Top games to watch this week
Friday, February 3
Chelsea vs Fulham (English Premier League)
Augsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen (Bundesliga)
Athletic Club vs Cádiz (La Liga)
Al Fateh vs Al Nassr (Saudi Pro League)
Saturday, February 4
Everton vs Arsenal (English Premier League)
Manchester United vs Crystal Palace (English Premier League)
Wolves vs Liverpool (English Premier League)
Atlético Madrid vs Getafe (La Liga)
Borussia Dortmund vs Freiburg (Bundesliga)
Borussia Mönchengladbach vs Schalke 04 (Bundesliga)
Santos Laguna vs América (Liga MX)
Seattle Sounders vs Al Ahly (FIFA Club World Cup)
Benfica vs Casa Pía (Primeira Liga)
PSG vs Toulouse (Ligue 1)
Sunday, February 5
Tottenham vs Manchester City (English Premier League)
Mallorca vs Real Madrid (La Liga)
Barcelona vs Sevilla (La Liga)
Inter vs Milan (Serie A)
Wolfsburg vs Bayern Munich (Bundesliga)
Sporting Braga vs Famalicao (Primeira Liga)
Porto vs Vizela (Primeira Liga)
Monday, February 6
Rayo Vallecano vs Almería (La Liga)
Verona vs Lazio (Serie A)
Rio Ave vs Sporting CP (Primeira Liga)
Tuesday, February 7
Salernitana vs Juventus (Serie A)
Flamengo vs Wydad Casablanca / Al Hilal (FIFA Club World Cup)
Sheffield United vs Wrexham (FA Cup)
Wednesday, February 8
Manchester United vs Leeds United (English Premier League)
Sunderland vs Fulham (FA Cup)
TBD vs Real Madrid (FIFA Club World Cup)
Lyon vs Lille (Coupe de France)
Marseille vs PSG (Coupe de France)
Bochum vs Borussia Dortmund (DFB Pokal)
Thursday, February 9
Atlas vs Monterrey (Liga MX)
Estoril vs Boavista (Primeira Liga)
Lorient vs Lens (Coupe de France)
Sporting Braga vs Benfica (Taca de Portugal)
Most-watched soccer games in the USA: January 23-29,2023
The past week in terms of audiences had some clear winners, mainly due to the absence of the most-watched league in the United States.
With the Premier League entering a pause to give way for the FA Cup, the big winner in the battle for the audiences was the Mexican top flight, with two of its games gathering almost over two million average viewers. Univisión and TUDN were right in the middle of the action by broadcasting both of those matches.
The runner-up spot had the USMNT returning to the pitch, although their result against Colombia was not something to talk about. Regardless of their performance, fans in the U.S. were keen on following their clash, with over 500,000 average viewers having a look at their game against Los Cafeteros.
Here is how all football games ranked during the past week.
What are this week's must-watch games?
Everton vs Arsenal live this Saturday at 7:30 a.m. ET on USA Network, UNIVERSO, UNIVERSO NOW, and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
With the January transfer window officially shut, Premier League leaders Arsenal shift focus back to the title race. With Man City facing Spurs the following day, the North London giants are preparing for a tricky trip to Goodison Park in a round that could see them pull further ahead in the table should they triumph. Everton are currently second from bottom in the standings but have just appointed Sean Dyche to save them from relegation. Will the English manager hand the Gunners a tough time in his debut game? Don't miss this clash.
Tottenham vs Manchester City live this Sunday at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, and Telemundo Deportes En Vivo
As mentioned earlier, Arsenal could pull further ahead in the table and this is due to Manchester City's game. The defending Premier League champions, who are second in the table with a five-point disadvantage over Arsenal, will visit Tottenham on Sunday. The two English heavyweights faced off roughly two weeks ago at the Etihad Stadium, with Guardiola's men coming from two-nil down to triumph 4-2. However, Tottenham's performances have picked up since, and with Antonio Conte's side sitting only three points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, expect Kane and Co. to test the Cityzens.
The Milan Derby is back! Inter take on AC Milan live this Sunday at 2:45 p.m. ET exclusively on Paramount+
Just over two weeks after facing off in the Supercoppa Italiana, AC Milan and Inter Milan reignite their rivalry in Serie A. The Rossoneri, who lost that aforementioned Super Cup 3-0 in Saudi Arabia, enter this Milan Derby in dire form, having failed to win any of their last six games across all competitions, losing the last three in a row. As a result, Pioli's men have dropped out of the top four and are now 15 points behind league leaders Napoli. The Nerazzurri, on the other hand, are in second — albeit still 13 points behind Napoli — and have won all but one of their last six matches. The last time these two giants faced off in the league, Leao and Co. triumphed 3-2, meaning Inter will be out for revenge in what should be a thrilling rematch.
Wondering what to watch this midweek? PSG visit Marseille in Le Classique live this Wednesday at 3:10 p.m. ET on Fox Soccer Plus
The excitement does not end once the weekend wraps up. On Wednesday, one of the most heated rivalries in European football will take center stage: Le Classique. PSG and Marseille will face off but not in Ligue 1. Instead, this will be an interesting Coupe de France round of 16 battle as Galtier's men aim to pick up some momentum before their UEFA Champions League showdown with Bayern Munich. Les Phocéens, who are second in Ligue 1, will look to come away with bragging rights as they continue their search for a first trophy since 2012.
The top competitions in women's soccer are ready to give fans quite a few headlines this weekend, and if you don't know where or how to keep an eye on them, we've got your back.
Just like last week, our main focus will be on European tournaments, which will include games for the English top-flight, the French league, the top-tier football category in Italy, and the Frauen-Bundesliga, to name a few. If you want even more to watch, the FA Women's League Cup will also be available to watch next week.
Without further ado, here are the top three competitions to keep an eye on if you're a women's soccer enthusiast.
FA Women's Super League
The English top-flight comes back to your device or television set with a host of matches that will surely catch your attention. The big game to watch will be Tottenham vs Chelsea, where the Blues will try to extend Tottenham's winless streak. Meanwhile, the league-leading Manchester United will lock horns with Everton, one of the most in-form teams in the league with three wins in a row.
Putting an end to Sunday's action in this league, Arsenal will want to go back to winning ways after a draw that kept them away from the top spot. Nevertheless, West Ham will not be an easy task to overcome.
D1 Feminine
The top-tier category in France returns to action following a brief break, with PSG and Olympique Lyon ready to keep their rivalry for the top spot going. Lyon have been able to keep the no.1 spot despite an unexpected loss a couple of matchdays ago, while PSG failed to leapfrog them by conceding four times against Fleury 91 in their last match.
This time, Sonia Bompastor side will be able to put some pressure on the Paris giants as they will be playing on Saturday against Rodez in a game that will face the best and the worst teams in the D1 category. Meanwhile, Les Parisiennes will get ready to beat Le Havre, a team that has not been able to win any of their last four games, with only one draw during that run.
Serie A Women
The Italian top-flight picks up where things were left off last weekend, with Roma leading the way with a five-point lead over Juventus, their nearest competitor. Judging by the teams each side will face, it seems that Roma will hold on to their lead, as the giallorossi will face Como while Juventus will be handed a tough outing when they welcome Milan.
When it comes to the lower side of the table, a key match will also be taking place in the battle to escape the relegation group when Pomigliano host Parma. If either one of them wants to start adding points to their tally and join the top five, this seems like a proper match to do so, especially for the last-placed Parma, who have only won nine points after 15 games.
For more details on games, standings, and news, visit our dedicated women's soccer page at LiveSoccerTV.com.
Biggest stories of the week
Reports claim that Roma player could sue club after failed transfer
The 2023 winter transfer window is now closed, and while some players were able to secure moves away, others were not so lucky.
One player left feeling quite disappointed is Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo, who has been locked in an ongoing battle with coach Jose Mourinho as well as others within the Giallorossi set-up. The Italian international moved to Roma in the summer of 2018 and has gone on to make nearly 100 appearances for the Lupi across all competitions. Despite scoring the winning goal for Mourinho's side during the inaugural Europa Conference League final last May, Zaniolo is reportedly keen on a move away from the Stadio Olimpico after falling out with his manager.
The 23-year-old currently has about 18 months remaining on his contract but had tried to angle for a move, leading to him being frozen out of the squad. Reports from Italy claim that it's unlikely that he will play again this season, and while there was an offer, namely from struggling side Bournemouth, the player rejected the move only to try to change his mind at the last minute.
Leeds were also linked with a move for him, but nothing materialized during the month-long transfer window.
Zaniolo's entourage, namely his family, apparently feels that the player is being "bullied" by the club which has led to him even apparently having to leave his home after being harassed by some ultras. As a result of what his family feels is "damaging" to his mental well-being, the player is considering taking legal action against the club.
That certainly will not do much to calm an already tense situation down, but it remains to be seen what will happen next as this issue threatens to become an even bigger saga.
English FA launch investigation against Chelsea's Mudryk over TikTok video
It has not been an easy season for Chelsea, and recent reports confirm it could get even worse for the Blues.
The English Football Association has announced that the Blues' recent signing, Mykhaylo Mudryk, will be subject to an investigation after a video on TikTok showed him repeating the lyrics of a song that included several uses of a racial slur.
The footballer tried to justify his actions by stating he was just repeating the lyrics of the song, but a later statement published on his behalf by his representatives has seen him apologize for the footage, which was published in July 2022.
"Mykhaylo is deeply sorry for any offence caused. While his intention was solely to recite lyrics of a song, Mykhaylo regrets his decision and wholeheartedly accepts it was not appropriate," the statement says.
This is not the first incident of the sort which has been investigated by the English FA. Some of the footballers that have undergone such a probe have even been banned for a few games as punishment for using homophobic terms on social media, regardless of the context they were used in. If this applies to Chelsea's new signing, Mudryk could be facing some time off the pitch for this video, which would add to the Blues' injury problems throughout the 2022-23 campaign.
Arsenal fans left unhappy as Premier League leaders sign Jorginho from Chelsea on Deadline Day
Arsenal ended their pursuit of highly-rated Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo and, as a result. switched focus to another Premier League player. However, the club's eventual target has left their own fan base fuming.
As revealed by David Ornstein of the Athletic and Fabrizio Romano, the North London giants reached out to none other than Jorginho, the polarizing Chelsea maestro, after seeing their second bid for Caicedo get rejected.
Fast forward to Deadline Day in the January transfer window, and the Gunners have completed a deal for the aforementioned Italian. This is according to the Athletic, with Ornstein writing that the Premier League leaders have reached an agreement for the 31-year-old worth £12M ($15M). Personal terms have already been ironed out and thus the player should complete his medical before the 6 p.m. ET deadline.
With the Blues negotiating with Benfica for Enzo Fernandez, there was the belief that the two-time UEFA Champions League winners would wait to secure the Argentine sensation first before sanctioning the sale of Jorginho.
The Gunners, who sit five points clear at the top with a game in hand over second-placed Manchester City, are in desperate need of a new midfielder. Mohamed Elneny has picked up a serious injury and will miss the remainder of the season, thus leaving Arteta with the injury-prone Thomas Partey as his only option for the no.6 role.
However, while Jorginho has been signed on a short-term basis worth 1.5 years with the option of an additional 12 months, this deal hasn't gone down well with Arsenal fans.
Several supporters have flocked to Twitter to express their frustration with this deal given that the North London giants are in the midst of a title challenge. While the duration of his contract has been welcomed, missing out on Caicedo and ending up with one of Chelsea's most polarizing midfielders has sparked anger among Arsenal fans.
PSG suffer double injury blow ahead of Bayern Munich clash
Paris Saint-Germain were hit with a double injury scare in Wednesday night's Ligue 1 trip to Montpelier. Les Parisian were forced to substitute both Kylian Mbappe and Sergio Ramos in the first half of the night's encounter and will now race against time to get both ready for their upcoming Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Mbappe particularly had a night to forget as before his injury, the 24-year-old forward prevented PSG from going into the half-time break in front. Barely 15 minutes into the game, the French star had a penalty saved by Montpellier goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte. However, the attacker was ordered to retake again but failed to convert that opportunity as well, and proceeded to miss the rebound as well. Not long after, he was forced off with an injury and was replaced by Hugo Ekitike.
In the 31st minute, Sergio Ramos was also forced off after picking a knock. Needless to say, the absence of the Spanish defender and Mbappe did not impact the game much as PSG would go on to secure a 3-1 victory. Goals by Fabian Ruiz, Lionel Messi, and 16-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery ensured the win for Christopher Galtier's side.
The following day saw PSG announce on update regarding Mbappe, with the Ligue 1 defending champions revealing that the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner will be out for three weeks. This means he will miss the 1st leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 showdown with Bayern Munich.
Other key headlines from the world of football
Roma set unwanted precedent in shock 2-1 loss to Cremonese
Although Jose Mourinho's side came into this match having lost 2-1 to Napoli, the Lupi nonetheless were the heavy favorites for this Coppa Italia quarterfinal tie considering Cremonese's awful form this term.
Indeed, Cremonese currently are at the bottom of the table in Serie A, with just eight points so far. They have yet to win a single match this season and are looking set for a return to Serie B unless they can turn things around.
Will that spark be their result from the Coppa Italia? Seemingly against all odds, Cremonese managed to secure a vital 2-1 win, which now sees them heading into their first semi-final since the 1988/87 season.
Impressively, Cremonese are also the first newly promoted side to reach this juncture since Cagliari did so during the 2004/05 campaign.
Ten Hag and Martial land milestones as Manchester United book Carabao Cup final berth
In the first half of their Carabao Cup 2nd leg semifinal clash with Nottingham Forest, Manchester United showed a lot of intent in the offense but were unable to break the resolve of their visitors' backline. However, the introduction of Marcus Rashford and injury returnees Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho in the second half changed the cause of the game in favor of the Old Trafford outfit. Inside the 73rd minute, Martial broke the deadlock with an assist from Marcus Rashford before Fred put the game to bed with another assist from the Englishman three minutes later.
With the goal against Forest, Martial entered the top 25 of Manchester United's all-time top-scorers list. He is now tied with David Beckham on the list, with both players scoring 85 goals. In the grand scheme of things, the Red Devils took their winning run at home in all competitions to 12 in succession, making Erik ten Hag the first manager to achieve this feat since Sir Alex Ferguson did so in May 2011.
The Dutch coach has also become the second manager to take Manchester United to the cup final in his first season at the club since the legendary Scottish manager retired. Jose Mourinho was the first to do so with the Europa League final appearance in 2017.
Huge blow for Liverpool as Klopp loses another star player to injury following FA Cup defeat vs Brighton
Not only have the Merseyside giants been knocked out of the FA Cup, going 2-1 down in the fourth round away to Brighton last Sunday, but the Premier League giants have also lost another key player to injury.
That man is none other than Ibrahima Konate, one of the best young center-backs in world football. This frustrating update was revealed by the Times, with the well-known news outlet stating that the highly-rated Frenchman suffered a hamstring issue in the Amex Stadium defeat.
As a result, the 23-year-old could be sidelined for up to three weeks, thus ruling him out for a number of crucial fixtures. This means Klopp will not be able to field the former RB Leipzig ace in their upcoming Premier League showdowns with Wolves, Everton, and Newcastle. Additionally, he is now a doubt for the 1st leg of their round of 16 showdown with Real Madrid.
