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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Natalie Sawyer brings you The Game World Cup Daily with less than 24 hours to go until England take on Croatia for a place in the World Cup Final.

Henry Winter joins us from Moscow to preview England’s biggest game in almost three decades, paying credit to Pippa Grange for the run to the last four. Plus we hear how Baddiel & Skinner’s Three Lions represents the antithesis to the mindset of the squad under Gareth Southgate.

Student of Croatian football and politics, Dario Brentin gives us his insight into the controversy and corruption that has coloured the attitude of some Croatians towards their national team. Follow him @DarioBrentin on Twitter.

Oliver Kay and Bill Edgar deconstruct France’s progression to their third World Cup final as a dominant defensive display sees Didier Deschamps’ men to a 1-0 victory over Belgium’s golden generation.

Plus Natalie speaks to Adam Sage, who The Times asked to watch France v Belgium in France…and Belgium.

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The World Cup in Russia continues to give and give to England fans. The Three Lions are through to the last 4 for the first time since 1990 after seeing off Sweden in Samara by 2 goals to nil.

Natalie Sawyer, Oliver Kay and Bill Edgar assess how this unexpected rise to the top table of international football occurred under Gareth Southgate. There’s praise for Pickford and debate on whether Raheem Sterling is judged too harshly by his critics.

Gab Marcotti watches Croatia progress on penalties by knocking out hosts Russia in Sochi. He gives his insight into England’s semi-final opponents, concluding Croatia can keep the ball forever. But will they be exhausted after another gruelling battle through extra-time?

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Can Southgate’s side see off Sweden in Samara and soar to the semi-finals?

Natalie Sawyer is joined by Henry Winter and Alan Smith to analyse England’s chances in the World Cup quarter-final, as well as examining how the public have learned to fall in love with the national team again.

Belgium best the bookies’ boys Brazil as Roberto Martinez looks to add World Cup glory to his FA Cup triumph with Wigan, thanks to the brilliance of De Bruyne, Hazard and Lukaku.

They will face France in the last 4. Oliver Kay watches the French grind out a quarter-final win over Uruguay in Nizhny Novgorod, as Didier Deschamps’s team prove they can win a match in many different ways.

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Another historic night in Russia. At the World Cup where seemingly anything can happen, England win a World Cup penalty shootout for the first time ever, knocking out Colombia at the last 16 stage.

Pickford’s saves keep England in the tournament, the selfless Kane continues to score and Dier displays his confidence with the winning spot-kick.

Natalie Sawyer is joined by Matt Hughes and Oli Kay in Moscow to dissect a performance where England showed edge and resolve to progress to the last 8 – a performance that answers some big questions for Gareth Southgate – and look ahead to how far this team can go.

Alyson Rudd watches one of the worst games of the World Cup so far in St Petersburg but is ideally placed to assess England’s next opponents after ‘the passion killers’ Sweden see off Switzerland.

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