Arsenal’s perfect weekend and Liverpool thrown into crisis – Football Weekly

28:18No, there's only three games. I think it's only in the Premier League. I don't know if it includes two Champions League games, if it does, Olympiagos and Athletic, but I think it's just the Premier League. So West Ham at home, Fulham away and Palace at home. And that one shot on target was that moment where Nketiah and David Rea went for the ball at the same time. And I think Nketiah might get the ball first, so it might be a header on target. But yes, I saw one Instagrammer who I don't know saying, this isn't a shot on target. How dare they? But defensively, I mean, six clean sheets this season, three goals conceded, 72 shots faced, 19 shots on target faced, a total XG, I think across the season of 5.3.

28:58I've stole these from Match of the Day, so I presume they're right. Unlike our stats department. They are top for all of them. And this is how you win the league, Barry. It's not interesting. It's not fun. but there feels like a sense with Arsenal it's just like, can we just get it done? Let's just get it done, stop all the noise and then we can just move on with our lives. That's the sense you kind of get. Yeah, it's hard to escape the fact that after this weekend, it was more or less a six-point weekend for Arsenal because they won and the three teams who were seen as their realistic title contenders or fellow title contenders all got beaten.

29:34so it's the equivalent of a six point gain for Arsenal really now Bournemouth may well end up challenging for the title, Sunderland may well end up challenging for the title I'd give Bournemouth more of a chance than Sunderland if I'm honest because they're hugely impressive but this was just a workman like performance from Arsenal, nothing special another clean sheet, another goal from a set piece, another three points in the bank or bracket six in the bank next what's you know move on next game please and and if they win that one nil with a goal scored from a corner free kick great the one thing i've noticed is there are some arson fans who seem to be getting annoyed with the fact that people point out oh they've scored from another set piece but that's fine it's allowed there it's a goal and there's if you're good at them, make hay with them.

30:31They weren't in the ground, they were singing set-piece again, ole, ole. So they were quite happy with it. Yeah, they've got quite interesting, they've got Brighton in the Carabao this week, they've got Burnley in the Premier League, and then Slavia Prague in the Champions League, then Sunderland away, Tottenham at home, Bayern Munich home, Chelsea away. It's an interesting November that they have. Before we do, Bournemouth, who are second, Manchester United's third win in a row, they beat Brighton 4-2. Brighton had won their last three games at Old Trafford. And rather than the sort of binary, are they bad?

31:02Are they good, Sam? I just think every win is significant. And there were lots of positives here. Yeah, plenty of them. Annoyingly so. Because it felt, I mean, I'm of that generation of basically hating Manchester United. So last weekend, it felt really wrong to be willing them on to win at Anfield. And so it was very nice to be back in the status quo of wanting them to lose. But they didn't. And yeah, they were brilliant. And Matthias Cunha, I thought, was excellent. He's been their best player probably for a couple of games. That goal from outside the box, lovely, lovely finish. I think he's scored more goals from outside the box than anyone in the league since the start of last season.

31:43And Buemo is just doing what we expected him to do. And so they're starting to come together really nicely. Even Casemiro, right? And if you'd have said, what was it, a year and a half ago, I've talked about before on the podcast, but I went to Old Trafford by Newcastle and they signed Casemiro and Ericsson in midfield. And they were a couple down early and Kobe Manu came off and it just changed it. If you'd have said back then that we would be in a position now where actually Manu is on the bench being kept out by Casemiro, I'd have said you're absolutely off your rocker, basically. But he's doing a really good job.

32:20And Bruno Fernandes, I think that was his 300th Manchester United game. He is just brilliant, quietly brilliant as well. I mean, he's not quite on the pitch, is he? He's quite yappy, but he doesn't quite get the kudos he deserves. Or maybe I'm misreading that. I don't know. I don't know. It snuck up on me, 300 games. Life passes you by these days, doesn't it? The older that you get. And actually, yeah, I thought Sesco had a good game as well, Dan. You know, I brought people into play, did part of the job he's been there to do. And him, if he's working well as a kind of pivot, But in the same way that Newcastle have Volta Marla with pace around, and if he is playing well with Cunha and Mbremo, that is really actually quite exciting.

33:03Yeah, they haven't had that front three together many times this season. That might be the second or third time that the three of them have played together this season. And people might look at it and think, well, Sesko didn't score. But the two players that are playing off him scored. So it almost doesn't matter. I thought he put in a really, really strong number nine performance. Manchester United, whereas before I've looked at each individual unit and thought, can't see what they're doing here, not sure what's happening. Definitely that attacking front three, you look at it now and think that's a very good Premier League front three that's going to score a lot of goals probably.

33:36And I think actually beating Brighton is probably more of a sign of progress than when they beat Liverpool last week at Anfield because they've had the odd flash where they've gone to big teams over the years and picked up surprise results. And Rio Ferdinand saying Manchester United are back. I actually think beating Brighton at home a team they've really struggled to deal with at Old Trafford is a bigger sign of progress Barry do you think, I thought Brighton were a bit unlucky with that third goal like Luke Shaw pulls Ruter he stops and maybe he should play to the whistle because it's how long you're holding the shirt for VAR decides but he's fouled and then United go and score I'm not saying it changes the game but I would be annoyed if I were Fabian Hurtzeler Yeah and I'd say he probably was annoyed because it doesn't take much to annoy him during the game.

34:23Like you say, you've got to play the whistle and I'm not sure how VAR could look at that and decide it wasn't a foul if that's what, well, that is what they decided because it clearly was. I agree with you. Good stat here on Kostoulos' goal. James Miller's assist for Kostoulos' header. Biggest age gap between goal scorer and assist in the Premier League. 21 years and 146 days. First time in Premier League history that a player has assisted a teammate who wasn't born when the former made their Premier League debut. So Milner's debut was 2002 November. Costullo's was born in May 2007. It's like the idea of when he's born and he's being held there.

35:07And James Milner should wander up and go, oh, I'm going to assist you, goal for you from a corner in 18 years time. It was a brilliant header as well. Yeah, lovely glancing header, wasn't it? Anyway, to the vitality. Bournemouth are second. And if you are a Bournemouth fan, maybe you should yell at us for not being higher up the running order. But another convincing win against Sean Dyche in his first game as Forest manager in the Premier League after they'd beaten Porto on Thursday. And look, so many strong performances, Sam. I mean, Tavernier, who must have wondered in the summer what was going on when everybody in the back line left and just left in there on his own.

35:42Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, brilliant in midfield. and it's you know it's just such a credit to iraio to sort of rebuild this team again it's remarkable isn't it because their model right is that we're going to sell we are a platform and they i think they say that to play soon you come flourish and you can move on to a in inverted commas bigger side and i i don't think they stand in the way i think i think hang on so i think i think with sabani going at psg and heisen going around madrid i don't think you need the inverted No, I know. Yeah, I did think that as I was saying. But, you know, everything is subjective, right?

36:16Well, not everything, but that could be subjective. But look, they didn't mean, I don't think they intended to sell 10 and bring in 8 this summer. But like you say, I think it was the PSG one, right? They hadn't expected that and they just couldn't stand in the way and they shouldn't. So, yeah, Tavernier scores from the corner. It's this Eli Krupe Jr. Jr. because I think his dad played for Lorient and won the French Cup about 20 years ago. But what's that? He's scored for the third time in a week and he's only playing because Evan Ilsen. And I'm just looking at my notes, actually, and it's auto-corrected Evan Ilsen to Venison.

36:49So that's why I paused briefly for the name. And the Unala long-term injury. So they just have this depth. And it's a remarkable story, as I said. The only slight caveat is the Iriola contract thing, right? It's running out. there's a sense that he might want to leave it until the end of the season and just see he's very much in demand I don't think Bournemouth want to let it run that long and but we shouldn't talk too much about that because as it says credit to them I genuinely thought that given who they lost and I don't think it was an unfair thought at the time that they would struggle this year and actually it's the team they were playing against on Sunday that are struggling very much and just Sam, I don't know if you're aware, but Venison's father famously played for Newcastle and Liverpool and had a splendid hairstyle.

37:45He really did. It's Glasner's contract up as well at the end of the season. That'd be quite interesting if they're both on the market. Steve Parris was on the radio the other day saying they're trying to talk to him about it, or they are talking to him about a new contract. Bill Foley is over in Bournemouth to hold talks with Iriola, and one imagines Irayola can just pick any number he wants and give it to me. I mean, yeah. Yeah, it's a nice position to be in. Yeah, I mentioned the centre midfields already but like, does anyone have any strong thoughts on that? Because Alex Scott and Tyler Adams turned up.

38:17I remember you saying, Barry, they turned up and they were injured. They got injured very quickly and that was a real problem. But actually, they look such a good partnership and like Scott, I just had the better of England's best midfielder in the world, Elliot Anderson at the moment and I'm just super impressed with that. Yeah, well, Well, definitely when I think they both signed on the same day and Adams came from Leeds, he was definitely long term injured. I think he might have been out with a crew seat or something. And possibly both of them were injured. But I don't think either of them actually made their debut for Bournemouth for quite a few months until after they'd signed, maybe even more than six months.

38:55But both massively impressive yesterday. but I don't think the job Iriola is doing can be understood. It's just sensational, given the players they lost during the summer. And Kerkers was so good for them last season and is struggling so badly with Liverpool this time. Meanwhile, Forrest, they're still in the bottom three. Sean Dyche came up with some cliches. It's the old adage of after the Lord Mayor's show regards the fact that he turned up and they beat Porto, which must have been really annoying for Ange. We came to a side who were number one in the Premier League for physicality and they showed it.

39:29I don't think we can match that yet. So a clever bit of this team aren't fit enough, which is obviously what you have to say when you arrive as a manager. You know, it's not a guarantee Sean Dyche arrives. They should be fine. They were such a talented squad, Dan, but they have to get the points. Yeah, he mentioned fitness. I imagine there might be a world-famous Gaffers Day coming for the Nottingham Forest players pretty soon off the back of that defeat. Bournemouth are just way ahead of Forest at the moment. Forest are almost going to have to go a little bit backwards to come forwards. In fact, they have gone backwards to try and come forward a couple of times now.

40:01They'll be fine under Sean Dyche. I've got absolutely no concerns for them whatsoever. They can still aim and push towards a top half finish and they can still make a run at the Europa League as well. They just needed to draw a line. Under what's happened, anyone going to Bournemouth at the moment, I think he's going to struggle, especially a team that's not been with their new manager that long. Yeah, just on that win against Porto, Liam says Bednarak versus Vestergaard. Quiz question, which one of these is playing for Porto? and did you know that barry not a clue it is it is jan bednarak uh but yes i didn't know that either anyway uh that'll do for part two part three uh we'll go down to the bottom talk about west ham and wolves

40:49welcome to part three of the guardian football weekly so on friday night leeds beat west ham 2-1. West Ham's worst start of the season for 52 years. Mark Langdon said on Thursday it already looked and felt like the end of a manager's tenure, but it's been four games. Nuno said afterwards, there is quality there, there is time, but nothing will happen if we don't change. We must change our attitude, we must change the way we approach things, we must commit ourselves better, prepare better, work harder. All the things, that is the reality. We don't expect things to change by themselves. Realising we have time can be a mistake if we don't change things around quickly so there he literally said it sam they need to change all the things and he's right they do it's proof that perhaps you shouldn't just even if you're out of work take every job that's offered to you because he looks so unhappy it's like the spurs days i've said before like when he was at forest it was nice to see him sort of with his shoulders relaxed and a bit of a spring in his step and i don't get it and i don't think he knows what he's doing just yet and i was there on Monday night right and they were dreadful and tactically so they've started without a striker because Fulker's injured and Potter's recruitment in the summer hasn't helped them because they insisted on Igor Giulio he's played like one minute he bought Hermanson from Leicester he spent time with who's already been dropped and he didn't want another forward and they signed Callum Wilson so they're one nil down at half time and he makes three subs of which all three are defenders so He brings on wing backs and a centre-half.

42:18Now, I know there was international duty that came into it. So he was playing with the players he worked with. And then they're still 1-0 down. And he turns around and he's got two Callums on the bench. One's got England caps and more than 100 Premier League goals. The other is a 20-year-old wearing number 52. And he went for Callum Matthews. And then the final sub was this midfielder. And then you fast forward to Friday and they're losing 2-0. And he turns to Callum Wilson after 25 minutes. He still hasn't started him. He hasn't changed it up. He hasn't started a striker. So it's just like this confused thinking.

42:48I'm not sure he's quite worked out what he wants to do with that squad, what he is doing. And it's pretty grim. I mean, I think West Ham fans are pretty worried. And that midfield, we've got an issue here because how do we say they haven't got legs without upsetting Nadim Anua? Because I know you, Dad, used that phrase last time. We got a very fair response from Nadim. But they're just slow, right? They've got legs, but how else do you say it? They've got no legs. Suchek is just not quite the player he once was, I don't think. And yeah, they're in real trouble. Yeah, Nuno approaching. Sad medieval night, gathering moss, faded Jedi.

43:30That old guy in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade saying, you have chosen wisely. You know, how quickly he goes from the ready-break glow of the city ground. Look, we should say, great result for Leeds. Ellen Road is huge then, Barry. the other promoted sides, you know, and it's, it's, it's just so refreshing that none of them are in the bottom three. It is. It's very refreshing. It's good for the league and it's worrying for the likes of Fulham, for the likes of Everton, as well as for the likes of West Ham and Wolves, who might have got away with their many shortcomings in previous seasons because the teams that come up have been so bad or so poorly equipped to compete but there's no hiding places for these teams now This is where teams like Leeds have got a massive advantage over teams like West Ham and Wolves because Ellen Road will provide the atmosphere and the platform that's needed to get results in the big games like it did the other night whereas playing at home for West Ham is a huge huge problem playing anywhere for Wolves at the moment is a huge huge problem as well.

44:44It's that home support and kind of that home form that I think gives those teams a massive advantage over the likes of West Ham. West Ham are in absolutely massive, massive danger. And you wonder if there was a bit of complacency with the sides thinking with their recruitment is everyone coming up going to be naff? Because an interesting stat is last year the newly promoted side who all went down won 12 games across the season between them. Already the three that have come up have won 11. So they are just far, far better than the teams that were promoted last year. and interestingly the teams that went down last year none of them are pulling up trees in the championship are they so that's also an interesting point Wolves lost 3-2 at home to Burnley two wins in a row for Burnley back to back wins absolutely massive for Scott Parker amazing injury time Baz I mean that's a lovely little finish from Lyle Foster but then De Bravka's save like 11 seconds later is amazing to change direction like that yeah a little rasping shot from Santiago Bueno and De Brabham had been wrong-footed.

45:46He got down and kept it out with a strong hand and an iron wrist. It was a sensational save. Wolves have now lost to all three promoted sides. They're winless in nine for the second season in a row at the start of the season. But last season, they ended up finishing 16th with 42 points and last season they only had three points after their first ten games so this is almost a replica of last season for them but they shipped out three of their best players during the summer as Wolves tend to do and it could be argued maybe they got a little bit lucky last season in appointing Vitor Pereira who's a very well-traveled journeyman manager that I don't think too many of us knew anything about, but he strung six or seven wins in a row together.

46:49That kept him up. I don't know, do they sack him and then just reappoint him? I hope for a bounce. But it was slightly worrying to see him and Jorgen Strand-Larsen getting into it with some fans after the game. because it was weird that after they went 2-0 down yesterday the Molyneux crowd was singing you're not fit to wear the shirt there was a conspicuous number of empty seats at Molyneux as well and then they got two goals back they had the better of the chances and they were on top until Burnley scored that late winner and they could have equalised but yeah, Jorgen Strand-Larsen and Pereira both got into it with some fans after.

47:35It's not a very edifying look. The opening goal here, Dan, Zian Fleming is exceptional. I think this is goal of the season levels and people aren't talking about it enough. Maybe because it doesn't go in very fast or he doesn't absolutely leather it in the back of the net. But that finish, the pass and the finish is as good technically as anything we will see this season. I'm convinced of it. It's quite a nonchalant finish. I thought. I don't even know if he scored in the Premier League. Yeah, I know he's obviously scored two of the week. So, you know, your first goal in the Premier League to finish like that is a bit of a statement.

48:11Finish. Burnley scored a very good goal last week as well from Ryan, didn't they? That was a joy to watch as well. Scott Parker's a very, very likeable character and I hope that Burnley can book the trend and to be honest, I hope Leeds and Sunderland can book that trend as well and stay up. They've won games that make... The games they've lost, in the main, they've been in them. But then they've kind of won the ones that you think that a team's going to be down the bottom needs to win. The opposite of Wolves. To go there and get that three points, maybe sends them on a trajectory. To get back-to-backs in the Premier League as a newly promoted team is really hard because not many teams have done that over the last few years.

48:51But I was really, really pleased for them. Not just because it was Wolves. I was just pleased for Burnley and pleased for Scott Barker. It's a funny game because when Wolves were doing badly, the fans were booing and singing, you're not fit to wear the shirt. When they were doing okay, it was almost the players were then turning to the fans and saying, you need to do more. We just seem to keep changing, interchanging between those two things, that guy. Maybe that Deanne Fleming finish will be my Ethan Pinnock moment, but I am saying that's the best goal I've seen this season. Just think it's absolutely world-class.

49:20To the Hill Dickinson Stadium then. Spurs, the first team who aren't Everton to win there. A wet old day on Merseyside. They are top of the away table. in form and 17th in the form table for playing at home Spurs. Not pretty at all. Don't know how good they are, Barry, but they're third. And 3-0 in a clean sheet away from home. Cannot argue with it. Yeah, I think they were a little lucky to get a clean sheet. It didn't feel like a 3-0, but they did deserve to win another set-piece goal or two set-piece goals here. Mickey van der Ven scoring a brace. Papasar scored the third. I don't know what to make of Everton.

50:04I didn't have high hopes for them before the season started. But they're not playing dreadfully. They're desperately short of a decent striker. Beto and Thierno Barry can't really, aren't doing the business for them. Despite them getting a lot of service, good service from the wingers in Jai and Grealish. Beto was a little unlucky. He had a good overhead kick saved by Vicario. That was a really, really good save. Yeah, brilliant save. Yeah, Everton have only won, I think, one in seven in all competitions. Drawn two, lost four. I'd be a little bit concerned about them, but this was just their first defeat at the new stadium.

50:50And I think 3-0 flattered Spurs a bit. Actually, you know, at a different level, say Tottenham are missing a centre forward in a way you know Colin Warnie played this one looked okay got Matias Tell who looks okay Solanke's injured Richarlison is sort of odd Dan so you know if you and you know I don't know what you know if it Solanke changes that side I think Dan but I think if you're Spurs it's interesting a lot of the noise around Spurs is you know actually this isn't good enough the football's boring you know and they get to this position and they lose the next game and they're playing Chelsea next week, so everybody knows Chelsea will win that.

51:27But I think if you take a step back, for Thomas Frank to have shured up Tottenham at the back compared to last year, and to dig in and be a bit ugly and win with set pieces, totally fine. Yeah, it's definite progress, isn't it? I mean, he would have struggled not to progress on finishing 17th in the Premier League, I would suggest, with a club of Tottenham's size. But Tottenham fans have got to decide what they want. No one likes Andrew's football particularly because they lost every week in the Premier League. Thomas Frank is at least providing wins. I know they're still struggling a little bit at home, like you said, but it's just effective football.

52:03And I think if you'd have offered Tottenham fans to be third, 27th of October, they'd have probably all been pleasantly surprised by that and probably all have taken it. But I don't know what's going on in North London because both those teams now, it's just set pieces, set pieces, set pieces. Tottenham almost out Arsenal this weekend by scoring two. Yeah, the Tottenham way. Newcastle beat Fulham 2-1. it's a big last minute winner for Gimaraes it's a big result for Newcastle isn't it Sam just the third win of the season massive like it's a game that Newcastle need to be winning and that's no disrespect to Fulham but if they have aspirations of finishing the Champions League again they need to back up good performances in midweek in the Champions League and I think of nine European sides or nine sides that played in Europe this week only Newcastle and Arsenal managed to win both games so this like rotation idea and having a bit of a squad is becoming uh it's starting to bed in uh voltamada who's playing far more than they'd anticipated because johannes has been injured like i've just fallen in love with him like what a footballer it's so counterintuitive because when you see him you want to look up but actually he's a similar to like dirk novitski i know he loves his basketball because he's a massive man but he's just kind of popping in freeze from deep.

53:17It's a bit like watching the old school, right? It was Shearer winning headers with Bellamy and Dier running off in the pace. And the likes of Gordon and Langer and Murphy are doing that and Barnes off Walter Marder. But it's on the ground. I've barely seen him contest a header. He doesn't when the ball comes long, he doesn't even jump with a centre-back. He's just looking to lean in. He wants it at his feet. He's quite a brilliant footballer. Not sure what it is about his shirt. People just seem to be tugging it constantly. They either desperately want it or they want to ruin it for everyone else.

53:49I want to give some kudos to Jacob Murphy as well, who must have sat on the bench for a lot of this season and, God, hang on a minute, what have I done wrong here? Because they've spent£55-60 million on a bloke who's meant to replace me. Murphy had 20 goal involvements in the Premier League last year and Analanga, I think he will come good, but he's not really done out yet. I've seen, I don't want to criticise him too heavily because I know he was brilliant for Forrest but I've seen a couple of times where he's been in good positions and he's just messed it up and he should have scored against Villa on his debut two minutes into it and if he scored that maybe it's a different conversation maybe it's about confidence but yeah Murphy is not a man who can strike to me as getting particularly angry but I think he he'd have been a little bit annoyed and rightly so but yeah good win for Newcastle and they've won two games without Tenali starting which is a good sign.

54:39Barry can I repeat my joke from yesterday regards Fulham is it worth repeating I can't even remember it to be honest would they have been better with Shirley Bassey at centre-back as opposed to Calvin Bassey he had a bit of a mare and you're slightly worried about Fulham um yeah well for the reasons I said earlier and I would put Everton in that mix as well Fulham have now lost four in a row and whereas before they'd have been able to go I would be fine because those three are definitely going down they can't do that now and there's still a chance Wolves and West Ham could turn things around well West Ham maybe not but there's a chance Wolves could turn things around but I don't think they're anywhere near as bad as West Ham are I don't think anyone in the league is as bad as West Ham are but yeah I would be a little bit concerned for Fulham After the game on Wednesday night a Newcastle fan had a heart attack and sadly passed away his name was Bob he was 95 years old he'd been a season ticket holder for 50 years so I just wanted to give him a shout out fortunately he did see Newcastle win a cup he was there at Wembley in March well said and worth butting in for that of course just time for A.O.B.

55:53El Clasico Real Madrid won 2-1 against Barcelona Jude Bellingham set up Mbappe's opener Marcus Rashford set up the equaliser Bellingham scored the winner Bellingham had one ruled out for offside Mbappe had two ruled out for offside and missed a penalty Hearts beat Celtic 3-1 lots of calls to go back to Ewan Murray's jazz bar. We will soon. Eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership. EFL pod tomorrow will cover the Sheffield Wednesday news. But actually, if you haven't seen it, go and look what they put on the big screen before kick-off. It was great. In old striker news, Jamie Curiton became the first player to score in the top ten divisions in England at the tender age of 50.

56:26It was some feat to have been good enough and bad enough or good enough to have played at all of those levels at all of those times. Jamie Vardy scored his first goal for cremenese in a one-all draw with atalanta and he did a backflip and adam says are you aware barry that you've been used in the alignment chart fills page on reddit as a good pundit bad player there's a kind of graph where you have great player great pundit over one side and bad player bad pundit at the bottom like a grid so they've got great player great pundit henry good player great pundit crouch okay player great pundit nader manuaha bad player great pundit Emma Hayes.

57:04I don't know if Emma played. Good pundit. Great player Roy Keane. Good player Jamie Carragher. Okay player Michael Richard. Bad player Barry Glendening. But that's good to be a good pundit bad player. Clearly, as Adam says, they haven't heard about your header. I won't read out the okay and bad pundits because we're lovers not haters here. That'll do for today. Thanks everybody. Thank you Barry. Thank you. Thanks Dan. Thank you Max. Cheers Sam. Thank you. Purple Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Our executive producer is Danielle Stephens. We'll be back with an EFL pod tomorrow.

57:44This is The Guardian.