Match Week 13 Preview

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful for the CS subscribers…..

AND - a weekend full of EPL…..

In Today’s CleanSheet:

• Headlines 📌

• Current Situation📈📉

• Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥- Captain America

• Off Island 🏝️ - Europe League Results

• Best Bets 💰

Headlines 📌

• CS Match of the Week. Liverpool +110 v Man City +220 SUN 10a - While there are a lot of story lines to discuss with Liverpool, this match seems to be all about City. It looked like City finally got some momentum going up 3-0 mid-week in the Champions League until they gave it all away in the final 15 minutes. Will be interesting to see how they respond to that collapse. This feels like a must win match for City - both to stop the slide and to get themselves back in title contention. A loss and City fall 11 points behind the Reds. Liverpool are cooking - got past a trap game at Southampton last weekend and took down the Champions League title holders, Real Madrid mid-week.

• 1.5.4 Weekend. 1 Friday, 2 Saturday, 1 Sunday.

  • Nice to have the matches spread out a little more, too many 9am Saturday matches lately.

• Razors Edge. Sixth place, which gets you a spot in Europe, and twelfth place are just 3 points apart. 7 teams in play

• Look Ahead. Mid-week matches are back starting Tuesday so if you are in any pick-em leagues, make sure to get your guesses in.

What 2 Look 4 👀- Match Week 13

Liverpool-Manchester Shipping Rivalries ⚓⚓

• Man United -190 v Everton +500 SUN 730a - The Toffee’s defense has been the difference in their success after starting the season allowing 13 goals in 4 matches. Unted have only allowed 13 goals all season. This one will come down to who can find the net, and both sides struggle - each in the bottom 5 in goals scored. Can Amorim get MU playing his style to make a difference this soon?

• Liverpool +110 v Man City +220 SUN 10a - See Above.

London Derby’s 🏇🏇 

• West Ham +600 v Arsenal -220 SAT 1130a - London Derby (East v North) - The Gunners are getting players back and it’s making a difference. I their last 2 matches they’ve scored 8 goals. West Ham stunned Newcastle and the calls for Lopetegui to be sacked have quieted for now. This match may be decided in the midfield, where Arsenal hold a significant advantage.

• Tottenham -145 v Fulham +340 SUN 730a - London Derby (North v West) -Good Spurs or Bad Spurs. Can they put two good matches in a row? Just when you think The Cottagers had taken the next step into the Europe discussion, they lay an egg at home to Wolves. Feels like more on the line for Spurs in this one.

Solid Home Favorites 🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️🏘️

• Chelsea -135 v Aston Villa +320 SUN 730a - Villa are struggling. No wins in their last 6, a tough mid-week Champions League match and then a trip to West London. Feels like they do not yet have the depth to handle the schedule Chelsea on the other hand feel like a team that has played good, flashed great, and seem ready to make a run of more consistency in at the great level.

• Forest -145 v Ipswich Town +400 SAT 9a - Where did the Tree’s bark go? They’ve allowed 3 goals in each of their last 2 matches. They had allowed 9 in their previous 10 matches. The Tractor Boys have 5 points in their last 3 matches and have scored in 7 of their last 8. Are they figuring things out? This feels like a big match for Forest, are they the team that jumped out to a top 5 start or the one trying to avoid relegation.

• BHA -230 v Southampton +550 SAT 9a - Great win at Bournemouth for BHA last week kinda went under the radar. The Seagulls have scored in all but one match this season. The Saints have had some really good moments this season but have also had some TERRIBLE moments as they continue to invent ways to give up goals.

• Brentford -150 v Leicester City +380 SAT 9a - The Bee’s finally got a road point last week, 1 point in a scoreless draw at Everton. Back to Gtech Stadium against managerless LCFC where the Bee’s average 3 goals per match. The Foxes allow close to 2.5 goals per match on the road. No wonder you have to lay -170 to get the over 2.5 goals for the match.

Toss Up 🤔🤔

• Wolves +180 v Bournemouth +135 SAT 9a - Wolves have given up the most goals in the PL this season but they also continue to score goals, a lot of them. Wolves have scored 2+ goals in their last four matches, 2W and 2D. The Cherries are interesting, 2 wins and a draw against Arsenal, City and Villa and then losses to Brentford and BHA. Will the road woes continue.

• Palace +200 v Newcastle +130 SAT 9a - Palace have been better of late but still sit in the relegation zone. Newcastle have been solid defensively but struggle finding the net. Tough one to predict as both sides have the talent but are under performing.

Current Situation 📈📉

Hot Topic 🔥🔥🔥

Captain America

If you like docuseries, and soccer, put this on your watching schedule - PULISIC, a new docuseries streaming December 9 on Paramount+. The show will follow Christian as he prepares for the 2026 World Cup.

In 15 starts for Milan he has combined for 13 goals and assists this season. In addition, he has 11 Champions League goals for his career, and at the age of 26 that’s an impressive number.

Off Island 🏝️

Champions League Results

5 of 8 matches in the books and we can now see some key trends and races for top 8 and top 24.

EPL Team Results

• Liverpool 2-0 Real Madrid. Liverpool look like the real deal. Real Madrid is struggling, for them. Liverpool sit top of the table while Real Madrid is on the edge of the top 24.

• Man City 3-3 Feyenoord. Complete collapse by City allowing 3 goals late and missing out on 2 key points.

• Aston Villa 0-0 Juventus. Not a bad point against a good side in an evenly played game.

• Sporting 1-5 Arsenal. What a result for Gunners. Sporting had been rolling under Amorim and Gunners went into Portugal and let out some frustration.

City Crash - Holding a 3-0 lead at 75’ against Feyenoord at home, City gave up 3 goals to draw.

When Feyenoord scored at 75’, 82’ and 89’ City Manager was really struggling on the sidelines with what he was seeing. After the match during Pep’s news conference he was asked “what happened with the scratches on your face”, his response - “With my fingers…..I want to harm myself.” Did it with a smile on his face, but of course in today’s world the quote was out there.

He then had to follow up - because apparently the mainstream media thought the comment was insensitive….

Other Interesting Results

• Brest (France) has been deflated, losing 0-3 at Barcelona.

• Pulisic, Again. Slovan Bratislava 2-3 AC Milan. Pulisic is in the zone.

• PSV was down 0-2 home to Shakhtar at the 87’ mark. Malik Tillman, USMNT player, scored at 87’ and again at 90’ to tie it up and Ricardo Pepi, USMNT player, scored at 90+5’ for the come from behind win. PSV win 3-2.

• PSG lost at Bayern Munich 0-1 and currently sit out of the top 24. That is not going to sit well in Paris.

Current Standings after 5 Matches.

Europa League

• United took care of Bode/Glimt (Norway) at Old Trafford 3-2.

• Spurs drew with Roma (Italy) 2-2 in London.

UEFA Conference League

In the EUFA Conference League, Chelsea beat Heidenheim (Germany) 2-0. Chelsea sit top of the table and look really like the class of the EUFA Conference, which they should.

Best Bets 💰

No Picture until we get another big up week.

Match Week 13 - Winners Only Please

Fulham to Win at Tottenham Man City +340. $20

Ipswich Town to Win at Forest +400. $20

Everton to Win at Man United +500. $20

Palace to Win v Newcastle +200. $20

Identified some key dogs, so taking a run on their results with a big “+”.

Brentford to Win v Leicester City & O3.5 goals +237. $20

Brentford to score 2.5+ goals v Leicester City +172. $20

Brentford v Leicester City first goal in minutes 1-10 +258. $10

This is a bet on the Bee’s doing what they have been doing at home to a side who has an uncertain manager situation, missing key players and look unorganized coming in.

Chelsea to Win v Aston Villa -135. $27

Feels the like start of a big run for Chelsea and Villa seem to be hanging on to form.

Arsenal Forest U1.5 goals +275. $20

Arsenal Forest to finish 0-0 +990. $10

Forest to Win at Arsenal +800. $10

Both sides with solid defenses so expecting a low scoring game and looking for the best odds to bet that - taking the under, and the big “+” odds since it seems to be trending to a tight game.

Wolves O2.5 goals v Bournemouth O2.5 goals +360. $20

Wolves to Win v Bournemouth and both teams score +275. $20

Wolves have been scoring, and the defense has been getting better. Expect a big performance in front of the Molineaux crowd.

Liverpool to Win v Man City +110. $40

While City will be desperate to turn it around, and playing at Anfield may be just what they need for more energy, the 3-goal lost lead will hang on to this club and they will lose more ground.