Essential Football

Erik Ten Hag's announcement as Manchester United's new manager means we've ripped up the script for the Essential Football Podcast, with the Dutchman's unveiling heralding - yet another - new era at Old Trafford.Host Ron Walker is joined by Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher as well as senior football writer Peter Smith and features writer Adam Bate to talk about the new man, what United can expect from him and the challenges he faces at Old Trafford.The podcast also looks ahead to the weekend meeting at the Emirates, when a resurgent Arsenal host United on the back of a 4-2 win at Chelsea on Wednesday night.

On the latest edition of the Essential Football Podcast, we look ahead to Tuesday's Sky Live clash between Liverpool and Manchester United at Anfield, which could play a major part in deciding the race for the Premier League title and the top four.PART 1 | Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy, fresh from interviewing Ralf Rangnick, assesses the mood at Old Trafford after scraping a 3-2 win over Norwich, where boos from the stands leave Paul Pogba and the ongoing situation regarding Erik Ten Hag and an Old Trafford summer rebuild.PART 2 | Sky Sports senior football journalist Pete Smith and features writer Nick Wright analyse Liverpool's quadruple chances, their performance against Manchester City, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane's contract situations and how Thiago Alcantara has helped evolve the Reds' style this season.PART 3 | What hope do Manchester United have at Anfield? Will the 5-0 at Old Trafford play a part in the return fixture? How will Klopp balance his squad with Everton up next and would United stay in the race even with a defeat...

Looking back on the weekend's action on the Essential Football Podcast, host Ron Walker is joined by Sky Sports digital football writers Sam Blitz and Dan Sansom as the top two went head-to-head at the Etihad, Everton shocked Man Utd and the North London chase for the Champions League took another twist.PART 1 - Man City vs Liverpool: Who was Sunday's 2-2 draw a better result for? Could Liverpool have hoped for more? And are the run-ins all that they might seem?PART 2 - Everton vs Man Utd: What went wrong for Utd and right for Everton? Did Sean Dyche's words spur them on? Will Erik Tan Hag want to take over on this showing, and how big is the scale of the overhaul they need?PART 3 - The top-four race: After back-to-back defeats for Arsenal, what's gone wrong at the Emirates? Have they run out of steam in the race for fourth? Are Spurs now the real deal, and are they such a one-man team after all?

In a special edition of the Essential Football Podcast, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher joins Ron Walker to discuss this weekend's crunch title-race clash as leaders Manchester City host second-placed Liverpool live on Sky Sports Premier League this Sunday.Carra explains why the game may still not act as the title decider even with so little of the season left, why City and Liverpool have the edge in different parts of the pitch, why a draw might be a good result for both managers - and predicts how the Etihad showdown is going to go.

On this week’s Essential Football Podcast, Charlotte Marsh is joined by Sky Sports’ digital football journalist Jack Wilkinson and digital features writer Adam Bate to discuss a busy weekend of Premier League action. PART ONE | The top four race heated up, starting with Manchester United’s loss at Leicester. In a lacklustre performance, is Man Utd’s push for the top four all but over? Plus Marcus Rashford’s future continues to be in doubt. Tottenham laid down their marker for a top four finish, beating Newcastle and inspired by Harry Kane. Plus are Chelsea now looking over their shoulder after a shock defeat to Brentford? PART TWO | Everton’s season continues to tumble after a 2-1 defeat to West Ham. We ask how Frank Lampard could turn things around and just where they went wrong at the London Stadium. Everton face a huge match against Burnley on Wednesday evening before a brutal run-in, but could any of the bottom three do enough to pull themselves above Everton and out on danger?PART THREE | Man City and Liverpool kept pace with one another in the Premier League title race ahead of a huge showdown on Super Sunday. The panel assess whether their upcoming meeting will decide this year’s league champion

The Premier League is back! Joining Ron Walker on the Essential Football Podcast this week is Sky Sports senior football journalist Richard Morgan, as well as digital football writer Joe Shread, to discuss the talking points worth keeping an eye on in this weekend’s games.PART ONE | The panel ponder whether Liverpool’s early start against Watford will hinder them, if Man City should worry about their defensive injuries, whether a partially-filled Stamford Bridge will affect Chelsea, if Leeds can Marsch on again and ask if Man Utd’s Saturday Night Football clash with Leicester is must-win for Ralf Rangnick.PART TWO | The panel look ahead to Super Sunday and how Everton turn their fortunes around at West Ham, and whether Newcastle will cut short Spurs’ recent good form in north London. The group also preview Arsenal’s trip to Crystal Palace on Monday Night Football, and give us their shouts about who faces the biggest weekend – and a Premier League prediction for the matchday.

It's an England special of the Essential Football Podcast after the Three Lions' wins over Switzerland and Ivory Coast during the international break. Charlotte Marsh is joined by senior football journalist Pete Smith and football writer Ben Grounds to have a look back - and forwards - on England's 2022.Part 1 | What did we learn from the two friendlies? How much can we read into Gareth Southgate's squad selection, and who did the guys pick in their 23 for Qatar?Part 2 | What was the thinking behind the Maguire boos and did Southgate nail his response? Who could England face in Qatar, and who would be the best and worst-case scenario? Finally, how is England's 2022 shaping up?

Football fans, rejoice, for another edition of the Essential Football podcast is here! Ron Walker is joined by Sky Sports’ resident Evertonian Ben Grounds and our features writer of an Arsenal persuasion Nick Wright to reflect on another significant week at the top and bottom of the Premier League, and look ahead to the first international break of 2022…PART 1 | From a dramatic late winner, and a highly contentious red card, to a unique on-field protest and huge ramifications at the bottom of the table, 10-man Everton’s vital victory over Newcastle may have lacked quality, but it more than made up for it in talking points, which Nick, who was at Goodison for the first time, and Ben dissectPART 2 | With a few sore heads in east London after West Ham's stunning victory over Sevilla in the Europa League, we ask whether opportunity knocks for Tottenham to put an end to their London rivals’ Champions League qualification hopes with victory on Super Sunday, or whether the Hammers can continue riding this wave to further gloryPART 3 | After Gareth Southgate announced his England squad for the March friendlies against Switzerland and Ivory Coast, Nick questions the omission of Jadon Sancho and launches an impassioned defence of Harry Maguire’s inclusion, Ben explains why the door isn’t closed on Marcus Rashford, before the pair get stuck into the Jordan Pickford vs Aaron Ramsdale debate and examine who will be England No.1 heading into Qatar 2022

After a weekend of renewed hope for some and concerns mounting for others - look away Everton - Ron Walker is joined by digital football journalists Zinny Boswell and Dan Sansom on the latest Essential Football Podcast to chew the fat on a big round of Premier League games.Part 1 | What does Man Utd’s win over Spurs mean for the top-four race? Where did Cristiano Ronaldo’s sudden return to form come from? Was it same-old Spurs on the big stage? Plus: Chelsea fans give us their thoughts on the situation at Stamford Bridge, Trevoh Chalobah gets away with a big penalty shout and Kai Havertz continues to impress.Part 2 | Just how comfortable were Arsenal in their win over Leicester? Could Aaron Ramsdale be England’s No 1 by the World Cup? Are Everton really in the mire after Frank Lampard loses his unbeaten home record? Plus: A big win for Watford, Jesse Marsch gets off the mark at Leeds and Southampton’s streaks continue to confuse.

In a special edition of the Essential Football Podcast where Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol joins Ron Walker, Declan Olley and Oli Yew for all the latest updates on everything from Stamford Bridge at the end of a tumultuous week for Chelsea, as well as looking ahead to a big weekend in the Premier League.PART 1 | Man Utd vs Tottenham – is there extra pressure to bounce back after the hosts’ defeat to Man City last weekend? Who has more riding on the game, and how will Harry Kane’s form play a part? Plus we make both the case for a home win, and look at how Spurs can grab a big three points on the road.PART 2 | Kaveh Solhekol joins us to explain the latest developments around Chelsea following Roman Abramovich’s sanctions from the UK government on Thursday. Where does it leave the club? Can they rescue their transfer plans? Will away fans be allowed in, and who’s going to buy the club?