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The Rest Is Football

Thriller At Anfield: The Title Race Is Back On 

09 Feb 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: How did Manchester City reignite the title race at Anfield?

0.031 - 2.814 Gary Lineker

Oh, he's back on. You can't say he's back on.

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2.894 - 8.381 Alan Shearer

He's back on. He's back on, Gaz. Can you imagine if City lose a league by a goal difference on one goal?

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8.601 - 16.751 Micah Richards

Man City need a goal and they're not bringing him on. But Phil Foden was supposed to be the Kevin De Bruyne replacement.

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16.771 - 25.863 Gary Lineker

If I was Cobby Maynard, I'd be thinking about whether I should sue him or not. I think to turn on Eddie and want him out would be ludicrous.

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26.164 - 38.222 Alan Shearer

This summer, Newcastle's recruitment hasn't worked. You've spent an absolute fortune. You've paid £125 million for two centre-forwards and you're saying they look better without them. I am.

48.715 - 65.582 Gary Lineker

Hello and welcome to The Rest Is Football with Alan Shearer at home, Mike Richards in the back of a car after a long day's work watching football, as he likes to call it work, and me, Gary Lineker, at home. And well, before we start, I think we'll come.

Chapter 2: What impact does Michael Carrick's management have on Manchester United's performance?

66.143 - 84.019 Gary Lineker

You're looking very smart in the back of that car. You look good on... You look very good on telly today. Thank you very much, Dan. Very good, I thought. Million dollars. Million dollars, big meat. A million dollars. Before we get on to football, I think the country needs to know what happened in the rest of your golf week.

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84.781 - 108.981 Alan Shearer

Oh, guys. So Tuesday was the first day. Going well. Going really well. We sat in a really good position, third or fourth, only two shots, two points off the lead with two days to go, Wednesday and Thursday. So we were really sensible Tuesday night, waiting to get up Wednesday morning to go again. And then it was cancelled because of the rain and the wind.

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Chapter 3: What are Thomas Tuchel's selection dilemmas for Chelsea?

109.181 - 112.246 Alan Shearer

So you know what? What do you do when the golf's cancelled?

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113.11 - 140.979 Alan Shearer

we head to the pub. Go on the lash. Well, what else can you do? We had conversations. Well, we did. We went to the pub and had conversations. So we went to the pub and then we stayed in the pub and then we stayed in the pub a bit longer and then we watched the Newcastle game. Yeah, we just had too much alcohol and it just put us off our game on the Thursday.

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140.999 - 142.604 Gary Lineker

What did I tell you this time last week?

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142.804 - 144.971 Alan Shearer

Yeah, I know. You've got to be more professional.

145.552 - 147.578 Gary Lineker

We all do it on these golf trips.

Chapter 4: How does Phil Foden's situation affect Manchester City's squad depth?

147.699 - 165.989 Alan Shearer

And you blamed your profession anyway, didn't you? Instead of blaming Peter this time, our professional who shot level par, decent, slightly disappointing, actually, because he was two under with four to play on the first day. He then, after a day on the drink... I bet you took him out, though, didn't you?

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166.009 - 167.451 Gary Lineker

I bet you insisted he came along.

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167.531 - 176.985 Alan Shearer

He came along. He had to come along with us. Yeah, absolutely. So, going from level par on the Tuesday, albeit in tough conditions on the Thursday, he shot 10 over. Ha!

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176.965 - 192.882 Gary Lineker

oh good so yeah we blew our chances bad influence oh well not to worry Mikey you were in the studio you were also on the pitch beforehand with Daniel Sturridge I thought it was a nice little bit you did together there

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192.862 - 205.163 Micah Richards

Yeah, how did you like that? How did it go down? Because I thought, you know, there's four of us in the studio. Go down pitch side, get a little bit of reaction and atmosphere from down under. I really enjoyed it.

Chapter 5: What were the standout moments from the Liverpool vs. Manchester City match?

205.444 - 206.265 Micah Richards

I really enjoyed it.

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206.466 - 214.5 Gary Lineker

I think Sturridge is very good, I have to say. I think he's come on quickly. He talks intelligently. He understands the game. Very good. Very impressed.

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214.52 - 216.523 Alan Shearer

There was a good part on the pitch I thought really good.

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216.503 - 232.364 Micah Richards

Anything to do with strikers and knowing the game, I just think he's brilliant. You know, like yourselves, you know, when you talk about detail. And that's why I ask you guys so many questions because we've all played striker. We all think we can play striker, but not play striker at that level.

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232.685 - 243.259 Micah Richards

And it's them little differences that make the big difference to someone like me who's listening to you.

243.279 - 243.439

LAUGHTER

243.419 - 248.555 Micah Richards

And the subtle differences, the subtle ones, they're not big differences.

Chapter 6: How do injuries impact the Premier League title race?

248.776 - 250.321 Micah Richards

Simple as that.

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250.822 - 272.687 Gary Lineker

Why don't more people do it, Al? Why don't more people do it? I tell you what, we've got lots to discuss. This episode is powered by Fuse Energy. Winter is all about energy. Switching on Christmas lights, warming your home for a cosy night in, keeping the TV on for all the festive fixtures.

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273.107 - 279.416 Alan Shearer

And Fuse keeps things simple thanks to their fixed rates, cheap tariffs and 24-7 support.

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279.577 - 305.59 Gary Lineker

Better yet, Alan. Fuse is the fastest growing energy company in the UK, and you can play a part in building the infrastructure for clean, affordable energy by referring land to Fuse for renewables development. Not only will you claim your place on the starting lineup of the clean energy revolution, you can earn a £2,000 reward by referring 20 acres or more of land to Fuse for solar projects.

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305.57 - 316.675 Alan Shearer

They're building a system that proves renewable power can be affordable, scalable in practice and accessible to everyone, not just an idea on a tactics board.

316.875 - 334.165 Gary Lineker

For more information about land referrals and energy power in the full festive fixture list, head to land at fuseenergy.com. Let's talk about the first bike delivered by Uber Eats and well, chaps, what a match at Anfield.

334.866 - 335.868 Alan Shearer

Well, you were there, Micah.

Chapter 7: What are the implications of VAR decisions in crucial matches?

335.888 - 348.212 Alan Shearer

You sampled the atmosphere. It came across great on the television. Yeah, it was for the neutral. I just thought there was so many things to talk about and a brilliant game of football, particularly the second half. Second half was fabulous.

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348.612 - 350.055 Gary Lineker

Micah, what was it like being there?

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350.035 - 370.845 Micah Richards

You know, when you walk into a ground and you can feel it, you can sense it, that it's a big game. Everyone's there getting there early. Everyone's on the pitch. I won't say there's a nervousness, but it's just everyone was really focused on what they had to do. And you've got all the cameras on the side. I remember when pitch side, you're just thinking...

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370.825 - 388.589 Micah Richards

This is a big game that, not in terms of maybe Liverpool and Man City of old, where they're going for the title, but it was massive in terms of Man City, you know, staying in the challenge for the league. And then obviously Liverpool were trying to get into the Champions League. So you could just feel it from earlier on.

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Chapter 8: What does the future hold for Arsenal in the Premier League?

388.71 - 391.213 Micah Richards

It was amazing. Absolutely amazing.

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391.193 - 415.041 Gary Lineker

I thought it was absolutely fabulous second half. I mean, it had things. All right, we'll start with that actually after the game has already settled in many ways because I've watched football for far too long, far too long. I've seen thousands and thousands and thousands of matches and there's nothing I ever see that I've not seen before. Almost nothing.

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415.021 - 437.4 Gary Lineker

And then the last minute of the last minute of injury time and they go through and Chirky hits it towards the goal and Haaland breezes past Sobojla like he's not moving. And Sobojla apparently is the second quickest player at Liverpool after Frimpong since records began. And I mean, he pulled him back.

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437.38 - 454.512 Gary Lineker

And then obviously he went through and then he pulled Sbozlai back before he could clear it off the line. And everyone's going, I'm going to say this, I'll blow my own trumpet a little bit, but immediately I went, right, Berekov, Sbozlai, they'll disallow the goal and it'd be a free kick to Manchester City outside the box.

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454.492 - 469.986 Gary Lineker

even though I'd not ever seen it before, but you had to work it out because two wrongs don't make a right. The truth is without VAR, the referee gave it, without VAR, it would have been a goal. It wouldn't have made any difference. It'd been 3-1. So Bozslai wouldn't have got a red card and everyone would have actually settled for that. It would have been fine.

469.966 - 494.421 Gary Lineker

but because we have this VAR thing now and they have to look at everything in minutiae detail and it was the right decision in the end I said we said we were saying on the group chat he has to go because but without VAR it would we wouldn't have had that yeah it was it was a shame but it didn't really make any difference the only difference it ultimately makes is that Haaland would probably have had one more goal because he'd have caught that and um

494.401 - 504.215 Gary Lineker

I think he was captain and I think you did Micah as well. Correct. I'm sure you did. I hear you did. I'm reliably informed. So nothing would have changed except for the fact that Subhash Lai misses a game.

504.756 - 510.464 Alan Shearer

Oh, unless Man City lose the title by one goal. Good point, Alan. That's, yeah, on goal difference.

510.544 - 536.779 Micah Richards

Good point, Alan. Yes. If you got a feel for the game, which we all have, we all knew... It was the right decision, but it shouldn't have been the right decision. Let the goal. On the other hand, though... We can't criticise, not you guys, but as a fan base, we can't criticise refs for doing their job because if they didn't do their job, then they would get criticised.

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