A two-horse race after Arsenal thrash Aston Villa? – Football Weekly

0:00This is The Guardian.

0:30with every attack. Meanwhile, three penalties in the first half at the London Stadium. Who doesn't love a missed Penenka? Also today, a point for Wolves, this time at Old Trafford, Manchester United, always just one game away from crisis. And there are good away wins for Newcastle at Burnley and Everton at Forest. Also, Paul Watson on AFCON. And has the life of a football fan ever been summed up better than Charlton's we never lose at Fratton Park before? Yes, definitely losing at Fratton Park. We'll do that plus all your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.

1:01on the panel today will unwin welcome hello max hello dan bardell hello and from the excellent sweeper podcast paul watson hi paul hi max sort of almost on this podcast enough to say from the excellent guardian football weekly paul watson but i you know i suppose it's good to give your other pod a sell isn't it um and lots to talk about in afcon and there's been some great stuff in there but we will start at the emirates arsenal for aston villa one with apologies dan this is a massive win for Arsenal. And one of those, yeah, we really, we look really good. Like, I thought for the first 20 minutes, I thought, oh, Villa have got a chance here.

1:35And then the second half, it was, it looked like a real golf between the two sides. Yeah, I'll try and put my neutral hat on to answer. I thought Villa were, Villa were good in the first half. I thought the game plan was executed pretty well. And then with a bit of a better decision making in the final third over hitting passes and, you know, The final shot getting away, Villa were quite unlucky not to be ahead. Maybe shaded it, maybe had the better of that first half. But in the second half, Arsenal just smelt blood and took full advantage. As soon as they went 1-0 up, they just completely went at Villa.

2:10It's a typical Arsenal set-piece goal, isn't it, to get them on their way. It's such a good trade to have when a game's closed, to be able to be so dominant and be so dangerous from set-pieces, albeit I think it was pretty poor from Emi Martinez. That's kind of the third away game in a couple of months where he's looked pretty weak from set pieces. But Arsenal get the goal and from then on it was complete one-way traffic. They just dominated. They could have had more in all honesty. Like you said at the top end of the show, it was a statement. Victory and Man City have got a tough game away at Sunderland.

2:48It felt like a massive win for Arsenal. So you could see after the game Arteta, the massive smile on his face when he was being interviewed, the way the fans reacted. It's a big win because Villa were up there, Villa were on a stupendous run and Arsenal have completely ripped that to pieces. So from an Arsenal perspective, absolutely brilliant. It's a fantastic result. From a Villa perspective, I don't think Villa fans should dwell on it too long because it's been a sensational run. Winning 11 games in a row is always going to come to an end at some point. Arsenal away is probably as likely a place for it to come to an end as any.

3:23And back them to go again on Saturday against Forest and start another run. All's not lost. We're still in a really, really good position. I managed to go nearly the whole spiel there without saying we, and then I failed right at the end. That's okay. That's okay. Look, I will get you to dwell on the defeat in a little while, but let's focus on Arsenal for a bit. And look, a lot Paul has talked about set pieces, and rightly so. And a little bit of, oh, but you never score from open play. and then that Odegaard pass to Zouberman in that finish is just so heavenly isn't it yeah it's one of those passes where you just you can't see it enough times it's just a beautiful beautiful pass it you couldn't place it better it it was an amazing goal um and it's funny because once once Arsenal I say like Villa looked great first half they genuinely looked um every bit as good as arsenal but as soon as arsenal were ahead it just felt like this waves of momentum and momentum it just seemed like they could score like pretty much every time they came forward and um yeah i think a lot will go back to that that emmy martinez error really for he was too busy fighting the players around him forgot there was a corner coming over and i think before that it genuinely felt like this could go either way and it just totally tipped the balance it was just absolutely relentless after that really yeah i just on that super many goal and i don't if anyone has an answer to this it's amazing but i did think how many goals in the premier league have been assisted and scored by a martin and i was like that seems pretty rare to have martin to martin scoring a goal i should get in touch with the knowledge shouldn't i um well on that set piece actually will match the day broke it down quite well i think it was rob green saying aston villa needed to have somebody in between gabriel and martinez and it's not like we haven't been warned for what feels like a decade now but like for a long time that you just gabriel god so annoying to be the person has to be him just leaning into you and leaning i'd just be like i just can't be bothered but i'm not a professional footballer villain needed to have someone there to stop that happening there's a set pieces uh coach role going at anfield max if you feel you if you're up for it well after that okay get rid of that consider it i mean i think obviously arsenal are excellent at set pieces and planned very well.

5:37Slightly problematic for Villa where everyone knows now that you can wind up Martinez and get in his face and that probably they should know that as well. And as you say, Green points out that you need someone in between, you need someone not to leave it to Martinez. His job is bigger than wrestling Gabriel. And that's it. Once teams at this level know you've got a weakness, they'll target it. And especially when it's their own strength, if they can add an extra 5 % when it is getting in the face of someone like Martinez. You're supposed to be a world-of-war goalkeeper. You should have learned from his mistakes with these things, getting involved.

6:13You've got to protect your goalkeeper. Goalkeepers really do hate defending set pieces. You speak to any of them. They need clear lines. They need space to get to the ball. And if you've got someone right in front of you, you're never going to do it. And that's a simple matter of fact. and you've got to be a bit smarter with these things and you know what's coming with Arsenal and you've got to analyse it to the minutiae of it all. And yeah, I think Villa and Martinez have probably let themselves down on that. And you say football is a matter of moments and that's turned that game because it's set Arsenal on the way to victory.

6:50And as everyone else said, once that goal goes in, it was all Arsenal. probably a little bit of the mentality has gone from Villa a bit concerned by what was coming and you've got to know that those small details matter and probably Villa have just let themselves down on that one a little bit I hadn't considered it was Austin McPhee versus Nicholas Jova that was the real battle and surely McPhee must be McPhee's got to be his talent is one of the best he's got to know better than that I did think I mean look the finishes from Trossard and Jesus are both lovely and I thought Dan I thought Trossard who is a sort of criminally underrated footballer.

7:27I'm not sure why, but I thought he had a brilliant game, not just a brilliant finish. Yeah, I think that's his third or fourth game in a row where he scored against Villa. And to be honest, whenever you watch him play, he tends to score against everyone. He was a bit of a forgotten man at the start of the season. You looked at all the business Arsenal had done in the summer and you did wonder where he would fit in. And I think there was a few murmurs that perhaps they'd look to sell him. I don't know how true that that ever was, but he's made himself such a crucial player for them. I mean, if you think back to that two, three Januaries ago when they got him in, he's been a real, real smart signing for them.

8:01He's scored a lot of crucial goals. He's actually a really, really intelligent footballer. And when Arsenal kind of need something, to call it an American term, which I hate doing, he does seem to be that clutch player. And he's just an all-round game. He scores lots of types of different goals as well. That was a lovely goal last night. Not much Martinez could do about that one. and that's completely killed the game. Although I do think there was a moment at 2-0 where the game may have turned the other way had the referee been a bit braver. Just when you said, I hate using this American term, I was really hoping you were going to say rootin' tootin' or something like that.

8:40But, you know, I know what you mean about Clutch and Trossard. Is he the best grey-haired footballer in the Premier League? You know, I can't think of many others. You know, Glenn Hussain, clearly, you know, famously. but I don't think he's I'm not sure he's still playing and they did it with that Declan Rice pull because I think when that when it was like oh he's injured and you're like okay this is I really thought Villa had a chance it was really interesting to see how Arsenal would get on with that Rice who is sort of considered the heartbeat of the team and then in that in that wave after wave second half you know they definitely had they had something pushing the blood around the team yeah they didn't they didn't appear shorn of Declan Rice which is which is an amazing statement to make given how good he's been I mean I think it almost said it all when Gabriel Jesus just came back from you know being away with cruciate injury for so long comes back scores with his first touch and you can almost imagine other managers going oh shit he's back now as well you know it's like you don't notice who's missing because they are just they are just so good at the moment I've got to say they look pretty ominous don't they Arsenal if you're trying to stop them it's and you never want to say this about Arsenal because of the history but yeah it is at the moment it is sort of hard to see where where that weakness is city are going well right i mean you're i mean that's the that's the interesting thing is that the arsenal have been in this kind of blip where they're winning apart from that villa game and city have been winning reasonably well and what we want is them both to be going toe-to-toe till the end right i guess yeah and i suppose you could also look at this and say you know villa had what two or three amazing chances in the first half all of those or any one or two of those could have gone in maybe you'd be looking at a slightly different game but no I mean the way Arsenal look I think it's almost a real testament to the strength in depth that you can have Rice out and you kind of don't notice at least second half you kind of don't notice because they're just so good at going through their strides yeah sorry that you mentioned that should Mourinho be sent off and I think most people think he should and it's a sort of weird quirk of VAR it's a bit like that when it's so obviously not a corner to a team and it could be decided like that that they can't interfere with second yellows and you just feel like if we've got this thing which I don't want we might as well use it for those as well yeah I think it's a lack of bravery from the referee and the kind of cynic in me thinks back to Manchester City a few days ago against Forest a similar incident another team that's going for the title where it doesn't get given and then they were mentioning this high bar for second yellows, which I must admit I've never heard of until last night.

11:07I don't know whether anyone can enlighten me whether that's a real thing or not, but they mentioned that there's a higher bar now for second yellows. That's ridiculous. That's not the law of people, yeah. A yellow card is a yellow card. Yeah, for me, Mourinho has pulled Rodgers back. It's not fleeting or any of the other weird analogies that the PGMOL have used before. He has pulled him back whilst he's on a yellow card and he's heading towards goal. So in any country, in any league, in any competition, for me that's a yellow card i'm not sure what this second yellow high bar is it sounds nonsense victor jokerez will he doesn't need me to curse him in the way that i cursed timo verner but i think he's gonna come good like he hasn't scored with any of his last 23 shots in the premier league excluding penalties he had five touches in the first half didn't complete a single pass this doesn't sound good so like he could do with scoring a goal obviously but i don't No, I think he does add, even though those statistics seem to suggest he does absolutely bugger all, I reckon he adds something to them.

12:05And I think once one goes in off his arse or whatever, I reckon he will come good. I think he is worth persevering with. I don't know what you think. Yeah, I mean, it's the life of a striker, isn't it? I mean, no one in the modern game generally spends that much money on a player that they then think, oh, actually, maybe he was better seated at Coventry or whatever. And you look at the example of Calvert-Lewin at the start of the season. absolutely awful really getting in positions which cliche but a good sign sure that's the same you know and now he's on a run of six six games scoring in each one i think it is and that's the nature of being a striker unfortunately you know you you always go back to the confidence player thing you know he's big he's physical he's quick you've got those attributes and you know he's scored goals in the past and that's what that's what happened you know i mean obviously he's got problems that jesus is back now and you know quite an arrogant chap with his new merch that says i belong to jesus i mean can't wait for that to be in the arsenal club shop but that's the confidence you've got has it got to have as a striker he is the guy that he is the guy that needs a caveat on that t-shirt isn't it going not i don't by the way i mean jesus not me but you know you get the point but that's just a slightly less pithy in brackets not gabrielle but not the centre-back Gabriel.

13:26Original Jesus. But that's who I belong to, just to be clear. Yeah, but I am Gabriel Jesus. If you weren't sure, you really need a smaller font, I guess. I've forgotten what point you were making now. Jokeres, good. Yeah, big fickle. Big fickle score some goals at some point because Arsenal create chances, as we've seen. Everything's fine. Don't worry about it. And they'll win the title by, what, April the 5th? Yeah, sorted. And actually on Strikers, Dan, and I don't know what you think about this with Ollie Watkins because he had quite an interesting season where he didn't score for ages and started scoring.

13:55And that chance he had, and it's probably unfair to compare a normal centre forward to Harry Kane, but occasionally you see Watkins snatching at a chance or trying to power something that he could place. And just in that moment is when you see the slight difference between elite and really good, which is what he is. Yeah, it felt quite a big moment even at the time when he missed that, felt quite critical in the kind of story of the game for me. he's had an iffy season he's carrying an injury I'm encouraged that he's now managed three in his last two because he is a streaky player even when he's on top four he always scores goals in bursts I think the thing that's been missing from him more so well the goals have been missing but another thing that's been missing from him throughout this season is that getting assists whilst he's not playing well and contributing in that metric he up until the last few weeks hasn't really been contributing anything goals or assists wise he's carrying this injury that we all know about, but that's a huge chance and he's had some really good days at the Emirates.

14:57I suppose that's the slightly frustrating thing for Villa fans last night is that the game plan actually looked quite good in the first half and they undid that within 10 wild minutes at the start of the second half. You haven't asked me this, but I do think there's a few caveats to Villa losing that game. People talk about Arsenal not having Declan Rose. Villa had loads of players missing last night. Bubakar Kamara being suspended in midfield was critical and then to lose Inanna, who I think at that point, maybe when he was there in the first half, Arsenal were maybe missing Declan Rice, him going off because he was causing them problems driving forward and to lose him from that point of view and then also lose him as he's kind of the big present spare man from a set piece point of view as well.

15:37They didn't cause Villa too many problems from corners in the first half, yet the first one they faced without Inanna, they've conceded. So I do think there's a few caveats to that defeat for Villa, but it won't define the season. we're still having an unbelievable season to be third and nine points clear of teams like Chelsea at this stage of the season is massive because ultimately, for all the talk of title race, the ambition for Villa will be to get back in the Champions League. And look, the other games are on Thursday night, so Man City's trip to Sunderland. We're going to do a pod on Friday to round up those four Thursday night games.

16:11Don't know why there are none tonight, but anyway, that's what's happening. Chelsea 2, Bournemouth 2. You had this on your main screen, Dan. I mean, absolutely ridiculous sort of first half hour where it did look like, especially Bournemouth, were just scything through Chelsea. I sort of almost thought Chelsea were pretty lucky for it to be 2-2 at that time. Yeah, I watched the first half before I put the Villa game on. In all honesty, at half-time, it could have been 10-10. Both teams coming forward, both teams looked hopeless defensively. Bournemouth have got this weird thing at the moment whenever I see them where their intensity going in one direction is absolutely top draw.

16:47but then defensively they don't seem to be able to maintain that intensity and letting in poor goals, especially away from home week after week. Chelsea are just a weird watch. They can look like two different teams in one game. They're quite capable of having a good half and then dropping an absolute stinker in the second or vice versa. But Bournemouth started that game, I thought, like a team that felt like they had some making up to do to their fans because they obviously had a bad Christmas game away at Brentford, was it where they got heavily beaten and they looked like they meant business in that first half but they just couldn't defend which meant that the game stayed level and then the second half from what I saw on the highlights just looked like a bit of a non-event compared to the raucous and rampant first half.

17:33Yeah, two goals from long throws for Bournemouth. It looked like Garnaccio was at fault for both. Probably not the guy you want to be your last line of defence at any time I suspect. And look, both long throws from Semenyo, Paul, and that is the big story he did a big you know applauding the fans at the end i know iraola said oh no he's our player um i mean that part of me is looking forward to him lobbing them in for man city which looks like where he's going to go but it will be a massive loss to bournemouth he's been so brilliant for them yeah and um on one hand see i'm torn into here on one hand it'll be quite sad to see that you know no one wants to see man city just buy up every single talented footballer the fact he's doing this this job for bournemouth it's brilliant to have a league where you can have players like that at bournemouth and just just being brilliant uh it's quite depressing to think of him being signed up by man city the other side of me on the other hand is a bristol city fan and we have a salon clause so i'd like him to go for 400 million which would sustain our losses for another season or two because he played for city for a long time didn't he did you like when you watched him there like maybe we've talked about this before i can't remember like was he a slow burn or was he instantly like oh this guy is gonna do something special he was very good but you never thought he'd be this good it always felt like he didn't quite have the consistency to play i thought i thought he'd be in the premier league but i didn't think he'd be the sought after property in the premier league you know it that's definitely been a really fast um process and yeah and i think on the whole it it is quite sad i think seeing a player like this going to man city I think it speaks to a system that's broken when, you know, you just have talent like that being just snapped up and it's routinely happening.

19:16But yeah, I love Chelsea Bournemouth as well. What a game that was. Those first half hours, just magic. The thing that really stuck with me, though, is just, I know it's been spoken about an awful lot, but how bad Chelsea are at defending, especially at set pieces sometimes. Like the Kluivert goal, Chelsea just flick it on for them. You know, it's bizarre seeing a team of Chelsea's talent just so consistently unpicked by what are relatively simple things, really. Yeah. And actually, Sanchez dives like the goalkeeper used to dive in match day two on the BBC Micro, just sort of flat out, like boom, like just sort of flat in front of him and then pinged back.

19:55But perhaps not entirely his sport. I don't know. So if Semenya does go to City, Will, quite interesting given that Doku's been playing really well on that side. Okay, you need lots of good players. You need a deep squad. He may go to Liverpool. Who knows, right? Everybody wants him. Yeah, I mean, he will go to Manchester City. He prefers City as an option. I think other teams have offered more money wage-wise, but the idea I've been told is to work with Guardiola and go to City and think that's where he fits in better. They don't have a long-throw expert, so that'd be important for him. Yeah, I think having Semenyu just gives you greater options.

20:33You know, Doc who can then have the option of playing right and left. There's been a lot more rotation in those sort of three positions behind Haaland this season. And so to have Semenyu who can say left, right, you know, again, could be down the middle. There's sort of a desire for more physical players. You know, Guardiola's spoken about it before. I think probably people like Oscar Bob now have fallen away a little bit. struggling to cope with what Guardiola wants and hasn't been great this season. Obviously, he had a difficult time of injury. And I think going forward, this is the type of player that is desired in the squad, as I said, and Guardiola wants him.

21:13And he will make a big difference. And I think if you look and we talk about little differences, City scaring people with Docku and Cherokee and Foden and all that, and then to think, oh, they can lob in a throw now with Haaland on the end of it. It will give an extra dynamic for people to think about. And that's, you know, if Arsenal are doing it, you know, we talk about Arsenal doing it so well and that changed the match last night. If City have an extra option of an attacking threat because they don't have anyone that can, you know, reach the edge of the box from a throw in at the moment, it will be fascinating to see the dynamic and City have lots of players that can make the difference from those sort of events.

21:55I think it's sort of the natural position of the Premier League over the years that the best players at other clubs get snapped up by the top six. This is the case of it, and fair play to Semenya, fair play to Bournemouth's recruitment, that they're going to make another massive profit, as for Bristol City. The problem for Bournemouth is replacing it in the summer is obviously preferable, but once you've got a release clause, you've got to go and work out what you do. I'm sure they'll have someone lined up, but a lot of the time I mean, it's Bournemouth. You say, oh, they've signed a really good player, but he's going to take six months to settle and learn about the Premier League.

22:29And, you know, considering the form, Bournemouth are going on the moment. That's probably where the irritation is for Iola. You know, it's their business model. So you can't really complain. We talk about their defence being struggling. They lost, you know, four of their bat five over the summer. And, you know, it's taking time to bet in. And that's unfortunately what they've gone for. and you know 65 million quid release clauses there then he's he's going to go and so it'll you know be the benefits of the school in the Bournemouth equilibrium in the Premier League would 2011 Pep think that in 15 years he'd have someone hurling maybe so many won't do long throws for see who knows but um it'll be interesting to see but yeah worth mentioning Fernandes Enzo's finish was really lovely that feint was really lovely and a great finish too but we talked a lot about Chelsea being odd on Monday and they remain odd and that'll do for part one part two we'll begin at the london stadium

23:29welcome to part two of the guardian football weekly uh so west hand two brighton two this match was so fun match of the day led with it mainly because they didn't have the manager interviews ready from the arsenal villa game three penalties in the first half the second game in premier league history uh where that's happened after fulham bolton in august 2002 or we should have got who scored the penalties for Fulham Bolton in 2002. Joel, can you be bothered to find those? Fulham Bolton in 2002. What are your guesses? Clint Dempsey. Kevin Davis. Yeah, I'd have gone back. Kevin Davis. Kevin Davis.

24:02And Bobby Zamora. Do you reckon it was Zamora? Different penalties for Fulham? For the tape, we're going now to one of those old BBC website reports, you know, when the internet was fresh and clear and fun and there you know there was no rage there were no comments and producer joel has it the answers are it was full and four bolton wanderers won and the penalties were michael ricketts for bolton louis saha equalizing and then steve marley uh making it three one there we go no we would have been here a long time anyway let's let's talk about danny welbeck's missed panenka paul because I like a scored Panenka, but I love a missed Panenka.

24:46I do. And the fact he'd already scored a penalty, I don't know if that makes it better or worse. In a way, it makes it better. But what made him think? It's almost like it made it more of a showboat-y thing to then do a Panenka with this one. I have to say, it wasn't that bad. As bad Panenkas go, you know, at least he's hit the bar. It wasn't one of those horror shows. Sure. I mean, there is one major detail about how it was bad. You know, if we're being after. the air shot afterwards it didn't oh yeah that and also the slightly embarrassing when it rebounds to him obviously he's totally not expecting it he's off balance so he takes this like ungainly kind of air shot hack attempt you can't you lose all the cool of a panenka when it comes back to you off a rebound and you have to have a sort of fly hack at it and yeah and you're not even allowed to kick it i mean like it's not it's a double you know oh yeah it's a good point yeah yeah maybe it was a really ingenious attempt to dummy it but um what was amazing though was then there's kind of like a sort of start of a fight between the players because and what it seems to be is that the West Ham players are so affronted at the Penenka attempt that they kind of get in his face and a fight starts but I don't know, in a way it's like I don't quite understand why you'd be so angry at him, you know, the opposition players missed the penalty, he's obviously I just feel like you'd be delighted but they seem angry at the fact he's Penenka'd it and I wonder if that's because he's already scored a penalty it felt like, alright, you know, no need to sort of take the second one like that.

26:11Yes. Do you think if West Ham players feel they're disrespected, you know, and surely Danny Welber could turn around and go, guys, you're just West Ham. Like, you can't be disrespected at this current level that you're playing. I mean, it was actually, Dan, quite a pivotal moment in the game, really. Like, if he scores that, you think West Ham are unlikely to get back into it. Yeah, especially at home. I know they've picked up ever so slightly at home since Nuno's gone in. but when they go behind, that place can, I imagine, feel like a pretty difficult place to try and turn a game around because that fan base, and rightly so, is just dismayed with what's going on at their football club at the moment.

26:51They're crying out for a proper midfielder at West Ham. I'd be shocked if they didn't try and get a proper central midfielder in January. But yeah, if they go behind, it becomes a very difficult game, I think, for West Ham. They just seem to be trying to draw their way to safety at the moment, but I'm not sure that that's going to work. Every time I look at what... So are Wolves, aren't they? Yeah. Slowly. We'll come on to that. I did quite enjoy that result last night, actually, due to having Manchester United friends. But I think West Ham, they need wins, don't they? And at the moment, the wins don't look like they're going to come.

27:24There were some weird rumours about Nuno over Christmas that they're looking at dispatching him and getting a new manager in. I suggest he's probably pretty well placed to try and keep them up. But it's a difficult situation here. I just don't think they've got enough about them. They've got players from, what it seems, too many different regimes in there now. They look like they've been cobbled together. I can't see them staying up personally, but they need to start winning some games, and especially at home. Yeah, actually, I mean, look, they're only four points off, Forrest, but it feels like an enormous January, Will, for West Ham.

27:59And you wouldn't trust anyone, like within miles of the London Stadium, with recruitment, with getting things right this January? Oh, no. I mean, their recruitment over recent years has been some of the worst. As Dan said, it's random sort of collections of players put together. Fulcrook, who turned up as the new number nine, not wanted. If Jarrod Bowen got injured, I mean, you've got to be fearful of what would happen. But, yeah, they can't control the midfield. You know, we've got Pots in those. who's a young lad that's come in under Nuno. Magasa's just getting used to Premier League. Last night, there's just nothing to be able to do to concern Brighton, who've got plenty of quality in there.

28:44There's not much off the bench. Cal Wilson's starting, signed on a free transfer from Newcastle in the summer because there's no one else available that West Ham could pick up. I mean, who's going to go there? I'll see the question now. I can't it doesn't seem particularly enticing as a prospect I guess as the in the teams in the relegation battle you know let's say four points off not too far behind they've got Wolves at the weekend which is a massive one yeah they've got Wolves and then Forest which is an enormous few days isn't it Nuno seems to have changed it a bit they're not as bad as they were at the start of the season the goalkeepers looking very weak he was poor last night the centre backs rumours are trying to offload Kilman who they spend 40 million quid on trying to send him back to Wolves as part of the potential Strand-Larsen deal.

29:37I mean, I can't really name which transfers come off at West Ham in recent years. No, no, I think you're right. When did Bowen side? Yeah, well, but that's the point about Bowen, Dan, is if you're Gerard Bowen, at some point you've got to think, I can't just be dragging this enormous cart horse for my whole life. Like, go somewhere good. good you know go somewhere good and and see what it'd be fascinating to see and like West Ham fans won't like hearing it but they even must know it'd be great to see him in a in a we were complaining about Semenya going to a topside but it'd be great to see him playing with some good players and just see how good he could be yeah I think at this point West Ham fans would almost understand if he left they'd obviously be devastated because he's a club icon given some of the the big moments he's had in the inner West Ham shirt but he literally carries them that doesn't he you always fancy West Ham to score in games because Jarrod Bowen is playing for them but you look at the rest of that team and you always fancy them to concede a few as well and inevitably Bowen does score in most games but they also concede two plus most weeks and that's even with Nuno coming in who's a pretty defensively sound manager.

30:45Bowen's harming himself and harming his career at this point because you would suggest that being at West Ham doesn't do him any favours in terms of his England chances and going to the World Cup. He obviously won't leave in January because he genuinely has an affection for the club and he'll want to keep them up. But you're right that at some point he must look at it and think, it would be nice to play somewhere different, somewhere where I might have a bit of help. And he's 29, right? He's 29. Yeah. Yeah, like not that young. I enjoyed Paquetar's foul for the penalty. You know, as rugby tackles go, I thought that was really good.

31:22Herzler was upset with the penalty. and even I think it is a handball and I don't like handballs. He says, no one has clear footage of it. I can't understand how you can make a decision. That's not possible in the best league of the world. I think there was clear footage. The footage I saw was pretty clever. Yeah. They would go through the stands and see if anyone filmed it on their phones, right? Exactly, yeah. But everybody filmed it on their phone was at Fratton Park, of course, which we'll get to. And nice to hear Michael Salisbury. I need to do this. I haven't done it yet. of a radio quiz of playing all the referees and can you guess who they are because they all sound identical they're all from the same town in yorkshire it's just sensational just this part of pg mol only getting northern refs let's go to old trafford jed says i've watched some absolute drivel in my time as a united fan some world-class shite but i've never witnessed 11 players so devoid of everything at least ole ball was exciting wolves more than worth their point I have complete confession to make now that I watched all the highlights.

32:25At least I thought I did. But I don't, unless it was so boring, I can't remember it. I may confess I didn't see the highlights of this game. So, Paul, do me a favour. Talk me through what happened. It was a bizarre football match, I've got to say. So, I mean, it's bizarre only in as much as it's weirdly predictable. But for Man U to go ahead, so Xerxes scores, which doesn't really happen. It's basically his farewell goal, you'd imagine. He's off in the transfer window. It's definitely not worked for him. He scored, but it did take an enormous deflection, like a huge deflection from Krejci, who's really unlucky.