The Pressing Matters Podcast

A gut-punch for Arsenal as a Nico O'Reilly brace assisted by Kepa sinks the quadruple dream. What went wrong for Arsenal and what do they need to do for the rest of the season?We also touch on Mo Salah's agreement to leave Liverpool, and Sam gets very angry about supermarkets. l03:10 - League Cup Final review32:47 - Second-keeper discussion43:10 - Spurs - Forest 48:37 - Mo Salah leaves Liverpool1:01:31 - Supermarkets Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We preview the League Cup final as Arsenal take on Manchester City in a short break from their tense Premier League title challenge. We also discuss if Arsenal can be happy with their timewasting thanks to an email from a dear listener; what we think of Chelsea's fine imposed by the Premier League themselves; and a look back at a week of Champions League fixtures where many English sides left disappointed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lots of talk about boring Premier League football as Arsenal's controlled approach takes them clear at the top. Can we change the rules, or do teams just have to adapt? And how much blame needs to be directed at football media? Plus we look back at what we said about Wolves when they were winless!01:40 - ITV early-afternoon game shows04:40 - 'Boring' Premier League football - is it a problem?25:32 - How teams can adapt vs rule changes28:09 - Arsenal as the villains vs the media52:39 - Reviewing our takes on Wolves in November1:00:15 - Lineups Game Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lovely North London Derby win for Arsenal over Tottenham leaves Spurs in even more trouble. How good were Arsenal vs how bad were Tottenham? We also talk about Michael Carrick's future at the helm of Manchester United as he carries the "interim" name for now. Plus who is shaping up to be an exciting FPL prospect? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United ended their winning streak at 4 games - how easy is it to win 5 in a row amidst the unrelenting growth of United Strand's hair? We have a big old Liverpool chat after a late comeback for Manchester City in a game with multiple controversies; Toby goes into what has gone wrong for Liverpool this season. And, of course, Thomas the Frank engine has run out of steam - could Spurs really be relegated from the Premier League? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More January transfers than you might expect, but who will have the biggest impact? Plus Liam Rosenior took a conservative approach to his semi-final at Arsenal; was this the right choice?0:00 - Intro and United Strand chat4:17 - Toby talks about hot-cross buns10:59 - Sam talks about chicken15:22 - January transfer window round-up30:14 - League Cup semi-final chat (Rosenior)51:50 - Rodri comments and the social media landscape1:02:22 - Lineup Game Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United took 3 points from Arsenal in style; should Arsenal be worried about a slump in recent form, or do they have enough to take them to victory amidst an impressive table-topping Champions' League run?00:00 - Very long introduction about Rick Stein and Hamnet and Midsomer Murders12:46 - Arsenal's title chances vs pressure30:22 - Arsenal's attacking options47:12 - Corner chat58:12 - Everton vs Leeds1:01:24 - Lineups Game Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Crystal Palace lost Marc Guehi as Oliver Glasner announced his departure - will the atmosphere become untenable at Selhurst Park? And Spurs are struggling as Thomas Frank comes under more pressure after losing to West Ham, but why might Tottenham keep him for a few more weeks?Plus we talk about the thrilling Manchester Derby as Michael Carrick takes control. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look at a few early January transfers: Antoine Semenyo to Man City; Conor Gallagher to Spurs; and Michael Carrick to Manchester United. We watched the "Premier League Classic" Newcastle's 4-3 victory over Leeds. And Toby "quickly" talks about Liverpool's draw at Arsenal.01:30 - The Magic of the Cup with Macclesfield FC09:40 - Semenyo to City18:15 - Gallagher to Spurs23:52 - Carrick to United31:45 - Newcastle 4-3 Leeds44:30 - Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool57:35 - Lineups Game Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Manchester United and Chelsea have both made a managerial switch early in the new year. Was it right for Amorim and Maresca to leave; how will they be remembered at each club; and what do we make of their successors? Liam Rosenior is in, but will it be Michael Carrick or Ole Gunnar Solskjær at Old Trafford?We also shoutout three midtable sides who had an excellent run during the festive period as the table starts to take shape. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Aston Villa are on an incredible 10-game winning run to be in 3rd, but it's Arsenal who are top of the Premier League at Christmas. Who has finished top at Christmas before and how did their season end?Will Aston Villa's form continue? Will United struggle without Bruno? Who is Tivonge Rushesha? Where was Jeremy Brett born? Are we uncles? We answer most of these questions in this Christmas edition of the Pressing Matters podcast.03:45 - Weekly round-up05:20 - Aston Villa vs Manchester United28:47 - Every team who was top at Christmas40:36 - Line-ups game53:47 - Sherlock Holmes and Poirot57:35 - Tom Conti59:40 - Was Dido real? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mo Salah has rocked the boat at Liverpool by suggesting it might be his last game, what does this mean for Slot's job and Liverpool's chaotic transitional season. We also talk about Wolves being bad, and other famous Egyptians.3:24 - Mo Salah situation51:30 - Premier League Egyptians54:45 - How many points for Wolves?1:04:30 - Lineups game Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, what should midtable managers such as Glasner and Marco Silva do to maximise their careers, was Thomas Frank right for Spurs, and what did we make of Arsenal's draw against Chelsea's 10 men.8:45 Thomas Frank and Spurs26:20 Oliver Glasner30:15 Ambitious midtable managers41:41 Chelsea - Arsenal1:02:00 Paqueta's red card1:04:20 Line-up game Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We ignore the North London derby and Liverpool's loss to Forest and instead give some love to Everton and Brighton, although Toby still tries to talk about Liverpool anyway. Sam also has a headcold and so is even less excited than normal (until Arsenal are mentioned). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we look ahead to this week's North London derby, we also cover the recent international break and the smaller nations that have made it thanks to the 48-team format - do we think this format is a good thing? We also answer some questions from our inbox and discuss footballer tattoos!Email us at [email protected] if you'd like to be read out on the show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liverpool lose again to a fantastic Manchester City, which means Toby is allowed to talk as much as he wants this week. We look at Slot's tactical shortcomings, and what to do with Florian Wirtz, who hasn't lived up to expectations. Sam also criticses two Spurs strikers for scoring against Man United, and we speculate about Marco Silva and his role at Fulham. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Vítor Pereira has been sacked; what next for the struggling Wolves side? Toby analyses West Ham's victory over Newcastle as life under Nuno kicks in. And in our most agonising segment yet, Toby tries to remember an ex-Aston Villa player whose name rhymes with Mings in less than 3 minutes.It's our Bonfire Night special, so please enjoy the ambient firework sounds in Sam's recording. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.