The Athletic

Hello, I'm Dan Bardell, and welcome to the weekend preview on the Athletic Football

podcast sponsored by

Bet365.

On Fridays, we're here to preview the best of the weekend's Premier League action and I've got

my co-host, George Ellick and Bet365 Steve Freeth alongside me to help as always.

George, Steve, how are you?

Good thanks, mate.

Always good to speak to you before the weekend's action, spending most of the day catching up with all things, Premier League, all things, Champions League and all things, the FL. So lots of football to watch, but getting through it. Steve, the one that everyone would have called midweek, sheriff travelling to round Madrid and coming away with three points. I mean, we all knew that was going to happen, didn't we? Oh, Dan, the Coopinbuster of all Coopin Busters. That was, from a bookmaker's point of view, an excellent result, really. Yeah, 33 to 1 they were in play, Sheriff, I think they were, about 25 to 1 pregame as well. So, yeah, we had some decent results in midweek and there were plenty of goals in there as well. So it was quite a good week in the end. Of course, you had some great games as well. PSG, Manchester City, the boy Messi, not doing a great deal, but then scoring a fantastic goal. So, yeah, just goes to show the quality of play that he still is. And George, just before we've come to record this podcast, the England squad has been announced for the Andorra and Hungry Games. I've got to admit, as a villa fan, a bit surprised that Ollie Watkins has been called up. I'm pleased for him because I think he deserves it off the back end of last season. But perhaps Tammy Abraham might feel a little bit hard done by this time.

Yeah, I think he definitely should do.

Abraham's gone to Roma.

He's settled in very, very quickly.

He's incredibly popular with the Roma fans already.

He's playing very good football.

And you feel like if somebody makes a move to, you know, a bit of a European giant in Roma,

an English player and is getting first team football consistently in playing well and isn't rewarded for that form. It's a bit of an issue. I think

Ivan Tony can probably feel a bit hard done by that he hasn't had his first call up given his

form in the Premier League so far. There's a few players. Jude Bellingham isn't included either,

nor is Mason Greenwood.

I think Gareth Southgate said in his press conference is because they're playing too many games as young players. But then you've got Mason Mount who's selected despite being injured for the last two weeks at Chelsea, Bukaiosaka, another young player who's playing a lot of games. It doesn't really stack up. I'm happy to see Fikai Tomori, somebody else who's made a move to Italy and getting a reward for his form, but he probably wouldn't be selected. If it wasn't for Harry McGuire's injury, Trent Alexander Arnold, apparently his omission is due to fitness rather than form as well, which is good to see. But, you know, the cycle of being an England fan, love Gareth Southgate during, for a couple of weeks every other summer. And then, do when you see the scores coming out for the qualifiers, I don't think many people are overly happy with a few of the emissions. Against Andorra in Hungary, it feels like a good opportunity to give a couple of guys their rewards for some good form, but he's stuck to the, the Allies instead. Yeah, I'd like to see Bellingham, given a couple of games, actually, from the start, give him 90 minutes in an England shirt, see him in full flight, but it is what it is, and Garret Southgate has done what he has done. There'll be plenty of England content coming up on the Athletic, as well as all the stuff around the Premier League, Seria, the league, everything. You can get everything you're looking for on the athletic

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at the moment. content coming up on The Athletic as well as all the stuff around the Premier League, Seria, the League, everything. You can get everything you're looking for on the Athletic.

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