Good afternoon from a New York overwhelmed by snow falling on top of snow. Thank God for the football to keep us warm. It has been some weekend. I am old enough to remember when Arsenal were meant to be bottlers. Where are the haters now? Yes, it was only Spurs. But I have rarely seen a top-of-the-table side approach a game with more bleak hope and existential dread. 

That Arsenal performance was superbly human. To keep their heads while all around were losing theirs and blaming it on them. I am beyond thrilled for Eberechi Eze. If you have watched the film I made with him which dropped last week, it will come as no surprise to you that I admire him so much – his journey, his humility, and his emotional articulateness. To watch him score twice in this game was to witness tenacity in action. Only Robert Pirès (7) and Emmanuel Adebayor (6) have more Premier League goals for Arsenal against Tottenham than Eze (5) and he has done it in just 150 minutes. Enjoy your week, Arsenal fans. This game was psychic release at epic levels. 📈

ii. Manchester City are coming, make no mistake about it. Five straight wins in the league. Pep Guardiola knows there is title-winning mischief afoot. His reaction to the final whistle – whipping up the City fans he knows he will need and maniacally hugging his players – he sees what is possible. No one is more familiar with it. He loves the smell of a title race in the morning. 🩵

iii. And now, this weekend's three best goals (or almost goals) from around the world that you might've missed:

🇦🇺 This one from Australia's A-League is simply unlike anything any of us have ever witnessed. Just… how?

🇧🇬 It’s hard to describe this spinning overhead kick from the Bulgarian first division, but it’s one of the most hypnotizing finishes you'll ever see.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Please enjoy this absolutely logic-defying sequence of play from the second tier of Scottish football. Thanks for keeping it weird, lads.

iv. Only a few seats remain for the HOUSTON live show from our Soccer’s Coming Home Countdown Tour. Come join me and some H-town legends, J.J. Watt and Hakeem Olajuwon, at the incredible Rice University Brockman Hall for Opera on March 4 as we look ahead to a wild summer when the World Cup rolls into Texas. Grab your tickets now before they fully sell out. 🤠

v. This week, I am back in New York City. It was amazing to be in Liverpool and film with Jeremie Frimpong last week, then head to London for a couple of meetings and a quick curry. I was in LA Friday night to celebrate the return of MLS with a show in Hollywood. It was great to meet so many LAFC fans – they are so incredibly impressive. I hope they have a season cut from Sonny's dreams. 🫶

vi. We are filming with Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons this week, and I am also doing a lot of press for the release of my World Cup book that comes out March 3. A few thousand of you have pre-ordered this bad boy. I know it is a mad thing to do and cannot wait to send out these signed book plates and limited-edition posters of the cover to thank you. If you have not pre-ordered, but have it in your heart to do so, sign up here to get your autographed stuff with my love and thanks. 📚

vii. Finally, we want to hear from you! We'd love if you could take a few minutes to answer some questions for a project we’re doing with our good friends at Coca-Cola leading up to this summer’s World Cup. It’s super helpful for us and we value your time, so we’re picking a few folks who fill it out to receive $75 gift cards to the MiB store. Take the survey here. 🫵

Courage,
ROG

PS - Have a look at the record longest roadtrip in English football history, and how it compares when shown on a U.S. map. 🤣

Our new study breaking down America's global soccer fandom is HERE. Check out the full report, which summarizes thousands of your responses to our survey and is paired with larger data from YouGov, for an in-depth look at where we stand ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

By Tommy Stewart

Tottenham 1-4 Arsenal 🤍❤️

Only 62 seconds divided Eberechi Eze’s opener and Randal Kolo Muani’s equalizer in a North London derby that was equally totemic for both sides for very different reasons. After going in level at halftime, new Spurs boss Igor Tudor’s optimism was quickly lacerated just after the break by a Viktor Gyökeres beauty from outside the box. The Swede’s dominant performance was rewarded with a brace that suggested Arsenal were not the victims of false advertising, and do in fact have a premium striker on their hands. Once Kolo Muani was denied his own double due to some Gabriel theatrics, Spurs soon had their faces rubbed in the dirt. Eze scored his sixth of the season, and with five of those coming against Spurs, his perennial place on every Tottenham fan’s dartboard and in every Gunner’s heart was sealed.

Viktor Gyökeres’ Potential Penny-Drop Moment ✅

With eight goals in 2026, no PL player has scored more across all comps this year than Big Vik. Despite bagging 15 so far in his debut season for Arsenal, aspersions have been cast over whether the Swedish center forward, who hit 97 in 102 games for Sporting CP, is a genuine Premier League thoroughbred. But after yesterday’s dominant showing, his confidence in North London has never looked higher. Gyökeres’ cult status is forever sealed amongst Arsenal supporters after twice whipping out the Bane mask celly away at their bitter rivals, but now fans across the Prem might think before speaking ill of Arsenal’s No. 14. 

Wait, Could Spurs Really Go Down? 👀

Yesterday was the Spursiest of Spursy initiation ceremonies for Tottenham’s interim manager, Igor Tudor. It was a harsh reality check for the former Juventus player and coach, who’s tasked with preventing the most shocking and catastrophic relegation in Premier League history. Spurs haven’t sunk to the second tier of English football since 1977, but with a litany of injuries and suspensions and only four points between them and the relegation zone, worst fears are becoming visceral possibilities. To rub salt in the wound, not only was the footballing anatomy of his predecessor Thomas Frank alive and unwell yesterday, but the former coach was also present via a fever-dream inflatable doll in the away end. Good luck, Igor; you’ll need it.

More: There are damning Tottenham stats and then there’s this.

Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle

Nico O’Reilly’s been a Swiss Army knife for Pep Guardiola, but the Mancunian’s opening screamer from the edge of the box under the Etihad lights confirmed he’s found a home as a marauding center midfielder. Newcastle’s Lewis Hall quickly replied, hitting the ball speculatively through an army of players, somehow finding Gianluigi Donnarumma’s net, but in a blustering first half, O’Reilly completed his brace with a towering header that was the product of a cute cross from (checks notes) Erling Haaland. The local lad and Norwegian giant are now level on goals in 2026, and humble Haaland continues to dispel myths that he’s little more than a machine programmed to score. City saw out a tense second half and after the game Pep advised his players to get on the cocktails for the next three days, words that will break the heart of Jack Grealish, who’d already been living by that mantra in Manchester.

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Liverpool

Arne Slot admitted Liverpool’s first-half performance yesterday was the worst they’ve played all season, which in a period of low ebbs, is a statement. In Vítor Pereira’s first PL match in charge of the Tricky Trees, his side had almost double the amount of chances as the champs, but their lack of killer instinct was a reminder of why they’re on their fourth manager of the season. For Liverpool, VAR tooketh away and then giveth right back because after Alexis Mac Allister had an 89th-minute goal disallowed for using his elbow, his scrappy winner eight minutes later was adjudged by a Virgil van Dijk toenail onside. Despite the sort of performance that saw Pereira rescue Wolves last season, Forest fans were ultimately left pointless, and therefore pint-less, which was probably sensible on a Sunday anyway.

Chelsea 1-1 Burnley

João Pedro’s 14th goal this season came early on Saturday, so it should have opened the floodgates for a routine win against a Burnley side destined for relegation. Dominance of possession aside, Liam Rosenior’s men had few meaningful chances, and with less than a quarter of the game to go, once again became architects of their own demise when Wesley Fofana received Chelsea’s sixth red card of the season. That’s two more than any other team in the league, and their lack of discipline must be boring the Blues faithful. Scott Parker’s side were emboldened and Zian Flemming capitalized with an injury-time header to totally silence Stamford Bridge. This should have been a banker for Chelsea, who despite remaining undefeated under Rosenior in the league, have now drawn their last two, both against bottom-half teams.

Elsewhere in the Premier League: Aston Villa 1-1 Leeds, Brentford 0-2 Brighton, West Ham 0-0 Bournemouth, Crystal Palace 1-0 Wolves, Sunderland 1-3 Fulham

🇪🇸 La Liga: Vinícius Júnior scored his fifth goal in four games for Real Madrid, but his side ultimately capitulated in a late 2-1 loss to Osasuna due to some very clumsy defensive errors. After two woeful defeats and training ground “discussions” between Hansi Flick and his Barcelona squad, they seem to have hashed out their problems, responding with a warm and familiar 3-0 win, including this absolute missile from Fermín López, over Levante to reclaim La Liga’s zenith. Don’t blink because this title tug of war remains the most encapsulating battle in Europe.

🇮🇹 Serie A: It would undermine the wonderfully precarious nature of football to rubber stamp the Scudetto winner in February, but after Inter strolled to a 2-0 win at Lecce as second and third-placed AC Milan and Napoli both lost, the bets are off. Cristian Chivu’s side are now a colossal 10 points ahead of their bigger brothers, who surrendered 1-0 at the San Siro to a Parma side managed by a man who’s 10 years younger than Milan’s Luka Modrić. Meanwhile, Cesc Fabregas’ Como crept towards the UCL spots after defeating Juventus for the first time in 73 years, turning Luciano Spalletti’s nightmare week of three losses into some real dark David Lynch material.

🇩🇪 Bundesliga: While Borussia Dortmund salvaged a point against RB Leipzig with a 95th-minute equalizer, Bayern Munich almost gave away a habitual 3-0 lead peppered with a Harry Kane brace, escaping with a win after conceding two late goals to Eintracht Frankfurt. Dortmund host the most pivotal Der Klassiker in years on Saturday, and with Bayern’s defense again showing fallibility, Niko Kovač will feel confident the yellow wall can carry them to a significant win that would bring them within five points of the champions.

Premier League 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Manchester United vs. Everton (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, USA)

Well, I can’t see us winning. I never can. Or, I never let myself. To be honest, if I ever find myself privately looking at the table and working out where a win will place us, we always seem to lose. Manchester United also seem perpetually capable of breaking our hearts. They have not beaten a single team more than they have us. This stat from @Aaron__Barton breaks my heart: Everton have had just eight different goalscorers in the Premier League this season, which is the fewest of any team in the league. It’s also on course to be Everton’s fewest in a PL season, albeit there are still 12 games left to play. A “What if we had a decent finisher?” shattering of my dreams… -ROG

Champions League 🏆

Atlético Madrid 🇪🇸 vs. Club Brugge 🇧🇪 - Agg. 3-3 (Tuesday, 12:45 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Club Brugge have the momentum after turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-3 draw in the first leg of this tie, but the Riyadh Air Metropolitano is a vicious gladiatorial stage that will represent a different kind of battle. With six goal involvements in six games, Diego Simeone’s January signing of Ademola Lookman from Atalanta is looking like a masterstroke, and he’ll want to add to the goal he scored in Belgium last week.

Newcastle 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 vs. Qarabağ 🇦🇿 - Agg. 6-1 (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Eddie Howe’s unpredictable Newcastle can quickly cast aside their Premier League woes with a St. James’ celebration against Qarabağ, who they lead 6-1 ahead of this Champions League second leg. Anthony Gordon’s 10 goals mean he’s second only to Kylian Mbappé’s 13 in the UCL, so tomorrow’s second-round qualification party is a chance for the English winger to catch up with the World Cup winner in the scoring charts.

Inter Milan 🇮🇹 vs. Bodø/Glimt 🇳🇴 - Agg. 1-3 (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Inter Milan are now set to cruise control in Serie A, so Cristian Chivu must harness all of his squad’s ability and energy to overturn a 3-1 deficit at the San Siro tomorrow. Should the UCL’s ultimate fairytale protagonists Bodø/Glimt see out the victory against the Italian giants, it will make David and Goliath look like an even contest.

Bayer Leverkusen 🇩🇪 vs. Olympiakos 🇬🇷 - Agg. 2-0 (Tuesday, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Kasper Hjulmand’s side lead the tie 2-0 and should seal second-round qualification when they welcome Evangelos Marinakis’ Grecian sidepiece to the BayArena tomorrow.

This week’s question: In the Champions League, what’s the biggest deficit ever turned around in a second-leg knockout match? Bonus points for the aggregate score.

Email us with your answer for a chance to win a much-coveted MiB patch!

Last week’s winner: Congratulations to Brayden Rivers, who may or may not be a lost Targaryen AND was the first person to correctly answer that Julián Alvarez was the unfortunate player whose double-touch penalty in last year’s UCL play-offs resulted in a law change in football. Your patch is in the post, Brayden.

🐦‍⬛ We’ll see you on Wednesday. In the meantime, keep sending your stories and questions to [email protected].

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