Football Weekly – Szoboszlai’s Rocket and Milner’s New Milestone

Date: September 1, 2025
Main Theme:
Max Rushden and panelists Philippe Auclair, Lars Sivertsen, and Noz (Nurin Chowdhury) dissect a dramatic round of Premier League football, with big transfer headlines, spectacular goals, VAR controversy, and personal milestones. A focus on Liverpool’s big-money moves and their pivotal win, Manchester United’s potentially season-defining penalty, Manchester City’s transition woes, an ode to James Milner, and memorable performances across the league and Europe.

Liverpool’s Transfer Coup and Szoboszlai’s Rocket Secures the Top ([01:21]–[13:18])

Alexander Isak Joins Liverpool: Record-Breaking Transfer

• Deal Details: Isak signs for £125m rising to £130m, breaking the British transfer record.
• Panel Reaction:
  • Noz ([03:21]): “There’s nothing like a deadline day to focus the minds… Liverpool do need that player… Isak is the difference maker. He’s not the most prolific, but in big moments against Real Madrid, against PSG, he’ll get the goal.”
  • Philippe ([04:29]): Emphasizes Liverpool’s net spend remains reasonable, due to sales like Quansah, Darwin Núñez, and Luis Diaz. “It is money they’ve earned. Very profitable club… They have sold well.”
  • Lars ([05:58]): Views Liverpool’s moves as “thinking big picture”—future-proofing for the post-Salah era by integrating world-class attacking talents now.

Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal: Szoboszlai’s Brilliant Winner

• The game itself was “boring” (Max, [07:07]), but Szoboszlai, again starting at right-back, produced a moment of “total brilliance” to win it.
• Noz ([07:33]): On Szoboszlai’s versatility and underrated genius, praising his intelligence and ability both to defend and to spark attacks from fullback.

  “He’s so good at everything he does. In a lot of ways he’s a complete footballer.”

• Max & Philippe ([09:19]): Lampoon the Ronaldo comparison for Szoboszlai’s free-kick, calling it a “grave disservice.”
• Arsenal Critique:
  • Auclair criticizes Arteta’s overly cautious game plan and personnel choices, especially around Martinelli and Eze ([10:01]):

    “Wrong lineup, wrong attitude, wrong game plan… Liverpool were there for the taking, a huge opportunity missed.”

James Milner’s New Milestone & Brighton Best Man City ([14:51]–[20:34])

James Milner: Second Youngest and Second Oldest Premier League Scorer

• Milner scores for Brighton, achieving a unique double (second youngest, now also second oldest scorer in PL).
• His “understated” greatness and versatility are celebrated.
  • Philippe ([15:27]): “He’s on the bench of the great, which is the right place… that is the essence of James Milner’s greatness.”
  • Noz ([16:00]): Praises his athleticism and longevity, jokes about Milner competing in “World’s Strongest Man” after football.

Brighton 2-1 Manchester City: City’s Growing Pains

• Brighton’s young stars shine—Brighton’s talent-spotting lauded by Lars ([17:32]).
• City “Crisis”?
  • Philippe ([18:44]): Labels it a “blippish” transition, noting lack of decisiveness, some underperformers, and the challenge of incorporating squad changes.
  • On Haaland’s misses: “Is this the striker whom we thought was going to be the greatest striker football had ever seen? We haven’t seen him for a while now.”
  • Lars ([20:41]): Cautions against overreaction: “He’s still scoring a lot of goals because he’s very good.”

Rumour Watch: Donnarumma to City?

• Philippe ([21:49]) and Lars ([22:05]) both perplexed by the City–Donnarumma rumor, given his footwork limitations and Guardiola’s goalkeeper requirements.

  “For him to go to Guardiola City is absurd… really weird… It makes me wonder, what are they doing with the rebuild?”

Manchester United’s Last-Minute Win & The Amarim Discussion ([26:00]–[34:09])

Man United 3-2 Burnley: Amarim’s Crucial Penalty

• Dramatic end: VAR-given penalty secures Utd a win. The panel agrees it could be pivotal due to the timing before an international break.
  • Noz ([26:58]): “I was seriously worried Amarim would walk... he's that kind of personality.”
  • On the performance: “You can scrape a convincing win… United actually played really, really well… should have scored at least three more goals.”
• Manager Focus: Ruben Amarim
  • Lars ([29:24]): Questions Amarim’s penchant for existential doubt—“Is that a big fear at this point?”
  • Noz ([29:58]): Stands by Amarim’s system, even if the results wobble: “I genuinely still believe it’s about the players… I want the manager’s beliefs and system to be the focus and the players to learn around that.”
  • Philippe ([31:03]): Skeptical about forcing players into a rigid system, citing issues with Bruno Fernandes’ role mirroring the Ronaldo/Solskjær dilemma.

West Ham’s Dramatic Turnaround at Forest ([34:49]–[37:55])

• West Ham’s Much-Needed Win:
  • West Ham turn around a poor start with a late flurry of goals—Bowen, Somerville, and Callum Wilson instrumental.
  • Lars ([34:49]): “Had to go to Forest away and [Potter’s] side just kind of pulled this out of… not much.”
  • Praises Bowen as a “genuinely heroic character in the story of West Ham.”
• Discussion of a near-brilliant goal ([37:03]): Comparison to John Barnes and Michael Owen’s classic solo runs—almost thwarted at the last moment.

VAR & Refereeing Meltdown: Chelsea-Fulham ([38:11]–[44:49])

Fulham Denied at the Bridge: VAR Controversy

• Fulham’s equalizer ruled out for a soft foul; immediate PGMOL apology (“did not reach the high bar of a VAR intervention”).
• Lars ([39:10]): “It’s so fantastically, spectacularly annoying… a full house of things we don’t want to see.”
• Critique the current VAR process—pressure put on pitch referee when told “we think it’s a foul.”
• Philippe & Max ([41:46-44:12]): Lament modern confusion about fouls, overexposure of refereeing decisions, and how VAR itself becomes too prominent in the narrative.

Around the Grounds: Everton’s Attack, Wolves’ Misery, Bournemouth Joy, Palace Pragmatism, and More

Wolves 2-3 Everton ([44:49]–[47:18])

• Everton now “appointment viewing” (Noz), with the joyous partnership of Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall, and Ndiaye.
• Noz ([45:10]): Regrets Grealish’s City years: “We've basically missed out on Grealish… It's a pity.”
• Philippe ([46:24]): Agrees Grealish’s infectious enthusiasm has lifted Everton, admitting surprise at their new approach.

Tottenham 0-1 Bournemouth: Spurs Stifled, Bournemouth Brilliant ([48:39]–[53:22])

• Lars ([49:10]): “Bournemouth were terrific… Spurs were complete trash after a very promising start to the season.”
• Praises Bournemouth’s energy, directness (28 tackles!), and technical improvement—Alex Scott and Semenyo highlighted.
• Spurs’ lack of creativity without Maddison; call for Xavi Simons to fill the gap.

Aston Villa 0-3 Crystal Palace: Palace’s Resilience

• Noz ([53:53]): Praises Palace’s ability to reinvent after losing stars, credits manager Oliver Glasner’s system.
• Philippe ([54:57]): Warns Palace’s player losses come from necessity, not design—they risk losing their manager too if this continues.

Sunderland’s Win, Promoted Teams’ Rise ([56:47])

• Big win over Brentford thanks to a last-minute winner and questionable penalty calls.
• Lars ([56:54]): Stat: This season’s promoted teams have 13 points after three rounds, “more than six times better” than last year’s trio.

European Highlight: Joao Neves’ Hat Trick for PSG ([58:17]–[62:02])

• Philippe’s highlight of the weekend: Joao Neves’ breathtaking hat trick for PSG in their 6-3 win at Toulouse.

  “I've never seen a hat trick like this one… The first two goals—overhead kicks with the chest control, the third a 25-yard outside-of-boot curler. The hat trick of the year, and probably of all of French football history.”

• Disappointment at limited UK Ligue 1 TV coverage.

Notable Moments & Quotes

• Noz on Szoboszlai ([07:33]): “He is so, so good at everything he does… a complete footballer.”
• Lars on VAR ([41:22]): “I like the concept of VAR in the sense you can tell the referee, ‘hey, you might want to look at the situation again,’ but the second you say, ‘we believe it's this,’ you put a lot of social pressure on the referee.”
• Philippe on Milner ([15:27]): “He’s on the bench of the great… that is the essence of James Milner's greatness.”
• Philippe’s assessment of Arsenal ([10:27]): “Wrong lineup, wrong attitude, wrong game plan. The opportunity was missed.”
• Philippe on Joao Neves’ hat trick ([59:23]): “The first one, an overhead kick in the corner… the third, my favorite skill in football, an outside-of-the-boot spinner into the top corner. I've never seen a hat trick like this one.”

Key Timestamps

| Segment | Topic/Event | Timestamp | |--------------|---------------------------|------------| | Liverpool’s record signing, Szoboszlai’s heroics | [01:21]-[13:18] | | Milner’s milestone, Brighton-City | [14:51]-[20:34] | | Manchester United–Burnley, Amarim’s situation | [26:00]-[34:09] | | West Ham comeback at Forest | [34:49]-[37:55] | | VAR controversy: Chelsea-Fulham | [38:11]-[44:49] | | Everton’s attacking revival, Wolves’ troubles | [44:49]-[47:18] | | Spurs crash vs Bournemouth | [48:39]-[53:22] | | Palace victory, Villa concerns | [53:53]-[56:47] | | Sunderland win, promoted team stat | [56:47]-[57:48] | | PSG’s game & Joao Neves hat trick | [58:17]-[62:02] |

Summary Tone

Light-hearted, quick-witted, and generously laced with in-jokes and light sarcasm—a typical Football Weekly mix of proper analysis, informed debate, and plenty of entertainment.

For football fans who missed the episode, this summary covers all the major on-pitch stories, insightful critiques, amusing asides, and the running pulse of the Premier League weekend—with special attention to moments that may shape the rest of the season.