PL Review: City take control, Spurs destined for the drop?

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1:47Hello and welcome to what I imagine is going to be quite a spunky Premier League review, a potentially season defining weekend for so many clubs, especially right at the top, But also at the bottom, Manchester City rest in control of the title race with a 2-1 home win over leaders Arsenal. Relegation candidates Leeds and Nottingham Forest both win handsomely as Spurs concede in the 95th minute to draw. Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa go closer to securing a Champions League spot. Is that going to be enough for Michael Carrick and Arna Slott to keep their jobs? And on the subject of uncertain futures for managers, do Newcastle need to make a decision on Eddie Howe right now?

2:24Analysis on all of that's come with former Spurs, Forest and Sunderland midfielder Andy Reid and the Telegraph's Northern Football writer Luke Edwards. Hello both, how are we? Very good, thank you. Oh good, what a day, what a weekend. Really, really cracking weekend. And I think I just want to start things off exactly how we started last week. It's just one word answer, who's going to win the league? Luke?

2:45Rick Edwards:Manchester City. I'm saying that as a disappointment. So glumly as well. And Andy? Yeah, you can't look past City after today. Arsenal obviously still top, but only by three points. Could be second by the time they next play, because Manchester City have got that game in hand against Burnley on Wednesday night. And you kind of watched that game and thought, well, we've spoken for the whole season about how Arsenal have the best squad, maybe not best starting in them, but definitely best squad. So if they need to change things from the bench, you know, better than anyone, arguably. Certainly in England, we thought, potentially in Europe.

3:25But it never really felt like they had the quality to beat Manchester City. I don't know. I'm not too sure. They hit the bar, hit the crossbar. I think there wasn't that much in it. But you know what it is? I'm not too sure that it's just the quality in one particular game. I think there's a good bit of mentality stuff going on here. You know, Arsenal were kind of cruising for a long time in the league. And it just seems that when the pressure really come on and City have clicked into gear, that they haven't been able to kind of match them stride for stride. And that's where it's become a struggle.

4:02Now, for me, that's not about, well, I suppose it is about quality. It's the quality of the mentality as well, which is equally as important as technical and tactical and all the other bits that go with it. But when the pressure has come on top, that's when they've started to struggle.

4:14Rick Edwards:I agree with Andy, actually. I thought it was very fine margins for Arsenal. Eze's shot hits the inside of the post and comes out. Donnarumma makes a really fantastic double save after his foot howler in the first half. And then they hit the post again. And then it's the Kai Havertz chance at the end. It's sort of that that's sticking in my mind. It's the moment. You just want a striker who in that, it's such a great opportunity. at the very least he has to get it on target but he probably has to score as well and if that falls to Haaland it's in. Yeah and when he has to score in terms of the Premier League title actually that moment felt like it all really played at the end of the season as the moment Arsenal lost it that's harsh on Kai Havertz of course but that's the nature of football and Andy's exactly right, the one question that Arsenal still had to answer this season was could they hold their nerve in the running, could they play under pressure when the tension's high and your mind becomes sort of foggy and your body feels tired and your decision you're making decisions under duress could they hold their nerve and unfortunately the fine margins I'm talking about they've fallen short and that is I'm gonna inevitably lead to accusations that they've bottled it that they've thrown it away it was Arsenal's Premier League title to lose and as things stand this evening look that there could be another twist and turn to come.

5:41Rick Edwards:Man City could slip up. But as things stand, they've managed to throw it away. I think it's probably a very bleak, a very depressing and a very dark evening for Arsenal supporters. These Premier Leagues are decided by big moments. If you look at the game today, in terms of chances created, Arsenal, I would say, haven't seen the exact XG, but I would imagine that Arsenal probably just shaded it. And you talk about that Havertz chance and then you talk about the Haaland chance that he took, wrestled with. Gabriel gets in front of him, gets that finish off, and that kills off the game. And they're the big moments that your big players need to show up.

6:22And the big player has showed up for City today and maybe Arsenal's lack of that big player in that number nine spot has kind of come to haunt them really because they hoped that Jok Rez was going to be that player. And while I don't think he's been poor, I don't think that he's kind of ripped it up either, has he? You don't get to the edge of your seat when he gets a chance because you're thinking that there could be a possibility that he could miss. And for me, that's the difference between the two sides at this moment in time. Just looking at the XG, I mean, I don't really like XG very much, but City 1.41, Arsenal 1.53.

7:01So fairly close on that. I suppose in the end, we're talking about great strikers and the importance of having a great striker. And how many great strikers are there in the Premier League at the moment? In Haaland and then sort of make, I don't know actually, maybe that is it.

7:21Rick Edwards:Well, Isak pre-Liverpool. Isak pre-Liverpool, yeah. Pre-Liverpool. But yeah, Haaland is head and shoulders above the rest, isn't he? in terms of being at that very top tier, that very world-class bracket. And as you said, he showed up. He had the chance. He showed up. He converted it. Havertz, who's not a world-class striker, but in any stretch of the imagination, he has that moment and he puts it over. He's a very good player, by the way, Havertz. He's a very good player, but he's not a Haaland. I just think this is going to be really tough for Arsenal. We said last week, where does this leave Mikel Arteta if they lose the title from here.

7:58Rick Edwards:If they end the season trophy-less from where they were in February, well, going into the Carabao Cup final, where they were going into the Carabao Cup final when they were still talking about a quadruple, the implosion from here would be one of the most spectacular meltdowns we have seen in English football. And that is unbound to call to serious questions about the manager because it has to. He's had five years. If he ends the season trophy-less, if they throw away the title having led, was it nine points at one stage? and nine points this late in the season. That is a catastrophic implosion.

8:33Would it have killed Arteta before this game to just come out and say, I will love it if we beat them? That's what we all want, isn't it? Brilliant. Come on, play the game, Mikel. Yeah, I see the bit that he said a couple of weeks ago. I think it was before the Bournemouth game, wasn't it? It was the old take on the John Sitton team. Bring your dinners, like an Orient Andy Reid. Yes, Andy.

8:57Rick Edwards:Get another plug for Latin Orient. Yeah, love it. I actually quite liked it, to be fair. I quite liked him coming out and saying that. But you know what? He's been getting a bit of stick as well for kind of trying to do things a little bit differently, hasn't he? And trying to maybe walk some of the mental side of the game. But he is good. But I agree with you, Luke. I think if you spend that type of money and you've got the length of time that Arteta has had, I think it has to be questions. Whether it's the right thing or not to sack him at the end of the season, I'm not too sure. I think we have to wait and see what happens between now and the end of the season because obviously there's Champions League.

9:39This league race is not over yet by any stretch of the imagination. City win the game, there's a goal in it. I think Arsenal have one more goal than them and City obviously have the game in hand. So there's still plenty of points to be played for. But at the end of the season, I think there needs to be serious questions asked if they end up coming out trophy-less.

9:59Rick Edwards:The problem is, if they get into this situation again, this will just be used as evidence why they can't do it. That's the problem he's got. And it will haunt them all summer, but I think it will haunt the whole Arteta regime for a very long time. There have been teams in the past that have used near misses as motivation to go on and succeed. Coventry for example have just been promoted from the championship had some devastating close near misses and fell at the final hurdle and they've gone on and ended up winning promotion but I think it'd be very very tough when how competitive the Premier League is anyway and the fact that you'd expect you know other clubs to get better this was Arsenal's great chance this was their best chance in a generation and if they throw it away from here yeah it's a tough time to be a football fan in North London at the moment isn't it absolutely horrible we'll come on to we'll come on to Spurs don't you worry Andy should Gabrielle have been sent off I mean we were chatting beforehand on our little messaging group and saying feels I don't really want it to be a red card because it's not actually a headbutt but given that what we've seen I don't understand how he hasn't been sent off I think it is a headbutt every no for me look don't want to spend too long discussing what constitutes a headbutt but I think it has to be your head is not in contact and then rapidly it makes contact.

11:24That's a headbutt. This is a sort of forceful head push, but it's a head push that we've seen again and again that has meant red card, right?

11:34Rick Edwards:That was what Alan Pardew described his headbutt on David Myler as. It was a head push. A head push. Yeah, it was great to bring Alan Pardew into the podcast. Shut your noise, you old, yeah, et cetera. Him of dancing fame. but yeah no I think and Harlan's done him a huge favour because he does make contact with his nose case closed and we always go on about why do players throw themselves to the floor in that sort of situation it hasn't come back and cost Arsenal Manchester City sorry because they've gone on and won the game but he had a chance there to get his one of Arsenal's most important players not only sent off but suspended but out of a few yeah and he's made contact with his nose and he just stands there and takes it hasn't play acted at all and that's probably spared Gabriel but yeah I was surprised it wasn't a red card I think everybody who's seen it would probably I don't know Andy might disagree he might I'm pleased that the referee made the decision that he did and kept it like a little shown a little bit of restraint I get it like if you're if you're a City fan you say yeah yeah he should be definitely sent off but I've watched a couple of games over the last couple of weeks and I think the referees have been a little bit more kind of lenient they've let a little bit more go the games have flowed a little bit a little bit more and I like that and I just think we've got into a culture of it's just too easy to dish out yellow cards and red cards and I'd like it to go back a little bit to you can either can be a little bit of argy-bargy you know there can be a decent strong tackle that doesn't necessarily mean it's a fell or if it is a fell probably it was a little bit of a difference if it is a fell it doesn't necessarily mean it's yellow card i just think that most fells now they're like if it's a clean fell they're looking at giving yellow cards and i just think we need to just be a little bit more lenient head shove fine andy that's what you're saying a little shove in the head yeah a little shove in the head maybe a headlock and um well you know i don't know maybe a ddt or a suplex or something.

13:35I think as soon as we start seeing people come down off the top rope, the game's gone. Yeah, the top rope is too much. He is. He's a lucky boy. Well, let's get a bit of reaction from the Etihad. We've done a lot of great things in the game and took the game and looked them in the eye and proposed again that they were very uncomfortable with it. We knew that we were going to need moments and moments were going to decide that and they had to go our way. they created some incredible moments and we had the biggest chances of the game because they were the biggest chances of the game we didn't put them away and that was the difference at this level it's a tough opening really really tough so so difficult and they are alive they they make your game so aggressive and high pressing is impossible to beat them and they are really good we did really really good things but they are they are a fantastic team and yeah we'll see now we will talk in the locker room guys so the only only reality right now in front of you is the leader top of the table is Arsenal and the goal difference is one goal goal difference so so far they are better so we have to do it but of course that victory give us hopes you know to to challenge a little bit longer but uh but yeah they are they are when people say no the momentum maybe they and get results lately.

14:56They were used all the season, winning, winning, winning. But when I'm on touchline and see them, they are extraordinary. Otherwise, you cannot do what they have done so far. Psychologically, Andy, can Arsenal get back it? I mean, I know they're still... It's a mad way of talking about it, really. They're still top. But it feels like the momentum has shifted catastrophically now. Can they wrestle back control here? I think it'd be difficult. But look, Arsenal, no matter what time it was in the season, could have gone to City and lost that game of football. So if I was at Arsenal, I wouldn't necessarily be too upset about how they played, how they went about it today because they could have won the game.

15:37City could have won the game, which they did. For me, the turning point, and I was at the game, we covered it for Five Live, the Bournemouth game at Arsenal. And you felt in that moment that that was a really big moment in the title race. And that's where you felt the damage was done. And the fans were so edgy from five, ten minutes into the game, even before Bournemouth scored. There was a real edginess around the Emirates. Ben White had the ball in his hands, taking a throw in. He couldn't really find anyone to throw to. The movement wasn't great, but it was still nil-nil at this point. But the fans started getting on his back, and they were like, throw it, throw it.

16:16It just felt like there was a real edginess and not a calmness. It's nice when you hear a bit of insight from fans when they're saying genius stuff like, throw it, throw it. Throw it, throw it. It hadn't occurred to Ben White. And that's exactly how they were saying it in that accent as well. But in some of them circumstances, I'm not too sure. He uses it to his advantage sometimes, Arteta, in terms of how animated he is on the touchline. But at times, that lack of calmness, I think, probably goes on to the pitch and the players kind of sense that as well. And I suppose the fans, everybody's really irate and that's okay when you're on top and you're dominating games, you're dominating teams but when you need a little bit of calmness and you need everybody to just relax a little bit, I don't think that helps that situation.

17:10Rick Edwards:The title race isn't over. It might feel like it's over for Arsenal and for a lot of us, we're talking about poor Mikel Arteta, you know, his job being under threat. There might, City might slip up. They might. Stranger things have happened. They might slip up and then all of these words will look stupid because Mikel Arteta's parading around North London with a Premier League trophy. Also, Arsenal's next league game is against Newcastle at home, which is the dream fixture. At the moment, yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's just, take the three points. Enjoy. I think one thing's guaranteed, there will be more twists in this title race.

17:44it's not a case that City are going to go and win all the games I don't think that's going to happen They normally do Andy

17:52Rick Edwards:That's the problem with Man City I don't know I think there will be some twists They really normally do Enough at the top then Let's talk about what's happening at the bottom Three goal wins for Leeds and for the Tricky Trees making it a devastating blow well sort of triple blow really for Spurs. Relegation rivals win. They concede a 95th minute equaliser. That's now 111 days without a victory in the league. Hole of 2026. Let's start with the positives. Andy, you were at Forest. What a week. What a week. Yeah, I mean, I've had a really good footballing week this week. I was obviously at Forest for the semi-final on Thursday, which was great to get through.

18:42I was at Tottenham yesterday evening for that game, which was a great game and I'm sure we get on to it. And then I was at Forest again today for the Burnley game. And the first half wasn't great for any stretch of the imagination. But then the second half kicks off. Morgan gives way, grabs hold of the game, puts an incredible second half performance, gets a hat-trick and Forest go on to win convincingly. And it was a really, really really good performance in the second half but a special individual performance from Morgan Gibbs-White who has been the catalyst for Forrest a lot of the times when they need somebody to drag them from the doldrums he's been the one that's done it more often than not I mean I don't know if you've seen the goals but three goals were brilliantly taken goals all three of them and the third one ahead of from the penalty spot I know he's good in the air but that was that was something special so brilliant afternoon for Forrest you can really understand why Maranakis put the and I'm going to say metaphorical even though maybe I don't mean it metaphorical thumbscrews onto Morgan Gibbs to make sure he didn't leave can't you Luke?

19:54Rick Edwards:thank you Mr Maranakis thank you yes yeah it's always fascinating when we get to this stage of the season because it's my job to cover you know the narratives of a football season we talk about it on this podcast every Sunday that Forrest were the banter club they were one of the crisis clubs they lost Nuno who talked his way out of the job at the start of the season we had the Postacoglu disaster yeah and then they've been worried about relegation for most of the season and there was talk about what an absolute disaster that would be for the football club and then suddenly they're in a European competition semi-final and it looks like they're going to get out of relegation trouble.

20:39Rick Edwards:So what seemed like an utterly miserable and bruising season could actually have this fantastic end. The only people who've had a better weekend... I think Sean Dyche will be disappointed not to have got to mention it. I haven't mentioned Sean Dyche. Sorry, I've forgotten about it. Sean Dyche. Dychey. I can't believe I've left him out. The Sean Dyche, the rather unspectacular Sean Dyche era. It is interesting how the narrative around a football club can change and Andy's just described it as an absolute great weekend and look the only person who's had or the only people who've had a better weekend than Morgan Gibbs-White are people who want to see either West Ham or Tottenham go down because I think when you look at the Premier League table now it's going to be one of those two yeah I mean it feels like it and I think it's probably I imagine we sort of said something about this on the podcast I don't think many people were excited by the appointment of Vitor Pereira Andy and yet five Premier League games unbeaten longest run of the season for Forrest into a European semi-final.

21:40Now, I mean I'm not saying that they're safe but they are moving very much in the right direction. He's doing a great job, isn't he? He has done a great job. I think what he's done is he's probably brought a bit of calmness to it. The players have responded to that. They've got on a bit of a roll at the moment. Getting through some tough games as well that he's had to manage in Europe and in the Premier League and starting to pick up some points. I do feel that he's brought calmness to it and he's done a good job. I've seen him and his coaching staff kind of working on the grass and they do work really well together, that's for sure.

22:20And the players seem to have responded. Again, when you talk about fine margins in football, there's a lot of fine margins in football. Some of the other managers early on in the season, And, you know, you talk about Sean, at times he was potentially unlucky. Forrest, you know, in his last game had something like 35 attempts against Wolves. Yeah, yeah. You know, and you talk about fine margins. And, you know, these are people that I, obviously I'm still a coach at the club, and these are people I've worked with. And they've had a lot of quality and a lot of good bits to them. But if we're talking about the manager at the moment, he's worked really well, him and his coaching staff.

23:03and they're getting the results at this moment in time. I definitely don't feel that they're safe at all yet. You've got a tough game away to Sunderland next week, and then you've got Tottenham going to Wolves, who are really struggling. You could see them getting at least a point, probably more than likely a win. So I still think that there's work to do.

23:27Rick Edwards:How did you rate my Daich impression, Andy? How did you rate my Daich impression? I didn't, to be honest with you, mate. I didn't really rate it. I didn't think you were deep enough. Yeah, give it a go then, Andy. No, I can't. Not my Irish accent. I like that. I mean, Luke can't do it either. It doesn't stop him. Yeah, I mean, it's a running joke that it's not a great impression, but thanks for absolutely chopping me off at the knees, Andy, with it anyway. I enjoyed that. To me, that was a straight red, actually. I mean, that run close for. Oh, look, it's either chopping you off at the knees or people listening to this thinking that I'm just a liar, so it's one or the other.

23:58It's a good point. So what do we think? So the Forrester are on 36 now. Two wins from the last five games to do it, wouldn't it? I think so. Yeah. I mean, I think it's probably going to be 40 points, I think. Yeah. Seas you safe. If you look at Tottenham are on, they haven't won a game all season. All year. Sorry. All year. I know they're bad. I know they're bad, Andy. but that's what it feels like I take that last bit back all year they haven't won a game to then go and win three games I think it's a big ask if you weren't De Zerby De Zerby's given it the big one I really like this he said yeah I think we can win five on the trot actually if you lost your mind mate but I have to say I don't know whether we're just about to kind of move on to talking about Tottenham or not yesterday but there was definitely an improvement in the performance yesterday Yeah, I would agree with that.

25:00Let's talk quickly about Leeds and then get on to Spurs, just because this is probably the best week of this season for Leeds. That win at Old Trafford, very rare, and then just punishing Wolves. And they are now eight ahead of Spurs, and you've got to think that that puts them safe, Luke.

25:22Rick Edwards:they're 39 points with having played this amount of games no team in Premier League history has been relegated with 39 points at this stage of the season or gone on to go down so I think fantastic Daniel Fark has been one of our favourite managers this podcast because he was so close to getting the sack and we've gone over it many times but the fact he was all the disrespect in the summer when he was having to hear about he might be replaced I think they've been great I think they've been a credit to the football club I think they've been a credit to the championship as well I think it's been so important for the Premier League that both Sunderland and Leeds, two big city clubs, big fan bases, have come up and they've had a real go at it.

26:01Rick Edwards:They've had a real go and bucked that trend of newly promoted teams going straight back down. And that is why we are talking about the likes of Nottingham Forest, Tottenham, West Ham. One of them is going to go down because two newly promoted teams have outperformed them on and off the pitch. They've got their recruitment better. They've had better coaching, better management. and that is why one of those big traditional giants of English football I think is going to be in the Championship next season. A few Leeds fans having to backtrack a little bit. Always. There was a lot of Leeds fans on Farka's case particularly early on in the season, wasn't it?

26:37I do think back to a pivotal moment for Leeds and that was the away game against City. And I remember because I covered that game and I think it was a 2-0 a half time and you just couldn't see anything kind of going well for them. No, they got back into the game. They ended up losing the game, I'm pretty sure, late on. You saw something, didn't you? Yeah, you saw something and you thought, whoa, OK, these could be a threat for some of the teams that are down there.

27:05Rick Edwards:They beat Chelsea, didn't they, at home? Was it October? Again, I think it was around the international breaks when his job seemed to be under threat. And I'm sure it was Chelsea they beat at home. And that was really the catalyst for them turning it around. Well, they've now got their first back-to-back wins in the Premier League. Final team to achieve that, because amazingly, Wolves have done it. OK, let's talk about Spurs then. I agree, I watched most of this game and thought Spurs were much, much better and you could see what De Zerbi was asking them to do. And there was just a lot more energy.