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.

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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.

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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?

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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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?
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