The Preview - Arsenal vs Man City
Update: 2025-01-31
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Arsenal host Manchester City on Sunday in what some are called the 'stay humble' derby.
The last time these sides met was back in September's thrilling 2-2 draw, where things boiled over at full time.
The Athletic's Arsenal writer James McNicholas and Manchester City writer Sam Lee join Tim Spiers and Adam Leventhal to preview Sunday's clash.
Plus we check in with some of the club podcasts across The Athletic FC and set you up for the key games elsewhere.
Host: Adam Leventhal
With: James McNicholas, Sam Lee, Tim Spiers
Featuring: Simon Hughes, James Maw
Executive Producer: Adey Moorhead
Producer: Jay Beale
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The Athletic FC podcast network.
00:02:24
Hi there, I'm Adam Levintal, welcome to the preview on the Athletic FC, focusing this week on the big one on Sunday, Arsenal against Manchester City,
00:02:35
and we'll also set you up for all the other key fixtures this weekend.
00:02:43
Joining me today are the Athletics, Fubblewriter Tim Spears, how are you Tim?
00:02:48
Good to see you Adam.
00:02:49
You've had a busy week, haven't you?
00:02:51
Had a busy week, watching lots of the Champions League.
00:02:53
Enjoyed that?
00:02:54
At the same day I watched 18 games on one evening, never done that before.
00:02:57
Are you still a bit frazzled?
00:02:58
Never going to do it again.
00:02:59
Never going to do it again.
00:03:00
Obviously not.
00:03:01
Good.
00:03:02
Good.
00:03:03
Yeah, let's focus on the Premier League.
00:03:04
That's all right.
00:03:05
We've got our Manchester City writer Sam Lee here, how are you Sam?
00:03:08
Hello.
00:03:09
Yeah, good, thank you.
00:03:10
Very good.
00:03:11
Excellent.
00:03:12
Good to have you on board.
00:03:13
Alongside our Arsenal writer, we're going head-to-head, a bit of a red line debate on this one.
00:03:17
Our Arsenal writer, James McNicholas, how are you?
00:03:20
Very well, guys.
00:03:21
Thanks for having me on.
00:03:22
Excellent.
00:03:23
It is good to have you here with us.
00:03:25
Obviously, we are focusing on Arsenal against Manchester City.
00:03:28
It is on Sunday.
00:03:29
It is second hosting fourth.
00:03:32
The reverse fixture in September, which was the fifth game of the season, was a crack.
00:03:37
A city were top.
00:03:39
Arsenal was second at that point.
00:03:40
City went one-up.
00:03:41
Arsenal then turned it around.
00:03:43
They were leading two-one all the way until the last minute with ten men as well before John Stone's rescued a point for City.
00:03:52
Then we had our heated scenes at full time.
00:03:55
James, on that note, some are calling it the "Stay Humble" derby.
00:04:01
For people who don't know why it is called that, just refresh our memories, please.
00:04:04
Oh, well, they were the words of Erling Harlan, weren't they, after full time, to Michael Arthetta, urging him to "Stay Humble".
00:04:11
I think, since then, they've become a bit of a meme as Manchester City's form tailed off, shall we say.
00:04:17
And I think Erling was probably very frequently reminded of overall forms of social media that perhaps he should stay humble, too.
00:04:23
Yes.
00:04:24
Quite.
00:04:25
It's a curse of staying humble, because Harlan only scored what three in 13 Premier League games after that.
00:04:33
He did score four in Europe during that period.
00:04:36
And for a time, it did look like he'd got a little bit above his station, didn't it, Sam, but things are a bit more rosy in his garden now.
00:04:43
You never know, City.
00:04:44
Well, I mean, you do.
00:04:46
You do often know, City, but right now you don't.
00:04:48
Obviously, he was good last weekend against Chelsea and City were good, but that was only a few days after the PSG game, when PSG kind of wiped the floor with them.
00:04:56
And then they were all right at times, and not so all right against Club Russia the night.
00:05:00
So Harlan's goal seemed to be one constant.
00:05:03
The performances are basically to say, how much you get at the good stuff and how much you get at the bad stuff, that's what changes.
00:05:08
It's just game to game with City at the minute.
00:05:10
See how they get on this week and then go to the next one and see what happens there.
00:05:14
Tim, on this, I wanted to just a little bit of a sense check from you, because you have a wonderful Premier League moral compass, don't you?
00:05:22
Arsenal with 47 points in second, six points off Liverpool, City with 41 points in fourth.
00:05:29
If City win, are they back in the title race, or is that a complete stab in the dark?
00:05:35
No, I don't think they would be.
00:05:37
I think even if City won and Liverpool lost this weekend, there still be nine points between them.
00:05:43
Yeah, Liverpool got the game in hand.
00:05:44
So...
00:05:45
But what about momentum, Tim?
00:05:46
What about momentum?
00:05:48
Well, City haven't had it for a while and there are no signs that they're about to go and win 10 and a row.
00:05:54
I think there's probably an acceptance from City that the title has gone.
00:05:57
You know, there are only 14 games left after this.
00:05:59
If they're 12 points off, you just can't see them doing it.
00:06:02
So yeah, I think the Champions League has to be their target.
00:06:04
I mean, they could be back down to seventh again this weekend, so let's not get carried away.
00:06:09
Oh, can't we?
00:06:10
No, we can't.
00:06:11
No.
00:06:12
I don't think so.
00:06:13
But I feel like Arsenal need this.
00:06:14
Yeah.
00:06:15
You can sort of feel a level of desperation there, which maybe comes out in all this sort of referee and stuff.
00:06:20
If they lose this, there are only three points ahead of City, which, given their respective seasons, would not reflect too well on Arsenal.
00:06:28
So yeah, it's a more important game for Arsenal to win, I would say.
00:06:30
Well, let's give James the floor then, because Tim's just sort of been giving you a little bit of gip, I think, since the blip against Newcastle against Manchester United,
00:06:41
four wins in five in all competitions, this feels like a pivotal game and a pivotal week as well, with that second leg of the year fell semi-final coming up to, are you feeling under pressure as a sort of,
00:06:54
as a fan first and foremost?
00:06:56
It's a big week, definitely.
00:06:58
I think it's a big weekend in the context of the Premier League as well.
00:07:00
You look at Liverpool, they're a way to Bournemouth on Saturday.
00:07:04
I think that's, you know, a tough game for them.
00:07:08
If they drop points there and Arsenal are able to beat City and close the gap, I'd do think it will change the complexion of their season equally.
00:07:15
If Liverpool go and win at Bournemouth, I think almost whatever the outcome of the Etihad Arsenal will feel a bit deflated by that.
00:07:21
The car about Cup semi-final is next week, Wednesday at St James's, they're 2-0 down.
00:07:26
I think, you know, after that first leg, I considered that tight all but over.
00:07:30
Bournemouth going up there and absolutely hammering them at St James's, giving me a little bit of hope, you know, if they can do it, why not Arsenal?
00:07:36
But it is a huge week and it's great to qualify for the Champions League to finish in the top eight, to finish third in that table.
00:07:43
I think the European campaign is going swimmingly, domestically, less so.
00:07:48
And, you know, whatever Arsenal do, I just think so much is dependent on Liverpool.
00:07:52
We mentioned that lead with reference to Manchester City.
00:07:54
It looks unassailable for City.
00:07:56
It's doable for Arsenal, but it needs something to start changing, right?
00:08:01
It needs more weekends where Liverpool drop points and Arsenal take up that opportunity.
00:08:05
Hopefully this could be one.
00:08:07
On City, since nine defeats in 13 and that spell that everyone but City fans was quite enjoying, City are six wins out of eight in all competitions.
00:08:19
And it was interesting, it was suggested on another podcast that Pep Guardiola during that period was talking to managers and saying, "I wish I had your team.
00:08:28
I wish I had your team," and we're sort of falling out of love with his own team.
00:08:32
The sort of state of play of how Pep is feeling at the moment.
00:08:36
Can you sort of sum that up?
00:08:38
Realistic.
00:08:39
I asked him the other day, "There's so much space in the middle for teams to counterattack into, which is obviously something that he looks to avoid at all times, but City have still got this ability to generate momentum and just like scare teams off.
00:08:51
Like if you give them space, they can really hurt you as well, obviously, with Harland and De Bruyneur in Edison's Long Balls and now they've got Marmouche for the runs in behind and maybe Savinia as well."
00:09:00
And he said, "We're an old team," that there was words.
00:09:05
He mentioned De Bruyneur in Gundo and he said, "They're 34, 33."
00:09:08
He said, "Covidage is the same," like, "Covidage is only 30, but it is very much like spiritually the same in terms of like the legs and the mobility."
00:09:17
He's probably the most mobile option, but he's just not a hold him in field on his own.
00:09:20
So Guardiola just knows, and as he's known from the start of this bad run, the limitations of the team, he just wants his own team back, like he wants all the players back.
00:09:29
He said that all along and obviously Roddry is a big miss, but there's way more to it than just Roddry being injured.
00:09:36
So Guardiola just wants his players back.
00:09:39
I can't imagine it fall out of love with his own team, as long as they're trying and giving the effort, which I think they have to know all the way through.
00:09:48
They've not been good enough, but they've tried.
00:09:49
And I think as long as they're doing that, Guardiola is going to appreciate them, but he just wants that people are de-ass back and stones back long-term and AK back so he can have a bit of rest but in defence,
00:10:00
try and make things a bit more solid, because the midfield is a basket case, basically.
00:10:04
So as long as the attack's doing something, the defence is pretty strong.
00:10:09
They might be able to get through and get top four at the end of the season.
00:10:11
That's pretty much the expectation.
00:10:13
James, on the topic of discipline, obviously in that game in September, Leandro Trussard was sent off for kicking the ball away,
00:10:23
his second yellow card.
00:10:25
Just a quick check on that, considering what happened with Declan Rice, considering what happened with Trussard, when other players kick the ball away in games against Arsenal and don't get booked,
00:10:36
are you more up in arms about that than anything?
00:10:39
I think it's a real social frustration for Arsenal fans.
00:10:43
That was a classic case of a directive being in place at the start of the season and it being enforced at that point in time and not so much enforced now.
00:10:51
I've lost count the amount of games I've been to at the Emirates Stadium where an opposition players keep the ball away and the fans have all been on the referees back demanding that yellow card and it hasn't always come to pass.
00:11:02
I think most Arsenal fans can tell you to the millisecond how long after the whistle, Leandro Trussard booted that ball and I think that incident plays into a narrative that has built up among the Arsenal fans about this being a season where things haven't quite gone for them.
00:11:17
People on the outside will have their own views about whether or not that's fair or realistic, but certainly that seems to be the sentiment among the Arsenal supporters that I speak to is that this has been a year where things haven't quite fallen in Arsenal's favour and I think comparing that really is kind of the frustration of this being a year where City aren't there running away with it at the top of the table and it's felt like after a couple of years of being really in the thick of the title race,
00:11:41
it should be Arsenal's year and the frustration of it looking like it might not be and Liverpool taking their place effectively and asking Arsenal fans to collectively feel like that should be us and it all contributes to this feeling of things just not quite going for them.
00:11:57
If they beat City this weekend at Liverpool Drop Points and suddenly the title race looks more realistic, maybe that mood could change.
00:12:04
On the topic of discipline, Tim, because you teased it a little bit earlier on, I can sense you want to get your teeth stuck into this.
00:12:11
Previous three games that Arsenal went down to 10, including that game against Manchester City, also Brighton and Bournemouth, they conceded a goal afterwards,
00:12:21
they picked up four red cards this season, including in their last Premier League games when Miles Lewis-Skelly was sent off.
00:12:30
That first and foremost just a quick answer, that was rightly overturned, wasn't it against Wolves?
00:12:34
Yeah, it was.
00:12:35
It was?
00:12:36
I could see why he gave it at the time, I don't understand the uproot against Michael Oliver.
00:12:40
I mean, I saw it, I was furious.
00:12:43
It's the most deliberate cynical foul you can do really, and then you add on the fact that in real time Oliver probably sees him take out his car off really, because it's the VAR that's so ridiculous about this,
00:12:55
because it was immediately obvious on a slow-mo replay that it was his bootie he really caught contact with, so yeah, I can understand why Oliver gave it, but yeah, of course it was the right season to overturn it.
00:13:05
Do you think the fact that they did get a player sent off in this game and then went on to win the game, all be it against very weak opposition?
00:13:14
Do you think that that will give them some confidence?
00:13:16
Yeah, absolutely right to say that, because Wolves are, you know, possibly in it relegate this season, but it's the fact that you smirk when you say it, because you're trying to poke me.
00:13:25
I've got some poking you.
00:13:26
Of course, Wolves are my question.
00:13:27
We haven't been in each other's sort of physical company for quite some time.
00:13:29
Yeah, I haven't missed it.
00:13:31
No.
00:13:32
I'm sure you haven't.
00:13:33
Yeah, no, I said on the pod last week that Chelsea beating Wolves wasn't necessarily going to bring Chelsea back into form, I said it when Everton beat Wolves for a little a few weeks ago.
00:13:44
You know, beating Wolves is not an achievement of the women, or be it, yeah, went down to 10 men.
00:13:49
I mean, it wasn't the best game.
00:13:50
So watch.
00:13:51
I thought if you can't beat Wolves without lasting a gun off injured and Konya who's off form, then, you know, you are struggling.
00:13:57
But yeah, full credit to Wolves, no, who didn't lose their heads after they read.
00:13:59
I think that was the key point.
00:14:01
They were all would have seen it a half time, massive injustice, but they didn't lose their, they kept disciplined, stuck to their tasks and got a hard fought one, no win.
00:14:10
You know, there are big issues for Arsenal that this win didn't sort of mass, that things that they'll have to fix if they're going to win the title, but yeah, on its day, it was a really important win.
00:14:19
I just wanted to get both Sam and James' opinion on the transfer window.
00:14:23
We'll talk about the tactics in a minute.
00:14:25
City of sort of casually just dropped 125 odd million pounds on three players that aren't necessarily going to be key elements of the squad.
00:14:33
But in terms of the business that has been done and what might still be done, Sam, what's your feeling?
00:14:39
Well, Mahmush should help them straight away with Kusanov and Hayes.
00:14:45
There's two conversations with those two.
00:14:47
They're not really going to help right now, but the club obviously believes they can in the future, because if you look and they sign Juma Bar from Vaya Dalid, that's not the same thing.
00:14:56
Juma Bar is not considered a city player this season or next, but those guys, they will at some point.
00:15:04
Obviously, Kusanov had a bit of a shocker to put it mildly against Chelsea.
00:15:05
He's not as bad as that, but he is raw and I didn't expect him to play too much anyway.
00:15:10
But they are more for the future and City decided that because their form was so bad, the injury situation was so bad going into December, they needed to do the business.
00:15:19
They got the money to spend because they're not too much over the last few years considering how much they bring in, so the old net spent tables and all that.
00:15:26
Guardiola keeps saying they're 11th in terms of net spend over the last five years and that's around Europe.
00:15:30
I taught European sides, I think in the Premier League, they're like 20th out of 25 teams that have been in the Premier League over the last five years, so they're bringing a load of money and now they're spending it.
00:15:39
But I've just said they decided they needed strength in the squad and they recognised that.
00:15:43
But I also said earlier, the midfield's a basket case, like they need to sort something out.
00:15:48
Douglas Louise is, I think, the top player they've been looking at for midfield, window closes on Monday, there's not been an awful lot of information on that.
00:15:57
They all know it's difficult for city players to thrive in their first season, so even if they did sign somebody now, it's not as if it's going to definitely help them out.
00:16:04
But Douglas Louise was at City, played at Jerona, played at the Premier League for Villa.
00:16:09
Guardiola personally attended his visa hearing in 2019, but he didn't get the visa, so that's why I said he had to loan him out.
00:16:15
So, they know enough about him and if they could get him in, then I think it just helps as an extra body through the door as the cliche goes.
00:16:25
They have made steps to improve the squad, mostly that's going to come to fruition in the future, but they definitely need to see something in midfield.
00:16:32
So, City have done a little bit of tinkering, which is seen as sort of semi-necessary right now.
00:16:40
James Arsenal and the noise in terms of the lack of transfer activities is arguably deafening.
00:16:47
Is it becoming a distraction and do you see those ears being eased over the weekend?
00:16:52
I really hope so, I think, you know, Arsenal, everyone knows Arsenal needs something to attack.
00:16:57
They've lost because of soccer to injury, they've lost Gavrej Jesus for this season and beyond.
00:17:03
So, they look very light up there, I'm sure everyone listening will have seen it in the week.
00:17:08
The story's about Arsenal's interesting Oli Watkins.
00:17:10
That would have been a really interesting move, you know, because I think he's obviously Premier League, Proven Premier League.
00:17:16
Ready, I'm sure he would have hit the ground running and scored a few goals.
00:17:20
The long term was it, you know, a great deal financially.
00:17:23
I'm not so sure, but it's a tough market for forwards.
00:17:26
There's not a ton out there.
00:17:27
And I think the fact that Arsenal went for Watkins kind of shows what our tech is thinking.
00:17:31
He's looking for someone who can make an instant impact.
00:17:35
And when you look around the continent who wants to move in January or can move in January that can make that kind of impact, it's not easy to come up with too many names.
00:17:43
Time is running short.
00:17:44
Obviously, there will be very focused on the gaming at City this weekend, but I'd like to think in the background, the sporting director and others will be working hard on getting a forward in because I think if they don't, you know,
00:17:54
they're going all right in the Premier League.
00:17:56
They're going very well in the Champions League.
00:17:57
I think it's very difficult to see either of those campaigns come into fruition without some sort of addition in a time.
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00:19:11
So you were talking about transfers before the break, let's talk about the tactical side of things.
00:19:16
Tim, I'll start with you.
00:19:18
Where do you see both sides hurting each other on Sunday?
00:19:23
I mean, City have clearly got more sort of weaknesses than Arsenal right now.
00:19:28
Still got a very soft center as Sam's outlined massive midfield issues, vulnerable defensively, individual errors still be made, placed in that form.
00:19:37
I mean, obviously Arsenal's sort of biggest weakness of late to me seems to be, you know, creating chances in open play in certain matches.
00:19:44
They've been, you know, sort of over a light and I'll set pieces.
00:19:46
Obviously they miss sack, obviously they miss a consistent, you know, goal scorer.
00:19:50
So maybe those weaknesses can see each other out, perhaps a little bit.
00:19:54
I think if we're looking individually if Mateus Nunes plays it right back, then that's an obvious area for Arsenal to exploit.
00:20:00
Martin Ellis had a bit of joy against City in the past.
00:20:02
I think you look at that area of the field.
00:20:05
But you know, Arsenal have got to be pretty strong favourites, you know, City's form in general.
00:20:10
Apart from doing the double over Chelsea, they've barely beaten a decent team since August, you know, it's going back a long way and they've sort of beat forested and they've fought Christmas and full-arm.
00:20:21
But other than that, I don't sound correct if I'm wrong.
00:20:23
I don't think they've beaten a team in the top half of the Premier League and the teams they've beaten the Champions League were all pretty sort of weak, you know, Spartan Parc, Club Rouge, Sloan Bratislava, I think those are the three that they beat.
00:20:34
Watford in the car about Cup, dreadful team, awful.
00:20:39
See, I can do it as well.
00:20:41
So yeah, so you'd have to say, you know, that their weaknesses have been shown up time and again against me.
00:20:45
I have to take that in.
00:20:46
Sam, in terms of what Tim has said there, he's on the right track, isn't he, in terms of what City have been doing?
00:20:55
But I wanted to check with you.
00:20:57
What are they doing better now?
00:20:58
Let's give them a little bit of praise.
00:21:01
What are they doing better now on the whole than they were during that run?
00:21:04
Where they were losing the game after game.
00:21:08
Tricky.
00:21:09
Because they're against, so against Chelsea, Chelsea gave them loads of space.
00:21:12
They went, Chelsea obviously recognised that City were vulnerable and went, okay, we're just going to, we're just going to go a lot of super press second half.
00:21:19
But City went, okay, well, we'll put the ball over the top.
00:21:22
And like I said, when they've got Harland and also, you know, they've got food and players last Savinio and Dubro in there, when they can run, they can be dangerous as well.
00:21:31
So that's what they did while it in that game against Ipswich to be fair.
00:21:34
That was probably the most like a normal City performance.
00:21:37
It wasn't like they had loads of space to run into.
00:21:40
But they were winning the ball back high up the pitch.
00:21:42
It was like a throwback performance from, you know, Gunn Dubro and Dubro in there and Bernardo Silva.
00:21:49
But the caveat was it was Ipswich, obviously.
00:21:50
So like what they've been doing better recently, it's hard to say because even when they beat Brutia the night, Brut had so many counter attacks.
00:21:59
But City would just more clinical.
00:22:03
That's why I said it at the start.
00:22:04
We kind of know what to expect.
00:22:06
It just depends how much of the good stuff and how much of the bad.
00:22:08
Arsenal can have a load of counter attacks, whether they don't score, maybe Harland gets a penalty or a back post header or something like that and maybe that's the difference.
00:22:16
But in terms of this game, because of all the things that Tim just outlined and what I've said earlier, like whenever Guardiole has normally got doubt about his team and big games like this.
00:22:25
Again, the other night when he said they were an old team, he said, that's why I'm scared to play counter attack against teams like Arsenal, Villa, Bruton, Liverpool, everyone.
00:22:32
He said because they're much better.
00:22:34
So he's going to want to try and make the game as tight and kind of dull as possible.
00:22:38
And obviously, Arterta's inclination in the last few city Arsenal games has been to do the same as well.
00:22:43
That's what it was at the Emirates last season.
00:22:45
So it wouldn't surprise me tactically if that's what we're going to get again in terms of the approach.
00:22:50
Do you agree, James?
00:22:51
Do you think that that's the way that the Arterta will play it?
00:22:55
There's always, there's always that probability of sound says that a lot of the games have been very tight, very tactical, very positional, kind of the sort of chess match you might expect between Guardiole and Arterta and this fixture last season was decided by a deflection in the end,
00:23:11
really, at a stroke of luck that gave Arsenal the winner for a Gabriel Martin Ali shot.
00:23:15
I do think this is a slightly different city, maybe more a more vulnerable city.
00:23:20
So I hope Arsenal perhaps a bit more front-footed than they have been in some of the recent fixtures between these two teams, but at the same time in saying that they don't have a fully powered attack.
00:23:32
So without the kind of sack of there, can they be as front-footed?
00:23:36
Can they be as effective?
00:23:37
Can they be as dangerous?
00:23:38
I'm not sure.
00:23:40
I think the Onus is on Arsenal to win this game.
00:23:42
They are favourites, but it's also a game they probably need to win in terms of the title race looking at their home fixtures of games they've got to get three points from.
00:23:50
So I hope they attack it and take a bit more inputters into it than they have done in some of these recent fixtures, because I think there's evidence this year that if you do that against it to you, you might profit.
00:23:59
I just wanted to end this part of the chat where we started on Arsenal City.
00:24:05
Tim, from your point of view, will it be beef between the teams or tactics that wins?
00:24:11
Will beef win?
00:24:12
Will beef win?
00:24:13
That's a good question to ask, isn't it?
00:24:16
Yeah.
00:24:17
I hope so.
00:24:18
Yeah, we all want a bit of beef, don't we?
00:24:19
We want Gabrielle chucking the ball off Harlan's head and have it telling Foden to stay humble.
00:24:26
Yeah.
00:24:27
No, it's good.
00:24:28
The Premier League needs this.
00:24:29
These big rivalists in the top club.
00:24:30
So yeah, I'd hope they're more the same.
00:24:32
I do worry it's going to be a really boring game, like Sam has suggested.
00:24:36
Sorry.
00:24:37
But no, hopefully not.
00:24:38
Hopefully the beef breaks out.
00:24:39
As a vegan, I actually do want beef on Sunday, which is weird for me to say.
00:24:45
Right.
00:24:46
Let's get to your predictions.
00:24:47
James, let's start with you, home team.
00:24:49
Come on.
00:24:50
I think I'll still win.
00:24:51
I'm going to say Tuneo.
00:24:52
No.
00:24:53
Got to see.
00:24:54
Like it.
00:24:55
Sam.
00:24:56
Yeah, I think Arsenal might win.
00:25:00
My prediction to James before we started recording this was that the game would be dull and controversial.
00:25:05
Yeah.
00:25:06
So we might get the dull game, we might get the beef as well.
00:25:11
And if they, if both managers strive to keep it close, then maybe Arsenal and Nicky on a set piece, because that's another thing that City aren't particularly good at defending set pieces.
00:25:20
So maybe it's something like that.
00:25:21
That's what I'm thinking.
00:25:22
So score one, what a one nilla.
00:25:23
Oh, a score.
00:25:24
Yeah.
00:25:25
One nilla.
00:25:26
One nilla.
00:25:27
And Tim.
00:25:28
I think we're going for a draw.
00:25:29
Oh.
00:25:30
Another one.
00:25:31
Yeah.
00:25:32
I think Pepp's going to bore the arse off everyone.
00:25:33
In contrast to what I said, it's done in the past.
00:25:35
Yeah.
00:25:36
We'll go one all.
00:25:37
Good idea to drop arse on the podcast.
00:25:38
Thank you very much.
00:25:39
Indeed.
00:25:40
Let's see if it's possible to edit that out.
00:25:42
James and Sam, you're going to leave us fly away, Peter, fly away, Paul.
00:25:46
Take care.
00:25:47
Have a lovely weekend.
00:25:48
That was fun.
00:25:49
Bye-bye.
00:25:50
Bye, guys.
00:25:51
And Tim, we're going to be back talking about the rest of the games next.
00:26:00
So it's just me and you, now Tim, going head to head across this desk to talk about the rest of the games.
00:26:06
Are you ready?
00:26:07
Look at me.
00:26:08
Yeah.
00:26:09
Including Bournemouth in seventh, hosting the leaders Liverpool.
00:26:15
Let's check in first before I get your take with Simon Hughes on our Liverpool pod walk on ahead of that one.
00:26:21
I like the way they play.
00:26:22
You know, the more aggressive, more attacking than saying nothing on Forrest, I think that's showed at the weekends.
00:26:27
I mean, they cut them open time again and on this occasion, you know, that the Forrest keeper didn't save them, play with good width as well.
00:26:36
I can't understand why Liverpool might be interested in one or two of the players.
00:26:39
You know, there's been talk about Kekers who looks like a really good player to me.
00:26:42
Samenio, he's a player that I really like, I like his story as well, somebody who's developed quite late, but he's a real handful.
00:26:50
So they're a good side and it's going to be a tough game for Liverpool.
00:26:54
Justin Clive has been excellent.
00:26:57
So they're not to be underestimated, but that says, you know, a Liverpool team, which is confidence, I would always back them to go and get a good result of Bournemouth.
00:27:07
What do Bournemouth do going into this one then, Tim, do they do exactly what they did against Forrest, just go go all for it against Liverpool, or do they have to, do they have to be a bit more pragmatic?
00:27:18
No, I think they have to get Liverpool on the back for, I think they'll be looking to win it.
00:27:22
I mean, the way that they dismantled Forrest was so impressive.
00:27:25
I mean, Forrest don't lose like that.
00:27:26
Yeah.
00:27:27
Nuno's teams don't lose like that.
00:27:28
No.
00:27:29
He's, that's a joint heaviest feat, he was career.
00:27:30
He hasn't lost by five goals since he was like, "Rio, I have to manage him."
00:27:33
It's like pre, it's like turn 14.
00:27:36
So yeah, to dismantle a team that is happy to sit deep and not have the ball was so impressive, I'm gutted, this isn't on telly, to be honest.
00:27:45
We all wanted to watch Bournemouth Forrest last week.
00:27:47
It may well be around the world.
00:27:49
Yeah, that's true.
00:27:50
Yeah, but there are five games on this weekend, it's, I can see why Bournemouth Forrest wasn't picked, I guess, maybe a few weeks ago, but not this one.
00:27:57
Yeah, Bournemouth had beaten Arsenal and City at home already this season.
00:28:01
Anyway, that's annoying, but yeah, if you look at the form tables, since Bournemouth and Beaton run, which is 11 games, they're top of the Premier League in that sort of 11 game spell scored 25 goals in those 11 games,
00:28:14
only conceded 9.
00:28:15
So yeah, despite Luzon Selanki, which is, which is forgotten about, they're the best player last season and not having a centre forward at the moment, they're basically the best team they'll lead to watch and the pressing is so,
00:28:26
so good and they're so clinical and decisive when they win the ball back.
00:28:30
So for the sort of frightening to play against really not the Liverpool are going to be intimidated, but yeah, it should be a fantastic game, pretty much the most difficult test that Liverpool can us for right now, I think.
00:28:40
And just sort of a sideline debate that's going on or talk on Andoni Iriola is that he's going to get plucked by a bigger team, but that he might not be able to do what he does with his Bournemouth team at a bigger team because the big guns will actually go,
00:29:00
I'm not working that hard, but do you think that that's sort of a valid argument or do you think he could go into, I don't know, a Manchester City or an Arsenal and get them playing like this Bournemouth side?
00:29:12
So it's a really interesting question, I think we've seen in the past, you know, we'd be a good example of doing what he did at Wolves, which required a complete bind from everybody and then going to Spurs and the Places weren't having it and they weren't having it and he was sacked within three months,
00:29:25
so yeah, you've got to have, you've got to have respect from the players from the off, you've got to also earn that respect when you get there.
00:29:31
I think you'd probably have to do a little bit more than what he's doing right now to go into a big club in the Plays, but wow, we've got Iriola as manager, you know, we're going to do what he says.
00:29:38
Do you know what I mean?
00:29:39
Yeah.
00:29:40
So frustrating though, that, isn't it?
00:29:41
Yeah, but yeah, it's just that if you're going to play football as half a million a week, then that's what you're going to get.
00:29:48
So games go on at them.
00:29:51
It's weird you talking about money because normally you say, oh, they own loads of money, yeah, but you've got to worry about them.
00:29:57
Burn out just because they get it just because there are any money.
00:29:59
You can't.
00:30:00
Yeah.
00:30:01
Liverpool had a long journey in the week to Netherlands, so I'm worried for them.
00:30:05
Right.
00:30:06
Let's talk about Brentford.
00:30:07
They're in 11th.
00:30:08
They're hosting lowly Tottenham down in 15th.
00:30:11
One of three games on Sunday, that one Spurs beaten by Leicester last week, and yes, they won in the Europa League midweek, but only Southampton are in worse form than Tottenham over the last 10 games.
00:30:26
Let's quickly check in with James Moore speaking on our Spurs pod view from the lane, just in general.
00:30:33
It's always good to hear from James Moore when Spurs is struggling.
00:30:36
Let's have a listen.
00:30:37
Most other listeners know that this kind of pessimism is ingrained in me, but I'm staggered that people are quite so flippant about the possibility of Spurs being relegated.
00:30:46
I'm not saying that it's what I expect to happen, but I definitely think it's a possibility.
00:30:52
It's kind of stasis from the top of the club for his neither backing or sacking manager and won't make any big decisions that are going to change the direction of anything.
00:31:00
It floats on for another five or six games, and then suddenly they're not six or seven points ahead of the bottom three.
00:31:07
They're one or two points ahead, and that only takes one or two bad weeks for Wolves and or Leicester to be right out there backside.
00:31:15
It's just that's the way these things work.
00:31:17
And they've given Leicester a massive boost now by giving you three points yesterday.
00:31:20
Should James be worried really about Spurs going down?
00:31:25
I'd, you know, eight points above Wolves at the moment.
00:31:29
I've got to know James, you know, pretty well over the years.
00:31:32
I'm not sure anybody would share his levels of pessimism.
00:31:35
You know, when he's on one, you know, it's pretty bad.
00:31:40
And I take his Spurs pessimism and raise him my Wolves pessimism and say having watched a lot of both teams this season, there's a chasm of quality between them on their day.
00:31:51
And there's no way that in my opinion, Wolves will be able to catch Tottenham this season.
00:31:55
They're obviously on a horrendous run with former injuries and confidence, but I don't see it lasting.
00:32:00
Yeah, they had a good night, you know, watch Spurs on Thursday night against Elsporg, the might see Elsporg.
00:32:07
And yeah, they had a morale boost in night, you would say, a great night actually in many ways, you know, three Academy plays coming off the bench to score.
00:32:16
I don't think that's going to necessarily reflect what's going to happen to them in the Premier League, because I don't really see any of those, apart from Mikey Moore, who's scored an amazing goal, the other two probably won't feature.
00:32:26
But yeah, it's a massive season defining was so much going to happen at Spurs in the next sort of 10 days.
00:32:33
Obviously you've got this tricky gaming white, Brentford, they've got the Cup gaming against Villa, and they've got the Carabell Cup, second leg, and they've got the end of the transfer window.
00:32:42
And that's pretty telling that they haven't signed in to players yet.
00:32:45
You know, James said in his, in his, James said they're about not back in the manager.
00:32:50
Well, they're not, are they at the moment?
00:32:52
And that's really telling for me that they need players now more than ever, and they've only signed a keeper that they were going to sign in the summer anyway in Kinski.
00:33:00
So that says, unless they make some moves in the final days, that suggests to me that Levy isn't backing on because he knows that he might be sacking him quite soon.
00:33:16
Well two sides who are looking to build on victories over Tottenham and potentially hunt them down are Everton, who are currently 16th and a point behind Tottenham,
00:33:29
up against Leicester, head to head on Saturday at Goodison Park Leicester, just a point above the drop zone, obviously boyed by that victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
00:33:40
On Everton, injuries, more injuries this week, Mangala, Dominic Calvert, Lewin, both out for extended periods,
00:33:51
but aside from that, have you been impressed with Moises impact so far?
00:33:57
Yeah, probably quite predictable that he's sort of come in and lifted the gloom and added a bit of positivity, maybe added a bit of togetherness, I think dice was probably just, dice was probably had enough.
00:34:08
I think we could tell he was a bit worn down, and they needed someone who's, yeah, refreshed in David Moise is not going to necessarily change too much tactically because I'm not sure what you can do with that squad other than what sort of dice Moise have tried,
00:34:22
you're not going to reinvent the wheel and make them prime Barcelona in a few weeks, they just haven't got the place to do it, they sort of, you sort of really dug in on those sort of pragmatic negative tactics,
00:34:33
you know, I don't know if you read "Hadi Boylin's Peace" from Brightness Week, and he said there was a bit of a verbal spat between Brighton fans and some of the Everton media team post-match,
00:34:44
and they were kind of Brighton fans are sort of shouting out, "Hadi, watch this every week, embarrassing way to play football, you know, Brian getting the high horse, don't they wear that kind of stuff?"
00:34:55
So yeah, Calvert Lewin definitely a blow in, he's not prolific, but he's, he's important to the way that they attack.
00:35:02
Yeah, look, they should, they should be absolutely fine now.
00:35:05
I don't see them going down, and yeah, it should be, it should be a, I'll say it should be a decent game.
00:35:10
It's, it's an interesting gaming, it's less than, so basically what you're saying is that it's going to be Leicester Wolves and Ipswich, we know that Southampton are down, only six points,
00:35:21
awful, that they are basically battling those three teams to finish 17th.
00:35:26
This weekend Wolves host Aston Villa, chance there, because, you know, Villa, we've got a little bit of pressure on themselves there, what, three points at the moment off seven, so they've got a bit of pressure to close the gap.
00:35:39
So are you feeling positive for Wolves?
00:35:41
No, no, no, no, no, I'm not, I guess the only thing you'd say is Villa post-Europe haven't been great time to season, obviously, a massive win against Celtic in midweek,
00:35:54
but I've physically and mentally, you know, energy-sapping game.
00:35:58
If Molly was a tough place to go at the moment, and if the atmosphere was, it was, was big and intimidating, and Wolves were getting at teams from the off, then they could, they could make Villa have a difficult afternoon, but those,
00:36:09
just, those things just aren't happening at the moment.
00:36:11
I think, if you look at the picture, obviously, it's an Aston have gone, Everton should be fine.
00:36:15
I thought they'd be safe under dice anyway, to be honest.
00:36:18
The only question was whether they would have that sort of unities to get them through certain games.
00:36:21
I think they've got that now.
00:36:23
My concern from a Wolves point of view is that Ips, Ips which is recruitment has been active.
00:36:28
It's been decent.
00:36:29
They brought in in CSO from Brighton.
00:36:30
I think it could be a good addition.
00:36:31
They're putting Godfrey at the back to boss the defence, and they're going to fill a gene from Villa, but Wolves are doing nothing in recruitment wise, so that could be pretty telling at the end of the season.
00:36:43
It's a must-win game for Ips which I am to say it's in this weekend, and if they win, then it's going to look pretty bleak for Wolves.
00:36:50
We've got a really tough run in the picture at the moment.
00:36:55
Let's talk about a couple of other teams.
00:36:58
Manchester United against Crystal Palace, that's coming up on Sunday.
00:37:04
Manchester United, they've pulled themselves away from from relegation trouble.
00:37:09
They take on Crystal Palace this weekend and five wins out of six.
00:37:15
I know Rubin Amerin said the whole thing about Manchester United's worst team in history, etc.
00:37:22
But do you get the feeling that he's stabilised in some way, shape or form, or is it still looking dicey for you?
00:37:29
He's made him harder to beat.
00:37:31
I think a lot of that is to do with attitudes and players playing for him.
00:37:34
We saw it when they'd be asked on penalties in the cup a few weeks ago, and then they had a couple of dodgy games that had to come from behind to beat Southampton and lost to Brighton.
00:37:43
Since then, they've won tight games, they've won boring games.
00:37:47
That full-on game was as atrocious, and they came through it 1-0.
00:37:51
What's the bit of the game against FCSB on Thursday night?
00:37:54
Again, awful first half, but they've come through it with a cleagie and a tuna win.
00:38:00
It's small building blocks, isn't it?
00:38:02
It's getting the basics right in terms of their formation and a bit of discipline and a good attitude.
00:38:07
You get that, and then you work on the attack from there, I think.
00:38:11
They've suddenly gone from being a must-watch every week, and the way it spurs out at the moment, proper banter, it's going to be hilarious.
00:38:19
They've gone to pretty boring, which I think is exactly what they need right now.
00:38:23
Chelsea, Westam, is the Monday night football.
00:38:27
Chelsea start the weekend in 6th, only one win in 7th, and that came against relegation threatened wolves in the league.
00:38:36
We can't read too much into that.
00:38:39
In terms of what's happening there, what's your feeling on the vibes?
00:38:43
Yeah, they've sort of reverted to tight, haven't they?
00:38:46
They were never in the title race.
00:38:49
Let's be honest.
00:38:50
Are you happy that your early season prediction of it's a mess?
00:38:53
It's always going to be a mess.
00:38:55
They are a mess.
00:38:56
Is sort of bearing fruit now.
00:38:58
Is that the feeling?
00:38:59
I'm not happy about that.
00:39:01
No, it's nice to be right.
00:39:03
So it's definitely going to be right by the end of the season.
00:39:05
You see them fading away.
00:39:06
And then if they do fade away, where does that leave mereska?
00:39:10
Well, look, they need to do some managers to have a bit of time there and have a couple of seasons and have a bit of a settled squad.
00:39:17
And he's been honest, hasn't he?
00:39:18
He said, I know you said as well, but he was saying, chill out, I know we're doing well, but we're not that good.
00:39:24
Chill out, guys.
00:39:25
Basically what he said, doesn't it?
00:39:27
Yeah.
00:39:28
What's often forgotten about Chelsea is that they've got not only the youngest team in the league the season, but one of the youngest teams we've ever seen in the Premier League, you know, there are going to be inconsistencies.
00:39:37
I think they're overreliant on Jackson and Palmer.
00:39:40
Both of those have had a dip in the last few weeks and it's no coincidence that they serve their results.
00:39:44
And they've got a very weak centre in terms of centrebacks either at form or injured or constantly rotating or bringing back someone from Palace that they're happy to discard a few months ago.
00:39:55
And Sanchez, who's the weak link for them and has been probably all season.
00:39:58
And while he's in golf for the rest of season, then yeah, they'll let in goals when they shouldn't, basically, which is always going to be a problem.
00:40:06
Yeah, they're going to be in and around the European chase, but I don't see them clinging back onto sort of assholes and forest co-tails again.
00:40:11
Tim, it's been great to be in your company, as always.
00:40:14
Thank you.
00:40:15
Thank you, Adam.
00:40:16
You're welcome.
00:40:17
Thanks to Sam and James earlier on for our focus on Arsenal against Manchester City.
00:40:22
That's the big one on Sunday.
00:40:25
Whatever game you're going to this weekend or you're watching from around the world, enjoy it.
00:40:30
And we will be back on Monday.
00:40:32
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