Foden sparkles for City and Scottish title race goes to the wire – Football Weekly podcast

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0:47Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Manchester City do what they have to do against Crystal Palace. Two points behind Arsenal with two to play now. Palace started brightly but a couple of glorious assists. One from Phil Foden and one from Ray M Cherky helped Pep to keep the pressure on. The real drama last night was in Scotland. After seeing what a late VAR call can do for the title race in the Premier League, the SPL thought, let's have some of that. Celtic winning a penalty at the death at Motherwell. Kelechi Iheanacho was bafflingly calm as he rolled it home. So it's all to play for.

1:14Celtic v. Hart. A point is enough for the jam tarts. Then to Spygate as Southampton sneak their way into the playoff final. Kim Helberg heartbroken. Tonda Eckhart walking out of press conferences. Middlesbrough are still training, just in case. We'll look ahead to the FA Cup final and the Premier League weekend to answer your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.

1:35On the panel today, Barry Glendening, welcome. Hi Max. Hello Jordan Jarrett-Brien. Morning mate. And good morning Will Unwin. Hello Max. Let's begin with the title race. We'll get to that handball that looked suspiciously like a header in Scotland in a bit with Ewan. But before that, Arsenal are top of the Premier League, 79 points from 36. Man City now have 77 from 36 and a one better goal difference. They beat Crystal Palace 3-0. Will, you were there. It didn't sound like a cauldron to me, but how was it for you? It was a very difficult sort of opening half hour for City where Palace, in their team selection of sort of maintaining fitness before they have a proper match at the end of the season that they're interested in, put 10 men behind the ball, break us down, see what you can do.

2:24We'll try a bit to do you on the break if we can be bothered, but at the moment we're just going to use this as a nice training exercise. Phil Foden, back in the starting line-up after a pretty disappointed season, produced the sort of moment of magic with the back heel to Semenyo that games like that needed. It was pretty flat inside the stadium. I don't think City fans are really expecting to chase down Arsenal at this point, and maybe six changes for City suggests the FA Cup is marginally more important. Yeah, it was quite easy in the end. City kept the ball very well, picked the gaps when they found them and it was nice to see Foden do what he always promises to do and has the talent to do.

3:05Two assists on a really good night for City but yeah, it was pretty subdued all around. It was an end-of-season friendly type vibe. That is so interesting, isn't it, Jordan? The difference between City, who are the title race, and Arsenal, who are obviously leading the title race, and the difference in vibe, in energy, in either total terror or this is fever pitch that's happening at the Emirates. And at the Etihad, it's unlikely we're going to win it, but we've won it before. We'll make six changes. No, you're totally right. But it's funny because it was about a month ago, it was the opposite.

3:43it there was a couple of arsenal games where we finished quite flat and it was a vibe of oh we've blown this we know what's coming here there was a couple of city games maybe even the city arsenal game where at the end you know the etihad was buoyant and bouncing then because they thought yep yep we know what's coming this is this is our time i mean i'm straddling the the rope of confidence and arrogance quite well i think because i watched this game really not caring Are you speaking about the title race or just you yourself? Generally, there is that to be fair as well. But I watched this game just not really caring about the result because I'm quite confident it doesn't really matter.

4:21Now, just saying to Will before, I think the title race, I think we will win the league. So I've blatantly now jinxed it. But I just watched this game comfortable, knowing that I don't really care what the result here is because I don't think it ultimately changes the outcome of who wins the Premier League title. It was flat. it was a little bit meh as well did have a bit of a last game of the season vibe about it my only takeaway from this game was Phil Foden again as Bill said and thinking about the World Cup you know he was brilliant in this game but I think that kind of discussion around the number 10s I think it might be too little too late for him I don't think he's performed for England previously he's had chances and whilst nobody is screaming for that number 10 shirt for England I think if you look at Eze it could be a European and Premier League winner.

5:09Bellingham seems to be the front runner. Rodgers had a decent season and Cole Palmer off the bench at the bare minimum has shown that he's an asset. I think he's at the bottom of the list. And I love Fielder and I think he's a brilliant player. Signing the contract at City was a weird one for me because it feels like he's achieved everything he can there. It's maybe time for a new challenge, but he was brilliant in this game. But I feel in terms of the summer, it might be too little too late. Yeah. Yeah, and look, whatever happens with the number 10 spot, Barry, unless England win the World Cup, they'll be like, well, look at that back heel Phil Foden did against Palace.

5:44But Jordan is right. When he's on the song, and I guess he was the story of this game, he has a grace and an elegance that makes you want to watch him play football. Yeah, he's a terrific player. I don't think anyone has ever denied that. There's almost something feral about him. I mean, we've seen those videos of him playing street football and his close control and how good he is. But I will be surprised if he's in the England squad. He's just unlucky that England have so much strength and depth all over the place, really. A lot of super England footballers are not going to be at the World Cup through no great fault of their own.

6:27He hasn't had a good season. Players go in and out of form. and I suspect last night was too late. This was, yeah, quite a flat game. As soon as I saw Palace had left Sar and Adam Wharton on the bench, you're kind of thinking, yeah, they don't really care about this. And that's fine. They're perfectly entitled to prioritise the Conference League final. My only other thought from this game, and I'd love to come here and get Will's view on this, is I've been of the thinking that this will be Pep Guardiola's last season at Manchester City. but you would have thought with it being City's second to last game, home game, sorry, of the season, there might have been like an announcement by now, like I don't know if he's going to do it at the last game against Villa, like a wave goodbye.

7:14I don't know if, Will, if you think there's been any kind of tell signs as to whether he will be leaving or he's going to be staying beyond this season. Well, this is the hot topic. I mean, there's a lot of rumours flying around about whether it will be his last season. Sort of the edging and thinking is towards that he's going. I spoke to someone last week and that people within the club think he's going. But he's definitely not confirmed it. I think people are confident that he sees this team and I think he fancies this team. And he's not seen its full potential, which he'll want to see through.

7:54and so it'd be interesting to see on that front in recent weeks, beating Palisades last night, listening to Barry describe Feral as a positive for Phil Foden. He might be interested in harnessing that. It wasn't meant to be an insult. I see now how it could be construed as such. I've never heard Feral used as praise. No, I just let it go. God, look at that Feral dog. Isn't he beautiful? I think he still wants to go out with a bigger trophy in the FA Cup, your Champions Leagues, your Premier Leagues. I suspect if he won the Premier League, I reckon he'd be out the door if, you know, if Burnley pull it off on Monday and whatnot and City do the business in Bournemouth and Villa.

8:36But honestly, I am starting to be of the opinion that he'll stick around for another season. He's got that in his contract. I mean, I was fascinated when he went to Port Vale, stopped Port Vale the other week. You know, he sort of promised to go to watch a stop-up game for eight years and he decides just now to come good on his promise, just in case he won't be here next season. That is the thing. That's the thing that Pep should do, though, isn't it? The thing that Pep should do is, because everyone says, well, yeah, but could he do it with Stevenage? It's to go to Port Vale. It's to say, okay, and then spend five years seeing how well he could do at Port Vale.

9:17That would be the dream. a bit harsh on John Brady there, Max. He's doing a good job. No, no, it is harsh on John Brady. You're right. And my apologies to John. Look, the other moment from this game, Rayan Cherky's pass was great and he has been really good. And that aside, yeah, I think you're right. Palace were pretty bright at the start. Could have got one maybe on the break. Donnarumma made a brilliant save from Mateta, even though it was offside. And, you know, he's been pretty key for them this season. So, look, Arsenal-Burnley on Monday, Bournemouth City on Tuesday. They couldn't. They can't mess it up now, Baz, can they, Arsenal?

9:50I don't think so. I'd be astonished if they do. If Palace had got a draw last night, then Arsenal would have been able to win the title at home, which they will take winning the title at Selhurst Park, no problem. But it would have been nice for them to win it at home. That now won't happen. I would love Burnley to surprise us all by at least putting up a good fight, but I can't see anything other than a steamrollering ahoy on Monday night. Will, you've seen Burnley more than you think any other journalist this year. Any of a national journalist. Shout out to Matt Scrafton, one of the locals, who has had to sit through it all season.

10:36Do you feel like the editor is telling you something, Will, by constantly telling you to watch Burnley? I know the state of my career. It is very much second from bottom in the league. I'd kill to be sent to Burnham.

10:55If I get found smothered in my sleep, we'll know who it was. Baz, desperate to do turf more on the final day of the season. Just to be clear, that is a joke. in case any of our bosses are listening. Baz using all these good feral and murder stuff early duels. Yeah, I think I've been told I'm allowed to hand out the wooden spoon on the final day for the Burnley Wolves game. So for whoever finishes bottom, I can do it on the pitch, sort of ceremonially. I've missed four Burnley home games this season. Seen a few away, don't you worry everyone. Yeah, they're terrible. Probably done better than a season ticket holder.

11:37You probably need to go to some Burnley season ticket holders. Now, having watched them this much, what is the will-unwin supercomputer percentage of Burnley getting a point at the Emirates? I'll give it a solid 0.5%. They'll go five at the back. The Mike Jackson wonder team, four in midfield. Zion Fleming desperately hoping to scuff one in for a late leveller. but yeah they've got no chance I'm going to do some self-harming here boys right but let's have some fun right how there's been some iconic Premier League moments in the Premier League's existence if Arsenal were to bottle this on the last game of the season somehow where does this rank in the most iconic so they've beaten Burnley so they go to Palace who are three days before their Conference League final so they've rested their entire team you're now playing Palace reserves away.

12:35And where does this sit? Think of like Cantona, Kung Fu kick, Aguero last minute, Yeboah off the bar, big Premier League moments. Where does this sit? I suppose, I'm trying to think of a team that didn't win, that needed to win and that cost them the Premier League title is probably Man United at West Ham, isn't it? Ludwell McCascoe turned into a bouffant, an octopus. Yeah, because Blackburn lost to Liverpool, didn't they? So I guess that is the equivalent. And Andy Cole, I think, missed quite a few chances in that game. This feels like it would be a bigger... Because Man United won the title so many times, of course it mattered, but it doesn't matter.

13:16That's the point where Arsenal are at, I think, Jordan, is to fail to get over the line now. And trust me, it is glorious to speculate about it because I think you're right. Once the games are played, I don't think we'll be able to. But just for a moment to think... I would listen to phone-ins. I mean, it's that level. It's that level of, I can't, you know, it would be absolutely extraordinary now, right? Everyone would be a sort of modern day Peter Cook character, sort of phoning. Well, interestingly, maybe, you know, I shouldn't give away this secret, but, you know, we have like a dump button for swearing on the radio on TalkSport, but it sort of, it builds up a delay over time.

14:00So if people keep going Peter Cook and swearing, then they just can't do anything about it, right? Like the BBC doesn't have a delay, so you just have to apologise. There's two ways to do that. I think you're getting your Peter Cook characters mixed up. Right, I see. He used to ring Thorne in pretending to be, was it an Icelandic or a Norwegian fisherman? Right, I see. I'm just suggesting there'd be caricatures of who they're supposed to be, these Arsenal fans phoning up again not using the word feral as a positive I'll say that no anyway so yeah so that is it Arsenal-Bernie on Monday Bournemouth City on Tuesday then on the final day Palace v Arsenal and City versus Villa and Villa could have something to play for but they will be a few days after the Europa League final so like they could also be in the Champions League and not be that bothered that's what's going to happen in the Premier League and we'll obviously cover it on the pod next week and that'll do for part one part two will go full VAR in Ewan Murray's Fitbar Corner.

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15:44Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. Now, last week Ewan Murray was on. We speculated it might be the first time we'd heard happy Ewan Murray. It may not be the case today. The top of the Scottish Premiership looks like this. Hearts top 80 points from 37. Celtic have 79 from 37. After last night's results, Hearts beat Fulcote 3-0 and Celtic won 3-2 at Motherwell. Ewan, welcome. How are you? Exhausted. Yeah. Yes. How are you? Well, I'm good, but I mean, we don't tend in the sort of the downtime pre-show chat to talk about football. We save it, but we've all been talking about this VAR call at Fir Park.

16:23It's 2-2 in the final minute of injury time. Celtic have a long throw. Sam Nicholson, Mother World player, goes up with Austin Trustee. His arm is raised, but unless he has the punch of Mike Tyson, he heads it out for a corner, right? Did it brush his arm? I don't know. But it is given as a penalty after a pretty quick VAR check. Derek McKenna said a disgusting call. Martin O 'Neill said a clear handball. Your thoughts, Ewan? Martin O 'Neill said that with a straight face as well. It was the most remarkable thing. Yeah, that's one of the most incredible decisions I've ever seen. and I've seen a lot of incredible decisions.

16:57I mean, Hearts run in this Scottish title race means there's been attention everywhere. The story has, you know, you guys know it, has gathered attention in all corners of the world. Well, if there's any corner of the world that wasn't gathering attention, then that VAR call last night reached those very corners. It was a staggering moment, given what was at stake, but it would be a staggering decision anyway if it was a game involving two bottom six teams in Scotland. it was inexplicable unfathomable the key point with Nicholson's arm is it hits his arm hits Trusty's shoulder which knocks it up the way which affects whether he I'm not certain he touched the ball with his hand either but the mere projection of the ball he clearly headed it but if his hand was as I say in an unnatural place it was because his arm bounced off Trusty's shoulder and you know one of many you touched on it but one of many stunning things about this was that John beating the referee took what 15, 20 seconds to look at the screen and determined it was a penalty.

18:01It was so quick. Yeah, and I suppose we often complain about how long VAR checks take, Barry, but like the whole and I hate saying clear and obvious, I hate saying it, but I just don't know how anybody can say like I don't know how many times I've watched that. I don't know how many times the whole panel have watched that and none of us know. I do not know if he's touched that with his hand or not. I don't know what the handball law really is anymore. If he has touched it, I don't know if that's a handball, but you cannot categorically say that is a clear and obvious error. No. Was it a handball?

18:29I don't know. I don't think so. There's a still doing the round that shows Sam Nicholson, his hand is on his forehead and the ball hits the back of his hand. He clearly heads it either with his hand between his head and the ball back out, either for a throw in or a corner. So that's what, 20 yards he's hoied it. Was it a clear and obvious error? No. Was the game re-refereed? Yes. That's not supposed to happen. There is a suggestion he went to check one foul but awarded the penalty for another. I don't know if that's the case. But this was clearly a case for a referee's call that the on-field decision could stand because you could look at that replay a hundred times and not be clear on whether it's a handball or not.

19:20and that's the third big decision that's gone against hearts in the last four days i'm not crying conspiracy it's just a matter of fact it's a massive decision it's gone against hearts and it's the third one there was two big ones at the weekend one the celtic game one the hearts game and now this yeah i mean i i don't know you and i i like the more the var interferes like the whole point of it was to stop controversy and all it does is add controversy. Pre-VAR, that is a corner and no one says anything about anything. Yeah well can I read a quote to you? Yeah. You can tell me who it's from. The quote says, it is such a nonsense.

20:01I'm all for people that have missed something dramatic in a game that constitutes something they should have a look at. But when a referee sees the incident himself and then what he's been asked to do is, no you didn't see that, you saw something else. That has got to be debilitating for a referee. It has got to be. in time they won't need the referee VAR will do it from wherever they are doing it from because that is what they did someone speaking about the re-refereeing of a game who was that? I mean it could be so many managers couldn't it? was it yesterday? it was Martin O 'Neill in February when Celtic had a player sent off and he believed that the game was being re-refereed that was his point of view then sorry the overall VAR point I have two I've had this issue for a long time so I'm not crying foul after last night I have two fundamental issues with VAR in Scotland One, Scottish football is supposed to be all about the supporter experience the in-game experience, the fan attending the match they make great play of that and they made embarrassing great play of that during Covid times in a bid to get fans back into grounds and raise money VAR in Scotland materially undermines the match attending experience and I say that as a paying customer who does it not a journalist.

21:16And the other thing is Scotland doesn't have enough referees to spread them even more thin with VAR. So it doesn't have enough capable referees for the top flight in the country. So when you bring in VAR and you need them for VAR duties assistant VAR duties plus what they're doing on the pitch it's obviously going to diminish the standard of refereeing. And what has baffled me for a while and obviously does this morning is that Scottish football clubs who pay for this have sat back and allowed this to happen rather than actually saying maybe this is detrimental to what we're trying to do here but as I say those are issues I would have told you before last night's episode anyway They also seem to have gone for a budget version of VAR because both on Sky Sports and the footage the referee was shown he was only shown one angle that we've only seen one angle and it's not a very helpful one.

22:14So, you know, either have it with all its bells and whistles or ideally don't have it at all. But the upshot for this is now that instead of needing to beat Hearts by three clear goals at home on Sunday, Celtic now just need to beat them. And you can understand Derek McInnes' rage. I heard another interview with Derek McInnes, Ewan, And he actually sounded pretty level about that. I don't know if it was before he said it was a disgusting call or afterwards. Either had he collected himself or had he not seen it properly to realise how egregious it was. But he has to use this as motivation. Hearts have had a brilliant season.

22:55They are still, and I think a lot of neutrals would love them to win the title. They are still in the box seat, would you say? I mean, they only need to avoid defeat. Yeah, only. Yeah, as I said last night, it's so easy to see. and right, a bit more difficult to do. Of course. No, he was calm, Derek McInnes. It was his words, that word, disgusting, and he used it when he came and sat in the main press conference, obviously leaps out. I mean, Hearts are a further grievance because they were denied what I think and they think was a blatant penalty at Motherwell on Saturday evening. So there's a combination of things here.

23:28And I felt sorry for Derek and the Hearts players last night because at the end of that game, it should have been a celebration of sorts. They'd won the game. they've had an unbeaten league season at home they've had a monumental season overall in terms of taking the title this far and they deserved a really strong ovation and some great moments in front of their fans and that was taken away because of what happened at Motherwell and I thought that was a pity in terms of the game on Saturday as you know I have emotional investment in this, if you go to Celtic Park having to lose 2-0 and you can still win the league I and others like me would be uncomfortable with that but I think it's definitely preferable to going there and needing a point to win the league.

24:15So it felt like a significant shift. It was such a big deal and obviously the circumstances behind it are why hearts their fans felt so and looked certainly so deflated. Ewan, we've seen how poor Celtic's recruitment has been this season. we've seen the arrogance of their board at that famous AGM and then the fiasco with Rodgers leaving and Wilfred Nancy coming in. If they go on to win the league, will their board then go, we are doing everything right. What's all the fuss about? Yeah, there's every chance of that. The answer to be certain is you never entirely know. I mean, Dermot Desmond as the main shareholder is not around, obviously.

25:03You don't see him or hear from him, so you never entirely know what their thoughts are. But I think there's every chance they will say it was a sticky season and we've still come out with the Championship. What's all the fuss about? Which would be a mistake. Celtic need an overhaul of quite a lot of things. But they need a manager, they need a new chairman, they need various things behind the scenes. When you go to Celtic Park, it's a tired venue. Their own supporters rightly acknowledge that. So they need a big overhaul, but I think there is a live chance that if they win this league, they will regard it as further justification of what they do.

25:38I think history tells us that, when actually, if you scratch just a little bit below the surface, there's an awful lot of work needed done there to make them a... They should be a serious and credible force in European football, not Scotland, and they've missed the opportunity over a number of years. So, yeah, that will become an intriguing conversation. if they get it done on Saturday. Now, look, we know in this situation, hearts are the goodies and Celtic are the baddies. But it was... You said that. Yeah. When Celtic got that penalty, there was just this absolute classic, and every fan will know this, the Celtic fans went absolutely mad.

26:13And then they realised they had to watch their team take a penalty. And that joy went to absolute fear. You could just see so many Celtic fans with just their head in their hands like this. And you do have to say, Ewan, Ian Atchard. And then Kalichi Ine Atchard picked up the ball. Well, I know. but he was extraordinary. That was one of the most chilled out penalties I think I've ever seen. It was a trifle-to-can penalty. Yeah, listen, I accept the goodies and baddies analogy and I would probably use it myself, but Celtic fans at the game, that's an enthralling, exhilarating experience. I completely get that.

26:45You're in a title race, you're staring down the barrel of a pretty grim situation and you get a penalty in those circumstances. I completely get their attitude. I wouldn't decry them that. It's just in broader context, and as I said, we can't get away from it, the way that was awarded means that there was, you know, there's been eyebrows raised, shall we say, way beyond Scotland. And there will be ramifications if Celtic go on and win the league, that will, unfortunately, that will just become a reference point for years to come. And, you know, the annoying thing about Martin O 'Neill saying that is, you know, and you've encapsulated personally, and it's not just him.