The Game

Natalie Sawyer is joined by Alan Smith, Gary Jacob and Paul Hirst after a seismic Easter weekend.

Manchester United are embarrassed and humiliated, losing 4-0 to Everton at Goodison Park. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wasn’t sure if all of his players care enough. We discuss who he might be talking about and look ahead to the Manchester derby on Wednesday. Will United respond, damaging City’s title hopes, helping Liverpool in the process?

The race for the top 4 seems to be a race nobody wants to win, as Arsenal and Tottenham also lose. The panel try to decide who will qualify for the Champions League and who needs it the most?

Elsewhere, where will Wilfried Zaha be next season? And will Brighton have enough to survive?

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It was a momentous midweek of Champions League football. Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Paul Hirst and Alan Smith to pore through it all.

Tottenham reach their first ever Champions League semi-final, after progressing past Manchester City on away goals in one of the craziest games in the history of football.

How will this affect the Premier League title race? Did VAR make the right decisions? And now that Mauricio Pochettino has scaled new heights, can he outcoach Ajax’s Erik ten Hag?

No such drama in Barcelona where Messi and co make light work of Manchester United. With Solskjaer speaking of a summer overhaul, we discuss the future of David De Gea and their trip to Goodison Park on Sunday.

Cardiff breathed new life with into their Premier League survival hopes with victory at Brighton. What is going wrong at the Amex?

Charlie Scott provides 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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Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Matt Dickinson and Bill Edgar after another Premier League weekend where the top two were victorious.

We look at the run-ins of Liverpool and Manchester City for any potential slip-ups. Will Rafa Benitez have something to say about the destination of the title?

With City and Liverpool continuing to rack up the points, is this title race good for the Premier League or does it show the disparity between the haves and the have-nots?

Ahead of the Champions League quarter-final second legs, we try to second-guess Pep and to make any kind of argument for a Manchester United victory in Barcelona.

And elsewhere this weekend, is Hasenhuttl heading for greater things? Plus Andre Gomes – handsome but horrible.

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Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Oli Kay and special guest, Belgian football journalist Kristof Terreur.

Liverpool host Chelsea and the ghosts of their last title race with Manchester City and the damage that Blues did to them 5 years ago. How different is this Liverpool team? How much damage will Eden Hazard do to the Reds and will he be at Stamford Bridge next season?

It was a bad week in the Champions League for the Manchester clubs? Despite the phenomenal efforts of Scott McTominay, United lose to Barcelona. Did Solskjaer get it wrong? And did United get it wrong in appointing him?

And as we predicted on Monday, Pep Guardiola overthought things and tinkered in the defeat at Spurs. Time to ask why and to have that VAR debate again.

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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Natalie Sawyer is back alongside Gab Marcotti, James Gheerbrant and Alan Smith after an epic semi-final and ahead of some intriguing quarter-finals.

As Tottenham get ready to host Manchester City in the Champions League, will Poch and Pep throw each other some tactical curveballs? And is Pep about to be too clever for his own good again?

Liverpool face Porto while Ajax take on Juventus. It’s Manchester United against Barcelona in the other quarter-final but should we expect a cagey affair at Old Trafford?

Watford come from 2-0 down to win a classic FA Cup semi-final against Wolves. We discuss the job Javi Gracia has done, the Troy Deeney fairytale and the issues with masked celebrations.

Arsenal boggle the mind with a dreadful performance and defeat at Everton. What does this mean in the race for the top 4? And are things starting to click on Merseyside for Marco Silva?

Plus Lincoln, Palace penalties and the Howe-Dyche continuum. 

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Gab Marcotti is joined by Henry Winter, Alyson Rudd and Alan Smith to wade through some big issues and talking points in the world of football.

Manchester City’s quadruple hopes look stronger than ever as they return to the top of the Premier League. What is Pep Guardiola doing for the club’s image on the world stage? Plus the panel get stuck into the Raheem Sterling-Leonardo Bonucci-Moise Kean racism debate.

After condemnation of Cardiff manager Neil Warnock’s criticism of Premier League referees, behind the bluster, we ask whether Warnock has a point about officiating standards.

Henry and Alyson have been to the newly opened Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which Henry calls the best stadium in the country. How essential is it for Tottenham to be playing Champions League football in their new home?

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After a Sunday full of drama and controversy, Gab Marcotti is joined by Paul Joyce, James Gheerbrant and Bill Edgar to discuss the major talking points in the Premier League.

Liverpool return to the top of the table with a last-gasp victory over Spurs at Anfield. How much of a role is luck playing in this title race? Could the defining moment of Liverpool’s season not involve Lloris and Alderweireld but in fact Van Dijk and Sissoko? And what about Tottenham, who are finding different ways to lose…

Speaking of luck, is Solskjaer riding his at Old Trafford, after Manchester United survive a Watford onslaught to win at Old Trafford?

And after Cardiff’s defeat to Chelsea, is Neil Warnock right to bemoan Premier League officials as the worst in the world? Maurizio Sarri shoots himself in the foot with the media again – but is he actually a fan of Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Plus Siewert, Sunderland and the battle for the Bundesliga.

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Premier League football is back, as are Gab Marcotti, Alyson Rudd, James Gheerbrant and Paul Joyce for The Game podcast.

And the big breaking news on Thursday morning is that Manchester United appoint Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their permanent manager on a 3 year contract as Ed Woodward votes for Sunday roast. Is he the right appointment? Is this the right time? Can he be his own man?

Liverpool take on Tottenham on Sunday as the title race resumes. How will the Reds handle the pressure? And is Mo Salah about to burst back into form?

Earlier that day, Cardiff host Chelsea. The panel tackle the issue of Cardiff’s dispute with Nantes and refusal to pay instalments of the transfer fee for the late Emiliano Sala.

Charlie Scott and Paddy von Behr provide 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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In a special episode, Gab Marcotti welcomes back Rory Smith to The Game podcast, as they pore through some of the biggest issues in football today.

While Manchester United look to be filling their managerial vacancy with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are they in danger of neglecting their structural failings as a club?

VAR will be in the Premier League next season but is it battling against a narrative of heroes and villains, the laws of the game and an attitude towards officials that is too demanding?

Is the European Super League an inevitability? Or will smaller cross-border leagues from around the continent become a reality sooner?

And with Raheem Sterling again on the receiving end in Montenegro, what measures are appropriate to combat racist behaviour in the stands?

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Natalie Sawyer and Gab Marcotti are joined by Bill Edgar and George Caulkin to discuss the start of the Euro 2020 qualifiers.

England face the Czech Republic on Friday night as they get their campaign underway, but where does newly qualified Declan Rice fit into Gareth Southgate's setup? What will Southgate's setup be? And how did Callum Hudson-Odoi get into the squad despite not starting a league match ever?

As we grapple with those questions, Newcastle constantly grapple with Rafa Benitez, but how did Rafa get his latest bout of RSI? It's more entertaining than it sounds, promise!

Plus we discuss Messi and Ronaldo, just how do they keep on going after 30 when everyone else couldn't?

And as ever on a Thursday, we have Bill Edgar's teaser

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