Arsecast Extra Episode 673 - 28.12.2025

0:13Hello and welcome to another Arsecast Extra as always with James from Gunnerblog. James, goodly morning to you. Goodly morning, Andrew. How are you this fine festive morning? I am all right. I'm all right. I hope you had a lovely Christmas. I had a nice time. But I feel like, whoa, is that a car? Motorbikes. Motorbikes. I'm in a different room because I was fighting with my Wi-Fi. So I'm nearer my router than normal. And also you'll gather nearer a road. Yes, I can hear that. But yes, I had a nice time, but overindulged a little bit. I feel like shambles of a man, basically. But here we are. How about you?

0:56Do you have a nice festive time? Yes, I've destroyed myself. I've eaten my own body weight in roasted meat and accoutrements. And that's a substantial body weight, Andrew. This is not Leandro Trossard's body weight. It's my own body weight. Well, yeah, I suppose you've got to stick with what you know. You know what I mean? You can't sort of guesstimate how much turkey is equivalent to the thigh of Leandro Chossard or whatever, you know? Yeah, and we're at the point where there's sort of, there's no way back. Between now and New Year's Day, it's just a free-for-all for me. And then, you know, I'm reminded of Shakespeare's Macbeth.

1:42I am in blood stepped in so far that should I wade no more returning where as tedious as go on, but replace blood with turkey. Okay. Oh, a cheese. I am in cheese stepped in so far. Should I wade no more returning where as tedious as go on. You don't get fucking Shakespeare too often on an Arsenal podcast. That's all I can say. That's true. Yeah. That's what I bring to the party. and I went out last night after the game as well. Oh, my God. A few drinks to banish any latent anxiety from my mind. Well, fair enough. Arsenal did give us the festive gift of three points and a side helping of terror.

2:30Yes, I think maybe they were trying to help me burn off some of those Christmas calories by sending my heart rate through the roof. If that was a real thing, I would be as skinny as Peter Crouch right now. That is true, actually. They are giving us cardiovascular workouts for Christmas. I think this is going to be, you know, aside from the football, I think this could be a podcast in which we explore themes of, you know, that are separate from, let's say, tactics and team selection and execution on the pitch, that there is, for various reasons, a lot going on when you experience a game like this and when you're in the midst of a title race.

3:21And listen, I suppose that, go on. Can I, as a sort of thought starter on that, Andrew, can I ask you a question? Yes, of course. Is it us? like is it us as the supporters is it our anxiety and fear and concern that's why i found myself wondering as i sort of walked away from the game yesterday i was like god that was um terrifying at times and i sort of thought how much of it is the baggage that we bring as fans you know how much is that playing into the atmosphere the tension in the ground our experience of it you know because michael arteta was quite and i don't know if there's some spin going on here i suspect so but he was quite sort of dismissive of of that idea in his press conference he sort of really went down the angle of well we were professional we saw it out we take great confidence from that And I was thinking, well, yeah, I guess that's what you would say as a manager.

4:24But to what degree is our experience of it self-generating, if that makes any sense? I think it's definitely some of it, you know, because it is part of like City played first yesterday, right? And they win and they go on top. And that feeds into the pressure that you're already feeling about going into a game that you know you have to win. we have this um we have this sort of baggage as you say from three seasons of finishing second a desperation sort of you know an itch that really really badly needs to be scratched and that is definitely part of it too recent late goals that we've conceded i think played into some of yesterday you know because we conceded late against villa conceded late against Wolves conceded late against Palace in the EFL Cup.

5:20So when you've got that one goal lead going into the final 20 minutes and you've experienced those goals going in against you in the last couple of weeks, it's hard not to think about those things, right? For sure. Yeah. And those are real things. I don't mean to dismiss those concerns or those anxieties because those are real tangible things that have happened.

5:43And I'm not saying I'm capable of this. I'm not saying that I can achieve the kind of serenity that I might aspire to as a fan. But I just do wonder what our part in it can be. And like in those times of intense pressure, is it possible? Is it reasonable to expect supporters or hope supporters can provide a sense of stability? To be honest, I'm not sure it is reasonable. No, I don't think so. Because it's a very human reaction. It is in the moment. It's instinctive. It's not sort of, right, we're going to set out to be really, really nervous. And we're going to transmit that nervousness to the players on the pitch.

6:31I mean, I think what you're talking about is like, you know, when a team plays badly and people say, you know what, it's up to the fans to sort of get behind the team and rouse the performance out of them. I mean, that's a lovely idea as a concept. It's really nice, but it's not based in any kind of reality that we know. You know what I mean? If the team's playing badly, you get frustrated. The crowd reaction is more frustration. Does that feed into the players? Maybe, maybe. but you know fans are people, they're not cheerleaders, right? Yeah, it's incredibly symbiotic isn't it? Yeah of course it is The lack of the sort of slight waning in composure that occurs with this Arsenal team in certain situations, sort of yeah, it happens you couldn't really say in all honesty whether it starts on the pitch or in the stands but it does create some sort of cycle Well, you know, I think it is, I think it does start on the pitch because you could flip that question and say, what can this team do to make the fans less nervous?

7:39Right. And maybe that's another unrealistic way to look at it. But there is a simple solution, simple and inverted commas, because, you know, the hardest thing in football is scoring goals. But if you're 3-0 up with 20 minutes to go, nobody in that ground is on the edge of their seat. Nobody is thinking about the worst possible scenario that could happen, which is dropping points in a title race to Manchester City. You know, there's the solution to the problem, so to speak, you know, that. Yeah. And for a team, for the team, rather, in a very literal sort of and metaphorical sense, the ball is sort of at their disposal.

8:18You know, they're the ones who can actively do something to change things. They are the protagonists, right? Yeah, I mean, if Gabrielle Martinelli scores that goal, which he should score, later on, 85 minutes there or thereabouts, last 10 minutes, it's a breeze, everyone goes home and feels like, okay, it was a little touch and go, you know, we let them back into it, but, you know, we showed we can get on top again and make the game safe and make everyone feel safe and secure. But when that happens, you know, that miss as well, that generates more fear and more anxiety because everybody in that stadium, you know, from the Brighton fans to the Arsenal fans to Gabrielle Martinelli to every single player on the pitch knew that should be a goal.

9:04Everybody knows that should be a goal. When you miss from six yards out in that moment, you know, you've made a big, big mistake. And then the fear is, well, will that mistake come back to haunt us? Will that be the moment we look back on and say, well, you know, it could have been 3-1-1 second, 20 seconds later, Brighton go down the other end and they get a goal from a corner or whatever it is, you know? it sort of amplifies the anxiety that you're already feeling. So those last 10 minutes become even more fraught and even more like, I don't know what you're like. I know that we talked very briefly after the game and I'd sort of said to you, holy cow, we can't keep doing this.

9:45This is too much. And you said on your video, you know, is this sustainable for Arsenal to win games like this? it's such a, it's such a, it almost feels draining. Like winning games is brilliant. That's what we all want. Arsenal are winning games, but the process of winning those games feels like a kind of torture in a way. And this circles back around to this high stakes endeavor that we're involved in, which is the title race, which is understanding that, you know, this is, a league in which you can make few errors when it comes to particularly home games. And it's not that I think Brighton were absolutely 100 % pushing for an equalizer in the same way that I don't think Wolves were, in the same way that I don't think Everton were.

10:40But as we saw in that Wolves game, it only takes a moment for something to go wrong. So I love that we're top. I love that we're trying to solve this problem from the top of the table. But I also think there are a lot of anxieties flying around, which unless we can win a game by scoring three or four goals, will be ever present between now and May. I don't know how that goes away. Do you? No, I think we have to make it easier for ourselves. We have to make it easier for ourselves. And Mikhail Teta was quite clear. He feels, or at least he claims, he says it is sustainable to win in this fashion.

11:19And I suppose he'll point to the evidence of consecutive victories and league positioning and all those things. My gut feeling on it is a bit different. I feel like once we get into the second half of the season, March, April, May, there is going to be unprecedented or certainly a greater degree of pressure, tension, scrutiny. stakes. And I think at that stage, we will need every advantage that we can get. And we'll need all the breathing space we can acquire. And my worry would be that if we continue to sort of play on this knife edge in a way that is sort of physically and mentally fraught, that when we get to the real business end because you know that is all still to come um that you know that it that it may not be sustainable yeah that is my worry sure no i think i share that you know i think it is uh you said physically and mentally fraud i might say physically and mentally tiring exhausting you know because you're having to be draining you're having to push yourself right to the 95th minute, which, listen, that's the Premier League.

12:39You know, no games, well, few games are really, really easy. You always have to work hard, et cetera, et cetera. But again, you know, this might be something we come back around to. But if you are 3-0 up with 20 minutes to go, can you make more changes? Can you take some of the burden off players who are pushing themselves right through to like the 95th, 96th minute? You know, there's where there is a slight advantage in it makes everyone less anxious. It means the players can relax, but you're not asking as much from the players. You're giving other players a chance to play. And certainly certain game states of late have made it clear that Mikel Arteta isn't comfortable with making certain changes in those game states.

13:20Therefore, the load increases on the inverted commas first choice players, et cetera, et cetera. So, you know, I think there's a lot going on. But should we talk maybe about the team that was selected for this game? Because there was no jury in timber. We lost Ricardo Calafuri in the warm-up. Listen, we had a load of questions today about injuries. I don't know what more we can say about injuries because I don't have the answer. And if I had the answer, I'd certainly tell Arsenal Football Club. But, you know, this is another game where we had to deploy a changed back four. Declan Rice at right back.

14:02Team selection came out. Everybody's going, ooh, what's that? Is that three at the back? But it's Declan Rice at right back. And certainly, if it was potentially three at the back, then it couldn't be after we lost Califiori in the warm-up because Myles Lewis-Gelly can't play as a center half in the way that Califiori can. No, I actually didn't see the warm-up, but speaking to a few colleagues in the media, they suggested that it looked like Martin Zibamendi was going to be the one who lined up at right-back when Arsenal were doing their kind of shape and tactical drills pre-game. Maybe a bit of gamesmanship there from Arteta.

14:42Probably very aware that Bryant would have an eye on what they were doing. Because it very much was Declan Rice as a marauding right-back. On the injury front, like you, Andrew, I sort of, a bit exasperated by it. I don't really know what to say. It sort of, it reaches kind of absurd degrees, doesn't it? And, you know, sometimes Mikhail Alcetur is asked in sort of a quite straightforward way, you know, are you looking into it? And he'll be like, yes, we're, you know, leaving no stone unturned. unturned, you know, we're doing a root branch investigation and everyone goes, okay, okay, that sounds good.

15:29But I really, really desperately hope that that is not mere platitudes and that Arsenal are. It can't be, though, can it? Because, listen, he was asked in the press conference yesterday about the injuries again, and I think his public point of view on this, when he talks about it, is to talk about how well the team has coped with all the injuries. And I think that's right. And I also think it's kind of correct, too, if I can make a distinction between the two things, because we are top of the table. We are winning games. Yeah, true, exactly. We've only lost twice this season, despite the fact we've barely been able to play the same back four for like two games in a row.

16:11Someone posted a, I meant to bookmark it, but someone on the Discord yesterday posted like a list of all the back fours that we've played in the Premier League so far. And there's changes from one week to the next. so while i think he is um publicly right to say we're coping well with this privately he must be absolutely at the end of his tether that every week there's another injury like everyone has got a theory is it the the way we play is it the training ground is it the pitch at the emirates is arteta working them too hard is it the training and actually when he's asked about training he says well what training we're not really doing any training at the moment a couple of years ago or maybe last year he gave quite an interesting answer about the fact that the amount of football means that they can't condition the players as well because they're going from match to recovery from match to recovery I don't know if that's you know the the answer but look if there was a silver bullet if there was a real uh one-stop solution to this you know you'd like to think we found it by now but i i just don't know what it is the reality is though this was another game where we had to contend with injuries and while we spent the first 17 minutes of this podcast being quite anxious about you know everything i think we have to uh point to the fact that Arsenal were in that first half with Declan Rice at right back very good like well on top deservedly ahead Brighton didn't have a shot on goal Arsenal had 15 attempts on goal or 15 shots certainly in that first half and I think we were completely and utterly dominant better than Brighton in every aspect of that game.

18:09No arguments for me on that. But I suppose, and you'll have to forgive me if this sounds a little glass half full, does that not also kind of land on the fundamental problem of this game, that despite how dominant we were, it was only a slender lead. And really, given the nature of our dominance in that first half and some of the chances that we had. It should have been more, I think. Absolutely. And it could have made the second half much more comfortable for us. For sure, for sure. I mean, there was a very good chance early on, Victor Yacarez through the edge of the box. Yeah. What do you think he was thinking there?

18:51I think he's trying to lift it. Yeah, that's what I thought. I thought he thought about lifting it, then kind of second-guessed himself, and it ended up being a really, really tame effort on goal. That's a really good chance. A really good chance. Yeah. And Trossard finding him again. I mean, Trossard is a player who maybe seems to be more on his wavelength than most. Really good early pass. And yeah, that's exactly the chance, you know, he's been kind of crying out for really that he's needed. And I nearly said, well, maybe it came to him very early in the game, you know, but I think that would be generous.

19:28I mean, you certainly would expect him to do better there. Yeah, for sure. There was a Saka shot saved at the near post. The way he burst beyond the defenders, particularly in that first half, was very, very impressive. Yeah, they couldn't really live with him at times. No. You mentioned that Martinelli chance at the end of the game. That was laid off by some brilliant play from Saka as well on that right flank. Yeah. I don't think Saka necessarily had great, clear-cut, obvious goal-scoring chances. But I think given the positions he got himself into on that right-hand side, I think by his own high standards, he might expect to have delivered a little more end product.

20:10Yeah, there was one, wasn't he? Bartho is generally very good. Yeah, me too. I thought he was good. The goal came from a Saka chance, you know, not when you expect him to score, But one you've definitely seen him score before, where he comes inside and looks for that shot towards the far top corner. He got it wrong. It went over the bar. And they had a goal kick, which I think we dealt with really well. They tried to play it into midfield. It's really good pressure from Piero and Capier. Declan Rice is 100 % on his toes in midfield to head the ball to Saka, which I think is maybe an underrated aspect of this goal.

20:52I think the way that he delivers that ball to Saka allows Saka to get the pass to Odegaard. Odegaard, I mean, it was quite funny. Before he'd even received the ball, you could hear the crowd going, shoot! It was quite funny, but it's a great finish inside the near post. I think maybe he gives the keeper the eyes. It's a good finish and 1-0 to Arsenal. Yeah, and I think not just the header from Declan Rice, I think a classic sort of kind of fullback attacking run into the box that takes a defender away from Martin O 'Gard, helps create that bit of space. It's a lovely sort of swivel of the hips from Odegaard.

21:27He kind of looks as if he's going to open his body out and then whips the ball into that near post. He has been shooting a little bit more frequently since he returned to the team and he got his rewards here. And am I right in saying it's his first goal of the season? Yeah. Obviously, he's had the injury, but, you know, late December, we've been waiting for it for some time. And I think it could be a really important one. I mean, you know, typically, typically when we've been at our best, Martin Odegaard has been an instrumental part of that over the last few years. And I think this was a performance where he, I think if it had been maybe a goal more comfortable and a slightly different game, I think a lot of the conversations today would be about Martin Odegaard.

22:13Yeah, well, listen, I think what we saw from Martin Odegaard yesterday was a performance which was much more aligned with the Martin Odegaard of old, if that's the right way to put it, that this is what we know he is capable of. And the goal, obviously, is the most important part. But I also thought the way he made chances for others, the way he kind of dictated the game, the way perhaps that he stayed higher up the pitch, in this game was very noticeable. It gives him more influence. You know, he made five key passes in this game. But Kaiosaka, by the way, seven shots and four key passes. You know, I saw quite a bit of conversation about him afterwards and I was, you know, I get it.

22:58You know, maybe he could have done a little bit better with one or two chances, but, you know, this is a guy who just deals in volume, you know. I don't think he scored enough this season. I don't think he's assisted enough this season, but he should have ended this game with two assists. He got an assist for the Odegaard goal and really should have had one for the Martinelli goal as well. I thought Saka was really good in this game. Yeah, I agree with that. And there were really some promising combinations between Saka and Odegaard. And I thought Declan Rice did a very able, kind of Ben White impression in kind of reviving that old trio on the right-hand side.

23:39So, yeah, I thought this was good. And I think you make a good point about Odegaard's freedom. You know, there were times where he was popping up on the left half of the pitch as well. So I think there has been an effort on Antetis' part to kind of liberate him a little bit when he's playing in this system, in this shape. So on that front, I thought it was definitely promising. And yeah, a great finish and a great goal. Other chances, there was a Declan Rice cross, which sort of hit Jokeres at the back post. One of those where I think his view of the flight of the ball was maybe obscured a bit by William Saliba going for the header.

24:15Yes. It was like he was trying to catch it on his mickey. But alas. And what a trick that would have been. What indeed. It would have really made Soccer AM's showboat back in the day. There was Marino, wasn't there? He tried one, the ball broke free, tried to get it over the keeper from distance. It was one of those where I was sort of expecting the ref to give Marino a card because play just kind of stopped. And I thought maybe he'd blown for a free kick, but there was no free kick. I guess it was kind of a smart attempt from Marino, even if the execution wasn't there. And then there was a real scrambler, if you remember.

24:55Saka got to behind the defender, pulled across right across the face of the goal. There's nobody there. Zubimendi is the one who's attacking it. There's nobody there. It comes back in. There should be somebody there, by the way. There should be somebody there. Yeah, I agree. I sort of saw this as one of the moments where people were talking about, well, does Saka give Jokeres enough service? And I looked at this one and thought, Jokeres is looking for the ball in the wrong position. He should be attacking that space. That's where I want my center forward to be. And he sort of stands there and remonstrates a little bit with Saka, sort of looks at him as if to say, well, why didn't you give me the pass?

25:35The pass wasn't really on. Saka made the right choice, I think, putting the ball across the face of the goal because you want players in there attacking it. The ball comes back in. Saka bounces it into the ground. Jokeres heads fresh air from like five, six feet out. Then Marino has a shot which Zubomendi flicks and the keeper makes a save and Trossard is sort of falling, isn't he, when he takes the shot and puts it over the bar. that is, that's the sort of scrambly moment where you're looking for somebody to apply the finish. Yeah, it was about six XG, wasn't it, in that move? The save from Verbroggen from the Zermendi flick is a very good save, I think, because it comes in pretty quickly and from very close in a very crowded penalty area.

26:23But that was one of those moments where there was sort of genuine disbelief in the stands around me that we hadn't scored. so that might have been the standout opportunity of the half for a variety of players in a variety of situations but Brighton survived by the skin of their teeth and they made a double change at half time and I think they were better I think they were better for sure I think that they were, that did make a difference to the way that Brighton set up and the way that Brighton played like they were really poor in the first half, they were better in the second half. I mean, it's not something that we would pay too much attention to, but I was chatting to Andy Naylor, who's the Athletics Brighton guy.

27:08You may remember him from the Caicedo Wars. Oh, yes. He's a very popular guy among online Arsenal fans. Incredibly so, yes. I'm surprised they didn't introduce him to the crowd pre-game yesterday. But he was telling me that I was sort of lamenting our issues at the back and fullbacks and we were talking about Calafiori going out. And he was saying, well, it's kind of sods law, but Brighton, Danny Welbeck was only fit enough for the bench, just coming back from injury. Mitoma was out, first choice winger on one side and Yankouba Minte was only deemed fit enough for the bench as well. So Brighton were kind of without maybe their two most threatening wingers and their best centre forward.

27:51So in that respect, Fortune favoured us a little on the injury front. But I thought Mente made a big difference when he came on. Agree, agree. He's a very direct and exciting player. He's having a good season for Brighton, you know. He causes problems for most teams and we'll come to the problem he almost caused us. But Arsenal did go 2-0 up relatively early in the second half. It's an own goal, the fourth own goal in our last four matches. Just two from Wolves, one from Palace, one from Brighton yesterday, Jorginho Ruter with a flicked header at the near post. It's a great delivery from Declan Rice.

28:33What I think maybe goes underappreciated is the way that Arsenal fashioned the chance, which was blocked out for the corner in the build-up to that corner. It's a really, really nice piece of play. I think there was a foul in midfield. Dunk got booked for a foul on Saka. and Arsenal worked the ball right to left at the back, back from left across to right, got it forward through midfield. Odegaard and Saka did really well, ended up with Marino to Trossard, Trossard to Odegaard. Odegaard shot, blocked over for a corner, and it was from that corner that we scored. But we've seen maybe a couple of moves like that in the last couple of games from Arsenal, which maybe we found a bit hard to come by, but that was a lovely period of football and ultimately resulted in a goal, albeit from a corner and an own goal.

29:29Yeah. You know, I think these own goals aren't pure coincidence. You know, if you've got great delivery in these situations, sometimes you get that reward. And I do think maybe they speak to sort of the panic and anxiety our set pieces can induce in opposition. It is another good flat delivery from Declan Rice, from that side, as we're accustomed to seeing. I don't think the goalkeeper would be thrilled with the defending in front of him. I mean, it is definitely an error. But, you know, we will take it. Own goal again, ole, ole, as the fans say. Yes, and there were moments again for Arsenal after that own goal where I think there was an Odegaard pass for Jokeres.

30:17Jokeres did well, held off. I think it was Kedioglu and spanked a shot from a tight angle, which was straight at the keeper. I don't know that he could have done a lot more with that one. There was a sack of shot as well that was deflected over. But then sort of out of the blue a little bit, I'm not saying there was warning signs from Brighton because they did have a shot on target, which is obviously an improvement on the no shots that they had in the first half. But they score a goal, one of those where ball hits the post, it could bounce anywhere. We're caught maybe ball watching just a little bit.

30:55And Diego Gomez finishes very well to make it 2-1. And then it's like, ah, fuck. Here we go again, you know? A game that we thought was comfortable. A game in which actually Arsenal were comfortable for the most part, then becomes this tightrope, knife-edge situation, you know? Yeah, and all that baggage kind of appears in a big cloud. Yeah. Yeah, and, you know, I thought, by the way, Declan Rice had a great game for a guy who doesn't play right back, but I did think this is one moment where maybe you saw that he's not principally a defender, just a little bit slow to react to that ball that comes back off the post.

31:41But yeah, suddenly the dynamic shifts and Brighton play with that much more belief and intent. And you could see it, you could see it on the pitch and you could see Arsenal as well.

32:00Slightly conceding ground, I think, and doing that thing they have had a habit of doing in the last few games where despite being in a commanding position, it's almost as if they invite some pressure. Certainly, yeah, certainly the dynamic shifts in that moment. Yeah, I mean, Brighton had more shots, I think, in that period than any other period in the game. There were blocks in our box. And listen, I guess it happens, you know, where you concede a goal, you realise the two-goal cushion is now gone, it's only a one goal cushion and then you feel a little bit more insecure about everything. And they feel a bit better about it.

32:44Yeah, of course. Yeah. I mean, is there more that the players on the pitch can do? Is there more that the manager on the sideline can do? I mean, he did turn to his bench and he brought on Gabriel and Gabriel Jesus took Luis Skelly and Jokarez off. Yeah. I've seen people say, like, could he have done more? A 2-0? yeah or maybe like made changes that were a bit more to enliven or maintain our attacking threat you know um could he have turned to a madueke or anese or gone for a martinelli slightly earlier perhaps i don't know but that's certainly an argument i've heard posited um i wasn't hugely surprised when he got gabrielle on i mean that felt um I think that was probably always in the works, you know, as soon as Gabriel was named on the bench.

33:39And what a big moment that could be in our season, by the way, to get him back. Well, yes. But yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I mean, part of it is that everybody's decent, right? It's the Premier League and it's hard. And if Brighton have a little period of the game where they're feeling themselves and they're on it, you're going to be tested. And that is the reality. I mean, listen, that may be part of it. It could be, you know, I keep coming back to the Martinelli chance, but that could be because Martinelli, I thought, was quite effective when he came on. You know, I thought he did pretty well.

34:17But when you miss that chance, like people will say, well, there's an inspired substitution from Mikel Arteta. And what a great decision to leave Bakayo Saka on the pitch because he delivered that chance for Gabriel Martinelli to make the game safe for us. So these are the fine margins of the Premier League. But Brighton did have a moment, a really important moment. I mean, they put some pressure on, it's fair to say. I remember Rice had to head the ball away. Zubimendi had to head the ball away. And they made a chance when Minta ran off the back of Incapier, took a shot, and then we see one of the saves, if not the save of the season so far, from David Raya, which I think is made better or more special by the fact that he's at full stretch.

35:02but he just skims the ball, you know, his hand sees the ball skim just over the bar, makes that save look even more spectacular, I think. Yes, that's true. I think if he'd sort of palmed it wide or way over, we might not, it might not have been quite as aesthetically pleasing. The camera angle as well. I was actually seated right in line with Minte when he struck that ball and I was convinced it was going to nestle. I think he was too, you know. I think he was too. I think he absolutely was. He couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe it when Raya kind of plucked that out of the air. So, yeah, stunning save.

35:40A match-winning moment, undoubtedly. And one, you know, you can add to a growing catalogue of top saves from him. But I think the best we've seen from him this season. And, yeah, I'm not sure there have been too many in the league better than that. It was sensational. Ultimately, it's the difference between 1.3. Yeah, I mean, it's not to say we couldn't have gone on and scored if it had gone 2-2, but I'm just glad none of us had to go through that. You know, we did have chances. There was the Martinelli one, like I said, Jesus in the box. Maybe he could have got a shot away a little bit quicker.

36:20There was also a shout for a penalty on Gabriel Jesus, which I think is a really interesting one to talk about because they never get given in that context. Never, ever, ever. When the player and the ball are close to the goal line and I think it's a clear foul from Cadillac on Jesus as he's going to try and win the ball. But because the ball is then essentially going out or the defender then heads the ball behind for a corner, I think the referee is less inclined to give that as a foul. If that happens halfway in the box or just inside the box or literally anywhere else on the pitch, I think the referee gives a free kick or gives a foul.

37:08If Gabriel Jesus does that to Caddy Oglu and then heads home, I think VAR disallows that goal for the foul. But when it happens in such close proximity to the goal line, they never give it. You saw the one last week, right, with Chalabah and Anthony Gordon in the Chelsea-Newcastle game. Do you remember that one? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean, he literally made no attempt whatsoever to play the ball. You could say, oh, potentially it's shoulder to shoulder, but this was not like one guy using his shoulder just to sort of ease the other guy out of the way. He literally went in, played the man, like brutalized him in the box.

37:52But because of where it happened in the box, they will not give a penalty. So I think it probably should be a penalty. But whatever the thinking of the officials is in scenarios like that, they never get given. Yeah, I don't have much to add to that. I totally agree. I mean, I think he does get bumped. It is a foul anywhere else on the pitch. and yet equally you just never see those awarded no um it's like an unwritten law almost um and yeah i think some clarification there would be uh appropriate because it is a very odd one it's a freebie for a defender yeah um so yeah i mean like the contact could not have been more clear you would have to say and it prevented him from getting to the ball so you know it's a foul You know, but look, that's, yeah, we're going to have to try and change the perceptions of PGMOL, which I think is easier said than done when it comes to situations like that.

38:59So look, you know, that's a moment where perhaps a little bit caked in desperation. We're looking for something to make the last few minutes more manageable and comfortable. That was a word that Arteta was asked about in his press conference afterwards and said, comfortable in the Premier League? But, you know, you can be. There are games where you can be, and ultimately it will come down to, you know, how often you put the ball in the back of the net or how often you miss big chances. So what was your sort of gut feeling right at the final whistle when it eventually went? I mean, I think it's also worth pointing out that after that Minta shot, They had a corner, which Nkappie blocked over and we got a goal kick from it.

39:47But after that, Brighton didn't have a shot. They did not have an attempt on goal. I think obviously Raya's save was superb, but it might have been just as important about 60 seconds later when he went down injured. And it gave Arsenal an opportunity, because there were two chances in quick succession. there was the Minte shot and then the header at the back post that you mentioned where they maybe should have done a little better. Raya then goes down. Arsenal regroup. They break Brighton's momentum. And they didn't really create much more from that point on. There was one moment in the box where ball kind of broke to them and I thought, oh, we might be in trouble here.

40:33But that was kind of it. And I actually think that little stoppage, I mean, it's something the Premier League are paying increasing attention to is goalkeepers rather suspiciously getting injuries at points where it's convenient for their teams to have a breather or a break or, you know, a tactical instruction from the manager. But I think that was actually a pretty important moment in this game and sort of helped Arsenal see this through. So my overriding feeling at the end was probably, well, just certainly relief, but also the feeling, I think a little bit of frustration that this felt as complicated as it did.

41:16Yeah. I'm feeling that Arsenal are not getting the reward that their performances maybe deserve. They're not capitalising on their dominance in a way that can add that comfort that Mikel Arteta was asked about. Yeah, but I mean, is that, yeah. I think I felt obviously relief as well. And then I felt sort of a little bit guilty that I wasn't enjoying it a bit more. You know, when you win a game in the Premier League, you know, and this is all circling back to what we were talking about right at the start. And then I sort of was today thinking about, well, this is something that we have as a fan base got to deal with.

42:07We have internalized this for reasons we've laid out and understandable reasons where the perception of our narrow win, on paper, narrow win over Brighton, feels different from Manchester City beating Nottingham Forest with a late goal that could potentially, although I don't think it was really a foul by the City player, could potentially have been chalked off for Varo in a game where Manchester City really should have been down to 10 men. Why do we look at them as inevitable, even though they had a more difficult time beating Nottingham Forest than we did Brighton. At least we went 2-0 up and we let one in and then it was a bit hairy.

42:56City had to get an 85th-minute goal to win that game. But there is this idea, isn't there, that City doing that is what they've always done and therefore it's a mark of their championship credentials because they've won it, I guess. That is the key difference. I also think the striker situation feeds into some of this worry that we have as well. You know, where City have Haaland and the one thing you know about Erling Haaland is even if he's not involved in a game, even if he only makes four passes, chances are he'll score a goal or two goals because that is what he does. Whereas we're trying to come to terms with a centre forward who hasn't quite gelled with the team yet.

43:41We've got Gabriel Jesus back and we're putting a lot of hope and optimism in him being something like the player who first joined Arsenal, even if that feels a bit, you know, feels a bit of a stretch because of how long ago that was. And then it's like, well, Kai Havertz will be back soon. And I like Kai Havertz and I think he will definitely bring something to this team. But he's a guy who hasn't started a game in nearly a year. do you think there's an element of that where our goal scoring issues aren't restricted just to the strikers by the way it was Martinelli who missed that chance there were other players who could have scored yesterday but City have something fixed and permanent that works in their team and we're still in December trying to figure out what that is for us.

44:30I think that's probably a factor yeah I think that's probably a factor I think the overriding thing about City and why they feel inevitable is that they've done it before they've done it before yes slightly different team but same club same manager same star players I saw Rodri back on the bench this weekend so there is just that sense of inevitability inevitability about them I also think, you know, I spoke about the baggage that we will take into the second half of the season and particularly the run-in. And I'm not sure I can think of another club that's ever been in a position quite like it.

45:10I mean, you've spoken about the trauma of three consecutive second place finishes. I mean, how many times does that happen? That a club who's not won a league title for two decades, more than two decades, comes that close three times consecutively and then gets a fourth crack at it. It's natural. It's inevitable that people will feel tension and stress and anxiety and all those things because this is a relatively unique situation that we're in. And for all the strengths of this group,

45:58every season poses a unique challenge. And I think, yeah, I think it's going to be tough. I think it's going to be a real, real test of this group, this manager, the fan base as well, how we handle this i think it's going to be and that's why i say wherever we can find comfort or breathing space or moments to relax what a time for the doorbell to go my god i'd go and answer it but we but wherever we find it we have to take it right bear with me i better answer yeah

47:05There we go. A tonal shift there. Well, yeah, certainly in musical terms. But, I mean, I was thinking about that. Arsenal did finish second three times in a row under Arsene Wenger in 1999, 2000, 2001. It's a different world. But he'd won. He'd won. Yeah, we'd done the double in 98. So there was that sense. Yeah, there was that sense that we had the ability or, you know, it was latent at least. We knew we could do it. And many of the players had done it before as well. So they had that experience. Also, we lived in a very different world where football was not micro-analyzed in the way that it is right now.

47:50And we didn't have many of the media platforms, which I think, you know, are part of why people experience football in the way they do these days. If your senses are very heightened, if you're online a lot, then, you know, you are going to be hyper aware of all the pressure, all the bants, all the, you know, the nonsense that goes with it. that is for some people just sort of inescapable. I think that plays a part in how we experience the game. Tim wrote a really good piece, his column for Arseblog last week or maybe the week before about the, you know, the fear. I think it was called the fear of being perceived and this idea that how you are perceived by other fans in this sort of online world, as crazy as it sounds, is part of how people are experiencing the game, that you know that if you lose, you're going to be subject to the nonsense that you get from other fans, which you can just say, fuck that and fuck them and get rid of it, but it's there.

49:03It's sort of pervasive. It is quite difficult to get away from all of that, you know? Yeah, I had a really interesting chat with someone after the game, an Arsenal fan, and they were sort of, you know, saying similar things to us about how close it was and should it have been that close. And then they said, the good thing is it wasn't on TV. I found that so interesting. They were like, the implication being that somehow that game being on national television and that being, I don't know, easily available to other supporters, to other pundits, to people who drive these narratives, would have had a more detrimental impact.

49:53Like if it was a Super Sunday game rather than a 3 p.m. Saturday game. I mean, look. Like if it was, yeah. Gary Neville was kind of overlaying the whole thing with. Well, there you go. Yeah. I mean, that is it. That is it. You know, the. Doom mongering, you know. I mean. Don't worry. We're doing that though. Well, we are. Yeah. Yeah, but I mean, you know, you could also say this is a period where Arsenal are underperforming in terms of goals scored based on the chances that we're creating, right? And yet we're winning. And that if you want to take a positive from that, I think you can. And there will be people out there who say, listen, Brighton had one shot, went in, didn't really threaten apart from that Raya moment.

50:38Arsenal were by far the better team on the day, deserved to win the game. What's the big fuss? Which, you know, if you can get to that place, absolutely, if you can get to that place, I appreciate you and I envy your mental strength, as Arsene Wenger might say. Very level-headed. But, you know, I think that is an argument that you could potentially make. That every team, and I think especially this Arsenal team, does go through a period in every season where the finishing is just a bit off. And typically that is going to cost you points. And so far, for the most part, that hasn't been the case with Arsenal.

51:19And we'll see what we can do against Villa, obviously. But, you know, again, I'm sitting here. We're top of the Premier League. We've won a game against decent opposition. You know, go back to the invincible season and Arsenal beat like a Charlton 2-1. Is that the same level of scrutiny over that scoreline, over that performance, over the chances we took or didn't take? I don't know, but, you know, I guess we're living in a different world, as I said. We are. We are. And as I say, I think all of these sort of intertwining factors are only going to increase the stakes in the second half of the season.

52:04And yeah, it's going to be really interesting. But you're absolutely right to point out that despite any of those concerns, despite the injury issues, despite the poor finishing, Arsenal continue to win. They are in the winning habit and they're winning games that I think in previous years, they would not have done. And that, I do derive certainly great comfort from that. I think we are up in terms of points from the equivalent fixtures last year. I would imagine that we are, yeah. I mean, this is a game we drew. Am I right in saying that? Yeah, we drew last season because it was, because of the rice red card, et cetera.

52:49So, you know, Newcastle away, for example, another one. So, I don't know. No, it's all you can do is sort of be honest about how you feel, right? When you do something like this and you're sitting here the morning after a game and you can try and be objective. But I think you also have to bring the experience of what the game did to you to the podcast. You know, you can't sit there and lie and go, well, you know what? You know what? It was who cares? You know, sure, it was a little bit hairy, but we won. That's kind of a dishonest way to look at it. I think you can accept that there are people who will look at it that way.

53:25Was that how I felt? No. Clearly, I think you shared some of that anxiety. And I'm sure many of the people who are listening to this shared some of that anxiety, while at the same time appreciating the fact that this was a game we won and responded, by the way, to City going ahead and going on top of the table by winning again for the second week in a row. So when you think about what you said a couple of moments ago about like the tests of character that are being presented to the team, to the players, to the manager, maybe it's not quite as convincing as everyone would like, but they are passing those tests when it comes to results.

54:02I do wonder as well, I mean, this sort of run of slightly unconvincing or maybe underwhelming performances is kind of bookended by these Premier League games against Aston Villa. And that is the last time we lost, to be clear. We've won every game or drew one and won it on penalties since then. But December 6th, we lost at Villa Park. December 30th a couple of days time we host Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium and I think it's maybe a Villa who are sort of even more compelling or dangerous at this point than they were at the start of the month they've gathered even more momentum and I think maybe some of the concerns over performances are kind of with that game in mind with the knowledge that's on the horizon.

55:00And I think the recognition that it will be a much sterner test. Yeah, a team that is underperforming its XG by some distance up against a team that's overperforming its XG by some distance. So, yeah, I think you're right. When Morgan Rodgers keeps banging them in from 30 yards, I guess you don't need XG. But, yeah, who knows how that will end up. But certainly at this point in time, they are kind of a bit of a runaway train, Aston Villa. Yeah, all right. Well, look, we've got time to think a bit more about Aston Villa and speak a bit more about Aston Villa. What I think we should do right now, though, is take a little break and we will come back with your questions and more in part two right after this.

55:52Welcome back to the Arsecast Extra. This is part two of the show where we answer the questions that you sent to us on bluesky at gunnablog.bsky.social and at arseblog.com. Also on the Arseblog Discord chat server, which you get access to if you are an Arseblog member on Patreon. James, I think it is kind of reflective of how people are feeling after this game that so many of the questions deal with the themes that we discussed that length in the first half of the show. There are a lot about, like, how do we enjoy this? How do, you know, yeah, all of those sort of themes are present in about 70 % of the questions that we've got.

56:31Yeah, I think so. A lot of recurrent themes. But there are some slightly more divergent ones. Do you want to go first, Andrew? Okay. Well, I mean, we talked about the Villa game Apnea Man on Blue Sky, apneaman.bsky.social. who says, goodly morning, gents. Who's your starting front three against Villa and why? Well, yes, I mean, I had a few questions. Irish asked on Blue Sky, said, has Gabriel Jesus shown enough to start against Aston Villa? That's a really good question because it might not even be like, has Gabriel Jesus shown enough to start against Villa? but has Victor Jokerez shown enough to start against Villa or are we at a point where maybe we need to, you know, just change it up a little bit?

57:23That's two ways of looking at it, I guess.

57:29My expectation is I think, I think Pekan Arteta might pick the same front three. I know it's two games in quick succession, but I just think at this point in time that seems to be his preference. I think I would be very tempted by Jesus at this point in time. I think he's probably had enough little cameos here and there. Obviously, then he played a long shift against Palace in the Carabao Cup. I think that I'd be very tempted by that idea, just in terms of trying something a little bit different. and going for a player who's maybe a little bit more involved and links the play. Would you, if you were then tempted by Jesus, would that tempt you into starting Gabriel Martinelli as well?

58:25Because the two of them, you know, do connect quite well and maybe there's an idea that Villa, I don't think they're playing with quite the same high line as they have done in recent seasons, but still give you a chance to get in behind them in a way that maybe Martinelli could take advantage of. Like I said, he was very, very good in the first half against Crystal Palace, Martinelli. Soar in the second half, so didn't have the same impact. But good as well off the bench in his all-round play. I think it was a really great cross with the outside of his right foot for that moment that we talked about in the first half when it came to Gabriel Jesus.

59:07the penalty sort of shout. The missed chance means you're not going to get any points above the baseline, right? But he did have an impact. And he was in that position to miss that chance. So I would think about Martinelli and Jesus. If I was going to start Jesus, that would be the combination I'd probably be tempted by. I'm thinking back to the first Villa game. I mean, what I think we can say with certainty is it's not going to be as on the left as it was at Villa Park. I don't think it's going to be Mikel Moreno through the middle. Remember, he got substituted at half-time as well in that game for Joachim Rez.

59:55Yeah, my hunch is that Mikel will stick with the same front three he picked in this game and hope that the finishing is a little bit sharper. But what with the games, you know, being so frequent at this point in time, I'd be open to some change. I mean, someone like Nonny Madueke, for example, he's not had a great deal of football since his, you know, very good performance in Bruges. Would he be in your thoughts at all? not from the start to be honest like I don't see enough from Nani Maduweke to give him a start over Bakayo Saki in a game we absolutely have to win I do think with Emery you have to think about the bench a lot because he changed the game again yesterday I think he made a triple substitution yeah he did which helped turn tired Nassin Villa's favour even though Once again, they did defy the XG, I believe.

1:01:03So I think you really have to think about the full course of the 90 minutes. You have to accept that the Villa that you face for the last half hour of the game may be very different from the one you face for the first hour. And I think Mikel Arteta will have to be prepared to use his bench too. Not necessarily to go sub for sub with Emery, but to adapt to the way that Villa change and adapt in the course of the 90 minutes. So I sort of think you shouldn't get too fixated on your starting 11. You know, we made the double change against Villa at halftime, at Villa Park. Is that right? Was it a double change at halftime?

1:01:38Yeah, it was. It was... Eze and Marino off. No. Is that right? Yeah, it was Trossard who came on, wasn't it? And then Trossard had to go off again. Trossard came on and Jokeres came on. And I think, so if you do start Martinelli and you leave Trossard out, If it's not working, just change it half time. I don't think there needs to be so much preciousness over who starts and who finishes in this one, because I do think it's a game where there will be evolution in the course of the 90 minutes. I mean, we had a different... Quite a few people were like, do you think Jesus might start or could be ready to start?

1:02:18I just think for balance, it'd be worth doing this question from RDM on Discord, who says, Have you accepted that Jesus is our fourth best frontman after Havertz, Marino and Jokeres? When Jokeres came off, we struggled to pin Brighton back and Luis Skelly started to get exposed. Please, can we embrace atheism and be done with Jesus, the Brazilian Lacazette? He has little to offer in this day and age. Listen, I would have some concerns about Gabriel Jesus' ability to put the ball in the back of the net with the kind of frequency that we would like. But how was it possible that when Jokeres came off that Miles Lewis Skelly started to get exposed when Miles Lewis Skelly and Jokeres came off at the same time?

1:03:11So I think he is seeing things through a different lens. Beautifully done, Columbo. Thank you. Thank you. And I think, listen, I think I know Brighton had that chance, that Minta chance, 77 minutes when they had that chance, 71 minutes when Jesus and Gabriel came on. I think they helped to stabilize a bit, you know, and you mentioned the Ryan moment where he went down. I think that took some wind out of their sails for sure. But things stick a bit more to Jesus up front than they do with Yaccaraz. So it wasn't like the Jesus substitution rendered us useless in the final third or blunted our attacking threat because there were moments where we certainly did swing the game back our way and had moments where if we got our shut off a bit earlier, we could have caused Brighton more problems and maybe scored that third goal.

1:04:10So I don't agree with that contention at all. No, I think we look a better team when Jesus is on the pitch. That's my view. I don't know if he's ready physically to play this game. I accept that he's probably not as clinical a finisher as we would like. I don't think Jokeres is finishing particularly well at this point in time either. so yeah if he is ready I'd be very tempted by that and if it doesn't work yeah you've got Yaccaraz on the bench to come off what about this a few questions about a couple of players Cesc Flabbergas that's all of us after eating all the stuff at Christmas he says I'm sorry to disturb the podcast but I'm looking for Nani Maduweke and Eberaceza.

1:05:05Have either of you seen them? And Jmart91 says, do you see any issues with Maduweke and Eze not getting on the pitch again? I think this is an interesting one. Like people have talked about, well, could Maduweke have come on for Saka? And yeah, maybe he could have, but Saka still made that brilliant chance for Martinelli. Where I would have maybe liked to see Mikel Arteta be, I don't know if brave is the right word, but can you impact a game in a different way? You know, can, and I don't think Mikel Marino played badly yesterday, but is there something to be said for putting on Aberacee Eze for Mikel Marino with 20 odd minutes to go as a way of changing the trajectory of the game and the performance?

1:05:55Yeah. I mean, he didn't get a minute against Everton nor Brighton Parmi just feels this is sort of a consequence of the size of the squad you know we're getting more players I know we've lamented the injury situation but we're getting more players back

1:06:18I'd be more I'd be more worried about being Ethan Rennieri than Eberze at this point in time in terms of playing time and opportunities.

1:06:31The Maduweke one, maybe, but as you say, Saka was contributing until the final few moments. He even had a chance, didn't he, like in the 95th minute where he went through on goal but couldn't get the shot away. I'm not overly worried about that at this point in time. I suppose if I was going to sound a sort of note of caution, it would be that historically it's been about this time in the calendar year that Arteta has tended to lose some faith in certain players in his squad. I feel like it's around this point in the season where his selections have narrowed, typically. Which is kind of natural, right?

1:07:18Because the first few months of the season, you're sort of figuring things out, you're figuring out shape and system and partnerships and all these things. And then December onwards, you're sort of relying on a certain degree of momentum to kind of carry you through. You're not necessarily trying new stuff anymore. So maybe the options do diminish somewhat. But I'm really hoping that doesn't happen this year, that players aren't sort of pushed out to the fringes or cast aside. And I don't think there's any evidence yet that that has happened. But I would just say that, like, we have seen Mikel do that several times before.

1:08:01So there's some evidence. There's some precedent there. Precedent rather than evidence, yeah. I mean, there was sort of another question from Isaiah Joe who was talking about how is it possible we're finishing a game like this having only made three subs and he talked about you know maybe bringing on madueke maybe bringing on eza for marino or norgaard or winery said even martinelli only got about 10 minutes what's the point of having this squad if we're not going to use it in high leverage moments because that might be the way we're looking at it is like okay could we have taken better control of that game if we'd used our bench more Whereas Arteta's outlook, and I think that's something we've come to understand, is that he, I think he often views substitution as disruptive.

1:08:51Is that the right way? Like it can upset the equilibrium more than looking at it as a way of having a positive impact on the team. Yes, I think he sees it as a remedial thing, something where you are either replacing an injured player or you're fixing a problem. In certain circumstances, you're arresting people. You know, he sees it as like a chance sometimes to sort of manage minutes. but I'm not sure in the way that an Emery say, and listen, Emery is a great coach, albeit one who has flaws. And we know more about that than most. He definitely, he's definitely more excited about substitutions than Mikel is.

1:09:36Yeah, that's for sure. Do you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Like he likes having that sort of hand of cards and being able to play a joker and uh he loves the game of it and the sort of um subverting of expectation that he can do from the touchline whereas i think michael as you were suggesting it values stability more and And often when games are tight, his instinct is to sort of stick with what he has selected, what he knows and what he trusts. I do think that is fair, probably. Yeah. um and yeah like as i sort of mentioned in part one there is part of you that wonders like could we have been more sort of proactive in our substitutions when we have such talent at our disposal well that's it like i i get not wanting to use a raheem sterling whereas i find it more difficult to understand how you're managing a squad and keeping players happy when you're not using an Eze or when you're not using a Madueke who you know again I've said I wouldn't necessarily have put him on for Saka but I can understand why after scoring a couple of goals in a game he might feel he wants a bit more playing time and I think you know what what what he thinks of substitutions, what we think of substitutions, interesting discussions, perhaps widening that out is what do some of the players think?

1:11:29Do they think, well, what's the point in going to warm up here? Because I'm not going to get on unless something goes wrong for this team. And then you're sort of, rather than, you're a firefighter. You're seen as a firefighter in a way, right? You've got to go on and fix this particular issue. We talked a bit, didn't we, about how one of the big challenges for Mikel Arteta wasn't just about, you know, having a big squad, but it was keeping that squad happy and keeping those players invested and, you know, motivated. And I, you know, if I'm Ebreche Eze or if I'm Nani Matueke, I'm not saying I'm not going to be professional and I'm not going to give my best and I'm not invested in the team or the group and the idea of success and what Arsenal are driving towards this season.

1:12:17You know, I'm all in, I'm on the train. but I'm looking out the window wistfully a little bit. Does that make sense? Yeah, it does. But, you know, I would say we're only talking about a couple of games. I think if this becomes more of a pattern, then I think it's kind of a more – then I think there'll be big conversations around. And, you know, I have fears that it could become a pattern, but it has not yet. So let's see. Maybe Mikel is going to surprise us and pick them both against Villa. I don't know. That would be a surprise. I doubt it. Me too. What else we got here? Oh, the centre-forward thing.

1:13:06I thought this was interesting. Biryani Rice said, seeing the pile-up on Big Vic has made me realise that the best striker under Arteta has been Marino, who's not even a striker. Jesus, Havertz, and now Victor have all underperformed. Do you think the strikers underperforming is more of a system issue than individual quality of these strikers? I mean, would it not be fair to say that the best striker under Mikel Arteta was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang? Yes, but would it be fair to say that a lot of better performances came off the left in this team? He scored a lot of goals off the left. maybe I mean I do think we haven't nailed it I mean apart from those few months of Gabor Jesus where he was absolutely electric a lot of players have let's put it like this I think I think Arteta's style asks a lot of a centre forward and it's not always conducive to showing that centre forward in their best light.

1:14:13I think there's a lot of sacrifice involved in playing that position in this team. I think that's true. I think that's true. But I also think it's probably more of a question of individual quality or the ability to make an impact at the highest level. Yeah. You know, it might be. I mean, can I have us as numbers in 2023, 24? Yeah, that run where we had the, what, 16 wins and a draw and a defeat were really good. A calendar year of 2024, to be honest. He looked like a very impactful and good number nine in that period. I agree with you there. So was that everything clicking, everything behind him clicking, him clicking into the system?

1:14:57I just think what we have are and have had for quite a long time, Going back to Lacazette, to Marino, who I think has done fantastic, but is a player out of position, to post-World Cup Jesus, to Joachares now, is imperfect options. like I think it's more about the individuals than the system for me and maybe the best fit for the system is Havertz but he's not been available so I don't know I mean I think if you put a really elite number 9 in this team I don't think you would have too many issues scoring goals but the question is you know where do you get that there aren't too many elite number 9's in the world and they tend to be elsewhere, you know?

1:15:56So, yeah, listen, can we do more to create for our centre forwards? Probably. But is it just down to that? I don't think so. Yeah, that's fair. Okay. What about, I did have a question.

1:16:16But I can't find it. How about this? I've got one Okay I've got two Similar theme Notorious AFC said Good morning gents When are we going to give a team The hiding they deserve? Yet again We have high XG And some pretty big missed chances Do you think we can transform this into goals? And Mark Pentey said Are we due a performance Like we produced against Bayern When Villa visit on Tuesday? After grinding out some victories I think we all need a game Where we smash out a top class performance Dish out some revenge and show we mean business. I mean, do you think that the way we're playing suggests someone's going to be on the end of a hiding sooner rather than later?

1:16:56I don't know about on the end of a hiding, but, you know, you can win a game 3-0 and it's a very decisive victory, isn't it? Yeah. You know, I'm not expecting Arsenal to go out and score six, seven, eight goals. No. But I do think we've created more than our goal tally suggests. the yeah it would be brilliant to do that against Villa you know to halt their momentum to get some revenge from the game that happened a few weeks ago I think it would be a real boost by the way you know to people's I'm not saying people have lost faith in this team that's the wrong way of putting it but you know as we talked about in the first half there is such a latent anxiety about everything that we're doing at this moment in time that it becomes easy to sort of fear the worst.

1:17:44Whereas if you go out against Villa, play really well, if you win against Villa 3-0, if Saka scores a couple and Jokerez comes off the bench and gets one, everyone's feeling fucking great. And I think that is something that we absolutely need. I think we need that, you know. I'll take a scabby 1-0 if that's what it takes, don't get me wrong, but it would be a real boost for the players, I think the fans as well, to sort of have a reminder that like, okay, we're going through a period where we're not playing at our best, but this is a team that is capable of more and is capable of better football.

1:18:23You know, as we saw in the North London Derby against Spurs, as we saw in the Bayern game, as we saw against Atletico Madrid at home, you know, there have been performances from this team which are more aligned with what we think. We haven't had one for a while. So, you know, it feels like we'll never see it again. But yeah, give me some of that on Tuesday. That would be like crack to everyone, I would say. No? Definitely. We owe Villa one after the way they got that winning goal and how painful that was. So Tuesday would be a great time to deliver something more convincing. Although, frankly, I think any sort of win against Aston Villa would be huge for us.

1:19:06What about this one from the Discord? Chris 2019 says, A lot has been made of how close our recent games have been and our stuttering attack. But do you think with Gabriel and Saliba reunited at the centre of our defence, that this could be the platform to allow our midfielders to push further forward and reignite our attack? And listen, one thing we didn't really mention, but was probably remiss of us. We talked about how good Declan Rice was at right back, and he was sensational, right? Mr. Versatile, there's nothing he can't do. He's like a Roy of the Rovers type, takes the summer off and plays cricket, all that kind of stuff.

1:19:48But we didn't talk about how maybe we missed Declan Rice in midfield. and the control that he can help you get and maintain or stem the tide of the opposition coming forward through midfield areas, which I think Brighton had a little bit of success with in that period of the game where they looked more threatening. Yeah, I think we did. I mean, you would, wouldn't you? I mean, he's... I know in that right-back role, tucked inside, he was a lot of the time in the opposition half and always playing as an auxiliary midfielder. but I do think we missed him. I think Mourinho is not as dynamic in that role.

1:20:31I think we've got to really hope that Julian Timber's back for the Villa game. I think he's got a chance, based on what I've heard. I think it should be a short absence. However, it does come incredibly soon, so you can't be too certain. I think if we can get Timber back in, that would be great to have Rice in the midfield. I think we'll need in Villa a really physical side. And, you know, they might go with, say, Inano and Kamara as they tend to in the B-O-A games. And, yeah, I think, and Rodgers, obviously, as well, who is flying, you know, he's unlocked a level in his game that I think, you know, suggests he's going to be a huge, huge star.

1:21:11And, yeah. Listen, I mean, if that one, I presume, is on telly and as a neutral, it's a really mouth-watering prospect. I mean, you know, as an Arsenal fan, it's a huge game, but it should be a really good game. So let's see. I think we definitely need Rice in midfield for that one. Yeah, for sure. I agree with that. Let's do one to get out of here and get this podcast out. We had a couple like this, which I enjoyed. Let's see. Lone and Hughes on Blue Sky on a scale of 1 to 10. How disappointed were you that Gabby Martinelli didn't come on at the same time as the other Gabby's, thereby achieving the Gabby trifecta and automatically winning the game?

1:21:55And palmstree.bsky.social says, can you believe Arteta denied us the fabled triple Gabby substitution? This man is no fun. Yeah, I think that's when we're sort of talking about his substitutions, that's really what we mean. He had the chance to do this and he didn't deliver. Hey, they all got on eventually, in some way, shape. I do think Gabriel being back is really big for us at both ends of the pitch, to be honest. I think, yeah, I think it could be a game changer. And some of the uncertainty and jangling of nerves we've experienced, I think, will be offset by his return. Yeah, he's a guy who has presence, you know, in our box, but also presence in the opposition box.

1:22:44He allows you maybe as a team to play in a slightly different way. And that's not to be critical of Piero and Capier, but Gabriel. Is it leader? Yeah, exactly. There are tangibles and intangibles with Gabriel that you don't get yet with in Capier. It's not to say he doesn't bring qualities to the team, but, you know, this is one of our best and most consistent performers over the last three or four years. So, yeah, having him back will be absolutely huge. And if he can inflict some damage on Aston Villa on Tuesday night, I would, I'd very much enjoy that. So I think we've kind of talked it all out feeling all right.

1:23:23Yeah, I do. You know, I keep coming back to the fact that we still won, you know, it's all kind of moot in a way we won. And it's onto the next one. Onto the next one. We will talk about that next one over on Patreon tomorrow. We will have a preview podcast for you in the afternoon. We'll also have an episode of The 30, rounding up all the weekend's Premier League action for you. That's patreon.com forward slash arseblog. For now, though, folks, take it easy, and we will catch you on the next one. Until then, cheers. Bye-bye.