Handbrake Off: The Athletic FC's Arsenal show

After three and a half seasons of clutch moments and goggle celebrations, Leandro Trossard looks like he’s on his way out of Arsenal. Ian Stone is joined by Art de Roche as the Gunners agree a £17.1m deal to sell the Belgian international to Besiktas. We ask how he’ll be remembered after playing a huge part in helping the team secure their first league title in 22 years. There’s bad news on the Je...

Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta’s quest to raise the ceiling begins in central midfield. Ian Stone is joined by Adrian Clarke and Art de Roche as Newcastle reject Arsenal’s verbal offer for central midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. It’s believed to be under £60m, well under Newcastle’s valuation. Will the Gunners come in for round two? And what kind of qualities does this mean they're looking for in that...

Arsenal haven’t played for nearly a month and yet injuries are still the main concern for the Handbrake Off team. Ian Stone is joined by Adrian Clarke and Nnamdi Onyeagwara as all of Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, William Saliba and Martin Odegaard struggle with injury problems over the World Cup. Is this sort of thing inevitable with the number of games players are expected to play nowadays? How much...

We may be in the middle of World Cup mania, but there’s plenty of Arsenal transfer chat to discuss with the Handbrake team. Ian Stone is joined by Adrian Clarke and Art de Roche to talk about who we might like Mikel Arteta to bring in over the summer. Club Brugge’s Christos Tzolis is the big story over the last week, but is he good enough to properly shift the dial at left-wing? Might Morgan Roger...

It’s a World Cup special for the Handbrake Off team, with both Adrian Clarke and Art de Roche joining Stoney to talk about 16 Gunners players off to the Finals this summer. Four Arsenal players will be representing England at a World Cup for the first time since 2002. What might we expect from the Three Lions? Could William Saliba come back with a winner’s medal with France? And why is David Raya...

Adrian Clarke joins Ian Stone to do a squad audit ahead of what could be a busy summer for Arsenal. They discuss the need to continually refresh especially when you’ve won, the players that are more likely to leave this summer, those who there may be questions about, if there could be some surprising departures, improvements needed in the attack, who their ideal signings would be and they touch on...

Adrian Clarke and Amy Lawrence join Ian Stone to discuss the Champions League final loss to Paris Saint-Germain on penalties on Saturday. The panel reflect on the joyous images from the trophy parade on Sunday, the atmosphere in Budapest as fans gathered for the game, Arsenal proving they belong on this elite stage, the brilliance of the team's defending, the need to improve in possession, the roo...

Adrian Clarke and Art de Roche join Ian Stone to look ahead to the Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain on Saturday. The panel discuss the confidence level of the squad after winning the Premier League, how Arsenal’s defence can nullify the oppositions strengths, comparing both teams Champions League campaigns, their preferred starting lineups, getting used to how good Arsenal are ri...

Amy Lawrence, Adrian Clarke and Art de Roche join Ian Stone to reflect on Arsenal’s final league game and 2-1 win against Crystal Palace on Sunday. The panel reflect on a joyous day as Arsenal lifted the Premier League trophy, this special group of players, finishing the season with the best disciplinary record, continued praise for the job that Arteta has done, Dowman breaking yet another record,...

Amy Lawrence, Adrian Clarke, Art de Roché and James McNicholas join Ian Stone for the end of season awards. The panel choose their goal of the season, game of the season, moment of the season, worst moment of the season, the moment they’d change, save of the season, signing of the season, most improved player and player of the season. Plus, the panel reflect on Mikel Arteta’s first press conferenc...

Arsenal are Premier League champions. Amy Lawrence, Adrian Clarke and Art de Roche join Ian Stone to reflect on the club's first title in 22 years. The panel reflect on how they’re feeling the morning after, the celebrations outside the stadium, the communal experience of the fans celebrating together all over the world, avoiding final day anxiety, similarities to the 1989 title celebrations, payi...

Amy Lawrence, Art de Roché and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss on Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Burnley on Monday night. The panel reflect on the scenes at the end of the game as the fans celebrated the team, the evolution of Arteta’s relationship with the fans, Saka’s perfect delivery for the goal, the atmosphere in Emirates Stadium, Arsenal's excellence in defending as a unit to see out...

James McNicholas and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to look ahead to the match against Burnley on Monday. The panel discuss Ben White’s injury, whether Jurrien Timber will make be fit in time for Champions League final, anticipation for the final home game of the season, the potential difficulties Burnley may pose and the title race going into the final week of the season. Plus, they respond to list...

Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 1-0 win against West Ham on Sunday. The panel reflect on the VAR drama at the end of the game, the outrage surrounding West Ham’s goal being ruled out, if this was the pivotal moment for Arsenal’s title charge, this match being the hardest obstacle in the run-in, Raya being one of Arsenal’s best ever goalkeepers, the defensive effo...

Amy Lawrence, James McNicholas and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Atletico Madrid to reach their first Champions League final in 20 years.  The panel reflect on the scenes before the game as fans greeted the team bus, the atmosphere at Emirates Stadium, the journey everyone has been on that’s led to this achievement, the impressive Champions League run to th...

Art de Roché and Amy Lawrence join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 3-0 win at home to Fulham on Saturday.  The panel reflect on the fun starting line-up that led to a fun afternoon, the sense that momentum is developing, Fulham being the perfect opponent in the middle of a Champions’s League semi-final, Saka’s joyful display lifting his teammates, Gyokeres’s best performance so far as he was s...

Art de Roché and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 1-1 draw away to Atletico Madrid in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League on Wednesday. The panel reflect on the strong away performance, the togetherness of the squad, Arsenal feeling like they are apart of the European establishment, an outstanding display from Rice in a deeper role, the controversial decisions around...

Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 1-0 win at home to Newcastle on Saturday. The panel reflect on the anxiety of the game, another cautious performance, Havertz’s importance to how the team play underlined by his injury, the difficulties of getting the right balance in attack this season, an honest conversation about Gyokeres, Eze’s importance in delivering big mome...

Amy Lawrence and James McNicholas join Ian Stone to discuss all things Arsenal and look ahead to the match against Newcastle this weekend. The panel reflect on the finance regulations in the Premier League, the rule-bending by clubs to boost their finances, the divisions forming in the Arsenal fanbase and Bukayo Saka’s importance in light of his injury. Plus, they respond to listener messages and...

Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 2-1 loss away to Manchester City on Sunday.  The panel reflect on the positive performance despite the loss, feeling encouraged for the run-in, the improved balance of the starting eleven, the impact of missing the first choice starters on the right hand side, the lack of consistency in attack this season, the decision to take...

Amy Lawrence and Art de Roché join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 0-0 draw at home to Sporting CP in the quarter-final second leg on Wednesday, which saw Arsenal through to the semi-finals. The panel reflect on the historic achievement of consecutive Champions League semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history, the need to cut through the negative discourse surrounding Arsenal, imploring...

Amy Lawrence and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 2-1 loss at home to Bournemouth on Saturday. The panel reflect on the disappointing overall performance, the lack of energy, if this result had been coming, the problems in the attack, tactical changes that could be made going forward, the need to be less risk averse and calling for a siege mentality amid the noise around the club....

Art de Roché and Nnamdi Onyeagwara, making his Handbrake Off debut, join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 1-0 win away to Sporting CP in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League on Tuesday. The panel reflect on the impressive result, a controlled away performance, David Raya potentially being Arsenal’s player of the year after another outstanding display, squad depth as the finishers comb...

Art de Roché and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss Arsenal’s 2-1 defeat to Southampton in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday. The panel reflect on how they’re feeling about the result, how well Southampton played, Dowman’s excellent performance, needing to improve managing the momentum swings in matches, some of the squad players not being at the standard required, Odegaard’s promising ret...

Art de Roché and Adrian Clarke join Ian Stone to discuss all things Arsenal and look ahead to the match against Southampton in the FA Cup this weekend. The panel reflect on 11 Arsenal players withdrawing from international duty, the outside noise around this, Ben White being booed on his England return, contributing factors to Saka’s less impactful season so far, and what Odegaard can bring to the...