The Athletic FC Podcast

Adam Leventhal is joined by George Elek, bet365's Steve Freeth and The Athletic's Tim Spiers ahead of what could be a telling week in the Premier League title race as Arsenal welcome Manchester United, while Man City take on Wolves.At the other end of the table pressure mounts as David Moyes takes on his former employers Everton at the London Stadium.Meanwhile in mid-table Liverpool and Chelsea do battle in Jurgen Klopp's 1,000th game in management at Anfield.Produced by Guy Clarke***This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp, Visit betterhelp.com/athleticfootball today to get 10% off your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Arsenal bought Norwegian midfielder Martin Odegaard for £30m in 2021 the expectation among supporters wasn’t particularly high - and some didn’t understand why the club wanted to buy him. After all this was a player who as a teenager was dubbed the “heir to Messi’s throne”.But fast forward 18 months and he’s not only Arsenal’s playmaker, but possibly the best midfielder in the league. It’s been quite a rise for Martin Odegaard.Mark Chapman is joined by Amy Lawrence and Michael Cox to discuss the Arsenal captain in detailProduced by Abi Paterson***This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp, Visit betterhelp.com/athleticfootball today to get 10% off your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Irving is joined by The Athletic’s Adam Crafton & Mario Cortegana to discuss a new chapter in one of football’s biggest transfer sagas...Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid.Are PSG doing the right things to keep him? How might his relationship with teammate Neymar influence his views? How might Real Madrid even afford him?***This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp, Visit betterhelp.com/athleticfootball today to get 10% off your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Board members receiving alleged death threats, home-grown players being chased from Goodison Park, an owner who publicly blames supporters for the churn of managers and a team who are without a Premier League win since October - Host Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Greg O'Keeffe and Senior writer Oli Kay to find out if Everton are broken beyond repair this season?The panel reflect on owner Farhad Moshiri's track-record, assess sanctioned oligarch Alisher Usmanov's current influence and discuss what, if anything, can be done in January to stave off a first top-flight relegation since 1951.Plus, how effective Everton's protests have been, the validity of safety concerns relating to certain Club Directors and why manager Frank Lampard continues to retain most people's support.Produced by Adonis Pratsides***This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp, Visit betterhelp.com/athleticfootball today to get 10% off your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's David Ornstein & Adam Crafton to discuss the crazy chain of events that saw Mykhailo Mudryk end up at Chelsea when it looked like he was destined for Arsenal.David details the work done behind the scenes to sign the forward at both clubs and Adam gives the perspective of the selling club having been embedded with Shakhtar Donetsk in the making of his podcast series Away From Home.***This episode is brought to you by Betterhelp, Visit betterhelp.com/athleticfootball today to get 10% off your first month. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan Bardell is joined by George Elek and The Athletic's Tim Spiers and Rich Amofa ahead of a pivotal weekend in the Premier League as both Arsenal and Man City head to their local rivals.Manchester United will be out to settle the score after losing 6-3 to City at the Etihad in October while Harry Kane sits just one goal shy of Jimmy Greaves' club-record at Spurs.Plus there's reaction to Joao Felix seeing red at Fulham, Nathan Jones taking Southampton to Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion welcoming Liverpool to the Amex without Virgil van Dijk.Produced by Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic’s Jack Lang & Gustavo Ribeiro from The Brazilian Report to discuss how and why the national team football jersey has turned from a symbol of unity in Brazil to one that divides the nation down political lines.We reflect on a monumental start to 2023 in Brazil, as the nation prepared to welcome a new President, say goodbye to one of its most famous sons following the death of Pele and witnessed thousands of supporters of former right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro wearing Brazil shirts as they storm Congress, the Supreme Court and surround the presidential palace. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Chelsea writers Simon Johnson and Liam Twomey to analyse the chaos at Chelsea as Graham Potter struggles to convince the fans four months on from replacing Thomas Tuchel.10 points off the top four pace, and after defeat to Man City in the FA Cup Third Round the panel consider the change in process at Stamford Bridge following the summer takeover of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital.Plus, David Ornstein explains the deal set to take Atletico Madrid's Joao Felix to Chelsea on loan for the remainder of the season, before the rest of Chelsea's transfer needs are evaulated.Produced by Guy Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Host Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Adam Crafton and Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell to get a read on the optimism surrounding Erik ten Hag's start at Old Trafford...Laurie explains how Ten Hag's influence and change behind-the-scenes in how the club look to recruit new players could usher in a far more successful age of transfer business than in recent seasons.Plus, how the manager's big decisions and authority have even led to talk of a genuine title race, ahead of Saturday's Manchester Derby.Produced by Adonis Pratsides Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Chapman is joined by The Athletic's Dermot Corrigan, Pol Ballus & Guillermo Rai to discuss how Barcelona & Real Madrid, rivals on the pitch for decades,  have become close off the field and need each other more than ever. Hear how both clubs continue to fight for salvation via the Super League and why Jude Belligham is far more likely to be a Real player than a Barca player next season. The Athletic's Laia Cervello Herrero details her debut article that looks at Ansu Fati tough couple of years at Camp Nou since inheriting Lionel Messi's number ten shirt.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.