Premier League festive fixtures take their toll; Juventus and Weston McKennie host Roma in Serie A action

Happy Friday! I am Jonathan Johnson and I will lead you into the final weekend of 2023 with lots going on in the soccer world as fatigue starts to impact the Premier League with some very unexpected results. 

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Friday, Dec. 29
Serie A: Napoli vs. Monza, 12:30 p.m.  Paramount+
Serie A: Genoa vs. Inter, 2:45 p.m.  Paramount+

Saturday, Dec. 30
EPL: Rangers vs. Celtic, 7:30 a.m. CBS Sports Network
EPL: Manchester City vs. Sheffield United, 10 a.m. Peacock
EPL: Nottingham Forest vs. Manchester United, 12:30 p.m. Peacock
Serie A: Juventus vs. Roma, 2:45 p.m.  Paramount+

Sunday, Dec. 31
EPL: Fulham vs. Arsenal, 9 a.m. Peacock
EPL: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Bournemouth, 9 a.m. USA Network

Monday, Jan. 1
EPL: Liverpool vs. Newcastle United, 3 p.m. USA Network

  The Forward Line

Festive period takes its toll in the EPL

The Christmas and New Year period is known to be hectic in the Premier League and the results from the past few days have shown exactly why that is. The form book has well and truly been thrown out of the window with surprise results in the form of Aston Villa needing a late equalizer at home to Sheffield United before losing away at a desperate Manchester United after leading 2-0 at half time while Newcastle United took a beating at the hands of Nottingham Forest and former striker Chris Wood. Tottenham Hotspur left their rally too late away at Brighton and Hove Albion while Arsenal unexpectedly went down at home to West Ham United and even Brentford got blown away by a surprisingly rampant Wolverhampton Wanderers side just three days after beating Chelsea at home.

Do not be surprised if these are not the only shock results leading us into 2024 with another full slate of games coming your way this weekend with Villa, United, Chelsea and Manchester City back in action on Saturday before Arsenal and Spurs take to the field on Sunday. All of that builds towards Liverpool vs. Newcastle United on New Year’s Day which is a game that could have big ramifications for both sides given the Reds’ current lead at the Premier League summit and the Magpies’ recent slide out of European contention. The stakes are high this weekend ahead of next week’s FA Cup action and even a game seemingly as simple as relegation threatened Burnley at home will not be straightforward for a Villa side looking wobbly despite their third place.

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  Midfield Link Play

Juve vs. Roma ends 2023 with a bang

Serie A has one last burst of goodness in store for us this weekend with Saturday’s matchup between Juventus and AS Roma which you can watch via Paramount+. Central to this game on the home side will be USMNT star Weston McKennie who is suddenly back in favor in Turin after seemingly salvaging his Bianconeri career under Massimiliano Allegri. Juve can potentially move to within one point of Inter depending upon results this weekend but Jose Mourinho’s Roma will be eyeing a jump into the UEFA Champions League places and in the middle of this mix will be a rejuvenated McKennie as part of the home side’s midfield. Francesco Porzio has taken a look at the American’s second wind with the Italian giants as they look to become title challengers once more.

• Porzio: “It seemed like the story between Juventus and McKennie ended last season when he was loaned to Leeds United for six months, but the player went back to Turin after the English side was relegated. In the summer of 2023, the USMNT star worked hard to get back in the plans of Allegri, who started to play him as a winger, rotating with another UMSNT player, Weah. After a few games, McKennie gained a starting role in that position, but then shifted to his original role after both Pogba and Fagioli were suspended for the rest of the season. McKennie is now key for Allegri, who can use him in multiple positions of the pitch. He has yet to score his first goal of the season but provided two assists, including one in the last away game against Frosinone. Despite the initial doubts and the criticism, McKennie deserved to be back in the starting 11 of Juventus and as TuttoSport showed, his performances were crucial for the team coached by Allegri this season. He demonstrated that things can quickly change in the world of football since a few months ago he was transfer listed and now he’s critical.”

  Top Stories

 Carlo Ancelotti extends Real Madrid stay: Is the legendary Italian’s new deal until 2026 the end of the links with Brazil’s national team?

 PSG’s incoming Brazilian pair: Why the French champions are moving swiftly to secure Lucas Beraldo and Gabriel Moscardo for Luis Enrique’s side.

 NWSL New Year’s resolutions: How can NJ/NY Gotham FC, OL Reign and every other NWSL side be better going into 2024?

 Johnny Cardoso’s Real Betis move: USMNT midfielder jumps to Europe and how that move could have an impact on compatriot Tyler Adams pre-Copa America.

NWSL free agents: USWNT pair Crystal Dunn and Rose Lavelle are on the market while Savannah McCaskill has joined Wave.

  The Back Line

Best bet

• EPL: Liverpool vs. Newcastle United, Monday, 3 p.m.
   THE PICK: Draw with both teams to score (+480) — This one is suddenly a huge game for Newcastle and manager Eddie Howe after sliding from the European places to closer to midtable off the back of a testing period of injuries and unavailability which also coincided with a Champions League exit. Liverpool have ridden the storm out so far and sit top of the pile in the Premier League with Jurgen Klopp’s men now needing to avoid any unnecessary points being dropped as the likes of Arsenal, Aston Villa and Manchester City seek to close the gap. Pep Guardiola’s men are especially dangerous given their game in hand over those three teams ahead of them and a win in that game is likely to knock the Villans down into fourth. Should the Reds avoid dropping points to Newcastle, 2024 will have started extremely well at Anfield with a title tilt looking increasingly likely on Merseyside.

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+. 

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn’t mean that our coverage of the women’s game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.

 Kickin’ It (Tuesday, 7 p.m.): 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+.