Football Weekly – Arsenal ensure north London is red after Forest fell Liverpool

Date: November 24, 2025
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan, Mark Langdon
Episode Theme: A dominant Arsenal pepper Spurs in the North London Derby, title contenders stumble, and discussions of managers under pressure, with standout performances and incisive punditry across the Premier League and beyond.

Episode Overview

The panel unpacks a thrilling football weekend: Arsenal’s emphatic North London derby win, Liverpool’s shock defeat to Forest, Manchester City’s stutter, Chelsea’s title credentials, Villa’s ascent, and key talking points from around the Premier League. The episode also features a deeper discussion on race, personality, and media narratives in English football, centered on Jude Bellingham and recent comments by Ian Wright.

Arsenal 4–1 Tottenham: North London Dominance (01:11–15:55)

Key Discussion Points

• Eze’s Hat-Trick & Arsenal’s Statement Victory

  • Eberechi Eze, once linked with Spurs, scores the first North London derby hat-trick since 1978.
  • Arsenal capitalize on their rivals’ dropped points to make a “perfect weekend” (02:44).

• Eze’s Impact & Individual Performances

  • Jordan Jarrett-Bryan: “It felt like his coming out moment of like I'm an Arsenal player. Finally...” (02:44)
  • Barry Glendenning lauds Eze’s grace and intelligence off the ball: “He's so graceful, he's so nimble. He's one of those footballers who looks like he's playing at a different speed to everyone else.” (04:05)

• Arsenal’s Squad Depth

  • Trossard and Timber’s surprising impact.
  • Zubimendi, Rice, and squad comparisons to Tottenham’s struggles.

• Spurs’ Tactical Issues & Managerial Critique

  • Mark Langdon brands Spurs’ approach “cowardly” and over-defensive: “You can't charge Barcelona ticket prices and then serve up Brentford football. He won't survive the season carrying on like that.” (09:38)
  • Tottenham’s midfield “charity” and lack of attacking effort highlighted.

• Managerial Stability for Thomas Frank

  • Debate over how quickly pressure could mount.
  • Panel consensus: injuries and transition noted, but the underlying data is worrying.

Notable Quotes

• Barry Glendenning:
  “Things seem to slow down around him but he was afforded so much space... He didn't smash any of those shots home. They were nice, deft precise touches and wonderful performance from him.” (04:05)
• Mark Langdon:
  “It was a cowardly way to try to play football … you can't charge Barcelona ticket prices and then serve up Brentford football. He won't survive the season carrying on like that.” (09:38)
• Jordan Jarrett-Bryan on league quality:
  “I think there’s something about the fact that there’s so many teams at the top that aren’t particularly good that says something about the quality overall of this Premier League.” (07:00)

Liverpool 0–3 Nottingham Forest: Anfield Shock (16:50–23:23)

Key Discussion Points

• Nottingham Forest hand Liverpool their biggest-ever Anfield defeat.
• Panel discusses Liverpool’s form collapse — six league defeats already.
• Jordan Jarrett-Bryan signals “embarrassing” result and growing doubts about Arne Slot.
• Barry Glendenning questions how much “grace” a title-winning manager gets — modern impatience highlighted by pressure from Liverpool fans and, potentially, FSG.

Notable Quotes

• Jordan Jarrett-Bryan:
  “For a manager to come in and get a result like this is just enormous.” (17:58)
• Barry Glendenning:
  “What degree of failure is acceptable I suppose is the question.” (21:12)

Manchester City Lose at Newcastle: Title Race Opens (25:36–32:10)

Key Discussion Points

• City’s defeat at St. James’ Park leaves Pep Guardiola frustrated.
• Missed chances by Foden and Haaland, dissected as crucial.
• VAR controversy: City denied a blatant penalty on Foden.
  • Jordan Jarrett-Bryan: “It's a shocker. It's a blatant penalty. It's not even a debate.” (28:25)
• Newcastle’s resilience praised, especially after recent doubts about Eddie Howe.
• Mark Langdon: Defeat doesn’t mean crisis for City, but their invincibility is questioned.

Memorable Moment

• Pep Guardiola’s animated altercation with a camera operator post-match.

Chelsea’s Rise and Title Prospects (32:21–35:56)

Key Discussion Points

• Chelsea move to second after beating Burnley 2–0.
• Mark Langdon praises tactical flexibility and squad depth, highlighting Maresca’s attention to detail.
• Standout performances: Cucurella’s hybrid role, Cole Palmer’s resilience despite “stubbing his toe.”
• Panel skepticism: Jordan doesn’t “take them seriously” as title contenders yet.

Notable Quote

• Mark Langdon on Maresca:
  “He gets up in the middle of the night several times and to go to the toilet and constantly bangs his head, his legs and everything. I'm just … That really had me thinking, what is he doing?” (34:46)

Aston Villa’s Form and Morgan Rogers’ Brilliance (35:56–38:57)

Key Discussion Points

• Villa’s 2–1 win at Leeds; Morgan Rogers scores twice, including a stunning free-kick.
• Barry Glendenning: “Villa have now won six out of the last seven in the Premier League and they're winning these games with a striker who hasn't scored in any of those games... very impressive.”
• Leeds’ predicament: playing well but lacking results; tough fixture run ahead.

Race, Media, and Personality – The Bellingham/Ian Wright Discussion (38:57–46:18)

Key Discussion Points

• Focus on Ian Wright’s comments about English media’s attitudes towards black superstars like Jude Bellingham.
• Jordan Jarrett-Bryan draws powerful parallels between Bellingham’s treatment and that of Wright (in his own career) and other black talents like Pogba.
• Specific contrast between how confident, expressive black players (“uppity”) are viewed versus quiet, humble archetypes.
• Discussion on the difference between legitimate football critique and coded/racialised media narratives.

Notable Quotes

• Jordan Jarrett-Bryan:
  “In this country, we don’t like people who are confident… The Pogba or Bellingham, they don’t accept those. Know your role, get back in your box. Just kick a ball and crack on. … If you are Jude Bellingham, you are confident, you are talented… and people can’t handle that it’s a black man doing it.” (39:55)
• Jordan:
  “As black people, we understand there’s a way to be in this country. … What’s happening to Jude Bellingham isn’t about football.” (43:49)

The Rest of the Premier League (47:25–55:10)

Crystal Palace 2–0 Wolves

• Mark Langdon highlights Adam Wharton and Jeremy Pino as difference-makers, Palace “legitimately a very good team” but lacks squad depth.

Bournemouth 2–2 West Ham

• Barry: Callum Wilson’s brace, “top level” finishing; West Ham’s collapse from 2–0 up.
• Debate on Iriola’s suitability for bigger roles; managership scrutiny theme continued.

Brighton 2–1 Brentford

• Igor Thiago misses a late penalty; amusing debate about penalty technique.
• Danny Welbeck’s goal and Minta’s assist given special mention.

Fulham 1–0 Sunderland

• Barry: “Very little. … A miserable day beside the Thames,” low-quality match, decided late by Raul Jimenez.

World Cup Draw & Nation Watch (55:10–56:38)

• Brief discussion of Ireland, Wales, and the playoff routes for the World Cup.
• Barry: “When you’re a team like Ireland, you tend to have a lot of bogey teams.” (56:19)

Memorable Moments & Humor

• Barry on great phone calls: “President Nixon’s call to Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong — maybe Eze’s is the top three…” (08:30)
• The recurring “magic wand” gag for Wolves’ manager Rob Edwards (49:04).
• Running gags about bad weather, managerial curses, and panelists’ doubts about title contenders
• Banter about Cucurella’s positional play and whether Maresca “lives on a boat” (35:06).

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Arsenal–Spurs Derby: 01:11–15:55
• Liverpool–Forest: 16:50–23:23
• Man City–Newcastle: 25:36–32:10
• Chelsea’s Form: 32:21–35:56
• Villa–Leeds & Bellingham/Ian Wright: 35:56–46:18
• Rest of the Premier League: 47:25–55:10
• World Cup Playoffs: 55:10–56:38

Tone

As usual, the episode blends The Guardian’s informed and often irreverent tone: sharp tactical analysis, witty banter, cultural context, and refreshingly frank takes on football’s thornier debates — all delivered with humor and genuine panel chemistry.

Recap for Listeners:
If you missed this episode, you’ll come away understanding why “north London is red,” which managers are teetering, why the league’s quality is up for debate, and how football culture, identity, and commentary intersect — plus a laugh, as always, from the Football Weekly crew.