Welcome to the weekend and boy have we got something special in store over the next few days. The Premier League title is still, just about, up for grabs while the Bundesliga and WSL are also wrapping up. My name’s James Benge, let’s take a look at the weekend ahead.
📺 Footy fix
All times U.S./Eastern
Friday, May 17
🇮🇹 Serie A: Fiorentina vs. Napoli, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
Saturday, May 18
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs. Mainz, 9:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Augsburg, 9:30 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🏴 WSL: Manchester United vs. Chelsea, 10 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
🏴 WSL: Aston Villa vs. Manchester City, 10 a.m. ➡️ Paramount+
🇮🇹 Serie A: Torino vs. AC Milan, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+
Sunday, May 19
🏴 EPL: Manchester City vs. West Ham, 11 a.m. ➡️ NBC
🏴 EPL: Arsenal vs. Everton, 11 a.m. ➡️ USA
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Betis vs. Real Sociedad, 1 p.m. ➡️ ESPN+
🇺🇸 NWSL: Seattle Reign vs. Orlando Pride, 6 p.m. ➡️ CBS Sports Golazo Network
⚽ The Forward Line
🏆 Decision day in the Premier League
You have to go back 35 years for the last time an English side came from second place on the final day to snare the top division title. The Arsenal of 2024 will be hoping to take inspiration from their forebears in 1989 and if they are to pip Manchester City at the post, who is to say it won’t be as dramatic as Anfield 89′, Micky Thomas, it’s up for grabs now and all that? It might have been a feat of miracles for George Graham’s side back then but at least their destiny was in their hands when they faced all conquering Liverpool.
Arsenal welcome Everton to north London on Sunday knowing that whatever they do might not be enough. Mikel Arteta needs a helping hand. You might ask who better to give it to him than a man who had such a foundational impact on his playing and coaching career, David Moyes? Coaching West Ham for the final time, the Scot could write himself into folklore in a very different part of London if he can get so much as a point at the Etihad.
- Arteta: “He’s been instrumental and so important in my career, not only as a footballer but as a person as well. He could help us to fulfil our dream and my personal dream to win the Premier League. That would be unbelievable and always be in my memory.”
It would be an extremely unlikely turn of events and the idea of Moyes handing the title to Arsenal presupposes that Everton will not have a say on the final day. Sean Dyche’s men may have nothing but pride to play for but there are few coaches in England who get quite as much of a mischievous kick out of upsetting the cosmopolitan Emirates Stadium as the Toffees boss, who has had his side performing at an impressive level of late.
No wonder Opta gives Arsenal just a 16 percent chance to win the title. There is work aplenty for them to do before they can even start thinking about what favors they might get from a side who have been so woefully out of form in recent months. Still, there are the nerves that might just quake the City camp.
Ever since the thrilling 2-0 win at Tottenham on Tuesday night, Pep Guardiola has made great play of harking back to the Aston Villa game two years ago where City nearly blew the title, slipping two goals down before roaring back to win 3-2 and pip Liverpool at the post. Expect a similar sort of contest on Sunday afternoon is the message that keeps coming from the man chasing a record fourth straight English title.
- Guardiola: “We’d like to be 3-0 up after 10 minutes [vs West Ham] but it will not happen. I have a feeling it will be like Aston Villa. We are ready.”
The presence of Kevin De Bruyne would aid City’s cause no end, offering the steadying presence of a player who has been there and done it all before. Guardiola confirmed that he expects the Belgian to return to training before Sunday’s game, one for which the champions will be without Ederson as he recovers from a minor fracture to his eye socket. Both of those players being out would be a headache for Guardiola, no matter the form of Stefan Ortega or Phil Foden. After all, the final day can so often be the one where form goes out of the window but class shines through.
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🔗 Midfield Link Play
🇩🇪 Will Bayern Munich ever find a manager?
Remember when Bayern Munich were just tediously excellent? They snapped up the best young talent in Germany, kneecapped their nearest rival in the process and got a high grade coach to get those players performing at or around their collective level. Simpler times. Now, one wonders if the club hierarchy are glancing around Europe’s elite clubs asking themselves “is it me? Am I the drama? I don’t think I’m the drama? Maybe I am.”
Such is the hot mess at the Allianz Arena that you might be wise to check your inbox one more time once you’re done with this newsletter, just to make sure you haven’t been offered the Bayern job. After all, everyone else has said no. Since the club announced in February that Thomas Tuchel would be leaving at the end of the season abortive attempts have been made to appoint *deep breath*: Xabi Alonso, Julian Nagelsmann, Ralf Rangnick and, inevitably, Tuchel himself. The prospect of unemployment, albeit temporary, proved more appealing for the current Bayern manager than a backtracking his employers were only too willing to make.
- Tuchel: “The agreement from February remains. There were further discussions, but we have not found an agreement on further cooperation. That’s why the agreement remains.”
One of the best managers in Germany, then, seems intent on stepping away from a club that are willing to engage in a humiliating climbdown just to keep him on board. It gets more curious. It is not as if the squad of Champions League semifinalists requires radical reinvention. Tuchel’s view that this team needs a true disruptor in midfield has been vindicated. He could probably push for a new center back too and to clear out some of those who have not taken kindly to him in the dressing room.
There remain candidates out there for Bayern. Cycling through managers they have dispensed with recently would bring them to Hansi Flick, who is also being linked with a Barcelona job that might open up weeks after Xavi reversed course and re-upped at the Camp Nou. Would Roberto De Zerbi be tempted away from the Premier League, where he sees his long term future? The prospect of Erik ten Hag leaving Manchester United for Bayern Munich no longer seems as bizarre as it once did. Indeed the most curious facet of that interest is that the Bavarians believe that Ten Hag might function better in a more stable environment. Who at Bayern really believes they are in a stable environment?
🔗 Top Stories
🇮🇹 Allegri out at Juventus: Speaking of Managerial moves, Juventus have fired Max Allegri effective immediately following his outburst at the end of the team’s Coppa Italia win.
🇧🇷 Brazil, here we go: As was widely predicted going into Thursday night’s vote, it will be Brazil that hosts the 2027 Women’s World Cup after it overcame a combined Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany offering.
🇨🇦 The new Canada boss: Jesse Marsch joined Call It What You Want for one last hurrah as he takes the helm in Canada. You won’t want to miss this!
🎥 VAR up for review: Could this really be it for VAR in the Premier League? That remains up in the air but Wolverhampton Wanderers have called for a vote on its future at the AGM this summer.
🏅 Awards season: It’s time to name the newcomer of the year and legacy player of the year in our latest NWSL Vibe Check.
👋 Auf Wiedersehen: Here’s more on Tuchel’s announcement that he won’t be back at Bayern next season.
👴 Going nowhere: Meanwhile Cristiano Ronaldo insists he has no plans to retire as he approaches his 40th birthday next February.
🤔 What next for Dest?: It won’t be another full year at PSV Eindhoven for the USMNT full back so what does the future hold for Sergino Dest?
💰 The Back Line
💵 Best bet
- Premier League: Brighton vs. Manchester United, Sunday, 11 a.m.
- 💰 THE PICK: Manchester United to win and four or more goals to be scored (+450) — Every Premier League season ends with one faintly ludicrous match in which it turns out the defenders actually popped off on vacation a few days back. This game screams unremitting chaos though the fact that there are real sporting stakes for United — who need a top seven berth to be assured of European football — means they might shade it.
📺 What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network
☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.
📦 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+.
3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. The NWSL season is back and our coverage of the women’s game is stronger than ever. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European domestic season all year long.
👟 Kickin’ It (Tuesdays): CBS Sports Golazo Network’s new unfiltered interview show returns Tuesday Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch.
⚽ Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.
🥅 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.
📺 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.
