Eberechi Eze boosts win-now Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur fans have...hope?, Liverpool and Alexander Isak clash with Newcastle: Big Weekend Preview Presented by PrizePicks 08/22/25

0:00You're listening to the Men in Blazers Media Network, Suboptimal Radio.

0:13I can't tell you how hyped I am for the football weekend to come. I'm going to attack it like a San Diego Padre security guard first seeing a 10-year-old pitch invader. Oh, we got a second helping of footballing ecstasy. Self-sabotaging Spurs fans limp into Aura backs Manchester City. A's A's Arsenal gird their loins for those northern upstarts. Leeds to arrive. Newcastle welcome Liverpool in a game. Got to say, Premier League writers, you are cruel, cruel bastards. It's their version of Alanis Morissette's ironic. And Everton move into their Grand Budapest Hotel-esque new home. Remember when we told you don't overreact to just one weekend of football?

0:54Well, let's lose our minds over week two together, yeah? This is the Big Weekend Preview. Your biggest questions are most suboptimal answers. This is where we, as they say in America, get amped for all there is to come. Let's go straight in to question one. Hey, Rog. John Stout here from Detroit, Michigan. I'm an Arsenal supporter. A lot of the news about Eberichi Ize going to Arsenal. A lot of people are excited that we got another striker. Another group of people are excited that we stole him from Tottenham. But really isn't the best thing is that Ego Wodum is going to be wearing that Arsenal jersey on the season 51 premiere of Saturday in ILI.

1:39Thanks, Rog. Courage. Big John Stout. Shout out to you incredible city and that quite magnificent new stadium in Detroit. I can't wait to come out there. What a time it is to be an Arsenal fan, though. What an emotional journey of a Wednesday you had. Remember, you woke up to dark news. Kai Havertz is out. Rend your clothing. Run round the house, probably naked, screaming. Everything is for naught. Get ready to burn everything down. This is Mikel Arteta's fault, yeah? And then end the day with Eberichieze pledging to return to the team he once yearned to play for as a teen. and his mural suddenly appearing near the Emirates, a sign which speaks louder than any single here we go.

2:24Remember, one life truth, screw it over Tottenham. It's worth more than any trophy, right? So brace yourself for the leads to arrive Saturday, 12.30pm Eastern Time on NBC. And the crazy thing is the memory of last weekend, that clumsy performance on the opening day against Manchester United. Who remembers that now? Who even remembers that poor Kai Havertz is injured? I mean, this is football. It is emotion. It is ecstasy. There's nothing rational about it. And you should lose your minds, Arsenal fans, because this is a really lovely moment. And I know you're all feeling it. I wrote in our weekend newsletter at the Raven this morning, if you do end up winning a trophy, I don't think the text I'll receive from the many Arsenal fans in my life will feel more transcendent than the ones I got by the AZ News.

3:16I had a dozen friends who were so hecked that Eberichi AZ chose them over the Spurs. They all sent me the same screenshot independently, which I think was from WebMD, and it was entitled, What Should I Do If My Erection Will Not Go Down? Look, I love football, and I also love your deep cut buried in your question, which I should touch upon, because, yes, current Saturday Night Live cast member, the incredibly talented Ego Wodim, she'll have her on the show, is incredibly Eberichi Eze's cousin. And she's regularly shown her support for his career by donning Eze's jersey during the show close. So Gunas, brace yourself for it to wear one of the many ecstatic Arsenal jersey creations very, very soon.

4:01But to go deeper on your question, what happened with Eze, the Spurs, the Arsenal? Look, he was headed to Spurs. All signs pointed there. I spoke to a number of people around the club. And then this week, the Havertz injury. And Arsenal charged in. I mean, why not? Because this Arsenal squad is built to win now. Hence, Jochores being brought in, age 27. Same age as Eberiche. And this is not a squad built for the medium term. This is all about this season. And Spurs, God bless them, have been doing their Spurs-y thing, taking their time, making every detail of the negotiation. really an agony and a torture for Crystal Palace.

4:40Suddenly in charge of Arsenal and their interest became accelerated. And once Arsenal entered, Spurs had no chance. Arsenal have a close relationship with Palace. Steve Parrish is very close to the club. And most crucially, Arsenal have a number of, let's say, fringe squad players that they can offer in return transactionally to help bolster a Palace squad that's really in need now. Watch, for instance, what happens with Jacob Kivior now. The offer Arsenal put in was around the release clause. It was what Tottenham would not touch. It's what Palace wanted, around$81 million, superior to the Spurs offer.

5:17I say well-played Steve Parrish and Crystal Palace for the way they've handled this exit. They have maximized the financial return for a player that's given them so much joy. But talk about the joy that AZ brings, because the Arsenal fans are now utterly elated, a maverick player who can unlock a low block is now theirs. But the sweetness of causing Tottenham Hotspur fans pain, pain that makes the quite mystifying loss of Morgan Gibbs White feel insignificant, that's what's priceless. I mean, listen here to this instant classic. We can hear them crying at the line, a bear as a homie came. One chat with Mick and he said, wow,

6:15By the way, the word boil the piss is just English football poetry. But for the player, for Ebbs, Arsenal's seventh summer signing, I just say, I am so happy for him. He is, he's such a soulful human being. Came on our show earlier this year. You can find the interview on our YouTube. We're both wearing almost identical sweatshirts. Somehow he looks so stunning. And I look like, well, you know, me. But we talk with real poetry about how the pain of being rejected from club after club after club after club as a kid. and how faith and family carried him through. But he taught with a real poignancy.

7:01You could tell when he talked about it, the pain. Despite all he'd achieved, this is a man that has since played for England, but you could tell the pain of first being rejected by Arsenal at age 13 was devastating and is still devastating. This was in January we talked, and he still found it hard in moments to talk about how this club that he'd supported, the team. He used these words. He's talked about how the team had given him his whole identity. He talked about how he used to look at the badge as a kid. I was the kid that played for Arsenal in school. That was who he was. That's how he carried himself.

7:38That was how he was known until he wasn't. And when he was cut, he was absolutely just destroyed, confidence-wise as a human being. Listen to this from our interview. It's up on YouTube. To get scouted by Arsenal, supporting them. Theron Rhee was my guy at the time as well. So it was like, this is a perfect match for me. Getting released by Arsenal, obviously, first time I've been let go or anything like that. So it was like a bit of a, like, what are we going to do now? So that was the biggest scare, really. The next part was sort of the confidence hit that it takes. As a child, you're sort of, okay, all your friends, they're all still there getting retained, giving new contracts, but you're the only one or one of maybe two or three that will be let go.

8:19So I think dealing with those two things, those two dynamics were the most tough things. And you can't really prepare for that because at that time, that was, that's part of your identity as a kid as well. It's like, I play for Arsenal. I'm the guy who plays for Arsenal. And at my school, he's the one who plays for Arsenal. So to then not have that anymore was a huge, huge shaker for sure. So my family, my mum, my dad, my two brothers and my sister, their support, that's something that I can't even put words on to describe, to be honest, because I feel like if I don't have that, I'm not where I am today.

8:52To Eberichie's redemption, I say few footballers deserve joy more, mostly because of the joy he's given all of us watching. And I can't wait to see Eberichie's a make Anne Hathaway sing. My big prediction for the weekend, Arsenal leads. It's got to be 1-0 to the Arsenal, right? Set-piece goal. I think the only question is, which Arsenal defender scores it? We'll take the next question in one second. But first, what will be featured on our show next week? Send us a video with your biggest question about the games ahead. Use the link in the description below. If you don't want your beautiful face on YouTube, feel free to call 646-450-9472.

9:31You can text in your voicemail or leave us a voicemail right there. God, I love hearing from you. Question me up, producer Ben. Hey, Raj. Dan, calm from Atlanta. Burrs fan got a question for you about this weekend are we about to run into a Manchester City buzzsaw or is Manchester City about to run into our Charleston buzzsaw let me know your thoughts love the show bye Big Dan hello to all in Atlanta oh my god I would love some fried chicken from the busy bee right now the big game of the weekend for me Manchester City hosting Tottenham Hotspur Saturday 7.30am Eastern Time on USA rise and shine.

10:13Let's get our sad naps in early this week, right? Spurs fans, look, it's the worst of times at Tottenham Hotspur. It's also the best of times. And I want to get to those two in just one minute. But back to gloating Arsenal fans like GFOP Gil Rutledge, who wrote to us at meninblazers at gmail.com. I swear, St. Tottenham's Day comes earlier every year. How did Spurs manage to lose a one-horse race for Eze? Look, Tottenham fans, I hate for you. Believe me, I know your pain. But that jackknifing of emotions that you've experienced from the second, the Europa League final whistle blew, that triumph, didn't we almost have it all?

10:59Sang Whitney Houston and Ange Postacoglu. I mean, the art that's happened since then on one level, because by the way, good news, on one level, it's not at all. But what you're feeling right now is a reminder that glory, the glory we all chase, the glory that drives us all. It's so bloody fleeting. Never forget that. But how did we get here since then? Ange, gone. Sonny, gone. Morgan Gibbs-White never came. Now Aze. The long-term injuries to James Madison and news this week that Dejan Kulicevski is going to be out until the turn of the year. makes it all feel about 10x worse. A club that suddenly felt like they're in the Natalie and Bruglia position two weeks in, cold and shamed, lying naked on the floor.

11:44I've been there, haven't we all? And now you've got to travel to a newly Tiani-Rinders-propelled Manchester City and it feels bloody cruel. Premier League writers, you heartless bastards. Expect the wounded memories of Morgan Gibbs-White and now Aze to feel almost like phantom limbs as you take the field, cliding with that ghoulish spectre of the defenestrated memory of Ange Postacoglu haunting you in the low moments. But, and I really mean this, there's so much to feel good about as a Spurs fan, as your question hints. There's a lot to feel positive about. Kudus is, I've got to say, a true potential Spurs cult hero in the making.

12:26Look, he's so talented. There's such maverick creativity. Really in the DNA, historic DNA of Spurs, he's also a little bit cuckoo, right? Perfect. Talking about cuckoo, Kuti Romero just signed a new Tottenham contract extension. Celebrate. And most of all, Thomas Frank, I think is a footballing wonder. He is a tactical brain who is used to conditioned by making more out of less. That's who he is. That's what he does. It's on him. It's on his shoulders. Evermore, I've got to be candid. He seems like the last sensible man in a world of dark chaos. And it's going to be fascinating to watch him. It's been fascinating this week, watching him in his measured way.

13:11He is a measured man. Watching him talk up Richarlison, a player who was rumored to be leaving, but of whom he said this morning, this is a quote, he scored two fantastic goals. He had two top games. He's Brazilian number nine. I'm very happy with him. Here's Frank saying, I think the most important word to the week for Spurs fans, rally the wagons. To make it very, very clear, I don't want any players that don't want to come to the club. They don't want to come to the club and wear this fantastic badge. Then we don't want them here. I think that's very clear. And also pretty sure that the fans don't feel the same.

13:51If they don't want to put the fantastic shirt over their head, play for the badge, play for the club, really enjoy it. No problem. Then we don't want them there. Now here's the challenge. I don't know if you know this. Manchester City, they're a very good footballing team. Pep has also had the Club World Cup to almost bed in his new players who always have an advantage on all of their opponents in terms of finding that new player chemistry cricket and all those around them. It's going to be fascinating then to watch Thomas Frank. Remember, he played proactive football to do in Burnley, but he played reactive, counter-attacking football in that nearly win.

14:32That's what we're calling it against PSG. So how will he set up on Saturday? That's going to tell us a lot about the story of your season. Godspeed, Spurs fans. I feel for you. I've always had a massive soft spot for your club. I say this as a compliment. You may not like this, but to me, they often feel like the Everton of the South. I'm sending you love and courage. Oh, he's hit away from Hartman brilliantly. Richarlison!

15:04Take in the adulation, because that is a goal of the season contender already. Goal for Spurs!

15:17Next question, please. Hey, Raj. First time, long time. My name's TJ, calling from beautiful Toledo. I wanted to call and ask, as an Everton fan, you may be able to guide me more better than other people could, but how should I feel about Liverpool and what they're doing? And they're going to come into St. James Park after they've been flirting with, publicly flirting with, the person that we love the most and have had great time celebrating goals. Led us back to the Champions League and now they're almost the hot new bombshell. It's entering the villa that wants to bring Isak home with them. And it doesn't feel good.

15:50And I personally don't even know if I want to watch this weekend. But if I do watch, just how awkward is this match going to be? And also, doesn't Liverpool have enough? Isak seems to have the mentality of if you can't beat him, join him. So I don't even know if we should want to keep him there. But I don't like him going there. How are they allowed to do this? I don't think they should be, but maybe that's selfish. But I'll hang up and listen. TJ in Toledo. First of all, come to Columbus, baby. I know Toledo's like, what, two hours away? Come and have a pint with me and Clint Dempsey and Hercules Gomez.

16:24We're all going to be there live September the 8th at a venue that looks sensational. Kemba Live in downtown ahead of the United States men taking on Japan at lower.com field. That's me, the juice himself and the great Herc Gomez breaking down the US game with a number of Columbus heroes past and present to salute your city's history. as what I believe is the fortress of American soccer. There's a link in the show notes of this pod on YouTube. Just come and have a pint with us and revel in this moment. But to your question, you've nailed it. As Newcastle prepare to welcome Liverpool Monday 3 p.m.

17:02Eastern Time on USA, it does feel awkward. It's less a footballing match. It's more like the world being able to watch Joe Jonas have to host Sophie Turner. I mean, Liverpool feel like the team that everybody wants to play for. And Newcastle, seem about as popular as Carey, Boo Radley, or Chris. And everybody hates Chris. One thing I do expect, this is going to be a bloody knife fight. The Toon Squad, if they are one thing, they are forged together with a true chemistry. They are so bloody close-knit. They are going to be ready to vent. Their pride has been attacked. Their sense of self, their sense of togetherness.

17:44Can you just imagine Tonali? Can you imagine Bruno Guimaraes tearing into Eketike and Virch, just letting it all out? New Liverpool right back, Jeremy Frimpong, out for Liverpool until the international break with Hamstring Knack. But if Arna Slots team attack Newcastle with half of the venom and energy that Alexander Izak is attacking Newcastle, this game is going to be a bomb. Bernard, the Isak Rau. It's going to hover over the game. His relationship with the club has gone, quote, nuclear. He's been writing up on his Instagram, social media posts. The club have countered with their own. I think this is an Isak quote.

18:22When promises are broken and trust is lost, the relationship can't continue. Great song lyrics, that would be. I've got to say, Isak, my big takeaway from all this, he's an incredible writer, incredible poet. By the way, don't tell me that he doesn't write these on his own. I spoke to goalkeeper Alisson talking about Poet this week. It's an interview which goes live today on our YouTube. And he talked about, and he talked beautifully, how long will it take? This is really the question hovering over this game for that Liverpool bat line to gel. We also talked about, well, we talked about God and beards all in one conversation.

18:59Here's a blast. Here's Alisson talking about what it felt like last weekend to watch Federico Chiesa be the unexpected hero. He complains sometimes. Every Italian does that, but he complains to make things better. What does it mean to the squad that it was Chiesa who scored that, his first Premier League goal for Liverpool in that enormous moment? It means a lot for us. When a player like him, who didn't play as much as he wanted to play, and he scores that goal, I think the satisfaction that he shows us in his celebration shows a lot of his character. He's a guy that works so hard every day here with us.

19:35He's always tried to make things better for everyone, not only for himself. And I think shows that nothing is impossible or that we can believe. I'm never happy that I conceded, but I told him, seeing that you was the guy who scored a goal, I have no problem in conceding the goals. God bless Alisson. To talk about faith with you was a true honor. Okay, one last question. Come on, you blues. Raj, Vinny, Tribeca, spend a minute. New season, new stadium for Everton, although it looks like the same old Everton. I've got to ask, is part of you sad they left Skudison or do you feel like you've just gotten a ticket to Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory?

20:14I'll hang up and listen. Thanks. Vinny, what a time to be alive. Everton, welcome Brighton, Sunday 9 a.m. Eastern Time on USA. a moment of wonder, of history. What could possibly go wrong? Look, we stand here in the midst of, I don't like to be hyperbolic, but really what should be, what could be a pivotal transformational moment, new stadium, new owners, billion dollar, Hill Dickinson, new energy, new future in our hands. My highest hope, my dream is that our club, this is how I like to think about it, is crawling, stay with me here, into a chrysalis, a bit like a little caterpillar that's avoided relegation somehow several years on the run.

21:00And we will emerge as a stunning, soaring, beautiful blue morpho butterfly with those transcendent cobalt wings flying off towards the sun. I have seen it. I have seen Everton glory in my lifetime. I know you don't believe me. We've won things. May we reclaim that ability, that self-confidence, that identity in this moment. I am going to go to sleep on Saturday night and dream dreams of beautiful Illumina and Di arcing in the cross for Barry to nod down and Beto, beautiful Beto, sweeping in to prod home that goal that delivers everything we've yearned for to Everton glory being no longer an oxymoron.

21:46A smartly fought by Brentford for Beto!

21:56However, in the most Everton-y thing that ever Everton, we are about to enter this 52 ,769 state-of-the-art, quite stunningly architected magical kingdom. Well, we're not entering, we're stumbling in. Confidence, bit dented, self-soiling performance at Leeds Monday night, which ended in defeat courtesy. Probably made it worse that it was a penalty that felt stingingly unjust. If Everton are sliced and diced by Brighton, I'm just saying this fixture last year, I think they won 3-0 at Goodison Park. I just expect there to be a proud, joyous, pregame choreography, a ritual, a wonder. And then by the final whistle, they'll probably be booing.

22:45Stick around for that incredible mood swing because, well, Everton, aren't we? And just know, it's a miracle we reach this moment intact at all. It really is. Welcome back to More or Less, the segment with few accurate predictions and even fewer sound minds. We're brought to you as ever by PrizePix. And joining me this week, someone who's eager to turn his record around after, let's say, an Everton-esque start to the season. Oh, it's Sir Charles of Kip. Yeah, 0-2 is not how we envisioned the season starting on the picks front, Raj. But we went back, crushed the tape, corrected some mistakes. We're ready to come back better.

23:20Yeah, it's you and Rex and baby. All business, no pleasantries, but like a Thomas Frank pre-match speech. Let's get right into it. What have you got for us? Well, I was going to take the more than 0.5 on Alexander Ezek, Exodus is attempted, but I couldn't find that on the website. So let's pivot to something a little more practical. We're going to take the more than two and a half saves for Burnley co-keeper Martin Dubravka. Oh, Martin Dubravka, a player you may remember from such movies He says last weekend, we became the very first recipient of new eight second violation rule. It's meant to prevent goalkeepers from time erasing.

23:54He's a history maker. Look, I just think Burley got embarrassed last weekend when Scott Parker is going to have his defense dialed in when Sunderland come to Torfmoor on Saturday. Shout out to my friend, King JJ Watt. One more quickly, Kippo, if you got it. They say if you can't spot the fish at the poker table, you're the fish. And as a Fulham fan, I am feeling very fishy about my whites this weekend. Facing United team that, I have to say, acquitted themselves pretty well last weekend, even in defeat. Look, Amram is going to get his rise right. I think new man Benjamin Sheshko, he's going to go more than one and a half shots on target this weekend.

24:26Kipo, I think price picks give you extra win bonus for your perfect Slovenian pronunciation. Big love to you this weekend. I'm a believer. Hard to do worse, Raj. Can only go up from here. Come on, you whites. Oh, come on, Wrexham. This has been a remarkable week for me. On Wednesday, my day began with that conversation with Liverpool's goalkeeping king, Alisson, which really bordered on the theological and ended with LA Rams head coach Sean McVay coming on to talk about his love of football in general and his friendship with Mikel Arteta in particular. That conversation was so energising. Even I was ready to bench press£405 and just rattle off 100 push-ups inside two minutes.

25:06I can't wait for you all to hear it. But amidst it all, one of the joys of my year, yesterday we launched a brand new show with my good friend, Larry Nance Jr., who many of you know as a big dunking, heart of gold, Cleveland Cavaliers playing NBA star. But I know there's a great American who's fallen head over heels in love with our game football to the extent that he's become a co-owner of Leeds United. Larry and I have been talking for years, I think four years now, about starting a show in which we invited all of the NBA players that have fallen in love with the Premier League to talk about their journey, their passion, and the overlap between the two leagues.