What to Watch This Weekend

It's been a while, as AC can attest, since I've written anything meaningful here at SMiA, and I can blame this on the transition from my much-embraced unemployment to joining the throng of toiling humanity. I suppose it's akin to leaving Fulham on a free and joining Newcastle for a modest pay rise, enough to keep your manse from being repossessed, but the entire experience leaving you feeling frustratingly annoyed, which is what I can imagine working for Freddy Shepherd must feel like.

Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all kick off their respective matches at the same time, and speaking of Chris Coleman's boys, they're away in the early game that day against Manchester City at 7:30 am ET. Unless you're you're a fan of either team (in the case of Man City fans, I apologize), sleep in.

Saturday, November 18

Arsenal v. Newcastle United
3:00 pm ET (delayed) Setanta Sports

The Magpies meet the Gunners on Saturday at the Emirates, and although it's a ripe time for Wenger and his squad to build some momentum after their dismantling of a poor Liverpool team, I can easily see Arsenal dropping points in this match. Imagine the high of taking three points against Liverpool, squashing Newcastle at home, enough to build some momentum for hosting Hamburg at home in Champions League play days later. Now imagine what every team (that isn't Manchester United) has done against the Gunners, and you can see what I'm talking about. Frustrating Arsenal is something most teams of mediocre quality can do, and several teams have done so this season in both competitions.

Dominating stylish play isn't guaranteed as it used to be, which I'll admit was enough to spoil fans like myself, and though Wenger has yet to really make a blunder in terms of personnel, but you could definitely say there's a lack of killer instinct in the side.

With the departure of Patrick Vieira and even Robert Pires, plus an injury-riddled Freddie Ljungberg, the middle belongs to Fabregas, Hleb and Rosicky. While gifted and capable of mercurial moments, is it a Vieira-type player they need? The squad is chock-full of promising youth, so much that it's hard to get some time in the first team for some, but it's the bulldog in the middle they miss.

As for Newcastle, forward Albert Luque is dreaming of a move to Barcelona after failing to impress since his $16M move from La Liga. Apparently, there's nobody else of interest for the Catalan side, who've endured a rash of injuries. For a club that can really stink it up as much as the Magpies do, it's surprising that they can't make any use of him. Apparently, the Nigerian FA feels the same way about Obafemi Martins.

[Eurosport, Vital Football, Teamtalk]

Sheffield United v. Manchester United
10:00 am ET Fox Soccer Channel

It's hard to see Neil Warnock's Blades taking any points from the league-leading Red Devils. Despite getting embarassingly knocked out of the League Cup, a competition they won last year, Man Utd are on a nice run of form, winning their last six, and despite Wazza's pugilist intentions in October, he seems to be out of his slump. Thankfully, we can escape their boring domination of the league, with this little piece.

Sheffield United, sitting one point from the bottom three, can only hope to frustrate the visitors, as the combustible Warnock's side really is a minnow in the face of Man United. Not merely a promoted side with quite a bit to prove this season, they even lost to Newcastle. In Blades news, keeper Paddy Kenny had his eyebrow orally removed by a mate outside of a curry house. Blades boss Neil Warnock is allegedly angry over his man between the sticks, but once you find out details behind the incident, it seems justified. I wonder if any drinking was involved.

[Caught Offside,BBC Sport, Sporting Life, The Sun]

Chelsea v. West Ham
10 am ET Setanta Sports

Can Alan Pardew's relegation zone Hammers do what Spurs did against mighty Chelsea? I'm going to say that result was a fluke, although it ended 16 years of an inability to beat the Blues in the League. While West Ham were up for it against Arsenal, I don't see them frustrating Mourinho's men as they did at Upton Park.

Forget the depth, the star names, the clever Euro gaffer, and the dubious wealth of Roman Abramovich. Mourinho has managed to get his players to really grind it out, which isn't that difficult, considering the talent riding the pine. Just ask John Obi. And it's hard to disagree with the fact that Didier Drogba, fresh off a new contract extension, is firing on all cylinders lately. Thankfully, Blues fans exercise their class, by handling this whole Reading-Cech-Cudicini thing with good grace.

[BBC Sport, Soccerway]

Complete Fixture List [BBC Sport]

-bl