Weekend Boxset: Halloween hoodoos

October 30, 2026

Weekend Boxset: Halloween hoodoos

Arsenal and Napoli go to places where wins are hard to find for them. There’s also a Ballon D’Or winner — no, not that one.

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

Bundesliga: Elversberg v Mainz

19.30 on BBC iPlayer
The Boxset is eschewing the dubious delights of the Bayern v Dortmund, mainly because Der Klassiker tends to be one-sided in favour of Bayern and because there is a more interest to the discerning football fan in this Friday night game on the BBC. Mainz and Elversberg sit seventh and eighth in the table. The away team struggled last season but the team rallied to tenth after replacing coach Bo Hendrickson with Urs Fischer. Both teams have suffered consecutive defeats in the last week, first in the League and then in the cup to second-tier opposition: Mainz were edged out 3-2 by a resurgent Werder Bremen team last weekend and went down to Bochum in the DFB Pokal on Tuesday. Elversberg were hammered by Leipzig in their last league outing and then exited the cup to Darmstadt. Elversberg’s aim is probably to be more like Mainz. That is a modest and tidy middle class Bundesliga club. Their rise through the league is being seen as a minor miracle but there has been long term investment in both players and infrastructure. The stadium is being modernised and the Saaarlanders have no intention of returning to the Bundesliga 2. TD

Saturday

A-League: Macarthur v Western Sydney Wanderers

08.40 on TNT Sports 3 and HBO Max
The A-League can suffer from a degree of hyperbole, so the commentators who yelled “Wanderers are back!” and “Macarthur are the kings of the comeback!” were a little premature. It’s only two games into the season and, given the lack of consistency most sides have shown, it’s impossible to reach much into early results. Yes, Macarthur have twice come from behind in both matches, but that’s not a sustainable habit. Wanderers may have won 5-2 against champions Auckland, but the New Zealanders could have been out of sight by half time. Take nothing away from Wanderers slick counter attacking as Auckland chased a point, but it’s hard to know if the tepid opening day performance in the Sydney derby or the dismantling of Auckland are the real Wanderers. This match should give a better idea of where these two teams are at. On paper, and going by the first two rounds, they seem evenly matched. A draw would confirm this. GA

Premier League: Chelsea v Manchester United

12.30 on TNT Sports 1 & Ultimate and HBO Max
Last Sunday, following the 3-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, Michael Carrick left the field serenaded by those home fans still in attendance while his charges that traipsed behind were lambasted with a chorus of boos and heckles, leaving them in no doubt where the fans’ loyalties lay. Over the previous few weeks, United’s players have broken ranks and publicly criticised the ownership’s failure to build on Carrick’s success last season (Martinez) and Carrick’s own tactical shortcomings (Fernandes). On the terraces, shouts rang out demanding both the Glazer family and Jim Ratcliffe sell up and move on. From above and below, Michael Carrick is the latest in a long line of coaches forced to endure the shambles of a club that is Manchester United. The Glazers bought a successful football club at the height of its powers, risking very little of their own already considerable wealth. They loaded it with enormous debts which they used as a vehicle to suck the financial life force out of a once proud institution. A lack of success on the pitch is a direct consequence of chaos and incompetence in the board room, and United have had that in spades. Carrick was given a stay of execution this week; whether he’ll still be in post next week remains to be seen. Another fall guy to distract the fans from the vampiric overseas ownership. On the more immediate issue of winning football matches, Carrick will welcome back captain Bruno Fernandes to the starting line-up having cleared the air since his enforced absence last week. Chelsea, having last week lost to bitter rivals Spurs at the Bridge for the first time since 2018, have troubles of their own as they struggle for consistency under their new coach Xabi Alonso. A midweek shootout exit in the League Cup at Anfield hasn’t helped matters, nor will the absence of top scorer Joao Pedro. To say there’s a lot at stake in this one is an understatement. I’d imagine both sides would be happy with a quiet afternoon and a draw. JB

Premier League: Tottenham Hotspur v Crystal Palace

17.30 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
I had the pleasure of previewing Tottenham’s game at Chelsea and wise-cracked that Roberto De Zerbi’s team had probably not turned a corner but were in for a tough afternoon at the Bridge and a difficult season. Well, it turns out that I was wrong. Tottenham’s first win at Chelsea since 2018 was well deserved, despite Chelsea’s insipid display. It was always likely to take a while for Di Zerbi’s style to bed in, although few thought it would take this long. But if Spurs can make it three wins on the spin, then perhaps a corner has been turned. Looking ahead to their next five fixtures, only Leeds looks genuinely tough. Up next is Palace who are on the thinnest of ice. The Eagles bounced back after the 5-0 thrashing at Brighton with a decent 2-2 draw at Beşiktaş in the Europa League, only to cave in at home to Newcastle; a game that was devoid of atmosphere and optimism. As you would expect, Pierre Sage is under huge pressure, which was slightly alleviated with a League Cup win at Fulham. During and after the match the away fans showed solidarity with the Frenchman and it is quite obvious that he has been dealt a rough hand. The club is sticking with Sage for now and that is the right choice. But there are difficult days ahead which will test everyone’s resolve. TD

Sunday

Women’s Super League: London City Lionesses v Manchester City

12.00 on Sky One and Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
This week saw Alexia Putellas win her third Ballon D’Or, becoming the first woman to win it while playing for a club in England. Signing the 32-year-old Spanish international in the summer from Barcelona was a huge coup for LCL but it’s not as if it’s the first time a low-ranking club in South East London has signed a Ballon D’Or winner from Barcelona — Charlton did it in 1982 when they signed Allen Simonsen. He didn’t stay for long but Putellas appears to share club owner Michele Kang’s long term vision for the club and women’s football — especially regarding independence from men’s teams. Games like this against the current champions should reveal whether LCL really are ready to challenge for one of the three Champions League places or indeed the title (as she also owns OL Lyonnes, Kang has stated she will put the club in a “blind trust” should LCL qualify for the Champions League). City, of course, are playing under the shadow cast by the men’s team. While they are not threatened with points deductions or expulsion, they will know that severe punishment for the men’s side or a forced change of ownership would more than likely see an end to their funding. Both sides saw their WSL winning runs end last weekend to late equalisers. Another late equaliser in midweek saw City drop points again in the Champions League, this time at home to PSG. A lot of narrative here as well as an excellent match. GS

Premier League: Liverpool v Arsenal

16.30 on Sky Sports Premier League, Main Event & Ultra
The last time Arsenal won at Anfield, Lucas Podolski scored for them against a side managed by Brendan Rodgers. 2012 was in the middle of both sides’ banter eras: for Liverpool it would end up being a fourth consecutive season outside the top five while for the Gunners their focus was finishing fourth, a point ahead of Spurs. That season also saw Arsene Wenger’s side go out of the League Cup on penalties to League Two opposition. It would seem that some things never change. The midweek embarrassment at the hands of Fleetwood is unlikely to derail Arsenal’s bigger plans for the season (even with an enforced three match rest for Max Dowman for his red card). Liverpool appear to have put their home defeat to City largely out of their system along with the draws that plagued the opening weeks of their season. The stats say their 2-0 win over Brighton last weekend should have been closer, which may be a sign that Andoni Iraola is starting to impose his control over the team. His record against Arsenal is better than most (three wins from six), so Mikel Arteta’s side will have their work cut out here to break their Anfield curse. GS

Serie A: Juventus v Napoli

19.45 on TNT Sports 1, HBO Max and DAZN
Don’t let the fact that these two teams are even on points fool you. The trajectories are very different. After a ropey start to the season, Napoli have found a spot of form and now look capable of going toe-to-toe with the other Champions League hopefuls, as evidenced by a thrilling 3-3 draw with Roma. Juventus have only won once since the international break, at mid-table Leece, and losing to Genoa midweek was not in the script. Serie A observers will be on sack watch for Luciano Spalletti, as Juve can’t afford another mediocre season. Fourth-placed Como are already six points ahead of The Old Lady, who need to get out of their rut and fast. But if long term form is anything to go by, I Bianconeri could finally get three points. Napoli haven’t won away in this fixture since 2018 and they have their weaknesses. A draw wouldn’t be a shock; a win for either side puts a heck of a lot of pressure on the loser. GA

Whatever you watch, have a great weekend.

Graham, Terry, Jan and Gary