The Game

Natalie Sawyer is back in the studio, alongside Alyson Rudd and Bill Edgar on The Game podcast.

With The Times reporting that Anthony Martial has been offered a 5 year contract by Manchester United, is this a power-play from Ed Woodward to indicate he and Martial will outlast Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford? And does Mourinho deserve more respect or has he crafted the dullest side in the top 6? Plus hear why Alyson Rudd thinks Zinedine Zidane might not be the right man for United.

The panel look ahead to Watford v Spurs on Sunday, two teams with 100% records, two teams who had very quiet summer transfer windows. Does stability breed champions in the Premier League era? Bill Edgar digs into the record books to find out.

And The Times’ Scottish football correspondent Michael Grant joins us to look ahead to the first Old Firm match of the season as Celtic host Rangers on Sunday. What effect could this game have on the managerial careers of Brendan Rodgers and Steven Gerrard?

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide their advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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Gab Marcotti and Alyson Rudd break down some complex issues on this Bank Holiday Monday edition of The Game.

Arsenal secure their first win under Unai Emery but Mesut Ozil is missing from the squad against West Ham through illness. With rumours of a training ground bust-up denied, are people too quick to rush to judgment on Ozil?

With Michael Owen’s revealing interview on BT Sport highlighting the impact that injuries had on his mindset, the panel debate how the clubs and physios working with Owen failed to notice his change in approach.

Jonathan Northcroft joins us to try and determine whether Roman Abramovich is ready to sell Chelsea. Plus did Willy Bolly have a moral obligation to admit to handling the ball into the net against Manchester City? And have Wolves offered up the blueprint for how to play against the champions?

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Gab Marcotti, Alan Smith and George Caulkin tackle some of the tough issues in football this week, starting with the never-ending dispute between Newcastle fans and their owner, following some Wise words on Mike Ashley. What are fan expectations at football clubs and are they realistic?

Matthew Syed is in the studio to discuss his article on Unai Emery and the challenge in inheriting an Arsenal infrastructure dominated by Arsene Wenger.

And with several of England’s World Cup stars struggling for game time, we examine the ruthless nature of the Premier League, and ask why aren’t more young English players playing abroad?

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide their advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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Gab Marcotti is joined by Gary Jacob and Paul Hirst after a Premier League weekend that asks a lot of questions. Manchester United’s defeat at Brighton raises issues over United’s defence. The panel discuss how Ed Woodward and Jose Mourinho can’t agree on certain players in the squad and the effect that has on their relationship.

We saw 25 minutes of Sarri-ball during a bonkers victory for Chelsea over Arsenal. Will Sarri stick with a system that forces N’Golo Kante to neglect his defensive responsibilities? And on the Arsenal side of things, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is a big-name player but is he a big-game player? Plus what does Unai Emery do with the turgid Mesut Ozil?

Martyn Ziegler speaks to us about how far we are from VAR in the Premier League and reveals why the 39th game might not be as far away as we think.

And even though Natalie Sawyer is on holiday, there are still bragging rights up for grabs. Who was victorious in the first week of match predictions? Gab or Natalie?

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Natalie Sawyer and James Gheerbrant take a look at the issues dominating the headlines in football ahead of another big Premier League weekend.

Paul Joyce joins us to discuss how Manchester City can adapt to losing player of the year Kevin De Bruyne, side-lined for 3 months through injury. Could Phil Foden fill in?

Should Emery lean on Leno for Arsenal in search of a better distributor than Petr Cech? They face Chelsea and superstitious Sarri at Stamford Bridge.

Son of an architect Henry Winter discusses the delay in Tottenham’s move to their new stadium. How well set are Spurs for this season as a whole?

Plus we'll find out who knows more about Barnsley – Natalie Sawyer or Gab Marcotti?

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide their advice ahead of the fantasy football weekend. For free Fantasy Premier League tips from The Sweeper, visit thetimes.co.uk/fantasyfootball 

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Gab Marcotti and Natalie Sawyer are joined by Matt Dickinson and Oliver Kay after the opening weekend of the Premier League season. And it’s clear the rest of the division should be very worried by Manchester City after their comprehensive victory at the Emirates.

There’s no new broom at Arsenal who don’t look any different under Unai Emery. Paul Pogba’s cryptic comments about his manager open up a can of worms at Old Trafford. Are Manchester United and Mourinho acting a bit rich over their most expensive signing? And who’s more important to the club?

Also on the agenda – have English clubs backed themselves into a corner with the early closure of the transfer window? Plus Kante, Keita and a chronic lack of VAR.

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The Game is back for the new Premier League season and it's double trouble. Gab Marcotti is joined by new co-host Natalie Sawyer. We’ll be bringing you a half-hour show every Monday and from next week a new preview show every Thursday.

Alyson Rudd and Matt Hughes join us in the studio to discuss the major talking points ahead of the big kick-off. Are Liverpool the team to provide a title challenge to Manchester City? Are Manchester United bored of Mourinho? And which new signing is a poor man’s Neymar?

Elsewhere, Gab is looking forward to seeing some Sarri-ball while Natalie is fearing Fulham as a force this season. And is it a case of Cardiff and Huddersfield PLUS ONE in the battle to beat the drop?

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After 32 days and 64 games, it is France who take home the World Cup after a pulsating 4-2 win over Croatia in Moscow.

For our final episode, Natalie Sawyer is joined by Oliver Kay and Matt Hughes to analyse the final. What next for Kylian Mbappe, a player with the world at his feet? And will Paul Pogba be allowed to replicate that level of performance under Mourinho at Manchester United?

With Croatia feeling hard done by with VAR after Perisic was penalised for handball, are slow motion replays misleading to match referees? And have we seen the advent of the VAR handball?

Plus The Times chief sports writer Matt Dickinson helps us review the best bits of a sensational World Cup in Russia. Can anything top Michy Batshuayi smashing the ball into his own face?

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Natalie Sawyer presents the penultimate podcast of this World Cup. England are well beaten by Belgium in a slightly sobering third place play-off. Matt Dickinson joins us from St Petersburg to assess exactly where England are in the footballing pyramid right now and where upgrades need to be made. Should Ruben Loftus-Cheek have played more during this tournament? And did Harry Kane play well this summer?

Football may not have come home but Alyson Rudd has. She’s in the studio to preview the World Cup Final along with Henry Winter. It’s France versus Croatia. Deschamps versus Dalic. But is the match-up in Moscow made for Mbappe or Modric?

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England’s World Cup adventure ends at the penultimate hurdle as Croatia come from behind to defeat the Three Lions in the semi-finals of the World Cup in Moscow after extra-time.

Natalie Sawyer watches the game in the company of Matthew Syed, Tony Cascarino and Martyn Ziegler. Jonathan Northcroft is at the Luzhniki Stadium to heap praise on the world-class Kieran Trippier and the magnificent Mario Mandzukic.

There’s tributes paid to the planning of the FA and Gareth Southgate in setting England up for future success while uniting football fans across the nation – but also some questions raised about Southgate’s substitutions.

Plus Gab Marcotti joins us to put Croatia’s achievement into context as they reach their first ever World Cup final, led by Luka Modric.

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