Man United continue unending drama with 3-2 comeback win over Aston Villa; Man City face tough Goodison test

Hi again! Boxing Day delivered plenty of entertainment, and with the Premier League’s festive fixtures truly underway, there seem to be more gifts in store. I’m Pardeep Cattry with a midweek update.

Footy fix

All times U.S./Eastern

Wednesday, Dec. 27
EPL: Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace, 2:30 p.m. Peacock
EPL: Everton vs. Manchester City, 3:15 p.m. USA Network

Thursday, Dec. 28
EPL: Brighton vs. Tottenham, 2:30 p.m. USA Network
EPL: Arsenal vs. West Ham, 3:15 p.m. Peacock

The Forward Line

Garnacho to the rescue

Boxing Day’s marquee matchup did not disappoint as Manchester United came back from a two-goal deficit to beat Aston Villa 3-2, courtesy of a brace from Alejandro Garnacho and a long-awaited first Premier League goal from Rasmus Hojlund. Though leadership changes are not expected in the immediate term after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s minority investment finally went through on Christmas Eve, the result may have just prolonged Erik ten Hag’s stay in Manchester.

If Ten Hag has anyone to thank for his job security through this holiday season, it might just be Garnacho. The 19-year-old has slowly but surely become a bright spot during a turbulent season for United, and though his rawness is still very much on display, James Benge writes that Garnacho is building an impressive ability to deliver in a big way — even if his manager is not setting him up optimally.

• Benge: “Too often he is wayward, smashing the sort of low value efforts that are not going to endear him to his more demanding teammates, but this teenager is getting into positions where he can ask questions of goalkeepers. Since the start of last season, he averages 3.74 shots per 90 minutes of Premier League play, a tally that places him just below Erling Haaland and ahead of Harry Kane. A reminder, in case you need it, that both those world class center forwards play in systems designed first and foremost to get shots for them. Ten Hag is not building his team to ensure that Garnacho gets to take as many punts as possible.”

The result also adds some intrigue to the title race, since Villa missed out a chance to go top of the Premier League table after relinquishing a two goal lead. They stay in third, three points behind Liverpool after the Reds’ win at Burnley yesterday, and could slide to fourth if Tottenahm Hotspur beat Brighton by at least three goals on Thursday.

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  Midfield Link Play

Title race takes centerstage in Premier League

What could be the Premier League’s most exciting title race in several years stays in focus for the rest of the week as Manchester City and Arsenal hit the pitch Wednesday and Thursday, respectively.

City return to domestic action after a successful business trip to Saudi Arabia, where they lifted the Club World Cup on Friday, which they hope will serve as a nice reset after an unideal run of form at home. They have one win in their last six league games and sit in fifth place, nine points behind leaders Liverpool. With a game in hand and half the season left to go, now’s the perfect time for them to reverse course, but they need to get through an Everton team that Alexis Guerrero notes will not be easy to play.

• Guerrero: “They gut it out on set pieces. They gut it out on dead balls and they don’t give you many opportunities to get easy or good shots off. That’s a tough team to beat. Can City beat them? Absolutely. They have better quality in every position. That said, it’s tough for me to sit here and say Goodison Park isn’t going to be going nuts for this team.”

Thursday, Arsenal hope to bolster their case as title contenders when they take on West Ham. The Gunners have just one league loss in seven games and need a win to jump ahead of Liverpool, and though the Hammers showcased the challenges they can pose in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Manchester United, Arsenal are the favorites to pick up all three points in this outing.

  Top Stories

Cash injection: With new money arriving at Manchester United, here’s what Ratcliffe needs to do to finally get the club back on track and a list of transfer targets they should prioritize in January.

Trending downward: Newcastle opened up the Boxing Day slate with a 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest, adding to a downward spiral that has seen the team drop off considerably from their strong start to the season.

Richards review: Ahead of Chelsea’s matchup with Crystal Palace, the Morning Footy crew recapped Chris Richards’ season so far with the Eagles.

Rising star: After her star-making turn with Colombia at the Women’s World Cup, Linda Caicedo is Christine Cupo’s pick for breakout star of the year.

Gift giving: The Morning Footy team chooses their gifts for the U.S. men’s national team in 2024, including an in-form Matt Turner and the spirit of B.J. Callaghan.

Ronaldo scores again: Cristiano Ronadlo will end 2023 with 53 goals, making him the game’s top goalscorer this year, but it is worth asking: Do goals in the Saudi Pro League actually matter?

  The Back Line

Best bets

• Premier League: Chelsea vs. Crystal Palace, Wednesday, 2:30 p.m.
  THE PICK: More than 2.75 goals scored (+108) — Both Chelsea and Palace have been fairly lackadaisical at the back this season, conceding 28 and 26 goals, respectively, this season. It might be a sign that a high-scoring game is in the cards on Wednesday, so expect to be entertained.
• Premier League: Arsenal vs. West Ham, Thursday, 3:15 p.m.

THE PICK: Under 2.75 goals scored (+115) — Outside of the 5-0 defeat to Fulham that serves as an outlier on West Ham’s recent form, the Hammers have not conceded more than one goal in their last six Premier League games. Arsenal may be the favorites to take this one and could do so commandingly, but they likely will not be running up the score this time around.

What’s on CBS Sports Golazo Network

 Morning Footy (Weekdays 8-10 a.m.): Hosts Susannah Collins, Charlie Davies, Nico Cantor and Alexis Guerreros help fans get their day started on the network’s flagship morning show with highlights, interviews and the biggest soccer storylines. Morning Footy is also available in podcast form, so you’ll never have to miss an episode.

 Box 2 Box (Weekday afternoons): The news-driven show quickly recaps all the latest headlines from around the world with panelists previewing the top matchups of the day. Catch Box 2 Box on CBS Sports Golazo Network on the CBS Sports app, PlutoTV and Paramount+. 

3⃣ Attacking Third (Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening): The leading women’s soccer podcast and social brand is now a live studio show. Just because the NWSL season is over doesn’t mean that our coverage of the women’s game is going anywhere. Our analysts will be breaking down the USWNT. NWSL offseason and European domestic season all winter long.

 Kickin’ It (Tuesday, 7 p.m.): CBS Sports Golazo Network’s new unfiltered interview show returns Tuesday Hosted by Kate Abdo, Clint Dempsey, Mo Edu and Charlie Davies, the group chat candidly with the biggest names from the Beautiful Game and share their stories from on and off the pitch. 

Call it What You Want (Monday night): A weekly podcast where Jimmy Conrad, Jesse Marsch and Charlie Davies cover all things USMNT and the state of the beautiful game in the United States.

 Scoreline (Daily): Scoreline is the newest place for fans to catch up on all the biggest news and results impacting global football, match highlights from the top soccer competitions and all the can’t-miss goals from the day’s action, starting Thursday and airing seven days a week.

 How to watch: CBS Sports Golazo Network is a free 24/7 channel exclusively dedicated to offering unparalleled coverage of all the top soccer competitions worldwide. You can stream for free on the CBS Sports app, Pluto TV and Paramount+.