E253: “Incredible Sulk Pt. II” - Julian Álvarez, Arsenal & the Barcelona Problem (Week in Football)

The Premier League is back, and so is WATG as we Whip Around The Grounds for the first time this season, taking in the standout results and talking points from the opening weekend. From Manchester United and Spurs stumbling to Aston Villa’s heavy defeat and late drama at St James’ Park, there is already plenty to get into.Then After Review makes its debut as the successor to VARse, with the focus still firmly on refereeing and VAR — but now under a new name. We look at how the season’s new refereeing initiatives were applied across Gameweek 1, whether VAR’s higher intervention bar is working as intended, and where the line should sit when player safety becomes part of the discussion.Attention then turns to Julian Álvarez, the increasingly difficult situation at Atlético Madrid and whether Arsenal should still be interested with Barcelona remaining part of the picture.Elsewhere, we get into the remarkable value of football memorabilia, Jean-Philippe Mateta’s contract situation and the wider questions around club-held extension options, before finishing with terrace songs, Hull’s tiger-claw celebration and some of the stranger moments from the opening weekend.Continue the discussion with us.Follow The NN Pod for more Arsenal and football content.All our links: https://beacons.ai/thennpodChapters:(00:00) - Arteta’s Non-Negotiables & Intro(01:11) - WATG: Premier League Opening Weekend(03:14) - After Review: New Rules & VAR’s Higher Bar(15:57) - Julian Álvarez: Arsenal & the Barcelona Problem(19:15) - Hand of God: Football Memorabilia Millions(22:45) - Jean-Philippe Mateta: The +1 Contract Challenge(27:22) - Terrace Songs: Brentford’s New Anthem(30:08) - Hull City’s Tiger Claws(31:22) - Unai Emery & Villa’s Opening-Day Misery(33:59) - Outro & Aston Villa Preview