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  • Liverpool vs. MUFC: The Existential Derby 🥊

Liverpool vs. MUFC: The Existential Derby 🥊

Plus, Rog chats with Christian Pulisic

October 17, 2025

Hail GFOP! 

I type with fingers crackling with anticipation at the Premier League’s return. We left The League We Love™ on a cliffhanger. Defending Champions Liverpool in Sudden Shambles™ against Manchester United, a team in forever shambles. Forever yearning Arsenal top of the table and hoping to increase the gap against Fulham. Tottenham Good at Football!!! Big Ange’s worst New Manager Bounce of all-time. Everton tricking me into totally trusting them before inevitably burning me one more time. This is why we watch!

ii. I have been on the road this week. First, I was in Barcelona to shoot with Diego Kochen, the 19-year-old US goalkeeper who has ground his way from the Flatlands of Florida to the cusp of the Barcelona starting 11. His story is a testament to the hard work, humility, and tenacity required to turn big dreams into surreal realities. The interview is part of a new series we have with three of the United States’ greatest up-and-coming talents. I can’t wait for you to hear it. 

iii. I was in Madrid on Wednesday and had the joy of speaking on a panel celebrating the partnership between Atalanta and New Balance who have just announced the renaming of the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d’Italia which is now the New Balance Arena. I had never met Boston Celtics visionary Steve Pagliuca before. The way he is taking the data practices which have delivered NBA glory over to football is really fascinating. I hope to get out to Atalanta for the full-on Bergamo experience. There are few clubs in football who are more singularly hyper-local and continentally fierce. The way they, and New Balance, have interwoven a thoughtful set of joyful values is really soulful.

iv. I finished off the week in Liverpool celebrating my Mum, Val’s birthday. She turns 80 at the end of the month. I am so grateful to her. Every ounce of empathy I have (what is the universal measurement for empathy?) comes from her. It has been an incredibly hard year for my Mum after the passing of my old man. Her strength to persevere has been inspiring. I say this to my wife all the time: Enjoy every second of life you can experience with your parents, no matter how complicated they can be. Time is short. Savor every second. 🍻 

v. Huge love to Brad Guzan upon his retirement at the end of this MLS season. Guzan’s 21-year professional career included two World Cups and 177 appearances for Aston Villa Football Club. He is a Power Bald of the highest order, he is Homer Glen, Illinois's own many-faced God. One of the loveliest guys I have ever met in the game. I wish him and his family love and strength at this poignant moment. He will be a terrific broadcaster in the years to come. 

🚨New Jersey. Save the Date: November 11th. Something special is about to happen 🍻

Courage,
ROG

To the Football 🍻

Liverpool vs. Manchester United (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, USA)

English football’s marquee fixture in name only. This clash reeks of existential angst and is a reminder that nothing is forever, and that we are all going to die. Liverpool are in aura freefall over the course of three straight defeats. Manchester United have been in freefall for the last 12 years. Arne Slot must breathe confidence into his fullbacks, identify the on-switch for Florian Wirtz, and summon a chemistry amidst his front three. Ryan Gravenberch is “completely fit” for this game. Alisson Becker and his flourishing mane are not yet back.

Ruben Amorim is surging. By that, I mean his team hope to win back-to-back Premier League matches for the first time under his leadership. Daunting stat: United have not won in their last 10 games at Anfield. 

More: Is this the most Manchester United story of the season? The man who spent his entire life attempting to change his legal name to Manchester United has just died. Allegory. 

Rog-stradamus 🔮: Mo Salah has 16 goals against Manchester United. He will add to his total here with a later winner in a game which is big on narrative, low on quality. Liverpool 2-1. 

Nottingham Forest vs. Chelsea (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, USA)

Seven games into his Forest-era, Ange Postecoglou is drinking at the last chance saloon. Even Ares, the Greek God of War, thinks Evangelos Marinakis has got himself quite the temper. Sean Dyche is reported to be waiting in the wings. Poor Forest fans. Those high flying days under Nuno now feel like a wax winged-flight towards the sun. Big Ange has been unable to coax goals. Four of Forest’s last five league games have ended in defeat—all of them without scoring. He has also lost all four of his previous encounters against Chelsea, a team fresh off shocking Liverpool, who can score for fun. Pray for Ange. Defeat here, and his reputation will forever be enshrined at MemeStock levels.

Rog-stradamus 🔮: Chelsea cruise 3-1. Welcome back Dychey.

Crystal Palace vs. Bournemouth (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Peacock)

Come for Glasner vs. Iraola, the “Coveted brains in a bottle Manager” Clasico. Stick around for Chris Richards vs. Tyler Adams, American football fan’s Sophie’s Choice. 

Rog-stradamus 🔮: Palace were unbeaten ‘til facing that footballing meat grinder Everton. How they rebound will be fascinating to witness. 1-1

Manchester City vs. Everton (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, USA)

A game which poses that classic Philosopher's question: How many tiny shin pads does it take to stymie Erling Haaland? City fans fret Rodri’s hamstring-inflected absence from training. Everton arrive, buoyed by the dual delirium of that Palace victory before the break and the majestic Jordan Pickford signing a new contract at the club until 2029 while declaring he believes the “dark days” at Everton are in the past. The kind of statement that often precedes an unfortunate event… especially because St. Jack Grealish will not play against his parent club. Cruel World. 

More: Pep Guardiola’s Total Team Football is dead. Football is now about mismatches and Duels…like the NBA?

Rog-stradamus 🔮: City could field just Donnarumma and nine-goal Haaland and probs give us a good kicking. City cruise 2-0.

Fulham vs. Arsenal (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

What could possibly go wrong now? Your Premier League leaders have lost just once in their last 13 games. Yes, Martin Odegaard has suffered a medial collateral ligament injury and is not expected to return until after the November international break. Fulham are goal-shy and diminished by striker injuries. With so many Gunners getting heavy play during the international window, this game which was 1-1 last season, will be a fascinating test of Arteta’s ability to rotate his vast, deep, infinite squad.

Rog-stradamus 🔮: Arsenal’s defensive girth dominates again. Not pretty, but goals early and late deliver 2-0 victory and all is well in Anne Hathaway’s house.

Tottenham vs. Aston Villa (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, USA)

Thomas Frank has savored a stealthily excellent start to his Spurs tenure. Yes, the schedule has been relatively kind. Tottenham’s season is about to get real. First Unai Emery’s rhythm-seeking Villa, then four out of five of their next games are against top-half rumblers. Expect a winner. Incredible stat: None of the last 20 league meetings between these two teams have ended in a draw, going all the way back to 2012. 

Rog-stradamus 🔮: Brace yourself for the End of History. Draw. Lolz. 2-2

🗓️ Elsewhere in the Premier League this weekend:
Brighton vs. Newcastle (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, USA)
Sunderland vs. Wolves (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Peacock) 🐈‍⬛ 🐺
Burnley vs. Leeds (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Peacock) 🩵🤍

Even More Football ⚽️

England believe they have the best chance of winning the World Cup since 1970. What could possibly go wrong now?

What does xG tell us about the table so far this season? Arsenal fans will love this.

The Correspondent w/ Rory Smith: The American Premier League 🇺🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 

Rory writes: Appropriately enough, the mural is on the corner of the wall. The artistic merit of the painting of Nicolas Jover, Arsenal’s set-piece coach, that appeared in the tunnel on the Hornsey Road, just outside the Emirates Stadium, last year is a matter of taste. Its placement, though, is perfect. As an in-joke, it is absolutely flawless.

When it first appeared – in a gallery of street art dedicated to various icons of the modern Arsenal – the reflex response from rival fans was to sneer. This was not a surprise. What are rival fans for, after all, if not sneering at things? In this case, though, it felt if not justified, then at least comprehensible. Anointing a set-piece coach, no matter how good and no matter how significant, as a hero is an unusual step.

Looking back, it is clear that scoffing at Arsenal’s affection for the man who masterminds their corners was short-sighted in the extreme. Jover more than deserves to be preserved for posterity. Not just for his impact in North London – Arsenal is, without doubt, the most dangerous team from set-pieces in Europe – but for his significance far beyond it. Absurd as it might sound, the 43-year-old may well be the most influential figure in the modern Premier League.

Soccer’s Coming Home. A Quick Word on the USMNT 🇺🇸

Baby Steps! The US came from behind to beat a feisty but limited Australia making it three-straight unbeaten against Top 25 opponents. The team continues to rotate and experiment its way through a steady diet of friendlies, but it is beginning to work—and by work, I mean prove themselves to themselves. After debilitating beatdowns against Türkiye and Switzerland, we have now held off Ecuador and clipped the sharp elbows of Australia. 

The big storyline of the window is not inconsequential: we suddenly have ourselves a legitimate number nine dance off between a swaggering Flo Balogun and Haji Wright AKA Haji Buckets. It feels so good to have options when both strikers are in lethal form, as opposed to mucking through the cases made by blunter options.

We should also celebrate Cristian Roldan. Thirty years of age coming back in from international exile. His selection was met with astonishment in many quarters. He was seen as a glue guy by many. On Tuesday night, he showed he is more than that. The embodiment of the hustle Pochettino wants. Shaking off an early mistake to rise up with guile and grit and heads up play. Two assists. Arise Cristiano Roldano. He will be going to the World Cup. Kyle Beckerman 2.0. 

More: Christian Pulisic, our Lord and Savior, joined us to talk about the secrets behind his explosive start to the season. This is the most relaxed and confident Christian I have ever encountered.

Beautiful Football Around the World 🌎

Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇩🇪

“Der Klassiker” matters again this season, because under Niko Kovač, napping giants Borussia Dortmund are second place and awake again, only four points behind the champions. Unfortunately for them, although the playing field is allegedly flattened for these matches, Dortmund have only beat Bayern once in the past five years, and Vincent Kompany’s side haven’t lost at the Allianz Arena since March. The Bavarians have only conceded three Bundesliga goals this season and are led by the imperious Harry Kane, who's seemingly on a one man frontier to scoop up every individual and team prize in football in the coming year. 

Barcelona vs. Girona (Saturday, 10:15 a.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇪🇸

Barcelona have lost their last two matches, which in relative terms under Hansi Flick, is a disasterclass. They also have a pocket fluff frontline with Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo all doubtful for tomorrow; Flick’s fittest attacking player this season, Marcus Rashford, must enjoy the limelight and embrace frontman status in the way so many Mancunians before him have. You may recognize Girona from last season’s Champions League, the hangover of which may have hindered their experienced squad who are already in a relegation scramble, but a 2-1 win against Valencia before the international break was a hard-earned building block. 

Roma vs. Inter Milan (Saturday, 2:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇮🇹

Both Gian Gasperini and Christian Chivu have started well at their new Serie A clubs. Gasperini’s Roma are second and Inter Milan are fourth with both coming into this munus on a run of three consecutive wins apiece. Like Charles Bukowski, perhaps Lautaro Martínez won’t truly be appreciated until he’s gone, but after just becoming Argentina’s fourth top goalscorer and firing in both Serie A and the Champions League for the Nerazzurri, Chivu knows he possesses one of the world’s best strikers.

Getafe vs. Real Madrid (Sunday, 3:00 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇪🇸

Xabi Alonso’s Real Madrid were handed a gift when Barcelona put them top of La Liga with a 4-1 loss to Sevilla before the international break. After pulling out of France’s match against Iceland with a minor ankle injury, Kylian Mbappe should be fit to continue his three-horse race with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland to become the one true goalscorer to rule them all, but Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dani Carvajal and Dean Huijsen will probably be held off until next weekend’s El Clásico. After a strong start to La Liga, José Bordalás’ Getafe are winless in their last four matches, but at the Coliseum Stadium, their very fast, direct, and un-Spanish style of play could disrupt Los Blancos.

AC Milan vs. Fiorentina (Sunday, 2:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇮🇹

Fiorentina haven’t won so far this season, so they’ll be welcome guests for Max Allegri’s third-place AC Milan at the San Siro. Hershey, Pennsylvania’s Christian Pulisic is Serie A’s joint-top goalscorer, its player of the month, and is threatening to join the world’s top tier of footballers should his form continue on its current trajectory, but he may miss the next month with a hamstring injury. Milan are reportedly furious with the USMNT for putting their prized asset at risk, but it leaves room for mercurial understudy, Rafael Leão, to take the baton and assume protagonist status in Allegri’s lowkey Scudetto title challenge.

NWSL Gotham FC vs. Racing Louisville (Sunday, 12 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇺🇸

Just two games remain in the regular season with five playoff spots still up for grabs. Four of the five teams currently above the line can go through with wins this weekend, with all five going through if eighth-placed Louisville can pull out a road win against fourth-placed Gotham AND Bay FC win or draw against North Carolina.

Introducing Pet FC’s Newest Member: Sonny 🐶

We have partnered with the two-legged people at Purina to create Pet FC, a new initiative where we will be featuring YOUR four-legged friends that show a true love of football on par with their human counterparts.

Named for Son Heung-min, the Westie and his human live in Washington, D.C., and love to watch Tottenham matches together. Sonny jumps and down when Spurs score – and especially loved watching his namesake lift the Europa League trophy last season.

Do you have a great football story involving the dog or cat in your life? Click the link below to submit your pets and pet stories, and we will be regularly featuring the best of the best here in the Raven and on our social channels. What's more, we have Purina prize packs for every pet featured.

MiB Mad Libs 📝

This week’s phrase is: “If the Liverpool vs. Manchester United derby was a film, ___ would direct it because ___”

Email us your submissions to be in contention to win a coveted MiB patch.

There were loads of brilliant submissions this week, but there can only be one winner:

David Kneip: “Poch should build the USMNT around whatever Oliver Glasner is serving in the Crystal Palace cafeteria and World Cup glory will be guaranteed.”

Not Football and All the Better for It 📖

A GFOP Writes… ✍️

Seth writes: Hi Rog – This is Seth from Columbus, Ohio and I wanted to say thank you so much for coming to our great city. I never thought I would be able to experience your show, let alone meeting you in person. 

I was the guy who brought a pic of his dog for you to sign and I’d like to give you some more background to ensure you i wasn’t “bullshitting” you. We rescued then named black lab, Wesley, about three-and-a-half years ago from Cincinnati lab rescue (insert Purina bit to drown the boos). 

That didn’t feel like a fitting name because we also have a quirky yellow lab named Duckie. As we were hunting for a new name, we were drawn to Roger originally. If you know Star Wars, my wife and I had the joke of “Roger Roger” from the battle droids. As we also are GFOPs, we also thought it would be a fun tribute to you. We quickly realized Roger wasn’t so fitting. We found he was regal and sophisticated, as far as dogs go. Thus we went with Bennett. 

So I want to say thank you, Rog. Thank you for always being there for a laugh when Manchester United are crap to me. This sadly happens more and more these days… Thank you for bringing joy when darkness looms over life. Thank you for being the kind human being that you are. 

I am blessed to have been a friend to you, even if it were only for a minute when we shared a quick drink. Thank you again for everything that you do. 

Courage,
Seth

Rog writes: Seth. I was in Barcelona when I read this. I had just gotten off the plane and had not slept in 36 hours. Your email was like the wind beneath my wings that powered me through the entire trip. I am moved beyond belief, and look forward to meeting the mighty Bennett, who is def the best Bennett in the entire world of Bennetts, just ahead of Stetson, and way, way, above me. Please keep sending me photos of your boy and let him know how much joy he gives all of us at MiB.

Keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected].

To Better Days Ahead for All.

Let’s not take a moment watching football together for granted and make great memories.

Big Love.

Courage,
ROG

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