Arsecast Extra Episode 709 - 23.08.2026

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0:50James McNicholas: Hello and welcome to a brand new Arsecast Extra as always with James from Gunner Blog. James, our very first goodly morning of the Premier League season to you.

1:01Andrew Allen: Goodly morning, guys. The Premier League is back. Arsenal are back. Manchester United are back. Tottenham. Tottenham Hotspur.

1:12James McNicholas: Oh, they're so back.

1:13Andrew Allen: They are so, so back. They are so, so back.

1:16James McNicholas: They're as back as back can be. Amazing. What a start to the season.

1:20Andrew Allen: Very much at the back of the race for European places, you have to say. Yeah. It's been sort of perfect, actually. So far? It's a shame we're recording on a Sunday. I imagine Liverpool are going to get turned over. Bournemouth are going to go to the Etihad and roll City over too.

1:38James McNicholas: Well. But hey. But hey, it is what it is. We can enjoy those things on the 30 tomorrow over on Patreon when we round up all the weekend's Premier League action with Phil Kosta, the returned Phil Kosta. So that'll be entertaining anyway. But yeah, what a great weekend of football. so far. And from an Arsenal perspective, obviously starting on Friday night at home to Coventry, you know, I enjoyed very much the performance. I enjoyed the fact that there were no nerves. I enjoyed the fact that I wasn't on the edge of my seat. I enjoyed the fact that there was little jeopardy in this game, but I especially enjoyed the image I had in my head, James, at the end of the game of Richard Keyes, famous Coventry fan, just sort of weeping into his hairy hands.

2:28James McNicholas: Like if you put Cousin It in the shower, that's what his hands looked like. Like all sort of matted and tangled. Yeah, just from weeping and sorrow and all that kind of stuff. That, among many other things, was very, very pleasing about what happened on Friday night.

2:45Andrew Allen: I think he's taken a leaf out of Bakayosaka's book, actually. and I gather he's now braided his hand hair.

2:53James McNicholas: I thought you were going to do it. I just had a vision of him with the actual braids in his hair.

2:59Andrew Allen: No, no, just the hand hair. The head hair remains the same.

3:03James McNicholas: That's a mid-midlife crisis, I guess. Not quite the full thing.

3:08Andrew Allen: Keys and Grey are back, of course, and this time they're unleashed. I don't know if this is... No, are they? You've noticed this. Yeah, they've been, I think, on a podcast. Oh, God.

3:18James McNicholas: Are they still doing the thing and being in sports?

3:22Andrew Allen: No, no. I think even that has moved on from them at this point. Right. Okay. But they've got a podcast. They've got a podcast. They're churning out some premium content, actually. It is kind of extraordinary to watch. I recommend it. I found time this weekend to indulge in some of the Manchester United and Tottenham fan channels. I was driving my car earlier with the soothing sounds of We Are Tottenham TV in the background. But Schadenfreude, really, that is what's so great about the Premier League being back. But yeah, amongst that load of content, if you find time to check out some of the trailers for Keys and Grey Unleashed, it really does look like it's going to be a spectacular show.

4:11Andrew Allen: I might give it a miss.

4:16James McNicholas: fair enough but you never know absolutely fair enough so it's hard to avoid this stuff you know when it when it gets um good and i mean that in the pejorative sense um it'll go viral some way or another and it'll it'll cross our yeah it will find its way to you the algorithm will do its work

4:34Andrew Allen: it will do its work yeah but yes it's been a lovely opening weekend and slightly surreal and unfamiliar sensation of, as you described, watching Arsenal in relaxed fashion in the Premier League. It feels like it's been a long time.

4:50James McNicholas: It really does. It really does. And it probably has been a long time, you know, not in the grand scheme of things, you know, in the history of the entire universe, but probably in our experience as Arsenal fans, it has felt like a long time since we really, really, well, actually the Fulham game. Everyone You know, the 3-0 against Fulham. But that was rare in terms of last season. But yeah, it was very nice and it was very comfortable. And there was a lot to like about what Arsenal did, how we did it, how we set up, who was in the team. All of those things, I guess, are points of discussion. So let's start with the team, right?

5:32James McNicholas: And it wasn't a surprise to me in the absence of Bruno Gimaraes, who is, by the way, proper Arsenal already. Comes in, plays 45 minutes, gets injured and misses the first game of the season. Could not be any more Arsenal than that. So well done that man for settling in. Yeah, 100%. It wasn't a surprise then to see Declan Rice start this game. What was slightly surprising to me was seeing Bakayo Saka start the game. Some people will be like, oh my God, he just can't help himself. Whenever there's a chance to pick Bakayo Saka, he picks Bakayo Saka. And I get that. But for me, it was actually an encouraging thing that Bakayo Saka started this game.

6:16James McNicholas: And it's not to be dismissive of anyone else who might have played in that position. It is simply because there has been such an acceptance that he's had these injury issues, that his fitness hasn't been where we want it to be. Right. And he went away with the World Cup and everyone's like, well, you know, you've got to give him a break. We're not going to see Saka and Rice until after the end of the first interlull. They're going to be, you know, in cryogenic chambers recovering and, you know, all this sort of stuff. So Rice starting, whatever. We know that's a thing. But Saka, surely it has to be from a position of, you know, having talked to the player, having talked to the medical staff, having assessed his fitness, his physical readiness, all of those things.

7:01James McNicholas: Surely they weren't going to take any risks with Saka, right? Right. Regardless of how good he is and how much you you want to put him in your team. Surely that decision was made knowing that we're not taking a massive risk with him because, you know, if there was a risk, you play Nani Matuweke or you play Max Damman or whatever it is. And to me, it's a really encouraging sign that that that decision was made, that Saka was able to play, ready to start. I don't know how you view it, but was was that something that you looked at and went, oh, not sure about that or, oh, actually, this is good.

7:34Andrew Allen: Yeah, I think I see it as a positive that Mikel Arteta deemed him ready. Pukai Saka spoke afterwards as well about feeling ready, feeling good, which is great to hear. I had heard before the Community Shield that the plan for Rice was for him to play as a sub in Cardiff and then probably to start the first Premier League game. I didn't know if Saka would be in the same boat. But yeah, I think it was great to see him and great to see him looking sharp as well. I mean, he does look to be in really good nick for the first time in a little while. So I found his inclusion heartening. Everything else was kind of as expected.

8:17Andrew Allen: I mean, Bruno's injury was a blow, but it did give us an opportunity to show off just the insane levels of depth we have in central midfield with Declan Rice stepping in alongside Lewis Skelly. And yeah, no real surprise. I think Kai Havertz, that was maybe the other selection for Mikel Arteta, was the number nine. What was he going to do there? But as has been the case in the Champions League final and the Community Shield, he stuck with Kai Havertz.

8:44James McNicholas: I think as well, though, you know, with the Havertz thing or the Havertz decision is that when you have Saka and Odegaard and Havertz available to you, you want to get that on the pitch as much as possible, right?

8:55Andrew Allen: Yeah, I think you can throw Ben White into that as well. Well, yeah, yeah, yeah.

8:58James McNicholas: Clearly, clearly the trio of white Saka Odegaard was like throwback, wasn't it, to that 24-25 season? And before when they were just so good and caused defense's problems and the relationships they have. It's something Mikel Arteta talks about a lot, isn't it? Relationships on the pitch. And who knows who best and how to work with each other best. So Havertz as the number nine, I mean, I think it's obvious that Havertz is his first choice, if you want to put it like that. Like if it comes to the crunch, if there's a big game, who's he going to pick? Havertz or Jokeres? It's going to be Havertz.

9:36James McNicholas: But I also think the fact that Odegaard is back, the fact that Saka was back, that is a relationship or that trio there, not including Ben White, is one which is probably Arsenal's strongest attacking trio.

9:52Andrew Allen: Yeah, definitely. And I think I saw a stat only the second time that that trio have started together since December 2024 or something like that. That is mental, isn't it? Yeah. So really encouraging that we're starting the season with all those players available and combining really, really well.

10:15James McNicholas: So we look comfortable from the start. Christos Solas out on the left-hand side, Ricardo Calafuri on the left-hand side. And from there, that's where we got the first goal. It was sort of interesting that it was a cross-field switch from Ben White towards Solas, which maybe the defender could have done a little bit better with, could have made a different decision, but Solas hassled him into making a mistake. The first touch from Calafuri when the ball breaks to him is unbelievably good. Yeah. The way he just sort of drags it around, plays it across to Havertz, and the finish from Havertz is excellent.

10:50James McNicholas: First-time finish into the bottom corner, 1-0. I think it was 15 minutes in. And that, if there were any nerves, or if there was any anxiety, that will well and truly settle that, didn't it?

11:01Andrew Allen: Absolutely and good work right from Solis Calafuri making a contribution. I always hesitate to say this because I don't want to jinx him but I really have a great feeling about Riccardo Calafuri this season. I just think he's had a strong pre-season. Obviously he had that brilliant contribution in the Community Shield. Here he's creating our first goal of the season. I'm really, really excited to see what he can produce and what he can bring to this Arsenal team. I'm crossing everything that he can stay fit. Because I think if he can, I think he's on for a fantastic season.

11:36James McNicholas: No, I completely agree. His talent level is off the charts for me. And his movement is unbelievable. Arteta was talking after the game on Sky. I don't know if you saw it, but he was asked about the role of the fullbacks. And he basically said they're there to sort of cause a little bit of chaos. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but he's like to pop up in places where they're not expected to run off the back of people and actually when you look at the the ball that Ben White plays out Solace and the defender are competing for that ball in the air where Califuri is like Havertz is nowhere near the center forward position Califuri is the sort of de facto center forward who's moved to that inside left channel to make the run down the side and you're looking at one two three Coventry players staring at Califuri going what the fuck like how are we supposed to deal with this you know that role of the left back or the role of the fullbacks in Mikel Arteta's football if we want to call it that has always been really important right so the Zinchenko dropping into midfield thing and it's now gone to a slightly different level when you've got Calafuri because it's not that he's sort of dropping into midfield and playing as an auxiliary central midfielder and spraying passes here there and everywhere.

12:51James McNicholas: Calafuri basically plays in the forward line at times and makes runs that you expect either wingers or centre forwards to make.

12:59Andrew Allen: He does. He does. And it's such a unique threat. Yeah, but you're right. That touch, that little pirouette, I'm just watching it back now to kind of bring the ball under his spell and immediately have it in front of him to play it. What is a perfect pass into Havertz and such a good finish as well. I mean, the pass does a lot of the work for him. It's perfectly into his path, but he just steers it so nicely into that near post. And I think it's his fourth successive start on which he's scored, Kai Havert. So seems to be finding some rhythm again, after such a protracted absence last season.

13:32James McNicholas: Yeah, so that settled everything down and it wasn't long before it was 2-0. Declan Rice doing Declan Rice things in midfield, sort of rampaging forward, carrying the ball, combines with Odegaard, plays it out to solace. First time cross. I guess you're looking for your keeper to do better there. Well, Coventry would be. I wouldn't be. I'm quite happy with the contribution of the goalkeeper. Spills it out. And there's Mikayo Saka to score what's probably going to be the easiest goal he will score all season. But he is in the right place at the right time.

14:05Andrew Allen: Yeah. And, you know, he wasn't in that position for a variety of reasons, largely availability, frequently enough last season. And Saka is someone who should be getting, you know, six or seven of these goals a season, right? Just right place, right time on the back post, tucking it into an empty net. He's shown in the past, he's very capable of doing that. He's got the awareness, he's got the positional intelligence, the stamina to be there. And great to see him off the mark so early in this season. And I think we're all hoping for a big, big season.

14:40James McNicholas: Well, listen, we talked about the way that we might improve our attack, and everybody is focused on the transfer window, and I understand that. I really do. But I do think one of the things that will improve our attack with what we have already is getting more from Saka, more from Odegaard, more from Havertz. absolutely because listen we know why they haven't been delivering the end product you know it's a it's a mix of availability it's a mix of form and rhythm and Odegaard spoke afterwards didn't he about you know how he never really found his rhythm last season because of all the injuries that he had and I think he found it again in the World Cup and he's taken that into this season but you know they're all capable of scoring way way more and delivering way way more than they did last season so as much as i would like to see us make an attacking signing and improve our attack and improve our potency i'm also not sort of sleeping on the idea that if we can keep these guys fit then we're going to be better from an attacking perspective definitely and as we've already

15:52Andrew Allen: mentioned they're players who have such a natural chemistry together um you know we've had spells where we've had maybe one available or two available but to have that trio all operating in tandem was fantastic and can improve our attack substantially before we make a signing so um yeah listen and that settled everybody's i don't want to say nerves because i don't think there were too many nerves going into this one you know it was our first game back at the emirate stadium as champions um the team got an amazing reception as they stepped out onto the pitch they've just smashed city in the community shield but it was a very relaxed evening from that point

16:31James McNicholas: on yes the game went a bit flat i think after that uh there was maybe a chance for a third goal just before the break it was declan rice um set up by bakayo saka curling a shot wide with his with his left foot i liked the message at halftime that michael arteta gave his team which was get the third goal yeah um as he said two nil is not comfortable in the premier league and it's you know it's true to an extent um but three nil is a lot more comfortable than two nil and two nil is a lot more comfortable than one nil i should say so i was happy enough with where we were at halftime and I think we were in control quite dominant deserved the lead but the idea that they're talking in the dressing room about right go get another goal you know make this game impossible for someone like Coventry you know for a newly promoted team to come to the champions 2-0 you nick one you never know what might happen in the next you know 45 minutes but 3-0 kind of kills it and that's pretty much what happened with the with the third goal and the fact we got it so quickly into the second half was very pleasing as well.

17:44James McNicholas: And that triangle we mentioned, Odegaard playing it to Saka, Saka playing it to the overlapping Ben White. Ben White pulled it back from Martin Odegaard. And the finish, well, sumptuous. Is there another word you could use to describe it? Straight off the training ground.

18:04Andrew Allen: Yeah, I guess if you look at Odegaard's finish in the last couple of games, it's the sublime and the ridiculous, isn't it? Yeah, yeah. I don't think the comical nature of the finish should detract too much from what a nice move it was. And that right-hand side really clicking into gear and Odegaard being in the right place, being in the right position where if you keep getting in there, sometimes you will get that bit of luck. And he certainly did here. And he knew it as well as he sort of sauntered away chuckling about it. But fantastic. I mean, he's on two goals for the season, if you include the Community Shield.

18:41Andrew Allen: I think I saw him reminded in one of his post-match issues. I don't know how thrilled about it he was that he's now surpassed his total for last season. Yeah. Great, great. I think he looks like a player who is enjoying his football again, and it's a pleasure to see.

18:57James McNicholas: No, absolutely. We're a better team when Martin Odegaard is playing like that. That's just the long and the short of it. And when you have those combinations, When you have players who sort of know instinctively where the other guy is, it's really, really difficult for defenders, you know, because when we score that throw, I could see that move coming a mile away, right? We could all see it because we've seen it so many times before that we knew kind of what was going to happen. Either Ben White was going to, well, we knew Ben White was going to run the overlap. So it's either a pass from Bikai Osaka or Ben White is the distraction to allow Bikai Osaka to come back in on his left-hand side.

19:35James McNicholas: This time he chose the pass. So if I know it and you know it and everybody watching knew it, then I'm sure the Coventry players knew it as well. But because it's so well rehearsed, because it's something they've done time and time and time again, and actually the precision of the pass from Saka to White is really, really good. We kind of take it for granted that that's just a simple pass to make, and it's not really. The weight of it and the timing of it is just perfect. you know it's so potent that overlapping threat from Ben White you know and when you consider the role of the two fullbacks both of them got an assist on the night White for Odegaard Calafuri for Havertz but they sort of provide different kinds of threats which I think is really interesting

20:21Andrew Allen: Yeah I think so and I want to give a particular shout out to Ben White because you know we spoke several times over the course of last season wondering if he had a future at Arsenal beyond the summer. You know, there were moments, I think, in the campaign where Mosquera was being picked ahead of him at right back and physically he was really struggling, but we need him right now. You know, we've got no Julian Timber available and I think he's stepping up. He's giving us what we need and he looks fit. He looks tanned. He looks beautiful. And he's playing some fantastic football. He's reminding everybody, I think, quite how talented he is.

21:11Andrew Allen: And I'm very happy for him because I fully admit I thought probably his time at Arsenal would be over. But he's showed how important, how reliable he can be. And yeah, I'm really pleased for him. No, same, same.

21:29James McNicholas: He's a fantastic player. He really is. and sometimes you get to a point where you think can he ever get over the injury issues can you know can he find his best form again you know i think that's the lesson really isn't it you know even with somebody like odegaard where people were sort of saying well you know maybe it's all over from martin odegaard not something i ever agreed with by the way but i heard people talk about it and and reference the idea that his best days were behind him which seems a bit odd considering he's still only 27 but it does show you how inhibiting injuries are you know if you've got one small injury and you're out and you come back it's fine but when you have like a sort of procession of injuries that that prevent you from ever quite getting to 100 or anything close to 100 it has such a limiting effect on the kind of football you can play you know um and we're seeing i think with Odegaard and with White, proper fitness, proper rhythm, and now some proper forms.

22:34James McNicholas: So it's really pleasing, and I'm delighted to see it from both of those guys because, you know, again, I just think we're better with those players fit and available to us. They're both very, very important. Before we talk about, like, what happened after the third goal, which was not much, really, we've got to give some attention to Christos Solis, right? His Premier League debut. Yeah, I won't say anything. I'll just ask you what you thought of what you saw from him and how he impacted the team. Well, I'll give you my insight from being in the stadium, which is that he made an early impression.

23:12Andrew Allen: You know, obviously he's had a really good preseason, but everyone knows once the Premier League starts, it's a whole different beast. And he attacked this game with a lot of intensity and determination to make things happen. And what I saw is that within about 10, 15 minutes, every time he got the ball, fans around me were on their feet. You know, there was an excitement in the ground every time he received possession because people had that conviction that this guy wants to make stuff happen. He's going to run at people. He's going to play the direct pass. He's looking for the opportunity to shoot.

23:52Andrew Allen: And that's exactly what you want to see from a player making their Premier League debut, that hunger, that determination to make an impact. I think he's a really fascinating footballer because physically, I don't think he's outstanding. You know, you wouldn't say he's a particularly fast sprinter or, you know, an athlete that is difficult to live with. but he's got that intelligence, that game intelligence, both in terms of his positioning, but also his clarity of thinking in the final third. And you look at his numbers that he's produced in Belgium, they are astonishing. Even if you kind of apply the necessary equations to kind of even them out and look at them in comparison with Premier League numbers, they still translate really, really well.

24:44Andrew Allen: He's been incredibly prolific in terms of goals and assists in his past. So, yeah, all round, I thought this was a super, super encouraging start to life with Arsenal in the Premier League for Solis. And I think it looks like it could be a bargain. I mean, it looks like it really could be a case of finding some real value in the market. 40 million euros does not buy you much. And in a week where Tottenham are about to pay, what is it, 85 million for Savinho? this is a fee it's less than half that it's closer to a third of that so really so yeah 36 million pounds something like that yeah he looks like a really strong addition and I thoroughly enjoyed this stage

25:30James McNicholas: yeah me too me too I think your point about how effective he is is the key to what he's going to bring this season because sometimes you see a player that's like super quick right a winger that's super quick and that is their superpower You might look at, you know, Matuweke, for example, as somebody who's really quick. And that is kind of what separates him from other wingers in some senses. Or you see somebody who's super skillful, you know, or a player that's really, really skillful. And that is their standout quality. And I think with Solis, he's not the quickest. He's not the strongest. He's not the biggest.

26:11James McNicholas: But pretty much everything he does, he does right. he makes the right decision on the ball. He makes the right decision in terms of his movement. He knows where to be. I like the fact that he wasn't simply hanging out on the left-hand side as well. There were moments where he popped up over on the right. There was a pass to Saka. I can't remember. Or he sort of overlapped and pulled one back.

26:35Andrew Allen: Yes, he put in a cross from the right-hand side, I think, in the first half.

26:37James McNicholas: Yeah, I can't remember exactly when that was or who that was for. But, you know, we're not necessarily used to seeing our left winger do that. And, you know, I think the encouraging thing is that despite, I don't want to say limitations because I don't mean it that way. I don't mean that like he has to be the fastest or the strongest or the most skillful. I just mean that he has got what it takes. You can see it. He's got what it takes to deliver in the Premier League. No two ways about it, you know.

27:08Andrew Allen: Yeah, and I've thought from the start that he strikes me as quite a vengerish player in a lot of ways, that sort of level of technical ability and intelligence. And yeah, it looks to be the case. The chance you're thinking of, by the way, it was the Saka, I think it was a chest and volley from a Solis cross from the right hand side very early on. It was really well blocked by the Coventry defender. But yeah, I thought he was superb. And there's always excitement about new signings, but I think any excitement off the back of this debut was fully justified.

27:43James McNicholas: Yeah, 100%. Really good performance from him and a very encouraging one. And, you know, he played his part, as did others, in securing that 3-0 win. So, listen, we saw some changes. Eventually, Saka and Rice came off after about 65, 66 minutes, I think it was. and it was Zubimendi and Madueke who came on. Then he brought on... I should know this, shouldn't I? He brought on Mikel Moreno and Eberache Eze. They came on for Solis and Odegaard. His final change of the night was in Capier for Calafuri. Victor Jokeres didn't get off the bench. No. Probably wouldn't have been too happy about it. Is the simple explanation, without delving into the realms of conspiracy or anything like that.

28:38James McNicholas: Victor Jokeres has had pretty much a full preseason. Has got lots of preseason minutes under his belt. And players like Eze, players like Marino, players like Zubimendi have not really had a lot of playing time since they returned from the World Cup. Therefore, because of the scoreline and how comfortable it was, it was more beneficial for the group in general to give those guys playing time rather than Victor Jacare's 20 minutes up front.

29:09Andrew Allen: I think that is the simple explanation. I'm sure that's what was going on. Victor's actually been relatively involved in pre-season despite his World Cup exploits. So he's probably a bit ahead of some of these players in terms of preparation. That said, I was a little surprised he didn't get on, partly because I just think it was an opportunity. I wondered if Mikel Oteca might take the opportunity to protect Kai Havertz. Maybe there are other players who are a bit more of a priority. But also, when we speak about Havertz and Jocares, sometimes we have a discussion about, well, what's a Jocares game?

29:48Andrew Allen: And I think Coventry at home, setting aside the fact that it's his former club, you'd have to say that that sort of for me is in the category of a Jokeres game on paper on paper right so that's where he really thrived last season is sort of beating up on some of the smaller teams the promoted teams so him not getting a minute there I think he'll be disappointed and I think it's an interesting challenge for him this season because for the last few years of his career he really has absolutely been the main man, you know, be that at Coventry or when he went sporting, he was the star, the guy, the team was almost built around.

30:32Andrew Allen: And actually because of Kai being out for so much of last season, he sort of occupied that status at Arsenal too, where he was sort of the de facto number nine. I do think Havertz being available again reestablishes a different peck in order. I think we might have seen last season anyway, if Kai had been available. But it does mean an adaptation for Victor in terms of what his role will be this season. And for a guy who is so used to being the main man, I'm curious to see how he tackles that.

31:09James McNicholas: I think what we know about him, you know, at the very least, we know he's a very determined character, right? 100%. And he will scrap and he will fight. and hopefully that is something that benefits Arsenal throughout the season. That if he is determined to show, right, you know, I want that shirt, I want to be picked first for, you know, Premier League games, for big Champions League games, then, as you say, it is a challenge. It's going to be a challenge for him, and I hope it's one that he rises to. I mean, the pecking order, you know, it is obvious. I do think it is obvious. but we are also going to need both of those guys to play between now and may a lot of football so you know missing one game i think you know you can you can look at it and that simple explanation as i said is the uh is the obvious one i think it's to give more minutes to uh to players who really need them at the same time though you don't get on against your old club it's three nil you're 3-0 up, you've got a chance maybe to ice the cake a little bit with a couple of goals in the last 20 minutes against a tired defence.

32:22James McNicholas: I think that will have been a frustration for him.

32:25Andrew Allen: Definitely. But I think, you know, Victor is a different profile to Kai. But from everything I understand, that's something Mikel Arteta is really pleased about. You know, I think he recognises, staff recognise that they need those different profiles in the squad. And there will be game states and situations where a forward like Victor maybe is just what's required. I have to say as well that although it's tempting to imagine he would have come on and had some decent chances, I'm not entirely convinced that's true because for me, the game in its final 20 minutes, half hour, partly because of all the changes, I think became pretty disjointed actually.

33:09James McNicholas: No, I agree with that. I agree with that. Maybe you had a Kai Havertz who wasn't busting a gut for the last 20 minutes, and that's not to be critical. There's no need for him to run himself into the ground, right? Because we're 3-0 up. But maybe the dynamic is a bit different if you've got a striker on for the last 20 who wants to really make an impact. So, you know, anyway, it's a moot point. Before we talk about the arrival of Esri Kansa, I suppose one thing we didn't mention or a player we didn't mention, and I don't know if it's we're now taking midfield performances for granted from Myles Lewis-Gelley, but he was really, really good again.

33:45James McNicholas: No player had more touches of the ball, 94 touches of the ball, 95 % pass success rate. And I think he was fundamental or really, really important to the way we control this game.

33:59Andrew Allen: I think he was. I think I saw Arsenal passed around 91 % in the game. Yeah. Very crisp in terms of possession and, and Miles was a big part of that. Often playing as the deepest midfielder as well, as he has done throughout preseason at times, you know.

34:16James McNicholas: That was interesting. Yeah.

34:18Andrew Allen: Yeah. He did get forward and he had one shot from the edge of the box, didn't he? That was tipped over the bar. But yeah, he was kind of the, I guess it was kind of a double, double pivot with deck, but often he was the deeper. He was the kind of true six in, in a lot of the buildup, which I think shows Miklarteta's growing trust in him obviously on Friday came out and said 100 % he believes he'll be here at the end of the window even if it's not believed to be serious I think an injury to Bruno probably confirms that if anything so I think he did really well and another young player who you might say is still trying to kind of establish himself at Arsenal, I thought Christian Muscara was very solid as well, alongside Gabriel.

35:09Andrew Allen: And with Esri Konza there, present and paraded before the game, showed he's not going to just roll over, I think, when it comes to that battle to be William Saliba's replacement.

35:21James McNicholas: No, I mean, I don't think the defenders were overly troubled, really, in any way. But I did like Muscari, read the game well. you know there was a little oopsie moment from Gabriel wasn't there where he let I think it's Ellis Sims get beyond him he pulled him down free kick from the edge of the box that was the most untidy it got at the back from Arsenal but I agree I thought Mosquera was really good and that's encouraging and as you said he now has the challenge of Esri Kansa who signed officially from Aston Villa for 51 million pounds I think it is unveiled as you said before the game made official on Friday, a player that Arseneuve wanted throughout the summer.

36:02James McNicholas: You know, the reporting has always been very much centered around him when it came to a defensive recruit. I will say, you know, when the name first drops, you're a bit like, you know, really? But the more I've sort of looked at him and the more I've looked at our need, you know, in terms of someone to give us depth in a key position in the absence of one of our best players in William Saliba, even if you think the price is a bit high, and it's very, very hard to judge the value of any deal in the Premier League these days because the prices just seem kind of crazy and scattergun, the more I've looked at him as a player and the profile he has and the way he plays and his ability on the ball and his experience, it feels like a very, very, very sensible signing.

36:57Andrew Allen: I think it's exactly that. It's sensible. It's not sexy. No. It's not one people are going to get overly excited about. But he's a big old boy. I'll tell you that. When he came out onto the pitch, I was a bit like, wow, he's an absolute unit, this guy. Mikhail Tep will love that aspect of his play. I mean, this is a big shout because this guy went on to become kind of an Arsenal folk hero, really, and a bit of a legend. But it reminds me a little bit of the Permertsacker signing in a way, where you're bringing in a player who is very established, is a grown-up, is an international. he's got the height he's very good one-on-one defender very reliable user of the ball without necessarily being the most adept or technical or progressive but someone who you know doesn't give it away um very solid very dependable great pro um yeah it it seems like a bit of a a no-brainer in some respects in terms of just sort of strengthening the foundations of this team.

38:13Andrew Allen: And those foundations are what won us the Premier League last season. It doesn't change who we are. It doesn't bring a new dimension. It doesn't bring the flair or the invigorated attack we might be looking for. But it protects a lot of what we're very, very good at already.

38:32James McNicholas: Yeah. is this really we talk about the evolution of this team when we talk about the evolution of the manager and i'm sure you saw the the interview where he talked about how he sat down and he was journaling and he was writing about you know what he needs from himself what does he need to bring to make the team better and all this kind of stuff right so we know he's a he's quite meticulous in that sense i remember around the time of the champions league final there was all the discussion about the minutes that PSG players played, right? The golf, let's say, in certain positions, certain players had played thousands more minutes than their PSG counterparts.

39:16James McNicholas: Some of that, of course, is because of the league that they play. And I think the Premier League is a far more competitive league than Liga, right? But do you think he might have looked at that and thought, right I have to try and not necessarily do that exactly but when we get to May I need my players not like running on fumes running out of batteries injured or not in in form because they have been asked to do too much and at the back now you look at the the numbers that we have and the players that we have and the quality that we have. And in midfield, you look at the numbers and you look at the quality.

40:02James McNicholas: Is the challenge for Mikel Arteta to sort of challenge himself in that regard? To go and look at a fixture and say, actually, we can go into this game with a midfield of Zubimendi, Marino and Bruno, right? rather than Rice-Louis Skelly-Odegaard. And I can sit these guys down between Champions League games or whatever it might be, that it feels to me that we have this, the ability to do this. The question is, will Mikel Arteta actually do it rather than, as he has done, default to his strongest team in pretty much every game, which I think we can all understand to an extent and rationalize. but to take himself out of a comfort zone or to evolve himself as a manager, is it about trusting the players that he's brought in?

40:58James McNicholas: Because, you know, he was a big proponent of Martin Zubomendi. He was why Martin Zubomendi was brought in and Mikel Moreno, you know, all of these guys. Has he got a trust that they can do the job in certain games?

41:12Andrew Allen: I think so. I think that would be an interesting step in his development for sure. And, you know, not starting with Declan Rice or whoever it might be doesn't mean not having to use him. You know, he can still give you 45 very good minutes, 30 very good minutes. You know, you can use a player off the bench for tremendous impact if you time it right and got the appropriate change to make. So I think Konza will play a lot of games. I have to say, I've seen people say 50 million quid for a backup, but I think he'll play a lot of football this season. Partly because we don't quite know what the prognosis will be with William Saliba.

41:57Andrew Allen: And what we certainly don't know is how he'll react to returning to football and returning to competition. But also, I just, I believe that given that Arsenal have committed to this signing, it's because they expect him to play a lot of football. And the funny thing is also I saw some people say, mainly fans of other clubs, admittedly, being like Arsenal going and buying another centre-half at that cost, it feels like overkill in some respects.

42:24James McNicholas: I don't agree. I don't agree. I think it would be almost suicidal not to have brought somebody in. I agree. I think it's a signing that we did need. Yeah. It's not just like, oh, we need to collect another centre-half. It's we actually need a defender. We need the depth in our back line because we've lost one of our most important players. And another one of our key defenders has been out with injury for basically six months as well. And also, I just think, even for the people who believe there is that element of overkill to it,

43:01Andrew Allen: it is how Arteta has built this squad. Like he has, we've said it so many times, he's built it from the back. He's always invested continually in that back line, adding centre-halves, adding full-backs at times when we haven't always all been utterly convinced it was necessary. And that's brought great success to this team. So, yeah, I think it fits the pattern. I'm entirely unsurprised that we've chosen to do this. And I think it will prove to be a very valuable addition.

43:34James McNicholas: He is essentially the reverse Arsene Wenger in many ways. He is. He is. Honestly, genuinely like Arsene, we need a defender. Here's a tiny Russian. Yeah. You know, that was the way he operated. And, you know, we know how Mikel Arteta operates. For him, the foundations are everything, right? And I think he also, you know, for all the focus on forwards, and we can probably talk about that a bit in part two. I think he very fully believes, whether you agree with it or not, you can't attack properly without the defensive foundations. I think that is just fundamental to the way he thinks about the game that you can't attack properly as a team or be effective as a team from an attacking perspective unless you have those defensive foundations

44:18Andrew Allen: also our team built from the back and they've reinforced those foundations

44:22James McNicholas: so a very encouraging start hassle free, comfortable, relaxed just how you would like it and all we need now is 37 more of these games Yeah. Lovely. It's not too much to ask, is it?

44:38Andrew Allen: I don't think so. I don't think so. Yeah, I mean, the thing is, I think we forget this kind of every year, but the second half of the season invariably is quite stressful because you're usually playing for something, you know, and the stakes get ratcheted up. And this early period is when, you know, the possibilities are endless, right? And it's the time where everyone gets really excited about what their team could produce this season. And I think we've got more reason to be excited than most. So, yeah, very good night's work on Friday evening.

45:12James McNicholas: Yeah, very good. Very good. Anything else before we go into the break?

45:18Andrew Allen: Not really. I imagine we'll have questions about Gabriel Martinelli and the substitutes bench and the remainder of the transfer window. So, yeah, just stick around for all that, I guess.

45:28James McNicholas: Let's do it then. We'll take a little break. We'll be back with your questions and more in part two right after this.

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47:47James McNicholas: Welcome 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 and at arseblog.com. Also on the Arseblog Discord chat server, which you get access to if you are an Arseblog member on Patreon. Can I start with a transfer question? Sure. Because that's all anybody's interested in. They've just sort of suffered part one. Yeah, they've skipped part one, haven't they? Because, oh, will they ever shut up talking about the stupid football? We want the real stuff. Anyway, transfers. And, you know, after the arrival of Esri concert, there is only one area of the pitch in which we might strengthen, and that is the forward line.

48:29James McNicholas: And there's a lot of discussion about who might be arriving or potentially arriving. And one of those players is Julian Alvarez. And Queen Gunnar at sofire.bsky.social says, there are rumours that Alvarez now wants to join us. He'll undoubtedly be an upgrade on Jokeres, but do we really want someone who has pivoted to us because he couldn't go to Barcelona?

48:54Andrew Allen: Yeah, there's a lot of that sentiment around. I was surprised a little bit on Friday. I think it was Friday or Saturday. Friday maybe posted a little update about Arsenal and Alvarez and, you know, the state of play with Barcelona and his, his desired move to Barcelona. Um, and a lot of the replies and a lot of the feedback I had was people saying, you know, we, do we want, do we want someone who wants another club effectively? Um, Do we want someone who needs to be convinced, needs to be persuaded that Arsenal is right for them? If there's not that immediate excitement and enthusiasm. And I think people who are genuinely concerned that, let's say you do persuade Julian Alvarez to join, what happens next summer when Barcelona come calling again?

49:57Andrew Allen: You know, have you effectively just got this player on loan until Barca's made the call, you know? Yeah. How do you feel about that as a fan? Like, do you, would you have any reservations about a player who clearly has his heart set on something else?

50:16James McNicholas: Yeah, I think that's normal, right? I think that you'd have to take that into account. Like, how much does he want to leave Atletico Madrid? Like, why does he desperately want to leave Atletico Madrid? Is it because he's not happy there? Or is it because he sees Barcelona as like the dream club for him? I guess, you know, as an Argentinian, following in the footsteps of Lionel Messi might be something that's really attractive to him. I can understand why he would want to go to Barcelona. And I think it's only normal to have reservations about a player who clearly has their heart set somewhere else.

50:53James McNicholas: and anything else after that is going to feel like, you know, second choice. This is not really where I want to be. Like, does he want to leave Atletico that much that he would just say, well, fuck, I can't go to Barcelona. I'll, fuck it, I'll join Arsenal. I mean, that's the decision he has to make, I guess. Yeah. I mean, do you think that would be something that would concern Mikel Arteta and concern the Arsenal recruitment people, that they are fully aware he wants to go to Barcelona. That's his dream. Do you sign a player and then you've got a guy who's just not happy? Because really the dream he had is not to be playing for Arsenal.

51:35James McNicholas: It is to be playing in Barcelona, for Barcelona. However, convincing, and we know Mikel Arteta can be a very convincing guy, right? That he can sell Arsenal as a place to be as a club. I'm sure London is a city to be, et cetera, et cetera. There's a lot to like about who we are, what we do, how you could live in London, with all due respect maybe, that is perhaps different from Manchester, right? His previous English experience. I think you could sell it as a much more attractive proposition. um but but should it be something they're concerned about that they have to go to those lengths to convince a guy who's maybe not sure who's prevaricating who's humming and hawing about i don't really know if i want to go to arsenal i don't know if that's the team i want to play for like as a manager should you be concerned about that or do you do you bank on your own powers of persuasion to be able to convince this guy that, yes, you can achieve what you want to achieve in the game by joining Arsenal.

52:41James McNicholas: You know, Barcelona was a nice dream, but not every player gets to achieve their dream.

52:46Andrew Allen: Yeah, and then I guess you're kind of weighing the ability of the player against those concerns. You know, you're saying, like, is the trade-off worth it? Does Julian Alvarez improve off so much that it overrides any of those fears? I mean, I have to think that knowing Mikel Arteta as we do, I have to think he wouldn't proceed with a deal if he had genuine doubts about a player's commitment. I just find that very hard to imagine. Don't you?

53:21James McNicholas: Yeah, because he's often, didn't he say something like that? Like, if I have to convince a guy to come here, he's not the right guy. He has said that before. He said something along those lines before that, you know, if you don't want to come to Arsenal, then I'm not going to be, you know, whatever. I mean, listen, that's a bit of a soundbite, we know, but it is something he's actually said. So... Yeah, and I think, I mean, by the way, we're talking on Sunday morning.

53:50Andrew Allen: And as far as I know, that is still kind of the state of play. Atleti, absolutely insistent they will not sell Alvarez to Barcelona. it's impossible. The player still, I think, determined that that is his destination. I mean, sorry to cut across you.

54:12James McNicholas: I was going to ask, I mean, do you think by being so openly

54:19James McNicholas: willing to leave and to join Barcelona, knowing what the reaction of the Atleti fans would be to that, do you think there's another element to this which is that he has sort of, this happens at clubs and has happened before, will happen again, where a player agitates and it looks like the relationship between the club, the player, the fans is broken. And then ultimately he goes out in the pitch and he performs and we've seen it happen before. But do you think there is an element that because of how open and because of how public this is playing out, that, you know, he might be thinking, OK, well, even if Arsenal isn't my first choice, I've kind of burned my bridges here a little bit.

55:03Andrew Allen: It looks like that way. I mean, the placards are out at the athletic training ground and there's protests and chants and they want him gone. You know, he's betrayed them as far as kind of the ultras and the supporters see it. So it's a long road back. Atleti are making all the right noises, saying we'll help him. We will rehabilitate him. We'll reintegrate him. But, you know, easier said than done. So he does have a decision to make. And I think Arsenal have made it clear to both the player and to Atleti, that if that decision goes in their favour, they want to be there to capitalise. And this is a player that Michel Arteta loves and would love to bring in.

55:52Andrew Allen: I think we're still dealing in pretty low percentages, to be honest. I think something pretty dramatic has to change in terms of the player's position. And I suspect Arsenal's bid for Alves would have to be supported by certain outgoings. as well but I do get the impression that Arsenal They recognise that there's a very small pool of players who can genuinely improve them and bring a new dimension to this team. And I don't get the sense that they're in a hurry to go too far down the list. You know, I think if they have to wait or can wait for someone who they consider truly elite, I think that for the time being, they're happy to do that.

56:43Andrew Allen: Whether that changes in the final days of the window, I honestly don't know. But it seems that, you know, they are there for Alvarez if he is prepared to come. But I don't get the sense there is, there's not, you know, there's nothing imminent or not a great deal of optimism right now. Something has to change for this to become realistic.

57:13James McNicholas: It's on the player side. I mean, is there an understanding that if the deal was right, Atleti would be prepared to sell?

57:22Andrew Allen: I think so. It would suit Atleti, to be honest. It solves their problem, right?

57:31Andrew Allen: Whether they try and put something in the deal about us flipping him to Barcelona, I don't know. that's sort of an intriguing idea like we've seen that before where a player moves to one club almost as a bridge um would arsenal want to be that for barcelona i shouldn't think so um but i guess if you you know if you turn a profit in the process

57:58James McNicholas: maybe it's not such a bad idea it's gonna be a big money deal though isn't it because they I think he costs like 95 million euros when he joins.

58:09Andrew Allen: Yeah, I think Atleti will be looking for in the region of 150 million euros, something like that. Pretty spicy. Yeah, pretty spicy. Don't know if Arsenal can get to that. But if they had the ambition to do something like the Vinicius deal. Yeah. I think as well, by the way, that Vinicius deal will, certainly in terms of what we hear publicly from Mikel Arteta and others, I imagine Arsenal will really approach this Alvarez situation with some caution. You know, I think kind of optically, they won't want it to look like, oh, we tried for two superstars and sure it didn't come off. But these are ambitious, difficult deals and big players to be in the mix for.

59:01Andrew Allen: And I think that is just the reality of these situations when you're competing with the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona that you ain't going to win them all. I don't know where my own, I dare, to be honest, after Vinny, I dare put a percentage on where I'm at with it. But all I can say is I think Arsenal are undertaking the right kind of background work on it to make sure that if the player does decide he's prepared to move elsewhere, that they're in pole position.

59:34James McNicholas: What would that mean for the centre-forward position then? Yeah, that's a really good question. You know, there's a discussion, or we talked in part two, or part one rather, about how Havertz and Jokeres are probably going to share the season. But if you've got Havertz, Jokeres and Alvarez, it feels a little bit like someone's going to miss a lot of football if all three are available to Mikel Arteta. I don't think the squad really can carry that, all three of them.

1:00:08Andrew Allen: No. And that's assuming that Gabriel Jesus moves on. you've also got Mikel Marino in the mix potentially as a nine so yeah I maybe they would coexist for six months or something you know just because with the proximity to the deadline at this point in time but yeah I find it very difficult to imagine us finding a way to give enough game time to those three nines I know Havats can play in midfield obviously as well but it's pretty congested back there too

1:00:48James McNicholas: we have enough of those we have enough of those have you got a question?

1:00:57Andrew Allen: yeah probably Big Harrow I liked this one did anyone see Gary Neville dancing with the crowd at newly promoted no I didn't I was doing their little tiger claws have you seen that it's quite funny

1:01:11James McNicholas: they did that to us before I remember being at a game against Hull

1:01:16Andrew Allen: truly humiliating

1:01:17James McNicholas: yes it was awful I think it was my birthday as well and I'd gone over to see Hull City and they beat us they're like a little Brazilian lad in midfield and he fucking stuck on top corner oh yeah do you remember that

1:01:30Andrew Allen: what's the boy's name I feel like it began

1:01:32James McNicholas: with an E Ederson Ed Emilsen Ed Begley Giovanni Giovanni that's it sorry had an E near the start I'll take that and they were doing that we were sitting pretty close to the away end and they were doing, you're getting mauled by the Tigers and doing their, but it's good. It's fun when it happens to somebody else.

1:01:54Andrew Allen: Yeah, absolutely. Well, this question is, let's stay on transfers. It's from Bus Stop Ratbag. Ratbag even, sorry. Bus Stop Ratbag. What a beautiful name. Okay, if I have any more children, I will name them Bus Stop Ratbag in honor. goody morning gents while we'd all like a shiny new signing before the transfer window slams shut DM would we be better off holding fire until January now to see if there's movement around Junior Kruppi or Kenan Yieldis rather than just going with what's available right now I mean let's say an Alvarez doesn't come off yeah where do you go then yeah

1:02:43James McNicholas: How low can you go? Beyond it being like a source of intense frustration for many, many fans that we didn't add to the forward line beyond replacing Trossard with Solace. Like for like. Like for like. It was quite funny, isn't it? We do get a bit carried away. Football fans in general can get a little bit carried away. I think it was Jamie Carraher on commentary saying that he thought Solace was an upgrade on Trossard. After one game and a very promising game, and we talked in the first part of the show about how much we were impressed and how much we like him. But I do think sometimes you just need to, you know, take a little time.

1:03:33James McNicholas: Cool your jets. You know, this is a honeymoon period for Solace. And I hope, you know, obviously he continues to play as well as he did. And I think he is a fantastic looking player. But sort of assertions like that coming this early in the season make me a little bit uncomfortable.

1:03:48Andrew Allen: And it was Coventry. We must mention that.

1:03:52James McNicholas: We do. We should mention that. I've completely lost track of what I was going to say, though. What were we talking about? Would we be better off holding fire in the market? I mean, if you think Junior Krupe, Eli Junior Krupe, is a guy who can really add something to the team and you're prepared to wait until January to get him, then there probably is an argument to be made that you could wait and you could bolster the squad, you know, in a way which is beneficial to you in January. Do you have enough to get through until that point? On paper, yes. It's not a case that Arsenal are short on numbers in the forward line by any means.

1:04:37James McNicholas: You know, we're not absolutely desperate for somebody to fill a gap. No. The issue is quality. The issue is like, can we raise the level? And that's what they've tried to do this summer and maybe are still trying to do in the shape of Julian Alvarez. So my guess is that, I mean, it might not be directly related to Kruppi or him in particular. My guess is that Arsenal would be prepared to not make a signing in this window and see where the market is in January. and maybe add something then rather than just spend for the sake of spending or, you know, to keep fans happy. And I don't mean that to sound the way it does, you know.

1:05:28James McNicholas: I think they will look at it more strategically than emotionally, which isn't to say wanting a new forward or a new striker is emotional or anything like that. I just think that they will be prepared to do that even if it's unpopular among fans. Do you?

1:05:47Andrew Allen: I think so. I mean, I think we're just over a week out from the end of the window. So I think we have to consider the possibility that Arsenal won't get the attacking signing we all want in this final week or so. I think that's certainly one of the outcomes that's in play, right? Sure. And I think that would be disappointing for a lot of people. Yep. And I totally understand that. I mean, Arsenal have spent a fair chunk of change in this window, especially when you're factoring the fact they had to pay for Pierre and Capier in July. I think we're hovering around the£200 million mark in terms of outlay.

1:06:34I wouldn't be surprised if to bring in another big player,

1:06:39Andrew Allen: someone probably has to go at this point in time. so yeah I think we're at a point where we need to start considering the scenario that Arsenal hold out on the attacking edition the Kruppi one is interesting I mean I think he's a player that's going to be in real demand when he's sort of available on the market Bournemouth were insistent he wasn't available this summer and he's got an injury which prohibits him moving I'm a little bit dubious as to, like, if they get him back before January and he's contributing, I think they're going to be pretty resistant to losing him then too.

1:07:21James McNicholas: Yeah. I mean, they did sort of – they obviously sold Semenyo. That was a little bit different, slightly different scenario. They did sell Semenyo, and then they just sort of go out and replace him with a Ryan. So, I mean, can I put this question to you then? because we do have some Martinelli questions, so I'm going to get on to those in a moment. This is slightly Martinelli related, but also slightly related to this topic. And it's Ozzy Gooner on the Discord who says, goodly morning, gents. With Solis starting the preseason and season so well and Martinelli not in the matchday squad, do you think we sign a big name left winger or someone to play backup to Solis and more of a Martinelli if he goes?

1:08:09James McNicholas: And there was a few questions like that. It's like, what if we just sort of keep solace, commit to solace, and then look for the kind of signing that, you know, a Bournemouth might make as a sort of young, talented player with potential? Would that be a satisfactory outcome for Arsenal fans, do you think? Or is that a sensible one?

1:08:39Andrew Allen: I don't mind that idea. I mean, I think the fact that Arsenal spent part of the summer trying to land Vinicius tells you that they think there is another level beyond solace to add on that left-hand side. So I guess the worry is if you then bring in someone else to be an alternative, are you kind of, are you congesting that flank at a time when you probably are still looking to renew it? I I'm really intrigued that as they came on on the left hand side in this game and I do wonder if we're going to see a bit more of him there I just to be frank I just see the congestion in the middle of the park and I think it makes sense I also wonder whether we see a bit of the Nani Madueke on the left thing that we saw a bit at the start of last season and then disappeared almost entirely.

1:09:40Andrew Allen: I'm not sure. I don't know. But I, yeah. I think personally, I'm kind of in the camp of I don't see, I don't want us to add another left-sided player for the sake of it. You know, I think that's what I think. Sure.

1:09:57James McNicholas: Okay, listen, we had loads of questions about Martinelli. Yeah. So what about this one? Very simply, sports on the Discord, that's his name, sports with an exclamation mark. He says, are we doing ourselves a massive disservice by so clearly freezing Martinelli out? Are we not just putting a sign on him that says, we don't want this guy. Is this not why we suck at selling?

1:10:26Andrew Allen: That's an interesting perspective, isn't it?

1:10:28James McNicholas: Yeah, I just thought it was a different way to get into the conversation as opposed to the, you know, what do you think of what's happening to Martinelli, et cetera, et cetera.

1:10:36Andrew Allen: I mean, clearly the club have decided that's who they would like to offload. Like, if you look at Miklarteta's comments around Miles, if you look at the reporting that they're maybe looking at alone now for Ethan Raniere, if you look at the team sheets for the last two games by process of deduction, they want Gabriel Martinelli to go. and I guess that's being made pretty public.

1:11:10Andrew Allen: I suppose there's two things to consider. What message does that send to the market? On the one hand, it makes it very plain he's available. On the other, it maybe suggests you won't have to break the bank to get him. I also wonder, like, what message does it send to the player and to what extent is it about that at this point in time? You know, if Arsenal are in a position where financially they feel they need to make a major sale this summer, do they feel they need to kind of nudge someone towards the door? It feels like more than a nudge. Yeah. Because personally, I don't think that Martinelli not being on the bench is meritocratic, really.

1:11:55Andrew Allen: Like, I don't think it makes a great deal of sense from a football perspective for him to not be on the bench. I completely agree with that. You know, we had Maduweke, we had Dauman, we had Ethan. And while those are different players, they are potentially like three forms of cover on that right-hand side cutting in onto the left foot. And I don't know, you know, I mentioned the word overkill earlier. That felt like a bit of overkill to me. So I think given everything he's done and everything he's contributed and his quality and his experience, Martinelli ordinarily would be among those substitutes.

1:12:34James McNicholas: Yeah, I mean, he's a player that Mikel Arteta has counted on time and time and time again. Like he's never, ever, when fit, been left out of the Matchday squad. It's not that he started every game or anything like that, but he is always in the squad. Always has been. And I think you can say he has contributed, for example, you know, more than Matueke. that, you know, from a footballing perspective. So you're right. It's not about meritocracy or anything like that. It is about, as you said, nudging him towards the door, but it's essentially kicking his arse towards the door in a way. Yeah, it feels harsh.

1:13:22James McNicholas: And we had the conversation a bit last week, didn't we, about, well, it's ruthless. It's football. That's why you get paid the big money. That is why, as a footballer, you have a short career. You know it's a business. One day you could be out the door. The club decides, you're not someone we want to play anymore. You're going to have to find somewhere else. That's how it works in football. People's sympathy will be in short supply. Some people will think he's been treated a bit harshly. I think it is a bit harsh. It feels a bit harsh, but it is the nature of football and the nature of transfer business.

1:14:01James McNicholas: As I said last week, though, I do think there are ways and means of going about moving a player on that have less ramifications or fewer ramifications, I should say. And don't cause this kind of ongoing debate and discussion that is surrounding this particular case. Yeah.

1:14:21Andrew Allen: And, you know, full disclosure, I wrote a column about this on Wednesday, about that kind of the tension between the need to be ruthless and the responsibility to be fair, I guess, in how you handle and deal with these situations as a football club. And Ian Wright came out and spoke after the game on Friday saying he was uncomfortable with the way the Martinelli situation was being handled. I have since been told by sources close to the club that Martinelli has now been spoken to about why he's not being selected and was spoken to prior to the Coventry game. How close to it, I don't know. could it have come sooner?

1:15:16Andrew Allen: Could that conversation have come sooner? I think so, personally. Because I think it has been kind of up in the air and a bit unclear, certainly until quite recently. If you watch Mikhail Teta's press conference from Friday, it feels like he alludes to the Martinelli situation a fair bit in terms of sort of having to make difficult decisions and have difficult conversations. Um, it's interesting. I think, you know, the week before when all the Mars stuff was kicking off, he was much more equivocal in his answers about people's future. And then by Friday, there seemed to be a lot more clarity about kind of who was in and who's out.

1:16:04So I wonder if maybe some decisions have been taken in that interim period.

1:16:09James McNicholas: Yeah. Yeah, you know, it's such an interesting one because whose responsibility is it to sort of address issues like that with the player? Is it the manager? Is it the sporting director? Does it sort of happen between the sporting director and the player's agents? And you sit down, you have this conversation. It's such an interesting quote because there's a lot to it. Talking about the possibility of players leaving who've been here a long time. He said, it's a really tough moment. You need to face that reality, but you need to face it with real honesty and transparency, because when you're on the other side, that's exactly what you need.

1:16:47James McNicholas: You might not like what you've been told, but if it's truthful, if it's the reality, if it's honest and it's going to help you make better decisions and have more clarity for the next steps in your career, you have to do that. They're always difficult conversations, but they need to be done. He said it's like when a player doesn't feel that he belongs or he's important, he wants to have a different chapter. I think that communication has to exist. It has to be both ways. We all know everything has a start and an end when it comes to the end. I think it's our duty. Our responsibility is to do it in the best possible way, maintaining the respect and admiration for the player and the relationship, but understanding that at the end, we need to make football decisions.

1:17:31James McNicholas: I think you know what he says makes a lot of sense the question is is that how it's been done or how that's been handled this summer with Martinelli I think what he's basically saying is you need to be open honest and upfront and have these conversations with players on that we all agree we all agree but but have those conversations taken place Were those conversations, any conversations like that when Miles was being offered around? I don't know that that's the case. And, you know, clearly what Ian Wright said on television, people have got strong opinions on whether he was right or wrong. I think it's kind of crazy to accuse Ian Wright of causing trouble, wanting to cause trouble for Arsenal because everybody knows how dearly he loves the club and how much he wants this group and this team to succeed and the admiration he has for the club and the manager.

1:18:23James McNicholas: He's not trying to cause any problems. But I think, you know, when somebody like Ian Wright, with all the love he has for the club, says what he says on television, I think you need to just sort of stop and listen and think about why it is he's saying those things. That would be my two cents on that.

1:18:41Andrew Allen: Yeah. I mean, I've seen Ian get a lot of stick for speaking out in, I guess, in defense of Gabby or concern for Gabby. but I don't agree with that at all I feel that and this is people will vary on sort of how they feel about this but I feel like being a fan or a supporter does not mean kind of blindly supporting the club in every action and every decision I think part of being a good fan or the kind of fan I am is to sort of challenge the club and question things and you know expect things to be done in a certain way ways that befit a club of Arsenal's tradition and style and history I think as we've said before

1:19:43James McNicholas: you can be a supporter you don't have to be a cheerleader that's a very different role you know yeah yeah yeah and i think ultimately the

1:19:52Andrew Allen: fans are the people who who give the club some kind of broader governance you know they're not the decision makers but they do set the the tone and the mood and i think that's our responsibility as supporters to be honest with you so i don't share the view that ian is wrong for questioning the club's actions. And I think it was clear that he was speaking from a good place, you know. And let's not forget, Ian is an ex-footballer, right? He's going to have sympathies with footballers in difficult positions. That is unavoidable, right? He's going to see it from their perspective and through their eyes.

1:20:36Andrew Allen: And I'm sure that this is a difficult and awkward and painful process for Gabriel Martinelli. And I'm sure for people at Arsenal as well, there are plenty of people at Arsenal who love Gabi, right? And have got a really strong bond with him. I'm sure it's weird for the players, for their teammates. And frankly, I think we also have to be honest and say, whenever that conversation took place, as Mikel says, it's never going to be an easy one.

1:21:07James McNicholas: No.

1:21:10Andrew Allen: But yes, could it have been sooner? Could it have been clearer? Could it have been more direct? From the things I have heard, I would say yes. But as I say, like, maybe there isn't an outcome where everyone comes out of this feeling great, you know? It's difficult. Breakups are hard.

1:21:29James McNicholas: Yeah.

1:21:32Andrew Allen: But it does feel like that's where it's headed. I mean, you know, one of my kind of pet theories on the Martinelli thing, if that conversation wasn't particularly forthcoming was, well, maybe they think they're going to keep him, you know? Like maybe they don't want to tell him you're done here because he might not be. And of course that's still a possibility, but I feel like as he continues to be left out of matchday squads, like you said, it's more than a nudge now towards the door.

1:22:07James McNicholas: Yeah, it is. And if you don't find a solution, then you've got, I'm not going to say a disgruntled player on your hands. Because I've got no doubt that if Gabriel Martinelli was called upon tomorrow to pull on the shirt and play for Arsenal, he would do what he's always done and play with full commitment, 100%. Nobody could ever doubt that about Martinelli in terms of what he gives to the team and how he performs and the way he works for the team. I don't doubt that for a second. But you have made a player unhappy and that's always a difficult scenario, you know, to contend with throughout a season.

1:22:47James McNicholas: So, yeah, we'll wait and see what they do.

1:22:51Andrew Allen: And just coming back to the original question, which feels fucking hours ago, frankly. But like in terms of sort of making it clear that Martinelli is surplus to requirements, do you think that will help or hinder us in our attempts to move him on? Because ultimately, from a business perspective, that is what this is about. Can we generate revenue?

1:23:16James McNicholas: Well, listen, I can't imagine there's a lack of teams out there in the Premier League. And that's another issue. He might not want to move to another Premier League club because of the connection he has with Arsenal, right? He might not want to. I mean, maybe he will. Maybe he'll feel like, well, fuck it. You know, they've treated me like this. Why shouldn't I go to another Premier League club? I can't imagine there aren't suitors out there for Gabriel Martinelli. you know he's been an exciting player for arsel maybe he's sort of hit a kind of plateau in his career um i mean he did get what 11 goals last season i know as people always say well he only got one goal in the premier league and that's true but he also got 10 or 11 across all competitions and like six or seven in the champions league as well so he can do it at the the top level so i'm sure there will be clubs interested in gabriel martinale the question is would it make it easier for us to sell him potentially potentially when a player is well and truly available there's going to be it's going to be easier for a club to get that player right the flip side of it i suppose is does it have an impact on the fee we might get and i think that's true as well it will you won't get maybe as much if you you know were seen to want to hold on to a player but maybe that's not a scenario that can exist in a summer where we are making it very clear we want to sell at least one of our you know the the trio we mentioned last week you know because of their their their sort of homegrown status for want of a better word

1:24:58Andrew Allen: you know yeah and we did have a few questions along the lines of are we selling the right player you know could martin ellie play more of a role this season than noni madame okay yeah But I think it just comes back to that point in terms of what selling Martinelli does for the books, frankly.

1:25:17James McNicholas: No, that's it. I mean, I know who I would keep out of the two of them, you know, but I understand why from a financial perspective, Arsenal would be more inclined to sell one than the other. So can I follow that up with another one? I hope you don't mind. No. Because it's, you know, we're on transfers. Dan Irv on Blue Sky, who's at danirv.bsky.social. Should we be slightly concerned about the lack of activity regarding departures for Fabio Vieira, Gabriel Jesus, and Rhys Nelson?

1:25:57Andrew Allen: Yes, we should be. We should be. Not because I think the club are doing anything especially wrong, but as I just said, as regards to the incomings, we're into that final week or so now. where you have to look at it and think, right, it's crunch time. I mean, Hamburg have been there for Vieira all summer, making it pretty clear that there's only so much they're prepared to pay. Are we entering the period where you have to say,

1:26:25James McNicholas: okay, there you go.

1:26:27Andrew Allen: All right, we'll take it, I guess. Rhys has got to find someone who, I don't know, will match what he's getting at Arsenal or get him close to it. And I think Arsenal might have to come in on that, frankly, to make that work. Gabi Jesus, I think that's a super challenging one as well. You know, keep seeing all these links to big Italian clubs and big La Liga clubs. And I take it all with a pinch of salt at this point. It's simply because of the salary. Some of the figures I'm seeing floated around in kind of a fee. I would be really pleasantly surprised if we got close to this final week. What do you think on those three?

1:27:16James McNicholas: I mean, I don't know. I don't know. Like, we seem to be in this position every summer with players like this. And then, yeah, we just sort of end up by, they go on loan. Like Reece Nelson, another loan. there's nothing more boring than trying to figure out what kind of a loan move Reece Nelson is going to get I don't understand it even from his perspective I don't understand I know there's a financial thing nobody's going to give up the kind of money that he's on at Arsenal easily but do you want to play football? do you want to have a career or not? you know and we can talk about Arsenal being poor sellers and all that kind of stuff.

1:28:05James McNicholas: But I think, you know, a footballer's career is really short in the grand scheme of things. And I just, you know, I feel like at times there is some onus on the player to say, I want to play. I'm prepared to go here and take this much money. And I'm not saying write off what you're owed by Arsenal, but we know that Arsenal have been accommodating. right with certain players leaving the club where there is like okay well maybe you don't get the full thing but you get like a nice golden carriage clock and it's stuffed full of fucking bitcoins and gold bullion you know that they will incentivize your departure to a certain extent so i really think in those three cases you're looking at three guys who are just not going to play very much at all.

1:28:58James McNicholas: Like Rhys Nelson will not play for Arsenal if he stays or shouldn't be at this stage of his career. He should be going somewhere to play. Fabio Vieira again, go play. And I'm sure he'd be willing to go to Hamburg. I'm sure it's not a lack of willingness on his part, but I don't know. Like a week out, we've got to get this shit sorted.

1:29:18Andrew Allen: We really do. Yeah. Listen, you'd like to think, particularly almost in the case of Vieira, and Nelson who are a little bit younger and like haven't yet sort of had the prime of their careers. You'd like to think they'd like to get out there and play and hopefully we can get it over the line too.

1:29:39Andrew Allen: Yeah, we had some other questions, but I kind of folded them into other answers, I think.

1:29:45James McNicholas: Fair enough. Fair enough. I quite like this one just to see us out from Scott Drayton on Blue Sky, scottdrayton.bsky.social. He says, my dad accidentally hit me in the face when we celebrated the first goal and I ordered a Camden Hells rather than an Asahi for my first order of the evening. In what ways did you guys struggle to get up to speed after the summer break? I like the word accidentally there. It's doing a lot of work. Yeah, it sure is. I mean, did you just slot back into the press box and you're ready to go? The on the whistle video, the whole, you know, pretty much.

1:30:21Andrew Allen: It's like riding a bike, isn't it? kind of kind of it felt good to be back really enjoyed it being back at the emirates and uh i didn't go to any of the emirates friendlies you see so this is my first time back there right since last season and uh must say walking up to the ground from holloway road up to the kind of hornsey road roundabout there is this sort of banner above the armory that just says champions

1:30:47James McNicholas: in absolutely enormous lettering i saw it they showed it on the tv actually they showed it on the tv the the sort of the camera that panned the outside of the uh the stadium and they showed that

1:30:58Andrew Allen: look great yes it's a very nice reminder as you approach the ground um and it doesn't hurt does it to let people know it's the home of the champions it is the home of the champions we

1:31:11James McNicholas: are the champions did it feel like we were the champions was that the vibe was that the buzz you know, beyond the big sign that told you that's exactly what we are. You know, did it? I think so.

1:31:24Andrew Allen: Yeah. Yeah. And it was sort of referenced a lot, obviously, among the crowd and in the songs and the chants and the welcome the team got back, I think was a bit of a salute as well. So, yeah. And we played like champions, Andrew. We really did. We were sort of dominant and confident. And, you know, I think it's a bit early to say like, Has winning the league liberated us? You know, are we a different team? We may well be, but I think it's going to take longer for us to know that. Yeah, yeah.

1:31:58James McNicholas: We need a stronger test than commentary. I think so. But the early signs are positive. Good stuff. Good stuff. All right. Well, look, I think we'll leave it there and go about our respective Sundays, give you guys something to listen to. As ever, thank you so much indeed for being with us. And here we go again into a brand new season, off to a winning start. Can't really ask for much more than that. You can join us on Patreon tomorrow to talk about all the weekend's Premier League action. Definitely some laughing at Manchester United, definitely some laughing at Spurs, and hopefully some laughing at some of the other title rivals.

1:32:33James McNicholas: So that'll be patreon.com forward slash arseblog if you're not already a member. For now, though, folks, take it easy and we will catch you on the next one.

1:32:41Andrew Allen: Bye-bye.

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