PL Review: Spurs turn a corner as Arsenal pull clear

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1:30on the football daily podcast premier league review with aaron paul hello and welcome to the

1:37Aaron Paul:premier league review on a big weekend with regards to the title race a 16 year old max damman inspired arsenal to late victory over everton whilst manchester city stumble again the gap is currently at nine points then on sunday tottenham fought to a one-all draw anfield to potentially turn the tide under Igor Tudor. Also, Manchester United won again to boost Michael Carrick's chances of getting the job full-time. And a criticised Anthony Gordon returned to Newcastle's line-up for only a second-ever Premier League win at Stamford Bridge. Loads to get through in the company of Luke Edwards and Charlie Adam.

2:12Aaron Paul:Gents, how are we? Good evening. Really good. Well, thank you. Fantastic. Right, we are asking you why you love the Premier League. One thing this weekend that reminded you why you love the Premier League. Who wants to go first? I'm going to go first. It's not a great moment. It's kind of the opposite to a great moment, in fact. But it is the Chelsea pre-match huddle with referee Paul Tierney trapped in the middle. It is one of the weirdest and strangest things I have seen. I have no idea why Chelsea can't just do their huddle in their own half like everyone else in the history of football has ever done.

2:47I have no idea why Paul Tierney has decided to refuse to move so that he's in the middle of it. I have no idea what Liam Rossini was on about afterwards in his post-match press conference. It's just, when you're a journalist, these weird and wonderful stories, they always capture the imagination. And Chelsea the ball whisperers, that's my new nickname for them. They like to talk to the ball before the game, apparently. Well, maybe they should follow the ball when it gets passed through their defence. And Wesley Fofana should probably track the ball. Anthony Gordon is running in to score. So, yeah, a farcical moment, but I did find it absolutely hilarious.

3:22I'm off a match down and I think it's he's a special special talented player I've seen I've seen Rio Ingram a few times this year as well and I think it's the weekend of the young kids the next generation of English talent that's coming through and for two managers to to beat different sort of pressures one's under pressure because they've struggled this year and one manager's under pressure to win a championship for the first time in 20 odd years and to throw two young players in is an incredible belief from the two coaches but also from the players to, you know, when I watch Ingram Mo play and I'm putting two different, or both players, these boys just want to keep giving them the ball, want to trust them, they want to give it and they make things happen and I think that's probably the highlight of me of the weekend is these two young players stepping on the scene, bursting on the scene as Mika Richards talks about.

4:15I think this is two real special talents for English football and it should be a joy to watch them play.

4:21Aaron Paul:Special mentions to Ricciardo Calafiore for that stunning block and JD Canvo celebrations at the Leeds red card. I've never seen anything like it. He went for it. He went for it. He fully went for it. That's all I can say. Shame they haven't scored a goal in two games at which he can actually celebrate. Maybe he's bored. Maybe he's practising. Yeah, maybe. Maybe. That was good fun. Let's begin with what we've just seen. Live on Five Live, a mega point for Tottenham at Anfield. one all it finished a 90th minute equaliser for Richarlison meaning Spurs don't leave Anfield empty handed now it has been absolutely woeful this has been a real turbulent week at the lane and people expected a bit more pain but Charlie Spurs fought they put in some grit some determination and they were disciplined and they managed to back themselves a point yeah listen if you look back at what Tottenham have done over the last sort of few months to be fair the whole season really has been very poor for their standards and their level.

5:21The pressure was adding towards the new manager coming in, heavy defeat in midweek against Atletico Madrid. To go to Anfield and get a point, we'll look to kickstart the season, hopefully for this mini-league that they've got left because they're in the mix. They're in the mix. I'm looking at the points and that. They're on 30 points, a point just above West Ham and not in the forest. And they have to start getting results soon. And that hopefully will give them a lot of confidence going into the last sort of run of games.

5:49Aaron Paul:Richarlison, I mean, you know what he's going to bring to a pitch in terms of the dark arts, in terms of how sorry, but he can pop up when you need him to. Yeah, he can. And for the first time in a while, Tottenham looked like a team that could stay up today. It's not just, like Charlie's saying there, it's not just getting the late equaliser because the point doesn't transform their position at the bottom of the table, particularly it doesn't give them a big leap to safety. But they were organised, they were dogged, they were diligent and they carried a threat. and the assumption before that game was that Liverpool were going to win and they were going to win easily.

6:23It was described on the television, Tottenham are the team that every Premier League team side wants to face at the moment because they've been a laughing stop. They've been abject. We were all expecting Igor Tudor to lose his job this week. That would seem to be the direction of travel. So Richarlison getting that late goal and he deserved it. He had a few chances in the game, but they caused Liverpool problems and they got that late equaliser. But it was more about the general performance, Aaron. They really fought today. They were a team today. And I think for the first time that group of players behaved and approached a game in a way that they knew they were in a relegation fight.

6:57They suddenly belatedly realised they're not too good to go down. They haven't got too many good players to drop into the championship. And yeah, I think after being the butt of so many jokes for so many weeks and being quite frankly a bit of a farce, that was a much needed jolt of realism of where they are and how they're going to get out of it. And I was really, really impressed with them. Liverpool were poor, but Tottenham helped make them look like a poor team today. And that was really impressive from them. I was hearing in the week, some pundits, reporters were saying, yeah, just null and void the game, just leave the game.

7:32You know, we're going to get beat, sack the manager. You know, what given right have you got to give that opinion? at the end of the day this manager has come in and he's tried his best at the moment it's not working and that's a big big point for them going forward like you said I thought they were well organised well drilled more competitive than they have been but the goalkeeper didn't help him again today the goal that he lost was oh you know the goalie coach must just be sitting every time a goal goes the ball goes near a goal the goalie coach must just sit on the bench and think oh no here comes something he just rolls back in his chair because I think he's got to do better with this free kick of Sobosla again today.

8:09Aaron Paul:Talk to me about Liverpool though, Charlie, your former club because, I mean, just so, so wasteful in what they do. At one point, it looked like sort of death by passing. I saw one move break down after they put together something like 20, 25 passes and you're just wondering what's going on. Yeah, it's just that sort of dynamism and real quality at the top end of the picture at the moment. It's just, you know, today wasn't there. You know, they've, leaving Salah out, the team again, today was a big thing for Slott against a Tottenham team that you felt that, like you said, everybody thought that Liverpool were going to win this game easily.

8:46To play Frimpong up on that right-hand side, yeah, he's got pace and he's got power but he doesn't have the quality of Mo Salah but I just felt that Liverpool were laboured and didn't really play as well as they could have. So, obviously, his goal is a great effort from him but Tottenham goalkeeper again was poor so two points dropped well considering where spurs have been in particularly

9:12Aaron Paul:in the last week should liverpool feel embarrassed by that performance no not embarrassed absolutely not because it's the premier league and you know there's no given right to win a football match in any in the premier league is there's nothing easy again you look at the form of of both teams of where they've been recently and you know liverpool obviously lost in midweek against the galatas try and you know the last you know sort of lost to Wolves in the league but the last couple before that they've won but yeah just I don't think you've got a given right to win any football match in the Premier League it's never easy it's not you know it doesn't matter if you're playing it's not about having a given right though Charlie I'm asking it from a perspective of should they look at it and say that's a wounded animal we're taking on we should be going out I mean the players will be in that dressing room it'll be silent in there yeah of course because they've probably not played no they've not played to levels they're capable of and perform to that level but you know you have to remember what you're playing against you know this is a Tottenham team that won the Europa League last year again I get that they're struggling but they've got quality players within the group that can hurt you if you don't play to your maximum week in week out in the Premier League then you could drop by and that's why today they've been undone by a Charles and goal and there's one person inside Danfield definitely that enjoyed that would have been him What about Igor Toodle this week Luke?

10:31Aaron Paul:does this keep him in that job? I mean there's so many rumours swirling around in regards to who Spurs are going to be looking to potentially replace him with there were talks up until Friday afternoon that he could be leaving his job even though he'd gone and done the media and it felt a bit jokey didn't it because people are going and approaching Harry Redknapp I mean for Spurs this is surely than a deer You've used the word embarrassing about Liverpool there I think it's been an embarrassing period for Tottenham really embarrassing a real low point for them I think in their modern history, the way this season has gone, but particularly the Igor Tudor reign.

11:06Do I think he's going to go? I think we were all expecting him to go, Aaron. I think we were looking at this being the last dance, really, at Anfield, but they have produced something. And the problem that the Spurs hierarchy have is they sack Igor Tudor after, what would it be, a month? Five games. Then the finger's going to be pointed at the people who made the decision to appoint him. So they're going to say they got that hope. I don't think from a PR perspective, Luke, I don't think they care about their reputation. But the team played for him today. I started this segment saying that Tottenham, for the first time for me for weeks, months, looked like a team that could stay up.

11:44They were responding to whatever the manager wanted them to do. They did it. They had a game plan today and they executed it. So do you then go and sack the manager? Who's out there? Who's out there as well, realistically? I think you've got to be respectful to this coach. is that there's always a plan. There is always a plan. These coaches are not just going out and allowing these players to play and just going to do what you want. There's always a plan. You fall down short because of your quality within the game. And your plan might be wrong. You know, you might get the wrong press. You might play the wrong players.

12:14You've got to remember the teams that these have played since he's come in the building is Arsenal. Pull them away. Yeah, Crystal Palace at home. I thought I'd come Madrid away. There's some tough games in there. Some tough games against some very good sides. So I sort of can give them a little bit of leeway and say there's no plan and that but if I'm a Tottenham player it's easy to get up for Liverpool at Anfield it's easy to get up they've got to back it up that's the query the worrying thing for me is Crystal Palace at home and Fulham away that's my thing is that when you're playing against Arsenal you can get beat they've got very good players top of the league Atletico Madrid is our top team it's the Palace is in the Fulham that you expect them to win that they're not winning but today it's a difficult decision now Charlie isn't it it's difficult for them because they've gone to Anfield and pulled off a result that people didn't expect them to do.

13:02So maybe the hierarchy weren't expecting them to get that result either. Maybe they were like the rest of us who were looking at it going, they're going to get beaten at Anfield. And then it's an easy decision. The music is all like, oh, it's all signposted. Igor Tudor's going to lose his job. They're going to bring someone else in. Now I think it complicates it. I think it makes it very difficult now to know what direction they're going to go in because that team played for their manager today. They played for themselves. They played for the shirt and they played for the club and they played for the manager.

13:27Aaron Paul:So does this rest then on individual mistakes? I think this still rests on what the ownership want. Getting a point at Anfield doesn't mean that Tottenham don't change. I see managers getting sacked after victories. So does it matter if he's got a point at Anfield? What they feel and what they get amongst the ownership and the top people within the football club will be, yeah, this is not working. But I'm only from the outside and use what we're probably know more than me from the inside of what Tottenham is but there's just too many rumours and too many people getting to this job. And that's what I'm saying.

14:05This point doesn't change anything for me. It's how the ownership feel and what they are. If at the moment they have the right person they feel that can change it for the next block of games then they will change and like you say they've got nobody to change. It's not down to financials and it's not down to think about anything else. They have to make sure that Tottenham hotspot are in the Premier League next season.

14:27Aaron Paul:No doubt there'll be more reaction to that game and anything that happens down at the lane on the BBC Sport website and app. Let's flip to the red half of North London to the top of the table. It took Arsenal 89 minutes and a very nervous Emirates but they got the job done in the Saturday tea time kick-off. Two substitutes scoring the goals to beat Everton and one of them the youngest in Arsenal history Arsenal and Premier League history. What a special moment for 16-year-old Max Damman. boys and for Arsenal the dream ending to a tense game Charlie a special special player but you need somebody to come there I think if you're Mikel and you're 10 15 minutes to go and you're looking and you throw a 16 year old player on the pitch you trust him you believe in him you know he's he's been around that squad for for a while now um you know we've seen it in the in the pre-season and in other European games he's played he's he's come up with a bit of magic that's that's there It's a wonderful ball for the goal in terms of Hinkapi's assist.

15:26And then his talent, his pace and his power to get away in the middle of the pitch to go and then score that second goal himself. He must have been on cloud nine last night. And yeah, it's everybody's young dream to become a professional, first and foremost. But then to get the opportunity to play in the first team is incredible. And then to actually score your goals, it must be some feeling for the young lad. I just think the most important thing for now is being supported by the right people around him. Good senior players, a good manager. Mum and dad supporting him really well and giving him a good pathway to what will happen for him in the future.

16:04Aaron Paul:Speaking of that manager, let's hear from Mikel Arteta on his teenage prodigy. It was such a special moment. The way he built up, you could sense that relentless desire from the team, the crowd, to find a way to win the game. and in the manner that we've done it, it was one of the best moments that I think we all together had at the Emirates and I think we'll remember this one for a long, long time and people will talk about it in 10, 20 years. I was at the Emirates when I was a kid, a 16 run over the halfway line and scored a massive goal for the club. He has an incredible talent, but I think what sets him apart is his personality and the way he handles the context, the pressure, the situation.

16:43It's just, it's not normal.

16:44Aaron Paul:I mean, look, all people seem to be talking about is the fact that this kid is going to be going to school on Monday morning. I mean, can you imagine? Can you imagine the feeling, the street cred? Yeah. Do you know what, Aaron? I wouldn't have been concentrating in double maths on Monday morning. That's all I can say. I don't think I would have been too keen on my art class. A special player, a special talent, a special prospect. I don't want to be grumpy. You know, it's not my natural setting, Aaron, as you know. I don't want to be too grumpy, but he's 16. I've seen some pretty wild takes in the last 24 hours comparing him to Kaka.

17:19People saying you should go to the World Cup. Just calm down a little bit, all right? It's a brilliant moment for him. It's what football dreams are made of. It's absolutely wonderful. It was, you know, although I picked the huddle, it is the story of the weekend. It's absolutely magical moment. And it's why we love the game. And to put yourself in his position, in his shoes at 16, scoring that goal, setting up the first goal as well, the impact he made is substitute. He's going to be a very special footballer, but he's got a long way to go. Just calm down. Let the kid grow up. He's still a kid.

17:48He's 16. He can't even get into the Arsenal first team on a regular basis. Just relax a little bit. Calm down. Let him develop in his own speed. He's already on this trajectory, this accelerated trajectory, where he's 16 years old and he's contributing into Arsenal's first team. But let's not build him up too quickly and too soon. I think he could be a very, very special player. But let's just let him grow and let it happen organically. he's going to get more first team chances but yeah it's a great story wonderful moment and that's why I think you know there's a lot going on in the world at the moment but football is that escapism it's moments like Max Dalman Charlie

18:23Aaron Paul:I mean what Luke's saying there is all well and good but this kid at 16 might be about to go and win the Premier League yeah he might do and with Luke you know the talent that England have he for me he won't be anywhere near the World Cup he has to develop he has to grow he has to build just coming back by the way from a three month injury and ankle injury, which he picked up. He's a special professional talent, and I believe he's got the right manager. And I look at people like Declan Rice, I look at the senior players in Arsenal, Saka, and people like that that will nurture him and help him and develop and grow.

18:55Good parents, support network will be incredible. And he just has to keep playing football. You know, he'll have ups and he'll have downs. And we know what happens when you have downs in this world, in this country. You know, it's not easy for these young talents. Social media is stronger now. so he has to just keep enjoying that moment enjoying that journey and the pathway that he's on he's in a great place and at 16 to see him win that and probably lift that premiership title at the end of the season would be an incredible achievement but he's got a long, long way to go and just got to keep it developing and growing

19:31Aaron Paul:All eyes on the subs Jokeres and Daum and the scorers Incapié and Martinelli with the assists this is what you build a squad for Luke? Well, we've said it all season. Arsenal have the best squad in the Premier League. They have the deepest squad. They have the most competition for places. The impact they can have on games from the bench. The manager obviously gets a lot of credit when substitutions work out. And they did work out for Mikel Arteta. But it helps when you've got a loaded subs bench that Arsenal have. And that is why I've stayed true all through the season. It's why I thought they would win the title this year.

20:04Because of that strength in depth. and the problem Arsenal have had when they're second again, ole, ole, ole. They didn't have that backup. They didn't have that cover. They didn't have that competition for places. They've been building to this moment and generally, nine times out of ten, the team with the best squad wins the Premier League and I think that is Arsenal and I think we're seeing that again and further evidence of that at the weekend. I still believe that Man City got the best squad. Okay. But I get where you come from. I think the consistency that Arsenal have had have been incredible but I still look at Man City in terms of Cherki, Diaz, Doku, Foden, Kovacic, Rinders not bad subs to have on not bad subs, Guardiol there's not much to choose between them there's not much to choose between the spots there's not a bit I just think the consistency that Arsenal have shown this year have won I was all in the Man City camp that they'd win the title I just think that draw at West Ham at the weekend has maybe blown it for them but I still have to go with that but I still think that there's not too much between both squads.

21:07I don't think there's one or two players here and there, but Man City have still got a very, very good squad that are capable of going win six, seven, eight in a row, but I just think that drop point at the weekend could be the end for that.

21:20Aaron Paul:Just on Arsenal, if they do go on and lift the Premier League title, you always feel there's one game that changes things. It changes the momentum. It feeds the surge, if you like, and it feels as though that's going to be one of those, you know, sort of sticking in it, sticking in the contest, landing punches, taking some punches because Everton Charlie, they played their part and they tried to resist Arsenal but to land those two crucial blows, that'll be one that they go on and potentially remember and sort of mark as a milestone, if you like. Yeah, absolutely. And I've been there as a player myself and I'm just using that as when I was at Rangers and Celtic had played early and they've dropped points and you come in next.

22:03The Man City boys would have known what was going on. Maybe sat in the dressing room watching it on their phones while they're preparing for the game. They'll have known that Arsenal have nicked a couple of late goals and held on to win the game. They would have been hoping that Everton could have held on. I thought Everton had some moments. I'm not saying it would have been a massive factor in terms of the performance of Man City. I still think they had some opportunities. but yeah, I think that Man City team would have been a wee bit deflated after the result in terms of the goal going in late for Arsenal and then ultimately they could capitalise at the end with their own win at the London Stadium.

22:43Aaron Paul:City have lost 10 points from winning positions in their last 18 league games despite only losing once. Now they'd be top if they'd held on against Chelsea, Brighton, Spurs, Forest and now West Ham United. I don't want to say it's a mentality issue. Pep Guardiola evidently knows how to win football games. Is this a case of bedding those players in and getting those players up to speed and up to sort of the way that Pep Guardiola wants to play, Luke? No, I think you're being too kind there. Man City have spent an absolute fortune in the last 12 months. Absolute fortune. They have flexed all of their financial muscle to overhaul their squad.