Blue Moon Podcast - A Manchester City Show

Yet another FA Cup semi-final successfully navigated means Pep Guardiola will become the first person to lead a team to four successive Cup Finals. David Mooney is joined by City fan Chris Higginbottom and, from Football365, Sarah Winterburn to discuss the week's news. That FA Cup Final has had a knock-on effect all over the place, too. It means Guardiola will become the City manager with the most matches taken charge of at the end of this season, taking him to 593 (one more than Les McDowall). We speak to the football historian Gary James about that milestone and about the man Pep will overtake. That extra game next month has also caused a bit of fixture congestion. City wanted to play away at Bournemouth before the trip to Wembley, but the logistics of the calendar and the Premier League have nudged it to the final midweek of the season instead. We look at what's happened there. And, with Everton on the horizon on Monday, we hear from Matt Jones from The Blue Room to find out how their end-of-season is looking. What can City expect on their first visit to the Hill Dickinson? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Manchester City are back to the top of the Premier League table. It's the narrowest of narrow margins - they're above Arsenal purely by virtue of scoring more goals - but it's still a much more advantageous position than they've been in for quite some time. David Mooney is joined by City fans Dan Burke and Gaz to discuss the fallout from the games against Arsenal and Burnley. The Athletic's tactics writer, Michael Cox (also known as Zonal Marking on socials), speaks to the show about how Pep Guardiola is using Nico O'Reilly and how it's an extension of how the manager has used his full-backs at City... in an interview recorded before O'Reilly played in midfield on Wednesday. Plus, Glen de la Cour from the Southampton podcast Total Saints joins the episode to discuss what to expect on Saturday for the FA Cup semi-final. If City have selection questions over fatigue in the squad, after two high-pressure games, Southampton have an interesting dilemma in the shape of a crucial tie with fellow promotion-hopefuls Ipswich on Tuesday. And... when have City players 'got away with one'? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast⁠ And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a comprehensive 3-0 win over Chelsea, David Mooney is joined by City fan Ally Fogg and football commentator Mike Minay to reflect on where that has left the title race - in the wake of Arsenal's defeat at home to Bournemouth. They look at the strength of the back five, plus the influence of Rayan Cherki on City's creativity at the business end of the season. Why do City always seem to hit their stride in the springtime? Sam Rosbottom has been looking at what Pep Guardiola and others say about it. Plus, with Arsenal to come, we hear from Arsenal fan Michael Keshani about the mood at the Emirates after the last few weeks. On top of that, we've also got Guardiola's fashion sense, our favourite pre-takeover players and goals, and mascots that we hate (for various reasons). ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast⁠ And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Back-to-back statement wins and big performances have left a big question for Manchester City going into the final stretch of the campaign... Is this the 'click' and are City about to do one of their trademark end-of-season runs? Let's all find out together. To discuss the victory over Liverpool, David Mooney is joined by City fan and presenter Adam Monk and by the Daily Mail's Jack Gaughan. They look at the overall display, plus the latest Erling Haaland hat-trick, and the debate around James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma... Plus they also chat about Bernardo Silva, after Pep Lijnders let the "Bernardo's leaving" cat out of the bag. The Athletic's Chelsea correspondent Liam Twomey joins the show to discuss what's going on at Stamford Bridge, ahead of City's trip there on Sunday. Plus we get to grips with the new Citizens' Trust - City's first supporters' trust, as Loukas Gregory and Katie Wrench, two of the founding members, speak to us about why it's needed. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast⁠ And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The international break is over and it's back to action for Manchester City for the final stretch of the season. It all begins with Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday lunchtime. David Mooney is joined by City fan Ciaran Murray and, from The Athletic, Thom Harris to discuss the game - with a little help from Neil Atkinson from The Anfield Wrap, too. As Manchester City Women take a commanding lead at the top of the WSL table, we speak to Paul Clarke from the Man City Women Fancast to discuss their prospects of a first title in ten years... and, with an FA Cup quarter final on the horizon, too, is there a possibility of a league and cup double? It seems we have some sadistic listeners, as well, given a not insignificant number asked us to use the international break to assess whether City in 1996 were the biggest club relegated from the Premier League. That's as Spurs face the very real prospect of going down this year. Plus, following Nico O'Reilly's brace in the Carabao Cup Final, we set Ciaran the task of looking at the numbers behind City's brace-scorers. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Carabao Cup trophy is back at the Etihad, its rightful home, and David Mooney is joined by City fan KC and, from Sporting News, Dom Farrell to discuss the final against Arsenal. City have now won the League Cup under the Carabao banner more than any other team combined and Pep Guardiola has become the first manager ever to win the trophy on five different occasions. With the international break to come, there's plenty of room in today's show to discuss the key performances from the victory at Wembley, which means giving due praise to the likes of Matheus Nunes, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku and Antoine Semenyo... and not forgetting the Mancunian City fan from the academy who scored both goals, Nico O'Reilly. Plus, there was also an interesting tactical approach from Guardiola to starve Arsenal of opportunities to get out of their own defensive third. The Athletic's Jon Mackenzie joins the show to break that down and look at how City strangled their opposition to get on top of the game. On top of that, there's been more chatter around Guardiola's future... but, perhaps more of an immediate concern are the quotes from Rodri about the next steps in his career. Could that be away from the Etihad and back in Madrid? Also, who would be the best City player in the circus? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast⁠ And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was a terminal week for Manchester City's Champions League hopes, with elimination at the hands of Real Madrid (including the hand of Bernardo Silva if we're being strictly accurate about it all). Meanwhile, the team's hopes of winning the Premier League title were dealt a blow after they failed to keep pace with leaders Arsenal with a 1-1 draw at West Ham. David Mooney is joined by City fans James Faulkner and, from the MCFC Lads podcast and social pages, Luke Stanley. They discuss the performances and the results this week... because there is a difference in how each is perceived... and they look ahead to what will undoubtedly be a tough test against Arsenal in the League Cup final on Sunday. Arsenal fan Michael Keshani returns to the show to give his thoughts on how Mikel Arteta's side are playing. Are they as good as previous Arsenal teams and are they even good to watch? We get into the narratives around the league leaders, plus look at how Sunday's final could impact the remainder of the title race, however unlikely it is that City close the gap at this stage. On top of all of that, we've roped in Chris Higginbottom and, from the City Ramble podcast, Amos Murphy to discuss City's best fluked goals. That's after Bernardo admitted that his strike at the London Stadium wasn't quite as intentional as it might have been. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Just when you thought everything was getting back on track with a lovely 3-1 FA Cup win at Newcastle on Saturday, a 3-0 away defeat in the first leg of the Champions League last-16 against Real Madrid comes along to ruin your Wednesday. David Mooney is joined by City fans Andy MacNab and, from The City Ramble podcast, Joe Butterfield to discuss this week's shifting emotions. It's West Ham next in another Saturday evening game, as City get back to league action aiming to keep the pressure on leaders Arsenal. James Jones from We Are West Ham is on the show to give his thoughts ahead of that tie. Then can there be a salvage job as Real Madrid visit the Etihad for the second leg? Stranger things have happened, though maybe not many... On Saturday, Omar Marmoush scored his seventh goal for City against Newcastle. With 14 in a blue shirt in total, he enjoys playing against the Magpies... so we're looking at some other City players that always had a penchant for scoring against one opponent in particular. Plus, we've put the listeners on the case to lift the mood with some light-hearted end-of-the-show questions. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Mooney is joined by The Sun's Martin Blackburn and, from the City Ramble podcast, Amos Murphy to look back over the win at Leeds and the draw with Nottingham Forest. Where have the results left Manchester City in the title race? But have the performances still be trending in the right direction, even if there's been a bit of a knock to the system? After the break to allow the Muslim players to break their Ramandan fast on Saturday, we've spoken to Seemo from City's first Muslim supporters club, Blue Crescent OSC, to get his thoughts on the situation and his experience of what it was like to break his fast in the away end at Elland Road. City against Real Madrid is now the second-most played Champions League tie of all time, so we've had journalist Tom Green look at the numbers behind the meetings. Plus we hear from Madrid fan Oscar Garcia to find out how things are going in the Spanish capital, as we preview the tricky trips to Newcastle and Real. Plus, what's up with Phil Foden's form at the moment, what are the best passes played that you never saw coming, and who are City's irreplaceable players from the past? Oh... And what about the best goalmouth scramble? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a hard-fought victory against Newcastle, the top of the Premier League table is very interesting. David Mooney is joined by City fan Chris Higginbottom and former City goalkeeper Andie Worrall to discuss what happened in Saturday's 2-1 win and where it's left the title race after Arsenal also responded in the North London Derby. What about City's style change this season too? We hear from Pep Guardiola, Pep Lijnders and Bernardo Silva as we look at how City are coping with a more physical and more direct Premier League. What principles have changed to get to this current incarnation of City and what still remains from before? Calum Archibald, who contributes to The Square Ball, joins the show to speak about the mood at Leeds right now... and how their trip to the Etihad earlier in the season has changed their fortunes. Plus, we catch up with journalist and Forest fan Nick Miller to find out what on earth is going on at The City Ground, as yet another manager brings Forest to Eastlands in midweek. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An absolute snooze-fest against Salford won't stop us! Never fear, the Blue Moon Podcast is here to try and find the interesting bits of a dull game... Or, we might actually focus more on the other bits of news from the week. David Mooney is joined by City fan Ciaran Murray and, from The Times, Paul Hirst to discuss everything from the last seven days. In the news is James Trafford – he's given a couple of interviews about his situation at the club and the reaction has been very polarised... Should he have stayed quiet now that the transfer window is shut or did he actually say nothing that was a problem, given his lack of game time since he arrived back from Burnley? On top of that, it's time for Newcastle this weekend... as the title-race gets more interesting, following Arsenal's draw at Wolves. We'll get the views of Sam Dalling from the Newcastle podcast True Faith. And, on top of that, as James Milner looks likely to be the outright record-holder for players with the most Premier League appearances, we look at the four players of the top five appearance-makers who have pulled on the City shirt. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After a remarkable week, where Manchester City won at Anfield for the first time (in front of fans) in more than 20 years, David Mooney is joined by City fan Liam Wright and, from Sporting News, Dom Farrell to discuss all of the talking points from the two games. They look at City's second-half drop-offs and what might be causing them, how the team is fighting through their issues to win points, and the individual performances that have helped them to two victories this week. That's before we get to the madness of what happened at the end of the game on Merseyside. It's Salford City up next in the FA Cup, in a repeat of last year's third round tie. We hear from Danny from the blog 'One Up Front' about what to expect from this weekend's visitors. Plus, when have you been at a game with the most extreme weather? Oh - and could Abdukodir Khusanov be the next Bard? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Progress to the League Cup final, but a disappointing draw at Tottenham from having been 2-0 up at the weekend... David Mooney is joined by The Daily Mail's Jack Gaughan and, from the City Ramble podcast, Oli McCoole to pick apart the week. Why are City struggling with second halves so much in the last few weeks? Is there a problem with the forward players taking chances? How does all of that play out in one of City's notoriously most-difficult away games coming up next? Also this week, Pep Guardiola gave a very interesting press conference ahead of the match with Newcastle, where he spoke passionately about several humanitarian crises around the world - and, while that was going on, there was more about VAR and referees. Dan Burke takes a look at the officiating side of things, while we also discuss Guardiola getting political. Neil from The Anfield Wrap joins the show to discuss Liverpool, while Elizabeth from Fulhamish helps us preview Fulham's trip to the Etihad... and was the move for Omar Marmoush's opening goal against Newcastle RUINED by the finish? Find out here. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

Champions League top eight qualification and the gap to the Premier League leaders down to four points... You'd have to say that's a pretty good week for Manchester City, all told. David Mooney is joined by Joe Butterfield from The City Ramble and Adam Carter from StatCity.co.uk to discuss the wins over Wolves and Galatasaray. That being said, there's a couple of bogey teams up next in the league at a pair of grounds that are, frankly, cursed when City go to visit... So how will that picture look in a couple of weeks? Jack from Rule The Roost joins the show to tell us about Spurs this season so far, plus we'll look ahead to next week's Carabao Cup semifinal second leg with Newcastle. And as the squad continues to evolve, we discuss Oscar Bobb's departure and the options in the team for the final months of the season following some key players returning to fitness to join the two new signings. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

Two frustrating and perhaps somewhat concerning defeats on the bounce means the Blue Moon Podcast has hit the panic button! Time to have some fun (or as much is possible this week) by inviting Joey McCune and Mark Mulvanny from the Noisy Neighbours podcast to join David Mooney and City fan Matt Holland to pick through the losses to Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt. It's Wolves and Galatasaray up next for City... There should, hopefully, be some fresher legs on display on Saturday with the return of Antoine Semenyo and the arrival of Marc Guehi, but then a possible problem in the final Champions League group game as Rodri's suspension might leave a gaping hole in the centre. Dave Azzopardi from Talking Wolves gives his thoughts about the Premier League's bottom club (who are somehow more in-form than City in the league in 2026), while we also discuss the 17 players who have scored for and against City at the Etihad Stadium. Plus, what did you think of Sky sealing some fans in a box, who was the last Roman Emperor of the West, and when did you last have a snowball fight? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

It's been a week of excellent cup victories for Manchester City. To celebrate, David Mooney is joined by Dom Farrell from Sporting News and City fan Chris Higginbottom. They discuss the 10-1 win over Exeter and then the 2-0 success in the first leg of the League Cup semifinal at Newcastle. It was the first time since 1987 that City scored double-figures in a game and, strangely, the scoreline matched the date (for only the 18th time in City's history)... but it was a remarkable bit of history-making from Pep Guardiola's side. At the same time, City were also on the receiving end of a VAR controversy, as the video assistant took five-and-a-half minutes to disallow what seems to be a perfectly reasonable goal at St James's Park. With trips to Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt to come, we hear from Jay Mottershead from The Stretford Paddock and Norwegian journalist covering Glimt, Stian Høgland to get some idea of what City can expect this week. Plus, as young players like Max Alleyne and Ryan McAidoo impress, we discuss what options Guardiola has for the upcoming games and how necessary it is for the club to move again in the transfer market this month, as Antoine Semenyo settles in very nicely. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

Given we allowed for three games as we switched back to our regular Thursday recording schedule for the Blue Moon Podcast, you'd have been forgiven for thinking Manchester City might have won at least one of their matches in that time... but sadly not. Three draws and a potential eight-point gap to Arsenal as they face Liverpool not long after this recording means it's not been the happiest of New Years... David Mooney is joined by City fan Adam Monk and the BBC's football correspondent John Murray to work out what's happened. At least attention can turn away from Premier League woes for now, though, as Exeter City come to the Etihad in the FA Cup and the it's a tricky trip to Newcastle in the League Cup semi-final first leg. Since it's the first time City have ever played Exeter, we hear from football historian Gary James about the other one-off ties City have had courtesy of the FA Cup. We also get some insight into what to expect from the Grecians on Saturday from Jon from The Big Bank Theory podcast. With City perhaps naming an inexperienced side because of injuries and fatigue in the squad, are there nerves of an upset or should a heavily-rotated City side still have enough to make it into the fourth round draw? With the potential arrivals of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehi (perhaps), we also discuss what the squad needs to give it a bit more oomf in the coming weeks... Plus, what's the most heart-breaking last-minute equaliser? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

For one final time in 2025, let's Blue Moon Podcast. In today's show, David Mooney is joined by City fans Richard Burns and Dan Burke to discuss the hard-fought 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest. They look at the importance of the win and how the season is progressing, the key performers at The City Ground, and also the complaints around refereeing 'controversies'. With the year coming to a close, it's also time for the first instalment of the Alternative Highlights. Ciaran Murray and KC are back to dissect the weird and wonderful moments of the season so far, taking in August to December, including Erling Haaland's outfits, some cheeky social media posts, Guardiola's nonsense in press conferences, and how one City meme made national news. As we get back to our Thursday recording schedule for the new year, it means we've got THREE games to preview, too. We hear from Ant Waterson from Roker Report on Sunderland, Dan Childs from Son of Chelsea, and from Ryan Adsett from Talk Seagulls on Brighton. Plus, it looks like Antoine Semenyo could be making the move to City in January, so what would that mean for the squad and the wingers already there? And we even squeeze in the Blue Moon Podcast end-of-year awards. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

David Mooney turns quizmaster again as he's joined by Amos Murphy, Dom Farrell, KC, Dan Burke, Richard Burns, and Chris Higginbottom who are all playing for the title of Blue Moon Podcast Christmas Quiz 2025 champion. ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift

After a not-so-thrilling but very comfortable 3-0 win against West Ham, David Mooney is joined by Dom Farrell from Sporting News and Simon Bajkowski from the Manchester Evening News to discuss Manchester City's week. Most of the talk has been off-the-pitch, with the news that City were looking at contingencies in case Pep Guardiola decided to leave at the end of this season... but then the manager spoke about it all at length in the press conference on Friday, so we look at what's been said and what it could mean for the end of his contract in 2027. It's Christmas week, so Mooney's also spent his weekend digging through the history books to look at some of the strangest facts and figures around City on December the 25th. Then we get insight into a, frankly, bizarre season so far for Nottingham Forest from journalist and Forest fan Nick Miller. And what's all this about coming back from the Christmas break "fatty"? ========== To get more podcasts or to listen without the ads, join our Patreon. It's just £2 per month for all the extra content and you can get a 7-day free trial first: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast And why not gift a Patreon subscription to a friend or family member? More details: https://www.patreon.com/BlueMoonPodcast/gift