It's Derby weekend! Get your angry pants on.
Two of the Premier League's premier local derby matches are played this weekend, and to many, they're the best two. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal can make the Champions League race a lot more or less interesting early on Saturday, while Everton just tries to salvage their season late against Liverpool.
That the Merseyside Derby is being played at 5:30 p.m. local is a bit controversial. It's obviously been set up that way for TV, but local police aren't too happy that fans will have an extra five hours to consume alcohol. They probably have a point. But hey, money!
Everton's ownership might get fed up with Roberto Martinez if he can't deliver a result on Saturday, and a few other seats are pretty hot as well. Hull's Steve Bruce, Aston Villa's Paul Lambert and Leicester City's Nigel Pearson might not have much longer in their posts if they can't start climbing away from the bottom three. Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp resigned this week, so his long-time assistants Kevin Bond and Chris Ramsey get a crack at managing the squad against Southampton.
Here's some more info on the games you can catch on your glowing picture box.
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal
Saturday, 7:45 p.m. ET. TV: NBCSN (U.S.), BT Sport 1 (U.K.), TSN1 (Canada)
With Spurs slightly overperforming expectations and Arsenal slightly underperforming, these teams are right next to each other in the table. The Gunners still have the better squad, surely, but plenty of things appear to be in Spurs' favor. Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen are red hot and come up against Arsenal at the perfect time. Spurs have no reported injuries, while Arsenal's injury list is as long as always. Plus, a makeshift Spurs team got a draw at the Emriates early in the season.
Spurs fans think they might actually win this one, and for good reason. Whenever that happens, they usually lose 4-0.
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea
Saturday, 10 a.m. ET. TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Mun2 (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet regional (Canada)
TV MA - LSV.
So much blood. And Paul Lambert cursing the gods. And Eden Hazard.
Everton vs. Liverpool
Saturday, 12:30 p.m. ET. TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Mun2 (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.), Sportsnet regional (Canada)
Remember when Everton were really good? That was a cool season. This year's Toffees are quite a bit worse than Liverpool, as disappointing as the Reds have been. There aren't exactly any stakes for Everton in this one but pride, but the Merseyside Derby occasionally produces some wacky matches with lots of goals, so give it a watch.
Burnley vs. West Bromwich Albion
Sunday, 7 a.m. ET. TV: NBCSN (U.S.), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.), Sportsnet World (Canada)
WHY.
Newcastle United vs. Stoke City
Sunday, 9 a.m. ET. TV: NBCSN (U.S.), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.)
It's the mediocrity derby! Neither of these teams will be anywhere near the drop zone or Europe this season. We've known that for months. Every game each of them plays is meaningless. Why was this picked for TV?
West Ham United vs. Manchester United
Sunday, 11 a.m. ET. TV: NBCSN (U.S. - English), Telemundo (U.S. - Spanish), Sky Sports 1 (U.K.), TSN1 (Canada)
It looks like Sam Allardyce's boys have dropped out of a once very fun race for Champions League, but they can shake things up with an upset win over third-placed United. West Ham's 3-0 win over Hull two weeks ago suggests they're not totally dead yet, while United looked vulnerable in a loss to Southampton three weeks ago. Come on, Big Sam. Make things interesting.
Schedule (all times ET, scores updated as they come in)
Tottenham Hotspur vs. Arsenal - Saturday, 7:45 a.m.
Aston Villa vs. Chelsea - Saturday, 10 a.m.
Leicester City vs. Crystal Palace - Saturday, 10 a.m.
Manchester City vs. Hull City - Saturday, 10 a.m.
Queens Park Rangers vs. Southampton - Saturday, 10 a.m.
Swansea City vs. Sunderland - Saturday, 10 a.m.
Everton vs. Liverpool - Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
Burnley vs. West Bromwich Albion - Sunday, 7 a.m.
Newcastle United vs. Stoke City - Sunday, 9 a.m.
West Ham United vs. Manchester United - Sunday, 11 a.m.
from SBNation.com - All Posts http://ift.tt/1zr7lLH
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