I type with fingers filled with anticipation. I am on a crack-of-dawn flight to Tampa, where tonight we will take the stage for a sold-out live show with Premier League legend Alan Shearer to revel in the weekend that is to come, when NBC’s Premier League Mornings Live descends upon the city that invented the color creamsicle and deviled crab.

This Premier League season is one of the greatest vintages in recent memory—and this weekend, the slate of games is ecstatic. Manchester City finally welcome Arsenal, who are your current league leaders, but also, strangely feel like Pep’s prey. Before that, a buoyant Everton host a listless Liverpool at the Big Dick for the first time. What could possibly go wrong? All of this and more below. 

P.S. Rory and I will drop “Big Weekend Preview” rounding up all you need to know about the games later this afternoon. 💪

ii. We spent time with the inspirational Manchester City blur of speed Antoine Semenyo this week for a conversation that drops tomorrow across our platforms. We talked about how the Ghanaian has shattered the consensus that players need time to fit into Pep’s complex system. 

Semenyo said the Spaniard’s message has been: “Freedom. Just play like how you're playing at Bournemouth. Just express yourself.” When asked what the City coach has added to his game, Semenyo said, “Slowing down to speed up again. Pep feels like every time I hear the ball, I'm going at 100mph. And I don't need to do that because I've got the speed to get past the player. So it's almost slowing down, and then speeding up again. No one will live with me.” 🩵

iii. I also spent the afternoon with Tyler Adams for a really fascinating conversation reacting to news of Andoni Iraola’s departure, reliving last week’s fearless win over Arsenal, and analyzing why the U.S. Men crumble every time they face European opponents. That conversation drops next Tuesday. 🍒

iv. A week of wonder awaits: We are headed to Minneapolis on Monday to eat all the Juicy Lucys with James Rodríguez, then back to the Washington D.C. area to celebrate the awarding of our second-annual Soccer Bar of the Year award, which this year goes to the inspirational Ireland's Four Courts in Arlington, Va. A place that has given generations of football fans so many memories, and in its time of need, was then saved by those fans. Clint Dempsey and I will do a live show in the bar to mark the occasion. This whole award is so incredibly meaningful. Not just the 1,400 nominations and 33,000 votes from across the nation, but the impact—last year’s winner, Brewhouse Cafe in Atlanta, has become so successful they have just opened a second bar. To celebrate these pathfinding pillars of the game is a giddy joy and we are grateful to our partners, Michelob Ultra, for making it all possible. 🍻

v. To the good people of Philly and Dallas… We’re headed your way next. First, we land in that cheesesteak metropolis of Philadelphia on May 12 for a special live show at the Franklin Music Hall, where I’ll undoubtedly be drowned out by the relentless screams of “GO BIRDS” from the crowd. Then, on to Dallas on May 20 for our newly announced World Cup countdown show, 22 Days Out LIVE from the Longhorn Ballroom, where we’ll raise a glass to the biggest summer, hosting the world’s biggest event, in a place that knows a thing or two about doing it big. I can’t wait to see you there. 🚌

vi. Lastly, we are hiring at MiB for a few roles across sales, social and paid media. We want to work with great people. See the openings here. 🙌

Courage,
ROG

P.S. You didn’t know you needed the back story on the Manchester City fan who drank from a bottle of Arsenal tears. But here it is. Thorough. 🥲

Manchester City vs. Arsenal (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, NBC)

The biggest game of the season. An epic clash of civilizations, even bigger than The Lix vs. Lex feud. Arsenal lead the league, but appear to be stalling out, having won just one of their last five, gripped by fight or flight, physically exhausted, mentally shattered, grim of foot and utterly vulnerable of mind. The team is top of the table, in the Champions League semifinal and a win here would propel them to a nine-point lead. But the fan base is miserable, gripped by a level of catastrophizing not seen since the Book of Job. Almost none believe they will win this game, can win this game. The scars, the trauma, the agony of seasons past—of believing and being burned by hope, fused with the inability to conjure open-play goals in the present. Rather than allowing themselves to be savaged again, they are preemptively in the recovery position already psychologically taking the blows that they know are coming. 

Mikel Arteta is at the center of it all. There are six games left between him and the title glory he has pursued with the obsession of a Basque Captain Ahab. As he seeks to drag his injury-ridden squad over the line, it feels like in terms of stress levels, the call might be coming from inside the house. “No fear, pure fire,” he proclaimed before his team played with anguish and fire-levels set to smolder while being held 0-0 against Sporting midweek. It's going to take all the pickpockets, fan TikToks, “the lunch, the dinner,” and cuddles with Win the dog to make it through this one. Will he just prove to a footballing Moses, unable to ever enter the Promised Land?

In contrast, Pep Guardiola, undoubtedly the most tightly-wound manager football has ever seen, is pretending to be blissed out and chill. He gave City players two days off this week. Even though they will be bolstered by the psychological edge of the Kepa-inflected 2-0 Carabao Cup final victory, they are the team who need to win here. They will draw confidence from Pep’s astonishing closing-sprint record. His title hunters have lost just once in 40 games in April and May, including victories in their last 19 straight at home. Arsenal fans don’t read this: In stark contrast, your boys have lost 11 of their last 39 in the same spell. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: Pep said this morning, lose and the title is over. Ever the master of reverse psychology, that means he is confident his team will blow the doors off. Nico O’Reilly again. City 2-0. The only question is how many City fans will be waving Arsenal bottles into the Manchester air.

Happy reading for Gunners: here is why Arsenal are still favorites to win the title.

Newcastle vs. Bournemouth (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, USA)

Andoni Iraola’s Last Dance begins. Bournemouth have lost players like Antoine Semenyo, Dean Huijsen, and Milos Kerkez but keep on keeping on. But can they survive the loss of Iraola, the brilliant, humble brain who, pound for pound, made them the best team in the Premier League? Tyler Adams talked about his manager’s irreplaceable qualities and the fearlessness and belief he inculcated in the collective. Narrative lovers will adore the symmetry of Cherries icon Eddie Howe on the opposing bench. Many believed he was irreplaceable. Iraola owns the best winning percentage and points per game of any Bournemouth manager in the top flight. Meanwhile, the conflict in the Middle East and rumored closing of LIV Golf has many Toon fans fearing for the future of their owners investment ambitions.

Rogstradamus 🔮: The Fruit’s 12-game unbeaten streak continues. Rayan and Kroupi shine. 1-2.

Tottenham vs. Brighton (Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET, NBC)

Roberto De Zerbi’s first home game is against his former lovers, Brighton. Well played, Premier League scriptwriters. Well played. Have the embattled manscaper addict drag his relegation zone-shamed mob against the one team who know his tactics and his press better than anyone. Make no mistake, Tottenham are a woeful football team. In 2026, they have won just five points, conceded the most goals and scored the fewest. This is the most out-of-form rabble facing up to the most in-form. Brighton have a league-leading 15 points from their last six games and are hunting four straight wins for the second time in the top flight. De Zerbi’s debut last weekend ended in defeat and the loss of captain Cristian Romero. This one will revolve around his ability to coax a modicum of belief, confidence and mentality, rather than tactics. 

Rogstradamus 🔮: 1-1. A point. A point. A point. 

More: How bad analytics led to this Tottenham disaster.

Chelsea vs. Manchester United (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, Peacock)

Chelsea cannot finish, United can barely field a defender. Liam Rosenior’s vibes have soured. His team have failed to score once in three straight losses. Michael Carrick has lost Harry Maguire and the hair-puller, Lisandro Martínez, out to suspension. To make matters worse, news broke this morning that Leny Yoro suffered an injury and has not travelled with the team to London. United are set to be without four of their five center-backs. Does Carrick trust Ayden Heaven or will Luke Shaw be flung in from the left? The damp-squib first loss at home to Leeds United has him needing to re-assert his new car smell. One win in his last four. No clean sheet in five. Carrick’s inability to evolve his tactics or change games with his late, late substitutions is under scrutiny as United seek to lock down that Champions League return with the minimum of drama.

Rogstradamus 🔮: Bruno-Casemiro connection has been a human joy to watch this season. Chelsea cannot contain it. United 2-0. 

Everton vs. Liverpool (Sunday, 9 a.m. ET, USA)

Europe-aspiring Everton have two unusual things as they clatter into the first-ever Merseyside Derby at shiny new casa Hill Dickinson: expectation and hope. Less than a year on from the day Liverpool won the Premier League title, they stagger into Mo Salah’s last derby experiencing the freefall of six losses in their last 10 and rumors about the players who will be leaving at the season’s end. Hugo Ekitike’s loss to a ruptured achilles compounds the agony. I have not experienced such optimism around the club I love in decades. What could possibly go wrong now? 

Rogstradamus 🔮: My heart dreams of Everton glory. My head tells me Rio is gonna do us. We have just one win in our last 14 home derby rumbles. Don’t want to curse myself either way. 2-2. Tark scores again.

🗓️ Full Premier League schedule here.

Blackburn Rovers vs. Coventry City (TODAY, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

Haji Wright’s Coventry are one point away from a return to the Premier League for the first time in 25 years. Manager Frank Lampard took charge in November 2024 and guided the team from 17th into last year’s playoffs. Any result against 20th-placed Blackburn today would complete the return to the top flight Coventry fans have been waiting for since 2001. Lampard’s biggest accomplishment since keeping Everton up.

Wrexham vs. Stoke City (Saturday, 10 a.m. ET, Paramount+)

The Red Dragons need a win to stay in the playoff race after back-to-back defeats for the first time since the start of the season. Four points behind the pack in seventh, Phil Parkinson has four games left to close the gap on Hull, half of which are against teams in the top six. 

Perhaps the greatest tribute to Wrexham’s miraculous rise, that articles like this exist: Does it matter if Wrexham don't get promoted this season?

This week’s phrase is: “Manchester City vs. Arsenal is to football what ______ is to ______”

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

There were A LOT (seriously) of incredible entries last week, but sadly there can only be one winner:

Steve Schell: “Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson leaving is like watching your grandparents slowly fade away.”

Steve, thank you for the big laugh. We’ve got a patch heading your way soon!

Copa Del Rey final: Atlético Madrid vs. Real Sociedad (Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+) 

Diego Simeone will need a new team talk against Real Sociedad because in a Copa del Rey final that pits North vs. South America, his siege underdog status will be assumed by the “savior” of San Sebastian: New Jersey’s miracle-worker, Pellegrino Matarazzo.

Bayern Munich vs. Stuttgart (Sunday, 11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN2)

Bayern can mathematically be crowned Bundesliga champions this weekend if Borussia Dortmund drop points against Hoffenheim, meaning Sunday could end with one of Vincent Kompany’s perfect fits being drenched in Pilsner.

Napoli vs. Lazio (Saturday, 12 p.m. ET, Paramount+)

While Antonio Conte flirts with the Italy job like a lemming walking towards a cliff, Napoli’s tepid title defense continues against smoking Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio.

Ambrose Smith called into our Wednesday livestream to talk about his beloved Arsenal, an hour before his poli-sci finals he had to crush. I loved his passion, but feared for his academic future. This email follow-up then came as a real relief and I want to share it with all of you: 

“Earlier today, I featured on your podcast and we talked about Arsenal, a large part of our conversation was about my political science paper I had. I was told to email how it went, and I can confirm I did the Trossard celebration afterwards. I banged it and I'm gassed, thanks for having me as well. It was a great experience. Sincerely, Ambrose” 

Ambrose, I am so relieved. I feel a heavy responsibility for all of our listeners' academic futures. You cracked me up, but I also think you might have accidentally found the solution to Arsenal’s problem. Arteta has got the team into such a tense deep state, where every little detail matters too much. He should channel your spirit of chill multi-tasking, even in times of hysteria. Go on sidequests. Keep everything in proportion. Believe in yourself. Go for it. There is an element of life truth in all of this, and I hope you are feeling as good on Sunday afternoon as you were when you got your poli-sci grade. To more joy.

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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