I type with fingers craving the release of Premier League football, sweet Premier League football. The suddenly rippled muscle that is Michael Carrick’s Manchester United 2.0 head to Arsenal to prove themselves to themselves in the marquee match-up. Manchester City had a Davos of a week. They couldn’t lose to bottom-of-the-table Wolves… could they? Same for Spurs fans, who will gird their loins and ask how low can you go as they travel to Burnley's House of JJ Watt. And Everton don’t lose until Monday, so we get a rare weekend that is guaranteed to be pain free. 

Also: Attack the weekend with the joy the Celta Vigo goalkeeper brings to team photos. 🤸

ii. I spent the week doing nightshifts finishing off my book on tape. I forgot how truly grueling it is. Your voice goes on the first day. Then it is like running an ultramarathon every day for six days, using your tonsils instead of your legs. I cannot wait for you to read this beauty. More on it below. What helps the most is pre-ordering from an indie book store—for which I will send you one of thousands of book-plates that I have been signing. They have a picture of me wearing a Clint Dempsey 2014 World Cup jersey on them.

Also: Keep sending us the indie bookstores you love across the nation. We’re promoting them on our platforms on a daily basis to mark the release of my book. Make sure you tell us WHY you love them. 📚

iii. Congratulations to the great Wagner Moura on his Oscar nomination. Our conversation last week still has me buzzing. He is such a sweet, thoughtful and genuine man. We are now big in Brazil as the “jornalista gringo.” 🇧🇷

iv. Two really excellent recent conversations. The first was with Tijjani Reijnders, who is a very thoughtful gent, reflecting on his adaptation to the physicality of the Premier League and what City have to do to reassert themselves. That comes out next Wednesday. I also spent yesterday afternoon with magical Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, Nottingham Forest’s penalty shoot-out slayer who talked about his heroics in the third-round victory and why he was so humble in the moment. I love Arthur. That win was symbolically massive to me. Watch that interview here. 🎙️

v. We are hiring! Our latest job opening is a Women’s Game Social Media Manager, but there are more. We want to do good things with great people. 🙌

vi. Kit collectors! This weekend, starting today, we’re giving away three mystery jerseys from points across the globe, each of which I’ve signed. To enter, simply join the MiB Discord, if you haven’t already, and drop a photo on the #Jersey channel of your favorite kit from your collection by Sunday, Jan. 25. We’ll announce the winners on Discord on Monday. And while you’re there, go get stuck in during the games with a bunch of football-loving souls like yourself. Football is always better with friends. 🍻

vii. I thought the video Marseille produced ahead of their game with Liverpool paying respect to their visitors was just CLASS. 👌

Courage,
ROG

PS - This made me unbearably happy. 🐶

The Big One: Arsenal vs. Manchester United (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, Peacock)

How do you follow up the perfect first act of kidney-punching Manchester City 2-0 upon your interim return? By swaggering into North London and facing league-leading Arsenal. Michael Carrick simplified the football, and put players in their natural roles to deliver cacophonous victory. Seven-points clear Arsenal enter after back-to-back goalless Premier League draws. It will be fascinating to see whom Arteta starts against Harry Maguire: Viktor Gyökeres, with one goal in his last 10 in the league, or the hungry speed of Gabriel Jesus? Both men scored in the Champions League. The pace of Jesus makes sense, but dropping Gyökeres will necessitate deft man-management.

Rogstradamus 🔮: Arsenal romp 3-1. Please, please let Eze score…

Manchester City vs. Wolves (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

A gimme putt that suddenly feels like a 40-yard chip out of a bunker that could possibly be chunked. Bottom-of-the-table Wolves should be a Scooby snack for Pep Guardiola, but then a truly humbled City went down with all hands against United at Old Trafford, and somehow crapped the bed in the Arctic Circle at Bodø/Glimt. Wolves sudden five-game unbeaten run makes them the in-form team. Chaotic conditions for Marc Guéhi to make his City debut. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: Semenyo is not in City’s Champions League squad and his fresh legs give City a surreally much-needed point in a 3-3 shoot-out.

Burnley vs. Tottenham (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, USA)

Teetering Thomas Frank, fresh off the fleeting pleasure of a 2-0 toupee- Champions League win over Dortmund, may have earned himself a stay of inevitable execution, rather than a turning point. If his team had a reputation as “Dr. Tottenham,” Frank has embraced medical drama with passions at levels known only to Noah Wyle. Bournemouth had not won since October, then clipped Spurs 3-2. West Ham had not won since November, and triumphed 2-1, both via late exclamation-point goals. Enter 19th-placed Burnley, who have not won in 13 games since October. What could possibly go wrong now? Kyle Walker revenge game loading…

Rogstradamus 🔮: Spurs’ injury list—Lucas Bergvall is the 19th player to be out this season—is league leading. Burnley do the funniest thing and deliver JJ Watt-happiness 2-1. 

More: I enjoyed this interview with Dominic Solanke who talked about the agony of his long road back.

Bournemouth vs. Liverpool (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, USA)

Mo Salah back like a new season of “Industry,” which feels like it has taken so long to arrive since the last one. Salah was lively in Champions League action midweek, though he did miss a late chance that True Mo would have buried. Salah scored twice in this game last year—a time and a place in which both teams were happier and feeling dangerous. Bournemouth have just one win since November and that was against Tottenham, so does it really count? Liverpool are in the midst of a 13-game unbeaten run that, because of the quality of the performances and the number of draws, feels ersatz like Splenda. 

End of an Era: Spurs in talks to sign Andy Robbo.

Rogstradamus 🔮: Mad one. Both teams take the lead, neither have control. Both pissed with a point. 2-2

Crystal Palace vs. Chelsea (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, USA)

When Ismaïla Sarr went off to represent Senegal at AFCON, his Crystal Palace were in fifth place, Marc Guéhi was wearing the captain’s armband, and Oliver Glasner was undecided as to the signing of a new contract. How that platform of stability has self-immolated. Palace are winless in 10 all-comps, down to 13th place, and corner-flag scourge Jean-Philippe Mateta is the latest to announce a desire to leave the club. Facing a Liam Rosenior Chelsea team who have won three of four of his games suggests you should come for the football, stick around for the guaranteed-to-be fascinating managerial post-match press conferences.

Rogstradamus 🔮: Palace have not won in their last 16 against the Blues. That will not change. 3-1 Chelsea. Every team suddenly starts to look at incorporating the marginal advantages of Lego.

Newcastle vs. Aston Villa (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, NBC/Peacock)

A game with Champions League aspirations written all over it. Villa may be fatigued by Thursday night endeavors, and Newcastle have to repress the scintillating prospect of a trip to PSG on Tuesday. Extra spice: Unai Emery was Newcastle’s first choice to lead the Saudi project. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: I smell a rarely spotted Anthony Gordon goal. Newcastle have the less-tired legs and win 2-1. Emery manic level at 11.

🗓️ Full Premier League weekend schedule here.

📬 Enjoying The Raven? Check out our other MiB newsletters:

🌞 The Women’s Game: Everything you need to know about women’s football, sent straight to your inbox each week.

🔍 The Correspondent: Rory Smith’s thoughts on the world of soccer, culture, food, and how they all connect – every Thursday.

Rog’s upcoming book, “We Are The World (Cup): A Personal History of the World’s Greatest Sporting Event,” comes out March 3. The book is a deeply personal history of the tournament, written to allow hardcore football fans and newcomers to relive the backstory of every World Cup of the modern period. While we wait for it’s release in a few weeks, we’d love if you could do two things:

First, check out our new tiered offer for those of you looking to buy multiple copies of the new book. Place your order here to get a signed bookplate, poster or personalized video from Rog himself. Pre-orders make or break a book, so if we have given you any joy over the years, and you can find it in your heart to thank us, we would greatly appreciate it.

Second, read the Ask Me Anything Rog hosted on Discord last Saturday, where he answered questions from fans about the new book, his favorite World Cup moments and so much more. Here’s a little preview:

Gunnersaurus: Has the writing experience for this book changed compared to your previous ones? Was there anything about this book that was particularly challenging or something about it that made it special?

RB: The process was very like the one for my memoir, “(Re)Born in the USA.” It was just trying to go to that place in my head where memory lives. I don’t have many strengths. I forget A LOT in the present day, but I have a crazy vivid long-term memory. My best friend Jamie Glassman laughs at the stories I retell — he is like, "That is story number 97 that you retell on the regs." He just shouts out numbers to prevent me from retelling them for the 1,000th time. But when I write, I tap into them, and it is like I just go back to that time and place... 11-year-old Rog, 15-year-old Rog, whatever. It is very out of body.

Read the full AMA here. 📕

Villarreal vs. Real Madrid (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 🇪🇸

Since Real Madrid’s disastrous cup knockout to Albacete, followed by a barrage of boos from the Bernabéu in La Liga last weekend, Álvaro Arbeloa could finally be cooking after a 6-1 demolition of Monaco in the UCL. They’re now just one point behind La Liga leaders Barcelona, but the 224-mile trip east to the 53,000-person town of Villarreal is the surrogate manager’s toughest challenge yet. The Yellow Submarine are seven points behind Los Blancos with a game in hand, and Marcelino García Toral’s direct, counter-attacking style is exactly the sort of football that can shake this fickle Madrid side.

More: Barcelona can stay top if they beat Real Oviedo on Sunday (10:15 a.m. ET, ESPN+). 

Juventus vs. Napoli (Sunday, 12 p.m. ET, Paramount+) 🇮🇹

Weston McKennie’s Juventus career has died and come back more times than Kenny on “South Park,” but he’s enjoying a new lease on life since being liberated in a more attacking role under Luciano Spalletti. The Little Elm, Texas midfielder scored midweek in the UCL, and despite publicly committing to the Old Lady, his contract expires in the summer, putting a host of La Liga and Premier League clubs on high alert. Napoli are six points behind Serie A leaders Inter Milan and struggling for goals, so the return of Romelu Lukaku, who’s missed the whole season with a high grade thigh injury, is a timely boost.

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

Christian Pulisic hard-launched into this season with 15 goal contributions, but with no dent on the score or assist sheet in five matches, Max Allegri’s had to find alternative solutions. Fortunately West Ham loanee Niclas Füllkrug rescued them against Lecce last weekend with his first AC Milan goal in a 1-0 win, but an away trip to Roma is a gladiatorial challenge. Gian Gasperini’s side have won three on the bounce, partly thanks to the instant impact of Donyell Malen, and if they beat Milan at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday, they’ll go a point behind them in the Scudetto standoff.

QPR vs. Wrexham (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Paramount+) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Wrexham were within seconds of securing a win against Leicester midweek but had to settle for a draw after a 90th-minute goal from Jannik Vestergaard. They travel to Loftus Road for the first time in 22 years looking to make it three away wins in three. A result for the away side could take them as high as sixth in the Championship, while a win for QPR at home could see them leapfrog Wrexham into seventh. 

WSL: Chelsea vs. Arsenal (Saturday, 7:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+) 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Chelsea are back to winning ways after seeing off Man City 1-0 to advance to the League Cup final. They’ll look to stave off an advancing Arsenal side; a win for the Gunners would put them a point behind the champions in third. Arsenal have already beaten Chelsea this week, albeit off the field, as they took top slot for the first time as the world’s most profitable women’s football team. Top of the Deloitte Money League, you’ll never sing that!

This week’s phrase is:

“______ should be the next Real Madrid manager because ______.”

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

There were a lot of brilliant entries in last week’s Mad Lib, but there can only be one winner: 

John Cole: “The only thing that can stop Arsenal from winning the league is (in Werner Herzog voice) “The slow march of time, for in life there are winners and losers but death is the ultimate champion."

John, send us your address and we’ll get you a patch! 📬

Nick Mergener writes: “Rog — About eight years ago, I emailed you about my high school soccer coach, Matt Boersma, and how he was starting a battle with cancer. You made an incredible video message and tweeted him encouragement. Unfortunately, Coach Boersma recently lost his battle. Throughout his time of challenge, Matt continued coaching soccer at the club level and running the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association. He also sent his son off to play in goal for Butler's men's soccer team and his daughter to LSU and Oklahoma State. I wanted to thank you for the encouragement you offered and the excitement his whole family had when they saw your messages. Courage.”

Rog writes: Nick — I never met Matt but I am reading his obituary with a real reverence and awe. It is people like Matt who are the backbone of the game in this nation—giving themselves to nurture the passion they feel and inculcating into generations of kids. I am so sorry for your loss, and send my love and wishes for strength and health to Coach Boersma’s family. May the memories they experienced through football with Matt sustain them for years to come. He, and those like him, are why I feel most optimistic about the future of the game in our country.

Keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected]. WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH!

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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