Hail GFOP!

What is this? A newsletter on a Monday?!?! We are so thrilled to be with you. Let me start by talking about what we hope to do and why we are doing it.  

The Friday newsletter is designed to set you up with everything you need to know to savor an entire weekend's football. This Monday edition is a place where we can debrief together on what we experienced. What we saw. What we felt. What we marveled at. And who beat Everton this week. If you watched the games, we would love your insights. If you missed any of them, we hope this is a place where you can catch up on the transcendent wonder, the KDB malfunctions, and the most moving fan moments.

As ever, we would love your contributions and questions. They are why we do what we do. Hit us, as ever, at [email protected].

To more, together, with Big Love.

Courage.

ROG

All the links: MiB podcast feed, MiB YouTube channel, TWG podcast feed, and TWG YouTube channel.

It’s Liverpool’s World, Pep’s Just Living In It 🔴

- Written by Max Bonem

Manchester City 0 - 2 Liverpool

The matchup of the weekend, arguably the best rivalry in the Premier League, and a duel between two of the world’s greatest football minds. And yet, no matter how you look at it, Manchester City and Liverpool have never looked 20 points apart more than they do at this very moment. Arne Slot delivered a clear game plan to his squad – “nothing fancy” – while City continued their march towards empty huskdom, unable to shake off the beating from Real Madrid earlier in the week that will undoubtedly haunt Pep until the end of his days. Liverpool did what they had to and did so the best way they know how: by delivering the ball to their Egyptian king Mo Salah and letting him work wonders. After City’s Egyptian prince Omar Marmoush thought he’d equalized only to be called offside after the fact, Pep’s squad seemed to let their recent form rush back in from all angles, looking increasingly unimaginative and lethargic as the game went on. And after Dominik Szoboszlai finished off a beautiful Salah pass for Liverpool’s second goal, the entire team never looked back.

This Is Not Your Mom, Dad, Grandparent, or Estranged Ex’s Liverpool

Liverpool made history on Sunday when they won at the Etihad for the first time in the Premier League since 2015, before a single current Liverpool player was even part of the squad. They are now 11 points clear of an identity-less Arsenal with 11 games to go, seven of which are at home for Slot’s boys who are still yet to lose on the road this season. Nothing is actually inevitable in football, but Liverpool’s first-place finish looks to be about as close as you can get.

Wake Pep Up When February Ends

There are months, and then there’s whatever February has been for Manchester City: a humbling 5-1 loss to Arsenal, a close call against League One side Leyton Orient in the FA Cup, an oddly dominant 4-0 win against streaky Newcastle, an ejection from the Champions League after two soul-destroying defeats at the feet of Real Madrid, an injury to (arguably) the most threatening player in the league in Erling Haaland, and now this. We’re not saying this is rock bottom for City – they’re still fourth in the table – but after their 14th defeat in a season that included a $200M January rebuild, let’s just say this is uncomfortable and unforgiving new territory for Pep and his mishmash crew of vets on their way out and kids who might not quite be ready for this kind of heat.

All Gunn Things Must Come to an End ⚒

Arsenal 0 - 1 West Ham

Let’s begin at the end with some words from Mikel Arteta in the aftermath of Arsenal’s implosive 1-0 loss to West Ham: “Very disappointed, obviously very angry as well. I think we have to congratulate West Ham for the victory and the game that they played, but I think a lot on our side we never got right.” Somehow this seems to be putting it mildly. The Gunners looked as unthreatening sans a proper No. 9 as they did last week at Leicester, but without the same late-game heroics (and brace) from Mikel Merino this time around. As a result, West Ham won at the Emirates for the second year in a row, giving their traveling supporters all the material they needed to remind their former captain Declan Rice that he “should’ve signed for a big club” and that Arsenal might do well to stay humble. West Ham got their first win in over a month, and maybe if they pick up a second in a row midweek against Leicester, their manager will be allowed a proper car ride home rather than having to take the tube. As for Arsenal, they head to Nottingham on Wednesday to play a Forest side that looked ready for actual battle by the end of their Sunday clash with Newcastle (more on that below). Thoughts and prayers, Gunners fans. Thoughts and prayers.

More: Saturday’s only real highlight for Arsenal fans? Learning that David Raya would absolutely crush the 40-yard dash at the combine.

Ipswich Town 1 - 4 Tottenham

Don’t look now, but Spurs are officially in their 2025 wellness era, and while they were generous enough to give Ipswich their first Premier League win in 22 years back in November, those days are gone, much like the reign of Ange as Eeyore, king of sadness. In are the days of Tottenham fans (sorry, Tottenham Hotspur fans) ironically singing “Tottenham get battered, everywhere they go!" with their side up 4-1 at Ipswich. Spurs have entered the Christopher Moltisanti zone, but instead of “reading” and “lifting weights,” it’s getting starters back from injury and looking stable all the way up and down the pitch. Throughout this game, you could see the actual joy on Spurs players’ faces, all of whom just looked thrilled to finally be playing with most of the actual squad they envisioned for this season. While Brennan Johnson’s brace and Djed Spence’s first goal of the season both put this new happier reality on display, it was the fourth goal from Dejan Kulusevski, the Spurs player most likely to sustain a back injury this season on account of having to carry so much of the offensive burden for the team all year, that showed what’s possible for Tottenham when they’re all fit and focused. 

More: This vintage crossover and assist from Sonny on Saturday is proof that nature truly is healing.

Aston Villa 2 - 1 Chelsea

Stocking up on half the world’s best under-23 football prospects while not investing in a single veteran player to help guide the Premier League’s youngest squad through the most tumultuous stretch of the season? $1.8B. Continuing to lose every game where they come out of the gate firing on all cylinders, only to concede to a much more mature and calm opponent when the pressure is highest? Priceless. Chelsea looked cooked by the time Villa new lad Marco Asensio scored in the 89th minute on a volley that the Chelsea-keeper-they-told-you-not-to-worry-about Filip Jörgensen will have nightmares about for the foreseeable future. Two Marcus Rashford assists, two Asensio goals, and one more night of Cole Palmer looking like a man wondering if signing a nine-year contract with the Blues was really the right call. Chelsea will attempt to rebound against cellar dweller Southampton midweek, while Villa visit suddenly-potent Crystal Palace. Expect the Rashfordaissance to continue at Selhurst Park, while Chelsea can only hope that a visit from the Saints will vanquish whatever demons seem to plague every remaining offensive player on the team.

More: Unai Emory - 'Fantastic' Marcus Rashford on path back to his best.

Newcastle 4 - 3 Nottingham Forest

To all the “soccer is boring” truthers who somehow still walk among us, let us introduce you to the offensive onslaught of the weekend. Forest started the scoring in the seventh minute, four goals for Newcastle in 12 (including a brace for Alexander Isak, which made him the sixth fastest player ever to 50 Premier League goals), the Trees then made it a one-point game in the 90th – this was prime, juicy neutral fan viewing. Forest remain third in the table, but only three points ahead of Newcastle (and Pep’s walking dead), with these two teams playing Liverpool and Arsenal respectively mid-week. With Arsenal not looking too lethal at the moment, it seems to be an easier road for the Tricky Trees as Newcastle head to Anfield to take on the force that is Liverpool on Wednesday.

More: What did Newcastle need to score four times in 12 minutes? They needed a montage.

Check out the updated Premier League table here. 📊

📧 Enjoying The Raven? Check out our other MiB newsletters here.

And Now, Rog’s Super Chills Thoughts on WTF Happened at Goodison this Weekend 💙

Everton 2 - 2 Manchester United

Rog writes: Rarely have two 2-2 home draws felt more different. The Liverpool Tark miracle felt like a win. Frittering away a 2-0 lead against a feckless Manchester United, more a swift kick to the down belows. But then you look big picture and realize that two months ago under Sean Dyche, we would have bitten your arm off for a draw against United, and the full story is revealed. It is a measure of the progress, and the hope that St. David Moyes has instilled that we feel the right to disappointment at all, and we should not take for granted the relative privilege of being frustrated. The positives: Beautiful Beto's goal scoring run goes on. He is the first Everton player to score in four consecutive PL games since Richarlison in March 2021. If you want a lift, watch my interview with him. He is a human inspiration.  

Also: Was it a penalty in the 96th minute? You be the judge. The dive accentuates a shirt tug. Two things can be true at the same time, and the fact that it was Ashley Young, who is in the same "referee disdain zone" as Luis Suarez, seems to be why VAR gave United a reprieve.  

Five more games left at that grand old home of Goodison Park. That the boos that rang out at full time were for the referees, and not for the team, is probs the greatest mark of progress.

A Few Weekend Worldies, Just for You 🚀 🥅

There were a lot of great goals this weekend (we see you, Dejan Kulusevski), but these are three of our favorites. Got one we should check out? Send it our way.

On the Continent 🇪🇺

🇮🇹 Serie A: AC Milan lost 2-1 at Torino (including a missed penalty from Christian Pulisic), Napoli shockingly fell to Como, Juventus squeaked out a win at Cagliari, and Inter beat Genoa to go top of the league.

🇪🇸 La Liga: Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Atlético Madrid all won, leaving the three Spanish sides collectively separated by just one point with Barca sitting top on goal difference.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Second-place Leverkusen took care of Holstein Kiel, but are still eight points behind league leader Bayern, who dominated third-place Eintracht Frankfurt over the weekend. Tenth-place Dortmund scored six against Union Berlin while granting Gio Reyna a rare start.

USWNT Are One Win Away from Glory 🏆

It was another big week in women’s football, and in case you missed any of it, here’s what you need to know, courtesy of our good friends over at The Women’s Game:

• The U.S. won their first two games of the 10th SheBelieves Cup against Australia and Colombia this week. Next up: Japan on Wednesday for the championship.

• NWSL’s 16th club, set to debut in Denver, is calling on fans for input on their name, with Denver FC, Denver Peak FC, Denver Gold FC, Denver Elevate FC, Colorado 14ers FC, and Colorado Summit FC all under consideration.

• England, the reigning EURO champs, drew 1-1 against Portugal in the Women’s Nations League as they prepare to defend their title this summer. Arsenal striker Alessia Russo scored for the Lionesses, while 22-year-old Barcelona talent Kika Nazareth came off the bench to equalize for As Navegadoras.

Want to get more women’s football updates sent straight to your inbox each week? Subscribe to The Women’s Game newsletter.

Matches Worth Faking a Meeting for 📺 

Premier League 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Brentford vs. Everton (Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Everton haven’t lost a Premier League game since Jan. 15 and Brentford’s formerly flawless home record is starting to show signs of decay. Look for St. David Moyes’ Beto-led Blues to inflict a world of hurt, or get out with a point at the very least.

Tottenham vs. Manchester City (Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)

There’s never a good time to play City, but when Spurs welcome the Pep Boys on Wednesday, they’ll line up much closer to the team they were when they beat Manchester City 4-0 on the road in November and much less like the team that appeared to be in complete free fall at the end of January. 

Nottingham Forest vs. Arsenal (Wednesday, 2:30 p.m. ET, Peacock)

You wouldn’t like the Trees when they’re angry, and after almost clawing their way back against Newcastle in the weekend’s biggest shootout, they are certainly that. Mikel Arteta will look to revive the squad that looked DOA after surrendering the lone goal of the match against West Ham on Saturday, but as with any visit to the world famous City Ground, this one looks tricky for the Gunners at best.

Liverpool vs. Newcastle (Wednesday, 3:15 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Mo, Arne, and the boys welcome Newcastle to Anfield as Liverpool once again look like a team with a destiny. After just barely getting out alive against Forest on Sunday, the Toon will try their luck at fending off a squad no longer buckling under the unbearable weight of massive talent and instead focusing on one thing above all else: winning.

Check out this week’s full Premier League schedule here 🗓️

Serie A 🇮🇹

Bologna vs. AC Milan (Thursday, 2:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, and the rest of American Crew Milan look to bounce back against Bologna, who they’re tied with on points, but sit one spot above based on goal difference. Hopefully CP11 can shake off his penalty miss from the weekend and add to his 19 goal contributions so far this season.

We Love LA 🤩

Rog writes: Los Angeles. It was so incredible to be with you on Friday night for the taping of Rebuilding a Champion presented by MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. It was made possible by the magical human beings at Apple and will be available to stream in the coming week on MLS Season Pass. I adored meeting Marco Reus and hearing him talk about exactly what the season meant to him, but the real highlight for me was meeting so many of you LA Galaxy fans post-show, raising a pint and hearing your memories, which were so profound and moving.

Dear Rog... GFOPs Write ✍️

Rog writes: The Raven began at the outset of MiB. We had such an interactive listenership, our mailbag overflowed. To begin with, it was me just answering your random questions like, "What part of London is Newcastle in?" (real question – our very first, and we took the mission seriously) and connecting with you GFOPs. During the pandemic, when football stopped, we actually went daily for a year, bringing our community together missive by missive, sending out bolts of connectivity and optimism into the world. Now we are a fully fledged network, charging towards the 2026 World Cup, reveling in the opportunity to watch so much football along with you.

—

Mike Schaedle writes: Roger, I’m a GFOP. Been listening for years. I was listening to your forearm shiver to the team after the Spurs debacle and in some context you quoted C. Bukowski: “Find what you love and let it kill you”.

You wanted it translated into Latin, for t-shirts or something? Charles was formative for me so I had an idea. My daughter Zoe, who made me a United fan because she thought Juan Mata in his United days looked like her teddy bear, is now at Bates College, a proud club soccer player and futsal skipper. She also happens to be a Classics major – steeped in the Latin and the ancient ways.

She says Bukowski’s line in Latin should read as follows: “Pete quid amares et necet te.” We want to reserve two Bukowski t-shirts.

Courage!

Rog writes: Mike, I love this. How your daughter's passion fired up your own. How her random connection to United via her teddy bear has led to a life long fandom. May the two of you bond together and make so many great memories in life through football.

Keep sending your stories, questions, and highlights of the week to [email protected].

To Better Days Ahead for All.

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