Ekitike Shines, Carrick Keeps Winning & Man City Drop Points Again

Real Madrid kept up their pursuit of league leaders Barcelona but only just, needing a 100th minute penalty from Kylian Mbappe to spare their blushes at home to Rayo Vallecano, in a match which saw Vinicius Jr booed despite scoring a worldie and Jude Bellingham leaving the pitch in tears clutching his hamstring. Gary and Alex look at why the atmosphere continues to be so fractious at the Bernabeu. Barcelona kept themselves ahead of the rest with a 3-1 away at Elche in a game in which they spurned plenty of chances to make the scoreline even greater, goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford were enough for the three points. With the league being so tight and the knock-out stages of the Champions League upon us who do Gary and Alex think has the squad capable of winning it all this season? There’s also been more grumbling at Atletico Madrid as they struggled to a 0-0 draw at Levante, leaving Diego Simeone calling for reinforcements in the transfer window, but after fifteen years in charge have the fans decided it’s time for a change? Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After standout performances from Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz, are Liverpool’s new signings finally starting to click under Arne Slot? Michael Carrick joins Sir Matt Busby and Ole Gunnar Solskjær as the only United managers to win four of their first five league games — could he force the board’s hand and earn the permanent head coach role by season’s end? The Guys also break down another frustrating result for Manchester City away at Spurs. Despite looking in control at half-time, City once again failed to close the game out. What is this City side lacking to kill teams off like they have so many times under Pep Guardiola? The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football. Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com. https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Five of the six English clubs have finished in the top eight of the Champions League league phase, automatically qualifying for the knockout rounds. With many of those same teams struggling domestically this season, why have they been so strong in Europe? Is the physical intensity of the Premier League giving them an edge on the continental stage? Gary, Alan and Micah also react to a chaotic final day of the league phase, as European heavyweights including Real Madrid and PSG fail to secure automatic qualification. The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football. Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at the therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Sergio Aguero’s dramatic winner against QPR the most iconic moment in Premier League history? Where does he rank on the all-time list of Premier League number 9s? And how much of his success can actually be credited to Big Meeks? Gary, Alan & Micah discuss the glittering career of Manchester City’s all time leading goal scorer. The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football. Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s neck and neck at the top of La Liga as Real Madrid kept up the pressure on leaders Barcelona with a 2-0 win away at third placed Villarreal while Barca put last week’s slip up behind them with a 3-0 win over Real Oviedo at the Camp Nou. Gary and Alex look at another two goals for the rampant Kylian Mbappe, including a panenka penalty he awkwardly dedicated to teammate Brahim Diaz, and there’s an absolute stunner from Lamine Yamal to enjoy too. It’s transfer season and rumours have begun to swirl over Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future at Real Madrid, with some reports suggesting he could be on the way out in the summer. Gary and Alex look at the England international’s difficult first six months in Madrid and assess his chances of turning his fortunes around as we approach the world cup. There’s more transfer talk on the other half of Madrid with Atletico’s Julian Alvarez linked with a return to the Premier League in what would be a sensational January move to Arsenal. Diego Simeone has publicly backed the underperforming former Man City man but could the move be the thing that would finally get the Gunners over the line in their quest to win the Premier League title? Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are Mikel Arteta’s tactics becoming too defensive? With no wins in their last three games and a worrying lack of goals from the forward line, are Arsenal in danger of throwing away their Premier League advantage? Michael Carrick has made a dream start, claiming statement wins over Manchester City and Arsenal. Can he guide Manchester United into the Champions League places — and does he deserve the permanent head coach role? Gary, Alan and Micah also break down Unai Emery’s brilliant tactics and ask the question: can Aston Villa go all the way and win the league? The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football. Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How on earth did Man City lose to Bodo/Glimt and what does Pep need to do to get his team going again? Arsenal are top of the Champions League and looking imperious, is this the year they win it all? Newcastle looked impressive at home to PSV but how will they fare in Paris next week as they look to clinch a top 8 spot against PSG? Have Liverpool quietly turned a corner in recent weeks? Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss the continued overall dominance of the Premier League clubs in Europe as all five Premier League clubs have a chance of finishing in the Champions League top eight and the Pod Wars are starting to ramp up! The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was Steven Gerrard the greatest player never to win the Premier League? Did loyalty to Liverpool ultimately limit his legacy, or define it? And when it comes to England’s golden generation, who truly stands above the rest: Gerrard, Lampard or Scholes? Gary, Micah and Alan discuss the remarkable career of Liverpool royalty Steven Gerrard. They revisit the highest of highs, lifting the Champions League in Istanbul, and the most painful of lows: the infamous slip that shattered title dreams. New episodes in this series will be released every Wednesday and each show will be dedicated to a specific Premier League icon. The guys will pick out five key moments that defined their career, discussing what made them so special and sharing some of their best stories from playing alongside and against them. The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football. Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com. https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Real Madrid returned to winning ways at the weekend when they beat Levante 2-0 but the Bernabeu crowd singled out Vinicius Jr, Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde for boos and whistles as they continued to express their displeasure at Xabi Alonso’s sacking. Gary And Alex react to the scenes in Madrid and the challenges facing new manager Alvaro Arbeloa. Barcelona’s nine-game winning streak came to an end with defeat at Real Sociedad in an incident-packed game featuring disallowed goals, overturned penalties, and a brilliant performance from La Real’s goalkeeper. This result means Barca are only one point ahead of Real Madrid at the top of La Liga, but there was some positive news for Marcus Rashford as he got himself on the scoresheet. Finally, we look at Villarreal’s fading hopes of muscling their way into the title race after defeat at an improving Real Betis and there’s a look at Atletico Madrid’s Alexander Sorloth proving some of his doubters wrong with a superb winning goal against Alaves. Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was that the best Man United performance we’ve seen in years? Can Thomas Frank get Spurs out of this rut, or is he on borrowed time? What next for Crystal Palace after Oliver Glasner announces he’s leaving at the end of end of the season and captain Marc Guéhi leaves for Man City? Gary, Alan and Micah also discuss Liverpool’s 12-game unbeaten run and debate whether it’s one of the most misleading unbeaten runs in Premier League history, as rumblings of discontent grow on Merseyside. The Rest Is Football is powered by Fuse Energy. To sign up and for terms and conditions, visit fuseenergy.com/football Join The Players Lounge: The official fantasy football club of The Rest Is Football. It’s time to take on Gary, Alan and Micah for the chance to win monthly prizes and shoutouts on the pod. It’s FREE to join and as a member, you’ll get access to exclusive tips from Fantasy Football Hub including AI-powered team ratings, transfer tips, and expert team reveals to help you climb the table - plus access to our private Slack community. Sign up today at therestisfootball.com. https://therestisfootball.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=episode_description&utm_content=link_cta For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices