through his maternal grandfather. He scored a goal on his debut in the 2-1 defeat to England at the start of Euro 2024 qualifying and has added five more since, including goals in both games in the most recent international break. When Atalanta’s regular number 9, Gianluca Scamacca, tore his ACL in pre-season, the club reacted quickly and paid a reported €22 million for a player who scored seven goals in his first Serie A season. While it was a quick decision to get in a replacement, it’s one that has paid off: already this season he has 10 goals in 9 games. With Scamacca out for the season, Retegui is seizing his opportunity to make a name for himself for both club and country. GS

Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa

14.00 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
Ah mate. I’ve just been reminding myself of Ange Postecoglou’s management record and that man has won some trophies. Championships at South Melbourne, Brisbane Roar, Yokohama, Celtic, and an Asian Cup with the Socceroos. He is by any definition a winning coach. So what possessed him to take a job at a club whose last trophy was the League Cup in 2008? An achievement that was overshadowed by the player’s celebrations that went on for longer than most German operas and the hangover which didn’t wear off until the following September. The lure of finally taming the beast and cleansing it of its Spursiness must be so great that he’s risked his reputation at a club that has routinely reduced the hardiest of coaches to an emotional rubble. And this phlegmatic Greek Victorian may well have the formula. His expansive playing philosophy and ability to bounce back from defeat is well suited to this North London giant, sick of being the butt of everyone’s jokes, including their own. After an ignominious defeat at Selhurst last week, Spurs bounced back with a 2-1 win over a rotated Manchester City side taking them to the quarter final of the EFL Cup. So, with renewed optimism they welcome Aston Villa. Discerning soccer fans will know that this match is the Lost to Palace in the Last Seven Days Derby. A rare and precious classico. Coach Unai Emery (another winner) was criticised for his selections in Wednesday’s Cup defeat but is unlikely to spare the horses for this fixture. But with Spurs unbeaten at home in the last five and Villa unbeaten away in their last six something has to give between two sides that have not drawn in their last 20 encounters. TD

Premier League: Manchester United v Chelsea

16.30 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
It’s been a long week for United fans: Sunday saw defeat to West Ham in another disappointing display, irrespective of the controversial nature of the Hammers’ winner. On Monday, Eric ten Hag was finally sacked, and Ruud van Nistelrooy was installed as the caretaker he always seemed destined to become since accepting the role of first team coach. By Tuesday it was clear that Sporting CP’s head coach Rúben Amorim would be the next United manager. Wednesday saw the first sign of a bounce-back for United as the caretaker’s side progressed to the quarter finals of the League Cup with a convincing 5-2 win over Leicester. By then however it was clear that van Nistelrooy may have to be in the big chair for a couple more games yet. Having offered the required €10 million to meet Amorim’s release clause, the fine print allowed Sporting to hold on to their head coach for 30 days while they look for a suitable replacement. The 39-year-old will now take up his new post during November’s international break, meaning he will still be in charge of Sporting when they face City in the Champions League next week. On Thursday, in a busier press conference than usual, Amorim tried to downplay any drama about his immediate future by declaring that “the soap opera is ending” - oh Rúben, it’s only just begun. GS


Whatever you watch, have a great weekend.

Graham, Terry and Gary