Gm football fans. This is Route One, the football newsletter that gets better with every sip, no sugar needed.

Phew… the gameweek is nearly over. The R1 office can finally take a well-deserved rest… right?

Wrong. 

Gameweek 16 is already around the corner… and there’s plenty more football for you to indulge in.

We haven’t slept for a week straight… but, no cause for alarm, we’ve got our Redbull and cuppa coffee on tap.

Today’s briefing is a ~4 min read:

1. All you need to know about tonight’s fixtures 📊

2. Extra time: Arsenal love to spoil birthday celebrations 🎉

3. Don’t be fooled, football players have always been divas… 😆

Morning Brief 🗞️

TONIGHT’S FIXTURES 🤩

Everton vs Newcastle

Tonight @ 7.30 pm - Amazon Prime Video

Everton will be looking for their first win since their 10-point deduction.

But… this might not be the game for that to happen. Why?

• Newcastle’s away record has been excellent this season, having won five of their last six away games in all competitions.

• Everton have failed to score in four Premier League home games this season.

Adding to this, midweek fixtures aren’t ideal for Dyche’s men… as they’ve lost their last four midweek Premier League matches, conceding four goals in each of the last three.

Eesh.

But where there’s a footballing will, there’s always a way.

And Everton will be looking to prove a point following what their fans deemed an unfair and disproportionate 10-point deduction.

No doubt there will be an atmosphere in tonight’s fixture… will Everton step up to the challenge?

• 💉 Quick hit: Everton has won every other game recently (lose, win, lose, win, lose, win, draw, win, lose, win)… not a good sign for the Toffees.

Spurs vs West Ham

Tonight @ 8.15 pm - Amazon Prime Video

Injuries have plagued Big Ange’s side in recent games.

Despite going winless in their last four games, they have put on impressive displays considering their lack of squad depth.

They’ll also be confident that they’ve gone unbeaten in their last four competitive meetings with West Ham.

But, Hammers fan will be pleased to hear that their side are on a five-game unbeaten run across all competitions.

They’ll also rejoice in the fact that Jarrod Bowen is fully fit, with only Michail Antonio sidelined due to injury.

Either way… it looks like it’ll be a game full of goals. Of all the Premier League clubs, West Ham is on the longest run of matches without a goalless draw in the competition - 74 games! Spurs are fourth with 57 games.

London derbies rarely disappoint… so strap in tight, Router.

• 💉 Quick hit: the last time Spurs lost three consecutive home games was in February 2007 under Martin Jol.

EXTRA-TIME ⏱️

Tuesday night’s 7-goal thriller fixture of Luton vs Arsenal isn’t one to miss. Here are the highlights in case you missed the game.

Paul Merson has some questionable football takes. But it’s hard to deny his footballing ability…. even at age 50.

There are three people you don’t want to be stuck in a rondo with… Messi, Neymar and Mbappe. And Hakimi learnt this lesson the hard way.

Ross Barkley became the second player to score on his birthday in the Premier League this season, after Taiwo Awoniyi in August. But Arsenal have spoiled the birthday celebrations on both occasions… boo.

It feels good when you get the better of your competition. Ask Aaron Ramsdale, who was caught smiling after his teammate David Raya made a mistake against Luton. Awkward…

Don't Be Fooled, Players Have Always Been Divas

Modern Premier League footballers behave like divas all the time.

Remember when Marcus Rashford asked for a statue outside of Old Trafford? LOL. 

What about when Carlos Teves refused to come on as a substitute in a Champions League game against Bayern Munich, and then took an unauthorised holiday break in the middle of the season?

Or, our favourite, when Yaya Toure was famously upset that no one bought him a birthday cake while he was at Manchester City. 

We get it. 

Once you make it pro in the modern game, becoming a diva is part of the job.

As Graeme Souness, Liverpool and Scotland legend aptly said, “The modern-day player is precious and can be diva-like.”

So, the modern-day player is different to the legends that have been and gone.

They aren’t like the good ol’ professionals of the 80s and 90s, right? The footballers of the past had morals, class and decorum.

Well… not quite.

Graeme Souness himself might have paved the way for the modern-day diva.

Just in case you don’t know, Souness was known as one of the best footballers of the 80s.

A super successful captain who is synonymous with hard tackles, consistent performances and a tenacious style.

But given his nickname was “Champagne Charlie”, it comes as no surprise he might have been a diva himself…

Souness revealed to Talksport that he handed in an impromptu transfer request whilst he was Liverpool captain. A team which he led to five Champions League, three European Cups and Four League Cups.

So, why did the Liverpool star take such drastic action at the best time in the club's history? It must have been bad…

Well, according to him, he handed in his transfer request after finding out he was not in the starting 11 when he returned from an injury. 

That’s it… no seriously… that’s it. 

Souness was returning to a Liverpool team that had just won ten games on the bounce without him. 

And to add to his outburst, Souness washed down a few gin and tonics after being told that he was dropped, just for good measure. 

When the topic came up on Talksport, presenter Simon Jordan asked Souness about the transfer request fiasco: “How precious are you?”

But the former Liverpool captain says he was completely justified.

Why? “Because they told me I was going to play.”

Don’t get us wrong, Souness had a great career. He stood for values that are often missing in modern football - consistency, effort and leadership.

But this story begs the question… have footballers just always been divas?

MEME 😆

Manchester City vs The Big 6 this season…