Whats up there! The festive fixtures are upon us, and there is a lot to regulate after an entertaining weekend of video games within the Premier League. I am Pardeep Cattry with the most recent.

📺 Footy repair

All occasions U.S./Japanese

Monday, Dec. 23
🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter vs. Como, 2:45 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+

Tuesday, Dec. 24
🌏 Gulf Cup of Nations: Oman vs. Qatar, 9:25 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+

Wednesday, Dec. 25
🌏 Gulf Cup of Nations: Yemen vs. Saudi Arabia, 9:25 a.m. ➡️ ESPN+

Thursday, Dec. 26
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Manchester Metropolis vs. Everton, 7:30 a.m. ➡️ USA Community
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Chelsea vs. Fulham, 10 a.m. ➡️ Peacock
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Championship: The Golazo Present, 10 a.m. ➡️ CBS Sports activities Golazo Community
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Wolves vs. Manchester United, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ USA Community
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Championship: Derby County vs. West Brom, 12:30 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports activities Golazo Community
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 EPL: Liverpool vs. Leicester, 3 p.m. ➡️ USA Community
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Championship: Stoke Metropolis vs. Leeds, 3 p.m. ➡️ Paramount+, CBS Sports activities Golazo Community

⚽ The Ahead Line

🔴 Liverpool keep prime at Christmas

Liverpool hung onto the Premier League’s prime spot for one more week, securing a 4 level hole atop the desk at Christmas after a chaotic 6-3 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

The Reds cruised to a 5-1 lead by the 61st minute, exuding the benefit Arne Slot’s crew have grow to be identified for in his first season on the membership. They had been passing by the opposition’s press with few points, and capitalized ceaselessly on the errors Spurs’ again line made as they cope with a defensive harm disaster. It was the most recent demonstration that Slot’s Liverpool seem like the true deal, seamlessly executing a major tactical shift for a squad used to enjoying Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity strategy. A primary hour outlined by Liverpool’s incisiveness was additionally essential to outlive the ultimate half-hour of the sport.

Spurs pulled two targets again and made it a 5-3 sport by the 83rd minute, although Luis Diaz’s second objective two minutes later formally put the sport out of attain for the north Londoners. This marked the fourth time in Liverpool’s final 5 Premier League video games that they conceded two-plus targets in a sport, doing so on just one different event this season. The sample suggests a defensive instability that was nowhere to be seen earlier this season, however the rising similarity between Slot’s and Klopp’s Liverpool groups is that the brand new supervisor can depend on his spectacular assault as a lot as his predecessor did. The Reds nonetheless have only one loss this season, and managed to win two of these 4 video games wherein they conceded two-plus targets.

Liverpool’s 4 level lead over second place Chelsea, plus the sport in hand they boast, reaffirms the sensation that the title continues to be theirs to lose, even with round half the season left to go. Historical past favors the Reds at this level, too — 10 of the final 15 groups to occupy prime spot at Christmas have gone on to win the Premier League title.

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🔗  Midfield Hyperlink Play

🎁 Manchester Metropolis, United goal Boxing Day rebounds

This week’s Premier League motion can be highlighted by the eight video games on the schedule for Boxing Day, together with two essential video games for Manchester Metropolis and Manchester United after their losses over the weekend.

Reigning champions Metropolis head into the festive fixtures in seventh place, 4 factors out of a prime 4 spot and 13 factors adrift of league leaders Liverpool. The most recent in a string of unhealthy outcomes was a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa on Saturday, extending their poor run of type to only one win of their final 12 video games. Their defeat over the weekend actually highlighted the rut Metropolis are in — few issues went nicely for the reigning champions and supervisor Pep Guardiola appears unable to provide you with the fixes for his or her issues. As James Benge writes, each tactical choice towards Villa felt just like the fallacious one, giving Metropolis a surprisingly helpless look.

• Benge: “Numerous groups appear to be getting so much proper towards Metropolis in the intervening time. When one subject in your aspect retains getting picked at, the coach must make changes. That opener was possibly solely the third or fourth of the dozen plus moments, beginning within the sixteenth second, when Metropolis’s excessive line had been demolished by Villa. In fact, it’s simpler stated than carried out to adapt to life with out Rodri, whose Ballon d’Or in absentia case is already rising extra compelling.”

As soon as once more, they are going to be below strain to get issues proper on Thursday towards Everton, which can be no small feat. The Toffees’ tough begin to the season has given method for an honest run of type, tapping into supervisor Sean Dyche’s favourite instincts efficiently. They simply registered 0-0 attracts towards Arsenal and Chelsea, the latter outcome on Sunday notably notable because the Blues are one of many Premier League’s prime scoring sides. That doesn’t precisely bode nicely for Metropolis, who’re struggling within the goalscoring division with simply 14 targets of their final 12.

Elsewhere in England, Manchester United will hope to bounce again from a troublesome week once they tackle relegation contender Wolverhampton Wanderers on Boxing Day. The Purple Devils’ week started nicely with a shock 2-1 win over Manchester Metropolis, however a 4-3 loss to Tottenham Hotspur midweek and a 3-0 loss to Bournemouth on Sunday introduced them again all the way down to earth. The final two outcomes alone level to defensive woes which have plagued United lengthy earlier than supervisor Ruben Amorim confirmed up a month in the past, although how a lot that may hang-out them on Thursday stays to be seen. United would be the favorites towards 18th place Wolves, themselves below a brand new supervisor in Vitor Pereira, however the opponents have loads of targets in them after scoring 27 in 17 league video games thus far.

🔗  High Tales

🇪🇸 La Liga title race: Atletico Madrid’s stoppage time winner led them to a win over Barcelona and took them prime of La Liga’s desk earlier than the winter break.

🇪🇺 Convention League draw: Chelsea superior straight to the spherical of 16 of the UEFA Convention League, whereas 16 different groups will face off within the knockout playoff spherical for a spot within the final 16.

1️⃣ MLS SuperDraft: Growth crew San Diego FC chosen UC Santa Barbara midfielder Manu Duah as the primary total decide in Friday’s MLS SuperDraft.

🌲 McKennie offers again: Weston McKennie discusses his evolution at Juventus, Mauricio Pochettino’s reinvention of the USMNT and giving again to underprivileged youth by his basis in an unique interview with CBS Sports activities.

💰  The Again Line

💵 Greatest bets

• Serie A: Inter vs. Como, Monday, 2:45 p.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Inter to win 3-0 (+850) – Inter is likely to be identified for his or her defensive sturdiness, however final week’s 6-0 win over Lazio demonstrated that the reigning Serie A champions can run up the rating in the event that they really feel prefer it. Anticipate Inter to showcase related attacking would possibly on Monday towards Como, whose -10 objective differential means that they is likely to be on the fallacious aspect of a lopsided outcome proper earlier than Christmas.
• Premier League: Chelsea vs. Fulham, Thursday, 10 a.m.
  💰 THE PICK: Christopher Nkunku to attain (+120) – Chelsea discover themselves in second place within the Premier League due to an in-form assault, scoring 37 targets in 17 league video games this season. Anticipate them to maintain the targets approaching Boxing Day towards Fulham, together with one from their prime scorer Christopher Nkunku, who has 12 throughout all competitions thus far this season.

For extra picks, predictions, professional ideas and the most recent betting information, do not miss out on CBSSports.com’s betting house web page.   

📺 What’s on CBS Sports activities Golazo Community

☀️ Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros assist followers get their day began on the community’s flagship morning present with highlights, interviews and the most important soccer storylines. Morning Footy can also be obtainable in podcast type, so you may by no means must miss an episode.

3️⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Thursday): The main girls’s soccer podcast and social model is now a reside studio present. The NWSL season is again and our protection of the ladies’s sport is stronger than ever. Our analysts can be breaking down the USWNT, NWSL and European home season all yr lengthy. And do not miss Wednesday reside streams on YouTube at 11 a.m. ET.

⚽  Name it What You Need (Monday and Thursday): A weekly podcast the place Jimmy Conrad, Charlie Davies and Tony Meola cowl all issues USMNT and the state of the gorgeous sport in the US. You possibly can catch the present streaming reside on YouTube each Monday at 1 p.m. ET and Thursday at 6 p.m. ET.

🥅 Scoreline (Each day): Scoreline is the latest place for followers to make amends for all the most important information and outcomes impacting international soccer, match highlights from the highest soccer competitions and all of the can’t-miss targets from the day’s motion, beginning Thursday and airing seven days per week.

📺 Learn how to watch: CBS Sports activities Golazo Community is a free 24/7 channel completely devoted to providing unparalleled protection of all the highest soccer competitions worldwide. You possibly can stream totally free on the CBS Sports activities app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.