Football Focus
Season 14
A preview of all the top footballing action with detailed analysis from an expert panel of guests.
Where to Watch Season 14
45 Episodes
- August 16th 2014E1
Episode 1August 16th 2014 Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the 2014-15 Premier League season, which starts today. Old Trafford will stage the first action of the new season, as Manchester United host Swansea City - all eyes will be on new United manager Louis van Gaal. Meanwhile, champions Manchester City begin the defence of their title at Newcastle tomorrow. - August 24th 2014E2
Episode 2August 24th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including the second round of fixtures in the new Premier League season. The day's games include a tough match for newly-promoted Leicester City away to title contenders Chelsea, while on Sunday Queens Park Rangers travel to Tottenham in a match which pits Hoops manager Harry Redknapp against his former employers. There is also a big match on Monday night between Manchester City and Liverpool, who were last season's respective champions and runners-up. - August 30th 2014E3
Episode 3August 30th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including the third round of fixtures in the new Premier League season. Games include Everton against Chelsea and Burnley versus Manchester United, while on Sunday, Tottenham meet Liverpool and Leicester host Arsenal. - September 1st 2014 Transfer Deadline Day SpecialE4
Episode 4September 1st 2014 Transfer Deadline Day SpecialDan Walker and the Football Focus team round up all the major transfer deadline day moves, with news and reaction from around the country. After months of speculation over the future of some of the Premier League's biggest stars, top-flight clubs have until 11.00 to strengthen their squads, and invariably many transfers will only be resolved at the last minute. Last summer English clubs spent a record £630m in the transfer window, with deadline-day moves including Arsenal's purchase of Mesut Ozil and Marouane Fellaini's move to Manchester United. - September 6th 2014E5
Episode 5September 6th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the week's international football fixtures with the home nations in action in the European Championship qualifiers. Roy Hodgson will be hoping his England side can bounce back from their disappointing World Cup when they begin their campaign away to Switzerland. Gordon Strachan's Scotland team face the daunting task of taking on newly crowned world champions Germany, Wales begin with a trip to Andorra, while Northern Ireland take on Hungary. - September 13th 2014E6
Episode 6September 13th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football fixtures. A busy day in the Premier League sees eight matches taking place, starting with the mouthwatering early kick-off between Arsenal and Manchester City. Defending Premier League champions City took four points off title rivals Arsenal last season and have lost just once at the Emirates Stadium on their last five visits. Liverpool take on Aston Villa in the early evening kick-off, with Paul Lambert's side unbeaten at Anfield for the last three seasons. - September 20th 2014E7
Episode 7September 20th 2014 Dan Walker and guests look forward to all the weekend's football fixtures with Sunday's heavyweight meeting between Manchester City and Chelsea providing the highlight. Jose Mourinho's side may have won both encounters last season, but City ultimately claimed the title. Other key matches include Liverpool's visit to West Ham, Aston Villa against Arsenal and Stoke's trip to QPR, as Potters boss Mark Hughes makes his first return to Loftus Road since parting company with the club in November 2012. - September 27th 2014E8
Episode 8September 27th 2014 Dan Walker and guests look ahead to this weekend's football fixtures, which begin at lunchtime with a mouthwatering Merseyside derby between Liverpool and Everton. The red side of Liverpool were celebrating last year in the corresponding fixture with a 4-0 victory over Everton at Anfield, Daniel Sturridge scoring twice. It's a day for derbies in the Premier League on Saturday with Arsenal also taking on Tottenham at Emirates Stadium in their historic north London rivalry in the late kick-off. Elsewhere, champions Manchester City make the trip to Hull while Chelsea welcome Aston Villa to Stamford Bridge. Show less - October 4th 2014E9
Episode 9October 4th 2014Dan Walker and guests preview the weekend's football fixtures which include champions Manchester City's visit to Aston Villa, who have begun the season in good form. Liverpool host West Brom while newly-promoted Leicester and Burnley clash at the King Power Stadium. The next day's games include a mouthwatering London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal. - October 11th 2014E10
Episode 10October 11th 2014 Dan Walker and guests preview this weekend's football action, which centres around the international scene as the battle to qualify for the 2016 European Championship continues. England would have expected to have beaten San Marino on Thursday, and Roy Hodgson's side now travel to face Estonia on Monday. Wales hosted Bosnia-Herzegovina last night and welcome Cyprus to the Millennium Stadium tomorrow. Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland will all be looking for three points today when they host Georgia, the Faroe Islands and Gibraltar respectively. But all three have tough trips ahead in the following days: Scotland travel to Poland and Northern Ireland make the journey to Greece, while the Republic of Ireland visit World Cup winners Germany. - October 18th 2014E11
Episode 11October 18th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football fixtures, with the first of seven Premier League matches today beginning at lunchtime when the reigning champions Manchester City host Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium. Spurs will be hoping to fare better than they did last season when they were thrashed 6-0 by City. Elsewhere, there's a London derby as Crystal Palace welcome Chelsea to Selhurst Park. This fixture last season saw Palace boost their survival hopes with a shock 1-0 victory over league leaders Chelsea - courtesy of an own goal from John Terry. - October 25th 2014E12
Episode 12October 25th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football fixtures, with the first of six Premier League matches beginning at lunchtime as West Ham clash with reigning champions Manchester City. City beat the Hammers four times in all competitions last season, but West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has invested heavily over the summer and they have already beaten Liverpool at Upton Park this season. Elsewhere, Arsenal take on Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. In this fixture last season £42.5m signing Mesut Ozil impressed on his Gunners debut, but he has since struggled to make an impact in the Premier League. - November 1st 2014E13
Episode 13November 1st 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including the latest round of Premier League fixtures. The day's games include a clash between west London rivals Chelsea and Queens Park Rangers, while Sunday sees Manchester City host Manchester United in Louis van Gaal's first derby as the Red Devils' boss. - November 8th 2014E14
Episode 14November 8th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to this weekend's football action, which features a full Premier League programme as well as the first round proper of the FA Cup - the oldest domestic cup competition in the world. The programme comes live from a ground hosting one of the day's key ties, as the competition's remaining non-league teams are pitched against clubs from League One and League Two. The top-flight action kicks off this lunchtime with Liverpool and Chelsea meeting at Anfield while fixtures later today include Manchester United versus Crystal Palace and Manchester City's trip to QPR. - November 15th 2014E15
Episode 15November 15th 2014Dan Walker and guests look in depth at the latest round of Euro 2016 qualifying matches, with the home nations all in action. England host Slovenia at Wembley today, with Roy Hodgson's side vying to make it four wins out of four in their group. Wales put their unbeaten record on the line tomorrow with a trip to Group B favourites Belgium. There's also reaction to last night's game from Celtic Park between Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, who had both made promising starts to their qualifying campaigns, as well as the top-of-the-table fixture between surprise Group F leaders Northern Ireland and similarly unbeaten Romania. - November 22nd 2014E16
Episode 16November 22nd 2014 Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including seven Premier League fixtures. Games include a clash between Chelsea and West Brom at Stamford Bridge. Last season the Baggies came agonisingly close to winning, only for Eden Hazard to score a controversial penalty in stoppage time and earn Chelsea a draw. Plus Manchester United travel to the Emirates to take on Arsenal for the first time under manager Louis van Gaal. - November 29th 2014E17
Episode 17November 29th 2014Dan Walker and guests take an in-depth look at the weekend's football fixtures including the day's hectic Premier League action. Saturday features eight matches in total, beginning with Arsenal's trip to West Brom for the lunchtime kick-off and ending with early-season pacesetters Chelsea in action at Sunderland. Jose Mourinho's side won a 4-3 thriller last season at the Stadium of Light with Eden Hazard scoring twice, and the Blues will be hoping for three more points in the north east. - December 6th 2014E18
Episode 18December 6th 2014 Dan Walker and guests are live at the Racecourse Ground in Wrexham, to reflect on the club's 150th anniversary and preview the second round of the FA Cup. Plus an in-depth look at the weekend's action, including seven games in the Premier League. Newcastle host title-chasing Chelsea in the day's early kick-off. Alan Pardew's side sprung a shock last season with a 2-0 victory, leaving the Blues' manager Jose Mourinho still searching for his first ever league win at St James' Park. Arsenal face a tough test when they travel to Stoke, where they have only recorded one victory in their last eight visits. - December 13th 2014E19
Episode 19December 13th 2014 Dan Walker and guests take an in-depth look at the weekend's football fixtures, the highlight being Sunday's meeting between old rivals Manchester United and Liverpool. Saturday features seven Premier League matches in total, with early-season pacesetters Chelsea taking on Hull City at Stamford Bridge while champions Manchester City travel to Leicester City. There is also a West Midlands derby as Aston Villa make the short trip to near-neighbours West Bromwich Albion. - December 20th 2014E20
Episode 20December 20th 2014Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including the latest round of Premier League fixtures. Saturday's games include Manchester City against Crystal Palace. On Sunday Newcastle take on local rivals Sunderland and Liverpool entertain Arsenal. - January 3rd 2015E22
Episode 22January 3rd 2015Dan Walker and guests look ahead to one of the most eagerly anticipated weekends in the football calendar, the FA Cup third round. This is the point at which the big guns of the Premier League and Championship enter the fray in the oldest and greatest domestic cup competition in the world of football. Among those in action are holders Arsenal and Manchester United, the most successful teams in FA Cup history with 11 wins apiece. - January 10th 2015E23
Episode 23January 10th 2015Dan Walker and guests discuss the latest talking points and look ahead to the weekend's action. The Premier League returns after a week off for the FA Cup third round, with Everton v Manchester City and Manchester United v Southampton arguably the pick of the fixtures. - January 17th 2015E24
Episode 24January 17th 2015 Dan Walker and guests take an in-depth look at the weekend's football fixtures, including Saturday's seven Premier League games. Title hopefuls Chelsea face a trip to south Wales to take on Swansea, who have never beaten them in the Premier League. Louis van Gaal's Manchester United travel to QPR, while the evening kick-off sees Newcastle take on a Southampton side who thrashed them 4-0 earlier in the season. - January 24th 2015E25
Episode 25January 24th 2015Dan Walker and guests are live at St Andrews, home of Birmingham City, as they prepare to host Midlands rivals West Brom in the FA Cup fourth round. There is a full preview of the weekend's ties, which include Brighton v Arsenal, Rochdale v Stoke and Aston Villa v Bournemouth. The oldest domestic cup competition in the world rarely fails to deliver an upset. Where will this weekend's giant-killing come? - January 31st 2015E26
Episode 26January 31st 2015 Dan Walker and guests take an in-depth look at the weekend's football fixtures, the highlight being the eagerly awaited clash between early season pacesetters Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge. Other highlights on a busy day of Premier League action include Manchester United's meeting with Leicester City at Old Trafford, with Louis van Gaal's side looking to avenge September's shock 5-3 defeat, while Liverpool take on Sam Allardyce's West Ham side at Anfield. - February 2nd 2015 Transfer Deadline Day SpecialE27
Episode 27February 2nd 2015 Transfer Deadline Day SpecialDan Walker rounds up all the major transfer deadline day moves, with news and reaction from around the country. After months of speculation, top-flight clubs have until 11pm to strengthen their squads, and invariably many transfers will only be resolved at the last minute. At the end of the January 2014 window, Manchester United spent £37.1m to bring Juan Mata to Old Trafford from Premier League rivals Chelsea, who in turn spent £21m to bring midfielder Nemanja Matic back to west London, having sold him three years earlier. - February 7th 2015E28
Episode 28February 7th 2015Dan Walker and guests take an in-depth look at the weekend's football fixtures, with the stand-out matches being the north London and Merseyside derbies. In the lunchtime game, Arsenal travel to their fierce rivals Tottenham. Last season the Gunners won at White Hart Lane for the first time since 2007. Meanwhile, in the late kick-off, Everton host cross-city rivals Liverpool in what could be the 30th and last Premier League Merseyside derby for Reds' skipper Steven Gerrard. - February 14th 2015E29
Episode 29February 14th 2015The weekly football show is presented from the venue of one of the day's FA Cup fifth round ties. Presenter Dan Walker is joined by several special guests as he looks ahead to the weekend's action. With just 16 clubs now left in the competition, a trip to Wembley is just two victories away. - February 21st 2015E30
Episode 30February 21st 2015Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football action, including the latest round of Premier League fixtures. Saturday's games include Chelsea hosting Burnley and Newcastle visiting Manchester City, while Southampton meet Liverpool on Sunday. - March 7th 2015E32
Episode 32March 7th 2015Dan Walker and guests are at Villa Park to take an in-depth look at the weekend's football action. The four FA Cup quarter-final fixtures will each be discussed, including the heavyweight clash between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford and League One Bradford City's meeting with Reading at Valley Parade. Giant killers Bradford have knocked out Chelsea and Sunderland en route to reaching the sixth round. There is also Premier League football taking place, with QPR hosting Tottenham in a London derby. - March 21st 2015E34
Episode 34March 21st 2015More football news, views and interviews. Dan Walker and guests discuss the latest talking points and look ahead to the weekend's action as the season nears its climax. Title rivals Manchester City and Chelsea face West Brom and Hull respectively in matches which will have a bearing at both ends of the table, while the standout fixture of the weekend features the country's two most successful clubs, Liverpool and Manchester United, as they continue their battle for Champions League qualification. - April 4th 2015E36
Episode 36April 4th 2015Football news, views and interviews. Dan Walker and guests discuss the latest talking points and look ahead to the weekend's action as the season nears its climax. In the Premier League, the biggest game of the day is at the Emirates as Arsenal welcome Liverpool. Both sides are jostling for the Champions League places, and the result of this match could have a huge bearing on whether they finish in the top four come the end of the season. Title-chasing Chelsea play in the evening kick-off when they take on Stoke at Stamford Bridge. - April 11th 2015E37
Episode 37April 11th 2015Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including the latest round of Premier League fixtures. Today's games see Tottenham host Aston Villa and Burnley play Arsenal, while there are derby matches on Sunday, when QPR face Chelsea and Manchester United take on Manchester City. - April 18th 2015E38
Episode 38April 18th 2015News, views and interviews as Dan Walker and guests begin the build-up to the weekend's FA Cup semi-finals from Wembley. Championship strugglers Reading have progressed to this stage of the competition for the first time since 1927 and they now face a formidable task against cup holders Arsenal. In Sunday's game, relegation-threatened Aston Villa are attempting to reach their first cup final in 15 years. They face seven-time winners Liverpool. - April 25th 2015E39
Episode 39April 25th 2015Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football, including the latest round of Premier League fixtures. Manchester City's home game against Aston Villa is one of eight matches played on Saturday. In Sunday's game, there is a London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea. - May 2nd 2015E40
Episode 40May 2nd 2015Dan Walker and guests look ahead to the weekend's football action. The Premier League is entering the final month of the season, so there is plenty at stake for clubs at both the top and bottom of the table. Meanwhile, it's the final weekend of the regular campaign in the rest of the Football League, so there is bound to be plenty of drama as promotion, relegation and play-off issues are settled. - May 9th 2015E42
Episode 42May 9th 2015Dan Walker and guests take an in-depth look at the weekend's football action. Just three weeks remain in the Premier League season and matters at both ends of the table have reached fever pitch. It is play-off time in the Football League as the Championship, League One and League Two first legs draw to a close and the vital second legs begin - the winners of each tie advance to Wembley for the chance to win promotion. - May 16th 2015E43
Episode 43May 16th 2015 Jason Mohammad and guests look ahead to the weekend's football action. It's the penultimate weekend of the Premier League season, so there's plenty at stake for clubs at both the top and the bottom of the table. There are seven matches today in the top flight and Sunday's intriguing clash at Old Trafford between Manchester United and Arsenal to look forward to. Also featuring a round-up of all the action from the play-offs in the Football League.