Weekend Preview: Spurs vs Liverpool, Arsenal's Defensive Crisis & The AFCON Exodus | Football Digest

The festive football calendar kicks into high gear this weekend with a mouthwatering Saturday evening at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where two injury-ravaged sides meet in the Premier League's highest-scoring fixture of all time. Arsenal head to the new Hill Dickinson Stadium without Ben White for what could be six weeks, Leipzig and Leverkusen say farewell to the Bundesliga before winter, and in Riyadh, Napoli await Inter or Bologna in Monday's Supercoppa final after dispatching Milan 2-0 last night. Buckle up.

1. Spurs vs Liverpool: Record-Breaking Fixture in Crisis Mode (Saturday, 5:30pm)

No Premier League fixture has produced more goals than Tottenham vs Liverpool (206 in total), and Saturday's clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium promises more drama — albeit amid mutual turmoil. Thomas Frank's Spurs were humiliated 3-0 at Nottingham Forest last weekend in what many are calling their worst performance of the season. A defeat here would give Tottenham a record 11 home league losses in a calendar year. Frank is without James Maddison (ACL), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Dominic Solanke (ankle), Destiny Udogie (thigh), and Pape Sarr (AFCON). Liverpool are equally depleted: Wataru Endo and Cody Gakpo remain out for "weeks," Joe Gomez left the Brighton win with a muscle injury, and Dominik Szoboszlai limped off with an ankle problem. Mohamed Salah is set to depart for AFCON duty after this match. The last three league meetings produced 21 goals — but expect this one to be cagier. Opta Analyst | Liverpool FC Official

2. Everton vs Arsenal: Arteta's Defensive Crisis at the New Goodison (Saturday, 8pm)

Mikel Arteta makes his first managerial visit to Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium with Arsenal top of the Premier League — but nursing a fresh defensive headache. Ben White's hamstring injury sustained in last Saturday's 2-1 win over Wolves will sideline him for four to six weeks, joining Gabriel Magalhães (adductor), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), and Kai Havertz (knee) on the treatment table. Jurrien Timber is expected to slot in at right-back, with William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori at centre-back. Everton, under David Moyes, have won four of five before losing at Chelsea — but face their own AFCON concerns with Iliman Ndiaye unavailable. If Tottenham set a home-loss record, Arsenal will be keen to avoid becoming part of another unwanted statistic: they're yet to win at Everton's new ground. BBC Sport via Daily Cannon | Sports Illustrated

3. RB Leipzig vs Bayer Leverkusen: Bundesliga's Farewell Before Winter (Saturday, 5:30pm)

The Bundesliga's final matchday before the winter break delivers a top-four clash at Red Bull Arena. Second-placed Leipzig (29 points) host fourth-placed Leverkusen (26 points) in a match that could shape the Champions League race heading into 2026. Leipzig boast a perfect home record — six wins from six, 18 goals scored, just three conceded — but Ole Werner's side were stunned 3-1 by Union Berlin last weekend. Kasper Hjulmand's Leverkusen arrive in better form, coming from behind to draw 2-2 with Newcastle in the Champions League before a controlled 2-0 win over Köln. Leipzig will miss Amadou Haidara and Yan Diomande (AFCON) alongside a lengthy injury list including Benjamin Henrichs and Antonio Nusa. The last four meetings between these sides have all produced 4+ goals. Bundesliga Official | Mighty Tips

4. Villarreal vs Barcelona: La Liga's Last Dance of 2025 (Sunday, 4:15pm)

La Liga's final fixture of 2025 sees league leaders Barcelona travel to third-placed Villarreal at the Estadio de la Cerámica — a match that should have been played in Miami at Hard Rock Stadium before LaLiga's globalisation plans spectacularly collapsed in October. The project was scrapped amid player protests, opposition from Real Madrid, and a failure to secure all necessary approvals from FIFA and CONCACAF. Instead, it's back to business as usual in Castellón, where Villarreal will look to keep pace with the title race. Hansi Flick's Barcelona arrive fresh from a Copa del Rey win over Guadalajara, sitting two points clear at the summit. Real Madrid host Sevilla on Saturday knowing a slip would allow Barça to extend their lead further. The cancelled Miami saga remains a fascinating subplot in La Liga's ambitions to take domestic football global — and a cautionary tale about the limits of that ambition. Sky Sports | beIN Sports

5. Supercoppa Italiana: Napoli Into the Final After Dispatching Milan

Napoli booked their place in Monday's Supercoppa Italiana final with a composed 2-0 victory over AC Milan in Riyadh on Thursday night. The Partenopei dominated throughout at King Saud University Stadium, while Massimiliano Allegri's Milan — the defending champions — offered little attacking threat. Antonio Conte's side move into the final as Inter face Bologna tonight (Friday, 8pm GMT) in the second semi-final. Romelu Lukaku made the squad for the first time since his August injury but remained on the bench, suggesting Conte is managing his comeback carefully. The final takes place Monday in Riyadh, with Napoli awaiting Inter or Bologna. CBS Sports | Football Italia

When Tottenham appointed Thomas Frank after Ange Postecoglou's departure, they hoped for attacking football with added pragmatism. Instead, they've got chaos without structure. Spurs sit 11th in the table with just one win in their last seven league matches.

The 3-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest last weekend was perhaps the nadir: zero shots on target, no big chances created, and a defence that looked utterly disorientated. Ibrahim Sangare and Callum Hudson-Odoi ran riot through a midfield missing Maddison, Kulusevski, and Bissouma.

Frank's issue isn't formation — he's tried 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 — it's transition defence. His Brentford teams were masters of defensive compactness before explosive counters. At Spurs, the gaps between lines are cavernous, and opponents have repeatedly exploited space behind the full-backs.

Against Liverpool, expect Frank to deploy a low-to-mid block with João Palhinha as the pivot, hoping to frustrate rather than compete in open play. But with Solanke, Kulusevski, and Udogie all absent, Spurs lack the outlet speed to trouble Liverpool's high line when they do win possession.

The transfer window can't come soon enough. Fabrizio Romano reports Spurs have been "really aggressive" in pursuing Antoine Semenyo, with Tottenham prepared to break their wage structure to land the Bournemouth winger. Man City's Savinho is also under consideration. The message is clear: this squad needs reinforcement, fast. TEAMtalk | Sky Sports

Antoine Semenyo: The £65m January Scramble Intensifies

The race for Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo has exploded this week. According to Fabrizio Romano, Tottenham have been "really aggressive" in their pursuit, spending significant time "attacking the situation" over the past few days. But Manchester United and Manchester City have both made contact in the last 48 hours, with some insiders now considering Pep Guardiola's side the strongest contenders.

Sky Sports reports that Semenyo has a £65m release clause becoming active on January 1 — but crucially, it's only valid for a limited early-window period. Liverpool remain interested but may prioritise the Mohamed Salah situation, while Tottenham are reportedly prepared to shatter their wage structure to make Semenyo their highest-paid player.

Semenyo, 25, scored in Monday's thrilling 4-4 draw at Old Trafford, underlining exactly why he's so coveted: pace, directness, and a growing end-product. Bournemouth have identified FC Basel's Philip Otele as a potential replacement. The Ghana international isn't going to AFCON — his country failed to qualify — meaning he's fully available for any January move. Sky Sports | Fabrizio Romano via Spurs Web

Kobbie Mainoo Loan: Napoli Push Hard

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who hasn't started a Premier League game this season under Ruben Amorim, is pushing for a January loan move. Romano reports that Napoli are "strongly interested," hoping to replicate Scott McTominay's successful integration into Serie A. A loan would give Mainoo vital minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup — England will be watching closely. Football Transfers

The Africa Cup of Nations has always created scheduling headaches for Premier League clubs, but this year's tournament exposes a stark competitive divide. Sky Sports' "Between the Lines" analysis reveals that the six clubs losing zero players to AFCON — Arsenal, Chelsea, Leeds, Newcastle, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa — are disproportionately positioned at the top of the table.

Arsenal's AFCON-free status isn't coincidental. The Gunners' recruitment strategy has consciously prioritised players outside the AFCON qualification orbit. Meanwhile, promoted Sunderland — who gambled on African talent in their summer rebuild — face six simultaneous absences totalling 4,412 Premier League minutes, including defensive pillars Noah Sadiki and Reinildo.

For fantasy football managers, the impact is pronounced: five Gameweeks will see depleted squads, with FPL offering four extra free transfers to help managers navigate the exodus. For clubs like Fulham (losing Alex Iwobi's league-leading 23 chances created) and Manchester United (Bryan Mbeumo's six league goals departing), the January-February fixture run becomes a squad depth test.

The commercial reality? Clubs with AFCON absentees may struggle in the congested festive schedule, potentially impacting league positions — and the broadcast revenue that follows. It's a £multi-million calculation hidden beneath the tournament's celebration of African football. Sky Sports Between the Lines | Opta Analyst

Aston Villa vs Manchester United (Saturday, 4:30pm): United limp to Villa Park having lost three of their last five, with Ruben Amorim's experiment still searching for coherence. Bruno Fernandes's interview claiming United were "prepared to let him go" last summer has added to the tension. Unai Emery's Villa, fresh off a Champions League push, will fancy their chances.

Real Madrid Under Pressure — Xabi Alonso's Job on the Line: Xabi Alonso's first season as Real Madrid manager has hit turbulence. Los Blancos host Sevilla on Saturday knowing a slip would allow Barcelona to extend their lead. With Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Ferland Mendy, and Eduardo Camavinga all injured, the squad is stretched thin. Reports suggest Alonso could be dismissed before 2026 if Real don't win their final three games of the year. Carlo Ancelotti, now Brazil manager, offered a vote of confidence this week, but the dressing room rumblings and a 2-1 loss to Manchester City have intensified scrutiny on the former Leverkusen boss. Football Espana

Newcastle vs Chelsea (Saturday, 12:30pm): The early kick-off sees Eddie Howe's Newcastle host Chelsea at St James' Park. Enzo Maresca continues to manage Cole Palmer's groin injury carefully — the England international scored last Saturday against Everton but can't play two games in three days. Chelsea sit fifth, Newcastle eighth.

From Leipzig's last waltz before winter to Arsenal's Merseyside mission, this weekend serves up narratives aplenty. The Bundesliga hibernates, La Liga's globalisation dreams simmer, and the Premier League's title race refuses to settle into predictability. We'll be back Monday with the full fallout.

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