This episode of Five A Side kicks off with Arsenal’s statement win against Inter Milan in the Champions League and what it says about squad depth, rotation, and whether Arteta’s “starters and finishers” philosophy is turning Arsenal into the most in-form team in Europe. The guys break down Saka’s performance, the tactical battle with Inter’s wing-backs, and why Premier League intensity keeps giving English teams an edge in Europe.

The conversation then shifts to Manchester City’s collapse, Pep Guardiola’s questionable selections, defensive injuries, Rodri’s struggles, and whether City’s dominance is finally cracking or just hitting a rough patch. From Pep’s future to City’s spending, nothing is off the table.

Chelsea’s issues come under heavy fire next — from uninspiring performances to confusion over tactical identity, boardroom decisions, and whether the club is repeating Manchester United’s mistakes with young players and instability. Liverpool’s European resurgence, Madrid’s stars (Vini, Bellingham, Mbappé), coaching styles, man-management vs over-coaching, and big-ego players are all debated.

The episode closes with AFCON fallout, focusing on Senegal vs Morocco, the walk-off controversy, possible sanctions, corruption vs protest, and whether African football needs more accountability or protection for teams speaking out.

A long, honest, unfiltered football conversation — tactics, politics, ego, money, and reality.

Time Stamps

00:00 Cold weather, MLK day vibes & Champions League energy

01:21 Arsenal rotate vs Inter Milan & “best team in Europe?” debate

05:41 Squad depth talk: “Starters vs finishers” explained

09:31 Saka vs Dimarco masterclass (no goals, pure violence)

12:31 Premier League intensity vs European football freedom

18:31 Manchester City disasterclass & Pep roulette

23:31 Is Pep losing aura or just injured?

27:01 Pep quitting theories & Maresca hypotheticals

31:31 Spurs beat Dortmund (and annoy everyone)

36:01 Managers snapping at press conferences (Therapy FC)

44:31 Chelsea vs Brentford: vibes in the mud

52:01 Liverpool resurgence & Slot cooking

58:31 Madrid, Vini, Mbappé & man-management debate

01:05:01 AFCON final fallout: Senegal walk-out & corruption debate

01:30:31 Arsenal vs United anxiety & final thoughts

Dalu is joined by Sam (and AK later) for a wild round-up of the week across AFCON and the Premier League. They react to a chaotic Senegal vs Morocco final dominated by controversy—disallowed goals, a late penalty, and heated debate about whether Senegal were right to walk off. They also debate who really deserved Player of the Tournament (Bono vs Mané vs others), and whether Morocco’s hosting came with “extra help.” Then it’s Premier League time: Chelsea scrape past Brentford but the performance sparks a rant about “resetting” the project, selection headaches, and recurring mistakes. They break down Man United’s best showing in a long time vs Man City, Pep’s strange selections, and the red-card moment that could’ve changed everything. Finally, Arsenal get put on blast—Gyökeres, Saka’s form, Timber at left back, and the fear of being stretched too thin and ending up trophyless if January reinforcements don’t arrive.

Chapters / Timestamps (YouTube Chapters)

00:00 Intro + AFCON/Premier League week

00:12 Senegal vs Morocco final reaction

01:29 Main controversy: disallowed goal + penalty talk

02:21 “Small 50/50 calls” + corruption momentum shifts

05:01 Disallowed goal breakdown

06:42 Penalty debate + “pick and choose” modern football

07:24 Senegal walking off: protest vs “real man” narrative

11:46 Juve vs Madrid 2018 penalty analogy (Ronaldo laser pen)

14:26 Morocco’s quality vs ref “extras”

22:52 Empty stadium + Senegal praise

24:24 Player of Tournament debate (Bono vs Mané vs Diaz)

27:19 AK joins: Atlanta AFCON finals party + crowd vibes

30:57 Nigeria pride + “what next” convo

34:33 CAF awards clean sweep discussion

40:31 Segue to Chelsea vs Brentford

42:15 Chelsea rant: shots conceded + “project reset”

49:11 AK: Chelsea were lucky + no clear style

51:07 Sam: “solving problems we already solved”

56:04 Man United vs Man City: intensity + Pep selection criticism

01:03:05 Lisandro praise + City no pity

01:05:07 Dalot should’ve been sent off debate

01:07:54 United big games vs settled defenses question

01:10:14 Arsenal striker debate: Gyökeres doesn’t fit?

01:13:10 Saka/Gyökeres tension + style mismatch

01:15:20 Forest game chances missed + compact blocks

01:19:13 Left back issue (Timber/Calafiori mystery)

01:20:24 “There’s a world Arsenal go trophyless”

01:29:28 Madrid drama + Bellingham/Vini criticism

01:35:13 Serie A roundup mention

01:36:33 McTominay glow-up at Napoli

01:37:32 Outro + plugs

AFCON dreams may be over for Nigeria, but the debate is far from finished. In this episode of Five Aside, we break down the Super Eagles’ heartbreaking exit, the psychology of third-place playoffs, and whether Nigeria should still go all-out for bronze. We debate Salah’s legacy with Egypt, compare African greats across generations, and assess whether this tournament represents failure or genuine progress for Nigeria. The conversation closes with bold predictions for the AFCON final, a deep look at Morocco vs Senegal, and a passionate call for the NFF to finally do right by the players and build on the identity this team has shown.

⏱️ TIME STAMPS (Clean & Pod-Ready)

00:00 – Opening banter & AFCON heartbreak

01:10 – Third-place playoff: pointless fixture or necessary pride?

02:25 – Should Nigeria start a full-strength XI vs Egypt?

03:40 – Was this AFCON actually progress for the Super Eagles?

04:50 – Salah’s AFCON legacy & Egypt’s golden generations debate

06:30 – Comparing Salah, Aboutrika & African football legacies

08:40 – Nigeria’s midfield, Iwobi’s role & creative responsibility

10:50 – Predictions: Nigeria vs Egypt (third-place playoff)

11:45 – AFCON Final preview: Senegal vs Morocco

13:10 – Why Morocco might finally be “due” an AFCON title

14:40 – Penalties, mentality & battle-tested Senegal

15:40 – Final plea to the NFF: pay players, back the coach, build properly

In this episode of Five Aside, the boys open with the most relatable truth in football: supporting a club is basically a toxic three-way relationship. From there, the conversation spirals into Chelsea’s latest identity crisis under Maresca, the dangers of managers talking too well, and why results will always humble philosophy.

The episode dives deep into leadership — or the lack of it — at Chelsea, debating whether youth without experience can truly compete at the top level. Arsenal’s title credentials are put under the microscope as injuries, squad depth, and the pressure of competing on multiple fronts come into play.

The Manchester Derby preview brings optimism, bias, and pure football delusion, with bold predictions, talk of new-manager bounce, and hope doing heavy lifting. The episode closes with a heated and hilarious attempt to build Manchester’s Best XI, blending form, fitness, bias, and vibes — exactly how football debates should be.

⏱️ TIME STAMPS

00:00 – Welcome & football as a toxic relationship

01:45 – AFCON heartbreak & finally focusing on the Premier League

02:30 – Chelsea, Maresca & the infamous “man-age” moment

04:40 – Talking well vs winning: why results always decide

07:20 – Does Chelsea lack leaders or just experience?

10:00 – Youth vs leadership: why balance matters

12:05 – Comparing Chelsea to City & Arsenal standards

16:45 – Chelsea depth, title ambitions & weekend prediction

21:30 – Arsenal vs Forest: pressure, injuries & trophy talk

26:00 – Can Arsenal chase everything without collapsing?

30:45 – Manchester Derby preview & pure optimism

33:20 – City threats, United hope & derby unpredictability

34:50 – Building Manchester’s Best XI (chaos begins)

48:20 – Final thoughts & sign-off

This special Five Aside × SoccerTakesWithAK collaboration turns into a full-blown football therapy session.

The episode opens with raw emotion as Nigeria’s AFCON exit on penalties against Morocco leaves both hosts drained, angry, and searching for answers. The discussion dives deep into Morocco’s elite defensive structure, Nigeria’s midfield imbalance, and how the game consideringly drifted toward a lifeless 0–0 before penalties. From there, the pod explodes into one of its most intense debates yet: Nigeria’s penalty culture.

Osimhen’s repeated absence from penalty duty becomes a major talking point, with AK and Dalu questioning leadership, mentality, and whether Nigeria truly has clutch players. The referee comes under heavy fire for consistently disrupting Nigeria’s momentum, while Morocco’s fitness, ball retention, and composure are given full credit.

The second half shifts to Chelsea vs Arsenal, blending banter with tactical breakdowns. AK passionately defends Chelsea’s new direction under a fresh coach, highlighting pressing intensity, brave in-game adjustments, and missing key players, while Dalu questions whether playing out from the back with Sánchez is fundamentally sustainable. Arsenal’s inability to kill games, Chelsea’s keeper issues, and fan hot takes (“fans are the best coaches”) round out a hilarious yet insightful close.

Emotional, analytical, funny, and painfully relatable — this episode is football as group therapy.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps (≈ 43 mins)

00:00 – 02:10

Intro, vibes & collab setup (Five Aside × SoccerTakesWithAK)

02:10 – 07:30

AFCON heartbreak begins: Nigeria vs Morocco reaction

07:30 – 12:30

Morocco’s defensive masterclass & Nigeria’s midfield issues

12:30 – 16:30

Referee controversy & momentum killing decisions

16:30 – 23:30

Penalty shootout breakdown: Osimhen, leadership & “ducking smoke”

23:30 – 28:30

Mentality debate: clutch players, pressure & Nigerian football culture

28:30 – 33:30

Chelsea vs Arsenal overview & early tactical observations

33:30 – 38:30

Chelsea rebuild talk: pressing, playing out from the back & Sánchez

38:30 – 42:30

Arsenal control vs comfort, Chelsea optimism & final banter

42:30 – 43:00

Wrap-up, therapy jokes & sign-off

It was one of those episodes where football gave joy, pain, anger, and comedy all at once.

The pod opens with New Year vibes before quickly descending into AFCON heartbreak, as Nigeria crash out on penalties against Morocco. The guys break down a performance that wasn’t terrible — but wasn’t good enough — diving into Eric Chelle’s late substitutions, questionable penalty takers, and the growing frustration over why Nigeria’s attackers keep “ducking the smoke” in big moments. The referee comes under heavy fire, with long debates over inconsistent fouls, missing yellow cards, and momentum being repeatedly killed whenever Nigeria tried to counter.

From there, the conversation shifts into legacy talk — Osimhen’s role in pressure moments, Iwobi’s evolution, the impact of missing Ndidi, and what this squad actually looks like going forward with no World Cup in sight. There’s praise for Nigeria’s defense and honesty about the midfield needing a serious rebuild.

The second half of the episode explodes into club football chaos. Chelsea’s season gets eviscerated as the panel tears into board interference, player power, and the sacking of Maresca, arguing the club has set itself back years. Real Madrid aren’t spared either, with Xabi Alonso’s exit opening a heated debate about Mbappé, Vinícius, and dressing-room power.

The episode closes with EFL Cup reactions, Manchester City’s depth, Semenyo’s impact, Haaland barely touching the ball, and Manchester United’s latest reset with Carrick stepping in, leaving one big question hanging: do these clubs ever actually learn?

Raw, emotional, funny, and brutally honest — classic Five Aside.

⏱️ Episode Timestamps (≈ 1:24:00)

00:00 – 03:00

New Year vibes, “garri life,” and bad footballing days

03:00 – 12:30

AFCON fallout: Nigeria vs Morocco reaction & overperformance debate

12:30 – 21:30

Penalty shootout rage: attackers ducking smoke & Chelle’s subs

21:30 – 30:30

Osimhen legacy talk, Iwobi’s role, missing Ndidi & midfield issues

30:30 – 38:30

Nigeria’s future: squad rebuild, wingers, midfield, keeper talk

38:30 – 44:30

Senegal praise, AFCON standards & tournament reflections

44:30 – 56:30

Chelsea meltdown: Maresca sacking, board interference & player power

56:30 – 1:08:30

Real Madrid chaos: Xabi Alonso exit, Mbappé, Vinícius & control issues

1:08:30 – 1:20:30

EFL Cup: City vs Newcastle, Semenyo impact, Haaland quiet

1:20:30 – 1:24:00

United hiring Carrick, final thoughts & sign-off

It was a weekend of pure Nigerian joy and pure club-level chaos. The guys react to what many are calling one of Nigeria’s best performances in a generation, breaking down the Super Eagles’ dominance, tactical evolution, midfield control, and growing belief at AFCON. From Osimhen’s world-class status to Lookman’s rise and the team’s newfound cohesion, the optimism is real — even with World Cup heartbreak still lingering.

The conversation then swings sharply into Manchester United turmoil, as emotions run high over managerial instability, board interference, and the endless “United DNA” cycle. The panel debates whether sacking the manager mid-season makes any sense, who’s really to blame, and whether bringing back Ole would actually stabilize things.

Elsewhere, the episode touches on Arsenal’s title momentum, City’s intimidation factor, FA Cup chaos, Martinelli controversy, El Clásico madness, and why football fans might need to accept that the sport is slowly being Americanized — whether we like it or not.

Big takes, heated debates, laughter, frustration, and hope — this episode had everything.

⏱️ Timestamps (1:08:03 total)

00:00 – 04:30

Weekend recap & vibes check (Nigeria fans eating good)

04:30 – 18:30

Nigeria vs Algeria reaction – dominance, intensity & belief

18:30 – 28:45

AFCON tactics breakdown: midfield control, back four switch, team chemistry

28:45 – 39:30

Osimhen debate: Is he Nigeria’s first truly world-class striker?

39:30 – 45:45

Lookman, continuity, leadership & comparisons to past Nigerian teams

45:45 – 52:30

FA Cup reactions, Arsenal & City flexing, Martinelli controversy

52:30 – 1:02:30

Manchester United meltdown: sackings, board interference & Ole debate

1:02:30 – 1:08:03

El Clásico chaos, Madrid issues, Americanization of football & final hot takes

AFCON is officially loading properly — and for once, nobody is mad about it.

In this episode, Five Aside link up again with Soccer Takes with AK to break down a surprisingly high-quality AFCON, why Morocco might be setting the gold standard for African football, and how Nigeria are quietly turning into one of the most dangerous transition teams on the continent.

We deep dive into Nigeria vs Algeria, Osimhen’s “tantrum” discourse, unpaid bonuses (because of course), and why passion on the pitch isn’t the problem — bad administration is. From emotional Congo moments to AFCON quarterfinal chaos, this is tournament football at its best.

Then it’s back to Premier League madness:

City dropping points but still looking annoying

Arsenal not taking full advantage of City's slip

Chelsea doing Chelsea things (again)

United… just being United

If you like football debates that jump from Moroccan pitch drainage to Osimhen body language, Pep paranoia, and Arsenal composure, this episode is exactly your vibe.

⏱️ Time Stamps (Cleaned & Logical)

00:00 – Intro & New Year chaos with AK

01:53 – AFCON vibes: why this tournament actually feels serious

02:26 – Morocco setting the standard (pitches, broadcast, structure)

05:18 – Nigeria vs Algeria preview & why this is no easy game

06:58 – AFCON quarterfinals: no underdogs anymore

10:47 – Unpaid bonuses & NFF embarrassment, Should it affect the football?

23:02 – AFCON emotion, Congo moment & why we watch football

27:59 – Why Nigeria’s transition football is lethal

32:06 – Which past Super Eagle player would you bring into this team?

41:35 – Nigeria vs Algeria predictions

42:37 – Manchester City vs Brighton: cracks showing?

49:05 – How will Semenyo fare in City?

52:53 – Arsenal analysis: Flat performance & title talk

58:24 – What's up with Lewis Skelly?

1:03:48 – Gyokere's soliloquy

1:04:58 – Chelsea chaos, red cards & new-manager hope

1:18:57 – United talk: vibes, expectations & reality check

1:23:09 – Final thoughts & wrap-up