The Athletic FC Podcast

Adam Leventhal and co return to preview another bumper FA Cup weekend, featuring 16 matches, including several heavyweight Premier League ties.Friday night sees Spurs welcome Man City back to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a match in which they boast a remarkable record: five games played, five wins, zero goals conceded. Can Man City snap the streak?Also on Friday, Aston Villa head to Stamford Bridge. The Villains may be way ahead in the league, but Chelsea are coming off the back of recent cup success, reaching the Carabao Cup final on Tuesday.Elsewhere we have a Black Country Derby, with West Brom hosting Wolves. We catch up with how the home side has fared since Premier League relegation in 2021 and ask whether they can upset the odds come Sunday.Host: Adam LeventhalGuests: Tim Spiers, Jon Mackenzie, Luke BosherProducer: John Rogers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liverpool have announced that Jurgen Klopp is stepping down as manager at the end of the season.After a hugely successful eight and a half years at the club, Klopp will take a sabbatical.So what next for him, and what next for Liverpool?The Athletic's Liverpool correspondent James Pearce reacts to this seismic news.Host: Iain MacintoshProducer: Mike Stavrou Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just 18 months after completing a £45m move to Manchester City from his boyhood club Leeds United, Kalvin Phillips is heading out on loan to West Ham United.So why has the move ended in failure for the England international after flourishing under Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road prior to signing for Pep Guardiola.And with Euro 2024 on the horizon can David Moyes rejuvenate one of Gareth Southgate's most trusted midfielders?Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's Man City writer Sam Lee, Leeds United writer Phil Hay and England correspondent Jack Pitt-Brooke to discuss.Produced by Guy ClarkeAdditional Production by Mike StavrouExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Into a cup final and not spending a penny in January… Couldn’t be Todd Boehly’s Chelsea could it? So, is this another false dawn or is Pochettino's project starting to gather pace? And as the Blues struggle to find suitable buyers for players like Armando Broja and Conor Gallagher - would anyone actually notice if someone gently closed the January transfer window now?Produced by Adonis PratsidesAdditional Production: Jay BealeExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Egypt scraped through to the knockout stages on another night of pure drama at AFCON, Mo Salah was resigned to cheering on his teammates from the stands, with a hamstring injury...With Salah returning to Liverpool for treatment - confusion reigns over how it was communicated by his club and country.So is his tournament really over? How has Egypt's perception of one of African football's biggest stars changed in recent years and was he put in an impossible position by both Liverpool and the Egyptian FA?Produced by Adonis PratsidesAdditional Production: Mike StavrouExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Less than one month on from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in Man United being made public, INEOS have already signalled their intentions poaching Omar Berrada from rivals Man City to become their new CEO.But who is he? How significant has he been in building City’s dominance and what impact can he have at Old Trafford?Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's football correspondent David Ornstein, reporter Adam Crafton and FC Barcelona correspondent Pol Ballus to analyse the appointment.Produced by Guy ClarkeAdditional Production by Mike StavrouExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Leventhal returns to preview the five remaining fixtures of matchday 21. Liverpool head to Bournemouth on Sunday, and will have to cope with the red-hot Dominik Solanke. Can he make the difference against his former club, and could he be in line for a big move in the near future?Arsenal host Crystal Palace hoping to get back to winning ways after three straight defeats. Will their winter break have done their misfiring strikers some good? Elsewhere, Ivan Toney finally returns to the pitch as Brentford host Nottingham Forest; Sheffield United take on West Ham hoping to ignite their dismal season; and Brighton host Wolves to round out the games.Host: Adam LeventhalGuests: Luke Bosher, Jon Mackenzie, Jay HarrisProducer: John Rogers Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After eight months away, after being banned for 232 betting offences, this weekend marks Ivan Toney’s return.Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic’s Brentford writer Jay Harris and Senior Football writer Oli Kay to discuss how much the Bees have missed their talisman ahead of the second half of the campaign.David Ornstein shares the state of play in the transfer market regarding the striker before co-editor of Beesotted Billy ‘The Bee’ Grant reacts to the continued speculation over Toney future, fuelled in no small part by the player himself.Plus, ahead of Euro 2024 this summer, can he do enough to earn himself a spot in Gareth Southgate’s 23-man squad that will travel to Germany?Produced by Guy ClarkeAdditional Production by Mike StavrouExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jose Mourinho’s 'Roman reign' came to an abrupt end yesterday...Former captain Danielle de Rossi will now take charge of Roma until the end of the season.It’s almost 20 years on from that touchline sprint at Old Trafford & THAT Chelsea press conference... But is he still special? And what next for Jose Mourinho? Produced by Adonis PratsidesAdditional production: Guy Clarke & Jay BealeExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It is close to a year — 49 weeks and counting — since the Premier League handed Manchester City a charge sheet with 115 breaches of its financial rules across NINE different seasons.Just yesterday, the Premier League brought charges against both Nottingham Forest - and for the second time this season - Everton... All before the reigning Premier League champions are to even see a hearing begin?So, what’s going on? Is PSR (Profitability & Sustainability Rules) really about promoting sustainability, meeting arbitrary deadlines or maybe just maintaining the status quo? And is the Everton ruling to blame for an unusually quiet January transfer window?Ayo Akinwolere is joined by The Athletic's David Ornstein, Adam Crafton and Matt Slater.Produced by Adonis PratsidesAdditional Production by Jay BealeExecutive Producer: Adey Moorhead Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.