Excellent and very considered piece on Gyokeres from Stuart James. Big recommend. www.nytimes.com/athletic/665...

Here's the latest Handbrake Off podcast, where @adrianjclarke.bsky.social @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social and I start off really conservatively and then throw everything at it;) Enjoy x pod.fo/e/32f29a

Some thoughts on the game yesterday. There is no ideal world of working things out in your own sweet time at the sharp end of the Premier League. It leaves Arteta figuring his team and different combinations out in the heat of the pressure cooker. www.nytimes.com/athletic/664...

🚨 EXCL: Tim Lewis leaves Arsenal in shock boardroom revamp. 62yo integral to #AFC rise but new-look hierarchy sees Richard Garlick become CEO, Josh Kroenke increasingly prominent, Ben Winston join & 3 more appointments including 2 from KSE 🚨 @theathleticfc.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/athletic/661...

I’ve not started so I’ll finish… Martinelli’s big entrance and Trossard’s knife twister show why Arteta is showering love on his subs in this newly big squad. A great moment for Martinelli resonated on many levels. Some words from Bilbao. www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

I’ve not started so I’ll finish… Martinelli’s big entrance and Trossard’s knife twister show why Arteta is showering love on his subs in this newly big squad. A great moment for Martinelli resonated on many levels. Some words from Bilbao. www.nytimes.com/athletic/663...

Then this shared moment at the end of a game they lost. Athletic Bilbao as a club are a bit special.

Didn’t have the WiFi to share this before but oh my, spine tingling.

An emotionally charged moment for Gabi Martinelli. He has found it tough going recently, and knows he has competition for game time now with the arrival of Eze and Madeuke. But he came on, charged forward, and opened the scoring for Arsenal.

Wow

San Mamés vibes ❤️

How can you not love a Champions League cultural fusion?

Ooh Bilbao you are lovely

They love their team in this town. Many shops, such as this baker, have Athletic insignia in their windows.

Hi Athletic Bilbao! Lovely to meet you.

Handbrake Off for a Monday morning. Maybe it will help. x With @adrianjclarke.bsky.social and @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social pod.fo/e/32ab71

Hello to any Handbrake Off listeners, please send any questions in for the show tomorrow, be they football, film (ha!), music (although I am not sure that Adrian is on to field them) or anything. But football might be the preferred option. Cheers! x

Ex-pros and disaffected players often say they love the game but not everything around it. Football does what football wants with its greatest assets - the players. Sometimes there is a kind of anti-player power at work and that doesn't sit right. www.nytimes.com/athletic/660...

The latest Handbrake Off was a bit different. We talked about films - some classics and some dodgy - and chucked in some Arsenal to keep everyone going. Ahh the international break. With @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social and Art de Roche, who might one day join bluesky if we ask nicely. pod.fo/e/324d23

Alright Anfield. It’s been a while.

New Handbrake Off pod is out. Not short of topics: Eze, Dowman, Gyokeres and a statue for Ian Wright. With @adrianjclarke.bsky.social and @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social pod.fo/e/31c876

There was something poetic about the Arsenal experience yesterday. Opened by Eberechi Eze's joyful disbelief to walk out in years after being released aged 13, ended by Max Dowman soaking up the wonder of the crowd at the end aged 15. Very different paths. Next week they could be sharing a pitch.

Scarves have gone early.

It’s an Eze themed Handbrake Off today. With a giddy @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social, a quipping @gunnerblog.bsky.social and a chuffed Art de Roche. pod.fo/e/31981d

Eberechi Eze - one hell of a romantic twist in Arsenal’s summer story. An absurd 24 hours for the club (Trossard! Havertz! Eze!) crescendos with news of a very exciting deal. Some words on how this homecoming of their one-time academy boy hits different. www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

Eberechi Eze - one hell of a romantic twist in Arsenal’s summer story. An absurd 24 hours for the club (Trossard! Havertz! Eze!) crescendos with news of a very exciting deal. Some words on how this homecoming of their one-time academy boy hits different. www.nytimes.com/athletic/656...

New Handbrake Off pod is here. Smash and grab, parental advice about jumpers, and a mission to get Stoney to do half time interviews at the interval of his stand up show. With @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social and @adrianjclarke.bsky.social. Enjoy x pod.fo/e/3167b4

Here's some audio of our interview with Mikel Arteta. Plus @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social, @adrianjclarke.bsky.social and I throw in all the things (except for the obvious) we might pine for in the season ahead. Handbrake Off is ready (ish) for the 2025-6 kick off. X pod.fo/e/313736

Interview with Mikel Arteta. In conversation it's easy to see how he connects with his players. He thinks so much about how to continually evolve, adapt and make things better - himself, the game, each player. The responsibility of transformation drives him. www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...

Mikel Arteta is about to begin his seventh season in charge of Arsenal and he is ready to go one better this time around. He talks to @amylawrence.bsky.social about his evolution as a manager and the gift of young talent.

Interview with Mikel Arteta. In conversation it's easy to see how he connects with his players. He thinks so much about how to continually evolve, adapt and make things better - himself, the game, each player. The responsibility of transformation drives him. www.nytimes.com/athletic/655...

One takeaway from Arsenal's Asia tour is fascination at how two 15 year olds can excel so easily against elite adults. It isn't just prodigious talent. It's also a consequence of high performance culture now prevalent in academies, ingrained younger and younger. www.nytimes.com/athletic/652...

Back on the Handbrake Off pod. With @ianstonecomedy.bsky.social and @adrianjclarke.bsky.social Gyökeres at last, Dowman doing this thing, Arsenal women at the Euros and more. Enjoy x pod.fo/e/305257

Here comes Viktor Gyökeres. Some words on a guy who gave the impression he would walk from Lisbon to London to join the club he wanted badly. He always had to fight to break through the levels. He's ready to give everything to blast through some more at Arsenal. www.nytimes.com/athletic/648...

So it seems Arsenal is about to sign possibly the second best Swedish/Hungarian in their history. Memories!

Live Aid was utterly mesmerising. Watched every second completely rapt. To a teenager 40 years ago it felt (maybe naively) that people could try to change all the shit in the world through music and togetherness and bloody minded will power and generosity. As a moment in time it was beautiful. X

Happy 80th birthday to Debbie Harry. Portrait by Andy Warhol

Farcical is one word. I can think of others.

Fellow air guitarists of the free world do your thing.

Neil. You unyieldingly rocking, distorting, soloing, romantic old musical don. Grungey magic right there. 🎸

On a train listening to two hours non stop Cocteau Twins. So lovely to pause and listen to some long form, not an algorithm playlist or 15 seconds of background music to a clip. Recommend!

Myles Lewis-Skelly's new contract? Never in doubt. Quite how he has processed his sudden elevation over the summer is worthy of consideration. He has barely had a moment to pause and take it all in. www.nytimes.com/athletic/645...

At this point whoever looks after the social media accounts of Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres should get together and agree to both start following a load of Arsenal related instagram accounts just for a laugh.

Here's some summer nonsense with the Arsenal World Cup of Underrated Players. For the Handbrake Off pod we whittled it down from an Infantino-esque 17 contenders to a winner. A carefully autographed trophy or something will wing its way to the best. Enjoy. X pod.fo/e/2eba42

Carlos Alcaraz you little beauty. That was so so so special.

So much gratitude. To see Massive Attack tonight with so many special vocalists and brilliant musicians. Liz Fraser singing Song to the Siren appeared mid-brooding set like a miracle.

Big news from Big Gabi. Some words on a player on course for almost a decade of service at Arsenal. Pound for pound he is one of the best value deals in the Arteta era. First again to renew his contract - hopefully trendsetting! www.nytimes.com/athletic/640...

If you have six minutes and want to watch a wonderful, soulful, short documentary about the people who look after our football pitches this is so lovely. The boy who made it, Jonah, is still at school. What a talent! www.youtube.com/watch?v=pabr...

To Sesko or to Gyokeres? That is the question we tried to answer in another gathering of Arsenal through the generations voices. A new Handbrake Off with some unexpected opinions! Enjoy. pod.fo/e/2dff94

If you are up for some Arsenal listening here’s the new Handbrake Off pod. Arsenal women champions of Europe and some end of season awards. Enjoy. pod.fo/e/2daa46