25/26 Match Week 12 Preview

Pageantry, Flower of Scotland & Bloom v Benham

Author

nick lochner
November 21, 2025

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Welcome Back…

Make sure to do yourself a favor - find 12 minutes of your day and watch the Scotland v Denmark highlights, SOUND ON. Winner to the World Cup. Links in the Hot Topic 🔥🔥 Section below.

The Most dramatic game of the year….so far

And…check out Clean Sheet’s take on the best pre-game pageantry in all of sport.

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  • What 2 Look 4 👀 

  • Headlines 📌

  • Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Pre-Game Pageantry 👑👑

  • Off Island 🏝️ - World Cup Need to Know ❗❗

  • Best Bets 💰

What 2 Look 4 👀- Match Week 12

(reminder - like driving on the other side of the road, in the PL, HOME teams are listed first)

  • 7.2.1 Week. 7 Saturday, 2 Sunday, 1 Monday.

Just one matchup with teams adjacent in the table, lots of “table mismatches”.

Games listed in order of the “top favorite” (highest minus #, then lowest plus #) ➖➖➕➕

Home Favorites

  • 1 Arsenal -260 v 5 Tottenham +700 SUN 1030a - NORTH LONDON DERBY - These sides don’t like each other, historically. Arsenal are chasing the title while Spurs are performing much better than last season and are looking for European positioning. In 211 meetings, Gunners have 89W 67L 55D and have owned the last 10 matches, 7W 1D 2L.

  • 8 Liverpool -246 v 19 Forest +625 SAT 9a - Dyche gets to use the International Break to get the boys more time with his approach at Forest. Slott gets time to take a breadth and regroup after a very un-Liverpool last month.

  • 9 Bournemouth -161 v 18 West Ham +406 SAT 9a - The Cherries limped into the International Break with two blowout losses (at City and at Villa) and fell to 9th in the table. West Ham sprinted into the break with home wins over Newcastle and Burnley. Bournemouth score at home, averaging 3.8 goals while West Ham have been poor on the road allowing 3.6 goals per match. Nuno, the Tree’s manager, will have his hands full at Vitality Stadium.

  • 7 Man United -142 v 13 Everton +340 MON 2p - United are playing much much better this season than the last couple and the key for Ruben Amorim will be to show consistency and keep the run going. Everton have been solid this season but also struggle with consistency.

  • 11 BHA -107 v 12 Brentford +283 SAT 9a Bloom Benham Derby CSTM- Aside from the Ownership battle mentioned above, the winner on the pitch is looking to move into the top 10. Both sides have 16 points this season, scored 17 goals this season with BHA ahead on a +2 goal difference versus Brentford’s 0. In their last 8 matches each side has 3 wins with 2 draws. 7 of the last 8 matches have been under 2.5 goals.

  • 15 Fulham +111 v 4 Sunderland +268 SAT 9a - FFC have been much better at home. Sunderland have been much worse on the road. FFC are 4W 2D in their last 6 against the Black Cats but this is their first meeting since 2017.

Road Favorites

  • 17 Burnley +538 v 3 Chelsea -205 SAT 630a - In their last 8 games Chelsea have 6W 1L 1D. Burnley have beaten the teams they need to but have not gotten points off teams who on paper are better than them. On paper, Chelsea is much better than Burnley. The Clarets will need to rely on significant support from the Turf Moor crowd. The Blues have won the last 8 meetings. Burnley’s last win over Chelsea at home was 2017.

  • 14 Newcastle +249 v 2 City -103 SAT 1130a - Another situation where one side welcomed the break while the other would’ve like to just keep playing. Newcastle lost two road matches (West Ham and Brentford) while City won two home matches (Bournemouth and Liverpool). Just feels like Eddie Howe’s side is struggling to get any traction while Pep has City really in synch. Maybe St James Park could be the difference for Newcastle.

  • 20 Wolves +279 v 10 Palace -105 SAT 2p - Wolves have been overmatched all season, even at home. Yes, they do have two draws, not sure how they got to 2. Palace have cooled a little after getting off to a great start to the season but a win over Brentford just before the break gives them some momentum.

  • 16 Leeds +205 v 6 Villa +136 SUN 8a - In their last 12, Villa has 8W 2D 2L and have really turned around their goal scoring after not scoring in their first 4 matches. Leeds, on the other hand, have struggled over their last 10, 2W 2D 6L, and just 10 goals on the season. These are the types of matches Leeds needs to get points from, at home, to stay up. AND, these are the types of matches Villa needs to get points, on the road, if they want to secure a Europe spot.

Headlines 📌

Match of the Week.

  • BHA v Brentford. Why this match up you ask? Great insight here -

    • Tony Bloom, a Brighton born businessman, owns BHA. Bloom took control of the club in 2009 and brought a very data driven recruitment strategy. “Moneyball” style.

    • Matthew Benham bought Brentford in 2012, his boyhood club, and also takes an analytics-focused approach.

    • Bloom and Benham DO NOT LIKE EACH OTHER.

      • In the early 2000’s Bloom had built a highly profitable betting syndicate Premier Bet that evolved into Starlizard consultancy, and he hired Benham, an Oxford physics graduate.

      • Benham learned his trade with Bloom and made big money in the Asian betting markets and then left Blooms company to start his own rival consultancy, Smartodds.

      • There was a big falling out and the two have not talked since 2004.

      • At EPL meetings Bloom has gone out of his way to avoid being in the same room as Benham.

      • used to work together in business and had a falling out, the do not like each other at all.

    • It is reported that when Hurzeler took over managing BHA Bloom told him you need to win matches against 3 teams to be successful here.

      • 1. you need to beat Palace for the fans as that is the M23 Derby.

      • 2. You need to beat Chelsea as they believe they are our feeder club for players.

      • 3. You need to beat Brentford for ME.

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

While sitting down to write this week’s CS, Clean Sheet decided to flip on the Scotland-Denmark World Cup Qualifying match as a little background filler. Winner advances to the WC, loser will have to play their way in next March. Denmark would also advance with a draw.

Do yourself a favor and set aside 15 minutes and just absorb the pageantry and drama of sport.

(Links below - all on X)

Shorter versions if you prefer -

57' - Denmark equalizes

61' - Denmark red card

82' - Denmark equalize AGAIN

This Got CS Thinking - Is Flower of Scotland the BEST pre-game pageantry in all of sport?

Here are the contenders - in CS order.

If you have a different order or another tradition let CS know by replying to the email!

1. Flower of Scotland

Played before every Scotland National Team home matches - bagpipes, turning into just singing -

Truly nothing like this rendition when Scotland hosted England in 2023.

“O Flower of Scotland,

When will we see your like again,

That fought and died for your wee bit hill and glen,

And stood against him, proud Edward’s Army,

And sent him homeward tae think again.”

2. You’ll Never Walk Alone

Started as a show tune for the musical Carousel in 1945, YNWA became popular in 1963 when Gerry and the Pacemakers had chart success with it and the team went on stage and sang with them.

The song’s meaning hit another significant level for the club after the Hillsborough Disaster of 1989, and is a reminder of those who perished in the tragedy.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Liverpool started this tradition and now other clubs around the world have borrowed it including Celtic in Scotland, Borussia Dortmund in Germany and at least 5 others around the world.

YNWA

When you walk through a storm Hold your head up high And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm There's a golden sky And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind Walk on through the rain Though your dreams be tossed and blown

Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

Walk on, walk on With hope in your heart And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

3. Haka - All Blacks

Historically rooted in Māori cultural practices, the haka originated as a ceremonial challenge or war preparation ritual, with its name deriving from "ha" (breath) and "ka" (flame or incarnation), symbolizing vital life force, and encompassing types such as the weapon-accompanied peruperu for battle intimidation and the unarmed ngeri for inspiration.

The most iconic example, "Ka Mate," was composed around 1820 by Ngāti Toa chief Te Rauparaha after evading capture by enemies, and achieved global prominence through performances by New Zealand's All Blacks rugby team following its introduction to international audiences during the 1888–1889 Māori rugby tour of Britain

4. Enter Sandman

In 2000 Lane Stadium in Blacksburg Virginia, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies, installed its first large video board (the year after Michael Vick’s last season). The athletic department went looking for a new hype video and song for pregame. The decision was “Enter Sandman” by Metallica. GREAT CHOICE!

On a cold December night VT played Miami and while the song played a member of the marching band started hopping up and down, the rest of the band joined in, and then the students and then the entire stadium. A tradition was born.

In 2011 the band Metallica recorded a special video played before each game - “Keep Jumping!” - and in 2025 Metallica played a concert at Lane Stadium andn the video of the song Enter Sandman triggered seismic sensors - and the weather fit the scene perfectly.

If there were a TOP 10 List…..these would be on it.

  • Tennessee Volunteer Football - Running though the T made by the 330 members of the Pride of the Southland Band to the tune “Rocky Top”.

  • Florida State Seminoles Football - Chief Osceola Plants the Flaming Spear at midfield on horseback.

  • Colorado Buffalo Football - Ralphie the Buffalo run around the stadium.

  • Borussia Dortmund Yellow Wall and You’ll Never Walk Alone - Great entrance but can’t but another YNWA on the top.

  • Clemson Tigers Football - Running Down the Hill.

Off Island 🏝️

World Cup - Need to Know

So many story lines - so let’s stick to a couple.

  • USMNT keeps getting better and better and the Poch haters are suddenly quiet. The USMNT beat another 2 teams who have made the World Cup.

    • USMNT 2-1 Paraguay. Competitive and in control.

    • USMNT 5-1 Uruguay. Dominated a top side with a younger starting lineup going up 4-0 at HT. This ties the largest victory ever for the USMNT against a South American opponent.

    • The USMNT now has 4 WINS 1 DRAW in their last 5 matches, all against teams that have qualified for the WC (Japan, Ecuador, Australia) AND they have done it with very different rosters. Gonna be interesting to see you makes the squad.

  • Current Qualifiers - 42 of 48. Europe will decide their final 4 next March. The rest of the world playoff will decide 2 more teams.

  • Curacao becomes the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup. 156,000 people. The national team was founded just 14 years ago. Curacao’s primary sport is Baseball.

  • Speaking of Country Size. Just TWO of the 10 most populous countries in the world have made the World Cup, and one of those is an automatic qualifier (USA). (Another is banned)

  • WC Qualifying - Europe. There are FOUR spots left in Europe to make the World Cup, and here is it how it’s decided.

    • A draw was conducted based on the seeding of the teams to see who the opponents are.

    • One of 4 teams will make the WC in each of the 4 brackets.

    • 1 v 4 is top, 2 v3 is bottom - of each bracket.

    • These matches are next March.

  • WC Qualifying - Rest of World. There are TWO spots left outside of Europe to make the World Cup, and here is it how it’s decided.

LEFT - New Caledonia v Jamaica winner will play DR Congo RIGHT - Bolivia v Suriname winner will play Iraq

Best Bets 💰

Season - Up $87

  • MW1 ($14)

  • MW2 $183

  • MW3 ($10)

  • MW4 $43

  • MW5 ($127)

  • MW6 ($75)

  • MW7 $32

  • MW8 ($15)

  • MW9 ($1)

  • MW10 $83

  • MW11 ($12)

CleanSheet Season Gains/Losses: Starting Balance $1000. Current Standing $1,087.

Week 12 Picks

GOALS - THE OVER

Burnley v Chelsea over 3.5 goals +176. $20

Burnley have struggled against the big six clubs allowing multiple goals.

Bournemouth to Win v West Ham over 2.5 goals -158. $32

Am expecting the Cherries to come out of the break and score goals.

Arsenal v Spurs over 2.5 goals and Both Teams To Score +103. $20

Expect action in this North London Derby.

NO GOALS - THE UNDER

BHA v Brentford under 2.5 goals +111. $20

Per analysis these sides tend to low scoring outcomes.

Man United v Everton under 2.5 goals -102. $20

Keep riding the Arsenal CS train, even at Sunderland.

Winners

Newcastle to Win or Draw v Man City -119. $24

Newcastle struggle to score, City (Haaland) are scoring at a high clip, but these games play out differently after International Breaks and at places like St James Park. Taking the odds.

Fulham to Win v Sunderland +111. $20

Give me the home side getting good odds.

Longshots of the week

Delap (Chelsea) to score +149. $5

Anthony (Burnley) to score +360. $5

Salah (Liv) to score +108. $5

Semenyo (Bournemouth) to score +109. $5

Bowen (West Ham) to score +280. $5

Gyokeres (Arsenal) to score +126. $5

Van de Ven (Spurs) to score +1150. $5

Delap, Semenyo, Gyokeres to score +1076. $1

Palace, Bournemouth, Fulham to Win +557. $10

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