Tottenham lose 4-1 to Arsenal again as Igor Tudor takes charge for his first game and the North London derby delivers another brutal reality check. We break down why Spurs were never really in it, how injuries and players out of position shaped the match, and what Tudor was trying to change in such a short turnaround. We also react to Tudor’s early comments about Spurs needing to “become serious,” talk survival maths, and look ahead to a tricky run including Fulham away. Plus: Palace’s European trip chaos, Glasner backlash, modern football’s “aura” obsession, and a listener-driven debate on whether VAR should be replaced by a challenge system or binned altogether.

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We start with The Overlap aftermath, Arsenal fans asking for “respect”, and why rivalry means you’re not doing favours for anyone. Flav makes the case for relegating Arsenal based on pure skullduggery. Then we talk World Cup hype being non-existent, the sportswashing era, and ticket pricing that turns football into a rich person’s hobby. We finish on VAR and whether refs have become dependent on the safety net, plus Dycheball misery, Maranakis chaos, Bosnia travel fear, and a strong finish in Malady Corner with gout and Flav’s burning feet.

If you tell me the show name (Fighting Cock or Football Between the Lines) and roughly when it’s going out, I’ll tweak the best description to match your usual cadence and length.

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Not much to talk about, apparently, so naturally we end up on Spurs sacking Frank, Forest binning Dyche at 1am, and why football owners are absolute chaos merchants. Then we spiral into Glasner’s farewell vibes, “style vs survival”, relegation anxiety, injuries, red card bans, Bruno vs Bernardo, and the eternal rage of part-time fans piping up after a result. All very normal, all very bleak, up the pod.

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We start with Harvey Elliott’s Villa loan mess and how trigger clauses can stall a player’s season. Then it’s Liverpool vs City, a ridiculous free kick, a brilliant game, and another VAR moment that sucks the life out of it. After that we get into Romero’s red, Spurs’ injury nightmare, relegation chat that shouldn’t exist, and a quick wander through the bottom-half chaos, plus a detour into aphantasia, sock holes, shin pads, and the one-foot-out sleeping “regulator”.

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We get into the Eddie Howe in vs out noise after Newcastle go out of the League Cup, and why match-going fans and online fans sound like they’re watching different sports. We also talk Chelsea vs Arsenal and Rossini’s game plan, why punditry changes depending on the final score, and that Telegraph piece about Arsenal fans, plus AFTV and the wider culture of performative football content. Then we detour into deadline day drama, aphantasia, and somehow end up rating films and debating whether Dan has hair.

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We kick off with deadline day frazzle, Palace doing business late because we’re watching the market rather than dictating it, and the Mateta to Milan saga that died on medical fears and a chronic knee issue. That spirals into Strand-Larsen’s price, Palace’s form, and whether Mateta is basically finished with the fanbase.

From there we zoom out to Spurs’ grim January, injuries stacking up, Romero having another pop, and the argument that you solve the problem now, not in six months when everyone’s “happy”. Then we hit the Newcastle debate: has Eddie Howe gone stale or is he still their best bet given the constraints? We wrap with West Ham’s very pointed Paquetá statement, the reality that footballers move like mercenaries, and a bit of film chat because apparently we’ve started beefing with listeners about Nolan too

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We love the Champions League format and why, despite the moaning, it’s producing absolute mayhem. From the Goal Show chaos to Benfica’s wild win, Mourinho staying relevant, and Bodo Glimt doing Bodo Glimt things, it’s pure jeopardy TV. Then we pivot into Premier League vs Europe, what Arne Slot probably shouldn’t have said out loud, and a quick wander through Sterling leaving Chelsea, Palace panic, and Spurs somehow grinding on through a ridiculous injury list.

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The title race is properly alive, Arsenal fans are booing while still top of the league, and we’re sat here trying to work out when football became this emotionally unstable. We get into United suddenly looking like a real team again under Carrick, that ridiculous Dorgu strike, and why players chirping on socials is never worth the aggro. Then we pivot into the real misery: Palace vibes are cooked, Dan’s officially Glasner out, and we talk through why it feels totally untenable. Plus: Mateta, The Overlap, weird fan standards, a Chelsea-themed Dubai development with blue sand (yes, really), and the ongoing Spurs-Palace cosmic link as we both spiral towards the same bit of the table.

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We’re fresh off The Overlap and straight into the chaos. Chelsea’s “yes man” manager chat, the weirdness of them not nailing a proper shirt sponsor, and why multi-club ownership “blind trusts” feel like a total con. Then we’re onto Real Madrid being a basket case, Trent potentially getting binned already, and why England clubs are starting to swallow the Champions League format whole. There’s Palace drama too, Mateta’s rocking the boat, Strand Larsen links, and a little corner reserved for Gary Cotterell doing the most cringe question imaginable. Plus: can Declan Rice ever win the Ballon d’Or, or are we all just losing our minds?

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