Games to Watch: U.S. men and women, African Nations Cup final, Madrid and London derbies

Arsenal at Tottenham Hotspur

7:45 a.m. Saturday (NBCSN)

The North London Derby is always a big game, but this time it's really worth making the effort to get out of bed early. Arsenal and Tottenham are separated by just two points in the Premier League standings.

If Spurs win, they could jump over the Gunners, Southampton and Manchester United into third place. Tottenham forward Harry Kane is English soccer's newest hot young thing, while Arsenal playmaker Mesut Özil has rediscovered his old creative dynamism.

Real Madrid at Atlético Madrid

9:55 a.m. Saturday (beIN Sports, beIN Sports Español)

Real Madrid is finally starting to open up some breathing room in the La Liga title race. After Wednesday's win over Sevilla, Gareth Bale and his fellow Galacticos now lead second-place Barcelona by four points and third-place Atlético by seven. And this weekend, they get Cristiano Ronaldo back from a two-game suspension for punching an opponent.

But Atléti, led by a resurgent Fernando Torres, has every reason to believe it can knock off its city rival on home turf. Between Torres' revival and Ronaldo's drama, this game is a must-watch.

AC Milan at Juventus

2:40 p.m. Saturday (beIN Sports)

Milan made a slew of moves in the winter transfer window to try to get out of the middle of the Serie A standings. Among the most notable moves were signing Parma defender Gabriel Paletta, and taking Roma's Mattia Destro and Atlético Madrid's Alessio Cerci on loan.

The Rossoneri also got rid of some dead weight on their roster, but there's one move that stands out: loaning Alessandro Matri to Juventus. He joins a Juve strike force that already includes Carlos Tévez, Álvaro Morata and Fernando Llorente.

Which is all a long way of saying that it doesn't look like Milan or anyone else will be knocking La Vecchia Signora from her comfortable perch in first place.

United States women at France

12:00 p.m. Sunday (ESPN2)

For their first game of 2015, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and the rest of the U.S. stars have set themselves up with a huge test. Les Bleues, led by midfielder Louisa Nécib and forward Gaëtane Thiney, are right up there with the Americans among the favorites to win this summer's World Cup in Canada. And this time, the game is in France - at Lorient's Stade du Moustoir, to be precise.

It's also the U.S.' first game since goalkeeper Hope Solo was suspended for being with husband Jerramy Stevens when he was arrested for driving a U.S. Soccer Federation van while intoxicated. Gilbertsville native Nicole Barnhart is among the candidates to step up in Solo's absence.

Ivory Coast vs. Ghana

1:50 p.m. Sunday (beIN Sports)

The championship game of the African Cup of Nations features two perennial powerhouses, and lots of big-time talent. Ivory Coast has veteran stars in Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré and Roma's Gervinho, and a young phenom in Paris Saint-Germain defender Serge Aurier.

Ghana's attack features brothers Jordan and André Ayew, U.S. national team nemesis Asamoah Gyan, and Everton's Christian Atsu. The Black Stars also have one of the few MLS players in the tournament's 16-team field: striker David Accam, signed in December by the Chicago Fire as a Designated Player.

Panama at United States

4:00 p.m. Sunday (ESPN, UniMás, Univision Deportes)

A few hours after the U.S. women play in France, the U.S. men take the field at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. It's the final act of the annual winter training camp, which is usually for prospects but this year includes many familiar names.

Expect to see Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey on the field, as well as up-and-comers such as D.C. United defender Steve Birnbaum and Los Angeles Galaxy forward Gyasi Zardes. It'll be a homecoming for Zardes, a southern California native - and he'll be facing a Galaxy teammate in Panama goalkeeper Jaime Penedo.

Everton at Chelsea

2:45 p.m. Wednesday (NBCSN)

It's been a rough season for Romelu Lukaku and Everton. The Toffees have finished in the top eight of the Premier League standings for eight straight seasons, but right now they're stuck in 12th. Things could get even worse over the next few days. They host city rival Liverpool on Saturday (12:30 p.m., NBC and NBC Universo), then head to London for a midweek game against Juan Cuadrado, Cesc Fábregas and the first-place Blues.