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Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon and Archie Rhind-Tutt after PSG progressed past Bayern
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Barry Glendenning
This is the Guardian.
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Max Rushden
Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. And shame on Bayern and PSG for not giving us what we wanted. Another 5, 4 at the very least. We had to settle for 1 1. And really, PSG won it. In the third minute. Kvaratshelia set free down the left and was given too much time to pick out Osmana Dembele. Arsenal fans don't have to worry then about Harry Kane winning the Champions League in front of them. And PSG deserved it. Manuel Neuer was the busier of the two keepers. And so Arteta and the Gunners must face the holders in Budapest. Also today we'll look ahead to the Villa Forest Europa semi final and the Premier League weekend. City host Brentford. For Arsenal go to West Ham who need points in the relegation fight with Spring first. Then there's the playoffs that get underway. More Roy Hodgson in the wild. Your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendenning. Welcome.
Barry Glendenning
Hi, Max.
Max Rushden
Hello, Archie. Rin Touch.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
I used to have a photo with Roy Hodgson in the wild. It was my proudest possession when he was fuller manager. Hello, Max.
Max Rushden
All right? Did you burn it? Why do you not still have it?
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Times change.
Max Rushden
Yeah, okay. Chuck away your stuff. It's a good way to live. Like the Littlest Hobo or Jack Reacher. It's just once it's done, it's done.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
It was in Basel when Fulham were playing there during the Europa League. So how wild it was. It's not. It's not nearly as wild as the stuff you've had, I'll put it that way.
Max Rushden
No. Fair enough. From the Racing Post, Mark Langdon. Hello.
Mark Langdon
Hi, Max. No Hodgson anecdotes.
Max Rushden
I'm afraid you are forgiven, Mark. Let's start then at the Allianz Bayer 1 PSG 1PS. Going through to the Champions League final 65 on aggregate. They'll play Arsenal. What did you make of this, Mark?
Mark Langdon
Yeah, I think this is maybe the game that Jonathan Wilson Wanted to watch last week where Paris Saint Germain showed more facets of the play really and were able to defend and stifle Bayern Munich as much as it's possible to do that to a team that's got, you know, three brilliant attacking players like they have showed real discipline. The early goal always helped because it settled them down and gave them that. That lead to sort of hold on to. They felt sort of reasonably comfortable and defense played well. Midfield played well. They were dangerous on the counter attack and deserved to go through, I felt over the course of the two legs.
Max Rushden
Yeah, I think that's right, Archie, isn't it? They did defend, you know, Marquinhos and Pat and Pacho were brilliant.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Even if there was only. There were only two goals in this. I still felt there were glorified five A side vibes in the. In the intensity of the game and the way it zipped back and forth and the way that Marquinhos and Pacho defended, as you said, was. Was really impressive. And I think that's the best any team has defended their box against Bayern this season. From a Bayern perspective, the thing that everyone here is going back to is why was Nuno Mendes not sent off by Joao Pinero in the first half? It did seem like a red card, but obviously you can't review second yellows with Var.
Max Rushden
Hadn't Lima got done for a handball that wasn't necessarily handball just before. It isn't that he'd already blown for that.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Yes, and. And the way that was explained as well seemed puzzling in that it was a decision which was given by the fourth official five seconds after it happened.
Max Rushden
Right, okay.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
And it didn't happen. But look, ultimately I think there's a few turning points, sliding doors, moments where. Where you see Bayern didn't quite take the initiative. And I'd go back even to the first leg where Michael Elise has that chance to make it 2 nil. And I think that that is ultimately the point where you really go, if PSG were chasing the game that hard, that would have made a difference. But the truth is for the majority of this tie, PSG still had it in their own hands and Bayern just weren't sharp enough with their passing and with their general cleanliness of all their actions last night. I thought so. The fact as well that. So Manuel Neuer had a great game last night. The first saves he has to make in this tie come after he's conceded six goals in it.
Max Rushden
Yeah, yeah. It was the first one that Neva's header. Cuz that is A brilliant save. Yeah, I don't know if that's his first save. It's an unbelievable save and I think Wilson, you know, we've, it's not just let's get Wilson but he, I think he wrote Neuer off last week. So, you know, if Manuel no is
Archie Rhind-Tutt
a listener, there were none of the five goals last week where you'd go, what's he done there?
Max Rushden
Yeah, no, I, I, I agree Baz. I suppose, you know, when that first goal goes in after three minutes, you know, was a little puff, he goes, okay, we're back on. And it was it that was sort of, that was similar of the kind of football that we'd seen in the first leg, that especially that onew between Croucher and Fabian Ruiz.
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, I was, I'm not sure if it's just how the game began or if it was a deliberate tactic by PSG to roar out of the traps, try and get an early goal and then shut up shop insofar as PSG ever shut up shop at the back. But if it was a tactic, it certainly worked. They, they tore into to Bayern Munich, got that early goal. Faris K is such a difficult player to mark and he's going to give, I suspect Michael Artet and his staff a few sleepless nights between now and the final, wondering how to try to contain him, if he can be contained. But yeah, once they got that goal they had a two goal lead and they were able to, to concentrate on keeping Bayern Munich out. I mean for all that it wasn't another five, four. There were a lot of chances for both sides. Elise had a couple of chances, Musiala, Jonathan, Ty, Lewis, Diaz all had chances for Bayern Munich. Harry Kane obviously scored for them late doors and PSG had five or six chances. So you know, it was a very entertaining, reasonably end to end game. I think PSG were probably worthy winners but ultimately Bayern were diddled by that first leg penalty awarded for an Alphonse Davis handball that, that shouldn't have been given.
Max Rushden
I mean, don't, you don't need to start me, Barry. But I suppose that's an interesting way, isn't it, when you watch a game, Mark? Because Barry's right, there were lots of chances. You know, Elise puts that one just over the bar. There's the save, the brilliant save from the Neves header from Neuer. There's the, was it Nuna Mendes tackle on Elise which is a brilliant last ditch tackle. So, so I'm watching this game thinking this game isn't as good as Last week, like the, the, the midfield, the passing, the attacking just isn't as crisp. Was it the same just the finishing wasn't there or was it not just not as good or. Goals are an important part of a game being good.
Mark Langdon
Yeah, I think the, as it would have been alluded to, like the goalkeepers barely made a save last week and so from a shot creation sort of point of view, did feel like there were maybe as many chances. They just, you know, they all went in last week and they didn't this time around. I, I don't think you need to have loads of goals though for it to be a great and exciting game. You know, love buying to have scored 15 minutes earlier just to have really set up that so, you know, grandstand finish. But I mean, I still enjoyed the game. It's a semifinal like I think last week. We can't expect all semifinals to be five, four shootouts. I mean, most of them would follow what happened last night. I felt it was really interesting the way that PSG were happy to concede possession to Bayern and actually didn't in the second half particularly were not interested in risking sort of playing in their own half and were very direct and sort of in that last 25 minutes. The point where the goalkeeper was. Well, I don't, I don't know if it was a tactic to keep aiming for the touchline, but it felt very much like he was told, do not sort of pass it short, do not risk. We're just going to sort of give the ball to Bayern and defend the box. Probably the least amount I've seen Nuno Mendes and I know it was Emery rather than Akimi go forward, but to me that just makes total sense when Elise and Luis Diaz are on the wings, like just vacating those positions like they did in the first leg just seemed nonsensical to me. So I just felt PSG were much more sensible in this second game and that maybe spoiled it for me in terms of just how many goals there could be. And even the substitutions that Luis Enrique made were probably about as negative as he ever sort of goes, really. So that was respect to Bayern and the threat that they've got. But I do, I mean, I don't know if Archie agrees, he watches more of Bayern, but I do feel like Bayern are a very. They're a one trick pony. I mean, they're a very good one trick pony, but I just, I don't know, like, you know, Kane wasn't able to drop deeper and sort of link up the Play like he maybe would because PSG just put their midfield in those positions and I just felt like they, they maybe ran out of ideas slightly in that sort of second half.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
I, I would say Bayern are a multi trick pony. It's just that PSG took away those tricks. The fact that by now scored I think in all competitions around 30 goals from set pieces this season and there was one point where it flashed up saying Bayern no corners so far tonight. And I thought that's important in this game. What you mentioned there about Kane not being able to come deep and one of the things actually when these two teams played against each other in the the league phase is that Bayern rotated a lot more when it came to their positions on the pitch. And, and actually Bayern blew away PSG in the first half. That's probably their best half that they've played this season. And they were two nil up and Luis Diaz then got sent off and then they had to really defend for their lives. And I think that ultimately I think they won the wrong game this season. They were, they've been so emboldened by, by how they've played throughout this season that they have this belief that they can take on anybody. It's just that I think that PSG's best players and Bayern's best players, there is just a tiny difference in them knowing exactly what they have to do and just in terms of quality and I think that Kvarat Scalia is a little level above Musiala Elise Diaz in the same way that I think Dembele is also on that level above. And that's ultimately what's, what's made the difference is that efficiency of, of chance taking.
Max Rushden
Yeah, you make such a good point at Baz about Crash earlier because it's the close control. Like do you go, do you. It is, do you get close? Do you back off? What the hell do you do? And, and, and if you're thinking ahead to Arsenal, you know, it could be Ben White who actually played pretty well against Athletic. But isn't, you know, the best part of that Arsenal team?
Barry Glendenning
One presumes it'll be Ben White or Yuri and Timber. If I think with all due respect to Ben White, I go Yuri and Timber. But then do you put in an extra defensive midfielder to help whoever is playing at right back? Because Faris Kayle is virtually unmanageable in a one on one and even in a. When he's double teamed, it's, it's still hard to, to contain him. And even if you can manage to Contain him. There's. There's so many. You're leaving spaces elsewhere. I'd love to be a fly in the wall in. In the Arsenal coaching staff room when they're trying to figure out what to do. PSG are beatable, we know that. But I think it's fair to say they're probably the best team on the planet on their day. And Arsenal are a really good defensive team. So I'm really looking forward to this final and I will happily excuse Michael Arteta for wearing belt braces and other belts and another pair of braces just in case for this one. It's going to be intriguing.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Just the nature of psg. Who needs a number nine when you've got three players with the dribbling ability across the front three that they have. And also they do one twos quicker than I've seen any team in history do them there. It's like. And I think that's the thing watching them is that they do the simplest things at the highest intensity. That also, I think, must be pretty galling for the teams that they're playing against, because these are very simple moves and yet they do them so well that it feels like it's impossible to stop. I'm not saying what Kvaratskalia does is very simple. That's obviously not.
Max Rushden
But.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
But the way that they're able to just, yeah, pull coins from behind your ear on such a consistent basis as a defender and just your morale is dropped through a game. Ike, it.
Barry Glendenning
It.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Given how much Arsenal enjoy defending and the art of that, I think that this is a fascinating final because of. Because of the. The tests and the challenges that they will be posed with. Arsenal will not be as shy about defending as, say, Bayern were. As, say, Bayern would have been, and wanting to kind of continually go on and score one more. And just a word on Bayern, Ike it's weird that they are. I've never seen them be as comfortable with losing a semifinal, even if they're really disappointed with it because of the journey that they seem on. Joshua Kimmich usually feels like he's about to go through an existential crisis after he loses an important game of football. And the fact that he came out and said this is the. The best buying season that I've played in 11 years at the club. And there's a chance that they also may only win one trophy this season.
Max Rushden
Despite.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Despite all of this, they've still got the German Cup Final to come against Stuttgart. But I think it speaks for the. The journey and what Vincent Kompany has has done at the club.
Mark Langdon
I think just looking at the the goal that PSG scored, I think that's harder to score against Arsenal. Kavaretz Scalia had a lot of space to run into. It was a great one too with Fabian Ruiz. But like Arsenal will unashamedly be sort of 15 yards further back in those moments and I think that's the right thing to do. You wouldn't want to give PSG that amount of space. I think Arsenal can take good great heart from last season semi final. I know Mikel Arteta got mocked afterwards for saying we were the better team and even Luis Enrique agreed and then Luis Enrique didn't agree in the press conference afterwards. But I felt Arsenal, particularly in the second leg in Paris gave a very good performance at that point. PSG were ahead and so you do have to factor in the state of the game. But they caused them problems throughout that match and like the set pieces there is a clear advantage for Arsenal. Bayern scored one goal from a set piece in this game. Maybe Jonathan Tahoe could have had another one in the second leg as well. So Arsenal will have to defend really well but they have got opportunities to hurt Paris, there's no doubt about that.
Max Rushden
Yeah, and producer Ty is saying Donnarummer was incredible in that game and he doesn't play for PSG anymore. And actually Barney tweeted PSG have no weaknesses, only strengths and perfect high spec parts. Except perhaps for the goalkeeper who seems to have wandered in from a rave in Kent in 1989. I don't know if that's it is that long hair is to Barry because I actually think Safonov played pretty well yesterday. He doesn't fill you with confidence and I don't know if that's just having long hair as a keeper because it's sort of rare.
Barry Glendenning
He's probably the weakest link in the team. I don't think it's anything to do with the length of his hair and it was a rather unorthodox flap slash save from him that led to the the handball that Bayern Munich's players thought should have led to a penalty for them because a PSG player hit it off his teammates outstretched arm. It wasn't given correctly because there that is the law of which I think quite a few of the players on the pitch from broad teams didn't seem to realize. But I'd say Arsenal will be fancy the chances of getting a goal or two at set pieces of corners in the final. They will have to obviously get corners to Score from them.
Max Rushden
And that might be tricky on that handball thing, Archie. And it's obvious where I'm going to come from with this, which is.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Which I'm glad. Handball, please.
Max Rushden
Oh, not the Nuna Mendez, the. The Joe Neves one. Right, okay. Yeah, yeah. Because it seems insane to me that IFAB have realized that if somebody kicks the ball really hard near you and it hits you on the arm, even if it's outstretched, it shouldn't be a penalty. But obviously at the same time, if somebody hits your arm and it's even a tiny bit outstretched at point blank range, then it is a penalty. Makes me, sort of, makes my blood boil that they've sort of accepted that this is a rule because there's no, there's no massive difference. I know the ball's going the wrong way, but, you know, apart from that, is there a massive difference?
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Good.
Max Rushden
This isn't a penalty. Do that more.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
My point with this is if the people who are playing the sport and therefore are having supposedly the most briefings about what the rules are at the start of every season, if they don't know that that's the rule, then we're in a worrying place. The joy of football is that it's simple. And that's what I think is so frustrating about top level football nowadays, is that throughout the season we're learning new rules. It's may and no one really knew this and we all had to kind of look it up and find that out and it's just really tiring because we want to talk about the football and instead we find ourselves talking about referees and yeah, I support you in your quest, Max.
Max Rushden
Thank you so much. Join us. Join us, everyone. We will march on ifab. Follow me. Barry, you were doing your Harry Kane big game bottle of routine in the WhatsApp group before he scored. Does that make a difference that he scored?
Barry Glendenning
Look, Harry Kane is a fine footballer. He's one of the best strikers in the world. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Max Rushden
Boss, he.
Barry Glendenning
There is a worrying pattern where he does fails to grab big games, semifinals, finals by the scruff and bend them to his will. That, that's an undeniable fact. He's clearly a very good player. He scored over 50 goals this season. He scored and played brilliantly in the first leg. He was anonymous last night until he scored. And I wish he'd scored like Mark said, 10, 15 minutes earlier and then we'd have had a right ding dong of a finish.
Max Rushden
We should come on, should comp together all of the times you've said, well,
Barry Glendenning
you keep teasing me up for it. And then,
Max Rushden
sorry, you started it. You were in the. I didn't say anything. It was in the WhatsApp group. It was, it became part of, you know, acceptable discussion points from you. Anyway, Archie, you were going to make an important, an interesting point on this, perhaps.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
I would like to defend Harry Kane. This is a point that could have been made in the past, but not this season, not this season at all. Because he scored in each of the quarterfinals against Real Madrid and he scored in each of the games against psg and only one of them was a penalty. And still to stick away a penalty is a skill in itself, as we've seen in football. And I think that last night it lays more on the shoulders of that There were other teammates of his that had bigger chances where they could have scored in Alise and Musiala and even Diaz taking the right decision at the right point and when his chance comes along, he takes it in a really impressive way. And, and also, let's not forget, like, if we look at Bayern's route to the final or what it would have been like to score home and away against Real Madrid in those pressure moments, is what we would attribute a big game player doing and scoring against PSG in, in both games as well, I think. Yeah, I think this time he deserves a little bit of slack.
Max Rushden
Mark, we haven't talked about the final bit. How do you see it playing? Is it as simple as attack versus defense or not?
Mark Langdon
I mean, it could be, yeah. I think if, if kind of both teams play the way you expect, but sometimes that doesn't happen. For instance, like Man City didn't go and press Arsenal in the Carabao Cup Final and just let them have the ball for large spells and just waited for their moments. Luis Enrique might have watched that and thought, actually, you know, that that's not a bad tactic and we'll be patient and just expect to score at some stage in the game. I, I would be very surprised if Arsenal played any differently, but they're up against, you know, a world class team, the champions in Europe with threats everywhere. So like, I think they have to play that way. They have to play cautiously and, and wait for their moments. So I make PSG favorites. I would, I would. I think they both played to their levels. I think PSG will win, but you know, football's rarely that simple.
Max Rushden
Yeah. And I think it obviously makes a big difference, Baz, if Arsenal go into that game holding a Premier League trophy and they, and they should Be.
Barry Glendenning
I'm not sure it does make a difference really do you know, I think
Max Rushden
because there's no because then it becomes much more of a free hit. It's not a free hit because they've never won a European cup, but if they go there and they haven't won the Premier League, the pressure on them is mad of, you know, that you can imagine the discussion of, you know, the amount of that man with his bottle at Man City and all this, you know, like, like that will. The whole narrative will be different to you've got this medal. It's time to basically have the best season that Arsenal have ever, ever had in their history.
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, but. Okay, that's fair enough. They would go into it with a massive monkey off their back, but I don't think it would alter their approach to the game. They just be playing with a more of a spring in their step, I guess. I don't think anyone was expecting Arsenal to win the Champions League at the start of the season. So the fact they're in the final, but the God, they're up against such a good team. But it's winnable. It is winnable.
Mark Langdon
I think this is a win for me over Barry in the League phase. Doesn't matter that we talk about.
Barry Glendenning
I was just thinking this yesterday.
Mark Langdon
The Barry B started a while ago.
Barry Glendenning
I would say it's a 1 all on aggregate and we go again next season.
Mark Langdon
But yeah, Arsenal won the League and deserved to win the League and they took it seriously and you know, took advantage of kind of, I think was a favorable League phase fixture list but, you know, did what they had to do and their path to the final compared to PSG's has been quite different. So yeah, I'd say it does matter.
Barry Glendenning
But if they do lose the final, then it'll be two nil to me on aggregate.
Mark Langdon
I. I think Arsenal, you know, give you look at and I think from you, Bayern Munich did very well in the League.
Barry Glendenning
It'll be two nil to me in aggregate in a best of three.
Mark Langdon
So I mean, I'm sorry but Bayern Munich also did well in the League phase and end up with a hard draw. But I just think overall you've got to give yourself the best possible opportunity and that's what Arsenal have done and they've taken advantage of that.
Max Rushden
I also remember Barry, you know, Mark is living with us for I don't know, 10 days at the World cup or something. So, you know, let's keep him on side for now anyway while we're on Arsenal Their women drew at Brighton last night, which means Man City are the WSL champions. Listen to the Guardian Women's Football Weekly because it's excellent. And that'll do for part one. Part two we'll look at the Europa semi final. Do a Premier League preview as well.
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Mark Langdon
Foreign.
Max Rushden
Welcome to Part two of the Guardian Football Weekly solicits Villa Forest in the Europa League semi final tonight. Clearly a lot of you will know that result by the time you listen to this podcast, but it is baz fascinatingly poised. Villa are better, but Forest have all the momentum. They've won their last five, haven't lost in 10, and Villa have lost their last three, including the first leg.
Barry Glendenning
Yeah, and Forest go into this game on the back of that big win over Chelsea at the weekend in which they were. Well, they would have a completely different team, one imagines, but spirits will be high in the camp. Villa obviously stank the place out at the weekend with their B team, but again, there'd be changes all around. At the time of talking, I don't know if Morgan Gibbs White, I think he's going to play because he didn't suffer a concussion, he just suffered a quite deep cut on his head, so one presumes he'd be fine. And I think if he'd been out that would have massively swung the game in Villa's favor. But yeah, I can't really pick a winner, to be honest. I'd probably go Villa, but not with any confidence.
Max Rushden
It's interesting if you're not concussed but your half your head has fallen off, you can still play. But yeah, he's had a protective mask fitted so you know he'll be the. The zorro of the team. How do you see it, Mark?
Mark Langdon
Very tight match. You know, the league table would suggest Aston Villa are way better than Nottingham Forest. I think Forest clearly had, you know, when you're on your fourth manager of the season, then you. There's been issues earlier on in the campaign but like in more recent times, they've played so well and so I think I wouldn't judge Forest as being this kind of team that's been battling against relegation. You know, this current team, if the season started now, I think would be comfortably in mid table and not that far off of Aston Villa. So I think, I think Villa got it all on to to get past Forest and it's really tight game. I mean I just about rather have the lead rather than home advantage.
Max Rushden
The winner meets either Freiburg or Braga. Braga are 21 up. Freiburg. Lovely place for a mini break. I may have said that before Archie, but are they good or do you expect them to? Do you expect Braga to go through?
Archie Rhind-Tutt
I still love the fact that 39 year old Joao Moutinho is pulling the midfield strings for Braga. I watched the first leg of this last week and I think a draw would have been fair. But fair play to Braga for the way that they stole it at the end. And Freiburg are the best they've ever been and yet it still doesn't feel like it's quite enough. It's amazing that they're in a European semi final at all given the resources at their disposal compared to the likes of Villa and Forest, for example. Okay, one guy you have to watch out for, Johan Manzambi. That is a name you will hear in the future and even at the World cup as well. For Switzerland he plays generally out wide. For Freiburg he plays as a holding midfielder or as a central midfielder. To be honest, he plays everywhere. And this guy does not run with the ball, he dances with the ball. He is a real difference maker for them. It's big blow for them that they've lost Yuito Suzuki who fractured his collarbone at the weekend. Suzuki and Manzambi are the two players who really make Freiburg tick. Freiburg have won their last 10 Europa League home games stretching back over the last two seasons. So there's still an expectation that they win tonight. But it's a good story whoever does get to the final. From an English perspective, if it's Forest who win, then the end of the season in England becomes just that little bit less interesting for a batch of teams behind the top five.
Max Rushden
Yeah, and actually on that I was going to do this when we were talking about Brentford. Very occasional FSA rivals the football ramble noticed this, which is Liverpool play Brentford on the final day, right?
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Yeah.
Max Rushden
So Brentford go to Liverpool on the final day. Now if Brentford are six and they can't be caught so they are definitely sixth and Liverpool and Villa are still vying for fourth, fifth. Brentford need to lose to Liverpool to get Champions League football which is absolutely sensational, isn't it? What do you do? Do you just sit down like is that like is there an Integrity thing somewhere. Like what? Like how do you subtly lose? Because it would just be like they. That would be definitely in their interest to lose a football match, which is totally fascinating. Palace play Shaktar tonight. They're three one up. Some good quotes from Glasner. It could be his fourth consecutive final in four seasons. If palace make it there. He said the fans have tasted honey now they more they won't be happy with just avocados. And then he said he quoted Tony Polster when asked if he wanted a statue built at Silhouette Park. He said I don't want a statue. Birds on a statue. So good luck to palace then to the Premier League B. The title race man City home to Brentford Saturday 5:30 and then Arsenal go to West Ham on Sunday at 4:30. And it is pretty simple, isn't it? City have to win City.
Barry Glendenning
I'm going to sound like I'm talking about Harry Kane again. City are an undeniably good team but they have this habit of ceding control of matches to opposition when they look on top. And then as we saw when they did it against Everton, they conceded three goals and found themselves in all sorts of bother. Brentford have plenty to play for because they won't be trying to lose this one and I could envisage them giving City plenty of problems. As for West Ham Arsenal, I can't see anything other than Arsenal win. But I suppose West Ham have to hope they've got a bit of a Champions League semi final hangover and maybe start with intensity and try and get out at Arsenal right from the the start while they're a bit leggy and you they'll need big performance from Jared Bowen I suppose. But I can't see West Ham winning this game.
Max Rushden
Can you Mark? I mean as a Spurs fan you can obviously.
Mark Langdon
Yeah. I mean it would be. Would be the. The one time settle for Arsenal winning a sort of virtual title decider. Might be the time they don't. I this is not sort of with the Tottenham hat on. I feel like this is a more a trickier game maybe than what Barry's suggesting now. I see it as being similar to the one that Everton and Man City played out where there will be moments in the game where I think West Ham will have to ride their luck but then have also got some opportunities to hurt Arsenal. Like the London Stadium has been better in. In sort of recent months. This feels like a game where West Ham will need something from as well. Even a point might. Might not be a bad result. So I, I think it's I think it's a hard enough game for Arsenal you'd expect them to win, but of the three remaining matches, this is the one.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Yeah.
Mark Langdon
Most likely to slip up.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Yeah.
Max Rushden
I'd be interesting to see if they arrest anyone or you know, Barry's sort of one man campaign to get Christian Norga just one game of football. Probably won't happen, will it? They probably start Zubamendi or Lewis Guy. I mean, I guess because it is their toughest game and now they don't have that many games. There's every chance they just go absolute full strength.
Mark Langdon
They don't play again until the following Monday against Burnley. I'd be amazed if if Arteta rotated like this is this feels like the, the title winning opportunity. Really.
Max Rushden
There is a rumor I don't if this, this may be nonsense and if so it can be cut. There's a rumor that palace gets some money from the Eze deal if Arsenal win the league and palace play Arsenal on the last game. You know, maybe. I mean could be absolute. I have no idea.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Conspiracy theory Max is.
Max Rushden
Yeah. What's happened to me motoring also. Yeah. Also. Have you. Why. Why aren't we wearing glasses inside? That's, you know.
Barry Glendenning
Please don't start arguing.
Max Rushden
I was looking at the airplanes in the sky the while on the relegation fight, spurs leads on Monday nights. Obviously we have a pod before then. But you were saying, Mark, when everyone was going actually spurs are getting relegated. You were saying it's 50, 50 now. It's probably what, 40, 60.
Mark Langdon
No, no, much, much more in Tottenham's favor than that. Tottenham is kind of about 25% now just in terms of the, the odds. I've been so impressed with kind of what's happened in, in the last few weeks and I'm going to have a bit of a pop at the media in inverted commas. They played well against Brighton, didn't win. And the narrative after was that when you're in the bottom three or in that dogfight, you've just got to win. Doesn't matter how you play. So they went to Wolves, didn't play well, won. And the narrative was we're not creating any chances and you think, well what have you got to do here? So you put both of them together against Aston Villa and then people start talking about the integrity and Villa weren't trying. You just think, well I know everybody wants Tottenham to be relegated, but it's been a breath of fresh air really. De Zerbi, the way he's come in, spoken so positively about the team, the club, the situation, which is, you know, he said, losers cry, you know, we can win five in a row. And when Igor Tudor walked in after a week, he said, oh, things are much worse than I thought they were. A week later he subbing the goalkeeper after 20, 20 minutes. And Thomas Frank and Thomas Frank in pre season promised the fans that he would lose matches in one of the most bizarre kind of opening press conferences. And he was, he was good as his word. He lost a lot. So it's just nice to have kind of, I think everybody pulling in the same direction. I don't think Leeds is an easy game at all. And you know, wouldn't be surprised if Tottenham dropped points. But it's back in their own hands and that's a lot more comfortable position to be in than sort of this time, sort of last week.
Max Rushden
Obviously, you know, suppose I have to go to Chelsea. I know Chelsea are on a six game losing run and they go to Liverpool. Archie. So a seven game losing run presumably. But there is just absolutely, that's just absolutely written for Chelsea to beat Tonner, but they go to Liverpool. There is a. There's going to be a protest from a group called Not a Project FC before the FA cup final. There's going to be a project at the last home game of the season against spurs where fans turn their backs in the 22nd minute.
Barry Glendenning
That'll show them.
Max Rushden
Yeah, I'm gonna say, Barry, it's something, isn't it?
Barry Glendenning
It's not much, is it?
Max Rushden
No, no, I suppose not.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
If I've learned anything from German football, you need to be disrupting the game in some way for people to really take notice.
Max Rushden
Right.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Like seeing it was for a protest of a season or two ago where they flew remote controlled airplanes onto the pitch at one point, for example. Or the tennis balls.
Mark Langdon
Ike.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
But also. Yeah, I think it's very difficult to have yourself listened to in English football regarding a protest because the, because of the way that the power is structured.
Max Rushden
Sure. Everyone now seems to say slot's gonna be there next year, Mark. So if that's the case, maybe he doesn't need to finish strongly.
Mark Langdon
Yeah, I mean, well, they need to just absolutely kind of make sure that they're in Champions League and I think finishing as hot, you know, if they can finish fourth, it's still better than finishing fifth.
Max Rushden
28 till he's 29.
Mark Langdon
Yeah, exactly. I would get rid, I would get rid of Arnold Slot if I don't think Liverpool will. I just. I do think he rode that kind of Klopp sort of wave when, when he first went in and then the team next season is going to look so different from that Klopp one and I just don't, I don't trust him or see kind of a way where he is massively successful trying to build his own thing at Liverpool and wouldn't be amazed if he left by say Christmas or something like that. He probably does deserve a third season and this has been a tricky one, but I wouldn't have much faith in him being able to improve them massively next year.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
This point of whether it works for slot or not, it feels like the, the, the deciding point of Barry against Mark given that I know that Barry has, has, has expressed sympathy for, for slot before. It's such a difficult season to, to really analyze with Liverpool given everything that has gone on there.
Max Rushden
Yeah, of course.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
And, and, and where to land with it. And yet you feel in, in today's climate that people want a head to roll that that there needs to be some sort of. Yeah. Sacrifice made from this. If I've learned anything from succession it was that well, somebody's got to get fired, but who's it going to be? I mean Salah going is not someone getting fired. But that is going to be a significant change in terms of the hierarchy of that, that club in terms of how that dressing room works. And, and if I've seen anything from Bayern Munich this season, the fact that Thomas Muller left it allowed different personalities to speak up and become greater characters in the dressing room. And that's something that is difficult to predict right now. I always find that it's very easy to make conclusions about what next season will look like given the amount of the body of evidence that we've just had in front of us. But in the end it can look so very different. I don't think we would have predicted Liverpool becoming title winners under Arne Slot for example, at the end of that Klopp season. But look where we are. And I mean to be fair, that still keeps us engaged. Right.
Barry Glendenning
I predicted it.
Max Rushden
Oh, well done, Barry. Another point for you, Mark languishing here now after this. He wasn't even in that contest. Brighton Wolves, Fulham Bournemouth, Sunderland Man United. Sunday sees Bernie Villa, Palace, Everson Forest, Newcastle. Any of those catch your eye, Baz?
Barry Glendenning
Well, Sondra, London would play, man. Uh, that could be an odd old game because neither of them really have much to play for. But no team has beaten Sunderland as often in the Premier League and a lot of teams have beaten Sunderland in the Premier League. No team has beaten them more often than Manchester United and I suspect that is unlikely. That record, they will just extend it at the weekend.
Mark Langdon
We're talking about that kind of six spot. Potentially getting Champions League Bournemouth in the Champions League would be fairly crazy, I think for. And it's. Yeah, obviously it will depend somewhat on what happens this evening at Villa park. But to even be in that conversation in May, just remarkable given what they lost in the summer. The whole defense just departed and the goalkeeper and they've got better, which is, yeah, some dying. If.
Barry Glendenning
If Bournemouth did qualify for the Champions League, would the Vitality Stadium be up to standard for the Champions League or would they have to play somewhere else?
Max Rushden
Is that a size thing or just a. I don't know. It's a good question. And finally, finally, that was when the pod ended the silence. In his 20th year, Barry ends the pond with a question about the Vitality setting that it's a question I probably
Barry Glendenning
should have had the answer confirmed with the answer to. But I just. Okay, crossed my mind.
Max Rushden
Can't do it. You can't do everything actually because Iriola isn't going to Athletic Club, which a lot of people thought he would. Mark. Where's he gonna go? I mean, because that's another thing about this summer is there's just so many possible city job will be up Chelsea, maybe Liverpool, maybe Newcastle. Like there's lots of jobs around. Yeah.
Mark Langdon
I mean I assumed he was going back to Bilbao. I think most people did. It does make Manchester United slightly more intriguing. Carrick maybe felt a week ago that he was getting it, but there's potential to go there. I wouldn't like to see him at Chelsea because I just think that's the place that you can just cook you as a manager and you're almost back to square one. And I think wherever he goes, he might need time. You know. I remember Dominic Solanke speaking about Iriola saying it was so complicated at the start what. What they want, what he wanted them to do. And they did start very slowly. And you just imagine like at Chelsea, you know, you're out the door before you've even managed to implement your. Your plan. So I mean, I sort of feel like Carrick, like just the easy option is to just give him the job, but if. If they don't. I think him at Manchester United would be fun to watch.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
I heard a clip of an interview with Antoine Semeno the other day who was detailing how Bournemouth players don't get any days off. And it was making Me think if Andoni Raiola goes with that to a
Max Rushden
big club, Real Madrid, come on, go to Real Madrid.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
If you are not giving the. If you're not giving the players the day off, you're gonna have a mutiny. And I, I do wonder if. Because I think the narratives we create in the Premier League is that of this, of this clutch of teams that are behind the top six, that these managers who have done well, like Marco Silva, like Andoni Raiola, like before Thomas Frank, that the. The next step for them is to go manage a top six club. And I just wonder if it is. If that is going to end up working. I see facets of Marco Silva's management where I think, I tell you what, at Fulham, you can get away with that, but a top club that's going to. That won't go down well and there'll be far less tolerance for that. Even if I do think, like, these guys are outstanding at what they do. But the dynamics, I don't think are always as we portray them. And I think that actually in the media, we're not very good at picking coaches for new clubs. I only have to look at the fact that Vincent Kompany was, what, fifth, sixth choice for Bayern Munich, for example. It's not always the most obvious candidate. I think that ends up being the best one. So, yeah, I think it's a really interesting thing to see what would happen should it be Iriola, but also because of what the Carrick reign has done in terms of if they, if they don't have Carrick at the start of next season, then the foot and they think go south in the first five, six games, the noise will be, well, what's Michael Carrick doing?
Max Rushden
Of course. But if they keep, if they keep Carrick and he has five bad games, it's the same thing right around. You're eating into your fuller minute. But Archie.
Barry Glendenning
Sorry, Max. Did you retire Pep from Man City there or have I missed some?
Max Rushden
Yeah, I just presumed he'd gone, but maybe I did. Maybe I did prematurely. Breaking news. I can't believe it. Full of minute.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
I wanted the pod to be harsher on Fulham on Monday. We rolled over and had our tummies tickled at Arsenal. The fact that the Raul Jimenez was the guy sent into a different postcode by Bukayo Saka. Like when, when defending that, I just like, how can that be the case when you know what's coming? Arsenal played really well, but I felt like we allowed them to do that. It's difficult to feel too much goodwill towards Fulham right now because. Drumroll. Season ticket prices have risen again.
Max Rushden
Good, good.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
And, but, but the way that the club have done this is that they've spoken to the fans. Hang on a minute. They spoke to the fan advisory board, who checks notes. They picked, they hand picked the fans for the fan advisory board. But it's okay because those fans can. Oh, wait, they all have to sign an NDA with the club to be on the fan advisory board. But they did consult with them and after some hard negotiations, both season ticket prices went back up. I know. I am continually beating the same drum and in the media, it feels like if you're still saying the same point, however long it is, it's like, oh, this is boring. You need to make a different point. But we need to change that culture because if the point is important enough, then you got to keep saying it regardless of how dull and monotone it sounds. It's like, I, I hate, I hate so much of the.
Barry Glendenning
Can I have a Harry Kane minute?
Max Rushden
Listen, I'm looking, I'm looking around. I, I, I for one have never repeated a story. I'm sorry, Archie. That is, isn't it? Yeah. As you said, as you said about Chelsea, like, what power do you, what power do you have? Anyway, that'll do for part two. In part three, we'll talk about the playoffs. Here is a bit where I encourage you to listen to other Guardian podcasts. Listen to all of them, please. There was a new video podcast our New York office is launching. It's called Stateside with Kyan Carter. It's hosted by our colleagues, Kai Wright and Carter Sherman. Each week, they're going to be trying to make sense of some of the biggest stories happening right now. The show will feature conversations with some of the smartest thinkers and reporters, not just from the Guardian, but across the world. It's launching next week, 13 May, with episodes every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. You can find it in full video on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts.
Mark Langdon
We're lost.
Max Rushden
And kickoff's coming up. I don't want to miss the lineup. I'm gonna ask that man for directions. Hi there. We're trying to get to the stadium.
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Max Rushden
Nah, I'm just kidding.
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Max Rushden
How is their signal out here?
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Max Rushden
pull up the way to a T Mobile store?
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Max Rushden
Welcome to Part three of the Guardian Football Weekly and so it's the playoffs in the championship. It's quite an interesting stat in the last 20 years I think it is the team that's finished third has gone up nine times, fourth six times, fifth four times, sixth just twice because in my mind Mark, it's the team with momentum that squeeze into sick that always do it. But that isn't true.
Mark Langdon
No, unlike a lot of football stats it's kind of, it's one of them. What? You only remember it when it happens and then you feel like it's sort of more frequent. But yeah it's it, it makes sense because the team in sixth has got the hardest game in the semi final against the team that finishes third first of all and you know they've been the worst team in in the league out of them four more often than not as well like Hull come into that in that sixth position and would definitely be the weakest team in the championship playoffs. Now as you said there's a couple of times that they can win but I think Millwall will, will fancy their chances of of getting to Wembley and winning that two legged tie. Alex Neil side they play up to the Millwall stereotype at parts like you know, Jake Cooper at the back just heads everything. He just comes into the Box and he just heads it away and you know he does slide tackle headers and stuff like that. He just like a man mounting. But they actually, they have got creative players going forward and I think that if they do get to the final, be a tougher game obviously harder to call that Middlesbrough, Southampton sort of tie. I'd probably edge towards Southampton but. But yeah, I, I can see sort of a Southampton Millwall final and I wouldn't rule Millwall out, although, you know, I think Southampton are probably the team that everybody fancies given the way they finished the season and won the sort of won the FA cup tie against Arsenal, got to the semis. So yeah, I can see a Southampton
Barry Glendenning
Millwall final just in terms of momentum. Sunderland lost five games in a row going into last season's playoffs, is that right? But they were able to. They were kind of having a little mini break on the beach because it cemented their place in the playoffs with seven or eight games to go. So. But yeah, they lost five in a row before their playoff semi final against Coventry.
Max Rushden
League one person on Saturday, Stevenage, Stockport and Bolton Bradford Stevens who sneaked in with that, did it cross the line at the expense of Luton? You said you had this all covered, Mark, so this is tricky to call. I think you imagine Stockport will get past Stevens, the other one. I no idea. Yeah.
Mark Langdon
So Stockport have just. They've had quite a few injuries. That's been the problem for them. Carl Wootton, the center forward's been playing center back and has been converted by Dave Challoner. So not an ideal situation. But when they signed Louis Barry on loan, it was all. They already knew that the top two was basically done at that point and he wasn't even fit when. When they brought him in. I mean they, they brought him in effectively to try to win the playoffs and so that gamble kind of starts here. I think you're right. I think they will beat Stockpole like Bradford. I was speaking to a Bradford fan said the reason their home form has been so good is the pitch is not amazing and some teams struggle and Bolton would be sort of more of a footballing side. But if you sort of follow the stats and expected goals like Bolton would be the best team out of those four and would expect to go up. But yeah, I think Stockport got the easiest semi final and yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if maybe if they can get a few players back maybe they might be able to shop Bolton maybe
Max Rushden
in the final Sunday League two Grimsby, Salford and Chesterfield, Knox county and actually Grimsby, you know did finish bottom of all these sides, but they really do have the momentum Mark, you know, and I watched them win at the Abbey and Salford missed out not getting an absolute stonewall penalty and missing an open goal from about a yard, which helped us go up. But I, I think Grimsby might do that, actually.
Mark Langdon
Yeah, I, I, Salford like their goal difference, like not great for a team that finished fourth and, and nearly got automatic. Obviously the most famous club of that quartet, given kind of the ownership of them. I've watched quite a lot of Salford this season.
Max Rushden
Fabio Barini up front for them.
Barry Glendenning
Is he.
Mark Langdon
Yeah, he doesn't always play, though. And when he does play, it's kind of in a more, in a sort of deeper position and. But I agree with you, I think Grimsby might be able to shock Salford in that one. Like Knott's county against Chesterfield, one that like, just can go either way type. Things are probably edged towards Knott's county, who I think Wolf, there's definitely been times this season when Knott's county have felt like they're one of the best free teams in that league and should have got automatic and you know that they just, when others kicked on like, like Cambridge, that they weren't able to quite match it. So, so maybe it'll be a Grimsby versus Knott's final and I, I think Grimsby might, might do it.
Max Rushden
Jenny Infantino has defended World cup ticket prices. Good old Gianni insisting that football's global governing body was obliged to take advantage of US Laws that allow tickets to be resold for thousands of dollars above face value. FIFA's World cup resale website last week advertised four tickets to the final at a cost of $2.3 million each. FIFA does not control the asking price, but it takes a 15% purchase fee from the buyer of each ticket and a 15% resale fee from the seller. That means FIFA would make $690,000 if someone is stupid enough to spend 2.3 million on a ticket for the final. Speaking at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, Infantino said if some people put on the resale market some tickets for the final at $2 million, number one, it doesn't mean tickets cost 2 million, and number two, it doesn't mean that somebody will buy these tickets. And if somebody buys a ticket for the final for $2 million, I will personally bring him a hot dog and a Coke to make sure he has a great experience. Producer Tire right side pay $3 million to have Gianni not come and give me a hot dog and he said FIFA received in excess of 500 million ticket requests for 2026 compared with fewer than 50 million combined for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Added that 25% of tickets for the group phase were priced at under $300. You cannot go to watch in the US a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game at a certain level for less than 300 bucks. And this is the World cup on Wednesday morning tickets were available for the next home game for the New York Yankees for as little as $11. Other tickets for more prestigious events often well below $300. Playoff seats for the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunders current series against LeBron James's LA Lakers available for 158. Tickets for Ohio State Miami in last season's cotton ball started at $32. Anyway, all going well.
Barry Glendenning
I read an article somewhere I think think it might be in the athletics saying that in whole cities the take up for hotel rooms is nowhere near what was expected. So that that suggests that all may not be well.
Max Rushden
I once hosted a quiz on BT Sport. It didn't last and it was one where they sort of had to ship in an audience and you know at one point we had to stop and he'd film like five episodes in a day and at one point we had to stop filming because some old lady just fallen asleep and was snoring incredibly loudly. That will happen for some of the group games just to bust people in to watch these football match to make it look full. I don't know if anyone else has seen this. I did put it in the group. Some journalist inverted commerce has written a book for gianni like the 10 moments to celebrate Gianni's 10 years in power at FIFA. Like you know, it's every bit as good as Grisham. A real page turner as you can imagine. You wanted to ask you to give a shout out to Schalke and Mehron Muslic.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Yeah, Schalke are back in the Bundesliga, which German football I think really needs. They are one of the biggest clubs in the country. And Miro Muslic deserves great credit because even though Schalke, the name and the club, the stature is big, they were not amongst anybody's favorites to get promoted at the start of this season. He really caught my eye just as a different character as well. He gave this interview to German football magazine El Freunder where he's talking about his past as a refugee and moving from Bosnia when he was nine to Austria. And this came in the Context of when he was asked, like, you know, how does he work with the players? Is it stick and carrot? And he goes, no, that sounds too much like we're talking about U.S. foreign policy under Condoleezza Rice. And I was like, you're not speaking like every football manager there. But then again, because of his past, he's not. And it should be said, key reason for them going up as well is that fellow Bosnian and legend of the game in Bosnia, Edin Dzeco, gave him a ring over Christmas and was like, I quite fancy coming and playing for Schalke. Could we make that happen? And Miron Muslic, who kind of was a fan of Edinzego, was like, sure, yeah, yeah, yeah, we can do that.
Max Rushden
Oh, that's great.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Absolutely. And Edin Checo has been a real hit there. He's really helped, you know, energize the place as well. And it is really no mean feat to get these big traditional clubs moving again in the same dark in a good direction. And, yeah, great credit to me, Ron Muslic, because I remember, I mean, understandably, Plymouth were not too happy that he was leaving in the summer, but at the same time, Schalke is just a completely different stratosphere of club to Plymouth.
Max Rushden
Jack says hi. Guardian Football Weekly. Just thought you'd like another weekly update on Roy Hodgson and his whereabouts. There's a man who plays chess on the high street in Bath city centre and look who recently turned up for a game. Not sure if he managed to get the checkmate, but Roy is ticking off more side quests in the West Country. I see, yes, the traveling chess man on Instagram sitting there very happy alongside Roy Hodgson. Although the game. It looks like the game hasn't started, so we do not know if they played or not or the game is still going. But if you know, if you're wandering through Bath city centre right now and you let us know if Roy is or isn't there. Thanks. That'll do for today. Thanks, everybody. Thanks, Mark.
Mark Langdon
Thank you, Max.
Max Rushden
Cheers, Barry.
Barry Glendenning
Thank you.
Max Rushden
Cheers, Archie.
Archie Rhind-Tutt
Thanks, Max.
Max Rushden
Football Weekly is produced by Taya Papula. Our executive producer is Joel Grove and we'll be back on Monday.
Barry Glendenning
This is the Guardian.
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Date: May 7, 2026
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Archie Rhind-Tutt, Mark Langdon
In this episode, Max Rushden and the Football Weekly crew dissect PSG’s solid semi-final display against Bayern Munich, securing a Champions League final clash with Arsenal. The panel also previews the upcoming Europa League semi-finals, reviews the impending Premier League weekend, digs into the title race dynamics, and delivers lively debate and classic Football Weekly banter. From VAR and handball controversy to Harry Kane’s “big game” reputation, the episode brims with analysis, wit, and memorable moments.
[02:08-18:47]
PSG’s Tactical Evolution
Key Defensive Performances
Turning Points and VAR Frustration
Quality of the Match
Detailed Tactical Bits
[11:59-16:46, 22:19-24:30]
Kvaratskhelia the Danger Man
Consistent questions raised over how Arteta will plan to contain him. “Faris Kayle is such a difficult player to mark and he's going to give…a few sleepless nights between now and the final” (05:46, Barry).
Possible solutions include an extra defensive midfielder to shore up Arsenal’s right side (12:16, Barry).
PSG’s Unique Attack
Arsenal’s Defensive Craft vs PSG’s Attack
Goalkeeper Weakness?
[18:03-19:45]
[20:02-21:07]
[26:21-28:36]
[31:52-34:15]
[35:00-37:02]
[38:11-40:46]
[50:03-54:58]
Maintaining Football Weekly’s signature mix of analysis, humor, and punditry, the episode features sharp tactical insights, healthy disagreement, and recurring in-jokes. The hosts preserve their light-hearted banter while providing compelling takes on Europe’s biggest football stories.
Summary by Football Weekly Podcast Summarizer