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.

We have the final word on the corner kicks and throw-ins that have dominated football discourse this week and why Arsenal shouldn't be concerned with their high number of set piece goals. We also talk about Manchester United winning 3 games in a row. And Sam has cut his own hair! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week: a post-mortem on Ange's speedy sacking from Nottingham Forest as we look forward to Dyche, and we look again at what's going wrong at Liverpool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chelsea and Maresca left it late to find a breakthrough against Liverpool; a third defeat in a row for the champions. Arsenal slip ahead into first thanks to an Eze & Saka double-up on the right. And Amorim gets a win, is his future looking brighter. Toby also talks about Leeds, if you're into that.Email us at [email protected] ! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a feisty weekend involving an overturned penatly at Newcastle vs Arsenal, and a whole range of controversies elswhere, we try to pinpoint where VAR has gone wrong. Liverpool dropped points to Crystal Palace, leaving Arsenal and Liverpool face-to-face in a possible title challenge. Plus Toby talks about Galatasaray. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arteta's Arsenal clinched a draw despite dominance, Aston Villa finally scored but drew to a solid Sunderland, and we discuss the Ballon d'Or rankings. Plus we slice through a lovely bit of media frenzy and Sam wants to change yellow cards! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We look at two clubs who might be in crisis: Manchester United and Nottingham Forest, with Nuno leaving and Amorim holding on for now - should he stay or go? Sam meets the police in Croydon and Toby finds a way to talk about Klopp again. Plus a preview of the weekend's games. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been away so it's a long old catch-up about Fulham's VAR showdown, Andros Townsend's son, and Toby's trip to Greece. Sam also sticks his neck out for Amorim's Man United.Email us at [email protected] about literally anything and we might discuss your thoughts, if you're nice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Concern for Liverpool and frustration at Newcastle after Monday's fixture. Brighton sit in 18th, we talk about them for the third week in a row. Lots of Everton chat which I didn't expect. Plus we have fun guessing next week's line-ups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Eze on the brink of an Arsenal move, we analyse how this signing could change the team and affect their title hopes. We also talk about Brighton's press vs Fulham, and Toby has a strange idea for halftime entertainment. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How might losing Trent affect Liverpool's title hopes? How high can the new signings carry Man United? And who will win the Swedish Guldbollen in 2026? We answer these questions and more as we predict the top-half of the table. (Sorry to Lisandro Martinez who both of us forgot is still at Man United). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We've been relaxing on our parachute payments but now we're back in the top-flight - in a new live format. We go through our predictions for the bottom half of the Premier League in 25/26: Sunderland with Xhaka, Everton with Thierno Barry, Brentford with a set-piece coach, and more!#PODBACK Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's heated episode, we're obviously talking about the VAR controversies following Newcastle vs Arsenal, and whether we agree with Mikel Arteta's response and the ensuing media meltdown. We also talk about Chelsea's exhilarating victory against Tottenham and if Big Ange Postecoglu got anything wrong. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters - We decide whether or not Erik ten Hag should be sacked as Man Utd boss, we cover United's lack of sporting director and style of play, plus we discuss Lionel Messi's latest Ballon d'Or trophy. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We talk about The League of Two Halves, whether Chelsea are clicking after drawing against Arsenal, and what does David Raya bring to edge out Ramsdale as the Arsenal number one? Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After Luis Diaz's non-goal and all the VAR fallout from the Liverpool vs Tottenham match, we look at what went wrong and propose our ideas for helping referees in the Premier League. We also analyse Klopp's tactics for playing with 9 players and we watch Liverpool fan Toby lose his mind in real-time. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: We extensively cover the North London Derby, what went wrong with Arsenal, and what makes Sam so frustrated about Spurs; Toby praises Szoboszlai's role in Liverpool's midfield; and we talk about UEFA co-efficients!!Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: Toby does a deep dive into everything he thinks about Erik ten Hag's Manchester United, we speak about Arsenal's changing possession structure without Gabriel, and most importantly, where will Jesse Marsch manage next? Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we review every game in Gameweek 1 of the Premier League 23/24 season (except Sheffield United, sorry Blades). What did we make of the Onana penalty decision vs Wolves? How will Chelsea get on with Nicolas Jackson? And what can we expect from Mo Salah this season? Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NEW SEASON, NEW POD TIME - This week we make our predictions for the entire table for the Premier League 23/24 season. Who do we predict to go down? How strong will Toby's Liverpool bias be this time? Will Crystal Palace finish 11th??? #CooperIsCookingBig thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On est ensemble ! This week we talk about the transfer market for defensive midfielders after rumours that Jordan Henderson and Fabinho could leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia, we talk about Declan Rice finally joining Arsenal, and go through our first Fantasy Premier League teams before the upcoming FPL season begins. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Something a bit different this week! We look back at our predictions for the recently finished Premier League 2022/23 season to see how wrong we were, which teams have excedeed expectations, which teams will be disappointed with their season, and also we talk about Patrick Bamford for longer than you'd expect. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are back! We attempt to review the entire Premier League season of 2022/23, but somehow we talk about the World Cup and Norwegian PE lessons instead. We reflect on City's treble, think about Arsenal's midfield with Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, and talk about who Liverpool might bring in alongside Alexis Mac Allister. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: We talk about De Zerbi's future, we evaluate the relegation battlers, and we prepare for the podcast's upcoming mini-retirement! Also Toby keeps saying "litmus test". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: We talk about the media's response to Arsenal's 3-0 defeat to Brighton, which pundits are in our good books, and what a team has to do to compete with Manchester City. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: We analyse goalkeepers after De Gea's latest mistake; What's the mood around Arsenal after the victory against Newcastle? And how did Sean Dyche's Everton smash Brighton? Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: Sam has a cold so he sounds even more upset about Arsenal, we talk about Big Sam Allardyce entering the relegation battle, and Toby goes to a controversial non-league game.Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: Our predictions for Manchester City vs Arsenal, and were we correct? How much trouble are Spurs in next season? And what TV shows is Nick Knowles famous for? Also Sam tries to force Kafka references into a football podcast. Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: We decide how important Arsenal's draw to West Ham will be, scrutinise the Premier League's TOTS nominees, and are Spurs in big trouble?Big thanks to Harry Gibbons for the intro. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's pressing matters: Will Arsenal be upset with just a point against Liverpool? Where will Chelsea finish the season? And what type of lunch is Dean Smith? We talk also talk about Xhaka's incident and compare Trent Alexander-Arnold to Zinchenko.Thanks to Harry Gibbons for the music. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.