Arsecast Extra Episode 668 - 24.11.2025

0:23¡Suscríbete al canal! y hack-trick a la cazuela. El rey del Emirates Stadium. Este momento es para él. Lo sabe él. Lo saben sus compañeros. Lo sabe todo el estadio. Tres goles como tres soles para dinamitar el derbi. Arsenal 4. Hack-trick de Berechi S. Tottenham 1.

1:12¡Gracias!

1:49¡Suscríbete al canal!

2:00You know the rest We know the rest Thank you Gilbert and Wojciech, am I right in saying? You are right, Gilbert and Wojciech It's like a Las Vegas Duo It's a double act we were robbed off But what can I say Yes, goodly morning Andrew And everybody What a fantastic morning To wake up to today After a brilliant y un bonito derby demolición. Oh, mi Dios. Es un buen día. Es una de esas cosas cuando estaba pensando en la idea, y porque de lo que sucedió el primer día, con Liverpool y luego con Manchester City, leaving aside la derby itself, que, de hecho, es un gran, un gran, gran game en cualquier season y tú quieres ganar.

2:53Pero, you know, I was sort of imagining in my head Making breakfast yesterday And then doing the dishes and stuff like that And I was sort of like I love a bit of Arsenal Destroyed Tottenham in the North London Derby Am I being greedy Am I being avaricious here And there was all this sort of Well Arsenal have to take advantage This is the kind of game where they can make a statement And I was going but like if we could actually Destroy and humiliate them as well I'd really, really, really like that. So it was like a dream come true, you know, in all kinds of ways. In all kinds of ways, not least for Ebeze, who, I mean, the man makes me want to become religious, to be honest.

3:39He is the greatest advertisement for prayer going. Prayed for a hat trick, got it. I need to pray more, Andrew. That's what I'm learning. Maybe so, maybe so. Pero, bueno, listen, perhaps there's a, you know, a selective element to this thing, because I'm sure this isn't the first time he's prayed for a hat-trick. Well, then I can only congratulate God on his excellent judgment on deciding to award it on this day of all days. God is a gooner. Is that what we're saying? Listen, I don't know what more evidence we need. I feel like, you know, he might have been playing some tricks on us down the years, though, to be fair.

4:18It's all part of his plan Oh he moves in mysterious ways Like fucking butter Yeah I mean it sort of was A kind of supernatural Spiritually perfect Occasion And yeah I mean We completely took Spurs apart The great thing about a derby win Is that There's kind of a twofold Enjoyment to it Obviously there's your own satisfaction as a fan of the triumphant club and being able to sort of, you know, soak that in, watch the highlights, watch the analysis. But there's the whole other aspect of seeing them, their fans in absolute meltdown. Yes. Which is so delicious. It's a beautiful dessert to follow the main course of beating them.

5:15pluggar usted ventana59 que digo que a si

5:29p we obviamente no Spurs fan y so it es just wonderful to wake up to them in this degree of pain yeah it is good isn't it is good it is good Slightly less Christian message from me there. Love thy neighbour, unless they're a Tottenham fan, in which case they can go fuck themselves. I've got a long way to go before God starts granting me hat-tricks. Well, listen, a single goal at a time will work for you. You don't need the hat-tricks at this point. Tell me about, you know, the build-up, the atmosphere, what it was like inside the stadium, Because there was a very concerted effort on the part of the club to maybe put right some of what went wrong last season when it came to sort of pregame buildup and everything else.

6:21There was a Tifo and I have to give a huge shout out to Dan Evans, who is the guy who designed that. You'll find him on Instagram. Let me see. He's danxdraws on Instagram if you want to go follow his stuff. It looked fucking great, I have to say. And the lights and the dark and then the Tifo coming up and the fireworky things and the noise of the crowd. I know you were in the press box, but you're still adjacent to how it felt in the stadium. So it must have been really something. It was. And I think the club certainly were aware of the fact que la gente era muy entusiasmada con el Tifo. ¿Pues es el PSG?

7:10No sé si lo llamó Tifo más como un teaclón. Con solo el Arsenal. A teabag. Sí, el club teabagued us back en April. No, we go a un diferente direction, pero you know what I mean. Y listen, hats off a todo el mundo. It was brilliant. They really, really delivered this time. There was a lot of consultation, I think, with supporters and fan groups to make sure they got it right. There was kind of no expense spared in the production and the execution. It was a brilliant design. I think seeing Sol Campbell's image up there was absolutely right and fitting. I mean, you had to... Yeah, it was great. Y los shots de Tifo display en frente de la Norte con los fireworks y en el final ad in que estamos deep into November ahora fue dark fue como un night fue un 4.30 pero fue como un 8pm en cuanto a la atmósfera que se había construido y fue electric así we know cómo big Mikel es en Arsenal el hogar, el hogar, el hogar, el hogar y el hogar.

8:32Y creo que los elementos realmente contribuyen y lesionaron. Y creo que el club naileda esta vez. Oh, 100%. 100%. Y eso, de acuerdo, en top de todo el anticipación y el excitement sobre este juego y, de nuevo, de lo que sucedió en el pasado con el Liverpool y el Manchester City, el oportunidad para Arsenal a realmente hacer un statement en el título race. So let's get into the game. Before we do, there was obviously a bit of news with the team sheets in terms of some players back. Which again, I think gave everybody a little bit of a boost. I was obviously chatted throughout the day. People had been on hashtag walk watch

9:17seeing which of the walking wounded were indeed walking and potentially not wounded. And then we got Madueke, Martinelli back and on the bench That's right, yeah Martin Odegaard was there with the squad at the team hotel I think from what I gathered from Mikel Arteta when he was talking pre-game he sort of said he wasn't 100 % ready for a game like this, a game of this intensity which I understand having been out for quite a while y caution es probable el correcto cuando se ha llevado a la gente y los de repente pero se ha llevado a la gente a lo más lively si necesitamos y se sentía que se podía hacer cosas que podíamos hacer y también y también tal vez tal vez que un poco later cuando la game fue la forma en la segunda half ¿cudemos que ha hecho algo diferente con la players que nos había en la pitch pero creo que es un moot point really but we did have a couple of questions about that.

10:24The big issue of course was like who was going to play in Gabriel's position and the options you know with Ricardo Calafiori in at left back the options were Christian Mosquera and Piero Incapier and Mikel Arteta went for Piero Incapier kept that left foot right foot balance at the heart of the defence I think that's more or less what you had said last week when we talked about this that your gut feeling, I can't remember if you said ¿Qué opinas de Incapié o Mascara? Creo que dije Incapié. Creo que sí. Sí, sí. Let's say que yo lo hice. Sí, exactamente. No puede encontrar ahora a este punto. Es todo en el pasado.

11:04No hay archivo. Después de la podcast, alguien en el Discord estaba diciendo que se le abrió a Incapié, pero que tal vez el derby era un gran tipo de ganas para que le traje a él. straight into playing him in a game of this magnitude or this intensity might have been a step too far I actually think his experience and the fact that he has won a league title and played in huge games in Germany and in South America as well internationally sort of gave him the edge here and he did step in pretty seamlessly I have to say you know he obviously He wasn't the player who took the headlines on the day, but Mikel Arteta made a point, I think, of referencing him in his post-match press conference.

11:55And on Sky. Yeah, I thought he was very good. Very good. I did too. I did too. I mean, I think you can go through this team from front to back and talk about how good people were. True. We'll do that probably because I think it's worth highlighting some of the people that made big contributions to this game, aside from Eber Echeheza, who's obviously going to be the headline guy in this particular episode. Pero, ¿qué es lo que se ha hecho de la tone early en con ese pas a Declan Rice? ¿La little scoopy, over-the-top kind de cosa? Que creo que nuestros players kind de like, ¿no? Creo que es un modo de tratar de llegar a packed defence cuando un opposition team estábamos en el tiempo como Spurs sit.

12:41Se ha hecho un poco, se ha hecho un poco para Declan Rice. Es una de las que se dice en commentary, Maybe he's hit that too well. Sort of like, actually, I think that's right. You know, if he sort of scuffs it into the ground, maybe it goes between the keeper's legs. As it was, he caught it really, really well on the volley. Vicario came out well to save. It hit a defender and went just wide. But that was sort of Eze announcing himself in this game. Yeah, it was. I mean, I think he had a couple of those little scoop passes in the course of the game. And this was a lovely one. Y, you know, maybe Rice would think he should score there.

13:17I mean, one thing we didn't talk about in the lineups was Spurs obviously went with five at the back, right? So I think that told you everything about their game plan and their intentions and their ambitions maybe or lack thereof. And, you know, I guess we needed that sort of ingenuity on the edge of the box. And as I showed that in that moment, que fue un signo de lo que fue a cabo. Sí, claro que no se cuida de la verdad sobre Spurs o el modo de ser un... No, pero es fácil de hablar de su falla. Bueno, absolutamente, pero yo estaba curioso de lo que pensaba de la manera que se quedaba porque obviamente se came a frustrar Arsenal.

14:00Se dice, listen, Arsenal sometimes tienen un problema con la brecha de la bloquea. Let's sit en la bloquea y hacer un problema muy difícil para ellos en la manera que Thomas Frank's team han hecho antes, con el Brentford. Cuando han llegado a los Emiratos, han hecho un poco difícil para nosotros en el pasado. Pero yo sort de looked at the Spurs team y la bench, y no estoy diciendo que ni de estos players, pero, you know, they had Pedro Porro, quien ha sido bastante para ellos, Colomuani, Brennan Johnson, Matias Tell, Xavi Simons, sort de en la mesa, on top of what they already had on the pitch with Richarlison and whatever other guy they had up top there.

14:46Audubour and... Audubour, yeah, exactly. And Kudus.

14:53Another nothing performance from him against Arsenal. But you know, I'm not saying I wanted them to do anything different, but it felt sort of at odds with the way that their squad has been built. But clearly that's the way Thomas Frank thought that y se puede conseguir algo de esto. Y creo que, a pesar de ser, su plan worked hasta que no. Sí, la manera que se sete up, yo estaba pensando, no, esto no es tan bueno. Sabiendo Thomas Frank y sabiendo el nivel de organización y el nivel de organización y la shithousión que su equipo ha desarrollado, yo estaba pensando, esto es lo que sea un poco. Y creo que en ese momento 25 minutos o so con el excepción de que ese chance de Reis o que había sido un otro opportunity de Trossard fue un poco de un slug, fue un poco de trabajo no creo que era un buen game, no sé si es que son de un gran porque todo lo hacía como un sueño pero creo que los primeros 25 minutos supongo que Spurs fueron haciendo lo que sete a hacer que hacer, que fue make the game bitty stop start be frustrating the problem I suppose with their plan is that it never really extended further than that as far as I could see they basically come for a nil-nil and as soon as they went behind everything they prepared went out the window yeah I mean that's exactly it you know I think you can when you're playing a game like this y si se están en la posición que Tottenham en el momento, la idea que se puede llegar a la Emiración y tratar de frustrarse Arsenal, creo que es muy bien, ¿verdad?

16:44Para un oposición manager, make el game stop start, make it frustrante, take time over el free kicks, ¿verdad? So, they get a free kick, they stand over it for a bit y luego Vicario comes to sort of lump it towards our box, which I think we dealt with really, really well. I think where el fundamento en el plan es que hay que frustrarse el opposition pero también preparar a tener que yourself cuando se puede tener el ball en el opposition y ellos no podían hacer eso y i it might be down a su ineptitud it might be down a su arsenal control the game and simply did not let them play an hour half at all because you know it was predominantly played in the Tottenham half so it was like half a plan right the frustration part ok, I get it and there are going to be teams who come and try and do that to us more and more I think the better we get the more teams are going to say well if we go to Arsenal and open up and try and play them, we're going to get fucking ripped apart by look at this team that they have with the players they have, they're going to tear us to pieces.

17:50So I think this is something that we're going to face more and more, but you can't have half a plan, you have to try I think at least show some kind of attacking endeavour. It was a very interesting Thierry Henry was quite scathing of them on Sky. I don't know if you saw any of it or caught up with any of it. He sort of was saying, look at them. They're playing 5-2-3. And Thomas Frank came out after, did the interview on Sky Sports, and he said, yeah, we played a 5-4-1. And Henry was like, that's not a 5-4-1. They're playing 5-2-3, and the three aren't getting anywhere. And he was quite scathing about the tactic that they had.

18:31So it felt, and I'm obviously very happy about it, quite imbalanced, you know, in the sense that they sat deep. And I think another part of what we should probably talk about is the way that Arsenal responded to Tottenham playing in that way. That there were obviously expectations that this was going to be the approach. Arteta spoke about it afterwards when he said he had time to prepare. And then we saw the lineup. We made a couple of adjustments. There is obviously a difficulty with playing a team that sits really deep But the way maybe that Arsenal used the control they had in the game To sort of lull Tottenham almost into a false sense of security in some ways Because that first half an hour wasn't replete with chances But then all of a sudden we start to find space And then the question becomes how are Arsenal finding space en el posiciones que hicieron según el set up que Tottenham que fue básicamente 5 en el back y 2 en el midfielder sitting en frente ¿cómo se ha el espacio para encontrar el goals que hicieron en ese periodo en el final 10 minutos de la primera half y creo Mikel Moreno fue bastante un gran parte obviamente he creyed el opening goal pero el modo que instead de postar de postarse a la parte de tres centros de la mitad, que se despegue, que se despegue, se despegue, que se despegue, y se despegue, y se despegue, en otras áreas de la pitch.

20:03Así que, yo pensé que su posición de playa de centro-forward fue muy inteligente, y, por vaciar ese número 9 espacio a veces, creó áreas para otros para ir a la parte de la mitad, para ir a la mitad. Y se ve eso beautifully en la primera gala, donde, you know, Marino picks el balón, ¿qué es? 30 yardos, 35 yardos y instead de Leandro Trossard, de la izquierda, darts in, making lo que se puede ser muy muy muy un Freddy Jungberg diagonal run into the fancy box. We were talking a little bit, weren't we, in the first half about Moreno on WhatsApp y I was looking at him y I could see him dropping deep y he was very secure in possession but he was dropping out to the right-hand side as well, so it was sort of like que hay que tener un plan.

20:52Esto no es Miguel Moreno y el rojo, porque es no lo que ha hecho y no lo que Miguel Arteta le da a la vez. Entonces, es un plan de la práctica pero luego, se ve la fruta de eso, la fruta de eso es que cuando se desvierta de ahí, la tres central defenders, no que no tienen anyone que pick up, pero el hombre que ostentable es supposed a estar ocupando en el lugar es no es de ahí. Entonces, hay tres guys sort de standing y, bueno, ¿quiénes son? ¿Quiénes son? ¿Quiénes son? ¿Quiénes son? y cuando Perú, como he dicho, creas que primero, he es un buen... You know, he es playing en sort de la posición que le diera a número 10 a ser.

21:28Y no, no, no, no, ha ido con él porque, they're like, well, if we go with él, then we're dragged out of position. And if we get dragged out of position, then Arsenal might hurt us. So, I mean, do you think there's... Is he like this... I don't know. He's sort of like a decoy guy in some ways, the way that he plays or the way that he's asked to play by Mikel Arteta, que el equipo de seguridad que tiene y la inteligencia que tiene que tener que reconocer donde se mueve en la pared y cuando el play es creciendo. Y creo que es muy noticable, ¿no? Que la mayoría de lo que hicimos, bueno, no más, pero la mayoría de lo que hicimos, principalmente en la primera half y también en la primera dos asejos, come de Arsenal realmente putting pressure en Spurs down la izquierda.

22:15hand side oh yeah i mean the right hand side was absolutely terrific uh i thought throughout the game you know it's unusual really for us to get this far into a big arsenal win without mentioning bukayo saka and it's interesting because it sort of wasn't his day really um the story isn't about Pero yo todavía pensé que había un gran momento en el juego y trabajó así. El fue un menace. Durian Timber behind él fue... ¡Fuck, por qué no! ...outstanding. ¡Preposterously good! En otro día, estamos hablando de él como el main man. Él fue unbíjabla muy bien. Pero obviamente el hat-trick para Eze y todo el otro.

23:05gets the headlines, but he has been so, so impressive. I thought he was just outside. I mean, he's not alone. I mean, we can go through it, but yeah, you're right. That's sort of one of the conversations we might have had over the last little while was the combination on the right between Ben White and Bacayo Saka and Martin Odegaard was really, really important for Arsenal, right? And then it feels like it's taken a little bit of time and maybe some work on the training ground or maybe an adjustment for Mikel Arteta in terms of de donde Jurgen Timber pero el modo que le conecta con Bukayo Saka ahora es tan outstanding y su physical intensity es monstruoso la manera que defendan, atacan la misma la misma thought sobre la game sobre cómo por lo largo el color de la Odegaard Saka era era era era era era era era era era era Y, you know, this is a game where everything came down that right-hand side, but two of those players were absent.

24:10And I think it does sort of demonstrate the way in which the team has evolved, but also just the massive progress that Duran Timba particularly has made individually. I think I'm not sure there's a full-back, you know, playing better football in the Premier League right now, to be honest. I think he's just top marks in all areas. y es añadiendo un ataque y dynamismo ahora que fue probable la última pieza de la puzzle para él creo que ha siempre sido un excelente defensive player creo que ha siempre sido muy bueno en la retención muy clean en la use de la bola pero ahora es un gran bonafide threat en esa parte dos goals y tres assists para él so far este season no bad no bad para el fullback Pero sí, para llegar a la go, yo, ¿qué importa?

25:08Pero Miquel Marino es grantado un poco de tiempo en el medio de la pitch. He has la balla por tres o cuatro segundos, que en Premier League games no pasa nada. Eso es, la forma que usa es brillante. Es un muy bonito paso a Trossard. y ahí es Trossard delivering again en un momento y ya, he just keeps on doing it. He keeps on doing it it's almost like you know, he's a good player who you know, is very useful to Arsenal this season. I don't know, I don't want to keep beating that drum but you know, I think I have a little bit of a question about Trossard later so maybe we'll come to him but I think, yeah, you're right La movimiento es smart, perhaps a touch of good fortune on the finish, but you get yourself into a position.

26:02If you're not in, you can't win, as the old saying goes. And I think he was rewarded for his movement. I think the pass from Marino is really, really excellent. I mean, the second goal then comes, I mean, it's Timber just being too strong. Trossard is over on the right-hand side. There's a cross from Timber, which is headed away. I have to say, Declan Rice yesterday sometimes you can see a player do you ever see like a team that isn't there for the second ball you know whatever it is about the day in question they're just not active they don't recognize the moments in the game where they need to be on it and Declan Rice yesterday from the first second was absolutely on it the reaction times how quick he is to get to que ball, que headed clearance a play it first time, by the way, en Te Ebreche Eze.

26:58It's sort of one of those where he plays it just on the half volley, doesn't he, to Eze inside the box. It's great from Declan Rice. Obviously, the Eze stuff is what caps it all off, but I think Rice deserves credit in that moment for being aware of where that ball is going to be and making sure that it gets into Eze. And then the touches and the finish and it's in the back of the net for 2-0. Sí, es un gran resultado, de cuando Timberscross es headed al lado y no hay un Spurs player en sight en el lado de la box. Pero Rice es ahí, Marino, también, es ahí 30 yards de gol, cuando Acroscross ha ido a la box, showing cómo regularmente él estaba dando deep.

27:42Calafuri es ahí. Arsenal fueron los primeros de los segundo balls. Y creo que cuando ellos se han llegado el primer gol, su cabeza era, ¿no? I mean, I think Spurs, from their perspective, they must have thought, we've gone behind, if we can just get to half-time, maybe we make a change, maybe we shift the strategy, maybe we adapt, and then Arsenal go and score a second, you know, right off the back of it, and it's almost game over at that point. Yeah. And there's a just brilliant individual quality, the footwork in the box, the bravado to take that on. And I think a real theme of this game y también de, como Trossard, como golscorrer, es algo que Mikael touchó en el año, es su voluntad de tomar el shoto cuando no es necesariamente el perfecto angle o perfecto connexión.

28:35Even este uno, con su strong foot, pero él toe pokes el ball cuando haces almost de acuerdo de él. Sí, él tiene que subir y twirl. Exacto. Trossard, su gol, El balón es behind él. Él hits con su left foot. El dos-fotedness de ambos players es muy importante en estos goals. Sí, creo que para un lado que... We had a lot de años under Arsene Wenger de ser accused de trying de walk el balón in. Even más laterally, creo que hay un sentido de la patterns de play que se set en stone. y yo creo que ambos estos chicos son just son gamblers, son willinges y a veces te dar la chance y a veces y a veces te dar la reward Es un gran momento para él también y vamos a hablar de eso en el contexto pero a ver, a ver, a ver que score a ver, a ver, a ver a ver, a ver, a ver, a ver en tu primer primer North London derby como un Arsenal player que ha sido su historia que aquella no fue un Philip pero se acabó una shied Soane una Radiána como速 morir terminó經otte del primer Yeah Virginitioatureshail Pthe relVR historia zac porte Trat es doing enough o e un mighty moments aquí pero un mighty moments aquí en la derby yesterday pero you know I do think this first goal was a big moment in isolation and you know again this sort of serendipitous nature of it he's come in and he's got a goal against Crystal Palace his former club he's got a goal and then two more in the same game against the team he turned down there has been something that feels sort of fated about Yeah.

30:43The entire transfer and his time at Arsenal thus far. Even this game. I mean, I said it to Tom Canton on the Arsecast on Friday. I just have a feeling we're going to get something from Eza in this game. I didn't quite predict a hat-trick or expect a hat-trick. Someone on Blue Sky, by the way, told me that Nicole Holliday, who works for arsehole.com and does the live show, she predicted an Eza hat-trick. So I have to doff my cap to Nicole there because that's a level of specificity that I certainly didn't reach. But I sort of had this feeling before this game that this was kind of going to be not where he announces himself as an Arsenal player because that's kind of, you know, he's done that.

31:33He's slotted in. I think he's been a really important addition to the team. pero siempre era la pregunta de la producta y más. Pero yo me sentí que había algo que se ha llegado a llegar a él. O sea, ya se ha llegado a él. Y, claro, eso fue algo que él estaba feeling, también. Él se ha mirado a este fixture y pensado, ya sabes, según todo lo que sucedió en el summer y según la manera que pudiera haber ido y la manera que se ha ido, que había algo que se ha llegado a él. Yo, incluso Arteta ha dicho en su pregame press conference. He said, for games like this, you have to be just a little more at it or on it.

32:14I can't remember whether it was at or on. I don't want to have the preposition police after me. But, you know, that must have been true for Eze going into this game. Oh, undeniably. And Mikel also spoke about how, you know, they gave Eze two days off after the international break. And after one, he was kind of knocking on the door to come back into training. y he wanted to be ready, he wanted to be prepared. There's a lot of work that goes into the artistry. Yeah, I mean a special moment for him. And you know, those players before the game, they're looking up at that Tifo and they're seeing Pekai Saka and Martin Odegaard and Thierry Omri, Sol Campbell, Tony Adams pero I think what Eze produced yesterday is a moment that means one day he could find himself on one of those I mean a derby hat trick crazy only the fourth man to do it I believe first Arsenal man to do it since 1978 and when you consider the calibre of some of the players that we have had in the intervening period entre 1978 y 2025 y algunos de los increíbles que han jugado a la frente para Arsenal el talento el talento el talento el talento que hemos tenido y, you know, se debe de stop y reconocer cómo rare un achievement este es y qué un amazing lo que es para Eber Echeiza para producir yesterday, you know, enjoy it y let it sink in pero también yo, I guess, just enjoy el hecho de que hemos visto algo que realmente no pasa todo.

34:06Oh, mate, Alan Sunderland, ¿no? En 1978, es el último. Eso fue historia. Thierry no tiene uno de esos. Dennis no tiene uno de esos. Ian Wright no tiene uno de esos. Así que, muy, muy, muy especial. Sí, tenemos dos más goles que hablar, que es lo que es lo que es. We do. So look, they obviously, having seen their plan go out the window, had to change something at halftime. They brought Chevy Simmons on, took a danzo off, I think it was, went to a back four and obviously realized that they had to do something a little bit different. I love this goal because you can imagine the Tottenham dressing room at halftime.

34:51It's like, OK, we're making a change, going to a back four. Keep it tight, lads. Don't give anything away. Si se ha un gol after 10-15 minutos, es 2-1 y luego el nervio, se va a empezar a kick in. Y luego podemos tomar advantage de eso. Así que no se ha unido. No se ha unido. No se ha unido. Y dentro de 30 segundos de la segunda half, starting, we're 3-0 up. Y, again, esto viene de Arsenal monstruando Tottenham down the right-hand side. Timber es ahí. Creo que se puede hacerle o se puede hacerle. Pero Kakuei Saka solo wins el ballo. Gives it back a Timber. El ballo se puede hacerle. Creo que se puede hacerle un segundo bite de la cherry.

35:36Para ponerle el ballo a Eze. Y creo que este finito es absolutamente top class. Porque el ballo es bobbling. Es coming across su cuerpo. Es en su pie. Es en su pie. Y tiene que ajuste. Y tiene que guiar la balla perfectamente. into the bottom corner with his, in inverted commas, wrong foot. And he does that. And we're talking like split-second stuff here. The quality that he produced in that moment, I think, is absolutely exceptional. Exceptional. And, you know, it's everything Tottenham did not want. And that's what makes it even more glorious. The way that he kind of adjusts his stride a deal with that ball that's kind of stuck under his feet and almost hits it in his stride.

36:25You know what I mean? Like he, yeah, it's a beautiful finish. I'm surprised that I've not seen more talk about it actually. I suppose when you score three goals, it kind of dilutes the focus. But that is a brilliant, brilliant finish. He said that was his favourite. He was interviewed on Sky like straight after the game. They had a quick interview with him and he was asked about his pick of the goals and he said, I think the second one, Let me just see if I can get it here Pick of the goals He said they're all good man I don't know maybe Maybe the second one man Just the timing of it It was just the right time Yeah man honestly it's a special goal Great quote I have to say I particularly love The celebration That was the hand over the mouth What I would call the Burkamp celebration Yeah, pero ¿qué fue Bird Camp en Sunderland?

37:23Sí, cuando he kind of danced through the corner of the box y curled it into the far corner. Oh, lo que a gol. Hand over the mouth. I always remember, I think Paul Merson was doing it back to him. Stephen Hughes as well, I think, was that. Yeah, like, I guess, kind of, sort of, what does it signify? I suppose. I don't know. Maybe he's, you know, trying to a ser un buen hombre de la vida y no se ríe y no se ríe a todo sí, es un tipo de humildad pero no sé si es ríe no sé si tiene que ser un gran smile me he tiene que decir es el Berkamp celebración y este paralelo es va a ser malo porque son tan diferentes pero Thierry era en el estudio y también pensaba que es muy Thierry que es muy Thierry que solo se mueve el ball en el corner de 20 yards y sort of jog off shrugging y smiling y joking about it y no es un striker no es un sprinter en la manera que Thierry was pero hay algo en el nivel de confianza y el insouciance con la que él plays que realmente se hace muy Thierry I know what you mean Remember the goal he scored against Sparta Prague The one where he broke the record Or at least equaled the record Where he just brought it down And then dinked it with the outside He made it look like the easiest thing in the world to do You look at it and go Well of course he did that Why wouldn't you do that That's just what you do in that situation And then you realise hang on That's actually really really really difficult In those circumstances Y no creo que es que sea el mismo, pero también el modo que él no les que la oportunidad pasan por.

39:19Maybe it goes back a lo que you were diciendo sobre Arteta, talking about him and Trossard, taking the shot cuando es no la perfecta hora de tomar el shot. Porque si es en tu pie, si es en tu pie, do you try y bring it back onto tu pie y hay una pieza de pie? Exactamente. There's like a casual ruthlessness to him. Casual ruthlessness, love that. That's perfect. y es lo que Thierry y creo que en frente de gol Eze halo y y carries it con un similar, muy classy air así que yo, lo amo this goal Personally, no mi favorito mi favorito still to come Still to come, ok, we'll get there I mean, it was 3-0 and the mood was jubilant, as you would expect, and then they got a gol, which I think Sucked a little bit of the atmosphere out of things Because it's always just like What do you have to go and do that for And it was sort of a really out of the blue Kind of a goal Martin Zubomendi who I think has been exceptional for Arsenal This season caught on the ball Which is very uncharacteristic He's tackled Richarlison, first time shot David Raya off his line because Well, you know, we were in possession And he plays high up the pitch It's a, you know I can do it, I can be un gran gran este momento en el momento en el momento en el momento grudgingly que eso fue un buen finish pero no es que es el essence de Tottenham en que score a goal que se se se se se se se se significan

41:00y meaningless much like Tottenham themselves I suppose in many ways it es perfect goal for them Yeah, I don't really know what was going on with Zuby in that moment. I've watched it a few times because it's so unlike him. And there is a pass on to Timber, isn't there? Yeah. Directly in front of him. I think maybe one of his touches is a little bit heavy and it just sort of runs him into trouble. But yeah, I was chatting to Art de Roche, you know, it's 3-0 up. I think we were discussing ideas for pieces and what we were going to do in our coverage. y nos hemos visto a ver que Richard Arlissan lanzó esa shot y me hay que decir, I couldn't quite believe it cuando se derroba en el back de la net We've had a few de estos, haven't we?

41:45Obviously Mateta last season, which was a similarly superb finish I remember Ramsdale getting done en Europa en some game or other, was it Sporting Lisbon? Sporting Lisbon, yeah, Andrew Allen was just asking me about these earlier on I do think I mean listen they're exceptional finishes and maybe we're just a bit unlucky but is it also a kind of occupational hazard of how our goalkeepers are asked to play that that is going to be on at some point in games Yeah I mean listen it's sort of the perfect storm if you like because it's a tackle on Zubimendi the ball just rolls perfectly for Richarlas and Tavago first time Like another day That ball he has to take a touch And control it and Raya can backpedal And all of a sudden that's not a dangerous situation At all it's just perfectly Set up for him to have a go and to be fair You know he finishes it Very very very well

42:49Andrew also said Something about like you don't Really remember too many of those That miss they all seem To go in that's it you'd never think twice Of it ever again yeah y Richarlison he gets the ball there but there's three Arsenal defenders within six yards of him immediately like I doubt very much there's any other way he can score from that position so yeah I'd be curious to know if it's something opposition teams talk about because you can't exactly plan to score from the halfway line but you might say if there's a turnover 40 yards out there's a chance Raya will be on the edge of his box yeah I mean that's a I would imagine that as a talking point because that's generally where he is it's just that those things don't happen they very very rarely happen we don't get caught in possession in our own half that way it just is rare so I mean I think it is again like I said just one of those completely not freakish but like you won't see that happen again correct me if I'm wrong Andrew but normally if Arsenal would dominate an opponent to this degree and 3-0 up and they conceded a kind of freak goal really like that I really do think that everyone would just sort of shrug it off and go well that's a bit annoying you know didn't get keep another clean sheet but I think there is something in the air around a derby that kind of lends an element of volatility to proceedings where you're like anything you know as bad as Spurs have been as good as Arsenal have been as big as the golf is between these two teams in a derby anything can happen.

44:27Well, you might remember a couple of seasons ago we were 3-0 up in a derby. It ended up 3-2 and it was all very hairy in the last sort of 10 minutes. There was an injury time and I think we gave away, Raya gave away a golden knee, sort of played a really bad pass and they scored and then there was a penalty if you remember and then the last 10 minutes of that game were excruciating. So I'm imagining that for many people in the crowd being 3-0 up and comfortable and then all of a sudden y es 3-1, sort de scratched at that old wound or memory, if you like, you know? I guess so. So maybe that was it, I think as well, yeah.

45:04If it's against Burnley, with all due respect, you're probably going, ah, fuck it, you know? Yeah. I think there's that sense as well that, again, as desperately poor as Tottenham were, they have to, like, other teams might just sort of not play at that point, but there was a slight feeling of, like, they have to at least go for it you know which you never know what can happen um but we were in safe hands it was spurs lads it's spurs where was the great stat i saw um might have been on the might have been on the quotes roundup i'm not sure it was something about the xg uh that tottenham had and it was like it's something ludicrous isn't it it was like 0.07 So they could play 17 games Oh yeah This is from the XG philosophy Based on the XG they created Tottenham would only score once every 17 games If that match were replayed That's if every game you play is the same game So in fact Just as a quick side note Obviously the Ashes are taking place And I don't know anything about cricket really But I asked I saw Australia sort of battered England in the first test.

46:24And I was asking my followers to explain that to me in football terminology so that I would understand it. And quite a number of Australian fans came back and said, basically, it's like Australia were in the dressing room and said, lads, it's Spurs. Oh, God. Which is brutal for fans of the English cricket team to hear, I'm sure, but did enable me to understand the picture very quickly. So look, it is 3-1 and they had like a small minuscule spell where they were slightly buoyed by the goal. I think what we did quite sensibly was sit back and say, okay, come and have a go and we'll stay organized.

47:04And all of a sudden we'll just stabilize, you know, we'll do what Tottenham didn't do at the start of the second half and give nothing away, you know, because of how good we are defensively. So tell me then about the third goal. ¿Por qué es el tercer gol tu favorita? Bueno, es el hat-trick gol para el start. Just la sheer implausibilidad de obtener un hat-trick contra el equipo que te descanse en el año en el primer North London derby. No sé, hay mucho magia en eso. Obviamente, también es el gol donde se relaxa. Sí, ha reivindicado el joyoso Atmosfera in a way Yeah it restarts the party It's a goal where Trossard Lays it on for Ebreche And I think they were maybe Listen there's a lot of contenders but they were two of my Favourite performances on the day so I love seeing Them combined but above and beyond all Else I love it Because it Sends that Spurs defender Careering through shot Sliding to absolutely nowhere ¿Qué es eso?

48:16Do you know that miem that used to do the rounds and it would be like somebody sliding and then they go into outer space and it would be that song that one he was that guy still sliding. Is it Destiny Udoggy? I'm not entirely sure. It looks like it could be I think it is so the ball comes across and Ezer just takes a touch un beautifully taken touch Destiny Doggy comes flying through the penalty area and ends up on his arse and again it's a great finish sweeps it into the bottom corner yeah I mean listen which was your favourite? I think the second one because of the timing of that goal and what it did to them straight after the half-time break and the way he finished that I think the second one is my favourite This is niche as well, I love the way that the ball kind of bounces in the net if that makes any sense it kind of hits the net comes back out but sort of stays I don't know, there's just something incredibly satisfying If I'd scored it on FIFA I would have put control down and stood up, arms in the air, awaiting applause.

49:41I'm going to have a look at it again here Ok, Vicario launches it. By the way, great header from Piero Incapié. Really good header. Monsters, Richarlison, Marino to Trossard. There he goes. Boink. Ok, yeah, I like it a lot. It's pretty. It's a pretty goal. It's just a lovely goal. But are we, James, too reliant on open play goals? Yeah. A few people have asked about that. It's a worry for sure. All eyes on set pieces against Bayern Munich. I mean, even this goal is interesting sort of in the way it's built. You know, Marino's there, 40 yards from goal, playing in Trossard, running ahead, Eze running ahead.

50:25It's interesting because Mikel keeps saying we're asking him to play as a nine. And he says it a lot. Marino. Yeah, he keeps saying, you know, we're asking him to play as a nine. And I always wonder, is he pulling the wool over our eyes? You know, it's like, We are, but it is a false nine a lot of the time. Like in the way that he's deployed, the spaces that he's occupying. A nine is a simplistic explanation of what Marino's being asked to do, actually. Yeah. I mean, a nine you sort of envisage as like the tip of the team, if you like. The guy who's going to be the furthest forward at all times.

51:03And he's certainly not that. He really is not that, you know. Pero creo que... Listen, hay otros players que deserve más aplaudits, pero creo que su... su desarrollo ha sido fantástico para Arsenal. Y quizás la semana fue un poco attritional en algunos ways porque de quien no tiene. Pero, este año, cuando estamos sin Kai Havertz, cuando estamos sin Victor Jacarez, he es ahí y es que se ha hecho un cambio y es que se ha hecho un cambio con los goals y si no necesariamente asist pero su build-up play se ha hecho un cambio que se ha hecho un cambio ¿no? un montón de lo que es un rite-off los injuries pero pero pero without that without that season without those injury problems We don't find Mikel Moreno as a solution.

52:07Do you know what I mean? Yeah. With Havertz and Jokerez out, we might not have that to call upon. We might not know we have that, or he has that more specifically in his locker. So even... And I'm sure that's how Mikel Arteta will have reflected and looked at it and thought, you know, even in the more difficult seasons, the ones where it didn't go the way we wanted, there's been lessons. There have been things that we've learned that set us up for future success. Yeah. Could have been four for Eze as well. Could have been. Very easily. It was a good save, that one. It was a good save. But Kai Osaka did really well to intercept the ball in their half on the right-hand side again, where they were really, really weak.

52:50Played it into Eze and the keeper made a save. And then, you know, at that point, I think the game is basically done, isn't it? There were olays from the Arsenal fans. Got a little bit tetchy at one point. I do have a question about that for the second half, so we'll wait on that. But, you know, game was done and dusted at 4-1. And I think it really was a reflection of the approaches of both teams. You know, there was a team who came to try not to lose, and there was a team who, you know, obviously at home the onus is on you to do that, pero era un equipo que realmente intentó y realmente quería ganar.

53:30La Sky, Lés Ferdinand, estaba en el estudio y le moando de la falta de ningún tipo de fight. Vicario era en TV después de hablar de cómo no ganar ni duels, el personaje no era correcto, todo esto. Pero creo que es demasiado self-reflectivo para mí. Creo que Arsenal ha hecho Tottenham. looked bad yesterday. I don't think Tottenham sort of set out to not win tackles. I just think they could not live with the intensity with which Arsenal prepared for this game and then carried out that game plan. Yeah, I think there's a gulf between the teams. I think there is. You know, Tottenham are down in ninth at the moment.

54:14They're 11 points behind after this result. And I think that's kind of what they looked. And Arsenal are the league's Outstanding team At this point in time

54:29Even with players missing And I maintain that that is the most Sort of Mouth-watering, compelling, intriguing Part of this season is that I keep looking at it and thinking It's going very well But I look at the players We have still to come back To add to the group Who maybe haven't quite hit their top form yet and I I still think that we should get better I mean if you're Spurs going into this game and you're saying they don't have Gabriel they don't have Kai Havertz they don't have Victor Jokerez they don't have Martin Odegaard they don't have Gabriel Jesus Maduake and Martinelli are back but they're sort of on the bench you know this could be a time you know Nkapi making his first start at centre half êtes ??

55:22Greeks 1 ha acontecido este cualción existe en esta esfera el que pentru que asesape sprouts y el 2 mungkin es probable que no puede aucune mejor l Division de la personnel que asesapeuta y eso es bueno ANDo que es bueno por el mention que es ese resultado que pudimos dar el cual está

55:45cualookie que se al lanzar este jogo aquellos de Bur Bellos que están estos equivalentos estos equivalentos our potential starters in this game. Very true. Very true. And Spurs have got their own injury issues, but you're right to point out, you know, this was maybe an opportune moment for them to play us. And we demolished them. We really demolished them. I mean, talk about Derby hat-tricks not coming around too often. 4-1 wins in derbies don't come around too often. This was a thrashing. Yeah. And a really one-sided contest where all the numbers are in Arsenal's favour. So, yeah, it was kind of perfect, really.

56:24I mean, obviously, you'd like to keep the clean sheet. You'd like Richarlison to not have a happy moment in his life, really. But everything else about this was just fantastic. And on such an important weekend, you know, I've been looking at this weekend for, you know, about six weeks now y pensar que el Newcastle away for City, that is a tough test for any team. Are they going to come through it? If they do, how will that affect the mood, the complexion of the title race? Obviously, they got beat. That adds its own pressure and expectation. Arsenal capitalise in such style, in such a big game.

57:09It's impossible to feel anything other than immense satisfaction. Sure. There was, I know I've got a question about Declan Rice and maybe an incident with Declan Rice in this game, which is sort of at odds with what I'm about to say. But there was a pregame interview, I think he did it with B in Sports. And he was asked about, you know, what's different about Arsenal this season? And he said that basically there's a sort of a level of calm within the group, within the squad. que les permite jugar con el tipo de focus que necesitan. Y creo que puedes ver en este año y en el tiempo de la temporada de este año.

57:52Y en el tiempo de esta temporada, es más y más evidente que la acusación de Arsenal fueron demasiado emocional. Ahora, leave aside la celebración de la final, que creo que fueron absolutamente perfectos, por lo que. You should celebrar un gran juego de la misma, un momento de la acción. Y Lord Eberetcheheza y todos los players que hicieron así bien, Music's playing, everyone's having a great time Enjoy that, you absolutely should But this accusation that Arsenal Have been too emotional in previous seasons Absolutely does not stack up With this team With this squad And the way that it has played this season What did you say about Casual ruthlessness Was that what you said about Eze I think there's a sort of I don't quite know how to describe it I'm looking for something to describe the ruthlessness Of this Arsenal team But it's like laser laser focus We're like a great white shark In the Premier League You know And Spurs were on the fucking Lilo in the sea They were the little boy in jaws And we Ate them all up We gobbled them all up y todo lo que se puede ver el de los reúne de la en la bechua a Spurs mother se despejable her child pero es dead es en el belly de la shark y we're the shark we're the shark, we're the great white o red es más el tema de la weekend I agree I think there's something incredibly focused and efficient about this group at this point in time.

59:41A kind of laser beam focus on what they want to achieve.

59:48And I feel really positive about their prospects of doing it. You know, I think this is a team that absolutely can win the league. I think it's a team and a group that from this position probably should win the league. And I believe it's a team that will win the league. I do believe that. I hope with everything that you're right, you know, for all of us, for them, for the manager, for the players, for the fans, you know, I hope, you know, absolutely you're right. pero yo share tu confianza. ¿Es la verdad la manera de ponerlo? Que creo que en términos de... Cuando tú ves a un equipo y piensas, ¿es esto un equipo que es equipado?

1:00:32¿Es lo que tiene el equipo de ganar la liga? ¿Eres lo que ha ido el distancia? Entonces, no creo que hay ningún problema con esto con este Arsenal. Hay un camino a la que hay. Hay un camino a la que hay. Y, Kat, listen, of course. Fútbol es fútbol. Pero creo que tú eres fútbol. ¿Qué es lo que se ha creado en el equipo que hemos construido, lo que hemos construido, lo que hemos construido en el equipo que estamos viendo ahora, que es probablemente as bien placado a la título de los mejores Arsene Wengeres? ¿Y lo que es el 2001-2004-2005? Sí, creo que. I think some people would say could we have won it in the Leicester year for example but I don't think that was anywhere near as good a team it was more a case of being quite an open field in that particular season but yeah I just don't see many weaknesses in this squad and actually I'm sort of intrigued like I totally understand any fan who's like wow don't jinx it we don't know what's going to happen I I totally, totally understand that.

1:01:45But I also think that almost the final step for Arsenal on their way to winning a big one will be sort of like the conviction of the manager, the players and indeed the fans that it is going to happen. And I wonder when that will come. I don't think it will be just anytime soon. I think it'll all be one game at a time, one game at a time. But once we get into 2026, I do wonder if there'll be a moment where that shifts. We sense a shift slightly from we could do this to we are going. We're going to do. Yeah, well, listen, I hope with everything that I have that that's where we are at some point in 2026 because it's overdue.

1:02:35y creo que hemos estado en todo lo que hemos estado por lo que para esto suceder y bueno y bueno y bueno y bueno y es el start a la muy buena start a lo que es una gran semana para Arsenal así que vamos a pause aquí porque tenemos algunas preguntas sobre midweek Bayern y todo el resto así no no no no vamos a get into part 2 vamos a get into part 2 vamos a take a little bit of a We'll come back with your questions and more in part two right after this, after what was, well, a great day.

1:03:34es una buena si es una buena si es una buena no

1:04:18Welcome back to the Arsecast Extra. Jason M. Williams said, I was struck by the aggression and edge that we saw at points from Saka and Rice. Do you think the other leaders of the team are intentionally stepping up their physicality, knowing Big Gabby, who is such an intimidator, is missing? Or do you think it's just because Spurs have so many players whose faces just force you to knock them over? and Jack, who's at thatjackrice.bsky.social, asking about his distant cousin Declan. He said, what do you think about Declan Rice losing his cool a bit? I personally loved it, but on the TV coverage, he clearly told the linesman to fuck off after not getting a foul next to him.

1:05:01And I think he was bubbling from there and he was involved in a little bit of a, well, I don't know if it was a little bit of a thing that was sort of a bit of pushing and shoving after he got a yellow card and sort of vaguely caught Xavi Simmons as he was running by. And I think maybe the reaction from the Spurs players was more about them trying to demonstrate that they were up for something in this game, given that they were 4-1 down at the time. Yes, yeah, yeah. Give their fans something to shout about. I did notice that from Declan Rice, that there was a sort of more of an edge to him than we see.

1:05:40I think that is just derbies, isn't it? I think it's atmosphere and rivalry and everything that's said to them pre-game, the build-up. I think that's part of it. I like the question's idea of sort of, is it partly about making up for Gabriel's absence? Because he is so much a part of that face of the team. and maybe they did feel a sense of needing to raise it up a gear. Yeah. But yeah, I thought it was pretty palpable that there was a bit of an, just an extra few percent of intensity from Arsene. Yeah. I thought the Rice stuff was interesting because, you know, he's clearly a big guy and strong, but you wouldn't necessarily associate him with, I don't want to say dirty because that's not what it was or what he is, but he tends to be...

1:06:38He's a gentle giant. Yes, he seemed a bit like that, a bit more affable, generally speaking, but he wasn't shy to sort of get stuck in yesterday. I think it was just how up for it he was in this particular game, because, you know, as I mentioned in the first half, the speed with which he got around the pitch and the way he reacted to every possible ball breaking anywhere near him was unbelievable. He was just so good yesterday in that sense. So I think when you're that focused and you're that up for a game and you're actually playing, it sort of gives you an extra layer of energy or something like that.

1:07:16So it's possible. Adrenaline. Yeah, it could be exactly that, where you're sort of a bit wound up because of, you know, the way that you're actually playing the game. Plus they have a lot of players you'd like to push over. There is that. It is unfair that he's allowed to play in a jetpack, basically. The way that he zooms around the pitch is sort of absurd. It must be so psychologically draining to play against Declan Rice because there's the physical aspect of trying to keep up with him and then just mentally losing second ball after second ball after second ball. Yeah, I can imagine that would be exhausting.

1:08:00Here's a question about, of all people, it's about Eberich Eze. Wow. I wasn't expecting that. Yeah, of Leffield. What can I say? It comes from Benis Bergkamp on Discord. And they say, goodly fucking morning. Where does Eze's hat-trick rank in the pantheon of great Arsenal hat-tricks? In recent memory, Bergkamp's against Leicester and Arshaven's four against Liverpool spring to mind. but because it's a North London derby, because of all the narrative around SM, because of the sheer quality of the goals, is this the best and most satisfying Arsenal hat-trick ever? Wow. I mean, the Bergkamp hat-trick against Leicester came in a season where we won the title, right?

1:08:47Yeah. 97-98. Yeah. So that gives that a little bit of something. You know, even though that game ended 3-3, right? Yes, it did. So we didn't even win the game with a hat-trick of that quality, but it was part of a title-winning season. Arshaven, four against Liverpool, was unbelievably enjoyable, but also so unbelievably frustrating at the same time. We didn't win. That you can go to Anfield and score four goals. One guy gets four goals and you still don't win the game? That's crazy. Crazy. I mean, it has to be up there with one of the most consequential, I guess. Yeah. Did Van Persie score a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge in a game we won?

1:09:39Was that the game that Andre Santos scored? Yeah. I'm not sure if he scored two or three. I think he scored two because didn't Walcott get... October 2011 Van Persie hat-trick against Chelsea 5-3 he did score that was a fun one at Stamford Bridge I'm just sort of scanning back now through a list of hat-tricks I really it makes me laugh Adebayor got two against the worst team in Premier League history Derby County in the same season stat padding of course I mean Thierry Henry April 2004 against Liverpool is that a hat trick yes that's that's got to be number one I think so I think so especially with you know what happened that season and the the context of that game as well given that we've gone behind just before half time yeah Canu at Chelsea in 99 Oof.

1:10:49We've got a couple at Stamford Bridge. The Canu one was unbelievable. Last 15 minutes of the game as well. Wow. Yeah. Wow. What was his name? Ed DeHuy? The goalkeeper? Ed DeHuy. Yeah, he came out and Canu just sort of... Lost on the byline. Frank LeBeouf on the line, trying to head the ball away. what an unbelievable game that was do you know the last Arsenal hat-trick prior to Eze in the Premier League um god no I don't actually I believe it was Edward Nketiah Eddie Nketiah against Sheffield United I was there I was there for that game actually I guess that's number one then That's it. That's the one that means the most to me.

1:11:45Nothing win against Sheffield United. I'm hoping it's a good omen that there were a couple at Stamford Bridge there. Yeah, a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge from somebody would be very nice. Well, what about this question? Acolyte Foxy of Cult of Nurgle says, Goodly morning, gentlemen. With City and Liverpool losing at the weekend and Chelsea now in second, do you still think City are our biggest threat? or have Chelsea taken up that mantle with them playing us next weekend? I think the Chelsea match could be our biggest game of the season in the league. Well, I mean, it is huge now, obviously, because of where they are in the league and everything else.

1:12:24I would, and I don't discount, I said this to you at the weekend, I don't discount Chelsea as title challengers at all. And I think, you know, if people say Arsenal should be challenging for the title because of the money we've spent, well, that must apply to Chelsea, right? Yeah, yeah. I still think it will be City who will be the closest challenger. I think if Arsenal win the league this season, if we finish above Manchester City, I think we win the league. I think so too. But I do think Chelsea are capable of beating us at the weekend. I think they're close enough that, you know, if the margins don't go in our favour or we don't turn up, it could be a tough game.

1:13:06If we play to the absolute best of our ability, then I certainly think we'll get something there. But I see Chelsea maybe not as a team who can win the Premier League, but certainly one who can make it harder for us to and who can be a nuisance, a real nuisance. So, yeah, I think it's a big game. I mean, what, six-point gap between the two sides? Chelsea will feel if they beat us very much on for them sure why not why not I guess if we beat them that'll be nine and we'll you know be absolute delighted who does City play next weekend they're at home to Leeds so well there's a guaranteed three points for Manchester City Captain Erling Haaland and your fancy team yeah yeah yeah Haaland scores nine goals in one game against Leeds.

1:14:02Yes, I think we can probably imagine that they might be up to 25 points by the time we play Chelsea. So they'll be within four of us by the time we kick off at Stamford Bridge. Yeah, big, big game. But obviously there's a midweek game as well. Just while we're on this, Stateside Gunner, who's at sullivanjeff.bsky.social, says our signings have a penchant for scoring against our former clubs next weekend. And are we looking at Madueke scoring a stonker like Rice versus West Ham or in an acrobatic feat like Eze versus Palace? Yeah, you know what? I think this Chelsea game certainly will have been in his mind, won't it, through his rehab.

1:14:42And I think he would have been thinking, I'd love to be back for that one. I thought he looked pretty sharp. I'm off the bench yesterday. I know it was a more stretched game at that point in time, but great option to have. Would be a good, good time for him to score his first Arsenal goal, that's for sure. Yeah, yeah. I think I'm right in saying he's actually not got a goal or assist to his name so far. Not yet, not yet. Which, you know, I remember finding that slightly surprising because I actually think he's sort of, when he's been on the pitch, he's largely done pretty well and exceeded a lot of people's expectations.

1:15:22But yeah, I think he'd love to see some numbers against his name. So for sure. Hat-trick, I guess. Hat-trick in the last 15 minutes. No, no. First 15 minutes, please. First. Okay. I don't know if my heart could take that.

1:15:41I enjoyed this, by the way, from Simeon. How much of the credit for Ezra's hat-trick belongs to Phil Foden? Saw quite a lot of that. Saw quite a lot of that. I like this one as well. Maybe you have the answer. I'm not quite sure I know. M-I-W, M-I-W dot A-F-C dot B-Sky dot social is asking, where do Tottenham get battered? Yeah, I believe that it's actually everywhere they go. Everywhere they go. Everywhere they go. Everywhere they go. Okay. Yeah, I mean, Spurs. Spurs. We had a few questions. A few people sort of like asked for like hashtag Frank out and stuff. And I did have a look, but there wasn't a great deal.

1:16:29I think they sort of. It's too early. They haven't lost their minds sufficiently yet. You know, they're angry. They've lost the Derby. But, you know, there's still that sort of hope that the new manager who, you know, doesn't seem like a complete idiot can do something for them. So we need them to sort of lose the mental stability that comes with a Tottenham season, you know? I think that's sort of, yeah, exactly. The full meltdown has not quite happened. There were a couple. I mean, look, T on X said to all these Spurs hashtag Frank out fans who were delirious a few months ago when we got him.

1:17:06You are part of the problem. Oh, I love that one. He should never have been our manager in the first place, which I like. I do like that one, you know. You know the real problem with our club? It's the fans who supported the team. Yeah, random fan who said one thing once. It's, oh, you're the reason why nothing ever. You gave the manager a chance, you muck. And then DZ said, it's too early. Give him time. Blah, blah, blah. Real fans knew he was out of his depth after the Wolves and Bournemouth shit shows. Get him out now! Okay, well, he's lost his mind quite quickly. He's leading the charge, really.

1:17:47Okay. For the lost mind. Okay. We'll keep an eye on him. I think it's certainly, let's put a pin in it for now, but I think we might be able to come back to it later in the season. I think it's inevitable, you know. Whoever's in charge, it will come around. It's the history of the Tottenham, as a wise man once said. Anyway, I did have a question about Trossard. Yes. And it comes from Wise Marklar, who says, How much do you think Trossard's elevated squad status has contributed towards his form and happiness this season? His pay rise. Well, yeah, but I mean, I think the pay rise wasn't just like here, have a few extra quid.

1:18:29It was recognition of his seniority. It was recognition of his contribution. you know we've dealt out the stats in recent weeks that Oni Bakayo Saka in the same period as when Trossard joined the club has got more goals and assists 10 goal contributions this season you know so it wasn't just like here have a few quid go on a nice holiday get yourself a new Renault McGann it was really about saying we appreciate what you're doing for this team and we recognize that we have to, you know, make that sort of, what's the word I'm looking for? Tangible in a way, right? And therefore, what you've got is a player who feels appreciated, who feels like, well, look, I'm doing all this and the club support me, the manager supports me, and that is reflected in either my squad status or my pay status as well, which is an important thing.

1:19:36Yeah. And I remember hearing at the time when his contract was being adjusted that Mikel Arteta was a real driving force behind that, that it's something that he specifically was insistent upon and wanted. And he was very clear, wasn't he, in his press conference yesterday, Mikel? I don't know if you saw it, but he was kind of asked about, there were rumours about Trossard going in the summer. I forget his exact wording, but he basically said, no chance. I was very clear, we cannot lose this player. He is absolutely in the zone right now. Like he is in the groove. He's probably playing the best football of his life.

1:20:24Yeah. I think there's something to be said about his age. I mean, we talk about the team and that kind of calmness and self-assurance. I think clearly it's a group that is arriving at maturity, but Trossard is 30. He'll be 31 in a few weeks time. You know,

1:20:48he's a man. Good spot. He's a real grownup though. You know what I mean? And this is his time. It's now. It's now for him. And I think, yeah, the club showed faith in him. They gave him a pay rise, but they didn't really give him an extension. They didn't say, here's a five-year contract. Put your feet up. They said, we're going to keep you on your existing deal and give you a pay bump. And that means you've got to deliver right now. And he could have gone. He could have gone to Turkey and had that five-year contract and that security. He could have chosen that path, but he didn't. Because I think he senses now is the time.

1:21:34And this is a player who came to Arsenal relatively late, who was at Brighton in the Premier League, who was with Genk before that. Don't get me wrong, he was a good player, an international-caliber player. Did he think he'd necessarily be playing for a club, starting for a club, trying to win a Premier League and a Champions League? Did he see that in his future at 30, 31? Maybe. But I still think he's got an appreciation and an understanding of where he's at. And I think, I was thinking about this yesterday, you know, Mikel Arteta came into Arsenal a bit later in his career too. and there was this sense with him of like really trying to maximise that opportunity and I sort of see that in Trossard too and I just think this is just a player at the peak of his powers.

1:22:29It's sort of his year and yeah, I hope he gets the reward at the end of it. I mean, you made a comparison to Freddie Jumberg earlier in the show and I think, you know, stylistically they're quite different but in terms of the contribution they might make to a title-winning season, if he can replicate that, then, you know, he will go down in folklore, won't he? I think he will. You know, I think he's going to go down as one of our great, like, pleasant surprises in terms of how a signing has turned out. And I think so many people are now saying, oh, it's time to put some respect on Trossard, you know, like it's time to reappraise Trossard.

1:23:13Um, yeah, I do think the perception has really shifted around him and I can't help but think back to the summer and the outcry when it kind of emerged, he'd likely be staying. Yeah, well, you know what I think about that. Um, he just needs to dye that little gray bit red. That's all we need now to win. That's the last step we need for winning the title. Okay. Full Freddy. Yeah.

1:23:44substitutions we had some questions about those saw those alright yeah Gerrard on Blue Sky I was surprised that 3-0 Arteta didn't make a couple of substitutions with the Bayern game in midweek and Spurs being a mid-table team at best what subs would you have made if you were Mikel's pure white trainers David said with the match well in hand of Bayern and Chelsea on the horizon why didn't Arteta take off players like Sakharaj Saliba and timber we had a few like that yeah there was a couple one on discord as well from eyeball poll 2733 said you know lackluster spurs four one up at 76 minutes couldn't the substitutes have come on a bit earlier than they did when arian uh masler iscalione getting a few minutes in capier sort of limped off which i i don't i hope is not an injury i think it's probably just a consequence of playing his first premier league game at that intensity yeah i mean i think as ever there's always that question about Mikel Arteta and his substitutes.

1:24:42Like, when Rice was on the yellow card, I was like, why can't we just put Christian Norgard on for the last eight minutes, you know? Just don't run any risk of losing Declan Rice to a second yellow card so he misses the game at Stamford Bridge, you know? I'm not saying I'm complaining about that. Who am I to complain after we've beaten Spurs 4-1 in a North London derby? I'm not here to second guess Mikel Arteta in that sense. But, you know, it did strike me that there were maybe a couple of changes that could have been made a little bit earlier, like timber for Ben White. Could Ben White have got 15 minutes?

1:25:21Could Myles Lewis-Skelly have come on a few minutes earlier? Winery a few minutes earlier? Norgard maybe? So there were changes that certainly I would have thought about given the week that we have. but maybe there's method in the madness, if you can call it madness. Yeah, I guess... I was sort of surprised, actually, that Eze didn't come off, just so he would get that moment, you know, that sort of... that managers often do when a player puts in a performance like that. You know, could it have been when Eri for Eze a bit earlier and then Eze gets the sort of the ovation as he goes off? I know it's a small, basically inconsequential thing, but...

1:26:06Well, Trossard got a huge ovation. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I suppose I understand the question, especially coming off the back of the Stunderland game, right, where we were again a bit surprised about a lack of changes. My only thought is, like, is it because he is going to mix it up more for Bayern than we're anticipating?

1:26:30Like, is... that's not the noise of a man who agrees. But like, I do wonder, like, could he leave one or two out who played the 90? I don't know. Well, we had a question from JMO, drjimmyp.bsky.social, who says, how would you approach in terms of team selection and endeavour a Bayern midweek group stage Champions League game that we in no way need to win when it seems the Premier League title is there for the taking this season, if we can maintain the energy levels and fitness of core players. To what extent would you be comfortable with rotation against a team as good as Bayern Munich have been this season, albeit with the sort of Bundesliga asterisk to an extent, because they've for so many years been so far right in front of pretty much every other team in terms of squad quality and depth, that maybe the true reflection of Bayern's quality is what they do in Europe.

1:27:35But of course, they've been very good in Europe as well. They've beaten Chelsea, they've beaten PSG. You know, this is not a game where you want to get turned over because you've made too many changes. So it is a tricky one, isn't it? It is. I mean, I do think the Chelsea game is the bigger one, like because of the Champions League format, you know. I know I'm not saying Mikel will see it that way, but in terms of its potential impact on our season, I think Chelsea has to be the priority. Bayern and Arsenal are two of the three teams that have got maximum points in the Champions League so far.

1:28:16It's them and Inter Milan. It's a really tough game.

1:28:24I guess in terms of how I would approach it, Yeah, I think I'd be looking at sort of two or three changes if possible. I think that should be possible with the group that we've got. I mean, he played Luis Skelly, for example, against Atletico Madrid. Do you expect that to be the case again? Yeah, it could be. It could be. I mean, what I would say is, like, I think we're going to qualify in the top eight. I do think we'll make it.

1:29:00I'm not sure there's like a huge advantage to finishing top of the top eight as opposed to finishing eighth. Do you know what I mean? Like I, you know, the draw last year showed, I think it's pretty variable. You're not really guaranteed anything. You want to be in that top eight and skip around essentially, but beyond that what would I change yeah I'd look at I'd look at the left back maybe especially with Calafiore having had those issues during the international break right back I'd find that hard you know Timber's just flying isn't it absolutely flying

1:29:49yeah maybe right back maybe right back I think there's others I would have first. Change in midfield. Change in midfield, maybe. Like, maybe Martin Odegaard's ready for something. Yeah. Ready for an hour, maybe.

1:30:10Maybe that lets you rest. An Eze or a Trossard. Mm-hmm.

1:30:19Might we have Victor Jokeres back? Don't know. We'll have to wait and see there. He was, you know, pictured arriving to training, but not obviously in the squad for the game. I mean, yeah, we don't know, and Mikel's not going to tell us. During his rehab, I had heard that Spurs was the aim, but Bayern was maybe more likely. So that might still be in play. could Gabriel Martinelli be involved or Madueke Madueke came on didn't he could this be a chance for him to start and get some minutes I don't know what would you do I think I would like it's one of those games against one of those teams have caused us a lot of problems and I think if there's not a psychological barrier or something like that but I think it might mean something more to Mikel Arteta than it might mean to all of us.

1:31:20I mean, I want to beat Bayern Munich, but again, as you say, in terms of importance, it's not massive that we beat Bayern Munich. But I also think there is a need to recognize that despite how well, let's say, Jurian Timber is playing, and he's playing exceptionally well and is probably, as you said, the best fullback in the Premier League right now, that in order to maintain that level, we can't play him in every minute of every game. So I think you've got to trust Ben White. If fitness permits, you've got to trust someone like Ben White, who is and has been a really, really good player for Arsenal, a very dependable player for Arsenal.

1:31:59So is it one of your spinal pieces of the team? Not really. I mean, he's been so good. I understand why you would feel like you want to play him. sometimes on a player is in that kind of momentum you just keep playing them he might think oh god I gave Victor Jokic a week off a midweek off and then he came back and got injured so I need to sort of maintain the load on timber so he's sort of just chugging along with all that momentum I don't know but I feel like there are probably three or four changes that he should make for this game but given the quality of the players that he could introduce it's not like previous seasons where you are substantially weakening your team by making changes yeah yeah tough one though tough one it is a tough one it is well we'll find out we will soon very soon um do you have anything else i think we i think we've mainly covered it one thing i meant to say earlier is when I was being asked about the physicality or the edge to Rice and Saka.

1:33:16Saka had the armband, didn't he? Like Gabrielle was missing, but Odegaard was missing too. And I think like those are clearly two of those real leaders in that dressing room. So I do think that idea of having to step up in the absence of others may have been the driving force there. Yep, fair enough. I also sort of quite enjoyed this from Gareth, who's at gw.bsky.social. He says, a player receives the ball, looks up and instantly sees a teammate and passes the ball through the air about 40 yards. Quite impressive, but not that uncommon or sensational. So how far out does a player passing a ball through the air into an unguarded net need to be to be counted as a worldie?

1:34:02And that sort of determination to absolutely play down anything that Tottenham or Richarlison did, I think, is admirable. A good way maybe to see us out, you know. Chapeau, I think. Chapeau to you. Okay. Well, listen, it's been a very enjoyable podcast. It was a very enjoyable weekend of Premier League football for Arsenal. Sorry to all the people who asked the, what do I do if my erection has not gone down questions. I don't have an answer really for that. Just grin and bear it, I think, is the way you deal with situations like that. Get a grip, I don't know. Oh, man. But look, it's been great.

1:34:45It's been an amazing weekend for Arsenal, for Eberatiazzi, for Arsenal fans. And we go into the rest of this big week. We will have an episode of The 30 for you tomorrow because there is Premier League football tonight. Manchester United and Everton are playing tomorrow. So we'll keep our Premier League roundup for that. If you want to get on board our Patreon and support everything that we do on Arse Blog, you can do it at patreon.com forward slash Arse Blog. We'd be delighted to have you over there. If not, no worries. It's great to have you here as always. Thank you for listening, subscribing, downloading and all the rest.

1:35:17And we will catch you on the next one. Bye bye. Thank you.