The self destruction derby? The banter bout? El Calamitico? The Athletic’s Manchester United writer Carl Anka and Tottenham writer Jack Pitt-Brooke join football writer Tim Spiers and host Adam Leventhal to preview Tottenham vs Manchester United. With the sides sitting 13th and 14th respectively, who will be holding the crisis baton come Sunday evening? Plus we check in with some of the club podcasts across The Athletic FC, setting you up for the big fixtures elsewhere. Host: Adam Leventhal With...
Feb 14, 2025•48 min
Goodison Park’s final Merseyside derby delivered with James Tarkowski popping up with the stoppage time equaliser for Everton in their 2-2 draw with Premier League leaders, Liverpool. Despite the draw sending Arne Slot's side seven points clear at the top of the Premier League could the draw at Goodson disrupt their title charge? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by Stu James and Andy Jones to pick the bones out of the Merseyside derby, the context of the wider title race as well as the run of games to c...
Feb 13, 2025•44 min
Tonight’s Merseyside derby will be the last ever at Goodison Park - and there have been some absolute belters in the past. So what are Everton losing in moving from Goodison? And what are the benefits of football clubs switching to a new home? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Paddy Boyland, Rory Smith and Adrian Clarke Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 12, 2025•43 min
Last week, Santos fans welcomed back club legend Neymar after 12 years away. So why is he back in Brazil, why did it go so wrong in Saudi Arabia? And how hard is it for players to live up to exorbitant price tags? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Natalie Gedra and Phil Hay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou and Nick Thomson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 11, 2025•50 min
In the space of just four days, Tottenham Hotspur have been knocked out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup at the hands of Liverpool and Aston Villa. It means their hopes of ending their 17-year trophy drought now rest solely on the Europa League. So where do Spurs and Ange Postecoglou go from here? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Tottenham Hotspur correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke and lead writer for The Athletic FC newsletter, Phil Hay, while Jay Harris also drops by to react to Ange P...
Feb 10, 2025•43 min
The first piece of silverware in 2025 will be contested between Newcastle and Liverpool, when they meet in the Carabao Cup final. The Athletic's senior writer George Caulkin joins Tim Spiers and host Adam Leventhal to discuss whether Eddie Howe's side can finally end their 70 year trophy drought. Plus we check in with some of the club podcasts across The Athletic FC, setting you up for the FA Cup fourth round. Host: Adam Leventhal With: George Caulkin, Tim Spiers Featuring: James McNicholas, Jam...
Feb 07, 2025•46 min
We're joined by UK Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy to discuss the introduction of an independent football regulator within English football. Whether it’s financial mismanagement, questionable ownership, or lack of accountability - football in England has faced some huge challenges in recent years which is why the British government, wants to appoint an independent regulator. So why are the Premier League and its member clubs unhappy with the plan and are the concerns ...
Feb 06, 2025•47 min
After Bayer Leverkusen’s miraculous title-win last season, this season it seems to be business as usual, with Bayern Munich six points clear of Leverkusen at the top of the table. So, can anyone stop Bayern reestablishing themselves as the dominant force in the Bundesliga? And is Vincent Kompany creating a side that are serious contenders for Champions League glory? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jan Åge Fjørtoft & Seb Stafford-Bloor Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Learn mor...
Feb 05, 2025•53 min
The January transfer window has officially shut. We saw Marcus Rashford move to Aston Villa on loan, while Manchester City brought in a much-needed midfielder in Nico Gonzalez. So… which teams were the winners and losers in the window? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, Rory Smith and Jacob Tanswell Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou & Nick Thomson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Feb 04, 2025•56 min
Liverpool legend Alan Hansen who famously said "you can't win anything with kids" Yet on Sunday Arsenal’s teenagers took centre stage as they dismantled the champions with both Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri getting on the scoresheet. So can Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal win anything with kids? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's James McNicholas and Phil Hay to discuss the 5-1 win over Man City. Art De Roche also drops by to discuss the emergence of the likes of Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri. ...
Feb 03, 2025•54 min
Football fans are desperate for transfer news - and it's often bigger than the sport itself. Open twice a year - in January and the summer - the transfer window changes the game. But what actually goes on when deals are made? Join Adam Leventhal as he goes behind the scenes at training grounds, stadiums and offices to explain the anatomy of a transfer and to breakdown the complex process of what a player goes through when they move from club to club. Host: Adam Leventhal Exec Prod: Abi Paterson ...
Feb 02, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Arsenal host Manchester City on Sunday in what some are called the 'stay humble' derby. The last time these sides met was back in September's thrilling 2-2 draw, where things boiled over at full time. The Athletic's Arsenal writer James McNicholas and Manchester City writer Sam Lee join Tim Spiers and Adam Leventhal to preview Sunday's clash. Plus we check in with some of the club podcasts across The Athletic FC and set you up for the key games elsewhere. Host: Adam Leventhal With: James McNicho...
Jan 31, 2025•46 min
On an evening of mayhem across Europe, Man City got the job done and avoided Champions League elimination, beating Club Brugge 3-1 to progress into the knockout phase. But is the prospect of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the play-off something Pep Guardiola's side will relish? Elsewhere, with Jhon Duran set to leave for Saudi Arabia and Arsenal interested in Ollie Watkins, could Aston Villa’s front line look a little different in the knockout stages? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's ...
Jan 30, 2025•48 min
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are languishing in the bottom half of the table - they sit in 12th and 15th place respectively. Tough times have fallen on two of the ‘Big Six’ - the traditional heavyweights of English football. So in terms of both on-pitch and off-pitch matters, does the idea of those aforementioned powerhouse clubs dominating the Premier League still ring true? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Rory Smith, Tim Spiers, Matt Slater Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mik...
Jan 29, 2025•48 min
As revealed by David Ornstein on today’s Transfer DealSheet, Aston Villa could be tempted to sell Jhon Duran for around 80 million pounds. That valuation of the Villa striker got us thinking - what makes a top No.9 in 2025? And with many teams wanting an elite striker - why is it so hard to find them? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Mark Carey, Phil Hay & David Ornstein Executive Producer: Abi Paterson Producer: Mike Stavrou & Nick Thomson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoice...
Jan 28, 2025•54 min
A smashed TV, a lack of cash, and more box office quotes from Ruben Amorim who told the media after his side's 1-0 win at Fulham he would prefer to name his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital on the bench ahead of Marcus Rashford. Having made it four wins from five, are Man United showing signs of improvement under Amorim? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell and Mark Critchley with Charlotte Harpur also dropping by to discuss Amorim's...
Jan 27, 2025•48 min
Manchester City host Chelsea at the Etihad on Saturday and with just two points separating the sides this could be a key battle in the race for the top four. Pep Guardiola will be looking to get back on track after seeing his side throw away a two goal lead in the Champions League midweek, losing 4-2 to PSG at the Parc des Princes, with issues in midfield an ongoing problem. After already spending more than €140m in the January transfer window, do Manchester City need further additions? Followin...
Jan 24, 2025•46 min
Among the tech billionaires, cabinet nominees and former leaders as Donald Trump was sworn in as U.S. president was the most powerful man in football - FIFA president Gianni Infantino…. So, with both the Club World Cup and World Cup taking place in the USA in the next 18 months. What impact will Trump and his policies have on football over the next four years? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton in New York, Felipe Cardenas in Atlanta and Women's Sports Lead, in Burlington, V...
Jan 23, 2025•48 min
Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth produced one of the performances of the season as they demolished Newcastle at the weekend. They are now seventh in the Premier League and eyeing up European football for next season. So how much of their success is down to Iraola - and will they be able to keep hold of him for much longer? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Jon Mackenzie, Phil Hay, Dermot Corrigan Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/ad...
Jan 22, 2025•45 min
Last night, Chelsea ended their winless run with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Wolves. But despite spending more than a billion pounds assembling their squad - are Chelsea still light in certain areas? And are we to expect a flurry of transfer activity at Stamford Bridge this month? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Liam Twomey, Phil Hay & David Ornstein Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou and Nick Thomson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 21, 2025•58 min
Tottenham's defeat at Goodison Park on Sunday made it seven defeats in their last nine Premier League games. So what is going wrong for Spurs and will Ange Postecoglou be given enough time to turn things around? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Jon Mackenzie and Jack Pitt-Brooke, who was at Goodison Park covering the game, to analyse Spurs' run of form, the depth of their injury crisis and whether they can improve things with any additions in the January transfer market. Host: Ayo Akin...
Jan 20, 2025•37 min
For an exclusive interview, David Ornstein sits down with former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on a career marked with chaos, mistakes and glory. So coming up you’ll hear about; why Aubameyang wanted to leave Arsenal but stayed, how his relationship with Mikel Arteta broke down, The ‘chaos’ of his time at Chelsea and his harrowing account of the break in that took place at his home. Host: Ayo Akinwolere Guests: David Ornstein & Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Executive Producer: Adey Moorh...
Jan 19, 2025•1 hr 6 min
David Ornstein and Manchester City writer Sam Lee join Adam Leventhal to discuss Erling Haaland's new 9 and a half year contract, a story David broke exclusively on The Athletic. The panel reflect on what the deal means for Manchester City's rebuild and whether the contract contains a release clause. In the second half Adam is joined by Jacob Whitehead and Tottenham writer Jack Pitt-Brooke to preview Everton vs Spurs, two sides in desperate need of a win. Ange Postecoglou's side have gone five P...
Jan 17, 2025•46 min
After a damaging week with defeat in both Carabao Cup and FA Cup to Newcastle United and Manchester United, Arsenal bounced back on Wednesday night with a 2-1 win in north London derby over Tottenham Hotspur. So, how will the victory over Spurs influence Arsenal’s title challenge and do they need strengthening this month if they are to catch Liverpool? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's football correspondent David Ornstein and Arsenal writer Jordan Campbell to assess the impact of the w...
Jan 16, 2025•49 min
Barcelona president Joan Laporta has taken aim at the club's critics in the wake of the Dani Olmo registration saga. So why is he so angry, and is the situation even over? Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: Laia Cervelló Herrero, Pol Ballus, Dermot Corrigan Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Jan 15, 2025•41 min
Napoli boss Antonio Conte has confirmed superstar winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia wants to leave Naples. So why does he want to depart? And where is his most likely destination? We also talk the future of Manchester City's Kyle Walker, plus Arsenal pursuing a deal to sign midfielder Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad next summer. Host: Ayo Akinwolere With: David Ornstein, James Horncastle and Phil Hay Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Learn more about your ad choices. Visit ...
Jan 14, 2025•49 min
After sacking manager Sean Dyche on Thursday, by Saturday Everton have confirmed their decision to bring back David Moyes to replace him. So is Moyes the right choice to rebuild Everton and keep them in the Premier League? Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Everton correspondent Patrick Boyland and The Athletic FC newsletter lead writer Phil Hay to discuss and analyse the decision to remove Dyche and bring back Moyes. The Athletic's Greg O'Keeffe, having seen Moyes' first reign firsthand...
Jan 13, 2025•46 min
With the FA Cup is upon us again, we're asking which Premier League side needs the competition most this season? Tottenham and Newcastle lead the way on the The Athletic's Import-o-meter, with both sides currently on course to meet in the Carabao Cup final. FA Cup holders Manchester United head to the Emirates to face record 14-time winners Arsenal, who since winning the competition in 2020 have not progressed past the fourth round. Does Mikel Arteta need a trophy this season? And how will Ruben...
Jan 10, 2025•50 min
On Wednesday, after weeks of speculation West Ham finally sacked Julen Lopetegui. The Spaniard lasted just eight months - and 22 games in charge of the Hammers, the shortest reign of a permanent manager or head coach in the club's 124-year history Joining Ian Irving to analyse the decision to sack Lopetegui and replace him with Graham Potter are The Athletic's football correspondent David Ornstein and West Ham United writer Roshane Thomas. Plus, Football Tactics writer Liam Tharme also drops-by ...
Jan 09, 2025•41 min
Another week, another beaten opponent and another milestone notched for Nottingham Forest. They made history with six wins on the bounce with their 3-0 victory away at Wolves. So how have Nuno Espirito Santo’s side gone from fighting relegation & PSR last campaign to being one of the very best sides in the Premier League this season? Host: Ian Irving Guests: Paul Taylor, Tim Spiers, Matt Slater, Mark Carey Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead Producer: Mike Stavrou Video Producer: Liam Warburton Le...
Jan 08, 2025•54 min
