Arsenal's North London Derby Glory & Pep Guardiola Loves the Smell of "Title Race" in the Morning: Men in Blazers 02/23/26

17:08Rory Smith:His fourth goal against Spurs this season. It was an amazingly beautiful moment. It was like something from WebMD where a man has been terribly, terribly constipated. And then suddenly he wasn't anymore. If only there's a phrase commonly used in football that begins with doctor and ends in Tottenham to describe the cure that the world has just witnessed.

17:29Rog Bennett:Yeah, but Eberich Aze seems to kind of only want to see Dr. Tottenham. He goes to the surgery and he's like, I'm not saying anybody else. I want to see Dr. Tottenham. I'll wait. That's the only person. I'll wait. When does he have an appointment? I mean to be honest this doesn't sound like desperately serious analysis but the only thing you can assume is that he really hates Spurs, like he genuinely wants to score against Spurs than anybody else, I do think that it kind of suggests, we've said this before, it's not that Arteta has gone off Eze, it's not that Eze doesn't fit into the way that Arsenal play, I think a lot of the reason we've not seen that much of him over the winter is because he's played a lot of football in the first half of the season and Arteta is resting him, he's protecting him and it may well be that this is the start of Ebrecht Eze being quite a decisive figure for Arsenal at the business end of the season.

18:16Rory Smith:Igor Tudor though, he's definitely a man that listens constantly in his car to a book on tape of Suns use the art of war. Appear weak when you are strong and strong when you are weak because within two bloody minutes, Tottenham were back in it and it came from Arsenal's own hand in probably the most agonising of ways. Declan Rice have been talking ahead of the game how Arsenal needed to stop beating themselves. There was a clip that has been replayed a million times in which after Arsenal scored, he was the one doing in the huddle, like, let's keep our heads, let's keep our... You should never do that, footballers.

18:50Rory Smith:Why would you do that? Just do that. That's why you do that. You do the speaking through the closed hand so we don't see this and then meme you terribly because it was his decision-making. Decided to try and dance. I think it was Mouane and Simon's on the edge of the box. Mouane picked his pocket, then charged on in and drove the ball through a completely gobsmacked David Raya. I think the phrase is, oh my days. First goal from Mouane, all three names in the Premier League and it came against the Arsenal. Third game in a row, Arsenal have very quickly conceded after scoring.

19:25Rog Bennett:Yeah, and again, it's punch and a bruise, isn't it? Arsenal had scored, they will have settled down and all of a sudden, all of that good work feels undone. You have to remember that to Arsenal, a draw feels like a defeat. in any game this season, maybe particularly in the North London derby, maybe not. They are conscious that City are there, breathing down their necks. Any draw feels like a defeat. And all of a sudden, they've kind of done it to themselves. And I think that would have been a really challenging five minutes plus half time for Arsenal to think, OK, we've been just about the better team.

19:57Rog Bennett:We took the lead. We've thrown it away again. This keeps happening. We are under even more intense pressure, not least just at that stage. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium's kind of got up for it. They're suddenly thinking, oh, hang on, maybe, maybe we are calm. Maybe they are nervous. And all of a sudden you kind of get this, well, it's the psychological challenge of trying to win a title, isn't it? You have to respond in this really intense period.

20:20Rory Smith:I agree, Ro. That Arsenal locker room at halftime must have been, I mean, it must have been like as anxiety filled as like Dr. Melfi's waiting room. This was a must win moment. It really was. And so it was remarkable on so many levels. Two minutes into the second half, fine ball from Timber from the flank to the feet of Jocharez. First touch got himself organised. Second, we knew this. Man can hit a ball as if it was the head of his enemy. and finally scoring a massive goal in a massive game. And it was honestly stunning to witness. And you could tell he was so bloody shocked. He was so bloody relieved is probably more accurate.

21:01Rory Smith:Also trying to play it chill in the Scando way. He just kind of ran around trying to make it very clear that it was all no big deal. I think he did several Bane sellies all over the place. I mean, this was a moment. This was a massive, massive moment. a big goal in a big game for Big Vic, kind of shredding that flat track bully narrative, which has kind of tarnished him and really soaring when his team needed him.

21:25Rog Bennett:Yeah, I think you can make a case that the best way to judge strikers, especially like pure number nines, is on the goals that they score that make a difference. You know, if your team needs you, do you deliver? The logic is always, oh, it's the hardest thing to do in football is to score a goal. I actually don't think that's true. I think the hardest thing to do in football is to create a goal, but that's a personal, massive personal opinion, Rog. but for Jokeres if you think about everything he's been through this season all the struggles he's had there must have been as much as it's been discussed in the media and on social media among the fans internally for Victor Jokeres this season must have been a torment at times as much as he will I'm sure think I'm contributing to the team I'm playing quite well I'm doing this this and this well he will know at Sporting in Portugal I was judged by my goals great gluts of massive volume goals he was a volume guy and he's not done that for Arsenal.

22:16Rog Bennett:He's scored fits and spurts, often kind of the second or third goal, not the difference makers. He will be putting himself under intense pressure to prove that this move was the right one, to prove that he is good enough to do the thing that Arsenal want him to do and in that moment, and I think there are question marks over the defending, Rog, I will admit, I don't think, no matter how bad Victor Jorges has been at times this season, you should give him three seconds on the edge of the box. I think that's a bad idea. But to take that touch, to hit that ball so purely, to make it do exactly what you wanted it to do, in those circumstances, in that game, against those opponents, I think that's a real difference maker of a goal, to be honest.

22:56Rog Bennett:It's the sort of thing that can transform a player's season, maybe even his Arsenal career.

23:02Rory Smith:Godspeed. By the way, the way you described the defending, it's almost like an NBA player like Ben Simmons, who's got no outside shot, and the defender's always giving him that shot. almost dead. I mean, it's not got there for Jokeres and it will not get there again after that finish. It was absolutely humanly ecstatic. By the way, we do need to acknowledge there was a Spurs equaliser overruled for a push on Gabriel. Let's just say, dude has practised, is flopping. I think ever since, do you remember that Anthony Gordon goal, Newcastle scored? Was it the Joe Linton push in the back where he didn't quite, he didn't quite theatric and he didn't bring enough Chalamet spice to the role.

23:38Rory Smith:But all of that ultimately was as narrative was kind of dumped in the anals of history when Arsenal scored again. Again, Eberichie Eze created for Saka, finished his block shot. I just say, Roy, in that moment, I thought, Arsenal, if they really want to succeed, their transfer policy should be, let's stop scouting players. Just come in and sign whoever Spurs are about to sign, just when they're on the cusp of putting that signature on the Tottenham contract, because they will never forget how you save them from doom. They will never forget that you took them away from Spurs, redeemed them, maybe just against the Spurs, which, by the way, most Arsenal fans, I do believe, would take from Eberit Giezer if he just and only scores against Tottenham.

24:27Rory Smith:This rivalry, I hate to use the word hatred because I don't really love hate in the world, but it rings so loud. I think Arsenal fans, if he only ever scored against Spurs rule, he'd become an Arsenal legend on par with the Invincibles.

24:41Rog Bennett:I think if Eber actually as a retired today, he would go down as an Arsenal legend. He's done it. I mean, how much does he cost? £60 million, something like that? £70,$75 million?

24:53Rory Smith:Yeah. Paid it back.

24:54Rog Bennett:In fact, the one thing, my main disappointment with Mikhail Ateta from this game, from the North London derby, you have a common duty, a decency, and it's a matter of decency, Rog, to leave Ebereche Eze on to let him score another hat-trick against Tottenham. It's outrageous that he took him off. I thought that. He's a player on a double hat-trick against your rivals in the same season, his debut season, and you take him off. He's not, as we've said, he's protected Eze over the winter. He's not kind of running on fumes at this stage. Leave him on, let him score a hat-trick in each game against Tottenham.

25:28Rog Bennett:All of his teammates, I guarantee, would have been thinking, it'd be hilarious if we can get Eze a third one here. if he can do it again. They will have wanted to do that. Yeah, and by the way, someone needs to explain to Arteta the concept of lols, right? Yeah, there's a point where you just have to think that football is about trophies and attainment and data and managing minutes and all that serious stuff and set pieces and grinding out fine margins. But it's also about vibes and what the entire country wanted in that stage. I saw tweets from people who are not Arsenal fans saying it will be so funny if Eze stores another hat-trick.

26:01Rory Smith:Yeah, which is why we watch. By the way, I've just realised, and by the way, Gabriel is probably the one to speak to Arteta about lols. I think few Arsenal players understand memes. He is a meme master on top of everything. Arsenal, if you're listening, I know you're always trying to find the minimal details, what's your transform, the team. If you sign one person in the summer transfer window, sign Wolves TikTok social media person. What they did to Arsenal after that 2-2 draw, the TikTok they put out the time wasting and Martinelli I mean the number of clicks but the number of lols ultimately football is now reduced it's not points it's not placement it's not European journeys of valour it is we're in a lols filled world

26:46Rog Bennett:right Rob? The three things that Britain has that it can export to the world yep it's it used to be the royal family

26:53Rory Smith:I know we're not as keen on that anymore it's not something like that I always used to say that I used to say the three things England has is Downton Abbey which is no longer on. The Royal Family. And then the Premier League. But go deeper.

27:05Rog Bennett:The Prince formerly known as Andrew. It's the BBC, which we're very proud of. People like the BBC. It's the Premier League and it's the concept of banter. Banter, I would say, is an inherently British concept. I don't know if the French, for example, have a word for banter. I don't know if the French do it. I've certainly never seen it in the wild. The Italians, maybe. the Germans definitely don't but that is kind of what fuels modern Britain we don't have a lot it's a small wet island in the North Sea what we want is funny stuff to happen that we can all laugh about a bit and Eberichie has a score in two hat-tricks in one season against Tottenham when he had almost signed for them that's banter yeah I mean it is

27:48Rory Smith:fascinating banter I mean I hate the word I can't stand it either genuinely it's like there's words I'm just not kudos I can't stand that word oh I like kudos I like kudos. Oh, I can't stand that. Kudos. It just reminds me of like...

28:01Rog Bennett:Oh, I wouldn't use it in conversation like that, Ro. Yeah, yeah. Kudos to you. Yeah, no. It's just like, oh, I'm always like, oh.

28:07Rory Smith:I'd genuinely rather peel my flesh off, but like banter is in that. Is in that.

28:12Rog Bennett:Are there not words that annoy you, Ro? Banter is what I don't like when people say, oh, banter. I don't like that. Banter! It's not the words, it's the tone of voice. I also don't like legend for the same reason. Legend, don't like it. No. Oh, legend.

28:25Rory Smith:I hate it when in the commentary they say, Fizz, he's got to fizz that across. I never understand. Fizz? Yeah, he's got to fizz that across the box.

28:34Rog Bennett:A fizzing cross is a specific type of cross, Roger. In the same way as a rasping shot is a specific type of shot.

28:40Rory Smith:The reality of Bantz is so insane. We are reduced to it, and I see it with Ezra. First of all, I want you to know, I'm so happy for that. I'm very, very, very, very fond of Eberechi.

28:50Rog Bennett:This is basically an Eberechi as a fan podcast. What else is it? Yeah, it's nothing else.

28:56Rory Smith:By the way, if you've not seen it, he came on our YouTube on Thursday. He and I played chess. But we talked about his life, his journey, his faith. We talked about a lot of things. What he feels when he scores a goal and looks at fans, which is genuinely, it was really, really beautiful. It's one of the most emotionally articulate footballers I've met. And I know that it's been a tough, I mean, he cares about, you talked about how he doesn't care about the long game. And I've thought a lot about him in this Arsenal season. Desperate for playing time. Lost in the depth chart. Desperate to play for Arsenal, which he loves as a child from being a child.

29:33Rory Smith:Desperate to play in Thomas Tuchel was there yesterday, a role in the England World Cup squad. It is, well, two things. Number one, it's amazing on the YouTube. If you look underneath the comments, like the comments were, shut up, you're rubbish, you need to do things, get a grip. And then suddenly, randomly, just who knew, after the game yesterday, the conversation just pivots in the chat. It's like, you're amazing. You were a gift from God. Ebbs, you're the best for... I mean, it's unbelievable. Bantz is not just Bantz. Bantz flips in the blink of an eye.

30:08Rog Bennett:Oh, you can't rely on it. It's an elusive, chimerical beast, is Bantz. It can work for you. It can work against you. None of us are in control of it. It's a kind of force. It's like a life force that is equal parts joy and spite. That's what I like about it.

30:22Rory Smith:Bands will always destroy us. But watching Eze drive forward in this game, watching Eze create and surge, this is the other thing. We watched the true maverick spirit, which is both good and bad, because it is, for me, a question for Arteta for the rest of the season. This is a control-obsessed man. He is in that risk-reward. Let's file Arteta with the non-high-risk personality. you know he's always going to prefer Odegaard's kind of trust reliability consistency both side of the ball you know triggering that press um I guess the question for me for Arsenal season is how much does he trust or ride the untamed spirit of Eze who said in his interview with me that he remains a player forged in the streetball cages of his youth um and how much does he kind of fear

31:06Rog Bennett:that it's an interesting it sounds a bit poncy but it's an interesting dichotomy because Odegaard is in many ways the kind of ultimate academy footballer he is exactly the player that all of those kind of illustrious industrialized academies want to produce he's incredibly intelligent he's really efficient Odegaard he makes incredibly smart tactical decisions basically all of the time he understood he's so well drilled I'm not saying he doesn't have any natural talent obviously but he's so well drilled strategically that he's harnessed that talent perfectly to the collective. Whereas Eze, because his path has been different, Eze is a little bit more off the cuff.

31:42Rog Bennett:He's a little bit more spontaneous. I suspect he's harder to fit into an absolute system the like of which Arteta wants to play. He's not a systems player. He's not a systems player, or at least he has the ability to be a systems player, but it feels like it's a bit of a waste of what makes him special. So I think there's probably two questions. One for Arteta is, can you find the freedom in your system to get the best out of him to allow him to be himself and the other ones for everyone else which is would it feel like a shame if Ebrecht Sheaze was kind of blended into a system if he became a slightly diluted version of himself but one more it's an interesting kind of emotional

32:21Rory Smith:test I think it's so funny because I'm just trying to not shout out let love rule Mikel which I don't know even what that means but I do know it is incredible only Robert Perez seven goals Emmanuel Adabajor, six, have more Premier League goals for Arsenal against Tottenham than Eberich gets, has five. He's got as many as, like, giant legends, Thierry Henry, Robin Van Persie, and he's doing it all in 150 minutes, less than two games on the field. We do need to acknowledge David Raya, stopped Richarlison from scoring, scooped the ball heroically off the line. I do believe he, like, was like, yeah, we can let it in.

32:56Rory Smith:Oh, hang on, that was Richarlison did the backflip, and he just, like, just dived back with the save of glory. And that was important because it prevented the torture, the torment of it becoming a one goal game in the last five minutes, which would have been, I mean, a crucible of pain. Jokeres ultimately wrapped it up with a second goal late. And suddenly we celebrate him. Same people who were pulling out the stats on Saturday that show that he disappears in big games and there's been like no shots in big games. Now we're all saying, oh, he's got 10 goal contributions against all comers in 2026.

33:31Rory Smith:No Premier League player has more raw. Selective stat padding might be the most football fan thing of the zeitgeist.

33:38Rog Bennett:Yeah, but it's interesting, isn't it? Because it works with all teams and we've seen it a lot. You've actually, I will credit you with this, Roger. You kind of pointed out to me is it's amazing how quickly, you know, team hasn't won in five becomes, well, they've only lost one in nine. It seems to be one of those Premier League seasons that every weekend, everyone's stats don't only change, obviously as they always do, but the focus on them flips completely the other way. So it's unbeaten in 17. You've only won one in 10. And you think, well, it's the same with Jokeres. So you can read the stats however you like.

34:12Rog Bennett:I think there is no question that if you take not just the numbers, but the eye test, he has improved in the last few weeks. He looks more himself. I think what the North London derby proves is if you give him the ball in areas that he wants the ball he is a very effective footballer I don't think he's ever going to turn into original Ronaldo I just don't think he's of that level but he is a really good finisher he just needs to be fed in a certain way and Arsenal will over time start to work that out I think

34:41Rory Smith:God willing on this day delight four goals from open play for Arsenal biggest win at Spurs in the Premier League era earliest St. Totteringham's day ever. And even though I now have got my Arsenal fans in my WhatsApp chat all trying to calculate, well, this was just against the Spurs. What exactly does that prove? What's the exchange rate of a win against the Spurs? Raw, I'm old enough to remember when Arsenal's title dream was meant to be over. It was bottle this and bottle that. I'll just say to rebound with a 4-1 beatdown of your arch-rival, to be able to sing, you're going down to Tottenham Hotspur.

35:20Rory Smith:You're getting sacked in the morning to Igor Tudor. Who's going to be like, me? What? Do you think I care? We'll talk about Tottenham in a moment, but Arsenal joy is back. This felt like more than a win to me. Felt like an exorcism, an exorcism of doubt, the indomitability of Arsenal's spirit. Arteta said he hoped it would be a turning point. They lead the table by five points. They played a game more than Man City. They've got goal difference in their favour. 11 games to go can we get a pulse check

35:50Rog Bennett:it's a test passed we know it's going to be like this in the running for Arsenal because it's what it's been like for Arsenal all season that going for the title in the position they've been in since September you are met with a succession of challenges and you have to pass those challenges and yeah drawing with Wolves in midweek presented them with a challenge because it meant that the maths had changed at the top of the table and suddenly City were in control if City win all of their games they are champions that is a major difference for Arsenal they could not have responded it any better they did exactly what they needed to do they passed that test that's all that's the only way you can look at it it's another little tick in the box to say reasons to believe arsenal

36:28Rory Smith:can hold on and win the title for tottenham at rob asked in our discord what's the opposite of a new manager bounce is it a new manager pothole i mean i thought igor tudor was fascinating post game really i mean he's got nothing to lose he's like i'm gonna truth bomb my way through the next couple of weeks. He said, I know the truth about this team. Now I saw the truth. It's not nice, but it's how it is. His Spurs are fifth bottom, two points above Forest, four above West Ham. Those two teams arguably have shown more fight in the last month. They've got the pain of two 4-1 beatdowns in the game their fans most care about.

37:07Rory Smith:That's probably the greatest agony in a season full of it. What I don't know, Raw, is medium term what they do because in that managerial count this summer's carousel is going to be you know manchester united bringing in real madrid bringing in uh possibly some of manchester city liverpool barcelona will also be hiring a new manager we don't know yet it's a long term i honestly worry

37:31Rog Bennett:about but let's stay short term they're not going to get relegated are they well you keep saying this roger and look i've given you you know credit for your your insightful thought on on the the way that the Premier League statistics shift every day. I think you're wrong about Tottenham. You're very bullish on Tottenham, Hotspur aren't going down. I don't think they're favourites to go down by any stretch of the imagination, but that is what is staring them in the face. Because, as you say, West Ham are picking up a few points here and there. Forest have got... I mean, they were well beaten by Liverpool at the weekend, but they've got plenty of quality in their squad.

38:09Rog Bennett:I almost said that with a straight face. They've got quality in their squad. you can see them getting out of it. I think there's been a study done today that suggests it's sort of 60 % West Ham and 30 % Forest or something. But Spurs are the next ones along. And if they don't win next weekend, if they don't win the week after that, then all of a sudden it's going to get to April and they're going to be really, really under pressure. So that is what they have to be thinking about. They are not safe. They are not close to safety. They need to concentrate. They need to turn that round pretty fast.

38:40Rory Smith:Might be the ultimate banster ever banced if that does happen. And I pray, I mean, I pray, I do. Tottenham fans, I do see you as like kindred spirits. And I say this with love. You may not accept it, but to me, you're the Everton of the South. Huge, huge love in this moment of challenge to the Hunters. Manchester City 2, Newcastle 1. A geopolitical clash. Abu Dhabi against Saudi Arabia played out through their footballing proxies. Man City trying to ratchet up the pressure on Saturday on Arsenal, who are playing the next day and show that they are the one who knocks. Newcastle, they never won a Premier League game at the Etihad.

39:19Rory Smith:They're so poor on the road. City had already ripped them apart in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. Worse, the two were off a midweek 5 ,000, the 58-mile round trip to Azerbaijan for the Champions League game against Carabao. And so it was no surprise when they imploded within a quarter of an hour. Marmouche on the break, claps the Newcastle backline, Feddo Riley, so willing to be a runner alongside Haaland. Newcastle, resilient now. Pace filled, they came to pick at City's highline. Bravery rewarded on 22 minutes. Lewis Hall, best Hall since Wolfe. Cracked a deflection, passed on a rumour. But four minutes later, City reasserted themselves.

39:59Rory Smith:Really a beautiful, I mean, a beautiful piece of liquid creativity. Erling Haaland sent out wide by a really beautiful slip pass from Semenyo. The ball Haaland created. I don't think he gets enough respect for this. Seventh assist of the season. I think only Bruno Fernandes has more. It was sent into the Manchester night, just like a cool inviting glass of raw milk. Vanika O 'Reilly again to dunk out. Raw. O 'Reilly, 20-year-old City Academy product.

40:31Rog Bennett:What a versatile technical footballer he is, Rupp. A testament to his versatility is the fact that we've come to know him, O 'Reilly, over the last 10 of a year, maybe 18 months, as a left-back. But he's not a left-back. He has never been a left-back. In the academy, he was a midfielder. And I think an attacking midfielder, not even one of your common or garden defensive midfielders, Pep has decided in the last few weeks to give him a little bit more of a chance in that role. Obviously, there's plenty of competition. This was very much his performance, his game, his day. proof that that's where he probably belongs.

41:02Rog Bennett:That's where he will be kind of, that's where he will play long-term. But I think from City's point of view to see him thriving in that role, as well as knowing that he can fill in at left back if you need him to, that's an incredible plus for a player that's come out of your academy. Second half, quite riveting.

41:19Rory Smith:City really susceptible to the ball played in behind. And you couple that with City's inconsistency and their drop of intensity in second half of games. Newcastle maintain their belief. The Etihad did become a bowl of nerves down the stretch. City kind of restricted to just having Haaland bursting through, taking on one defender too many. I think Newcastle fans will be bloody frustrated. Their play was excellent in this one. Their game plan was excellent. They left for nothing. But they will remember that City fans were screaming for the whistle at the end. But when it came, total release. All that mattered were the points.

41:56Rory Smith:Five straight wins. time for a trim they tweeted but they didn't play like a dominant five Premier League wins on the run team they didn't at all and part of the reason I do believe this title race is so magnetic is both the teams are human both the teams are flawed both the teams are vulnerable this is not like the title winners of old who are going to rip off victory after victory after victory to the end of the season aren't it?

42:20Rog Bennett:Yeah it's not like if you look through the fixture list for both Arsenal and City that you can kind of say well that's a win that's a win that's a win and that's a winner, maybe pick out one or two games where there's a little bit of peril, a little bit of jeopardy. That's what it was like when Liverpool and City were going for the titles under Klopp and Guardiola, where you kind of knew both of them were going to win all of their games, except maybe one, and they dropped two points in that, and that would be decisive. This time, it's basically any game can trip you up. I think it's really strange that City have won five in a row.

42:49Rog Bennett:I don't quite understand how they've done that. They probably deserved to beat Newcastle just, but Newcastle were not out of the game at any point. building up to Lewis Hall's goal, Newcastle were quite threatening. City, this sounds like bitterness, but City kind of got lucky to get a win at Anfield a couple of weeks ago. They didn't particularly deserve to win at Anfield, but they delivered when it mattered. It feels like they are getting results that maybe outstrip where the performances are, but that is in itself a really healthy trait. And if you're Arsenal, it's probably quite a worrying trait that you're watching these games, particularly on Saturday when City played before Arsenal, you're watching City and thinking Newcastle could get something here.

43:27Rog Bennett:You know, they're in it. Anthony Gordon might make the difference. You know, there's plenty of talent in that Newcastle team. And then City find a way through. That is an ominous habit to develop, I think. And you can tell how much it meant from the reaction at the end. Because the celebrations were really, really pronounced. If that was Arsenal, we would have accused them of over-celebrating. That's so amazing.

43:48Rory Smith:I reckon I, I mean, by the way, we've talked about this. So Guardiola does nothing without premeditated thought. And so to watch him after that win, marching around like he knows there's title mischief about his reaction, you know, whipping up the City fans. He knows he's going to need down this stretch. That's what I ultimately thought he was doing, orchestrating, trying to build a level of passion, trying to make sure the fans were where they needed to be for what's to come. But maniacally hugging the players. That was a man, we've seen this before, when he knows what's possible. No one's more familiar with it.

44:23Rory Smith:He loves the smell of a title race in the morning. He kind of played it down post-game though. He said, he did that quote, he said, about how he wants his players to take a lot of capparinas, daiquiris to handle the moment and then get ready for Leeds. Partially made me feel like he's getting more and more English with every day he lives in Manchester. But he was asked about what happens now. And he said, I have the feeling we're not going to win all the games. I don't know about Arsenal, but I've got a feeling we're not going to win all the games, which, I mean, part of me is like, dude thinks they're going to win all the games, doesn't he?

44:55Rory Smith:Is that what you think?

44:57Rog Bennett:Yeah, he used to say that in those years when it was him and Klopp. He said it all of the time. We won't both win all of our games. And they both went and won all of their games. That's what happened. And I think it's a test. I don't quite get the psychology of it. I think to an extent, he's saying to his players, prove me wrong. Prove to me that we can go and win all of our games. I think he's saying to Arsenal, you're not going to win all of your games. You will drop points here. There's hurdles, there's obstacles, there's pratfalls on the road. You're going to hit them and we're not. I think that's what the message is.

45:28Rog Bennett:But it reminded me, he said it two or three times in those years when it was him and Klopp going head-to-head. And it normally presaged Manchester City winning 12 games in a row. Oh my God.

45:38Rory Smith:And the season is now about closing. No one closes football seasons better than Pep. Last four seasons, Arsenal have gleaned an average of 22.75 points from their last 12 games. They have 11 left now, actually. But City have gorged themselves, taking 30 out of a possible 36. For now, Arsenal five points clear. That plus four goal difference. That one more game played. Arsenal play Chelsea next weekend. City go to the bear pit of Leeds. Across to the Midlands. Nottingham Forest nil. Liverpool one. You said it, a deserved win. Dominant football. Outstanding performance. Against Nottingham Forest 4.0 under the new, new, new, new management of pints and points per era.

46:26Rory Smith:Fresh off his first game, big European win at Fenerbahce. Probably, oddly, the less beleaguered manager is Forest on the cusp of the relegation zone. But on a slot rule, very quickly want to touch on this, had to spend the week responding to Wayne Rooney's claim that the Liverpool head coach does not have the, quote, aura to manage the club. He then had to point out he won the league title last season. This is where we are now, Roar. English football is in a, we're almost in a post what have you done for me lately era. It's just the vibes, the optics, the bants that matter. What have you done for me in the last 24 hours?

47:00Rog Bennett:That's basically what it comes down to. You can tell that Slott's getting quite frustrated with it because so many of the kind of accusations, allegations, criticisms that he has to face are answered by I won the Premier League last year. It seems I get what Rooney's criticism you know I get what he means I think there's a lot of Liverpool fans who probably think the same or at least have thought the same but Arnest Lock won the Premier League last year and I think it's very odd to try and like almost pretend that didn't happen or doesn't count and I get very I get very annoyed by this concept of bad champions because it's a new thing.

47:38Rog Bennett:It's a Roy Keane-ism and it's almost making you win your title again. So you win the title.

47:45Rory Smith:And then you have to re-litigate it.

47:46Rog Bennett:Yeah, unless you kind of come first, second or maybe a close third the following year, you are officially characterised as bad champions. That's not a thing. You become champions over the course of the season in which you win the title and then a new season starts. You don't have to win it twice. You don't get sort of... If Liverpool had come second this year missing out by a point, they would have been good champions, I think. But you don't get another star for it. It's just, it strikes me as being a way to criticise a team when you can't do anything historic because there's a big shiny trophy in the way.

48:19Rog Bennett:And I think Slott will be finding it frustrating that he's having to, he's almost been treated like he's a coach in his first season, but he's not. He's a coach in his second season and his first season ended with the Premier League title.

48:30Rory Smith:Yeah, but it's been airbrushed out because Aura. By the way, aura is just another fascinating concept. We don't have time to go into it, but there was a tweet this weekend about Liam Rossini by a Chelsea fan. He was having a beer in a hotel. I don't know if you saw it raw. And the two is, this is our manager, zero aura. And someone retweeted it by just saying, what do you expect the man to be doing in this situation to show aura? He's having a beer in a hotel. Here's a photo of Diego Maradona taking his bin out.

48:59Rog Bennett:He's got no aura. Here's Johan Cruyff doing the washing. Got no aura? Of course you've not had any aura. There's certain situations in which you don't need aura. In fact, I'd say if you're having a pint in a hotel and you probably just want to relax, having aura is an active disadvantage.

49:12Rory Smith:I love people who are obsessed with aura.

49:14Rog Bennett:Ronaldo has never farted. Ever. Never. I've heard that Lionel Messi sometimes goes to the toilet. No! It's completely ruined my impression of him. But by the way, even then, aura king.

49:25Rory Smith:Liverpool. By the way, I'm taking us to a very, very dark place. so I am going to move on. Liverpool, it needs to be said, mixed form themselves. Eight points at their last 18. Drew Kings, worn down by injuries, Fleury and Verts out of the starting line-up. Curtis Jones in instead. You know, Sobber-Sly at right back. Gravenberg playing the midfield anchor. You know, they've been slow starters this season and they just seem to be all over the place, coughing up the ball in the final third on repeat. Callum Hudson, the doy went through early. Should have scored. Alisson honestly saved the day. Liverpool were abysmal in this first half.

50:03Rory Smith:Forest, new manager bouncing. Pereira had them running harder, closing down faster. But Raw, from a Forest POV, it was the inability to convert that did in Sean Dyche down the stretch. I think they had 35 shots in his last home game without screwing against the Wolves. Here, they had 18 and couldn't put the biscuits in the basket.

50:23Rog Bennett:Yeah, they had 18 shots and they were vastly the better team. I don't want to pretend anything other. But I would say they didn't have, apart from that Hudson-Odoi one and maybe Milenkovic in the second half. They didn't have that many clear-cut chances. And I wonder if that's as much the issue, that you're not creating really high-quality chances, which means that you're going to have plenty of shots, but maybe your XG won't be that high. Maybe they're not the sort of opportunities that lend themselves to absolute conversion. I think that might be the issue that Forrest have, is figuring out a way not to create chances.

50:53Rog Bennett:That's not a problem, but to create really high-quality chances.

50:57Rory Smith:That inability to finish actually seemed like it took a cumulative effect on Forrest. You almost see their confidence bleeding out of them as Liverpool upped their intensity in that second half. But did lack the clinicality themselves in that final third. I mean, the game, it was a purgatory of fear, a little bit of self-loathing for long stretches. Curtis Jones dallied on the ball. Gakpo slowed everything down. Salah, nine Premier League games without a goal now. Back to his Sadmo era, which is hard to watch. Seething when he was subbed off. But honestly, 17-year-old Rio came on and in a tiny cameo just gave Liverpool so much life, so much edge, so much energy that they were lacking before he came on.

51:37Rory Smith:I've got to ask you this quickly. Are we starting to be in a do-Liverpool-miss-Flurry-and-Vurts era?

51:43Rog Bennett:Is this where we are, Rup? Yeah, Dr. Mitt, when I saw the team an hour before the game, I thought, OK, that makes sense. And then when I saw the starting line-up and Curtis Jones was in it and Vurts wasn't, I really like Curtis Jones. I actually think Curtis Jones is really underrated, Rog. But I thought, OK, well, that changes the equation substantially because Florian Wurtz is Liverpool's creative fulcrum. They are a much better team when he is in it. I don't know if he'd have helped hugely, given the way the rest of the team performed in those first, certainly the first half, first hour maybe.

52:11Rog Bennett:But without him there, it hugely diminishes Liverpool's threat in any number of ways now.

52:16Rory Smith:And it seemed like this was heading to another dank forest experience for on a slot. Never won, drawing two losses against your tricky trees. Their fans delighted in taunting him with the zombie song that were in your head. But he had other ideas. First, Alexis McAllister. Goal, notched off. He had block clearance into the net. Was it in the 89th minute with his arm? And a little bit with the backside of God. A reprieve, which lasted until the 97th because, wow, Premier League script writers were on one. Served up the worst sequel since Deuce Bigelow, European Gigolo. McAllister again swooped in to bundle the ball home after some long-throw chaos.

52:56Rory Smith:Late winner at the death. McAllister like some kind of Argentinian jack-ugh. Smash, grab. Vars said it was onside. If only Nottingham Forest still had their referee consultant roar. But from a Liverpool POV, probably all the more delicious because it was, I mean, even Slot said post-game, they didn't deserve it at all. But when you think about where they are, that desperate need for Champions League football and the fact that they do it late so often. I think the most winning goal seventh this was in the 90th minute or later ever by a team in a campaign. This was a terrible game, critical goal, massive win, goal of life.

53:35Rog Bennett:Yeah, I would just like to say on record, it's insane that the first one was ruled out. It's completely insane that that goal didn't stand. I don't need to go into it, but I just thought that was ridiculous. Yeah, I think it's a hugely important win. And as you say, Liverpool's form is kind of the perfect petri dish for this Premier League season. I think they've now only lost 2-20. And yet it feels like if they'd drawn this game, they'd have been in crisis. That is the Premier League. They haven't got enough points. Going to Forest is a really hard game for Liverpool. There is a lot of animosity from Nottingham Forest to Liverpool.

54:09Rog Bennett:It's not particularly reciprocated. It's one of those games where it's much bigger for one side than the other, dating back to the 1970s and 80s when they were direct rivals. That's where it comes from. So getting away with a point in normal circumstances is a really good result for Liverpool. To win it like that is a massive bonus, but you still have that question mark, which is they beat Sunderland, Liverpool, 10 days ago and played quite well. They won 1-0 and played quite well. It's a good team, difficult conditions. They then beat Brighton at home, sad Brighton, Brighton not in a good moment, all that stuff.

54:45Rog Bennett:and you think okay they're starting to get results and put performances together this was the result which I guess in the circumstances is what matters but I think for a lot of fans there's still a huge question mark over why is this team so bad to watch why do they not play very well very often what is the issue that most of the time this season they've produced performances that have been okay for bits and then genuinely abysmal and you know if Callum Hudson-Odoi scores early on if Alisson's not there, if Milenkovich's header goes, what, three inches the other way, then there's every chance that Liverpool lose that game, not just lose that game, but maybe lose it quite heavily, like 2 or 3-0, because they were so poor in that first half.

55:26Rog Bennett:That's a real issue, and I've got to admit, as much as I don't want to get on the Wayne Rooney bandwagon, it is the reason that Slott keeps getting this criticism, because he's not solved that problem. There are no convincing performances.

55:36Rory Smith:You've convinced me, Rory, it is horror. By the way, one small note, this week we released our new report, Soccer's Coming Home, which is an in-depth study of global soccer fandom in the United States. It's analysing the results of a survey taken by thousands of you, actually, on Men in Blazers' community fused with some national data from our friends at YouGov. It's an important read that talks about how American fandom is similar to the English and European fandom that you see, but also incredibly different. You can find it linked in the show notes below. So it would mean a lot to me if you read through it and let us know what you think.

56:13Rory Smith:But one statistic that stood out is just how massive Liverpool are in the United States of America. Top 10 Premier League fandoms. Chelsea have 13 % in third. Arsenal, 16%. But Liverpool have an enormous 22%. So many Americans made their choice after 2013, remember, when NBC started to broadcast the Premier League. So they've never seen, say, a good Manchester United team. we are a massive nation of Reds.

56:42Rog Bennett:Yeah, I know. Someone sent me a response on X from someone who said that the survey was discredited because I'd done it, which, I mean, I would have loved to. I would have loved to have put together an entire massive survey for Men in Blazers, but I don't really have time, to be honest. And then made up the results, obviously. I think that was the implication that I'd just lied. Is that right? Bats plus aura equals lies.

57:03Rory Smith:By the way, incredibly, Everton have 5 % of fans and are in sixth place. That's your fault. I blame it more on Tim Howard and Brian McBride. No, it's your fault. Roberto Martinez, kind of when football started here, was on television a lot. I'm not saying it's my fault, but I will say, I feel a heavy responsibility for the darkness I've brought into your hearts. Find the report, soccer's coming home, and let us know what you think. We've got to move on with the football. Aston Villa won. Leeds United, who are also one of the top 10 teams in the United States won. Two of England's proudest teams, both of whom in different ways have quietly overperformed this season.

57:47Rory Smith:Aston Villa, the third place team no one talks about anymore, but they entered this game needing to rebound from that Marco Bizot-inspired FA Cup madness last weekend. Visitors here lead, another low-key story of the season. Six points above the relegation zone. They're kind of growing quite feistily in their own style into the campaign. Only Manchester United and City had lost fewer games since the start of December than your leads. But they'd won very little on the road. I think they'd only won once away all season. Genuinely impressive for much of this one. Hard-working, hunting in packs. 31st minute, free kick from 30 yards out.

58:24Rory Smith:Aston Villa goalkeeper, prop comic Emi Martinez, all set for Anton Stach to cross it. And Stark, like a pitcher, looks over his shoulder and sees the runner with a massive lead off. I've just fired a, I mean, it was like an absolute blast, like Wolf Blitzer straight into the situation room. Emi Martinez, though, my God. Aston Villa, you live by the Emi Martinez, you die by the Emi Martinez. That will drive Unai Emery insane, Rul.

58:52Rog Bennett:Yeah, and it does feel as though in the last few weeks that those mistakes have crept into Martinez's game just a little bit more, having been relatively, relatively reliable at the start of the season. and Villa more generally are kind of suffering from, I don't know whether to characterise it as a little bit of bad luck, the fine margins going against them, maybe it's the fine margins not going for them and suddenly you're 1-0 down to a Leeds team who are in really good form.

59:19Rory Smith:Yeah, I mean, another statistic on Leeds though is that they concede late. No side has let more than their 14 goals conceded in the last 50 minutes of a game. So, thankfully, every Leeds fan, I know, no surprise, 83rd minute. From a Villa corner, Tammy Abraham scored. God bless Tammy. It's incredible to see him. It's his first goal back in the Premier League since 2020. Boxing Day, I think. Best Abraham since Lincoln. What a career he's had. Some real highs, some real lows. Been in Italy for a chunk. Had that surreal one-day loan to Beseita. They're in the semi-retirement league in Turkey. But now he's back.

59:56Rory Smith:Outside chance too of becoming England's reserve striker in the World Cup squad. Villa stay six points clear of fourth place Chelsea third place with a get right game against Wolves coming up on Friday but I want to talk quickly about Leeds because they started the season woefully 11 points for their first 13 games they're on the ropes look like another relegation dogfight but they stuck with Daniel Farker and he's proven he changed the tactics went from a possession aspiring team to a counter-attacking team proven he's more than just a championship manager. It's really been remarkable to watch him.

1:00:31Rory Smith:By the way, I'm fond of this man. I love any man who, when they're asked to describe themselves, as he was by journalists, he said, I am 95 % coffee and cake on the sofa. I'm 5 % fire beast. Bite your arm off to be a fire beast, Ru. I think it's a German word, is it?

1:00:48Rog Bennett:Even 5 % fire beast. I'd love to be 5 % fire beast, just occasionally.

1:00:54Rory Smith:Yeah, I know. The fire beast that lies within all of us. I think my fire beast is calibrated at 3%. And I believe German scholars, it is a German, I think it might mean party animal fire beast. But honestly, I'd rather be a fire beast than a party animal.

1:01:07Rog Bennett:I do happen to know that Daniel Farker, this is a true fact, Rog. Daniel Farker likes to keep his living environment, his living quarters very, very warm. Maybe that is 100 % true. I cannot reveal my source on it. But he likes to have the central heating on. That may well be to maintain the fire beast within it.

1:01:23Rory Smith:Yeah, the fire beast that lies within it. You've got to sustain the fire beast.

1:01:25Rog Bennett:You can't have a fire beast and be cold.

1:01:27Rory Smith:What I want to know is, how much credit does the fire beast deserve for this Leeds renaissance? And how much credit should the Leeds ownership be in a football world in which managers are utterly dispensable, sticking with him when they really, I mean, they were on the brink of a relegation fight. You smash glass, you get rid of that manager.

1:01:48Rog Bennett:They stuck with him and have been rewarded for it. I think they saw enough in the performances, even in that first three months of the season, and to think we stand a chance. I don't think things ever got quite so bad that they felt they didn't have a choice. And that, I suppose, is both testament to their patience, but also Farker's ability to build something slowly, maybe a little bit slowly at the start at Leeds. The other thing I think that both Farker and the ownership deserve credit for is the recruitment in the summer, which addressed Leeds' problems and gave them a squad that stands a chance of staying up.

1:02:19Rog Bennett:They are big, they are physical, they work. They can hurt teams in a variety of ways. They're not too one-dimensional. You know, he's still got players like Willy Nonto, who haven't really, really contributed this season. Leeds are sort of tricky dribblers, haven't done a huge amount. They've taken a much more robust, much more physical approach. That was very clearly a conscious choice, and it has paid off.

1:02:39Rory Smith:Up the fire beast. Three straight games at home now at their Bear Pit, starting next Saturday when they say A-Up to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. To more aspirational dreamers, Chelsea won. Burnley, what? Won. Liam Rossini brought his 18 % Premier League win record back into the court of public opinion. Heavy favourites. Burnley kept him at bay for longer than they probably ever dared imagine. Whole four big boy minutes before Caicedo sprang net out, burned down the flunk, rolled a delicious ball to the Kenny Loggins danger zone for Pedro to bundle home himself, the ball, the goalkeeper. And it felt like they should stroll on.

1:03:20Rory Smith:But the goal actually had the opposite impact on Chelsea. Instead of stepping up to kill off the game, they just evaporated as a force, really. Kind of coasted, believed that fourth place was theirs by right. The players had had a much banter about four-day vacation this week, Raw, taking time out in the sun, which they truly deserve. The Club World Cup still heavy-legging them. But it was utterly surreal in this one to see them switch off, lose their shape, their hunger, ultimately concede to a James Ward-Prowse-powered corner down the stretch. This is a game they should have won. It was right there for them.

1:03:56Rory Smith:The boos rang out at Stamford Bridge full-time and Rossellino himself said he was angry. We've set fire to four points in the last two games at home.

1:04:06Rog Bennett:Yeah and if you look at the table it's really hard to argue with them because there was a point 10 days ago where Chelsea had kind of gone clear of Liverpool certainly in sixth and put a real daylight between them in that chase for what will probably be fifth place. I don't think it makes a huge amount of difference whether you finish fourth or fifth, but you don't want to finish sixth. And they had two not easy home games against Leeds and Burnley. There's no such thing as an easy game. But even beyond that, Leeds for Chelsea is tricky. Again, it's got a lot of historic weight that game. Leeds are in good form.

1:04:41Rog Bennett:But to only get two points from those games is basically a reprieve, to be honest, for Liverpool. It's a reprieve for Liverpool and it's an encouragement for Manchester United. and that is the sort of thing that Chelsea might come to regret because their fixtures now get a little bit trickier.

1:04:56Rory Smith:Yeah, I've got to credit Burnley who may be borderline down and out but have never really lost their fight. But there were so many Chelsea tropes in this one. Fofana got a second yellow for stamping down on Ward-Prowse which is just your common or standard Chelsea red card. Had to play the last 28 minutes with 10 men. League high, 6 red of a very, very undisciplined season. Cole Palmer visibly pissed off when he was subbed out. And Liam said post-game, I'm learning on who you can lean when things aren't going your way, which is pretty revealing. But then a very weird line. He said a marking assignment was missed.

1:05:31Rory Smith:There's a player who I won't name. I'm not here to throw players under the bus. I'll always protect my players. There was a player who we assigned that duty who marked the wrong player, which was kind of like him throwing the player under the bus. I thought it was a very odd comment. This is a man who understands communication. He's worked in the media. Being that overtly, you know, attempting to be enigmatic, if that's a thing, it was a curious choice. Really a reminder that for all the freedom he loves to give his players, Liam Rossini, he's working out the limits pretty fast.

1:06:04Rog Bennett:Yeah, it's sort of throwing him under the bus, but not revealing which bus route, I suppose, is the... Under which tyre. Yeah, he's under the bus, but I'm not in a specified tyre. Yeah, I think the problem is that he's probably angry, isn't he? That that's the issue, that those press conferences, the flash interviews, the TV interviews happen within about five minutes of the game finishing, and the press conference, it might be 25, 30 minutes, but it may well be that he's not pulled down enough in that situation, and I think that's a very human response to it. But yeah, I agree, it doesn't take much to work out, if you're so inclined, which player did the wrong thing.

1:06:39Rog Bennett:It is sindling a player out, whether you name them or not, and that is a risky approach for any manager.

1:06:44Rory Smith:Quick word but an important word because the lasting memory of this game is a really dark one. Hannibal and Wesley Fofana were both racially abused on Instagram in the wake of the game. Hannibal the victim of the stamp, Fofana the stamper. Hannibal posted the abuse he'd received via direct messages on Instagram and wrote, it's 2026 and there's still people like that. Educate yourself and your kids please. Fafana likewise posted the abuse he received. It's awful to read, to be honest. Both clubs put out statements decrying the racism. They were not alone this weekend. Several clubs had to do the same.

1:07:21Rory Smith:Wolves too. We've talked about the booing at games now, just becoming standard behaviour. We now say, that's just the social media world going into the real world. It's part of football now. We can't become desensitised to this and just allow it to become part of the game, this racism. it's not similar. Yes, I think it is a reflection of just the horrific social media abuse that is deemed appropriate in parts of the internet that's flung back into football. But Raw, this can't become a pattern where clubs just after every game are forced to put out a statement and players are forced to post it.

1:07:56Rory Smith:It is a brutal reflection of where we are.

1:07:59Rog Bennett:Yeah, I mean, it's genuinely horrendous. And I don't really have the words for it, to be honest, Rog, because obviously it's a week after Vinicius being racially abused or allegedly racially abused by a Benfica player, definitely being racially abused by Benfica fans. I don't know whether, is it that something like that kind of makes people feel more entitled to do it? Is it that it's just happening all the time and it's got a little bit more attention this week because of the background to Vinicius? It feels, unfortunately, like it's probably the second one, to be honest. It's just happening constantly.

1:08:33Rog Bennett:The clubs will put out statements when they feel they have to, but it just makes you question and I think this came up when Vincent Kompany was talking about Vinicius and the aftermath of what happened in Lisbon what about all those players in the lower leads or in other countries or in clubs where they're not putting out statements what are the players getting that they're not reporting to their clubs what are the players getting that they're not reporting to the authorities I just find it I don't know what the solution is I wish I could say the social media platform should do this or the club should do that I don't understand how you can watch football now and be racist.

1:09:07Rog Bennett:I just don't get it. I don't think it makes sense. I think if that's the way you think, it's probably not the sport for you, to be honest.

1:09:13Rory Smith:Amen, Ro. And also, I think the saddest part of this is I do not know how you fix it. But it's genuinely the heartbreaking lining to almost every weekend at this point to lesser footballing issues in South London. Crystal Palace won. Wolves nil. I do think the Oliver Glasner descent will be studied by historians. This was a much-needed win for Crystal Palace to kind of take away the bad breath smell which has descended upon their season. Wolves missed a penalty, needed a last-minute winner against 10 men, ultimately, to clinch this. It's hard for me to watch that nine months ago, Crystal Palace were at their highest point in the FA Cup final, unveiling stunning T-fails filled with joy, history, pride and wonder.

1:10:00Rory Smith:Now, they're starting games by pulling out black banners, saying opportunities missed, bored inept, fans disrespectful, Glasner finished. That in its own right is just an utter agony. Palace fans, God bless them, ended the game by singing 1-0 to the humble boys. A reference to their own manager, Oliver Glasner, who'd gone on another fairly painful, surreal, quite remarkable press conference tourade, this time addressing the fans who had vented their anger after a 1-1 draw. at Bosnian Duffers, Zerinsky Mostar in the Conference League. They sang sacked in the morning to vent their disappointment at Glasner, who is leaving anyway at the end of the season.

1:10:44Rory Smith:This man who's a giant, delivered FA Cup glory, Community Shield glory. And he said in his press conference to the fans who'd watched their team bleakly go to just things that one win in 15. Now he said, I'd say the most important thing is to stay humble. I think it's the same for the fans. Stay humble. Never forget where you're coming from. I think a few who are so critical in this situation are not humble anymore. Forget where you're coming from. And usually in life, you're punished for this. This is true in life. But is it in football? Because Glasner, I mean, can't a club. What he's saying is a club can't change.

1:11:23Rory Smith:His heel turn, by the way, is pretty incredible to witness. Can't a club change? Can the aspirations change? or are they what they are? Because what he's kind of saying is, he's saying the club that you love, the club you travel to Bosnia to watch Droid 1-1, they're just a meme stock. They're like GameStop. They're like AMC cinemas. What we did last year, not sustainable.

1:11:45Rog Bennett:Yeah, it's a weird message to send out. And I think I get Glasner wanting to get the message to the fans that maybe you have to appreciate what you've got. You know, you look back at what Palace achieved last year, the fact that they are in Europe, up the fact that with this win you know they're they're not at any real risk of relegation that they're going to finish mid-table in the premier league like all that stuff historically for palace is pretty impressive that is kind of where they have been this is to an extent a golden period i've got a friend of mine who's a palace fan who said to me the other day that you you can very easily make the case that glasner is the club's greatest ever manager but there's a way to do it and there's a time to do it and i think glasner has has maybe used up a lot of his credit by the way this season has played out.

1:12:26Rog Bennett:People are not inclined to think they're not inclined to take the kind of reading at the moment, I think.

1:12:32Rory Smith:Yeah, I mean, failing to beat AEK Larnica, Coopium Palisera, Macclesfield and Zerinsky Mostar, it's not really Oliver Glasner lecturing from a great position of strength. And I know that they're hoping they can just make it to the end of the season with him. But he is going to, I fear, use every single press conference as a chance to dump on the club because the thing he cares about right now is his legacy and he's telling his own story almost to look after his next move. I'm not sure it can really hold.

1:13:04Rog Bennett:Yeah, I think that's right and it's interesting as well the impact that it's possibly having on his future employment prospects because three months ago Glasner would have been really in demand for Tottenham, say, in the summer even for Manchester United potentially certainly for jobs in Germany. Now I'm not so sure. I think all of this stuff is the sort of stuff that is taken into consideration by clubs when they come to hire managers. And I'm not sure the way Glasner's playing this, and it's a real shame because his story in itself is really inspiring, as we've talked about before. I'm not sure the way he's playing this helps his case at all, to be honest.

1:13:39Rory Smith:Yeah, there's a piece of wisdom that was said on our show. You meet everybody in life twice, once when you're on the way up, once when you're on the way down, treat them the same both times. and watching Oliver Glaston, it's a piece of advice that ultimately, as a man who's giving out advice, could probably benefit from. In other games, West Ham nil. Oh, Bournemouth nil. Two of the Premier League's form teams really served up quite a tranquiliser of a game. Third bottom, West Ham, spun the chance to continue their great escape. They got Liverpool City Villa in three of the next five. So a real frustration at full-time knowing what's coming next.

1:14:18Rory Smith:Could have been worse. 19 year old Brazilian goal monster Ryan strolled downfield beat pretty well the whole West Ham team on the way to goal and grazed the bar in the second half but Roar this was these two teams six draw in a row so I guess

1:14:35Rog Bennett:at least they're consistent that is fact I didn't know that that is fascinating isn't it amazing it's incredible there must just be I do think that sometimes happens that teams just have a formula and you see it with say Palace always seem to beat Villa I don't know what it is but Palace just seem to know how to play against Unai Emery's Villa Maybe West Ham and Bournemouth are each other's opposite. Maybe they automatically, in the kind of universal order of things, just cancel each other out.

1:14:58Rory Smith:Maybe they were just both very crap at football in this one. I will say it was joyous to see my friend Tyler Adams back starting for Bournemouth. His first appearance as a starter in 68 days after picking up that MCL injury against Manchester United. In a massive year for the US Women's National Team. It's so good to have one of our real leaders back on the field. And Tyler returns to our network this Wednesday, February 25th. We taped a beautiful show about that return from injury and what that feels like. And I can't wait for you to hear it. I love that man. Sunderland won, Fulham three. Having started with that incredible 12-match unbeaten run at home in the Premier League, Sunderland have now lost two games on the trot.

1:15:43Rory Smith:Their only joy was having their rock and saviour. Xhaka come in for the second half after a four-match absence, which is correlated. I mean, it's their heart, and they've lost four of their last five now. Here they were done by a sprightly full-on 34-year-old Raul Jimenez. Nearly six years since his career was almost finished by a skull fracture. Just keeps on scoring. Two goals here. One, a penalty, which took him to 13 out of 13 from the spot. I think the best 100 % record in the Premier League history. I always believe Raul Jimenez does not get the credit which he deserves. Is he the Harry Wilson of Raul Jimenez?

1:16:22Rog Bennett:Yeah, Fulham have got quite a lot of players like that. You should throw Iwobi into the mix as well, I think. His story is remarkable because I think not only did you assume his career might be over after that head injury, that horrendous head injury, but I think even without that, people would have thought by 34 Raul Jimenez is not necessarily the sort of player who would be tearing trees up in the Premier League. But he's Fulham's cutting edge. He's incredibly consistent. He's incredibly reliable. He's a real asset to them. And to be honest, kind of to the league in general. He is a positive presence, Real Jimenez.

1:16:55Rory Smith:Talking about positives, the real positive of the weekend for me was that Everton did not play. We faced Manchester United tonight. Manchester United were a nemesis of all barbers. Also, I think, have beaten Everton more than they've beaten any other team. Also, beating us on the road more than they have any other team. So I say my anticipation is measured. I've been thinking a lot about Everton this weekend. There's a lot of Everton fans who are very disappointed with David Moyes, the missionary position, football, all that stuff. I actually more and more watch other teams, see where we are in the table.

1:17:29Rory Smith:It's bloody alchemy to get us where we are meant to be without fullbacks and without any kind of reliable striker. There's a stat banded around from Optus data editor Aaron Barton who put out that Everton have had just eight different goal scorers in the Premier League this season. Eight. It's the fewest of any team in the league and is truly a remarkable way to capture the paucity of cutting edge. And yet, despite, we still have hope. And again, so many of you ride with Everton. That big source only tweeted, Roger's 20-year campaign to convert Americans to Everton should be studied. You're on to me, big source.

1:18:06Rory Smith:that study when I found out how many of you are living and dying with the blues, genuinely, genuinely, come ride with me. May we see silverware and joy in our lifetimes. But Roy, you were at the Hill Dickinson this week, right? Really quite a fascinating piece. It's a place where we began strong. We started to stumble and eat our own at that mighty new stadium. Just give us a quick blast on what you discovered by talking to the groundsman.

1:18:31Rog Bennett:Yeah, I've been fascinated by how the Premier League's pitchers are holding up in the face of the relentless British rain, Rog. So I went to meet John Howell, who is the head groundsman at the Hill Dickinson, who's a lovely man, a big bear of a man, very strong handshake. That was my first observation. Intimidatingly strong handshake, but a very soft man at the same time. And he kind of talked me through everything they do to make that pitch look as good as it does and the challenges they face in doing that. But some of the details I just thought were extraordinary. So the South Stand, I want to get this right.

1:19:03Rog Bennett:The south stand is several degrees cooler than the north stand at the Hill Dickinson. We need more fire beasts. You need plenty, you need a lot more fire beasts. They need portable fire beasts brought into the stadium. They didn't have any, this is a measure of the British winter, Rog. They had sun on the 1st of November, because one of the ground staff remembers seeing it hit the corner flag, a lovely shaft of light glinting on the corner flag. The next time they had direct sunlight on any part of the pitch was this week.

1:19:32Rory Smith:There was no direct sunlight on any of the pitch in four months. Admit it, you found yourself a bit jealous. You're like, that's a lot. I was thinking, do you know what?

1:19:40Rog Bennett:It's a tan in weather. Greedy. Yeah, come on, share it out. But the level of detail they go into, they've got a cushion of air under the pitch that means they can drain it and pump and heat it. The technology that they use is remarkable. The stuff they know about the soil, about the turf, at that stadium is incredible. But what really amazed me was that John said it was totally different to looking after the pitch at Juddison, that each stadium has its own microclimate, that the grass needs totally different things, that the weather conditions can be starkly different despite the fact it's only four miles apart.

1:20:15Rog Bennett:It was really, really fascinating. And the main thing that I really liked was there's something really thrilling about someone who really loves their job. When you speak to someone who really loves their job and really gets something out of it and finds it intensely satisfying, it's really hard not to be uplifted. so I thought Everton would win anyway this game Roger I think you do win against United but I now particularly want Everton to win for my friend John and his lovely lovely pitch

1:20:38Rory Smith:Young listeners if you've not seen the film Being There with Chauncey the Gardner Peter Sellers perhaps his finest role I don't know why I just thought of that when you're talking about this man who loves his job loves his grass just loves toiling to the earth go and watch that you'll feel better about life probably than I will this afternoon when Everton play Manchester United but it's not about me. Let's take a letter. Ro, do the honours. This one comes to our mailbag from Tahir, Lockhand Waller from Houston. Oh, we're going there. Ro, do the honours.

1:21:07Rog Bennett:I'm sure they'll be coming. Thank you for the amazing year of reliving football with you so far. I love the way you both love the game and I'm beyond excited to see you at my alma mater, Rice University, soon and to read your book, Rog.

1:21:18Rory Smith:I love you, Tahir.

1:21:20Rog Bennett:I hope you've bought several signed copies. Rog, you recently talked about Arsenal fans being the opposite of Larry King. Divorced eight times and terrified to fall in love for the ninth. While that definitely resonated, I feel like I've always been the Arsenal fan who actually is Larry King. This will be interesting. And still believe. Dead. You inspired me to lean into my Larry-ness. And so I've decided to make my first Premier League game and my first ever visit to the UK, the mighty Arsenal's final day at Selhurst Park. My partner and I are stopping over in London for four days on our way back to Houston from Istanbul.

1:21:52Rog Bennett:I'd go to a game in Istanbul. That's the first thing. I'm stopping this there. Go to Besiktas if you can.

1:21:58Rory Smith:Yeah, and how's my hair suddenly flourishing? I don't know, but too awesome. Do you let up?

1:22:03Rog Bennett:Here's what's going to happen. My runners are going into the match three points clear, so the title won't already have been handed to them at home against Burnley on May the 17th. On a day that's basically guaranteed celebration, they'll then win 4-0 and lift the lead title in glorious sunshine. And although I sadly won't be able to join the title parade the next day because they'll be heading to the Champions League final a week later, this final day trophy lift is going to be one of the greatest days of my 39-year-old life. Right, Rog and Rory? Right. This is what's going to happen, isn't it?

1:22:30Rog Bennett:I'm so grateful for you both, and I hope I don't end up with that ninth divorce feeling. Courage, Tahir.

1:22:36Rory Smith:God, is there a thing, is there a philosophical approach to life that's just radical, slightly deranged positivity? Well, I guess Tahir is asking about dreams, about positivity, which is thin on the ground currency, admittedly, for all of us. I think he's also asking, how does this season finish? So do the honors.

1:22:55Rog Bennett:Well, first of all, this is alien to me because I am the sort of fan who tries to manifest in my head the worst possible outcome. So I am forewarned against it. That is a much healthier way to exist. I think Teher's probably not that far off, to be honest. I don't think it will be settled really early on. I think it will swing on that game at the Etihad between City and Arsenal, which I think will be a draw. And I think that will hand the momentum to Arsenal. will mean that they will carry the destiny of the title with them to the end of the season. My personal instinct is that they might go into that final day two points clear.

1:23:35Rog Bennett:So there's still a little bit of jeopardy. They have to win at Palace. And I'm going to say that they will be drawing at the time when Manchester City take the lead that day. So there is genuine peril for Arsenal. but I think they come through it and take the title at the last. The one final little note, I would say. Are you talking about Ange Postacoglu's interim palace? It would be Ange Postacoglu's interim palace. The one final note I would say is that Tejer might be in luck because if they're in the Champions League final, they won't do a parade the day after they win the league. They'll combine the two.

1:24:08Rog Bennett:So you won't miss a parade in those circumstances but you might have to come back if they do the double.

1:24:15Rory Smith:I've got to say, Ro, I do admire Tejer's positivity. Obviously, it is amazing. So many Arsenal fans I know are not, admit it, I'm not enjoying a single second of this. So I want to bottle your approach. I spent some time reading a lot about Larry King this week because of your letter. He says Kingy, by the way, would have been a real Arsenal fan. I bet. Proper Kingy. He once said, there's nothing in your destiny, nothing in your future that you cannot accomplish. Breathe that in. I mean, that is right out of Arteta's team talks in All or Nothing, isn't it? He also said, those who have succeeded at anything and don't mention luck are kidding themselves, which we talk about a lot.

1:24:54Rory Smith:In terms of his many weddings, I just don't know. I don't think it was good for love, if I'm being honest. I think it was probably only good for wedding DJs. But here's the truth. I believe in Arsenal. I really do. I believe in Arteta too. I think he's doing the hardest thing that is possible. He's not just trying to win a league. He's trying to change who he is, what his club have been for over the past 22 years. And Larry King's wedding analogy, I think Arsenal are like, they have to be the bridesmaids, right? And England, we talked about this, does not like change, doesn't want you to change.

1:25:29Rory Smith:We like people to be who they are, especially people who are losers. We love losers because then we can laugh at them and feel better about ourselves, which is, yes, cruel and twisted way to approach life, but that's how life is lived. It's almost a remnant of the class system that doesn't allow you to have ideas above your station to air. So what Arteta's doing, what Ezra did yesterday to make himself more than a footnote, a cruel footnote to the season. But again, I am the main man. Again, look at the YouTube interview, track those comments. Everyone be like, the man's sharp, he's horrific, he's terrible at football, man's a bust.

1:26:05Rory Smith:Then right after that game, it was just like, oh, he's blessed. He's a king. He's a demigod. This is what we're witnessing. And for that reason, more than anything, I pray you are right to hear that Rory's analogy at the end of the season is right, that your boys are pure, 100%, Larry King, still believing, and like Rihanna, that you're going to find you, Larry King, Arsenal Football Club going to find love in the hopeless place because ultimately ultimately the world needs more love. Thank you for your letter to hair. Keep writing to all of us at meninblazers.gmail.com I do try and answer everything that comes into the mailbag.

1:26:47Rory Smith:Want to give huge thanks to Bank of America, official Bank of US Soccer and the FIFA World Cup 2026 for supporting the Men in Blazers media network. Discover what's possible in sports and in life. What would you like the power to do? That is it for today. I'm going to go and dig out my own path. My dog just ran outside and completely disappeared in the snow. I had to pull out Martin Scorsese. Roar, you're a beautiful human being. We'll be back tomorrow with European Knights. I'll be back post-Champions League games on Wednesday at the final whistle with the mighty James Horncastle. Come and join us and ask him your questions on YouTube.

1:27:22Rory Smith:Roar, we'll rock it on Friday. But big, big love.

1:27:25Rog Bennett:Thank you, man. And on Friday, we can say a suggestion of things that are completely contradictory to what we've just said today, Rog. that's the Premier League yes aura

1:27:33Rory Smith:bants self-deception no consistency approach life with at least two out of those four you'll be alright this is Rod saying let's not take a second of watching football together for granted and courage