The Game

The top of the Championship is dominated by teams from the north – Sheffield United, Leeds, Burnley, Sunderland, Middlesborough and Blackburn.

Martin Hardy joins Tom Clarke to look at who is best placed to kick on. A Leeds squad with great depth, a rejuvenated Sheffield United or a Burnley team with a very tight defence?

Sunderland had a rough November but got a win last time out. Is their success based on two teenage midfielders? Middlesborough play a style of progressive football which reflects their manager, Michael Carrick. And Blackburn Rovers are a “neat, tidy and controlled team.” Will it be enough for the play offs?

A quick look at League One and League Two and Martin’s wonderful story about Andy Carroll.

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Can Chelsea win the title? Some think it is a silly question, but why?

Were Spurs trying to perpetuate the ‘Spursy’ cliché? Two up at home but ending in defeat. Where now for a beleaguered Ange Postecoglou?

Fulham are no longer just pretty, they’re gritty and they might have just solved how to defend an Arsenal corner. For Arsenal are they creating enough chances from open play when they are level or behind in a game…?

More upheaval at Manchester United a loss on the pitch and a departure off it. None of it reflects well on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Peter Rutzler, Hamzah Khaliqe Loonat and Alyson Rudd join Tom Clarke. 

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A six-goal thriller at St James Park allowed Arsenal, Chelsea and City to pick up points on Liverpool. 

Gregor Robertson and Martin Samuel wax lyrical about Trent Alexander Arnold – “I’ve never seen anyone kick a football like that!”

Tom Clarke asks the team – how do you stop Arsenal at corners?

Chelsea are no longer Cole Palmer plus ten others, they’re now a serious team.

A touching and funny tribute from Tony Cascarino to his and Millwall’s former manager John Docherty

And the managerial merry-go-round could be due a spin with Gary O’Neil and Julen Lopetegui under pressure.

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Manchester City are out of the title race…right? Some think they might even have a fight on for top four. Liverpool by contrast looked in control throughout and playing in a variety of ways too. Could Arsenal and Chelsea be Liverpool’s biggest challengers for the title? With Odegaard back Arsenal look at their free scoring best. Chelsea, with a young squad, finally look to be repaying the billion pounds spent on them. Tom Allnutt even thinks there is a chance for Manchester United to creep into the top four.

That could be at the expense of Aston Villa who haven’t won a Premier League game since October. What’s gone wrong?

Tom Clarke is joined by Tom Allnutt, Gregor Robertson and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat

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Under Arne Slot Liverpool are top of the Premier League and the new Champions League format. They’ve beaten Real Madrid for the first time in fifteen years; lost once in nineteen games and all with little fuss. It begs the question: just how good is Arne Slot.

After the break Pep Guardiola’s woes continue. Be it confidence, injuries or tactics this is no longer a blip for Manchester City. What happens next? Arsenal by contrast seem to have turned a corner are they Liverpool’s main challengers now.

Finally, Lampard in at Coventry and Van Nistelrooy at Leicester… 

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Gregor Robertson and Tom Clarke return to cast an eye over a busy week of EFL action.

Leeds are starting to look like a team who were preseason favourites. The underlying data on their performances marks them out as the best in the Championship, by some distance. A standout player for Leeds is midfielder Ao Tanaka; Gregor looks at the impressive list of recent signings from Japanese and South Korean leagues.

At the other end of the spectrum, Hull City are struggling. Bottom three, manager booed and free scoring Middlesborough next.

Wycombe are on fire, mixing the ‘grit’ of Gareth Ainsworth’s team with the pace and quality Matt Bloomfield has brought.

Lastly, a quick look at Huddersfield, a player too good for League One and Ian Holloway is back but does his style need to change? 

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What a weekend! Are Manchester City in crisis? Has Martin Odegaard put Arsenal back in the title race, or are Liverpool going to run away with it? It was another Ange Postecoglou masterclass and Southampton self-destructed…again.

Ruben Amorim has seen the size of the task at Manchester United; Ipswich showed how 3-4-3 should be played and Gary O’Neil took Wolves to their first away win since February. Oh, and Leicester sacked Steve Cooper – who’s next at the King Power?  

Tom Clarke is joined by James Gheerbrant, Alyson Rudd and Gregor Robertson

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Will Pep Guardiola’s contract extension end Manchester City’s poor run? Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Tony Cascarino join Tom Clarke to look at what Guardiola signing means for City and for the Premier League – another unbeaten run or a stop gap till the end of the season?

Across Manchester Rubin Amorim begins his tenure at United, what can we expect?

Finally, a run through the weekend’s fixtures, who needs a win and who is looking strong?

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Lee Carsley has left England with a veritable spring in their step – a five-nil defeat of Republic of Ireland, four first time scorers and the joy of scoring seems to be back.

So... who impressed most in Carsley’s brief reign? Will Tuchel continue the young blood approach and could captain Kane be under pressure?

Scotland have a new star; Ben Doak is giving full backs nightmares…how good is he?

If you had to take a selfie with a player, who would it be?

And finally, as we head back to the Premier League next weekend, how is the teams predicted table looking? 

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David Coote’s career as a referee looks to be over; but do we have unrealistic expectations of referees? If referees are berated by players, fans and coaches are they not allowed to react?

Tom Clarke, Martin Samuel, Gregor Robertson and Tony Cascarino look at football’s relationship with its officials. Could or should the football culture around referee’s change?

Harry Kane has questioned the number of dropouts from the England squad. Does it reflect injuries, a caretaker manager who leaves next week or the nations league group B?

Plus, Martin’s ire is raised by the House of Lords…

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