Essential EFL

Essential EFL

Essential EFL from Sky Sports is the football podcast you need for in-depth coverage of the Championship, League One and League Two, with episodes released throughout the season. Simeon Gholam is joined by Sky Sports top EFL pundits to get their thoughts and opinions on the latest action and you'll regularly hear from players and managers too. Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Essential EFL". For more EFL news, head to skysports.com/football For advertising opportunities email: skysportspodcasts@sky.uk

Episodes

January 8, 2026 46 mins
Simeon Gholam is joined by Jobi McAnuff and Tommy Smith to look back on all the festive action from the Championship.

The panel assess Coventry's wobble, how the promotion race has unfolded, Ryan Mason's sacking by West Brom, Leicester and Southampton's struggles and the relegation battle.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by Don Goodman and Andy Hinchcliffe to look ahead to how the promotion race in the Championship may unfold over a hectic Christmas fixture list.

The panel assess whether anyone can catch Coventry, who is in the race for automatic promotion and who could boost their challenge for a play-off spot.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen ...
Mark as Played
Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek 22 of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Running order… Swansea vs Wrexham, Southampton vs Coventry, Blackburn vs Millwall, Preston vs Norwich, Rest of the Saturday 3pms

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play ...
Mark as Played
Simeon Gholam is joined by Aaron McLean and David Stowell on League One and Two review on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast.

The panel look at Bradford's ambitions to achieve back-to-back promotion's, Doncaster's dip, Peterborough improving under Luke Wiliams and Exeter's bid to stay up.

Then it's onto League Two and Cambridge's march up the table under Neil Harris, Fleetwood's ambitions this season, the miserable slump of Bristol...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by five different EFL players for five minutes apiece, as he speaks to Leicester's Jordan James, Stoke's Million Manhoef, Derby's Bobby Clark, Bradford's Josh Neufville and Colchester's Charlton loanee Micah Mbick.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Essen...
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Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek 19 of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Running order… Hull vs Middlesbrough, Derby vs Leicester, Charlton vs Portsmouth, Watford vs Norwich, Rest of the Saturday 3pms

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play E...
Mark as Played
Simeon Gholam is joined by Ben Tozer and Dave Edwards on League One and Two review on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast.

The panel look at Cardiff's impressive season so far, Port Vale's struggles in League One, Wycombe's rise under Michael Duff and what the expectations are for Northampton Town.

Then it's onto League Two and Swindon's promotion challenge, Christian Fuchs' appointment at Newport, Bromley's brilliant run and Harrog...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by five different EFL players for five minutes apiece, as he speaks to Hull's Joe Gelhardt, Portsmouth's Colby Bishop, Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti, Stevenage's Dan Kemp and Huddersfield's Chelsea loanee Leo Castledine.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play E...
Mark as Played
Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek 16 of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Running order… Preston vs Blackburn, Coventry vs West Brom, Bristol City vs Swansea, Charlton vs Southampton, Sheff Wed vs Sheff Utd, Rest of the Saturday 3pms

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by say...
Mark as Played
Simeon Gholam is joined by Luke Chambers and Curtis Davies to look back on all the latest from the Championship.

The panel assess Rob Edwards' departure from Middlesbrough, as well as Norwich, Swansea and Southampton all sacking their managers, while also taking a look at the impressive form of Coventry and Derby, as well as Ipswich's upturn.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by Dave Edwards and David Stowell on the League One and Two review on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast.

The panel look at the appointments of Leam Richardson and Luke Williams at Reading and Peterborough respectively. While also assessing the poor form of Plymouth Argyle and the brilliance of Amario Cozier-Duberry at Bolton.

Attention then turns to League Two and Shrewsbury's struggling season so far, as w...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by five different EFL players for five minutes apiece, as he speaks to Hull's Oli McBurnie, QPR's Ilias Chair, Watford's Kwadwo Baah, Ipswich's Jacob Greaves and Rotherham's Man Utd loanee Dan Gore.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Essential EFL".

For mo...
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Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and Gary Weaver take a look ahead at Gameweek 13 of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Running order… Wrexham vs Coventry, Leicester vs Blackburn, Norwich vs Hull, West Brom vs Sheff Wed, Rest of the Saturday 3pms

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Esse...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by Aaron McLean and Ben Tozer on the League One and Two review on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast.

They look at Luton's appointment of Jack Wilshere, the form of Stockport, whether Ian Evatt's arrival can turn Blackpool around and the form of MK Dons. All that and plenty more! 

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential ...
Mark as Played
Simeon Gholam is joined by five different EFL players for five minutes apiece, as he speaks to Oxford's Will Lankshear, Leicester's Abdul Fatawu, Derby's Carlton Morris, Ipswich's Cedric Kipre and Norwich's Liam Gibbs.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Essential EFL".

For more E...
Mark as Played
Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek Ten of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Running order… Middlesbrough vs Ipswich, QPR vs Millwall, Oxford vs Derby, Southampton vs Swansea, Leicester vs Portsmouth, Rest of the Saturday 3pms

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask ...
Mark as Played
Simeon Gholam is joined by Gary Weaver and Tommy Smith for the latest Championship Catch-up on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast.

The panel look back on the last part of the season, as Frank Lampard’s scintillating Coventry side went top. They also discuss the top six shakeup, manager movements at Watford, the fallout of the abandonment of Blackburn vs Ipswich and a potential change to the playoff format. 

All that and much more!


E...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by Ben Tozer and David Stowell on League One and Two review on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast.

The panel look at the surprising top three in League One of Bradford, Stevenage and Lincoln, and then the struggles at the bottom of Rotherham, Blackpool and Wycombe.

Onto League Two and an analysis of the form of Walsall, the upsurge of Bristol Rovers, and the poor starts made by Cheltenham and Newport. All th...
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Simeon Gholam is joined by five different EFL players for five minutes apiece, as he speaks to Norwich's Josh Sargent, Derby's Patrick Agyemang, QPR's Harvey Vale, Charlton's Lloyd Jones and Leicester's Jakub Stolarczyk.

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to play Essential EFL".

For more...
Mark as Played
Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton take a look ahead at Gameweek SEVEN of the Sky Bet Championship season.

Running order… West Brom vs Leicester, Coventry vs Birmingham, Swansea vs Millwall, Wrexham vs Derby, Rest of the Saturday 3pms

Essential EFL is a Sky Sports podcast. Listen to every episode here: skysports.com/essential-efl

You can also listen to Essential EFL on your smart speaker by saying "ask Global Player to pla...
Mark as Played

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