Arsecast Extra Episode 672 - 22.12.2025

0:11Hello and welcome to another Arsecast Extra as always with James from Gunnerblog. James a goodly morning to you goodly morning andrew how you doing i'm okay i'm okay i was out and about last night gadding about town i noticed that yeah saw on your instagram yeah he was out yeah sort of sunday night office party sort of a tradition we have just me and my wife so we call it the office party bit of lunch nice bottle of wine and uh stroll around the city before coming home it was very nice very nice um we always have a little sort of christmas party as well but that's tonight for us Okay. But partly on account of our small child, we have it at home.

0:51But basically we just get low, you know, like in the supermarkets, they have those sort of weird Christmas canapé trays. You know what I mean? So it'll be like... Like party food stuff. Yeah, yeah. It'll be like a prawn on a stick or like a duck, you know, dumpling. We just buy a couple of packs of those and eat exclusively party food at home. Very good. Watch a Christmas film. So that's tonight. Well, enjoy in advance. I wish you a very duck spring roll, prawn on a stick, festive fun night. With this prawn on a stick, you are spoiling us. Imagine biting into a Ferrero Rocher and instead of the chocolate, there was a prawn.

1:36Oh, man. Product recall.

1:41But while you were out on the town, I was catching up on Everton versus Arsenal because very unusually for me, I did not watch this game live. Actually, so I went to see my friend in a play on Saturday night. It was his birthday that night as well. So it was sort of like a social thing. And I had it in the diary for ages. And I came out of the play at the interval. It's called Dracapella, by the way. It's on in Finsbury Park. it's an acapella musical of bram stoker's dracula draccapella that's good i like yeah it's one of those where you feel like they started with the title um and work backwards from there it's until january 15th i believe it's very funny go and see it but i came out of the interval and i had like a couple of missed calls from my editor my big my big boss at the athletic not me um no yeah not from you my other big boss and um probably i don't know if i should be missing this publicly but anyway and then i sort of went on my messaging app and there were loads of messages to the effect of like what are you thinking so far um what do you think your you know on the whistle piece is going to be a point on yokores's penalty could be good blah Basically, it turned out I was supposed to be watching the game and working.

3:12And I had to reply and be like, I'm at Dracappella. Do you want a par on Dracappella? I can give you a pretty good review of this acapella musical of Bram Stoker's Dracula, if that's what you'd like for The Athletic. Turns out. imagine you log on to the athletic post game. And it's like, you know, on the whistle, briefing from Goodison Park, Everton versus Arsenal. It's like, I've long thought that Bram Stoker's Dracula would benefit from an acapella adaptation. Yeah, the song between Mina and Lucy was really, really very well executed. Fast ratings out of 10. Yeah, as for Rheinfeld's rap, not sure about that one.

4:10So there you go. So I had somehow misread a rota, imagined a rota. It's quite unlike me. I'm often late, but I rarely just don't show entirely. That's very true. You can attest to that. I certainly can. I will be there, not necessarily when I've said, but in the environ, you know what I mean? Sure. So, yeah, that was pretty bad. I felt I've never done that before. And I hope I don't do it again. But I dealt with it the only way I knew how, which was to say, sorry, I'm at Dracopella and going out and getting very drunk. I mean, honesty is the best policy, I think, in those circumstances. It really is.

4:55You know, aside from that, though, I do think it's kind of interesting that you watched it post hoc. I do, too, man. I think it was a very different experience. Yeah, yeah. Because, you know, I certainly experienced it one way and you obviously knew what the score was and watched the game in the full knowledge that Arsenal had won. So, look, it does strip out any of the potential jeopardy that takes place during the 90 minutes. But I am quite curious as to your thoughts on a performance which, you know, I think has not divided people, but I think there is quite a variation or a variance in terms of how people felt about this.

5:40Some people were quite anxious. Other people thought we played really well and that the scoreline didn't quite reflect that. And I think that's sort of where I am in the cold light of day. but I will say that during the game, I had rising levels of anxiety, which I don't think is unreasonable either. No. And I'll confess as well that I did too. And like, you know, there were some sort of furtive glances at my phone while Van Helsing was, you know, singing about his need to kill Dracula. So I totally get that. And obviously, I think the problem with the game, or the reason it's created that response is because after Wolves, I think there was a real desire for Arsenal to win in a kind of wholly convincing, stress-free manner.

6:48Yeah. And it sounds like, and I can imagine, and that watching it in live in the course of the 90 minutes, that was sort of not your experience. No, I mean, I do think that we were better than we were against Wolves. And I also think Everton are a more difficult team to play against than Wolves. And they're at home and it's a tough place to go. And we've experienced that in the past. But I sort of, you know, was in midway through that second half and we're 1-0 up and Trossard hits the post And then Zubimendi hits the post. And Everton had a little spell, which I'll circle back around to. And the game looked to me like it was taking on a very similar aspect.

7:32Two Wolves in that 15 minutes to go, 15, 20 minutes to go. Arsenal are sitting back. We dealt with it well. And I do want to come back to that because I think it is quite interesting. But I could not experience those last 20 minutes without thinking about Sunderland away. without thinking about Aston Villa away, without thinking about Wolves last week. People were saying, ah, Everton didn't even have a shot on target. But neither did Wolves until they scored in the 92nd, 93rd minute, you know? So what it was for me was, you know, I could see that we were the better team, I think, on the night.

8:13We made the best chances for sure. I think, you know, we probably should have scored at least one of those shots that hit the post. and that gives the game a different complexion. And obviously you relax with a two goal scoreline. But while it is only one goal, I think two things are true. One is that you live on that knife edge where one moment can absolutely scupper your three points, right? And the other is it sort of feeds into what I think is an overarching conversation about our attacking prowess, You know, our ability to score goals more than one goal, you know, I think there's been a bit of anxiety about that over the last little while because it's come back to bite us, as we saw in the Villa game, nearly came back to bite us in the Wolves game as well.

9:02So the idea, I think, that we haven't been 100 % convincing in attack, combined with sort of recent PTSD and just the general high stakes world that we're living in when it comes to a title race, all of that made me very, very anxious in the last part of the game. So, yeah. As long as it's only one goal, you know, it doesn't take much. That's it. And, you know, it's inevitable there's going to be a few kind of scares and heart and mouth moments when it's that time. You know, I must say there's a lot more security, of course, watching it, knowing the result. And my kind of overriding outtake was maybe because of that sort of added sort of blanket of security, sort of more one of being really delighted that Arsenal were able to win yet another game where I don't think they were entirely convincing.

10:16I mean, I find it sort of fascinating and I guess great that we're talking about Wolves and Everton as sort of two games where we were not at our best and yet we've got six points from it. I mean, of course, I don't think that's a sustainable thing over the course of the season, but I suppose where I'm at is I'm hoping that this is Arsenal's sticky patch, that this is their period where things aren't quite clicking, they're not firing, and the fact that we're winning in spite of that. there are positives to be derived from that as well as concerns. Sure, I get that. I think the next couple of games will be really instructive in that regard.

11:05We have two home games against tough opposition, Brighton and then Aston Villa, obviously, who keep winning and who we owe one to after what happened at Villa Park a couple of weeks ago. So, you know, I do recognise that. And I think if you are playing poorly and you're winning, There is some obvious comfort in that. There is, I think, a wider discussion to be had about how we're playing and maybe why we're not quite at the levels we want to be at. I think there are some reasons for that as well. But it is a comfortable or more comfortable place to discuss those things from when you've got three points under your belt again and you sit top of the table going into Christmas, This completely arbitrary marker of whether or not somebody can be champions or not.

11:54You know, I don't know why Christmas is different to New Year or is different from the 18 game mark or whatever it is. But it seems to be something that is used in that sense. So why don't we circle back around to the first half and talk about team selection. Nothing particularly surprising in the team that Mikel Arteta picked. Calafuri back in at left back. Trossard on the left. and the midfield of Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Jokeres up front. Yeah, no surprises there. You know, Calafiore back in at left-back. I did sort of have a thought of, I wonder if back in August when Nkape was signed, or was it even early September, I wonder if Mikel always saw them kind of this way round, that he'd have Calafiore at left back and Capier at centre-half.

12:47I do wonder if he might have been envisaged at that point in time. It might be the other way. But I think Calafiore has just been so exceptional, really. He's been fantastic at left back this season that I think it absolutely makes sense to keep him this way round and keep him in that position. Trossard back in, of course. I think that's warranted based on what he's done this season and the little cameo against Wolves. And he kept faithfully at the Ocarez, I guess. I mean, people asked all week, you know, who should start this? And I think I always felt it would be Ocarez. And yeah, Mikel's stuck with him on this one.

13:33So, I mean, the first part of the game was pretty scrappy. I think neither side was particularly threatening, but then I think Arsenal started to get a grip on the game a little bit. There was a Zubimendi shot. There was a Jokeres header flicked on. Not a simple chance by any means, but a chance delivered to him by Martin Odegaard. And then he wanted a penalty for what he felt was a push in the back. What did you make of that one? I mean, for me, you know, applying my usual rule of how would I feel if it was given up the other end, I didn't think that was a penalty. Yeah, it was interesting, wasn't it?

14:13Because there were a lot more protests over this than there were the actual penalty. Yeah. Subsequently, I mean, Arsenal were really adamant that this was a penalty. I don't think this was a penalty. I thought it was good play from Saka and Timber and that was a real theme on the day. I think their combinations were really, really excellent. Deflected cross from Timber. Jokrez is trying to get in the end of it. Yeah, I just think, I think it was one of those where he was so sort of frustrated and disappointed not to have scored that that led into the protests. Like, you know, I just think there's not enough contact there really to give a foul.

14:59No, I don't think so. But there was immediately a penalty awarded. Quite how the ref did not see this is beyond me because it's not a very subtle piece of play from Jake O 'Brien. Kind of insane, isn't it? It is completely mad. It's like he had a moment of madness. Like he was, oh, am I Val Kilmer in Top Gun? I think I will play volleyball with some sweaty men. That's kind of what it looked like. Two hands above his head. I mean, Calafiore's jump is fantastic as well. He's like some kind of Italian kangaroo, the way he gets off the ground there. And O 'Brien puts two hands above his head. I think Zubimendi, he claims a penalty there.

15:54And Calafiore sort of does. but nobody else really does, which is quite strange given how unsubtle this handball was. Yeah, Calafui does for a few seconds and then I guess appropriately, he's very focused on getting back, right? He's suddenly sprinting back towards his own penalty area. You can sort of lip read him on TV. He says handball. You can see him say that on the TV footage. But it took VAR, obviously, to tell the referee, I think you might have missed something here, buddy. Yeah, I mean, yeah, you're absolutely right that the referee should see it. It's odd that he doesn't. But it was slightly odd that so many players in the box missed it as well.

16:36Because when you watch the replays, I mean, it's the most obvious penalty you'll ever see. And I don't know if it's blind panic on O 'Brien's part or just a bit of lacking coordination. It was him at the back post as well with the Ocrest, wasn't it, moments before?

16:53Yeah. Yeah. Verging on suspicious. That handball. Really, really strange. Yeah. It's not Lucas Packeta. Yeah. If it was, we'd be asking some serious questions. And so, yeah, penalty given. And can I ask, who did you, obviously I knew when I was watching who would take, who did you expect to take him? I sort of thought, given all the discourse around him, that it might be Jokeres. I saw Odegaard with the ball, and I didn't think Odegaard was going to take it. Then he handed it to Jokeres, and the close-up on TV, before he's about to take it, all I could think of was Raquel May versus Lehman. he just had that look in his face i was going oh no please don't be too stressed by this was a big big moment for him and listen he made absolutely no mistake with the penalty it's a great penalty and gave pickford no chance really given the ferocity and the trajectory with which he hit the hit the ball you know but it sort of made sense to me that they could give it to jacquez in that context because he is a striker who needed a goal you know the penalty as we saw for kai havertz in that game against bournemouth yeah you know um that was a little bit lower stakes but it was a moment where i think the team or the captain made a decision that hey look we trust this guy to take penalties it's not like you're giving it to me or you you know this is a guy who scored a lot of penalties excuse me i'm actually a good penalty i'm a decent penalty taker yeah yeah as are you i remember from the five side tournaments i have seen you slot them away with your gigantic runner very much from the yorker at school really which is if in doubt hit it very very very hard yes um and you could understand him having some doubt.

19:05I agree, actually. You know, there's a little nervous sort of gulp almost before he takes it. And in front of a, you know, obeying crowd too, but he really gets so much power in it that the keeper can't get anywhere near it. And whatever debates we've had about Jokerez since he arrived, I think one thing that everybody's clear on is that he can kick the ball very hard into the goal. Yes. So, yes, I was very, very pleased that he did. I think the players were delighted for him as well. Clearly, it seemed that a decision had been made to, I say give it to him. I mean, he might be the best penalty taker at the club.

19:49He's a very good penalty taker with a very good record. So it's not exactly charity. But I think everyone was aware that he needed a goal and that it could be a big moment for him. Yeah, for sure. And look, he made no mistake. He scored the goal that won Arsenal the game ultimately, you know. So look, I really don't have any issue if Jokka Ress takes them or Saka takes them, even Odegaard to an extent. I think Odegaard would probably be number three on my list when it comes to penalties with those two. But listen, you're giving it to a guy who has scored a load of penalties in his career. So it's not like you're putting yourself in any real risk.

20:30And I think the benefit for Jokeres in that moment was, okay, a goal. I need a goal. I need to sort of have some end product after a few games where it hasn't really happened. And yeah, I mean, hopefully that is something that he takes a lot of confidence from. I mean, what else was there in that first half? There was that moment, wasn't there, where late in the half, there's an opportunity for Odegaard to play Jokeres in. And I think this is an interesting one for me as well, because I think it is both a poor pass and a poor run by Jokeres. I think he goes towards the defender rather than away from the defender.

21:19And I think the execution of the pass down from Odegaard is just, you know, you expect better from a player of his caliber and his ability on the ball, you know. I think it's, yeah, I think both of them could do better there. But I think the onus will fall on Jokerez or Odegaard rather, you know, to make that pass more presentable. There was one actually where I think he did have a chance. Saliba actually set him up with a ball through midfield, which he took on. And this is sort of like where I wonder about Jokeres in the Portuguese league versus Jokeres in the Premier League. Because it looks to me like that's the sort of chance he thrived on in Portugal.

22:05But I think in the Premier League, defenders are better and faster and quicker, even a Tarkovsky. is sort of a level above what he was playing against in Portugal. So you've got to be quicker to get your shot off. And you've also got to move the ball, I think, further away from the defender to prevent them getting the block in. And it feels to me like he's had moments like that since he arrived where those shooting chances have been there, but he maybe needs to be a bit faster to get that shot off because you will get closed down at this level. Yeah, there was a good piece on Sky Sports' website last week by Nick Wright, and he used data to illustrate some of the challenges Jokeres is facing in sort of readapting to playing in England and adapting for the first time really to playing in the Premier League.

23:04And one that stood out to me was his dual success rate. which in Portugal, I think, was above 50%. And I think since he came to Arsenal has been close to 30%. And I think that is probably reflective of the fact that he no longer can kind of bully centre-halves in quite the way he did over in Portugal. I think he's lost some of the physical advantages that he had. As for these two moments, I mean, I thought the pass from Saliba is really, really good. I think then, as you say, I think the centre half is then just sort of closer to Jokeres, quicker, stronger than he's perhaps accustomed to. The Odegaard one, I feel like what I want to see there is Odegaard kind of try and commit the defender a bit more.

23:57So maybe he has to hold the pass a little longer to try and draw that defender out and then play Jokeres in. I think as it is it's just sort of like it ends up being a bit kind of nothing it ends up sort of falling between two things slightly but yeah I mean an interesting game sort of on the Okere's front I think hopefully that goal is a bit of a monkey off his back and can be a big moment for him but I think equally it would be and he's the match winner here we owe him three points but But equally, I don't think this was a game necessarily in which it clicked perfectly. I still think we've got a way to go.

24:45Yeah, I mean, my sort of concern, this is a game where he had three shots, one shot on target, which was the penalty. But I was looking at the stats and trying to assess the game and trying to sort of, were my eyes telling me something different than the stats are showing, you know, center forward, you don't need your center forward to be making a hundred passes a game, but I think a center forward that completes just three of five passes in the hour and a bit that he was on the pitch while everyone around him is, you know, their pass numbers are way, way higher past volume and past completion and success rate are way higher.

25:26It just sort of says to me that he is still struggling a bit to be on the same wavelength as those around him. And they're struggling a little bit to be on the same wavelength as him, you know. So that's kind of where I was with this performance. I think the penalty was great. I think generally he struggles to link with people in the way that you might like. in December, you know, there's still a way to go and there's still time for those combinations to start working and he has been out injured, et cetera, et cetera. But that did worry me a little bit and the sort of the jewels or the battles or the one-on-one moments that he has with defenders, he always seems to come off second best in those.

26:14And that's a little bit of a worry as well. But look, as you said, hopefully the goal will be confidence boost that he needs. I don't think he'll start on Tuesday or tomorrow tomorrow what day is it? It's Wednesday it is tomorrow. It is tomorrow it's Monday today. I was right the first time and yeah the game is tomorrow so yeah I imagine he'll be rotated out. Yeah we'll talk about that maybe in part two because I think I have a question about that. So look those were maybe moments for Jokeres where if he gets a shot off quicker from the Saliba pass, it might be a second goal. If the combination between himself and Odegaard is better, it might be a second goal.

27:01The second half, there was a penalty shout for Everton, which I will say worried me in real time. Was that the one where Saliba sort of kicks through the player? Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think it's, it's a pretty tame kick, but it's one of those where you see them given, you know, where the attacker gets the ball just before the defender, the defender kicks. it's not enough really to provoke that kind of reaction from Tiernan O 'Bari who I think maybe the histrionics worked against him a little bit but I will say as I was sitting there it just felt like the kind of decision that would go against Arsenal in a tight game and you have seen penalties like that given.

27:52Yeah, do you know what? Unfortunately I can't remember it but I seem to recall us having a debate about a very similar incident, like at some point last season. I can't even remember if it was kind of for or against us, but I remember somebody making a clearance in that fashion and then sort of kicking through and hitting the player. And definitely, I think there is precedent for seeing penalties awarded for this sort of thing. I'm not going to say it is a penalty. Like, I think it would have been pretty harsh, but I can't say I wouldn't have been nervous watching it. Yeah, for sure. I mean, I don't think it should be a penalty, but we've seen those given before against us and maybe one or two for us.

28:42So, yeah, I was a little bit worried. And again, that's that sort of one goal lead jeopardy, that knife edge that you're on. because, you know, second goal, not that that would make it redundant or just make it less damaging, you know. Anyway, VAR checked and cleared and that was kind of that from an Everton perspective, really. They didn't threaten a great deal. I think that was the moment. I had about four text messages from different people at some point in the second half saying something like, nervous or we look rocky or something like that. And having watched the game, I can only imagine that was when they sent those.

29:26But I'm not sure there were other major points of tension in the second half. But you tell me if I'm wrong. No, I don't think there were. Because what sort of fed into it were the moments where we almost scored again, you know? It was a really, really lovely move from Arsenal to create that chance for Trossard, which, you know, I would expect him to score. I think he should score there. He's got the ability, the quality, the track record. I think he should score there. I know it's close. It comes off the post, but I think that's sort of a bad miss for Trossard. And then the Zubimendi one, not quite as clear cut, I don't think, but it was created by Odegaard.

30:09Zubimendi's shot comes off the post. So you've twice hit the post and you're sort of like, oh God, is this going to come back? and haunt us. That's the fear that you have with that one goal lead. He took off Jokoraz, he put on Gabriel Jesus, and there was like a little spell where I think I sent a message to Andrew Allen. I was like, oh, this is like the Wolves game, where Everton had the ball and we decamped to our own half and we sat deep and I was like, oh, I can't deal with another 15, 20 minutes of this kind of stuff, you know? But what I thought was very interesting then was that only lasted a couple of minutes.

30:52And Arsenal basically strangled the life out of the game in those last 15 minutes and the bit of injury time that there was. So I'm curious as to how you viewed that. You know, it must have been quite dull, actually, just sort of watching Arsenal keep the ball in the opposition half, not allow them possession, not allow them into our half, really. And I think that was an interesting aspect of this performance where it did look as if we were going to sit back and just defend the lead. But by being more proactive, by playing the game higher up the pitch, we just eliminated whatever little threat there was from Everton in the first place.

31:33Yeah, exactly. I thought that was a lesson learned from Wolves, a big lesson learned. Wolves, we really kind of collapsed in on ourselves and allowed them, you know, quite long spells of possession in our half. Here, you're right. I mean, Arsenal, they had those two great chances. Either of those, I think, would have killed the game and really settled the nerves. They didn't go our way. And I think we actually, in light of that, managed this final period pretty well. Again, it's another one where, when you're watching, knowing the outcome, you perceive it slightly differently. but I was quite impressed I think by the sort of maturity Arsenal showed there and I felt it was a big improvement on the way we managed our lead against Wolves and Everton you have to say like for balance we're missing a number of really really important players for them you know Dewsbury Hall DI for example you know they had a lot to their threat going forward and I felt that you saw how much they missed them really, that they didn't really have enough to hurt us.

32:46And our back four, you know, we've had quite makeshift back fours at times, but I thought having Califuri back in, having Timber back in, having Saliba back in, that all made a difference and gave us that stability that we needed. Yeah, yeah, for sure. And look, as I said, it did feel a bit hairy in those final 15-20 minutes just because the lead was not as convincing as you would like it to be or as it maybe should have been given some of the chances that we had in that game. But ultimately, you know, it really was about ensuring that we took all three points. It is a difficult place to go. There was a big atmosphere, wasn't there?

33:24The pyrotechnics and a light show and all that kind of stuff. You know, 8 o 'clock Saturday evening, the Saturday before Christmas, so people will have been out and had a few pints. So it was, you know, it was a difficult game, even if Everton were missing some of those players. And I think the way we did deal with those final 15 minutes in the cold light of day, not during the period while the game was live and I was sitting there scratching and getting ever more anxious, you know, it was far, far better than what we saw against Wolves. So that's the improvement. I think the next improvement people want or will be looking to see is, can we just be a bit more proactive in the opposition final third?

34:11Can we make those chances or make more of those chances? Because if we do, then, you know, games like this don't feel as tight as they were. Yeah, absolutely. Like, that is the next step. And, you know, you cast slightly envious glances at the Etihad where Man City sweep West Ham side 3-0 and it looks very calm and controlled and composed and the margins right now at Arsenal just feel a little bit more tight but I am impressed by the way that we've managed to manage those margins in our favour and I think yeah, as I say I'm hoping if the team can start to click a bit more and we can create a bit of distance between us and our opponents, that will give us all a bit of a breather and allow our heart rates to to calm down yeah yeah I mean listen this is a team and I know it's um when people are looking for that improvement you know it's always about the individuals maybe and what can they do but I think you know the the way the team has been hit with injuries across this season so far.

35:27I mean, I can't escape the feeling that that is part of why this team does not look as fluid or fluent or cohesive as you would like. You know what I mean? It's not just attacking injuries because we've got lots of attacking players at our disposal now, but defensive injuries also have an impact on how you play or maybe how certain individuals can play. So I think there is something to that. you know, the combinations, like how many times of Odegaard and Jokic has started together, for example. You know, so we don't have that kind of buildup of rhythm and combinations, the automatisms, whatever you want to call it.

36:07Arteta always talks about connections, doesn't he, on the pitch? And there's been so much rotation, which has been necessary, that I think that does play a part. But we're sort of at a point now where we do need to start seeing a bit of an improvement in that sense, right? It's not that we're not scoring goals, but I do feel like there is a sense that maybe goals feel harder to come by than they should be. Yeah, I think that's fair. But I think you're right to say that injuries have interrupted our momentum at times this season. you know it's not that they've derailed it because we've managed to stay on track but I do think they've made it difficult for us to kind of maintain that fluency so yeah listen it's kind of I mean Miklart looked very very happy when that full time whistle blew I think he knew these were big points tough ground to come I think he probably knew that Arsenal had kind of edged it as well, although they were the better team on the day.

37:15And it's kind of a coach's dream, I think, when you can, you've got stuff to work on, stuff to improve, but you've got the benefit of three points to kind of sit back on. I mean, I say stuff to improve. There is no real time to work on or improve anything because, you know, the next week or two is just crazy. It is, starting with a cup game tomorrow night and then, of course, Brighton at the weekend. And so, yeah, it's a good place to be, though, top of the table. City, of course, had gone above us earlier in the day. So that was another little bit of something we had to deal with, wasn't it? Just that little bit of added pressure.

37:55To what extent do you think that affected sort of in-game anxiety? Maybe a bit, maybe a bit. I mean, it was felt inevitable, didn't it, that they were going to beat West Ham. So I don't think it was any surprise. But that's what a title race is all about. You know, there are going to be days where, you know, you play first and you put a bit of pressure on by extending the lead. And can the opposition react? And then there's going to be games or scenarios like this where all of a sudden you're behind. I think they said it was the first time that Arsenal have not been top of the table since like early October or something like that.

38:30So it was only temporary because we did win and we got the three points. But it's all part of what we're going to have to contend with in this title race. So, yeah, I mean, I think in the cold light of day or maybe come May, we'll look back on these games against Wolves and Everton and say, right, 2-1 win, 1-0 win, you know, job done. that's as much as it matters in the grand scheme of things. But, you know, in the midst of the discussion and the sort of fear that surrounds everybody at this moment in time because of the high stakes, you know, they do feel, you know, quite acute. You know, some of the flaws, if you want to call them that, or some of the issues that we're trying to deal with in terms of scoring goals, they feel a bit more acute maybe than they actually are.

39:17Yeah. I think, you know, in recent seasons, we've had spells of a couple of games where we've not quite performed at our level and it's ultimately cost us the league, right? So I do keep coming back to the fact that to come through these two with six points in hand is great. but we will need to be better particularly for that visit of Aston Villa which for sure is looking like a huge game yeah well that's it I mean I think you know you can say for sure that there was an improvement on the performance over Wolves and I think it will need to be better again to beat Brighton and it will need to be better again if we want to beat Aston Villa but I'm sure that is something that Mikel Arteta and the players are well aware of anything else before we go into part two no no let's go for it let's go for it all right we'll take a little break here we'll come back with your questions and more in part two right after this.

40:21Welcome back to the Arsecast Extra. This is part two of the show where we answer the questions that you send to us on bluesky at gunnerblog.bsky.social, also at arseblog.com, and on the Arseblog Discord chat server, which you get access to if you are an Arseblog member on Patreon. And before we just get into the questions, we did say we put the Goodly Morning mugs back on sale. And we did say that we would donate all the proceeds and a bit more to good causes. You know, people, most people, I think, bought a mug last year when they were out for the first time. So there wasn't as big a run on the mugs this time around.

41:02We generated around 400 euros, which is not small. But I felt like at this time of the year, and given the way things are in the world, that we could do a little more. So we've taken that money and added it to a little pot. And what we did today, Arseblog, has donated 5 ,000 euros to UNICEF, which helps kids all across the world in very difficult circumstances. We've donated two and a half thousand euros to Islington Food Bank. You know, their work, which is very closely aligned with Arsenal Football Club, by the way, is really, really vital, you know, for families who it's crazy that food banks are a necessity, but they are.

41:48And Islington Food Bank is local and does great work. And also two and a half thousand euros to Children's Health Ireland for children's hospitals here in Ireland, helping to support sick children and their family. So if you are part of our Patreon community, thank you very much indeed. You help us do things like this and put a bit of good out into the world at Christmastime. And yeah, so there you go. That's what we've done. And we thank you for your continued support, which allows us to do things like that. So there you go. That is fantastic. And if you are a patron, by the way, we've recorded another podcast.

42:25We have. Yeah, when you were in Dublin, Last week. Yeah. He came here, sat in the studio. We recorded a festive waffle. An in-person festive waffle. Yeah, sitting in the same studio, recording a podcast. And yeah, that will be out for everyone. Either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, we'll release that. It's just a good bit of chat. The Waffle Podcast is one that we do for our Patreon members pretty regularly. We talk about anything and everything except Arsenal and except football. So it's all a load of nonsense. but a good bit of fun. So that will be available for our Patreon members at patreon.com forward slash arseblog.

43:03Right. Will I go first? Yeah. Yeah, I will. You will. I will. Merry fucking Christmas to you. Let me see. I did have a question. Oh, here it is. It's from Nishant at NishantGunner10.bsky.social who asks with the game tomorrow, Tuesday, which is the day after Monday and the one before Wednesday. He asks, how many changes would you make for the Palace game? And how many do you expect Arteta to make? Will he give the gift of football to some of his players this Christmas? Kepa. Will he let Kepa play? I think so. He should do. I think he will. I think he probably has too. I saw Kepa was linked with was it Panathinaikos the other day and I don't think there's much realistic prospects of that happening right now but I think that's probably partly contingent on the fact he's going to get some games I would expect him to play against Palace I would expect him to play against Portsmouth as well in general Who do you pick up right I mean we don't have a lot of defenders available I think Myles Lewis-Skelly should and will play at left back.

44:29Do you start Saliba in this game? Because he has been, you know, on the edge a little bit. I think Arteta said a couple of weeks ago, starting him in the, was it the Wolves game? Yeah, he said the Wolves game. It was a bit of a risk to start him in that one. He's obviously played seven days later at Everton. Maybe he's all better, but is it one of those where it's too much of a risk to play him? And if you don't, who do you play? he's asked about I guess maybe Norgard could it be Norgard Calafuri Norgard and Capier who'd he play at right back he was asked about Marley Salmon in his press conference the other day and spoke quite glowingly of his yeah of his readiness I mean is that too much to ask a 16 year old or is it a case of you know needs must Timber's played a lot Saliba's played a lot we don't have Ben White at this moment in time don't have Gabriel don't have Muscara, you know, guys who could really slot in across that back line and give you some depth.

45:26So it could be a bit mix and match back there, couldn't it? Yeah, I mean, interestingly as well, I think Arteta kind of unprompted volunteered that he sees Marley as someone who can play centre-half and right back. I know he came on at right back. I have to think if he's got any chance of starting, I think it's more plausible at fullback. Although that's not really his position. It's just kind of football logic, isn't it? That sometimes a young defender, it's not they can hide at fullback, but they can maybe be a bit more protected, I think. Less exposed, if you say. I think that's right. I'm going to say that I don't think Mikel will take that leap.

46:13I think he'll go stronger than that. I think he will. Man, we haven't got defenders. That's the thing, yeah. I think he'll play Timber. Do I? When's the next game, Brighton? Brighton. I don't think you can play Timber, can you? Maybe you do. I think he'll play Timber. I think he'll play Calafuri. And I think he'll play Norgaard. I think he'd play Norgard at centre-half. Does that then mean that you've got to play maybe a midfield that wouldn't be as natural as it might be? I mean, you don't want to... What do you think he'll do at the back? I don't know. I really don't know. I think he might play one of Saliba or Timber to give it a bit of seniority back there.

47:07I wouldn't then be surprised to see Norgard in midfield. What do you do in midfield? I mean, you've got options. You've got Norgard, you've got Eze, you've got Warneri, you've got Marino. I think he'll start Gabriel Jesus up front. I think he'll... It's Chris Palace, he must. Yeah, true. And I think he'll start Nani Madueke on the right, and I think he'll start Martinelli on the left. Yeah, that means you can play Marino in midfield, essentially. But do you play Marino as a – do you play like a midfield of Marino as a Warneri or do you need – Finally, Marino as a DM. Yeah. The allegations are proven true.

47:55I – yeah, I don't know, man. I'm not sure. I think – I kind of feel that you have to play Ethan here. I'm just like if you're not playing Ethan here when are you playing it and I feel like as a

48:20I don't know I don't know I think maybe one of I think someone's got to play Diem and I don't think it's Marino yeah I agree with that like maybe it's Zermendi did the full 90 didn't he as did Rice yeah listen I I really don't want to see either of them, which is why maybe you then put somebody more senior at the back and you play Norgard, where that's his natural position, really. Would you feel that we could get away with Ezenwuneri and Norgard as a three? Or do you think Marino will be in there? I think Marino will be in there. Yeah, so do I. So do I. And I think, I kind of think it should be Ethan in that midfield.

49:15I just think Ezez is going to get Premier League minutes. But at the moment, Ethan's not really getting those. Well, neither is Ezez, really. Well. Is he on the naughty step after the Villa game a little bit? Maybe a little bit. Maybe a little bit. I mean you can also put Ed into the front three that is also an option well you can put Wuneri on the right as well and play Madweke on the left we're talking ourselves in nuts here though we don't know we haven't got a fucking clue we haven't got a Scooby Doo I'll just name an 11 now okay no Ikepa, Lewis Skelly, Calafuri

50:04Timber Salmon something like that Norgard Marino Winneri Eze on the left yeah Madueke Eze Jesus okay Martinelli has impact sub I'll go with that I'll go with that I don't know he's got he's got options everywhere apart from at the back where I think he's got to fudge it a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. But, yeah, it's an interesting one. I mean, do you – I saw you – did you write in the week about the draw and your feelings on the next round? I did, actually, yeah. What did you say? I think it was like, I understand the sort of priority of this season. I think everybody understands the priority of this season.

51:05But I also think that winning the EFL Cup and winning the Premier League, they're not incompatible. I don't think it has to be one or the other. I don't think it's an either or situation. It's going to be two legs against Chelsea if we beat Palace. which is, you know, not ideal but could have been worse maybe, you know City or Newcastle maybe a bit more intense those games Yeah, I mean Palace were quite hard work weren't they, the league game They looked tired though against Leeds didn't they? They got a spanking against Leeds so yeah, I think they'll probably rotate a bit as well as much as they can, I'm not sure they've got the deeper squad but they might rotate a bit as well, listen You know, it's one of those where I think everyone recognizes that the big prize is the Premier League or the Champions League, right?

51:59But I don't think a club that hasn't won a trophy since 2020 can be arrogant enough to say, we don't want to win this one. We don't want to win one of the four trophies on offer. I don't think it works like that. I don't think that's how Mikel Arteta's, I was going to say brain, but I don't think that's his outlook either. I think he wants to win every game and wants to win every tournament that we're involved in. So I get it. People find it a bit hard to be enthused by this competition. And there's a worry that it might impede progress in the Premier League, which is, you know, something we've seen in the past.

52:41But also winning a trophy could be really important for this team. Even if it is the EFL Cup, and I say even, you know, in inverted commas, because that will be a brilliant season for most other clubs in English football, right? Winning a trophy. So I don't think we can be arrogant enough to say, well, it doesn't matter. but I recognize it's complicated so yeah I think ultimately what do the players want do they want to win this game and face Chelsea and get to a Wembley final I think they do I think they do but I do think as well it is important that Mikel Arteta properly rotates as much as possible for this one because he's got to give some playing time to some of these guys who are not getting enough of it at this moment in time and you know if we get injuries crazy idea but if we get injuries to important players, it's more useful to us if some of the guys coming in to replace them have had minutes on the pitch and some of them really haven't had too much time so far this season.

53:43Yeah, agreed. I've got a question kind of based on that. I mean, I said I think Ethan sort of needs this game, but there was a question from Jack Abella with reference to January who said, Morning, gents. Hypothetically, a£50 million offer comes in for Rennari. A, what would you do? B, what do you think the club would do? And C, what do you think Ethan would want to do? Well, 50 million offer. What would the club do? I think they'd think very, very strongly about accepting that offer, to be honest. I think if they could, I think they'd probably look for some sort of mitigation in the deal, like some sort of protection against if he was to move, you know, like a sell-on clause or something like that.

54:37Or buyback. Yeah, yeah. And they might negotiate on it as well. They might value him. They might point to some other transfer fees and say, maybe there's a bit more juice in that lemon. But it would give them something to think very hard about. What would Ethan do? I don't know. I mean, I'm guessing he wants to play more than he's playing right now. Yeah. I mean, I would imagine it really depend on the club. Yeah. And the opportunity. And I think is, what do I think about it? I would, you know, I would, I would hate to see him go before I feel he's had a real, real chance. You know? I think what we saw from him last season, the goal scoring, the output that he had is not normal or not common for a player of his age.

55:33And he was 17 for much of that, wasn't he? He was barely turned 18 only this year, you know. So I do feel like I sort of understand why he hasn't played as much this season. He's still only 18. He's got loads of time, loads of time to develop. and if he were to go now, I would feel like he hasn't really had the chance to show his talent properly at Arsenal. Tell you what would be interesting. Go on, yeah. Are you talking about a loan maybe? Yeah. Like if someone came in with a loan, how do you feel about that? I think that would probably be pretty useful, you know. um i think it's still difficult for the club like in some ways i think it's easier for the club to let him go when they're getting 50 million quid in and it sort of really helps out on the accounting the loan there's always that worry with a loan of like you get a couple of injuries and people say why did you yeah why did you do this you know well that's yeah that's true but But also, I think if you're looking at minutes so far this season, I should look these up, but I'm guessing that Ethan's are pretty low.

56:53You know, there is a need for him to continue his development and he's not going to progress as a player if he's sitting on the bench every week and not even getting any minutes in games. So I'm just going to look up. He's got 446 minutes. So, you know, only about half more football than Christian Norgard at this point. But what about Premier League versus other minutes? He's 165 minutes in the Premier League. Hasn't started a game in the Premier League. The most minutes he got were in the Nottingham Forest game. I think that was when Odegaard got injured and he came off the bench to replace Odegaard.

57:3572 minutes in that game. one start in the Champions League which was against Slavia Prague I think and in the EFL Cup he started the games against Port Vale and Brighton and yeah I mean I think I think you're right like if he doesn't start the game tomorrow night when is he going to start? Yeah I think if I'm sporting director if I'm Andrew Berta I think I'm I am thinking about alone and I'm doing it I'm seeing that as an opportunity I'm seeing that as what's best for this player's development like can we can we get him alone that is gonna see his talent develop and potentially explode you know is it the Bundesliga for example is it a good Premier League side I don't know but I think I don't think it needs to be seen as like a disaster or a failure or anything like it I think it's I think it would be brilliant for Ethan and it could mean that we get a player back in the summer who's more ready to be regularly contributing and to be sort of trusted by this manager.

59:03But I do think generally there's going to be a kind of understandable paranoia about allowing any player to go in a season in which you've been so plagued by injuries. That's true. What about this one from Freddie LJ on the Discord? He says, Is the absence of Big Gabby forcing Declan Rice to be more 6 than 8? And are we losing his pressing and offensive actions, thus weakening our attack. That is an interesting point in that he does seem to be increasingly more part of that kind of pivot with Zubimendi, it seems to me. And I thought Rice was excellent, by the way. Yes. I mean, it's sort of a given.

59:45I sort of forget to say it some weeks, but I do think he's in brilliant form. So, yeah, maybe there is an element of a bit of added protection there, particularly in that sort of left channel. Is that what you've observed? I think what's sort of interesting to me is that the midfielders dropping deep to pick the ball up off the centre-halves appears to be a bit more pronounced in the last few weeks. I could be wrong. This could be just me, you know, reading the games wrong. But, you know, I saw Odegaard do it, which I don't always want to see him back there. I mean, I think there are times where, you know, he can rotate with Zubimendi, where he can rotate with Declan Rice a little bit.

1:00:33But, you know, certainly Rice dropping between the centre-halves has been a feature of our recent play. And I do wonder if there is a knock-on effect to that, particularly when you play against teams who sit deep, you know. But then maybe that's part of trying to pull the other team apart, you know. where you're dropping your midfielders into positions where either the marker goes with him or, I don't know. I feel, though, somebody with a better eye can tell me, though, that that is a bit more pronounced over the last number of weeks. The build-up. Yeah. I think that's right. I think, yeah, I've noticed that too.

1:01:10I sort of thought when we had neither Saliba nor Gabriel on the pitch, I sort of saw it as a way of taking the burden off the two centre-halves in build-up. But it seems to have stuck around even though Saliba's back in. So, yeah, it's a little tweak, a little evolution to be aware of. Are we missing Rice in the final third? I don't know. I mean, it was his pass, wasn't it, for Trossard in that move. I thought he did really well there to find Trossard. We've also got his set-piece delivery, which, again, without Gabriel, carries less of a threat. Although I suppose the goal that we get does come off a corner.

1:02:04Sure. Okay. Okay. I had this one. Sorry, I got another one. No, no, no. You've got one right there. Because it comes from John Rokesmith, who says, you mentioned that to win a league, a few players need to hit their absolute ceiling. For me, Rice, Gabriel and Trossard are basically there already. Who else do you think is close to that level? And who needs to get there for Arsenal to go all the way? Who was his suggestions? Rice, Gabriel and Trossard. Well, I would add Timber to that.

1:02:38and I think it's pretty hard to find fault in the performances of David Ryer, to be honest with you. He was very, very good in this game. I thought he, the way he used his hands was great. It was dominant in the air, claimed the ball very well, relieved the pressure and distributed it very well as well. Lovely bit of footwork in the first half. Oof.

1:03:05yeah didn't do much for uh the heart rate but um i mean that's a decent chunk right of players who i would say are kind of in their flow state you know um maybe they're players who you would sort of broadly categorize as more defensive than offensive with the exception of Trossard. Maybe that tells you a bit about where we're at right now. You know, do we think we will win the league without, you know, at least one or two of Jokerez, Odegaard, Eze, Saka, I guess you could include. Saka was also very good I thought against Everton I thought he was good too but there does seem to be a bit of commentary around his performances and his contribution and people saying when's he going to step up and we're getting questions about it quite a lot of the time and I have to say that's not necessarily a view I align with I don't think he's quite I don't think he's playing at a level to be included in this bracket of sort of you know your Rice's Gabriel's Timbers etc but I don't think he's I don't think he's letting us down either No far from it I mean he was instrumental to the to the Wolves game but yeah he is certainly somebody who I would say if Arsenault are going to go the distance we need him to be something close to his best for a consistent period and I'd also include Martin Odegaard in that to be honest I think we need a bit more from him although I think his performance against Everton for many people will be characterized by that poor pass to Jokeres but generally I thought he had a good game and showed signs that he's finding a little bit of rhythm in his game again.

1:05:10He did set Jokeres up with that sort of clip pass to the back post as well. And I think as well, you know, not wanting to have the big Jokere's discussion again, I do think we need a center forward who scores 15 to 20 Premier League goals. So we need one of them. Like, I don't think it will be Havertz in half a season. I don't think it'll be Jesus in half a season. But we do need a consistent goal scorer in the team to have the best chance of winning the Premier League. I know we spread the goals around a bit but I also think it's not unreasonable to expect a bit more from the players that we've got there I think one of those forwards is going to have to have a good few months or Mikel Moreno Mikel Moreno's right there it was funny in the press conference Arteta was asked about like you know you've got or you will have Havertz you will have Jokeres, you will have Jesus.

1:06:17Does that mean Mikel Moreno as a striker is no longer, you know, a viable option? And he was like, no, he's certainly an option because he scores and has scored on a consistent basis. So he wasn't ruling Mikel Moreno out of that equation, which I think is quite interesting. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Curious to see if and when we do see that again. Here's a question from Charlie J. Goodly morning, boys. A penny for Marueke's thoughts. Do you think it's odd that he's got no league minutes since his double in Bruges? We've hardly been attacking our fluent best in the last two games. He definitely could have helped.

1:06:57Well, could he have helped more than Bakayo Saka against Wolves? Not sure. You know, because Saka took the corner and it was his cross that was headed in for the own goal. So I think in that sense, it was a slightly weird thing to the subs against Wolves, wasn't there? Because we had to use one early on when Ben White got injured. And then who was it started? It was Martinelli who started. So he brought Trossard on on the left. And Saka, as it turned out, was the guy who helped us win the game, albeit through an own goal. But the quality of his delivery from there. And like I said, I think Saka was good against Everton on Saturday.

1:07:39And again, if you were looking for that goal to give you the cushion in the final stages of the game, I would sort of keep Bukayo Saka on, you know? Maybe there was scope to bring Matueke on on the left-hand side rather than Martinelli at Goodison Park. so yeah I mean I think like we said he'll start tomorrow night but after two goals and one very very good goal yeah you do wonder a little bit if you're the player hang on a second I've just done that and now I haven't played at all even if there's sort of some logic to it it must be a difficult thing for the player and I guess a difficult thing for the manager to make a decision like that about a player who has had a very good game scored a brilliant goal and scored another goal and then you have to leave them out.

1:08:31Like, how do you have that conversation? Because, you know, it must be tough. Yeah, I think it's the reality of competing with Bukaya Saka, like you suggest. I think the unfortunate thing is in nine cases out of 10, I think Mikhail Arteta has shown he's going to want Saka on the pitch. I think there's interesting questions you can ask about, can Maduweke and Saka be on the same pitch? you know Cam I remember in pre-season we talked a lot about is Madoeke going to be the left winger could Saka be used on the left we've seen it in flashes but could we see it for longer spells in a game I don't see why not I think it might be beneficial to him to sort of switch side here and there so yeah I think he will be disappointed to have not kicked a ball in two games having scored a brace in Belgium.

1:09:29But I guess he'll get his chance against Palace and Arteta will be hoping it's all fuel for the motivational fire. Yeah, I mean, do you think there are sort of places up for grabs? If we talk about the attack not really clicking the way we might like, you know, is this a game where, you know, an Eza can come in and stake a claim for a place against Brighton or Madueke can come in if he scores a couple of goals against Palace? If Jesus scores a couple of goals, does he play his way into the team ahead of Jokeres. Great point. So there is some motivation for these guys. It's not as if when everyone's fit, it's Saliba and Gabriel.

1:10:11And this season has been Timber and Califiori. We have the depth, but I think the first choice players are kind of undisputed. Whereas I think in certain aspects of our forward line, if you want to call it that, I think there is still a little bit of uncertainty as to who should be playing. It might be opposition dependent, but all you can do, I suppose, if you're a Matueke or a Jesus, is when you get this chance tomorrow night is really take it and give the manager something to think about. Totally. And I think those places, those positions, you know, centre forward, maybe the sort of attacking number eight position, I think there are places there up for grabs and big games coming up that all these players will want to be involved in.

1:11:01So, yeah, I'm intrigued to see the likes of Madueke, Jesus, Marino, Martinelli, hopefully Ethan, hopefully Eze. Yeah, I think they've all got a point to make. Yeah, what about this then from DesertGuner33.bisky.social? And he says, does this Arsenal team need freshening up if we're going to go on and win something big? We all know the trusted ones, but does Mikel need to be creative and sprinkle some magic dust to make the attack feel a little less prosaic? Mataweki on the right and a new role for Saka, perhaps. And quite interesting as well to note, you know, we talked about defenders or midfielders dropping in between the centre-halves.

1:11:48and that becoming more noticeable. Is Saka drifting over to the left-hand side something else that's become a bit more noticeable in the last little while? It feels like he's been doing it quite a bit more than he has in previous seasons. It's not like he's spending great chunks of time out there, but you do see him out there more often than you did. And I wonder, is that tactical, deliberate, or is that like Saka being given the license within the game to sort of try and open things up? I think it is conscious. I think it is probably something that Arteta has talked about and worked on. And I think it makes perfect sense.

1:12:30I mean, you forget when Mikhail Saka broke into the team, it was as an overlapping left-back. I mean, more like a left-winger at times, but he was so good driving forward on that side and getting to the byline, putting in cutbacks, putting in crosses. He was so, so dangerous. And I think, yeah, that variety of threat he offers, we need to exploit the full range of that. I like this question. I think there is a big kernel of truth in it, which is that I'm not sure. We keep saying our attack's not quite clicking or the balance isn't quite right. And I'm not sure that sort of the front six that we saw on Saturday at Goodison, although I understand the reasons all those players were picked and probably you'd say it's the strongest selection.

1:13:28My hunch is that there might have to be another ingredient in there for us to really find our groove, whether that's in creative midfield or whether it's at nine or whether it's in one of the wide positions. I just feel like with all the options at our disposal, there is a bit of an onus on the manager to experiment and find the right formula. And I'm not sure we've quite got it yet. A lot of that could be about the number nine, to be honest with you. And maybe Kai Havertz comes back in and that all changes. Certainly, I think that's what a lot of people are hoping. but yeah, I have a feeling that if we have won the league in May, a bit like what you said about the Wolves game, some big calls will have had to have been made by Michel Arteta in terms of his selection and the composition.

1:14:26How do you, I mean, how do you see the Havertz thing then? Because look, he's a, I think we talked about like, if everybody's fit and available, what would Michel Arteta's preferred front three be? and we both chose him as the centre forward there. It's a pretty big ear for Arsenal these days. Yeah, of course it is, of course. But I'm just curious as to what you think about what way it might impact the team or might impact performances because, you know, like we talked about with Jokeres and him struggling to be on the wavelength of those around him and others struggling to get on his wavelength, is that something that we have to overcome or does it go some way maybe to explaining why things aren't quite as fluid as we want them to be in attack, that we're getting used to him, he's getting used to us.

1:15:13Arteta talked about maybe playing more to his strengths, but does he need as well to sort of deliver a bit more in terms of his own performances? Does Havertz sort of take that away because of the familiarity that they have with each other in this team? Or is it possible that even with Kai Havertz up front, things aren't quite as fluid as we would like. I mean, there's another part of me which thinks, and I don't think it's like quite as mapped out as I'm going to say it, but I do have this sense that this team or the manager sort of set up this team to be more effective in the second half of the season, which sounds kind of dumb because it's like, well, why wouldn't you be as effective as you can possibly be, you know, from August through to December.

1:16:04I don't think it's quite as conscious as that, but I do feel like there is more to come from this team. Not that we're playing within ourselves, but that there are things that this team will do better in the second half of the season than the first. Does that make any sense? Yeah, I hope so. And I think there are things we'll probably need to do better. I think I said that afterwards. I feel like if we're sitting here in May and we've won the title, I think we'll have needed to see more going forward from this team. Yeah, I think defensively we're more than good enough. And if we get our players fit, I'm not too worried about that.

1:16:44It's the attacking part of the pitch that, yeah, I think we've got a little way to go as yet. But we've got a great foundation to work on that from. The Havertz thing, I mean, my big question with Havertz is like, what sort of state physically is he coming back in? Yeah, it's nearly a year since he started a game.

1:17:04That's crazy. Yeah. Yeah, because he never started, did he, when he came back in the spring? I mean, obviously he's played friendlies or whatever, but like a competitive game. And how careful with him are they going to have to be? How much are they going to manage his minutes? I think the idea that he just comes back and is available and is starting, you know, within a week, it's probably fanciful. So he is very different to Jokered stylistically. So again, it's like, does that disrupt the team or does it help the team? Because they settle back into old patterns. I think we have to bear in mind with Havertz as well, that while I think most Arsenal fans had certainly come around to the view that he was an important player and a very good player at that, there were still lots of people looking for an upgrade.

1:17:58I'm looking for something different in that number nine spot. Well, that's what Jacarez is or should be or hopefully will be. Yeah, yeah. But I think, you know, I think for some, the idea that Havertz is going to come back and sort of reclaim his throne is a bit almost a backward step in some people's eyes. Not mine, I must say. I think absence makes the heart grow fonder maybe. And I think without Havertz, you know, I think I've recognised some of what we miss from him. But yeah, I do think it's really interesting. And I, you know, he's got a lot of sort of pieces at his disposal, Arteta. But with attacks, it's so often the chemistry and the combination that unlocks things.

1:18:54Arsene Wenger was really good at that you know he understood relationships between players very well who to pair with who and consequently he was able to rotate his attack sometime but always maintain a sort of a bit of a fluency I feel like we've not quite unlocked that yet with this group maybe Kai will hold the key but it's a huge burden of expectation to place on a guy who's not played for so long sure

1:19:31what have I got here we had questions about Saka on the left we kind of dealt with that I mean I thought this was interesting Zee Bakerman just said where has the swagger gone since the Bayern game Rice said they were playing angry at the time but the boys have been looking a little nervy lately. Is this something Big Gabby can bring when he comes back? It's a good question. I mean, I think there are always going to be periods in the season where you struggle a bit for form or struggle a bit to play your best football. I mean, we played very, very well against Spurs, very, very well against Bayern.

1:20:11Then what happened? Was it Villa? We played Villa. Yeah. I don't think we played badly per se against Villa, to be honest. I don't think it was a bad performance against Villa, but the defeat obviously stings. And I think maybe the manner of that defeat could be part of why the last couple of Premier League games have felt the way they did. Yeah, how late it was. I mean, that plays into anxieties, doesn't it? When you're, again, you've got these slender leads and situations where you're holding teams and going deep into games. I think I remember saying after the Bayern game, like when a team is flying, you never see the regression coming.

1:20:56It just feels like they're going to keep playing at that level indefinitely. And the reality of football is very different. And again, to reference Wenger, he always spoke about confidence. You know, you go down in an elevator, but you go up using the stairs. And I do think it takes some time to regain that. I think, yeah, I think the Bayern game, we hoped it was sort of emblematic of a run that would continue. Instead, it was kind of the crest of a wave at that particular point in the season. But I think in any successful campaign, you're going to have several peaks like that. And, you know, maybe performatively, we are in a trough right now.

1:21:43but as I said at the top, we're still winning. Yeah. Still winning. Yeah. What have we got? There was a question about why Timber didn't pass to Jokeres. Seen that one? Yeah. Yeah. He went back to Saka, didn't he? He did go back to Saka, yeah. I mean, I think split second decision, isn't it? I thought it was a reasonable decision. I mean, there's a good chance for Saka. I think Saka had more time. Yeah. he could have taken a touch there and found the finish actually. So look, you can look at it two ways, I guess. Is it a tap in for Jokeres? Probably. I'm just looking at his reaction. Not happy that he didn't get that pass.

1:22:24I mean, you have to remind me, I've not sort of studied that. Is it a tap in for Jokeres? Like, is that pass on? It is on. Yeah. I'm going to, I'll send you a screenshot here on WhatsApp. It does sometimes feel like Julian Timber is sort of on a one man sabotage mission uh for vichy okra is like yeah just he's about to head one home there's timber way he's really good friends with kai havertz and he he's just like desperately lunging in to get the ball away from yokarez um over enthusiastic at times i'm going to watch it back now there's screenshot look yeah you can see saka plays in timber and he just goes back to him i mean it's a bloody good chance for Saka, I would say.

1:23:10I think Saka will feel he should have done better there. I think so too, yeah. Like, here's the difference, right? Is there a pass? I mean, yeah, there is a pass. There's two passes nearly. You know, if it's not Jacarez, it's Trossard as well, you know? But, yeah. I mean, listen, I will say this because, you know, I've been a little bit critical of Jacarez not being on the front foot in in a couple of situations like that in the last couple of weeks, right? He's absolutely there for that one. Yeah, that's Johnny on the spot. That's exactly where you want him to be. And he's got away. He's created the separation from his marker.

1:23:47If that ball is the right ball across, then I think it's a tap-in for Jokeres. Yeah. I do wonder to what extent the sort of Saka-Timber dynamic plays into this in that, you know, Saka, it's a one-two, right? Saka gives it to Timber and I wonder when as soon as Saka plays that pass maybe he even calls for it maybe he calls the one two maybe Timber has it in his mind that I've worked on this in training with Saka a hundred times he's going to make that little run inside and I'm just going to slip it into him and to be honest that relationship was the best thing about our game I thought in this one so I don't want to be too harsh on anyone involved I think it was a plausible decision from Timber to choose Saka and I think Saka probably should have scored.

1:24:39He could have put it even on his left foot, I think. Yeah, I think so. But as a goal scorer, as Jokeres I think you're going to feel a bit well

1:24:52is it time to go eat a mince pie, do you think? Is it too early to have a mince pie? No, never too early. I think we've got to get this out because it's kind of it'll be redundant by the time we play Palace. Yeah, for sure. Some would say it's redundant before then. But fuck those guys. Yeah, well, let's leave it there then. And let's just take a moment to wish everybody who celebrates Christmas a very, very happy Christmas indeed. Like we said, there will be a Christmas festive waffle for you. There's also going to be an episode of The 30 later over on Patreon. and even a bit of a palace preview pod with our friend Dan from HLTCO tomorrow.

1:25:33That will be on Patreon too. So it's kind of nonstop. Maybe, and I'm not sure yet, but maybe, maybe, maybe we might even do like some kind of Christmas Eve post-palace podcast, a short one. So it is nonstop. So thank you as ever for listening. Have a great Christmas. If you don't celebrate Christmas, we send you lots of love and thanks anyway. and thank you for being with us throughout the year and beyond this arbitrary marker of being top of the table. So for now, folks, take it easy and we will catch you on the next one. Have a good Christmas, guys. Bye-bye.