Goal is delighted to introduce SuperSport’s football schedule for the coming week, with Sunday’s North London derby the highlight of the next seven days.
The mood at Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal is contrasting after three matchdays of the new Premier League season, even though their points returns haven’t been markedly different.
The Gunners have six points after three matches, having won their opening two fixtures before falling to defeat by Liverpool last weekend.
Spurs, by contrast, took four points from their first two games—including an admirable draw against reigning champions Manchester City—before falling to their first loss last weekend.
Arsenal only have two points more at this early stage, but they’ll be feeling much more buoyant about their prospects for this campaign after an encouraging start.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s goalscoring form has naturally caught the attention, as the Gabon hitman has continued his relentless net-busting form since swapping Borussia Dortmund for the Emirates Stadium.
Auba already has two goals this season, winners against Newcastle United and Burnley, and he may prove too much for a Spurs defence that has struggled—in stages—in each of their three fixtures to date.
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The arrival of Dani Ceballos has already given Arsenal a midfield general and a creative pulse in the heart of the park, while David Luiz brings experience to the defence, even if he was exposed by Mohamed Salah in the Liverpool defeat.
The combination of Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette promises goals, while Nicolas Pepe—a £72 million signing from LOSC Lille—is another fearsome addition to an already-menacing forward line.
The winger’s 45-minute showing against Burnley got pulses racing, and he was rewarded with a starting berth against Liverpool, and promptly became the first player to successfully dribble past Virgil van Dijk in 50 matches.
Pepe will take time to truly adapt to the Premier League, although his numbers in Ligue 1 last term—22 goals and 11 assists—prove that he can add a finishing touch to his other mesmeric qualities.
While the Ivory Coast wideman adds dynamism and excitement to Arsenal’s offensive unit, Spurs are, by contrast, appearing increasingly stale.
Last weekend’s surprise defeat at home by Newcastle United may have been their first of the season, but it was their 15th of 2019, and various elements of their late-season slump last term were also evident.
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This Spurs side are increasingly lacking the intensity, the zip and the tenacity of recent seasons under Mauricio Pochettino, where once there was energy and fluidity, there’s now malaise and stasis.
The uncertainty surrounding Christian Eriksen’s future hasn’t helped, neither have the rumours linking Pochettino to the exit door or Dele Alli’s injury absence.
Certainly, Spurs will be boosted by new arrivals Tanguy Ndombele and Giovani Lo Celso when they truly get up to speed and adapt to the league, but the warning signs are there for the Champions League finalists, and this showdown with a vibrant Arsenal side could be a reality check.
On Saturday, fans of Serie A will also be treated to an early-season showdown between Juventus and Napoli as they gear up for another campaign of tussling at the top of the table.
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While both enjoyed winning starts to the season last weekend, neither were truly convincing.
Juve saw off Parma 1-0, with Giorgio Chiellini scoring the only goal of the game, but it was an unconvincing offensive display from the visitors, with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain struggling to break down the hosts’ defence.
Napoli had other problems, as while they were rampant going forward—scoring four away at Fiorentina—they were also breached at the back, conceding three during a topsy-turvy fixture which was worryingly open for the Partenopei.
Both of these two sides will be desperate to inflict an early blow on their title rivals, although they’ll also be wary of some of the other emerging threats in the division, with Internazionale—in particular—smashing Lecce 4-0 during the opening weekend.
On Sunday, as well as the aforementioned North London derby, fans of the South African game will be treated to an MTN8 semi-final first leg clash between SuperSport United and Mamelodi Sundowns.
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The Tshwane Derby is the second major domestic showdown of the weekend, following the meeting between Polokwane City and Highlands Park on Saturday, and the bout at the Lucas Moripe Stadium promises to be a thriller.
While the reigning PSL champions are the favourites to advance, SuperSport United can call on the fearsome offensive duo of Bradley Grobler and Thamsanqa Gabuza as they look to bring down the Brazilians.
After being defeated by Sundowns 2-0 in their PSL opener, Gabuza and Grobler have netted in six games between them as SuperSport have returned to form, and they’ll need to be negotiated carefully by Pitso Mosimane’s side.
Can the goal-hungry pair give SSU an early advantage in this high-profile meeting, or will Mosimane be able to mastermind a first-leg victory for Downs?
Catch the clash on SuperSport on Sunday to find out…
Featured Matches:
Saturday 31 August:
Southampton vs Manchester United | SS3 | Kickoff at 13:30 (CAT)
Manchester City v Brighton | SS3 | Kickoff at 16:00 (CAT)
Osasuna vs Barcelona | SS7 | Kickoff at 17:00 (CAT)
Chelsea vs Sheffield United | SS5 & SS10 (ROA) | Kickoff at 16:00 (CAT)
Burnley vs Liverpool | SS3 | Kickoff at 18:30 (CAT)
Juventus vs Napoli | SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) | Kickoff at 20:45 (CAT)
Sunday 1 September:
SuperSport United vs Mamelodi Sundowns | SS4 (SA) SS10 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) | Kickoff at 15:00 (CAT)
Arsenal v Tottenham | SS3 | Kickoff at 17:30 (CAT)
Lazio vs Roma | SS9 (SA) & SS8 (ROA) | Kickoff at 18:00 (CAT)
Villarreal vs Real Madrid | SS7 & SS10 (ROA) | Kickoff at 21:00 (CAT)
