Arsenal are top of the league… and somehow still stressing us out. In this episode of the Five Aside Podcast, we break down a wild Premier League weekend where Arsenal won but bored everyone, Manchester City looked genuinely terrifying, Chelsea and Newcastle shared the chaos, and Aston Villa continued their “are they actually serious?” run. We debate whether Arsenal’s slow build-up is sustainable, if Ødegaard is releasing the ball quickly enough, why City are slicing teams open inside the box, and whether AFCON has already started ruining squads before it’s even properly begun. From City’s midfield dominance to United turning games into basketball, plus an early look at AFCON 2025 after Morocco’s opener — this episode is football therapy, stress, and banter all in one.

Drop your takes in the comments 👇 Are Arsenal too slow? Are City inevitable? And is AFCON about to flip the season upside down?

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS

0:00 – Intro & weekend recap

2:10 – Arsenal win… but why does it feel boring?

5:30 – Slow build-up, low blocks & “Tapping FC” accusations

9:20 – Is Ødegaard slowing the game down?

13:40 – Gyökeres debate: system problem or striker problem?

17:50 – Arsenal control vs City chaos

20:40 – Newcastle vs Chelsea: madness at St James’ Park

25:10 – Chelsea’s resilience or recurring first-half issues?

28:30 – Aston Villa vs Man United: Rogers, Emery & belief

34:10 – United’s injuries, AFCON absences & basketball football

39:40 – Are Villa actually contenders or just riding momentum?

43:20 – Man City vs West Ham: pure domination

47:00 – Cherki + Foden = scary hours

51:30 – Why City attack differently from Arsenal

55:40 – Liverpool vs Spurs: chaos, red cards & Richarlison madness

1:01:20 – AFCON begins: Morocco vs Comoros reaction

1:05:10 – AFCON impact on the Premier League

1:08:00 – Final thoughts, title race & outro