United's Carrick bounce exposes Arsenal’s nerve
The Game
The Times
3.2 • 1.5K Ratings
🗓️ 26 January 2026
⏱️ 54 minutes
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Summary
Manchester United make it two statement wins under Michael Carrick — but are they really back? Arsenal’s lead at the top is down to four points after a 3–2 defeat at the Emirates… so why were fans booing a team still top of the table?
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s unbeaten run ends in chaos at Bournemouth, Chelsea and the chasing pack keep the race for Europe wide open, and pressure grows on Tottenham and Crystal Palace towards the bottom.
Plus, two strikers thriving in very different worlds: Alyson Rudd visits Bromley to meet League Two’s unlikely star Michael Cheek, and Hamzah Khaliq-Loonat travels to Germany to decode Harry Kane.
Tom Clarke is joined by Alyson Rudd, Gregor Robertson and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the game football podcast from The Times and Sunday Times. |
| 0:11.0 | It's not happening again, is it Arsenal fans? |
| 0:13.0 | The gap at the top is down to four points after Mikhail Arteta's side lose 3-2 at home to Manchester United. |
| 0:19.0 | Should the leaders be worried and can United |
| 0:21.3 | fans start dreaming of Champions League football after a second big win under Michael Carrick? |
| 0:26.5 | On today's show, we'll also discuss the chasing pack, a city, villa and Chelsea, all win, |
| 0:31.3 | but Liverpool's unbeaten run comes to an end. We'll look at the relegation scrap and hear |
| 0:35.8 | about two English strikers who are thriving, one in the Bundesliga and one in league two. I'm Tom Clark and joining me today we have the senior sports writer and Sunday Times columnist Alison Rudd, the football reporter and tactical analyst Hamza Khalik Luna and the former footballer turned journalist. Gregor Robertson is here as usual team. Loads and loads to get stuck into and I want to make time to talk about those excellent features that I mentioned at the end. So let's dive straight in to the Emirates. Arsenal 2, Manchester United 3. Gregor, you were there and you started your match report with two questions, which is a massive mistake. Because you know what I'm going to do now. Gregor Robertson writes on the Times website now |
| 1:11.8 | are Manchester United back then |
| 1:13.2 | question mark |
| 1:14.1 | our Arsenal feeling the heat again question mark |
| 1:16.4 | Gregor Robinson answer your own question |
| 1:18.2 | Bill part of that is because I wait on to say |
| 1:20.8 | we've been here before |
| 1:21.9 | yeah yeah part of that is because he then spent |
| 1:23.9 | a thousand words dancing around |
| 1:25.1 | and not answering either question, listeners. |
| 1:27.7 | That's the job. |
| 1:29.9 | So, our Manchester United back. |
| 1:33.8 | I feel like this is a... |
| 1:36.8 | I'm getting deja vu, yes. |
| 1:38.8 | Like, whether it's sustainable or not again, |
... |
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