The Liverpool-Manchester City fixture from a week ago did not disappoint. However, there is no clear front-runner for the EPL title after the 2-2 draw.
Those two teams actually play each other again this weekend. Only, that game is for the FA Cup semifinals at Wembley.
Weekend action
In terms of Premier League action, there are plenty of games of significance. On one hand, the top three teams in the league are all in FA Cup action this weekend. Therefore, keep an eye on the race for top four and the relegation battle this weekend.
A dominant run of form from Antonio Conte’s Tottenham rocketed Spurs back into fourth place. While Arsenal still holds a game in hand, Tottenham holds a three-point edge for that invaluable fourth spot.
Tottenham gets the action going this weekend when it hosts Brighton and Hove Albion. Tottenham beat Brighton both times they played earlier this season, with the reverse fixture in the league coming just a month ago.
Arsenal, who looks to be the biggest challenger for fourth, travels to Southampton seeking a crucial three points. Three losses in the Gunners’ last four EPL games ended what was a strong run of form for Mikel Arteta and company. Southampton, despite sitting in 14th, is not an overly simple game, either.
Midweek games
With the season coming to a close, the Premier League must catch up on teams that hold games in hand. For example, Leicester City played three less games at this point in the season than West Ham.
To accommodate, there are six EPL games midweek from Tuesday to Thursday. The top three sides all return to league action, with Chelsea and Liverpool in major games.
Liverpool hosts an ailing Manchester United at Anfield on Tuesday. Liverpool still trails Manchester City by just one point. Liverpool needs Manchester City to drop points somewhere along the seven remaining games to have a chance.
A major battle between two London clubs could prove pivotal for Champions League qualification. Chelsea, recently knocked out of this season’s UCL, welcomes Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side looked to be in the driver’s seat for that fourth spot, but a dip in form sent the Gunners to fifth. A crucial game for both sides, although Chelsea looks somewhat secure in its third-place standing.
NBC coverage
After a busy weekend live from stadiums in England, the NBC crew returns to the studio on Saturday and Sunday’s coverage. Rebecca Lowe goes behind the desk with Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe. Lowe will also host Thursday’s pregame and postgame coverage of Burnley vs. Southampton. Earle and Danny Higginbotham join Lowe.
Premier League Mornings get fans set before the early kickoffs. Then, Premier League Live on Saturday is just before the 10 a.m. kickoffs.
There is no 12:30 p.m. on Saturday or 11:30 a.m. on Sunday kickoff this weekend. Therefore, Goal Zone comes earlier.
For the Tuesday and Wednesday games, Ahmed Fareed, Robbie Earle and Robbie Mustoe have pre- and post-match coverage of all the games. This means that Premier League Live before the games and Goal Zone after has these three behind NBC’s desk.
Also, keep in mind that select games are in 4K. For this 12-game slate, the Liverpool-Manchester United game on Tuesday and the Chelsea-Arsenal fixture on Wednesday are in 4K. This is only available for EPL fans that use DirecTV, YouTube TV and fuboTV.
EPL commentators on NBC: April 16 to April 21
Saturday, April 16
7:30 a.m. — Tottenham vs. Brighton and Hove Albion. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Jim Proudfoot and Andy Townsend.
10 a.m. — Manchester United vs. Norwich City. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Ian Crocker and Leon Osman.
10 a.m. — Watford vs. Brentford. CNBC, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Jacqui Oatley and Tony Gale.
10 a.m. — Southampton vs. Arsenal. Peacock Premium. — Tony Jones and Efan Ekoku.
Sunday, April 17
9:15 a.m. — Newcastle vs. Leicester City. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Pien Meulensteen and David Prutton.
9:15 a.m. — West Ham vs. Burnley. Peacock Premium. — Andy Bishop and Tony Gale.
Tuesday, April 19
3 p.m. — Liverpool vs. Manchester United. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Arlo White, Lee Dixon and Graeme Le Saux.
Wednesday, April 20
2:45 p.m — Chelsea vs. Arsenal. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Arlo White, Lee Dixon and Graeme Le Saux.
2:45 p.m. — Everton vs. Leicester City. Peacock Premium. — Tony Jones and Leon Osman.
2:45 p.m. — Newcastle vs. Crystal Palace. Peacock Premium. — Ian Crocker and Andy Walker.
3 p.m. — Manchester City vs. Brighton and Hove Albion. Peacock Premium. — Pien Meulensteen and Lee Hendrie.
Thursday, April 21
2:45 p.m. — Burnley vs. Southampton. USA Network, Universo, fubo TV, Sling Blue, Hulu + Live TV. — Jim Proudfoot and Jim Beglin.
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SteveK
April 20, 2022 at 2:11 pm
For the Pien Meulensteen Out brigade I believe TalkSport has Man City Brighton today, not sure who it is but probably Sam Matterface and Adrian Durham.
Tony
April 20, 2022 at 4:45 pm
Just turned Man city on after the lcfc game …………Pien Meulensteen …………..I would much rather have a root canal than listen to her so hitting the mute button
John Culea
April 19, 2022 at 4:13 pm
Arlo White described Salah’s goal against MU as one of goals of the season. It was good, but not that good.
Observations: Phil Jones looks like Stan Laurel and Harry Maguire looks like Mark Cuban.
SteveK
April 20, 2022 at 8:47 am
You may be old enough to remember the late, great Spy Magazine, John, and that Harry Maguire-Mark Cuban would have been a perfect “Separated at Birth.” Kudos to you.
MIB Fan
April 17, 2022 at 7:38 pm
What is the difference between the World Feed from the PLTV commentary/production? PLTV used Seb Hutchinson and Matt Holland. Isn’t PLTV the same as the World Feed?
Christopher Harris
April 17, 2022 at 8:43 pm
Yes, it’s the same.
MarkB
April 17, 2022 at 2:48 pm
Double whammy for the two mid week games that effect the title race: Arlo on the Liverpool / Ronaldo Utd match (Thank God for Univision), and the screeching banshee on the Man City match.
MarkB
April 17, 2022 at 2:54 pm
Universo actually.
Doug K
April 17, 2022 at 11:18 am
I hate how I have to check this every match day and hope that Pien Meulensteen is not commentating on the matchs I want to watch
Tony
April 17, 2022 at 11:21 am
Fully agree
Dave
April 17, 2022 at 9:36 am
Awful commentary choices by TV executives are traditional in the USA. Gus Johnson when Fox had the rights, more recently Arlo and now Pien. Coverage is basically a monopoly and commentator selection has nothing to do with skill. As with many executive decisions it comes down to politics (woke these days) or sex. Can’t wait for next season when transexual Ms Tonto Abdul Jabbar will be hurting our eardrums.
Tony
April 17, 2022 at 9:24 am
Hope everyone is enjoying Pien Meulensteen doing the Newcastle vs Leicester game ………………………… BLOODY AWFUL ……..
MarkB
April 16, 2022 at 4:50 pm
Enjoyed, as always, John Champion calling the FA Cup. Unfortunately diminished by Commander Obvious Twellman’s “insight” But overall a very enjoyable broadcast.
Jon
April 17, 2022 at 1:22 am
Guy Mowbray and Stewart Robson were on the other broadcast of City v Liverpool. Thoroughly enjoyable!
Tony
April 17, 2022 at 9:22 am
A pity the crowd noise was turned down by ESPN+ as that spoiled the atmosphere . Also it would have been nice to have Jon Champion in the stadium doing the commentary (Dosent matter about Twellman because he is irritating wherever he is)
John Culea
April 17, 2022 at 11:44 am
I refuse to pay the additional charge when I am already paying for ESPN cable. I have to think the numb nut “suits” would get more viewers (read: more money for commercials) if they did not have the FA Cub on ESPN extra.
Michael
April 18, 2022 at 1:03 pm
@John Culea. ESPN can monetize soccer much easier on streaming than they can from Cable. It’s not just ESPN, it almost all networks. More and More, only the big events will be on Cable because they are guaranteed to make money. The items that are put on streaming don’t require large viewership numbers to make money. FA Cup doesn’t fit that criteria for for an American audience. The exception would be if there is prestige involved. CBS put on an 856,000 viewer game with Athleti and I think it was Man U instead of Young & The Restless which draws 2.7 million on a one off, because they know that will make their money on the championship weekend. This week the USFL got 3.5 million opening night. So despite the fact that it was a minor event and not a championship…their viewership was enough to justify being on cable. If the FA Cup had that kind of interest, I guarantee that it would be on ESPN was well.
John Culea
April 19, 2022 at 4:09 pm
Thanks for your insight.
SteveK
April 16, 2022 at 10:26 am
Thought I wasn’t going to be able to drop in on Brentford Watford because this guide said it was on CNBC and I don’t get CNBC. Happy to find the new customer friendly President of Peacock decided to also put the game on Peacock as well. Nice that out Comcast Premier League overlords can surprise us sometimes.
dave
April 16, 2022 at 10:55 am
@SteveK, glad to hear it
.
I get a weekly schedule e-mail from Peacock. The version sent this morning shows Watford-Brentford (April 16) and Leicester-Villa (April 23) as simulcast on CNBC and Peacock. Per the e-mail, from April 16-23, every game not shown on USA will be available on Peacock. FYI
SteveK
April 16, 2022 at 12:34 pm
That is encouraging, dave, thanks…
Jeff
April 16, 2022 at 9:32 am
I echo much of what is written here. I am a proponent of giving everyone a chance. Rebecca Lowe is FANTASTIC at her job and up there with the best, but some of the commentary just doesn’t enhance the game at all, quite the reverse.
Greg
April 16, 2022 at 6:34 am
Pien Meulenstein is terrible. Always shouts. I now know why they put a mute button on my TV remote. To turn off the sound when she is commentating. This is the only way to watch the game without getting a headache. Get rid of her. Agree there should only be men commentating on PL.
Tony
April 16, 2022 at 8:21 am
I agree , the best commentators should do the best games .
By pressing the mute button you would not miss out on the crowd noise as in most games they turn down the crowd volume so much it is like being in a library.
Jon
April 15, 2022 at 5:42 pm
I found Jacqui Oatley to be quite listenable, in a very formulaic, cliche-upon-cliche way, when she was last featured on Wolves v Villa (you could same the same about many male commentators). Pien Meulensteen, on the other hand, has a grating, Carney-like voice and actually seems to be getting worse and more unlistenable than when she started. I’m sure the nitwits making these decisions in Premier League Productions are smugly confident of their superiority over the “dinosaurs” (most listeners) who complain about the worst of the female broadcasters. Doubling down on Meulensteen this week shows that.
Calvin Winsor
April 17, 2022 at 11:02 am
I couldn’t agree more. Just leave the “I believe they were trying….” to the players. Shut up and tell us who’s got the ball.
cmasia
April 15, 2022 at 2:26 pm
Diversity first, inclusion second,…. competence a distant last.
SaintsFan
April 15, 2022 at 2:25 pm
Any idea who’s commentating in the USA for the FA Cup Semis?
Plus why the hell is the Sat FA Cup Semi on at the same time as Prem games? The game’s dead I tell ya!
Put me down for a strong dislike of female commentators as well. It’s just wrong. Not quite as annoying as Peter Drury but not far off.
Saints 3 Arsenal 1. Last week didn’t count.
John Culea
April 15, 2022 at 1:12 pm
Agree 100%. Double bad news to have Pien doing two games. I’m sorry the men commentators have to share the booth with people who are forced into our ears. Volume turned way down.
Tony
April 15, 2022 at 12:56 pm
Well there goes my enjoyment of the games I want to watch this weekend …. Pien Meulensteen doing the Newcastle vs Leicester game …………..Jacqui Oatley doing the Watford vs Brentford game.
With all the complaining going on about these two why are they still doing games ???? Bloody terrible and irritating.
Also by the way were these the two women doing commentary on the Man City vs Atletico Madrid game in the week ? That was awful but at least I could go to Univision and watch it in Spanish.
Nothing against women commentators doing women’s football but please leave the mens game to men commentators.
Nosferatu
April 15, 2022 at 8:20 pm
I’m happy to listen to anyone, man, woman, or cat (well, mine at least talks enough to act like he could be a commentator) and I’m very much pro-diversity and inclusion–but I do want to listen to people who are good at the job. I’m admittedly a bit picky, but maybe the issue with some of these female commentators is just that they’re newer to the business (at least of calling games and not working in studios or as reporters).
They shouldn’t be singled out–there are enough men I find hard to listen to as well–but I long for the days of Jon Champion calling one or two games a week for the world feed. I swear, his way of calling games contributed to me getting into watching them.
Instead, now I found myself refusing to watch the City game on Wednesday through Paramount+ because of the commentators, instead watching a replay I found online later on from the world feed, I think. Is this what Paramount+ wants? People being pushed to find other avenues to watch their games because of their commentators? They might want to rethink things, especially at this stage with the games taking on extra significance.