If the opening weekend was any indication, it looks like we are
in for a wild year in the English Premier League as we enter Matchday 2, with a
full slate of matchups that includes two teams looking to quickly find their
identities after disappointing results their first times out, last year’s top
two sides meeting for an early season showdown, and a potential title contender
facing a side that may just sneak up on some people before all is said and done
this season. So settle in for the long
weekend and tune in to catch all of the action live across the NBC family of
networks and online at NBC Live Extra.
Saturday (all times eastern)
10am – Crystal Palace
@ Liverpool – Anfield, NBC Sports Network
After twice battling back from one goal deficits, Liverpool
looked well on their way to getting all three points on the opening weekend
before a stoppage time equalizer salvaged a point for Watford in a 3-3
draw. They will try to go one better
when they make their first appearance of the campaign at Anfield on Saturday
morning against Crystal Palace, with the Eagles trying to regroup on the fly after
Frank de Boers managerial debut ended in a sobering 3-0 setback to the newly
promoted Huddersfield Town to give the Terriers a dream start to their first
season back in the top-flight since 1972.
While Palace clearly have questions to answer heading into the
weekend, it is Liverpool who are on the verge of coming undone after looking
like a shoe in for at least a spot in the top four and maybe even a title run
only weeks ago, as rumors continue to swirl around midfielder Phillipe Coutinho’s
future after persistent interest from Barcelona, a makeshift backline that was
exposed against Watford and that looks severely undermanned for the full season
let alone Champions League play, and a visit from Palace who have won four of
the last six between the two (L2) in the league and the last three at Anfield.
Sunday (all times eastern)
11am – Chelsea @
Tottenham – Wembley Stadium, NBC Sports Network
With the wounds from their feeble title defense only the year
before still fresh, Chelsea looked the shell of the side that ran away with the
league last season as they were down to ten men before the quarter hour mark
and three goals down before the half time whistle, with a last gasp comeback attempt
failing to come off as they fell to Burnley 3-2 at Stamford Bridge. They will make the short trip across town to
wrap up the Sunday slate when they square off with Tottenham at Wembley Stadium,
Spurs temporary home throughout the season as their new NFL ready stadium nears
completion.
With a little help from a straight red card three minutes
into the second half, Tottenham took all three points from a stubborn Newcastle
United side to notch their first win of the season and take an early lead over
their local rivals in the table before their early season grudge match at the
new Wembley, where Spurs have lost seven of their previous ten visits at their
temporary home (W2 D1) including last year’s FA Cup semifinal defeat to
Chelsea, who have now lost only once in their last six (W3 D2) and just twice
in their last seventeen meetings across all competitions (W7 D7) with Spurs.
Monday (all times eastern)
3pm - Everton @
Manchester City – Etihad Stadium, NBC Sports Network
The long weekend will wrap up with the first Monday Night
Football fixture of the season and it will be a doozy, when Manchester City,
who navigated a pothole of a road trip to the newly promoted Brighton Hove and
Albion and left little doubt about their intentions on the upcoming campaign
with a convincing 2-0 victory, welcome Everton, fresh off a summer spending
spree that looks like it will continue until the close of the summer transfer
window, who were rarely threatened in a composed and convincing 1-0 victory
over Stoke City, to the Etihad Stadium.
Well aware that they would be losing leading scorer Romelu
Lukaku this summer for an astronomical transfer fee, Everton began spending
their future financial windfall immediately and, with the transfers they brought
in, have positioned themselves as a dark horse for a spot in the top four. They will get their first true test on the
road against City who, prior to enduring the worst defeat in Pep Guardiola’s managerial
career in a 4-0 shellacking last January, are unbeaten in the seven previous
league meetings (W4 D3) and their last seven across all competitions with the
Toffees at the Etihad (W4 D3).