🎙️ The Totally Football Show •September 17, 2026 •⏱️ 48 min

Pressure mounting on Man United + Spurs this weekend?

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1. Executive Overview: Core Theses & Key Revelations

The mid-September 2026 broadcast of The Totally Football Show, hosted by James Richardson alongside analysts Duncan Alexander, Dan Patrick, and Benjy Laniado, represents an extraordinary milestone in modern sports media commentary. Behind the signature wit and breezy studio banter lies a devastatingly sharp diagnosis of contemporary football’s shifting tectonic plates. The discussion captures an English top flight and broader European landscape undergoing profound structural recalibration, where traditional financial hierarchies are destabilized by strict profitability regulations, positional possession paradigms are challenged by direct pragmatism, and legacy talent pipelines are disrupted by aggressive foreign recruiters.

At the center of this editorial breakdown are five core theses established across the episode’s wide-ranging debate:

  • The Total Demolition of Old Trafford’s Psychological Citadel: Manchester United blowing a 2-0 advantage to lose 3-2 against Brighton & Hove Albion marks the first time in half a century that a visiting opponent has overcome a two-goal deficit to claim victory at Old Trafford. This historical anomaly is not an isolated tactical stumble but the logical outcome of deep-seated structural rot, further emphasized by elite 16-year-old academy phenom J.J. Gabriel demanding a contract termination to pursue an immediate pathway to Real Madrid.
  • The PSR Liquidation Trap at Aston Villa: Unai Emery’s miraculous tactical work at Villa Park has hit the hard ceiling of Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR). Financial regulatory compliance is threatening to force an unprecedented squad asset stripping, in which Villa may be compelled to sell their entire functional core—their top goalscorer, best outfield player, premier central midfielder, key central defender, and Golden Glove-winning goalkeeper.
  • Tottenham Hotspur’s Managerial Tipping Point and the Howe Shadow: Following a dismal 3-1 League Cup defeat to Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur’s systemic instability under Ange Postecoglou’s high-wire philosophy has placed the club on high alert. With Newcastle United experiencing their own turbulence under Eddie Howe, the panel identifies Howe as the lurking plug-and-play alternative for a Spurs board seeking tactical reliability over ideological risk.
  • The Manchester City Academy Arbitrage Empire: Benjy Laniado’s staggering breakdown of Manchester City’s summer 2022 roster—which simultaneously housed Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Liam Delap, James McAtee, James Trafford, Romeo Lavia, Shay Charles, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, and Pedro Porro—exposes how modern elite clubs leverage youth incubators not merely for first-team squad building, but as high-margin capital generation engines that subsidize first-team supremacy across Europe.
  • The Yorkshire Pragmatist Revolt: Leeds United (occupying 3rd place after a 4-1 demolition of Newcastle) and Hull City (4th place under promoted status) are orchestrating a direct tactical counter-revolution. Recording the lowest average possession and pass completion rates in the Premier League, both Yorkshire outfits are proving that low-possession transition models, spearheaded by a physically regenerated Dominic Calvert-Lewin, can dismantle the over-engineered positional play of modern top-flight opponents.

This feature essay provides an exhaustive, forensic examination of these revelations, contextualizing the tactical mechanics, financial dynamics, and strategic signaling that define this landmark episode.

2. Context & Background: The Landscape Leading to This Conversation

To fully comprehend the weight of the studio discussion on September 17, 2026, one must examine the macroeconomic and regulatory environment that governs elite European football in the 2026–27 campaign. The sport has entered an era defined by extreme regulatory enforcement. PSR in the Premier League and UEFA’s squad cost ratio regulations—limiting total expenditures on player and coach wages, transfers, and agent fees to 70 percent of club revenues—have completely transformed squad construction strategies. Mid-tier clubs that achieved unexpected sporting success, such as Aston Villa, now find themselves structurally trapped: unable to convert Champions League qualification into sustainable wage growth without triggering severe financial penalties.

Simultaneously, tactical trends across the continent have reached a critical inflection point. The decade-long dominance of hyper-structured, slow-tempo positional play derived from Pep Guardiola’s influence is facing severe resistance. Opposition analysts have decoded predictable build-up patterns, creating an environment where aggressive mid-blocks, explosive vertical counter-attacks, and physical set-piece execution yield far higher expected-goal efficiency per touch. Brighton’s ability to combine technical press-resistance with lethal forward transitions, alongside Leeds United's unapologetic directness, illustrates this broader tactical shift.

Furthermore, the global market for elite teenage talent has experienced hyper-inflation and deregulation. Emerging stars no longer view historical legacy clubs like Manchester United as guaranteed stepping stones to stardom. When developmental pathways become clogged by expensive, underperforming senior acquisitions, elite prospects now leverage international interest—such as Real Madrid’s fast-track recruitment network—to force early exits. The convergence of these financial constraints, tactical evolutions, and player-power dynamics created the explosive backdrop for the panel's conversation.

3. Deep-Dive Thematic Breakdown

3.1 Old Trafford's 50-Year Anomaly: The Tactical & Psychological Anatomy of Man United's 3-2 Collapse to Brighton

The headline statistical revelation delivered by Duncan Alexander—that Brighton’s 3-2 comeback victory was the first time in 50 years a visiting club turned around a two-goal deficit at Old Trafford—serves as a brutal indictment of Manchester United’s modern operational state. The match began under deceptive conditions of optimism. Nineteen-year-old Cher Lacey, handed a starter's role amid persistent squad reshuffling, dispatched a sublime early goal to put United 2-0 ahead within the opening ten minutes. Old Trafford seemed primed for a routine evening, but what followed was an analytical masterclass in game management by Brighton and a total psychological collapse by the hosts.

Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton side did not panic. Despite missing a suite of core starters—including Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke, Kaoru Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh, and Georginio Rutter—Brighton systematically targeted Manchester United’s vulnerable central midfield spacing. At the heart of this turnaround was 35-year-old Pascal Gross, whose return to the South Coast has provided Brighton with an elite veteran tempo controller. Gross operated with surgical precision, orchestrating Brighton's build-up phase, scoring the equalizing goal, and systematically drawing United's aggressive press into dead zones.

As Dan Patrick highlighted during the analysis, United’s bench response highlighted their structural confusion. When the coaching staff introduced Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee, and Amad Diallo in a desperate bid to regain control, the team’s spatial geometry completely fractured. Rather than establishing possession control, United’s substitutes got caught in high-variance transition traps. Brighton executed a brilliant third goal via a rapid wing transition and then suffocated the final 25 minutes of the match, keeping United entirely at arm's length without conceding a single quality chance.

This match failure cannot be analyzed separately from the institutional crisis surrounding United's academy pathways. The revelation surrounding 16-year-old sensation J.J. Gabriel—who has formally requested to terminate his agreement with Manchester United in order to facilitate a move to Real Madrid—demonstrates that the club's internal culture is failing at both ends of the age spectrum. While Cher Lacey was left looking forlorn on the touchline after being substituted before the collapse, United's premier teenage asset is actively seeking an exit ramp. The aura of Old Trafford as an impenetrable fortress and a premier talent incubator has effectively dissolved.

3.2 The PSR Liquidation Trap: Unai Emery and Aston Villa's Impending Structural Disassembly

Perhaps the most alarming assertion made during the broadcast came from Benjy Laniado regarding Aston Villa’s summer transfer reality. Laniado described the prospective stripping of Unai Emery’s squad as "outrageous," outlining a scenario where financial compliance rules are forcing the club to systematically dismantle the core spine that achieved European qualification.

The potential liquidation of Villa’s core assets involves key figures across every line of the pitch:

  • Top Goalscorer & Primary Attacker: Ollie Watkins, whose off-ball movement and clinical finishing have anchored Villa's forward line.
  • Best Outfield Player & Central Midfielder: Douglas Luiz / John McGinn, who provide the press-resistance and tactical intelligence required for Emery's complex mid-block scheme.
  • Best Central Defender: Pau Torres / Ezri Konsa, the foundational ball-playing center-back responsible for executing Emery's high defensive line.
  • Golden Glove Goalkeeper: Emiliano Martínez, whose elite shot-stopping and psychological dominance in penalty boxes have won Villa countless points.

This predicament exposes the inherent flaw within modern financial regulations like PSR. Designed under the guise of preventing unsustainable club expenditure, these regulations effectively freeze the existing hierarchy in place. Ambitious ownership groups capable of funding top-tier operations are legally restricted from spending cash reserves, while established Big Six clubs leverage vastly superior commercial revenue bases to absorb massive squad mistakes. Unai Emery’s tactical brilliance has elevated Villa into elite sporting territory, yet the club’s revenue footprint cannot support the wage bill required to retain world-class talent. Villa are forced into an asset-flipping model simply to remain compliant, demonstrating how PSR transforms sporting excellence into structural vulnerability.

3.3 Tottenham's Threshold of Instability: The 'El Sackico' Shadow and the Eddie Howe Alternative

Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-1 midweek defeat to Liverpool in the League Cup has reignited intense debate regarding the long-term viability of Ange Postecoglou’s management. Benjy Laniado provided a sharp assessment of the board's internal calculus, noting that while labeling upcoming fixtures an immediate 'El Sackico' might be premature, the threshold for executive intervention has drawn noticeably closer.

The core tension at Tottenham lies in the ideological rigidity of their tactical model. Postecoglou's high-line, relentless attacking structure generates high-volume chances against mid-table opposition but leaves enormous, exploitable gaps against elite transition sides. Opponents have repeatedly exposed Tottenham’s wide channels when inverted full-backs fail to recover, resulting in costly cup exits and domestic volatility.

What makes Tottenham’s situation uniquely fragile is the availability of Eddie Howe. With Newcastle United enduring their own tactical wobble—symbolized by their 4-1 collapse against Leeds—Howe’s position at St James' Park has become increasingly complicated. Laniado explicitly identified Howe as a "much more reliable manager" for Spurs, offering a tactical profile grounded in defensive structure, compact mid-pressing, and adaptable game plans. Where Postecoglou offers uncompromising romanticism, Howe represents pragmatic stability. For a Spurs board desperate for consistent Champions League revenue and domestic silver, the temptation to replace ideological risk with Howe’s proven Premier League floor grows stronger with every defensive setback.

3.4 The Class of '22 Arbitrage: How Manchester City Built the World's Most Efficient Talent Incubator

One of the most eye-opening moments of the episode occurred when Benjy Laniado read aloud a list of ten players who coexisted within Manchester City’s first-team and academy ecosystem in the summer of 2022:

Player Name Primary Position Subsequent Transfer Destination / Status Strategic & Financial Impact
Phil Foden Attacking Midfielder / Winger Manchester City First Team World-class cornerstone asset; baseline academy success story.
Cole Palmer Attacking Midfielder / Forward Chelsea (£42.5m) Transformed into an elite Premier League goal-creator; massive PSR profit.
Morgan Rogers Winger / Forward Middlesbrough → Aston Villa Monetized secondary development; now a dominant Premier League starter.
Liam Delap Striker Hull City → Ipswich Town High-potency Premier League center-forward generated via loan pathway.
James McAtee Central Midfielder Sheffield United (Loan) / City Squad Technically elite midfield depth and high-value resale candidate.
James Trafford Goalkeeper Burnley (£19m) Substantial transfer fee generated with zero senior City league starts.
Romeo Lavia Defensive Midfielder Southampton → Chelsea (£58m) City netted significant sell-on clause revenue from secondary transfer.
Shay Charles Defensive Midfielder Southampton (£15m) Direct academy monetization funding first-team squad maintenance.
Taylor Harwood-Bellis Central Defender Burnley / Southampton Proven Championship-winning captain sold for premium domestic fee.
Pedro Porro Right Back / Wing-Back Sporting CP → Tottenham Hotspur Multi-stage international loan arbitrage resulting in major profit.

This list illustrates a monumental competitive advantage. Manchester City have created an industrial talent incubator that functions as a parallel financial empire. By pairing world-class facility infrastructure with elite youth coaching, City aggregate the highest-tier youth prospects globally. Even when players cannot break into Guardiola’s starting eleven due to impossibly high performance standards, City convert these prospects into pure PSR profit. Sales of players like Palmer, Trafford, and Lavia have generated hundreds of millions of pounds in balance-sheet gains, effectively funding City's senior acquisitions while insulating the club from financial regulatory scrutiny. Intermediate clubs across the Premier League have effectively become secondary development nodes for City's academy ecosystem.

3.5 The Yorkshire Pragmatist Revolt: Leeds United, Hull City, and the Anti-Possession Renaissance

While legacy clubs struggle with financial regulations and tactical identity crises, a fascinating counter-revolution is taking place in Yorkshire. Leeds United’s 4-1 dismantling of Newcastle United—scoring three goals in 13 explosive first-half minutes—elevated Daniel Farke’s side to 3rd in the Premier League table. Simultaneously, promoted Hull City sit remarkably in 4th position, recording one of the finest starts by a promoted club in Premier League history.

As Duncan Alexander pointed out using underlying tracking data, Leeds and Hull share a distinct tactical profile: they record the lowest average possession, pass completion rates, and build-up sequences in the entire division. Rather than attempting to match established top-flight clubs in controlled passing volume, both teams embrace directness, vertical pressing, and physical dominance in transition phases.

Central to Leeds’ tactical resurgence is the remarkable career trajectory of Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The panel engaged in an insightful retrospective of Calvert-Lewin’s career, tracing his path from his early days at Sheffield United through his 16-goal Premier League breakout at Everton in 2020, his high-profile foray into high fashion (styled by Harry Lambert alongside global icons like Harry Styles), and his subsequent injury-plagued drop-off. Now fully fit and rejuvenated at Leeds, Calvert-Lewin has re-emerged as a devastating, traditional English center-forward. His ability to pin opposing center-backs, win aerial duels, and spearhead a relentless counter-pressing structure provides Leeds with a direct offensive outlet that completely disrupts modern, high-line defensive structures.

4. Speaker Perspectives & Analytical Contrast

The strength of The Totally Football Show format lies in the sharp contrast between its panellists, each bringing a distinct analytical framework to the studio debate. The September 17 episode showcased four complimentary yet distinct analytical archetypes:

Speaker Primary Lens & Methodology Key Contributions & Stances Analytical Contrast & Friction
Duncan Alexander Data Analytics & Historical Benchmarking Identified the 50-year Old Trafford comeback statistic; highlighted Max Thalman's historical Arsenal scoring record; provided possession/pass completion tracking for Leeds and Hull. Counterbalances emotional narratives with cold empirical metrics; grounds dramatic match results within long-term historical trends.
Benjy Laniado Structural Club Realism & Fan Sentiment Delivered the scathing breakdown of Aston Villa's PSR spine liquidation; articulated Tottenham's managerial tipping point regarding Eddie Howe; provided candid insight into West Ham's Championship experience. Focuses on boardroom politics, financial distress, and practical squad construction; challenges romantic notions of managerial patience.
Dan Patrick Tactical Mechanics & Recruitment Analysis Analyzed Brighton's mid-block press and game control; exposed VAR's failure to evaluate Enzo Fernandez's offside impact; revealed J.J. Gabriel's contract termination request to join Real Madrid. Examines micro-tactical details on the pitch and behind-the-scenes transfer mechanics; bridges the gap between coaching execution and scouting operations.
James Richardson (Jimbo) Editorial Moderation & Narrative Synthesis Framed the West Ham vs. Leeds/Spurs sliding doors scenarios; facilitated debates on Championship entertainment value vs. Premier League survival; maintained fast-paced studio rhythm. Acts as the editorial anchor, translating complex statistical and financial breakdowns into engaging, accessible narrative arcs for the audience.

The interaction between Benjy Laniado and Dan Patrick provided particularly compelling editorial friction. While Patrick marveled at Brighton's seemingly magical ability to replace key departures with unheralded international recruits, Laniado pointed out the dark side of this economic reality for clubs like Aston Villa, where systemic recruitment success is immediately punished by financial rules that compel asset liquidation. Similarly, Duncan Alexander's statistical highlights regarding Leeds' anti-possession success provided empirical proof for Laniado's broader thesis: that rigid tactical dogmatism in the Premier League is increasingly vulnerable to pragmatic, direct football.

5. Strategic & Industry Implications

The analytical revelations detailed in this broadcast carry profound strategic implications for executive decision-makers across professional football:

5.1 The Death of the Traditional Mid-Tier Builder

Aston Villa’s PSR dilemma signals the end of the traditional mid-tier rebuilding model, where a club gradually accumulates talent over four to five transfer windows to establish a permanent residence in the elite upper tier. Under current financial compliance frameworks, any mid-tier club that achieves sudden sporting success is immediately forced into asset sales to cover rising wage demands and amortization costs. Ambitious clubs must now operate under a high-turnover model similar to Brighton, accepting that players and coaching staff will be continuously monetized, and that competitive survival depends entirely on the accuracy of propriety recruitment algorithms rather than squad continuity.

5.2 Academy Production as a Financial Shield

Manchester City’s Class of '22 production line has redefined academy operations from a sporting luxury into an essential financial shield. In an era governed by strict PSR metrics, homegrown academy sales represent 100 percent pure profit on corporate balance sheets, providing immediate relief against financial fair play limits. Clubs that fail to build elite, high-volume youth development and loan-arbitrage networks will find themselves unable to compete in the senior transfer market without violating profit constraints. The modern academy is now a financial engine first and a first-team pipeline second.

5.3 The Erosion of Legacy Brand Protection

Manchester United’s double blow—losing a 2-0 lead at home to Brighton for a historic 50-year low, while simultaneously facing an explicit exit demand from 16-year-old prodigy J.J. Gabriel—demonstrates that historical brand prestige no longer guarantees player retention or pitch dominance. Elite prospects now analyze squad geometry, tactical clarity, and developmental track records with cold objectivity. If a legacy institution cannot offer tactical stability or clear pathways to senior football, elite talent will bypass them entirely in favor of streamlined continental pipelines like Real Madrid.

6. Looking Ahead: Unresolved Questions & Next Milestones

As the 2026–27 season accelerates, several critical narrative threads and empirical metrics must be closely monitored by analysts and club executives alike:

  • Manchester United's Response at Craven Cottage: Following the Old Trafford collapse, United face Fulham in a high-pressure Sunday fixture. Will the coaching staff restore defensive stability, or will spatial mid-block fractures continue to invite opponents to exploit their fragile mental state?
  • The Arsenal vs. Brighton Benchmark: Brighton’s unstoppable scoring form meets Arsenal’s impenetrable defensive block this coming weekend. This match will serve as the ultimate tactical litmus test for whether Brighton’s press-resistant, high-variance transition model can break down the league's premier low-block defense.
  • The Longevity of Yorkshire's Pragmatism: Can Leeds United and Hull City maintain their top-four trajectories while recording sub-40 percent possession averages? Tracking their performance metrics over the next eight fixtures will determine whether low-possession pragmatism represents a sustainable top-flight strategy or a temporary tactical anomaly.
  • Aston Villa’s January Transfer Window Strategy: With PSR deadlines approaching, how will Aston Villa navigate incoming offers for their core spine during the winter window? Any early asset sales will signal an explicit shift toward financial compliance at the expense of Unai Emery’s European ambitions.
  • Ruben Amorim's Countdown at AC Milan: Following Benfica's 2-0 victory over Milan in the Europa League at San Siro, former Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim finds himself under intense managerial pressure in Italy. Tracking Milan's domestic performance will indicate whether another high-profile managerial vacancy opens before the winter break.

The September 17 episode of The Totally Football Show has provided an indispensable framework for understanding the modern game. As financial regulations harden, tactical paradigms shift, and talent pipelines reshape, the lessons drawn from this conversation will continue to resonate across the global football landscape.

💬 Key Quotes & Speaker Breakdown

Man United form

"That's the first time in 50 years that a visiting team has come from two goals down to win at Old Trafford."

— Duncan Alexander

Aston Villa transfer policy

"I think it's outrageous what Unai Emery has had to put up with. They're going to rip out his entire spine. They're going to sell his top scorer, his best player, his best midfielder, his best defender, his Golden Glove winning goalkeeper."

— Benjy Laniado

Spurs manager pressure

"I think it's too early to say it's an 'El Sackico' for Spurs, but I can see them pulling the trigger if necessary. Because Eddie Howe is right there. They could arguably get him in. He's a much more reliable manager."

— Benjy Laniado

VAR controversy

"It's not that they misjudged the offside, they just failed to consider Enzo Fernandez's impact on the goal whatsoever, as they admitted on Monday."

— Dan Patrick

Brighton recruitment

"Brighton, which is so in control, is kind of unfair how good they are at just recruitment and seemingly getting everything right."

— Dan Patrick

Man City academy talent

"All of the following players were at Man City in and around the first team squad or youth team in the summer of 22: James McAtee, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Liam Delap, James Trafford, Romeo Lavia, Shay Charles, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Pedro Porro, and Phil Foden."

— Benjy Laniado

Man United youth transfer news

"J.J. Gabriel is obviously a really special talent. He's asking to terminate his agreement with United and wanting to leave. It looks like he could be on the Real Madrid fast track."

— Dan Patrick

Arsenal youth prospects

"Max Thalman is now the first Arsenal player ever to score multiple goals for the club before turning 17."

— Duncan Alexander

Spurs transfer strategy

"I think the thing that's exposed at the moment is there are obviously positive signs for Spurs, but they desperately need a goal scorer. They probably should have spent the money on Gakpo."

— Duncan Alexander

Ipswich Town form

"I could see Ipswich sneaking into the top 10. Only Arsenal, City, Chelsea, and Brighton have scored more than Ipswich so far."

— Benjy Laniado
📜 View Full Episode Verbatim Transcript 51,569 characters
I've just been shouted at in the street, going to turn me though, from my mission of football truth, his Thursday's totally football show. Carried by a wild man you know I did, collapsed against Brighton, means mood fails to, Arsenal, one to go from Max Stalman and Fleetwood in the next round, means a unique headline opportunities in four weeks time, getting us in early. We taught Shobber's lie, Sunderland RZ, Man City's class of 22, West Ham, what happened next, and what awaits this weekend in the Premier League? Thursday the 17th of September, and in our special Thursday studio, we welcome Duncan Alexander. Hi. Hi. We welcome back, Dankel Patrick. Hello. Lovely to see you, Dan. And look who's here. Benjy Laniado. Jimbo. Woo. Oh, see your pick there. Thank you, Tick. All right. Any pick fan news? Loads, just growing and growing, it's a lot of people still taking photographs, there's a massive comeback in compact cameras, if you notice this, people actually get, because of like AI and the kind of startling and scary pace of technological progress, people are going back to crappy, you know, point and click of cameras, it's happening. Okay. Yeah, digital ones, or digital ones. Yeah. Then our retro. It struck me on the way in that Benjy, you're a West Ham supporter, and Dan leads towards the tournament of town, which means there's a unique kind of sliding doors, flip reverse style kind of moat. If you think back to May 24, had things worked out different, had for example, West Ham's called 12 goals against who are you playing? I can't remember if I deleted it from my brain. Okay. Last game of the season. It could have been Dan facing Millwall this weekend. No. I can't remember. You obviously... We were playing Everton. You were playing Everton. No, you played. No, but we won. I think we won, like... Yeah, but if Spurs won. If Spurs won. Leads, that's right. I mean, thought actually, we thought Leads might be involved, and they weren't. Right. But my point is... The one thing you never enjoyed much of last year, etc. All right. Thank you. But yeah, it could be Dan facing Millwall this weekend with Spurs, and Benjy kind of lauding it up in the Premier League. And Jimbo, I'd ask you, who's happier? I'm here. I'm smiley. Yeah. The water is warm in the Champions League. Is it? There we are sitting at the top. Crisis free. Joint top. Yeah. You had a six-no-win-over-rex one. Yeah. Last weekend. Yeah, meanwhile. Yeah. Over on White Heart Lane. Not quite as much fun. What? I'm not saying that relegation is better than staying in the league. Right. How many league goals have WS have scored since Spurs last year? Quite a lot. We've scored a Premier League goal more recently than Spurs. Just to be clear. I think if you can have that fun season in the championship, I feel like Newcastle did it. Yeah. Yeah. If you go down and just dominate and you can score those goals, you don't have VR. Yeah. You can come back up. Maybe there's something to be said for that. Oh, yeah, yeah. Rather, you can't go and see the league. But yeah, that's the thing. Or, or, you know, in five years' time, you'll still be sitting here trying to claw your way out. Come on. You've got so much championship chat so early. This is great. I wasn't expecting this. It is. It has been lovely. The lack of virus is fantastic. And the rumors are true. It is like an incredibly entertaining league. Okay. Well, the dropping quality is very stark. And, you know, Jared Bowen, the championship's like sort of Pavarotti turning up at a karaoke night. He's just having the time of his life. New nose playing off one five one. Yeah. I'm having a lovely odd time. I'm having a lot of fun. It is. We have football fans. We'll be. I've seen loads of West Town tweets and stuff. I've just sort of fallen in love with football again. Yeah. Yeah. It is. It is. People should be jealous of us. I'm jealous of us. That kind of thing. Makes you think, though, isn't it? Fine margins. Just those 12 goals that you didn't score. Yeah. All right. Anyway, West Ham were in action midweek, of course. Although that one didn't go quite so well. Benji will perhaps tell us about it later on. That was in the league cup because it's been a busy midweek for the various cup competitions. And indeed, league competitions, Premier League, League Cup annually. All with fixtures since our last show, Premier League on Monday, Leeds battered Newcastle 4-1, three goals in 13 first half minutes to demolish the previously unbeaten Magpies and Leeds going third in the Premier League. Wow. Tuesday and Wednesday bought the rest of the Karabakh Cup third round on Tuesday. Liverpool beats Spurs 3-1. Liverpool will face Chelsea in the next round. Well, West Ham came from behind twice against Fullham, but ended up losing 3-2 Oscar Bob with the winner there for the cottages. Arsenal will be Ibswitch 4-2 with a brace for that Max Daumann. He is now the first Arsenal player ever to score multiple goals for the club before turning 17. How long? Dot dot dot dot, question mark, etc. Though they face Fleetwood, as we mentioned, in the next round, Fleetwood, who on Wednesday saw of Sheffield United, when they also saw Villa 3-1 winners at Coventry. They'll have Bournemouth next to Everton Beatwood's 1-0. They'll get Newcastle and more trouble for Mann United, who blew a two-go lead at home to Brighton and lose 3-2. Brighton will face the winners of Thursday's Man City Norwich Game, as for Mann United, that's the first time in 50 years that a visiting team has come from two goals down to win at Old Trafford Yikes. Now, also on Wednesday, there was the Europa League, which saw some of them wonder winners against RZ Alkmar of the Eurodavisi, also in the Europa League on Wednesday at San Siro, that cats will be heading in December for a Europa League fixture. Mieland lost 2-0 to Mako Silva's Ben Fika, and the bookies already have Mieland's manager on borrowed time. His name? I, yes. Ruben Ammarin. Wednesday night, Old Trafford, Mann United taking on Brighton. Dan, you were watching this for us. I was so impressed with Brighton. Yeah, I mean, I got in a bit late, you know, I did, but already won it up. My enthusiasm dipped for the game. I thought this could be a bit routine, but Brighton, which is brilliant after that, and the way they controlled the game at 3-2, I think, was absolutely outstanding. You expect United, particularly when they brought on Bruno Fernandez, and they brought on Manu, they brought on Zerkecy, they brought on Blamo, and you thought, okay, there's going to be at least a chance or two for United to get a third, and level this up, take it to penalties, but Brighton, which is so in control, is kind of unfair how good they are at just recruitment and seemingly getting everything right. I mean, bringing back Pascal Gross, if United, or Tottenham, or, you know, a dysfunctional big club, I will bring back 35-year-old Pascal Gross. Right. It would obviously have been an absolute disaster, but he was just outstanding, kind of running the game. I think got the second goal. He did. So level it, and... Yeah. That point almost really, you sensed Brighton, we're going to get a third, or at least get chances for a third, they were creating it well. And then, yeah, from three to up, but you never really felt that United were, we're going to get the level up. Brighton, as you say, watching them, it's a bit like butch cast in the sun, that's kind of, who are those guys? Who are these guys? I said to you guys in the new green room, but I was watching, I was like, I don't know who that guy is. Who's this? Yeah. You know, they sold Belieber. They sold Van Hecker. They didn't have Matoma or Minte in the squad. They didn't have Rutta. Who shouts out. Yeah. And you're just thinking, okay, I must be depleted side. They can't have loads of really brilliant technical players who are going to tear up Man United, albeit a change of Man United. But it turns out they do. They do. They can't keep getting away with us. Yeah, no, absolutely. It's not fair. They need to be a bit more chaotic and dysfunctional, so if other... I mean, they do that, that's how teams can have a chance. What's interesting... Well, one of the many things is interesting, is the way you speak about them controlling the game, because I think the chaotic element has been there, has been that kind of side effect of their approach to the match. So United had a brilliant start to the game, including a wonderful girl from 19-year-old Cher Lacey. Yeah, no, it was really well taken care of. And you really felt for him, because he had very much done his part, and I think he was taken off before the collapse, or certainly during the collapse, and the camera kind of panned him, looking a bit sad on the touch line. Well, United have kind of ruined his big moment. But you know, United made changes, and I think they started very well. It kind of felt like they'd stunned Brighton a little bit, who weren't quite prepared for the intensity, and the tempo they play that. But as we know, two-nil's a dangerous score like this. It was one of those games. It's a very dangerous game. Every script of the year is ridiculous. It's a dangerous game. It felt like one of those games were, if Brighton got the next goal, then you feared for your life. It's so deflated for United. After 10 minutes, they're 2-nil up. A youngster, given his opportunity, has just scored, and there's been all this nonsense about JJ Gabriel over the last few days, complaining about being a youngster, not getting his chance. So for United fans, that must have felt pretty fantastic. Yeah. Brighton, this come back here, in the league meanwhile, they are the top scorers and they are facing Arsenal this weekend. What do you think? Well, I think Brighton looked like a team that have so many ways to score a goal. I mean, what they were doing really well last night was pressing United, stopping them playing out, winning the ball back in really dangerous positions in the United half, and then just pouring men forward in dangerous positions. And that's how, certainly, they got the equaliser. And I think then the third goal, I think, was a really clever transition, like a quick break down the side. So they've just got ways to score. And I think it will be a big test for Arsenal. As we know, Arsenal was just very good at kind of squeezing the life out of games when they want to. And I think, yeah, I'm not sure Brighton are quite an unstoppable force yet, but right, Arsenal do have that a movable object sort of. I think that might be the sort of one-to-many way of holding the bat. I've adored Pascal Gross so far this season. And I love this kind of mini-trend of like returning mid-30s central midfielders. He was sort of granite shackle last season. Right. Came back from Jordan Henderson. But on Henderson's another one. Well, Bernardo Silva did it. He sort of was, yeah, you're right. He was in his mid-30s and he'd come further back. So yeah, they are players that I think younger supporters seem to be very patronizing. They're going to be like, what the hell are these players doing in the Premier League? Like, why on earth would you have a 35-year-old in the middle of midfield for an elite football team? But they are so experienced, so clever, they don't need to be fast. They just know how to control a game, as you say. Right. That final 25 minutes, whatever it was, Pascal Gross was a massive part of that. Sam Matterface won an ITV compared him to Zadan. Right. Because he was, you know, he had all done that. Well, yeah, it was actually the obvious comparison to make. He was literally kind of showboating. I think the more than once you did a kind of pirouette and you could just see the confidence flowing through this Brighton team. I mean, it's been said so many times over the years that the kind of fear factor is gone from Ultraford. Right. And, you know, you won't find a better example than that game and the way Brighton played when they were three to up. Well, let's talk a little bit about United and their position now. Also this week some interesting var and you use post their Derby defeat in Harlands. Goal in that. But Benjamin Cesco in this game, where they, how would you define his performance? There's one moment, lay on where he seems to almost have a kind of mental shutdown, where he seems to almost forget how to football. Do you know the bit I mean? He wanders up towards the Brighton. The ball has passed him and he advances towards the Brighton goal. And at this point, it seems like the software shuts down and he goes into a kind of holding pan. And eventually the world of Brighton players kind of wander up and take the ball off him. And then I don't... I can recall the moment you're thinking of. But I think, again, just the kind of toothlessness of United when you were expecting this kind of little onslaught was quite striking. And they had one big chance predictably, Fernandez came on and immediately touched it through to Rashford, who went one-on-one with Jason Steele. He made a really smart saving. That was I think the moment they could have leveled the game. But I think they were so in control at 2-0. They should have been so in control at 2-0. But Brighton was starting to get behind them already and you just kind of sensed that there was this availability there. Right. So is that a carrot question then? I think any team at this level being tuna up at home in a cup tie against an opponent... Oh, OK, I loved watching them. And they're obviously a really fabulously coached side. But you should be expecting to kind of be comfortable from there or at least be in command from there. But it just never felt that way from the United perspective. And it was just so kind of predictable seeing Bruno Fernandez warm up and you're like, here we go, he's going to have to try and do another rescue mission here. And it just seems like so often that is the fallback. Right, get this guy on the clutch. Go ahead, Bruno. Yeah, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. This weekend, as mentioned, Brighton take on Arsenal, while Man United made the troop to Craven Cottage to face full-on, which is 18th against 13th in the Premier League. Full-on but not how the best starts. United, though, would be I think significantly higher where it not for the activities of Sunday's var personnel who allowed a goal which everybody in their dog was screaming at the TV on Sunday going, that's offside. They did then release the audio. Did that help for you releasing the audio? Did that illuminate your... Prop peace to me. Did it? No, I bet actually genuinely made me feel sad for the people involved because you can hear the stress in that job and the fact that when they were going through the pressure to get that decision out as quick as possible, and you're going quick, quick, quick, quick, because they were spawning through the earlier move and they wanted to make sure they forgot that founders was offside. Do you remember the trust or process from early last season? Yeah, or two seasons again. Was that two seasons ago now? Yeah, okay. It kind of really drove home the point that, you know, for all the talk of Robots and Machines, it was just some men in a room in a business park and then if they can't do that job, then they probably shouldn't... Then what we need is a review for the var, a ra-var. Yeah, but then now I need a... Well, by Monday, they were able to come to the correct conclusion, which is that they'd forgotten to look at ends of an Andes. Nobody noticed him stealing in there trying to head the ball. But it makes you wonder how many other instances where they just forgot something. And like, if they're going to do that, he might as well just not have thought. Then it. Enzo is famously inconspicuous as well. Yeah. Kiss his head down. Yeah. It's not that they misjudged the offside Enzo financial impact on the goal. They just failed to consider it whatsoever as how it would have admitted on Monday. I think Old Trafford does have some sort of energy for this. Do you remember the ball month game when the last game of season and three seasons ago where they had a fake bomb in the ground because they'd done a test in the week? And I bet that guy whose job was it to collect that will probably work on one. Oh no, I've forgotten. So it does feel like it causes forgetfulness, apart from maybe the 1990s. Just give me a little bit more detail down about J.J. Gabriel, who I wasn't that aware of. He's 15. And that seems quite young to be saying, I'm not getting enough game time at Old Trafford. Yeah. They are getting younger, aren't they? Yeah. I'm worrying. I mean, I guess, I think Max Thalman is like a really really unhelpful example for Old Man United. But he doesn't play that much for us. Well, he has played, I mean, he's played enough, hasn't he? You're now always playing at 15. Yeah. And I think is J.J. Gabriel that kind of level? Well, I don't know. I'm reliably informed, Andy Mitten has watched him more than 20 times. Oh, yeah. He's the man to ask. But look, he's obviously like everyone is in agreement. He's a really special talent. Like he's obviously one of those players that there's been buzz about for years. And he's kind of justifying that buzz at the level he's playing at, which I think is under 21 level, which is still a big jump for a 15-year-old. And I think he feels, or the people around him feel, and I might have to be careful what I say here, that he should be getting more opportunities and he's not being fast-tracked enough by United hence asking to terminate his agreement with him and wanting to leave. And it feels like the direction of travel is that that is going to happen, although I think United are, as we speak, kind of still trying, fighting a losing battle, I think it's vegator. It looks like he could be on the Marta Noda Girls Super Highway, which is going to Real Madrid at 15 or whatever it is. Yeah. Not getting much going on time, but then going to sort of associate that in others and eventually becoming a Premier League winning captain. Real Madrid. Real Madrid. Real Madrid, among the teams interested Barcelona and Bayern Munich. Ooh, Paris Saint-Germain, all trying to sign him. Mmm. All right, well, we shall see. Let's get on to some more midweek action next. Tuesday in the Carabagh Cup. So Liverpool beating Spurs, 3-1. Again, Dan, you watch this Duncan as well. Ooh, it's a nice goal in this, particularly the third from Liverpool, from Dominic Schlobber's lie. I mean, just absolute quality. I mean, everyone knows you can hit free kicks, but this was obviously a bouncing ball. I mean, there's a lovely... Someone's cut up frame by frame into like a nice image. From which angle? From behind. From behind. And just how many times have you watched that? I mean, 56. And just the technique he has to do that is just... And the fact that... He doesn't even hit it that hard, but he just cuts across it, and it's just the perfect amount of bends. So good. It causes GAC to do a knee slide. You don't often see a... And a play that hasn't scored, do the knee slide. It was... Yeah. Some beautiful knee slides in that game as well, because McCallis is up to his goal. And unless I'm getting confused, I think it's the one where he knee slid right up to the camera. Beautifully done. Beautifully done. Perfect. Slicked pitch, presumably. Yeah. Harry McGuire, I think, is... And it's the best... Underay, that slide. Yeah. Really? He gets a kind of little flick at the end. He turns like a go-kart. Yes, he's a brilliant knee slider. All right. Because you'd think with him, it'd be quite dangerous, the kind of... It's surprising. Top heaviness of it. Well, also the aerodynamics, exactly. Yeah. And yet he's... It's like a seriously underrated support. Okay. It's... It's... It's beautiful. It's more punished than you'd expect. I like a knee slide when the player then... Comes back up again at the end. I... Well, you know... He moves. You know my view on knee slides. They shouldn't be done before November. Before the clocks go back. Okay. Yeah. Similar. It's just slick enough in September. Go ahead. So Liverpool were facing Spurs in the caribou cup. Yeah. And McAllister scored the first. And Cody Gagpo, who could have been turning out four Spurs, had events again. Flip reverse sliding doors turned out different. Makes it 2-0. What a... What a player he's been since not leaving Liverpool. Gagpo is a classic example of someone you've got a lot of criticism. And it wasn't really his fault. It was the way he was being asked to play by it on a slot last season. And I think I understand how good he is. And kind of, I guess, as a fellow countryman, probably relied on him a bit too much. And Gagpo became a bit of a lightning rod. So the difference now is... Well, I think the system that Irolla plays is... Seats him much better. If you look at wingers at Bournemouth last year, I mean, look how good Cementia was. There were a lot more vertical. I mean, Gagpo's been playing left and right. I think he's been probably playing this season for Liverpool so far. Spurs... This may sound familiar, but they started brightly. But weren't able to convert their chances? And confidence seems to be an issue. Yeah, I think confidence in front of goal is obviously a big issue. And they created a couple of brilliant chances. Kudas, I think, fired over from about five yards. Both of them had this shot saved by Mummadesh Ville, which he really should have buried. It was about seven, eight yards out. Gagpo saved it with his leg. What say that was? Yeah, I mean, it was a great save. But I think it felt like a great save on first view. But when you see it back, you think he's got a score there. It's kind of gaping side of the goal. So yeah, I mean, I think the thing that's supposed at the moment is there are obviously positive signs. And it's kind of an inverse of last... This time last season when Spurs were playing badly under Frank, but getting results. Now it feels like they are moving in the right direction. They are playing some nice stuff, but the results are coming. So I think the question is, you know, to what extent as a Spurs fan or not? Can you kind of put faith in these positive signs? And you know, is the click going to come? And I think they were a bit unlucky against Liverpool. They won the XG. They were undone by three really good finishes. They couldn't finish their chances. Does that sound like the last three or four Spurs performances? To an extent, yeah. Yeah, I think so. And Mike, my deep concern is that they just haven't really got a goal score. And that they probably should have spent the tonarly money. This may look like a silly opinion if he really steps up in the next few months, but they probably should have spent that money on GACPO. Because they've already got Benton girl. They've got Bergwell. They've got Fernandez who I think looks like the pick of their summer signings. Did they need another kind of defensive-minded eight? Probably not, but they desperately need a striker. Why didn't GACPO go in the end? Was that them not spending the money or was it Liverpool deciding not to? I think there was a combination of things like maybe if Spurs had been able to cough up the money sooner, he might have gone. And you could see it to Duncan's point last night, how useful he would be. He plays the same kind of position as Richard Larson, like from the left, or as a sense forward, Richard Larson, not even in the squad. So useless. Then, just a bargain of the century came along, which, you know, Marmouche and Savio for only 150 million. So you can't look. Yeah, quite. And you know, they have both looked really bright in the last couple of games. And Marmouche also produced a great save for Marmouche really with a deflected shot. Oh, that was unbelievable. Yeah, I mean, you really reacted to that brilliantly. But they don't have great records of scoring the Premier League. I think Savio scored two goals for the city. Well, that's two more than Spurs are management. Well, yeah. I mean, you know, do they, there's no, you know, we're in contact with Spurs manager, you saw it say, you have to be a killer. And I'm like, who's the killer? You know, who is the guy who's going to capitalize when Spurs are having these good spells? Right. I don't think it's Salanky as much as I like it. I don't see any of the wingers doing it. So that could be a problem. I can sern. Spurs will be hosting Asa Villa in the Saturday lunchtime game. Benji, you've been a bit cheeky. You said that you felt there's already had a whiff of El Sakiko about it. That's so wrong. Well, is it? I think it is. Who and I am really surely not under pressure. Well, let me, I think it's slightly different with Emory. Can I explain my thinking here? Go ahead. So, deserve it. First of all. Yes. Like, it isn't being talked about enough that he's mad. Like, he's got an amazing track record of being mad. Yeah. And he often is really good early on. He's a great short term solution. He proves to be for Spurs. He kept them up. And then the medium term comes along. Yeah. And things get complicated. Like, you know, he, remember how you left Marseille? You basically said, I don't understand any of these players. I can't get through to them anymore. Like, I can see Spurs pulling the trigger if necessary. Because Eddie Howe's right there. You know, they could arguably get him in. He's a much more reliable unmad manager. With Emory, this, see, I, again, I'm not sure what it's been talked about enough. How much he has been betrayed by Asa Villa. Like, he is one of the best managers in the world. He wins them the Europa League. They get into the Champions League again. They were in the championship seven years ago. And congratulations, Emory. Your, your award is we're going to rip out your entire spine. Right. We're going to sell your top score at Oli Watkins. Your best player Morgan Rogers. Your best midfielder. Your E. Tilly Mons. Your best defender as Reconcer. Your Golden Glove winning goalkeeper, Emmy Martinez. And we're going to replace them with a bunch of kids and sort of hope that Uncle John McGinn can look after them. If I was even, you know, Emory, I would walk. I think it's outrageous what he's had to put up with. I don't think Villa wanted to rip this quarter. I think it was financially. But there are, there are ways of saying no. As our good friend Marinakis has shown us with Morgan Gibbs' work. But it may be a bad example. But you, you don't have to just sit back and let them all go. I don't think you, Emory would say I'm going to do that for to keep Martin as over Suzuki. He looks better. That's, Suzuki looks all right. Fair enough. But the most Jackson looks as good if not better than Oli Watkins. Not the case. Also Lucas Dinkond. Daniel Marlin is tearing it up. Yeah. And they let him go for like 20 meals. Like that was Emory. It's slight city attacks on that. Yes, maybe. It pains me to put it that way. I think Emory likes the term. Well, I think he loves rebuilding teams. And you see it each season where he gets loading the players for a take a few weeks to get going. He's a man. He's a man. He's the one manager. He's a great last season. He's the one manager who never likes to change his outfit. And yet in some ways you say that he does. Well, he apparently called him to Jacob Townsville. He does sometimes carry about cup presses in trainers and tracks. Which, you know, could just at all show his disdain for the competition. And he did he, and Angel is here recently. Yeah. Why? Honestly, you look at that. It's mad. Yeah, pre-game. It's a real big double take sort of like what? Yeah, it's kind of like Bufon. It's kind of good Lord. So this is it maybe that again when I saw that I was like, Oh, it's gone. Literally. But I think it's a Benji's point about deserving Emory. The reason I don't think it's an El Sakiko is because, although Deservi had that spell at the end of our season, it does kind of feel like he's a new manager when it's starting again. He's got all these new players. He's completely changed his approach. So last season it was, even in the way he deals with the players, last season it was like arm around the shoulder. You know, you guys are the best. And now it's balling out Matti's tail on the pitch. He's completely feels like a new style. But at the same time you've got to give him time. He's got, he kind of behaves a little bit like Marinho and yet he's not actually ever won anything, right? He also like first game of the season. You asked a thousand Spurs fans who's going to be captain the first day of the season? Archie Gray playing it right back. Like next game he talks about how you can't buy mentality. Game after that he's doing this weirdness with Matti's tail. I just doesn't feel like this ends well. I totally agree it's not going to end well. Dan, that's kind of baked in with this herbie at some point. He's going to blow up. But I think it's too early to, I think most Spurs fans are kind of on the view. What about you? Because you hated the last guy. I couldn't wait for the last, basically the last, how many was it last season? Two guys, three guys. Okay. Two Dirt. Who was the last Spurs manager that you enjoyed? Oh, I liked it. I liked Ange. You did. I did. Okay. How do you feel? The right kind of football coil. How do you feel about Dezerby? Do you think he's going to come good? Benji's right. It doesn't end well. But I think it doesn't end well possibly in November next year. I think he's got some legs to go. Yeah. And I think before then, I feel like he will be able to produce an exciting football team in the not too distant future. That's not to say that Spurs. That's not to say that I don't think there are problems with the recruitment. And I don't think this is a particularly special squad but I think it will improve. And if he does that, then another man can come in and build on that. Look at what Brighton have done. Very true. Very true. Anyway, it's Villa at the weekend who have won. Let me check my nose. Five of them are seven visits. They're with the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs... Everyone wins except for one team of course. What else from midweek? Duncan, you clocked the four to win for Arsenal against Ipswich. How special was the Max Daman brace, the first goal in particular? The first goal was magnificent because... Tell us about it. He picks up the ball, I don't know, 35, 40 yards from goal, runs with it or sees a left footed player. But he... It's very similar to the thing he did when he scored against Everton the Premier League last year. He's got a kind of messy-esque ability to knock in one stride, knock the ball with both feet and kind of move it. And he kind of gets past Ipswich Defender by doing that. And then with his weaker right foot just bangs it into the bottom left corner. And I mean, it was one of those goals that makes you go... Yeah, probably is world-class. Sixteen. Follon beat Westam 3-2 in the league cup. Peterborough got through their league one, all league one tie with Barnsley on penalties after a 3-3 draw. Brent for beat redding 2-1. Did you hear the incredibly depressed press conference from Peterborough manager, Williams afterwards? No interview in him and they were like, you know, we're through to the next round. Who do you want to get? I don't care. And they've got Bradford a team, like you've got an away draw at a team in the same division, which is arguably the least exciting thing you can have. So they're probably good for them. Brentford is through to the fourth round after a 2-1 win against Redding. We've kind of lost some on the score sheet. Villa, 3-1 winners at commentary. A brace from Tammy Abraham. Good for him. Everton beat Walls with Andy Burnham, a Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. And... Leader of the free world. Leader of the free world, Mark Carney. The Canadian Prime Minister. Also there. It's lovely to see, and obviously love Mark Carney, great UK counter-relations. Is that the best use of 90 minutes of those two people's time? Well, you don't know what happened. True, you don't know the conversations that were happening. A lot of people said that you love Mark Carney. They were a ranking of statesmen. He's the man. I mean, he's the man. Listen to him speak. Did you like him when he was governor of the Bank of England? Oh, yeah. Very much so. That was when he was coaching. Big Mark Carney fan. He's done his budgets at the Bank of England, given a big job. If you get a chance to listen to Mark Carney speak, he brings a bit of hope in a world with not much of that. All right, Benji. Yeah. Look at you. Yeah, sorry. Stop that. Fleet would beat Sheffield United. They're the lowest ranked team in the competition. Yep. And they will be facing Iceland the next round. I agree. And all that. Landslide for us, not if it's a big win. Landslide. How did it go? I'm sorry. There's been a landslide. Landslide. Something. Would you favorite Fleet the mat track? Landslide. Is it? Yeah. You got one duck? I mean, you can't knock the chain. Oh, yeah. Maybe the chain. Let's get on to, oh, some of the delights waiting this weekend in the Premier League next. Big weekend around the continent as Europe's subdivisions wheel out the big fixtures before the international break. Mysterious fixtures. You can beat us all linking together. In Spain, there's the Madrid Derby, Liga, by the way, which saw Barcelona, Liga leaders. Put seven goals past Rattings Santander. Two little things in this. First of all, really annoying not to say Anthony Gordon. Get a minute. I thought it started really well there. Second thing, almost the greatest goal celebration in the history of football. Raffinia and Yamal do a kind of hand hand fist up in the air type thing. But a second before they lift their fist up in the air, flashes of lightning go across the new cap. So if they just sped up a tiny bit, it would have been clapped out fist in the air lightning bolt. Boom. So years ago, we were doing World's Strongest Man in Malaysia. And it was a dark and stormy afternoon. And I think it was the one where they put it. There's various different names for this. It's called Conan's Wheel, something like that. You lift up this bar, which is connected to this incredibly heavy basket with rocks in. And you have to walk it as many times around this kind of central pin as many revolutions as you can. Anyway, the winner gets up on the podium afterwards and lifts his hand. And at that moment, it doesn't hit him. But just on the TV shot, this fork of lightning comes down. Who was that? Thor. Unbelievable. Thor. Yeah, it was an extraordinary moment. That was the way you evolved from that, James. That's premium TV. World's Strongest Man. Yeah, very much so. Yeah, I mean, none more premium. Did it know? Did it know? I mean, in Italy, Inter, who on Monday, came back from two goals down for the second game in a row to defeat Udenese 5-3, take on Roma, who the only other team to have won all four of their matches have won CityA. That's going to be huge. Were you suggesting, by the way, that the fixed computers are kind of talking to each other? Like those AIs that went rowing. I think we need to be inspiring to use good weekends. Well, further evidence to that, the Premier League's computers come up with, let's see. Ooh, full of man-united as our big send-off for the international. Probably one is still maybe independent, because it's gone for a quite low key. Although, I think the way events have transpired this week. Narratives building around that game. Anyway, it all begins this round in the Premier League, match day five. On Friday evening with Brentford against Chelsea, Saturday, Spursville is the early game. Then you've got Brighton against Arsenal, against First and the highest scoring in the division against the best defense. At three, there's also Everton Hips, which had a new car to the hull at T-Time Forest, host commentary. On Sunday, four games. Bournemouth Liverpool. Ooh. Adoniole Aula, up against his former side. Leeds who are currently third. Madness. Take on Crystal Palace who are very much not. Man City face Sunland who haven't won at Man City since January 1998. What was number one? We'll find out soon enough. And then Sunday, four thirty, Fullham, Man United, Fullham, who have now had a goal to throw away at Amfield, and the victory mid-a week against High Flying West Sam in the Carabuy Cup. So perhaps, signs of life from, could this be another positive move from the coaches? We shall see Sunday afternoon. So, Brents take on Arsenal, which is going to be fun, while Arsenal's title rub was managed to city face Sunderland. A city of playing this evening, as we were called Thursday in the Carabuy Cup against Norwich, but ahead of this weekend this game, Benji, you got something that you put together for us. Well, it's not, it's sort of stupid. You know how Man United have got a kind of a class of 92? I never heard of that. They should be like podcasts. Well, city of sort of got a class of 22. All right. Except the upside down bit is that none of them played for City anymore. So all of the following players were at Man City over, in and around Man City's first team squad youth team, in summer of 22. This was hinged by seeing James McAtey playing really nicely for Forest doing a kind of good impression of Anderson. So James McAtey was there, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rodgers, Liam Dilat, James Trafford, Romeo Lavier. So these are all currently playing in the Premier League. Shay Charles, just gone to Fulham. Taylor Harwood-Bellish, just gone to Villa. Petro Poro, let's be forget. And then, of course, the boy who lived, Phil Foden, who's still there. And Chris only one of them. Oh, yeah. Well, Nico Riley would have been there sort of down in the youth team. That's mad. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So which explains to me the big question, where did they ever get their money, Man City? It's from selling all these players, I thought. Quite a lot of these players went somewhere in between. Yeah. So they haven't made any money from these guys. Well, a bit of research was done. They got Palmer. They got 40 million for him. But Rodgers went to borrow from nothing. They sold Trafford's a Bernie for not very much and they bought him back for double the price. Yeah, as you say, mostly it's the club who've taken the players from the city and then sold again, who've made the money here. Like Rodgers to lap. Lavier, even. Yeah. Phil Foden, who's going to be suspended this weekend as they take on Sunderland. But that is remarkable, isn't it? I guess you could do like a Chelsea one as well. Probably. Yeah. sort of gay, salanky, Abraham. Probably over a longer time period. What I found amazing about this is they were all there at the same time. Yeah. It's incredible. I mean, so many of those players, I had no idea where Man City connected. But you know, what I... Sunderland are the opponents for Man City this weekend, which Duncan gives me the opportunity to ask you to tell us about Sunderland's historic return after 53 years to European competition on Wednesday night. And it was historic and it was a lovely night all around. The atmosphere looked great. They had a special T-fo, which I think were two tier T-fo. Which a rare, but it was good. In what way? Well, I think it went down. Normally they just cover one bit, but this was like kind of... Really? Yeah, it was good. And then they got... Well, I don't think the result was important. It was more of a sort of occasion. But yeah, they... They didn't look perfect. Azad could have... could have equalized. The penalty that they did eventually get was a little fortunate. And they look for sort of kicking the defender. Then he put it in the same corner as he did it last summer weekend. Yeah. When in, that was good. But I just think overall it was a really special night for a club. And there's a really lovely piece on the athletics day actually by Chris Weatherspin. Okay. You know, Sunderland going from the depths of... of League 1 back to Europe for the first time in a long time, as you say. And I think... You know that bit at the end of days of Thunder where the rival team manager is like, why are you pushing that car? And they're like, it's my engine in that car. That's what my boys are pushing. But as someone who was at the 2022 playoff final and sort of wicking, basically roll over and let Sunderland win to get them back in the championship, I feel like I've felt a connection with them. They're fans of superb that day. Who's still there? Luke and I. He's the one they always talk about. Yeah, Luke and I. Formerly a wicking. A man who can rescue dogs from drowning, which is a great skill. That's right. But yeah, I felt... I've sort of... since that day, I've been kind of invested in Sunderland getting back. And it's like the sort of... they're ticking the final box. It stays of thunder. It's that now iconic. I mean, it's been remade. But this is the second time I've been in a podcast recently where it's come up. Cold trickle. Cold trickle, yeah. Rally burns. All the lads. Wow. What else is happening this weekend in the Premier League, apart from Sunderland's visit to Manchester City? As mentioned, you got two Yorkshire sides. A, two Yorkshire sides in the Premier League, which doesn't happen all that often. But they're both in the top four. Leads in third. And Hal, remarkably in fourth spot, they're going to be at Newcastle. Hal have made the third best start by promoted side ever in the Premier League. Is it going to continue away to some changes? What do you think, then? Well, I think it serves as a right because everyone was predicting how we're going to finish 20th, weren't they? Well, I certainly was. In my preseason predictions. And yeah, it's just been a bit of a revelation. They seem to have... They seem to have, like, just a sensible plan for all their opponents, which is a kind of obvious, but seemingly quite underrated skill in the Premier League, just, like, adapt to who you're playing and try and stop them. I think, yeah, I don't see why not. In terms of continuing at Newcastle, we've just had, obviously, as you touched on earlier, and made their first major wobble under Yassler. And I think we'll be fearing that the Yorkshire side... Yeah. Leeds who wobbled Newcastle in a very real sense on Monday night will be hosting Crystal Palace who are themselves not looking the most upright and rigid under PSY's their new manager. Leeds, as well. What an extraordinary turnaround. The predictions for Hollywood were stopped. But so were they for Leeds about this time last year? They'd bought the Dominic Havett to learn on a free inner. A lot of people were sniggering about that. Daniel Farker, you probably had him as first on your old Sakiko spreadsheet, didn't you, Benji? They've kind of done... I don't think they're going to win the league, but it was sort of lesser when they had their season. It was like they picked up toward the end of the previous year, and then they just carried that into the following season. And I think to Benji's point at the top of the show, like, you thought Leeds were going to be dragged into the relegation battle, and they just weren't. They were really solid and consistent and got wins, and they just built on that, going forward. They were so urgent on Monday. It was amazing. Can we have a moment of appreciation for Dominic Havett Lewin? Because his career has been so interesting and wild, with a funny bit in the middle. So he started the Sheffield United, another Yorkshire club. No, Man City for him? No, he's one of the few players that wasn't playing at Man City over that period. He goes to Everton, and then there was the kind of rise and rise that culminated in 2020, when he scored over 1670 goals in the Premier League, and went to the Euros of England. And then he went a bit fashion. Check out Walt Kiers. Yeah. But the thing I remember at the time, and I looked this up, he hired a guy called Harry Lambert, who was a stylist, and Harry Lambert was very sought after at the time. He only worked with four people at a time. Really? One of them was Harry Styles. Okay. There were two other, like, serious a-listes, and the fourth was, was... Dominic Havett. Lewin, and he was in the cover of magazines carrying sort of pink Gucci handbags. And I've sort of loved him ever since. I love a footballer with a hinterland. Unfortunately, that's when he kind of dropped off a cliff and stopped to injure us as well. Yeah. Had a couple of injuries. But he is this kind of, like, when he's on form, this kind of proper, rumbunch, who has sent a forward. Right. He is going to hurt your centre-backs. And he had a goal taken off him on Monday, which bang out of all of that. Give him back. Is it? Good. Thinking back. Good. Don't tune out. Please from Monday. Anyway, and I think, he's... As you said, people like me were probably saying he was going to get sacked last year. And now he's absolutely flying with the leads. They look brilliant. They destroyed Newcastle for one flattered Newcastle. Was he ever to him at the same time as Tom Davis? Yeah. He went quite fashion. They did it at the same time. I think he went along... Yeah. Tom Davis must have, like, went along... Where's his redemption art? Tom Davis. He's back at Sheffield United, isn't it? So I'm not quite sure, yeah. Well, good luck to him. But to the point of Yorkshire, yes, you know, a county that knows what it likes and likes what it knows, that Harlan leads the two lower... I think the lowest possession and past completion and pastes the game. So, you know, they're just showing. You don't have to... I think this season, as we said it on the preview, it's a season of flux, like a new chapter. Right. I think any... any approach this season can work. And they're showing that, you know, go old school. There you go. Also, this weekend, as we move towards the wrapping-up stage of today's tour, because you're... Everton against Ibswitch, which Benji, you feel, is of interest because... Just, I think, you know, this is... eminently... ignoreable. But I think Ibswitch might have... the sort of attack that could get them finishing in the top 10. And I actually think... I would... So they've got Fattaro and Jack Clark. Jack Clark has scored 16 goals last year in the championship. Fattaro, we've talked about on this part. There's a really, really good player. Beats a man. And they've got... and CSO... behind either Fleming or Emerson, both of whom can score in the Premier League. And I actually think, if you look at that strike force, you've got my either off the bench as well. And I'd probably take that over Villas, Everton's... I'm sorry, I'd probably take over Spurs as at my own new castles. Only Arsenal City Chelsea and Brighton have scored more than... more than Ibswitch so far. Good Lord. Yeah, so I could... I could see them sneaking into the top 10. Possibly getting three points as we can away at the hill, Dickinson. Do you know who has scored more goals than anybody else in the Premier League in the calendar year, 2026, Benji? Morgan gives what? Yeah. He knew that. Yeah, he and... Well, presumably he will be part of the forest side that takes on Coventry who've lost their first four in the Premier League. That Saturday T-Time. You've also got Bournemouth Liverpool Sunday at two. Again, that, of course, for Andonia today, all are... and Brentford against Chelsea, which goes galore, you'd imagine. Well, we've been talking about how sort of... the three B's that everyone wants to be, Brighton Bournemouth... Brentford. And Brighton is just doing Brighton he thinks again with the LQA and Costoulas and... Whoever they might be. Bournemouth, you know, this conveyor belt of centre-backs there, you know, Housen and Zabani and now Silvers come along looking really good. Brentford. I wonder if... I wonder if next cab off the ranking is Sharda in terms of, you know, big move over the summer because he's... he's not three goals in four games. They're a really, really good player. And I think, yeah, he could be one of the one of their stars of the season. There you go. And if that probably go to Chelsea at the end of it, when he feels Chelsea, it doesn't he? Wouldn't be far, would it? More quiet. Down the road. We'll have a live addition of the totally football show Sunday evening, straight after the event at Old Trafford between...no, at Craven Cottage between... Full of a man united. Can I do a little... And finally, if we're to... Yeah. I mentioned, obviously it's been a bad week for Tau-O or an E who got sent off for the weekend, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 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