With the 2026 World Cup just around the corner, Mike and Adam turn their attention to football's biggest prize as they look ahead to what promises to be a fascinating tournament across the USA, Canada and Mexico.

The lads plot out England's potential route to the final, discussing the teams that could stand in their way and whether this could finally be the year football comes home. They also pick out their favourites for the tournament, debate which nations could emerge as dark horses, and identify the players who could light up the World Cup stage.

Of course, no World Cup discussion would be complete without a healthy dose of nostalgia. From iconic goals and unforgettable matches to the moments that defined their childhoods, Mike and Adam share some of their favourite World Cup memories and relive the magic that makes the tournament so special.

All that plus the usual football chat, questionable predictions, and plenty of debate along the way.

Enjoy the show!

Mike vs Adam goes head-to-head in a special Factor 50 football quiz, with Ryan returning to the hot seat as quizmaster to put the pair through a series of football questions and test just how much they really know about the game.

Before the quiz begins, the lads also reflect on Arsenal's disappointing Champions League Final defeat and hear all about Mike's trip to the Premier League title parade, as Arsenal finally celebrated ending their 22-year wait to be crowned champions.

Who comes out on top in the ultimate Factor 50 quiz? And more importantly, who completely crumbles under the pressure?

Tune in to find out.

⚽ Arsenal's Champions League heartbreak
🏆 Mike reports back from the title parade
🎙️ Ryan returns as special guest host
🧠 Mike vs Adam: The Factor 50 Quiz

Expect football chat, dodgy answers, football nostalgia and plenty of laughs along the way.

Roy Keane’s had plenty to say about Bruno Fernandes, so naturally we had to get stuck into that. Fair criticism or classic Keane going full Keane?

We also react to Tuchel’s England squad announcement. Has he got it right? Any glaring misses? Any picks that make absolutely no sense?

And because apparently we enjoy pain… we went back and listened to our predictions from episode one.

Were we right?

Absolutely not.

In fact, Adam produced a prediction so bad it may genuinely require an apology.

Arsenal have finally done it.

After 22 years of waiting, Mikel Arteta’s side have been crowned Premier League champions after Man City’s draw with Bournemouth confirmed the title.

We get Mike’s full reaction to Arsenal ending the drought, what it means for the club, and whether this team is now ready to build something even bigger.

We also preview the Champions League final between Arsenal and PSG, and dive into some of the biggest stories in football, including Southampton’s Spygate controversy, the playoff drama, rumours around Pep leaving Man City, Maresca potentially stepping in, Alonso being linked with Chelsea, and Salah’s latest statement.

And finally, we reveal the final results of the predictions game between Adam and Mike.

Arsenal are champions. Mike is emotional. Adam is trying to stay professional.

Was West Ham ROBBED… or did VAR actually get it right?

This week Mike and Adam get stuck into the huge talking point from Arsenal vs West Ham, where a last-gasp West Ham equaliser was chalked off after VAR spotted a possible foul on David Raya.

Mike gives his verdict (you can probably guess how calm and measured that was… 😅) as we look at whether Arsenal got away with one, what it means for the title race, and whether that moment could have massive consequences at both ends of the table with West Ham staring at trouble.

Also in this episode:

⚽ The less said about Sunderland 0-0 the better… but obviously we say plenty.
👀 Jose Mourinho is BACK. What does that mean and where could this go?
🏆 Prediction league update with just TWO weeks left… can Adam pull off an outrageous comeback or is Mike already mentally engraving his name on the trophy?

If you love football debates, questionable predictions, and two blokes pretending they know what VAR is doing… you’re in the right place.

Subscribe, like, and get involved in the comments — was it a foul?

Mike’s turned up smiling… which usually means one thing.

Arsenal are flying.

Two league wins on the bounce, through to the Champions League final, and with Man City slipping up in a 3-3 draw against Everton… it’s suddenly back in Arsenal’s hands.

So the big question this week:

Can they actually go on and win the title?

We put Mike on the spot.

Elsewhere, it’s a big one for United fans too. A 3-2 win over Liverpool that could mean more than just three points… momentum, belief, and maybe a bit of chaos thrown into the mix.

And of course, we wrap things up with the predictions game.

Adam’s got a mountain to climb.
Mike’s got the lead.
And there’s not many games left.

This could get interesting.

In this episode, Mike reacts to a massive win for Arsenal as they continue their push for the Premier League title. But with injuries starting to pile up, can they keep going all the way to the end?

We also talk Manchester United after their 2-1 win over Brentford, which technically secures Champions League football. Somehow, some way, United are back in Europe’s biggest competition.

This week we cover:

• Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Newcastle
• The growing injury concerns for Arteta
• Can Arsenal still win the league?
• Manchester United securing Champions League football
• United’s 2-1 win over Brentford
• Keep or sell: Arsenal edition
• Keep or sell: Manchester United edition
• The Factor 50 predictions game

And of course, the big question remains...

Can Adam catch Mike before the end of the season?

Like, comment and subscribe for more weekly football chat.

This one has been a long time coming…

After weeks of build-up, we finally get Mike’s reaction to Arsenal losing 2–1 to Manchester City… and it does not disappoint.

If you’ve been following the title race, you already know how big this result could be. So the big question is…

👉 Are Arsenal bottling the league?

In this episode, we get into:

• Mike’s honest, unfiltered reaction to Arsenal’s defeat
• Whether this result has handed the title to City
• Is it now Manchester City’s to lose?
• What happens to Mikel Arteta if Arsenal fall short?
• Does Mike still believe Arsenal can win it… or has his tone changed?
• A quick look at what’s going on at Manchester United
• Could Tottenham Hotspur actually be in trouble?! 😅
• And of course… the predictions game returns

This is one of those episodes where emotions are running high, opinions are flying, and nothing is off the table.

If you’ve been waiting to see how Mike reacts if Arsenal slip up…

This is the one.

This one’s a bit different…

Mike has taken over Arsenal.
Adam is in charge of Manchester United.

They’ve each been given £100m and told…

Go build your squad.

But there are rules:

• Players can be sold… but only for realistic values
• Players can be signed… but again, realistic only
• Every deal gets debated
• If they don’t agree on the price… the deal is OFF

So it turns into a bit of a transfer negotiation battle.

• Who gets sold?
• Who stays?
• And who actually makes it through the approval process?

Some deals get done…

Some get completely shut down 😅

They also catch up on the predictions league…

And let’s just say… Adam is not exactly flying right now.

Give it a listen and let us know:

Who built the better squad?

It’s the international break… so we’ve gone rogue a bit.

This week, me and Mike pick our England starting XIs for the World Cup.

Simple question… but it gets interesting quickly.

• Who’s nailed on?
• Who misses the plane?
• And where do we completely disagree?

There are a few shouts in here that might divide opinion as well…

We also get into the big news around De Zerbi appointment at Spurs — and what that could actually mean.

No predictions this week.

But…

We’re back next episode with something a bit different 👀

A full transfer special where me and Mike map out what we’d do if we were in charge:

• Arsenal’s summer
• Man United’s rebuild

Budgets, ins, outs… the lot.

Give this one a listen and let us know — who’s in your England XI?

In this episode, Adam and Mike are back breaking down another big week in the Premier League.

Mike was in the stadium to witness Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton, including a huge moment as Max Dowling becomes the youngest ever Premier League goalscorer. We get his take from inside the ground and what it felt like in real time.

We also dive into Manchester United’s win over Aston Villa… and ask the question – are they now nailed on for a top 3 finish?

Chelsea are back in the spotlight (for all the wrong reasons), as we discuss their bizarre moment surrounding the referee… and yet another fine for breaking the rules. What is actually going on at that club?

Looking ahead, we preview a massive League Cup Final: Manchester City vs Arsenal. Who has the edge? And what could decide it?

And of course… we wrap things up with the predictions game.

Another week, another chaotic round of football.

In this episode we start with Manchester United’s defeat to Newcastle, where United somehow managed to get outplayed even after Newcastle went down to 10 men. Not a great afternoon… and we break down exactly what went wrong.

Over in North London it was 1-0 to the Arsenal… again.
Arsenal grind out another win, this time against Brighton. We also discuss Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler’s comments that Arsenal “didn’t come to play football.” Fair point or just frustration?

We also dive into Tottenham’s calamitous Champions League night, where their goalkeeper was substituted after just 17 minutes. Never a good sign.

Then things get spicy…

We debate who the worst Premier League manager of all time is. Some shocking names come up.

A big thanks to Juan for sending in this week’s listener question, which we tackle mid-episode.

And finally we finish with our weekly predictions, where one of us is starting to build a serious lead.

Plenty of football nonsense as always.

In Episode 21 of Factor 50 Football, Adam and Mike break down another huge week in the Premier League.

First up is Manchester United’s 2–1 win over Crystal Palace. The big talking point? The penalty decision. Was it the right call or did United get a bit of luck? Adam and Mike debate whether the referee got it right and what it means for United’s momentum.

Then attention turns to the London derby where Arsenal edged out Chelsea 2–1. The conversation quickly shifts to the wider debate around Arsenal’s set-piece dominance, with some people claiming their corner routines are part of why the Premier League’s overall quality is “dropping.” Is that fair criticism or just lazy analysis?

Mike also goes on a classic rant about Pep Guardiola and the influence he’s had on the modern game.

And of course it wouldn’t be Factor 50 without the weekly predictions, where Adam and Mike try (and often fail) to call the next round of Premier League results.

In this episode:

• Manchester United 2–1 Crystal Palace
• Was it really a penalty?
• Arsenal beating Chelsea and the corner debate
• Is the Premier League’s quality actually dropping?
• Mike’s Pep Guardiola rant
• Premier League predictions

If you enjoy honest football chat, fan rivalry, and a bit of chaos, this is the podcast for you.

Do Arsenal have a mentality problem? | Šeško saves the day

This week on Factor 50 Football, emotions are running high.

We start with Arsenal. Mike opens up about how deflated he felt after the Wolves draw and why it felt like a real blow at the time, before talking through how much better things feel after beating Spurs. We dig into the big title-race question.

Is this actually a mentality problem, or just the reality of competing at the top week after week?

Manchester United finally get some proper credit. Another positive result, with Šeško grabbing the decisive goal, and a wider conversation about the run they’re on. We talk about the improvements in performances, why there’s a bit more belief creeping back in, and whether United are starting to build something more consistent rather than just scraping results.

Tottenham don’t escape the spotlight either. We ask the uncomfortable question. Are Spurs genuinely in relegation trouble, or is this just another chaotic chapter in a very Spursy season?

And to finish, we tackle the big one. If Man City are found guilty, what would a fair punishment actually look like? Points deductions, relegation, fines, or something else entirely?

Plenty of debate, strong opinions, and the usual back and forth you’d expect from Factor 50.

Episode 19 is all about dropped points, creeping pressure, and a bigger question hanging over the Premier League.

We start with Arsenal’s 1–1 draw against Brentford. Another game, another conversation about control, margins, and whether the title race nerves are starting to show. With Man City breathing down their necks, is Mike finally starting to feel a bit twitchy?

Over at Old Trafford, Man United fail to make it five wins on the bounce after a draw with West Ham. We break down what went wrong, whether this was just a blip, and what it says about where United actually are right now.

That leads us into a wider debate. Is the overall quality of the Premier League dipping this season? Are we seeing more inconsistency than ever, or is it just a case of teams being harder to beat?

As always, we wrap things up with our predictions and a bit of healthy disagreement.

Plenty to get into this week. 🎙️⚽

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This week, we get properly stuck into it.

• Manchester United pull the trigger and Rúben Amorim is gone. Was it inevitable… or a complete mess?

• Arsenal now sit 6 points clear – are they finally putting daylight between themselves and the chasing pack?

• And… are West Ham United genuinely in trouble, or is this just another wobble?

Plenty of opinions, plenty of disagreement, and absolutely no fence-sitting.

🎧 Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

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This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast, we’re asking one simple question…

How on earth did Manchester United lose to Everton?

United fall 1–0 at Goodison Park… on a day when Idrissa Gueye gets sent off for fighting with his own teammate. Ten men? Yet somehow, Everton still see it out.

Did United bottle it?

Did Everton sh*thousery their way to glory?

Or is this just peak 2025 Premier League energy?

Meanwhile, at the other end of North London…

Arsenal absolutely destroy Spurs 4–1.

Eze rocks up, scores a hat-trick, and turns the derby into his own personal mixtape release party.

Mike is unbearable.

Adam contemplates muting him.

We dive into:

• How United managed to lose to a team imploding in real time.

• Arsenal’s demolition job and Eze’s star turn.

• City losing. Liverpool losing. The title race having a meltdown.

• Ronaldo getting his World Cup red card rescinded and whether justice has finally been served.

And of course — because it’s Factor 50:

Expect:

One-eyed opinions.

Selective outrage.

Petty digs.

And two grown men arguing like they’re calling into talkSPORT at 11pm.

If you love Premier League chaos, tribalism, and deeply unserious analysis… this is your episode.

Listen now.

Only on Factor 50 Football.

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It’s the Factor 50 Christmas special 🎅⚽

Mike and Adam sit down to review the season so far – no one escapes.

Club's gets a school-style grade from A* right down to U

Who’s flying, who’s flopping, and who’s somehow still getting away with it?

We also put our reputations on the line by predicting where each team will finish come May – expect hot takes, bias, backtracking, and plenty of festive football nonsense.

Perfect listening for:

• Boxing Day walks
• Sofa slumps after too much turkey
• Arguing with your mates about why their club is “definitely an A*”

Grab a drink, press play, and enjoy the chaos. 🍻

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This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast:

Arsenal drop points in a 2–2 draw with Sunderland.

Title wobble incoming… or just a blip before they steamroll again?

Mike’s starting to get that nervous twitch — because City’s gap is down to just four points.

Meanwhile, Manchester United extend their unbeaten run to five — thanks to a last-minute equaliser at Spurs.

Are they quietly turning a corner… or just papering over the cracks?

Plus, we ask the big one:

Is Benjamin Šeško actually any good?

And of course — Mike vs Adam: Predictions is back.

Expect:

• Biased takes.
• Questionable stats.
• Too much confidence, not enough accuracy.

Elite football chat disguised as pub talk from the Premier League's Palest Pundits.

🎧 Listen now.

Only on Factor 50 Football.

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What. A. Turnaround.

This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast, Adam is absolutely bouncing as Manchester United make it three wins on the spin.

Casemiro suddenly looks like he’s 27 again… or is this just one good week? We discuss.

Arsenal win once more and sit top of the league — but here’s the big question…

Are Arsenal actually a little bit boring now?

Winning’s winning, but the vibes debate is on.

And finally — Mike has HAD ENOUGH of Manchester City.

The performance, the attitude, the excuses… he’s going in. Hard.

Predictions, agenda pushing, questionable takes, and a bit of laughter at our own clubs — the usual.

🎧 Tune in now for the most honest (and biased) football chat going.

Only on Factor 50 Football.

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Mike and Adam are finally back together in real life – pints in hand, mics on, and arguing face-to-face 👀🍺

In this week’s pub-recorded episode, the lads catch up on:

• United and Arsenal’s December wobble
• The latest Premier League chaos
• Salah, Bruno and the FIFA controversy causing a stir

Proper football chat, no filters, just two mates getting stuck into it.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

But don’t worry — the Premier League’s palest pundits are back with the first special episode of the Factor 50 Football Podcast.

ARSENAL × UNITED COMBINED XI ⚔️

Who comes out on top?

Adam or Mike?

Ronaldo or Henry?

Plus, we launch our brand-new Premier League Prediction Game, taking aim at this weekend’s fixtures.

It’s bold opinions, bad takes, and a healthy dose of ginger bias — all in one episode.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This time they discuss:

• Arsenal are top of the league
• Have Man United found their new GK?
• What's happened to Liverpool?
• England squad.

Follow us on:

Tik tok: factor50football

Instagram: factor50football

Bluesky: factof50football.bsky social

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Chaos. Corners. Controversy.

This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast, we’re asking the big question:

Are set pieces completely ruining the Premier League… or are we all just salty our teams can’t defend them?

We get into it.

Manchester United drew 2-2 — but was that a point earned… or two thrown straight in the bin?

Meanwhile… Arsenal.

Top. Calm. Relentless.

Have they basically already won the league? Or is that exactly the moment everything falls apart?

And of course — the predictions game returns.

Expect:

• Agenda.
• Bias.
• Petty arguments.

Elite football analysis disguised as pub chat.

🎧 Listen now.

Only on Factor 50 Football.

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This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast, we break down a huge week at both ends of the table.

🔴 Arsenal

Six points clear at the top after a dominant 4–0 win over Leeds

Through to the League Cup Final, thanks to a dramatic last-minute winner from Havertz against Chelsea

Are Arsenal starting to look inevitable?

⚪ Manchester United

Three wins on the bounce

Another late moment of drama, this time with Benjamin Šeško popping up with the winner

Is the momentum finally building?

💼 January Transfer Talk

We pick our favourite January signings so far for:

Arsenal

Manchester United

🔮 Predictions

As always, we finish with our predictions for the next round of games and probably regret them immediately.

Late goals. Big wins. Transfer opinions.

It’s all here.

👇 Let us know in the comments:

Are Arsenal champions-elect?

Is Šeško the real deal?

Who’s been the best January signing so far?

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and tell us how wrong we are.

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This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast, we’re doing something a bit different…

We’re going back to Pizza Gate — the day Manchester United ended Arsenal’s 49-game unbeaten run.

Did Ruud really “assault” Ashley Cole?

Did Arsenal actually lose their heads?

Did the ref have an absolute shocker… or have the memories been rewritten by bitter fans on both sides?

Mike comes armed with the full Arsenal agenda.

Adam comes fully prepped to defend United’s honour like it’s 2004 again.

We dive into:

• The Van Nistelrooy challenge — red card in 2024 or just a strong yellow in 2004?

• The refereeing decisions everyone still argues about.

• Whether the game was truly that toxic or if nostalgia makes it worse.

• What really happened in the tunnel when the pizza started flying.

And of course — because it’s Factor 50:

Expect:

One-eyed opinions.

Selective memories.

Petty digs.

And two grown men reliving their teenage football trauma.

If you love Premier League history, tribalism, and pointless arguments… this is your episode.

🎧 Listen now.

Only on Factor 50 Football.

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It finally happened… Michael Carrick gets the keys at Manchester United.

We break down:

• What Carrick as interim actually means for United
• Whether this is calm before the storm or just more chaos
• And if anyone genuinely knows what the long-term plan is (spoiler: probably not)

We also get into:

• Multi-club ownership and whether football’s heading in the right direction
• The grey areas nobody really wants to talk about
• And how it’s quietly changing competition across leagues

Plus…

• Are Arsenal actually on for the quadruple?
• Or is the hype running ahead of reality (again)?

As ever, plenty of strong opinions, zero tactical diagrams, and absolutely no fence-sitting.

Give it a listen and let us know where you disagree most 👀⚽

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This week they discuss:

- Arsenal's late drama.

- Adam & Mike rant about VAR.

- United continue to struggle.

From the Premier Leagues Palest Pundits.

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This week on the pod we’re back talking Premier League chaos, red cards, and whether form is finally becoming a thing.

We kick off with Arsenal cruising past Sunderland with a comfortable 3–0 win. Job done, no drama, and another reminder that Arsenal are just quietly doing their thing.

Then it’s over to Manchester United, who make it four wins in a row after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2–0. We get into the Romero red card, whether Spurs only have themselves to blame, and ask the important questions:

Can United make it five on the bounce… and will that guy finally cut his hair?

We also touch on the big **Manchester City vs Liverpool game. A red card that split opinions, and the usual VAR debates that nobody actually agrees on.

Plenty of opinions, very little agreement, and exactly how we like it.

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Episode 16 of the Factor 50 Football Podcast is a spicy one.

Adam (still smiling) and Mike (very much not) sit down after a huge night at Old Trafford as Manchester United edge past Arsenal in a chaotic 3–2 win.

We break down a brilliant United performance, including standout goals from Cunha and Dorgu, and ask the big question…

Is Michael Carrick doing enough to keep the job permanently?

There’s also time to dig into the fallout from Crystal Palace, what it means for the table, and whether certain teams are starting to wobble at exactly the wrong moment.

And yes… we revisit our predictions.

Yes… they were awful.

Again.

Big opinions, sore heads, biased takes, and plenty of laughter — especially from the red side of the table.

🎧 Listen now and enjoy Mike trying to stay calm for a full hour.

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Michael Carrick steps into the United dugout and immediately does the unthinkable… beats Man City.

New manager bounce or football heritage restored? We break down what actually changed and whether Carrick deserves more than just a caretaker label.

Arsenal, meanwhile, drop points against Nottingham Forest and miss a huge opportunity to put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack. Was it just one of those games… or the start of something more worrying?

That leads to the big, uncomfortable question:

If Arsenal don’t win the league this season, should Mikel Arteta be under real pressure? Or is that pure football Twitter madness?

We finish by looking ahead to Arsenal vs Manchester United next week.

Momentum vs expectation. Pressure vs freedom. And plenty of opinions you probably won’t agree with.

As always, zero balance, maximum conviction.

🎙️ Factor 50 Football – Episode 15

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What. A. Weekend.

This week on the Factor 50 Football Podcast, Adam is buzzing as Manchester United pull off a massive upset against Liverpool - and he’s absolutely loving it. Arsenal keep marching on with another win over Fulham to go top of the league, while Nottingham Forest decide they’ve had enough of Ang… and pull the trigger.

We also give our predictions for next week’s fixtures (expect some wild takes as always).

Oh, and Mike’s not in the best mood — he’s recording from Scotland where his “relaxing family holiday” has kicked off with both kids crying all the way there. Pray for him.

🎧 Tune in now for banter, bias, and bold predictions — only on Factor 50 Football!

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