Paris Saint-Germain have won the Super Cup, but the victory has prompted debate over whether the trophy carries any real weight in the modern game.
The Football Weekly podcast brought together Max Rushden, George Elek, Ali Maxwell, and Seb Hutchinson to break down the action and discuss what it means for PSG going forward.
One of the central questions raised was whether PSG even need Bradley Barcola given the quality already present in their attacking ranks with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué.
Despite losing the match 2-1, Aston Villa were praised for putting in a strong performance and showing they can compete at the highest level against elite European opposition.
A standout moment from the game came courtesy of 17-year-old Brian Madjo, whose performance has already drawn predictable comparisons to England striker Harry Kane.
The panel noted that such comparisons come quickly in football, with Madjo already being labelled the next Kane despite only just breaking onto the scene at such a young age.
Attention then turned to the upcoming Community Shield, which gives English football fans another high-profile fixture to look forward to in what is shaping up to be a busy period.
Transfer news also dominated discussion, with Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly, Tottenham’s Djed Spence, and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández all mentioned as players who could potentially be on the move.
The podcast then shifted focus to the Football League, with the panel delivering a thorough preview of the Championship and both League One and League Two ahead of the new campaign.
Max Rushden posed broad, open questions to the group, leaning on the expertise of the Not the Top 20 team who had already produced detailed preview podcasts on the Football League season.
The Championship remains one of the most fiercely competitive divisions in world football, and the panel’s preview highlighted just how difficult it is to predict where the promotion places will fall.
League One and League Two also received attention, with both divisions set to deliver the kind of unpredictable and exciting football that makes the English Football League such a compelling watch throughout the season.