Manchester United beat Arsenal in the Stadio derby, the Premier League grind and much more

0:22Hello and welcome back to the Stadio Podcast, I'm Isul Kwonka. I'm Ryan Hun. Ryan, how are you doing? Yeah, I'm all right. Thanks, man. How are you? I'm good, man. I'm good. I'm good. I'm good. Well, first of all, we hope everyone's staying safe and well, wherever you are. And a couple of bits of admin. So for London listeners, if you want to come and see us at the Southbank Centre, March the 1st, we're going to be joined by special guest Nish Kumar. You can buy tickets in the link in the description, in the podcast description. I hope to see you all there. If you want to sign up to Stadio on Patreon, go to patreon.com forward slash Stadio.

1:00You can get all the podcasts ad-free and in full on a podcast membership, or you can get all of that plus access to the Stadio Social Club Discord and much more by joining the Stadio Social Club. And New York City Stadio Social Club members, there will be a meet-up this week to watch the final round of Champions League games together. we're going to put the details up on the Patreon probably Monday night Eastern time and Moose and I will be joining you Yes, cannot wait, looking forward to it We have to be in town for a couple of days or something so we are going to come and see you Great to see you, yeah, yeah And, alright then, well today we're going to talk about the Stadio Derby, Arsenal against Manchester United We'll talk about wins for Villa and Manchester City who have both closed the gap on Arsenal at the top we'll talk about a couple of other results in the Premier League as well as big news around Europe Bayern losing for the first time in the league this season Napoli beaten by Juve a couple of other key results as well also Ethan Rennari we probably won't talk about this but Ethan Rennari scoring on his debut for Marseille a lovely goal as well and we'll shout out a couple of other bits as well and I think that will probably do us so should we get into it?

2:21Let's do it. And obviously, there is only one place to begin. Today, we're going to be doing an hour and a half on the Hamburg derby. Perfect. St. Pauli nil, Haasfeld nil. Let's talk for as long. Why don't we do this? Why don't we do a minute by minute, but in podcast form? I'm just recapping the game. So, to start, St. Pauli kicked off. Did they even kick off? I can't remember. I can't remember who kicked off. Anyway, we're not going to talk about that game. that 4-7 Stuffer Blore went I texted him and he was there and it was colder I think or maybe definitely as cold as when he and I went to certain parts of oh right I was going to say certain parts of the world no when he and I last went to the Hamburg Derby at the Milan Tour which was in the second division at least there were goals in that one weren't there?

3:11there were there were four in that and there were there were none in this game I think it's fair to describe the most recent Hamburg Derby as one of the games of all time A game that happened. A game that happened. Yeah.

3:26Anyway, we're not going to talk about that. We're going to talk about Arsenal 2, Manchester United 3 in the Premier League. Arsenal's first home defeat of the season. First time Manchester United have beaten Arsenal in the league at the Emirates since 2017. How do you want to do this? Do you want to just kind of go through the game, then focus on Manchester United and then focus on Arsenal? I think go through the game because funnily enough that that game that analysis gives a natural focus to the flow of the game so what happened in the game so what do we get in the first half hour we get Arsenal being extremely patient and I thought quite impressive in their own way and also in a way Manchester United being impressive if you look at how deep they sat they weren't cocky they They weren't flying out of the traps.

4:10They weren't expecting to find space in behind Arsenal in the first 10 minutes, which I thought was wise. I thought that humility was wise. And some tactical shrewdness, I was impressed because that could have played into Arsenal's hands. I really liked the Arsenal lineup. I thought Trossard is quite good against the line defences. Very patient as well, to use that word again. And I liked the selection of Gabriel Jesus because we'd seen the previous week, Manchester United are quitting themselves very, very well against the centre forward like Haaland, who is extremely strong. but also as a presence that I think some centre-backs find reassuring, especially as you like a physical clash.

4:45So they chose a more withdrawn player, and the stage was set for Gabriel Jesus. Now, he took a while to get into the game, of which more maybe later. But Arsenal played the ball, I thought, really, really sensibly. They used their left flank a lot. A couple of really good switches unleashing Saka, who didn't look fully at it, I have to be honest. Given some space, he didn't always exploit. But having said all that, by the time Arsenal scored, I was like, yeah, this is impressive. They've unpicked him. It felt a bit like, in terms of mood, it felt a bit like the Bayern game. In terms of just, obviously in Bayern, the Bayern game had less control in the Champions League, but they asserted themselves in a similar way.

5:26Like you felt they had control. And then, five minutes Arsenal scored, a complete loss of emotional control. It was baffling. and Bumo played in should have shot first time I think could have scored Bruno Finanx snatched a couple of chances by the time Bumo scored Arsenal had given Manchester United three very presentable opportunities I've never seen this Arsenal team concede ground or emotional territory so quickly it was mind-blowing and the moment I think United equalised at that point even though Arsenal were in and out of the game I kind of felt like it was United's game to lose at that point which sounds strange it sounds really strange to say that because United had not completed there was a stat they had not completed a pass in Arsenal's final third in the first 12 minutes and Arsenal completed like 22 and the shift was really dramatic so that that was how I saw the first half hour setting the tone and other things happened of course United went on to win but I feel like what happened between 30 and 35 minutes was crucial and how Carrick handled it and how Arteta handled it or didn't how the players handled or didn't I think was crucial for the rest of the game how let's point let's let's pause there because I've monologued a bit how did how did you see it yeah I mean not much different really it's a theme at the moment where I feel like Arsenal are really struggling to capitalize on territory they were so much better than Manchester United in that first 25 minutes yeah To be fair, I think just before the goal, United got their shit together.

7:01Before that, it felt like... I mean, Carrick said something after the game where he said, look, we knew that it was going to be a different game to last week. And I thought that showed real awareness and also just... Didn't get carried away. I think it was also a real positive for Manchester United because they were able to absorb it. I think Arsenal, they had chances, but they weren't really turning the screw for Manchester United in terms of a chance creation standpoint. I don't think unless I'm forgetting a bit there were a couple of shots but it didn't feel like Manchester United was scrambling really No and I think that's been a problem for Arsenal recently we can touch on that a little later but I feel like when the goal did come it was quite a scrappy goal it ended up going down as an own goal a Martinez own goal but it was well worked for Arsenal so I think like you know sometimes just someone either puts that away or it goes in off an opposition defender but yeah United's response was brilliant and the goal there have been a few of these this season from Arsenal and luckily most of them haven't been too costly like Arsenal have got away with them you know as the Gabriel Crossfield pass against Bournemouth and Arsenal conceded there was Zububendi actually getting his pocket picked in the Spurs game where Richarlison just Yes one of the great forgotten goals yeah but yeah I thought Manchester United after they well just before they the Arsenal goal but definitely post the Mboumo equaliser were probably the better side and it really shook Arsenal a bit because I think there is a sense of I'm not sure if it's pressure but I think the last few games in the league for example have been quite costly.

8:42There has been an element at various points this season of Arsenal playing with their food a bit and I think that this game well let's do the second half before we do summarise but I do think this game kind of perfectly summarizes or symbolizes my thoughts on arsenal at the moment yes um well on that so on that in terms of arsenal the moment and i think it makes a segue into united for the rest of that half and the start of the second half which where they were really impressive after united score and abumo again just a big game player we have to talk about that like this man's first season at old trafford and he's been outstanding in terms of what he's delivered.

9:23You look at the pick of the new signings. This man came in completely fearless. Completely fearless. Loves being in the United shirt. You saw it there. So confident. He set the tone. Ama Diallo all of a sudden starts getting some joy down that right flank. And Cape, he just returned, had a very hard time with it and got subbed off. It's not often you see that many subs. Arteta making big changes. So Diallo starts making room. And also, Kobi Mayne's performance. This is interesting. So Kobi Mayne did not actually win the most duels, but what he did very well was contest the ball the first ball the second ball so well that even when Arsenal won possession it wasn't the kind of possession he wanted it was basically like okay you know what the ball's going to be a greasy bar of soap when it escapes from a tackle so it's not even about we're going to win clean ball we're going to give you ball that is like dirt and you're going to have to like deal with it and him and Casemiro did a nut stand job at spoiling I thought and it's a real big rebuff I have to say to the criticisms he got that he didn't have the physicality to play in the central area you are not going to get a tougher time of it than going up against that Arsenal midfield and defence quite frankly because it's a back three it's a midfield three that's basically buttressed by two extremely physical centre-backs pushing up Kobe Menor went up against that with Casemiro who's not the most mobile of players but who of course still has some physical heft and was fantastic he's delivered now Kobe Menor two very different midfield performances very different things expected of him demanded of him that he's given and in both cases he's been brilliant I think in the City game he had a bit more space he could pull wider take up more eventual positions but in this game I thought was outstanding Diallo as we said raiding really really well and all that movement all that sudden movement and I think United's patience again to use that word with the ball bursting into gaps when they had it and also scurrying around when they didn't that creates the conditions I think for the goals they go on to score most notably the Dorgu goal which a bit of luck in the second half only because i've seen the handballs given that's all what i do want to talk about is how is a defense of that caliber allowing space like that in consecutive actions in front of their own box what how is how the hell are you exposing this is the thing this is the question this is the um alarm bell that's ringing i think it's we can say at this point it's a systemic problem for arsenal the lack of competition on the second ball some can say it's tiredness but then again we've talked all season about the squad depth the arsenal have so it's something else.

11:49But just frankly, like a lack of concentration. I don't know what that comes down to, but it's a lack of concentration for Dorgue to be exposed there and a player of that quality and he absolutely rips it. Now you could argue that maybe they didn't respect the fact that they could have stepped up quicker if it was a different player, but fundamentally the gap is the gap and what he unleashes there. And this is a player who Ruben Amaram said was anxious each time he got possession. And I have to say this person and not to make it too personal, but this was the point in Amrim's tenure at which I was like, yeah, he's kind of lost me here.

12:24He's lost me here because I just don't see the value when talking about a player in your squad like that. Not publicly anyway and not privately, frankly, either. But what he unleashed from a distance and what that does for his confidence is just beautiful. So United taking the lead at that point and then Arsenal again chasing it and really, united looking so assured with the limited amount of possession they had it just felt like funnily enough because kunya scored the winner and he was at letty it was a very atletty performance oh i thought i actually no no no i don't yeah when i say atletty i don't mean atletty in a negative i mean the atletty you know the atletty that was evolving just before the pandemic when they'd really figured it out they'd really figured out about that you know the 3-1 atletty at anfield where they got an absolute onslaught and they just worked out, we're going to get maybe 30, 40 % possession at certain points of this game.

13:22They got a bit more than that in the end, but with what we have, we're going to be supremely efficient. And I just thought, when I mean Atleti, I mean the Atleti that Simeone looked as if he was about to build for a tantalising six-month period. That's what I thought they were giving us. Yeah, yeah. I mean the dog of gold is just absolutely unbelievable um absolute banger yeah yeah I haven't seen enough replays to to like I don't know I don't I don't know basically I don't have a definitive enough call on that it looked I saw one replay initially or the what the two just that were shown in in the game too and admittedly I was I thought it would get looked at me too no me too me too yeah that's why I didn't get fully hyped because I'm like I'm scared to believe But if it's not conclusive, if it's inconclusive, then it's inconclusive, right?

14:12So I'd rather that... I think we're in a weird place, especially with VAR in the Premier League, where everyone's just looking to disallow goals as often as possible. And if you can't tell and it's not conclusive, then I don't think you can overturn it. I thought it was a strong decision. I thought it was a really good, proactive decision. So then United go on a 2-1 up. and then we see Arteta, who's been criticised a lot for some of the subs, really, really ring the changes. In a way, I thought it was quite... Didn't like it, Smiless. Quite striking. Do you know what? Here's the thing. I like the fact that he changed.

14:48He made changes, but I think he made too many and I don't think he made the right ones. Actually. I think it was too early for four. And there's also just a couple of things here which I thought was weird. I think that's a lot of change in one go when you're only actually a goal behind. Being a goal down isn't the end of the world. I think that Arsenal, like by that point, I think Manchester United had kind of had their best moment in the game. I think the period from probably around the Arsenal goal to around the Dorgu goal was the period of the game where I thought Manchester United were at their best consistently.

15:24There was such a heightened sense of anxiety anyway, which there just is around Arsenal at the moment in general. I think making four changes in one go now I understand that this might sound a bit counter intuitive or even hypocritical in a sense say you know because there have been times that we've criticized Lasseter for being too cautious it all has to exist in the context that it exists in right and I think that for the state of the game yeah Arsenal did need to change something but for example if you were going to bring on Ben White the thing that I thought was strange was taking off Martin Erdegor because I thought that what they would have done what Arteta would have done was like so the Ben White Martin Erdegor Bukayo Saka triangle was a go-to for Arsenal it was the most important piece and it was the most important triangle in that Arsenal side for a long long time and those three have a really good relationship and they they know each other's game super well and it's very reliable I think Saka moving out left just didn't really work it didn't really feel like it was it didn't work before the substitution this is the thing when something like that happens that you haven't seen for ages in a game like that you're a bit i immediately get a little bit like this doesn't feel good it's a little bit tricky in that sense because i think for example if you'd had that stability on the right hand side and you move timber to the other side then moving having madueke on that left hand side i think would have been more beneficial you're only disrupting a certain part of the side you're not disrupting everything and what happened was in my opinion Arsenal just looked like they had nothing in a kind of the mid to deep central midfield area which was precisely the thing that led to the Kunya goal they had no tempo it looked like there was no tempo and no real plan at that point and United were so comfortable Diogo Dalot defended so so well against a range of challengers they were switching wings on him nothing was working and that's as good a defensive performance as he's put in um against like we said trossard he's very good either one-on-one situations or in combination switching saka to the left flank was confusing to me because like i say it wasn't that effective before the substitutions um he wasn't making much in road there and i thought actually they had been better served by keeping that down the right i'm not sure they made the right changes and attack i know that was a bit later that substitution i've kind of lumped in as all five.

17:49I think Gabriel Jesus was not at it. I don't know what quite was going on there but he didn't find his rhythm throughout. And even his touch, like technically he's a player that raised the bar when he arrived at Arsenal and to see him struggling for his touch just feels like it was a lack of game rhythm. This was maybe a game too soon, I don't know, but the things he was supposed to offer he didn't offer. I think it was, this is the thing, I will defend Arteta picking him because I think for the combination. Because of what happened in midweek as well. I think that was a good shout but I was confused and to be honest maybe he's confused as well Hindsight's amazing right but I do wonder if Arteta would have would have looked back and been like actually is is he the guy that you want to be bringing on when you're chasing the game or is Gabriel Jesus who can be wriggly and get between the lines a little bit more and link up play and manoeuvre defenders out of position a bit more as opposed to just occupy them physically I think that it was just The thing is those gaps never appeared though did they?

18:45Yeah but then at the same time you could say well Arsenal was so dominant in that opening period of the game that it was working when it was working I don't know this is the first time this season where there's like genuine concern from my part but I don't want to take that away from Manchester United yet let's finish on the Kunja goal No no actually let's get into it so we have the equaliser for Arsenal Yes sorry I didn't even miss the equaliser No it's fine Marina manages to squeeze at home and Madureka coming on and making an impact I have to say looking really really bright and at that point I was like okay this makes this makes sense for Arsenal just to manage the game don't even try to get the win look actually a point not the worst outcome get the point and bounce and they couldn't do that they didn't even look this is the thing wasn't they couldn't do it they didn't look like doing it so you now have two phases of the game the first one when United get the equaliser actually could get the equaliser to going ahead and then the period when they go ahead in the in the two minutes after Arsenal score it's almost like they were watching with the same anxiety they were watching the play with the same anxiety as as people in the stands there was no sense that the team collectively individuals yes had control but there was no sense that the team collectively got on top of things there's no attempt to waste time slow down tempo like roll around like the game became pinball and that united driving chaos loved that yeah bruno finance in like a mid block getting possession are you love that when i saw that happen it was funny because some of the challenges you can say maybe tired legs here and there but fundamentally the ball breaking to kunya you know one of the xg gods a player who's been outperforming his xg for the last five years, it seems, popping up there in that area and ripping that drive from distance.

20:43And look, it's one of the few players in the Premier League where you don't beat Raya. You don't blame Raya for being beaten from there because Kunia is that good when he unleashes. And you saw the look, the telltale look on Gabriel's face. There is no pundit, blogger, analyst, podcaster who will be harsher on Gabriel than Gabriel was on himself there. none at all like if you look at that centre-back partnership and how they were pulled apart I mean I was re-watching the game going how have they allowed us to get that there and the finish was exceptional and I was when they scored that goal I was conclusive I was like they're done this is over this game is over like they could play for 15 more minutes and Arsenal looked broken I know they had an effort late on but they looked mentally broken the way they collapsed and slumped after that goal that has a reverberation that goes beyond this fixture and i say this look as a united fan yes it's great to get the win and i had to struggle to get happy because i've been so despondent for so long no no but but but really like that aside there's ways to lose games as a team chasing the title like losing by a single goal at home it's not a disaster but losing like that losing like that where people have repeatedly seen the flaws and now what you've done is as a club with arsenal they have given a blueprint to others they've shown people the fear and that's something that's crucial in a title race and look still plenty of football to go or 15 matches those suddenly feel those feel like a lot those feel like a lot yeah it felt like it felt like i mean i know there's been there hasn't been a week gone by without a load of noise in the Premier League.

22:27But this, for me, felt like the first time it's really shifted. Because three games in a row now, in the league, Arsenal have looked at points quite ineffective. And a bit stodgy. I think I used that term last season, either last season or either early this season, where Arsenal looked, sometimes they can get a bit stodgy. And it's like, it's weird because the reason why I said earlier I think this game perfectly kind of encapsulates where I'm at with Arsenal at the moment in the sense that you saw how dominant they were in those early stages. They looked a million miles better than Manchester United.

23:08Manchester United couldn't keep the ball and it just felt inevitable briefly. For a matter of time it felt inevitable. And then something happens where that kind of just breaks a bit and you start to see the things that Arsenal can improve on. But there's such a weird thing to... If you look at some of the goal scoring numbers and some of the statistics that come out from this side, you're like, there's no way this four points clear at the top of the league. There's just no way. And top of the Champions League. I mean, I know Champions League is a different competition, but in terms of league form, you would not probably say...

23:46if someone just presented you with a list of the kind of stats that were popping up on Sky Sports after the game, right? Totally. You'd be like, there's no way that this side of four points is clear at the top. But they have been. And they have been at points this season by far and away the best side in the league. And yet, it feels like there's so much room for improvement there. Totally. Which is really weird. And I think that United are quite an interesting opposition at the moment for Arsenal because they've shown something post-Amorim, well actually not even post-Amorim specifically but since Carrick's taken over now I know it's only two games but we talked about it last week where we said that they looked much freer I don't think it's any coincidence that Arsenal have looked a little bit freer in the cup competitions and it's away from the noise too, yeah a bit away from the noise too.

24:41They really have to figure out how to unlock some of that freedom again in the league because they're very, very lucky that they've been in a position to drop seven points in their last three league games and still be four points there at the top. That's a terrible run. You're right though. It's great to be in that position, but that's what the cushion's for. Look, can I say this now? I thought, and it's easy with hindsight, but I wasn't saying, I don't want to feel like I was jinxing in any way, but I thought this was a horrible matchup for Arsenal. I thought the United game It couldn't have been worse.

25:15And I had a feeling about it because I just felt like Carrick never struck me as complacent. The thing that impressed me most about United's performance against City last week was the relentlessness, the ability to reset after missing big chances. There is a version of United, not necessarily just under Amorim, but under Ten Hag, and maybe going back, maybe a manager before that. Maybe even Solskjaer to an extent where United would have a key period of dominance. Actually, no, to be fair to Solskjaer, he was good in the derbies, very good in the derbies. United would get a period of dominance and they wouldn't make it count.

25:50And with this, United's ability to stay in the fight against an Arsenal team that isn't really, it's not finding its next gear. And look, in mitigation, Manchester City just went out and added Semenya and Gueye, right? Two of the best players outside the Champions League. They basically brought two Champions League level players into, Gay looked incredible by the way against Wolves and Semenos looked brilliant since he arrived. They brought in Cherki who is maybe the best Flair player to come to the UK in a while. Absolutely brilliant. So they understand there's a need to find new solutions, unconventional solutions to have Mavericks in the mix.

26:38And Arsenal, I think, treading water at the moment. Now, they can pull it round and I think it's interesting for the next two months. I mean, it's probably even more interesting for United than it is for Arsenal at this point because I think that if Carrick gets the trial run, they should not, whatever happens in the next few games, they should not throw the contract at Carrick. They shouldn't. No, no, no. Yeah, they shouldn't, but they might because we're United and we're wild like that. United's trajectory is super interesting. thing i think look what arsenal have to do is they've just got to have some conversations with people outside the squad i don't know who those are if it's mentors if there's people who've been there before people from different sports whatever but they just needed an injection of fresh ideas really they i don't know if it's like i don't know what it is but they this team doesn't need it's not going to be ice baths that fixes it it's not going to be tactical plans it's a conversation with somebody who's done this.

27:38I don't know if it's some Olympic gold medalist they can call up and be like, actually. Do you know what I think it is? I don't think it's that big to be honest. I think it's. So there's been a problem with Arsenal this season where the attacking fluidity has just not really been there. And yet they are the second highest scorers in the league this season. Right. With no player that has scored more than five league goals. City are much better with that. City are much better with those but the league as a whole, it's the league as a whole. The league as a whole is very, very, very, like, sticky.

28:09It's a really sticky league. Okay, look, you're making a point that I was going to get onto. We're going to talk about this in a sec, but I'm glad you mentioned this because I want to come back to it. Yeah, so basically what I'm saying is, I think there's a few things at play. I don't think, like, name me a side this season that has played with the attacking fluidity that you would probably associate with champions or even sides who go for the Champions League. None of those Champions League sides, really. if you look like Manchester United are fourth now they're in Champions League spots Liverpool are sixth well let me flip it and go to the bottom of the table how many of those teams at the bottom are getting blown away like Derby were or even Luton frankly people were questioning managers jobs off the back of individual results which weren't that terrible it is not a disaster to draw at Burnley it's not even the Burnley lowdown why?

28:56because Burnley were actually quite a good football team right if you want to sack a manager sack a manager but don't say it's because that is a disastrous result because it's not a disastrous result the thing is this and you make the point this is not about necessarily teams not blowing other teams away with tons of goals it's about having the extra margins to score at crucial points and that again is why you have players like Doku and Cherki at Man City because you need these talented soloists to go off when complex attacking systems can't break down complex defenses because the defenses in the Premier League are now just so good that when you see the kind of space you see at Arsenal it's a surprise in Arsenal's defence as well I think there's something else with United right the frustration of that slow slow build up leads to mistakes it leads to mistakes it's like being have you watched the sorry basketball sorry non-basketball fans for a second I'm really sorry I apologise but that bit at the end of the most famous final series in a long time the 2016 NBA Finals when neither team scores for three minutes because the defences are so good that it's like up down up down and no one can score i think arsenal are encountering a thing where defenses now are so good against them that the constant churn slow build up slow build up leads to mistakes and lapses and concentration because arsenal are recycling the ball all the damn time and in a way they can blame the back four all of these players have to offer more danger they have to offer more danger going forward whether it's shot from distance that creates uncertainty whether it's beating the play off the dribble if it's more chaos because all of that puts pressure on the back line it all does and it's a systemic problem and the pressure the frustration of not breaking teams down it leads to uncertainty it leads to lapses you know i think i think manchester united just they somehow they got arsenal to they got arsenal to succumb i just think they and credit to United and what they did and Martin has blessed him back to back two outstanding performances after podcasters just trying to drag this man all over the earth and even with the own goal he responded really well he really well it was funny actually when he it sounds weird to say this but I thought if any player on the United team has the mental strength to absorb that and just carry on it's him it's so weird it didn't even feel like a mistake just because I'm glad he contested it like he did and I think credit to United they just forced Arsenal their rhythm and I think Arsenal at some point felt like they were just punching plasticine that was it that was it and actually some of these games don't lend themselves to wider tactical analysis than that which is just a 43-1 with players tucking without possession and breaking whenever they get a chance and just being bold throughout.

31:43Arsenal got done by two absolutely unbelievable goals. straight bangers listen but I do think that the final thing on this is that you saw the difference between a side that plays with freedom and Manchester United are really playing with freedom now in these last two games with the character and I think that what you're seeing with Arsenal is that there's almost like a paralysis stepping in there's a lot that's like stopping that team from being free and fluid can I say the best thing that can happen to United the best thing that can happen to United is the eight point gap between them and third place because it means there's not it's not close enough to get any silly ideas about your station it's just you know what keep eating the vegetables maybe nudge closer maybe get within six points but like no closer than that and just you know get fourth place keep it simple we need to go elsewhere in the premier league of course um let's do villa first because villa going to newcastle and winning two now i think is massive can i talk about buendia's strike yeah because i feel sorry for buendia it just needs its own conversation so that he scores the opener Villa win two nilts in James' Park huge win tough place to go and get a result this strike it reminded me okay Sergio Aguero's first goal for City against Swansea oh that lovely curler yeah up and up the way the ball gets up and down and across the keeper the shooting technique on this Villa are scoring some goals this season man they are ripping it they're ripping it this was an absolute world it won't get won't get the headlines it should get because of other events this weekend but I just have to like give that as props and what Villa are doing this year I mean like I just I love to see it I love it for them I love this title challenge quick question are they Darryl Morey's Rockets of the Premier League yes unquestionably unquestionably a thrilling team to watch when it worked when it didn't work when it didn't work it was difficult it was tough going but when Villa click I mean I said this before we talked about Champions League Villa caught fire and they for all of Arsenal's brilliance against PSG at certain points.

33:49Villa are the one team that looked as if they could blow them away. What they added, the pieces they added in that Champions League and the way that Emery had them going, which is not very Emery, I have to say, in terms of the style the gambles he was taking. They look sensational. And it's incredible they're back at a level like this so soon. I'm really, really happy for them and that they're going to be dangerous in that run-in. Yeah, this was a big game in the calendar because they'd lost their home to Everton last week. drawn away to Palace the week before. And then they'd kind of been winning games that you would have expected them to win, but then they were also just like, and they went on that unbelievable winning run.

34:24Yeah. It was up until Arsenal, wasn't it? In all competitions where it was like an all-time club record. This felt like a really, I know we're going cliche, but it felt a little bit statement win this, going away to Newcastle. Yes, yes, yes. It did, it did, it did. Super impressive. I mean, look, Newcastle, variable form, we know this season, but St. James' Park, when they're up for it, is always extremely tough. And for Villa to weather that after the defeat last week against Everton, for them to really come through like that, so impressive. And they're going to be in the mix. I compared them to Leeds in 99.

34:59We had Arsenal and United going head-to-head, and Leeds on the outside rail ready to come in at any point. I think it's going to be like that. I just think they're going to be on the edge, watching and waiting. I don't know if they quite have the depth to go the whole way, but they could get a lucky streak and who knows but yeah really impressive again yeah so impressive man and they yeah because of Arsenal's defeat them and Man City are now four points behind Arsenal City looking very comfy against Wolves on Saturday oh my god that was light work yeah and it felt weird it felt like they didn't it was really funny though if you look at like the kind of the shots and the big chances and stuff like that all the statistical breakdown like Wolves did as much really without the ball.

35:44This game was a funny one because at one point it felt a bit like it could be like Exeter City. In terms of the intensity, Mark Gay looked immediately brilliant, by the way. I know he wasn't necessarily facing the most oppressive attacking systems, but the opening stages of this game, they're taking early lead through Marmouche and it could have been a steamroller. And they just kind of lost momentum, actually. Wolves got a good handle on it after that and actually I thought came out quite well with a 2-0 defeat but this was exactly the game that City needed after the derby in terms of just finding their way back into their rhythm they looked extremely comfortable yeah I agree yeah completely Bournemouth alright yes Bournemouth 3 Liverpool 2 a 95th minute winner I mean Hadley after Dominic Zobberslade equalised for Liverpool with 10 minutes to go what a game the XG are wild so weird 2.35 Bournemouth 0.93 Liverpool and actually it felt like that it felt like 67 % possession though it just felt like Bournemouth were getting the joy whenever they got forward finding gaps second balls little pockets in the inside left inside right spaces Van Dijk being moved around in ways that he found extremely uncomfortable Alisson not at his best either that midfield looking quite porous and looking maybe at some kind of changes to be made.

37:13And this is the strengths and weaknesses of the 4-4-2 with Kerkesh returning to his former club, not being fully comfortable. I think if you're going to have a 4-4-2 against a team like this, then the midfield have to be in sync and they weren't, they got moved around too easily. And Bournemouth just had so much joy, so much joy. Sitting deep and picking them off with the deep passes. It won't be style. It won't be AFCON style, just sitting like just inside the other team's half and just like punching it through gaps and Bournemouth were just great value throughout and Liverpool were always chasing this game from start to finish like not just in terms of the score sheet but just in terms of the momentum the flow of the game it always felt like Liverpool were trying to conjure some form of brilliance to return to parity There was a real like cruelness to the Liverpool side of it though because Ibrahim Kanate missed the game because of the death of his father in midweek when he actually left the camp when they played away in Marseille so Joe Gomez came in at centre back for him and ended up going off injured after what just after half an hour yeah yeah horrible twist and Gomez look the only thing that's ever held Joe Gomez back is injury it's been so unfortunate throughout his career with that just the injuries have just been really really look in terms of his gifts if you hear Virgil van Dijk talk about what Gomez can do not just as a centre back but as a right back just an exceptional talent and calling him a talent feels patronising but I say it because we haven't seen Pete Giacomo yet because his body hasn't or his luck with injuries not his body but his luck with injuries has not allowed him that uninterrupted vein of fitness to be at his peak but he's a brilliant footballer but having said all that Bournemouth just using their possessions so well if you look let's look at just a quick quick stat for example so Alex Scott first midfielder completes 19 passes in the entire match.

39:12Cook, Lewis Cook, completes 25 in 90 minutes. They barely had the ball. And what they did with it was brilliant. And they used him in it so, so well. In a roving role, they just sat deep, punched through the gaps. And Iriola, look, someone actually said in the chat, this bill was coming due for Bournemouth, who we know they can do this. And I said this, you know, like, Bournemouth are what, 13th? Yeah. with a quality of coach like that you're going away to play against a quality of coach like that and frankly a cast of footballers who are like no mugs at all and who can really hurt you and who look like they're playing with some cohesion now I think just in terms of main features of this game very quickly because I think they're worth highlighting Berger Van Dyke making uncharacteristic error for a Bournemouth goal then getting ahead of back on the stroke of halftime and the Sopperslai free kick which was glorious.

40:10Sopperslai on a real journey this year playing some great stuff. But the Adli winner, just an example of just the complete disarray. A failure to manage this game and close it out and people questioning Schlott's position, I hesitate to even, I just don't think you'd get a coach of that quality. I don't think they can really assess it until the end of the season. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because I just think that there's been so much that he's had to deal with this season. I agree I agree and that doesn't excuse some of the stuff the performances and stuff I think a lot of managers would have struggled this season under those circumstances if you think of managers if there was a kind of poll you know an independent poll confidential poll of managers that get I'm not sure how much sympathy he gets because of the expenditures I think that's also a thing I think a lot of people look at that and go actually I think managers looking at it with a kind of clear-eyed assessment would look at that job and go that is not an easier job as people think i think managers are pretty sanguine about that stuff um as a measure of sympathy you can see actually one of the things i have liked about this season generally i have seen kind of a bit of solidarity among managers a sense of that this is tough like i think if managers look back after a few years and be like actually that season was really tough to manage in because put it this way 3-1 west ham beating sunderland 3-1 at home is an eye-catching result.

41:34It's a wild result. It's an eye-catching result. Oh my God, by the way, the goals in this game. The Mateus Fernandes goal. That is... It's genuinely like unbelievable, that goal. And the fact that he had another one that hit the bar and came out. He struck it from barking. He absolutely ripped it. My God. It was incredible. That's the thing. West Ham beating Sunderland 3-1 at home is like a big result because of what Sunderland had brought. Yeah, yeah. But the quality of what Sunderland brought to the Premier League, like it's absolutely wild. And then we've got, I'm going to sound really patronising here, but poor Harry Wilson having like the season of his life and scoring sensational goals like almost every other week and just Fulham in seventh.

42:19Fulham are in seventh and they're great value for it. Silva is coaching the lights out and it's just another, just another league season. This game legitimately could have been any one of like six scorelines that it would have been. No, totally. Can I just say as well, again, unheralded moments because so much else happened this week. Mitoma's first touch out of the sky. You know, like Riyad Mahrez would always come up like, that guy's first touch is one of the best. I don't know if there's many footballers anywhere that pull the ball out of the sky like Mitoma can. That guy, man. It's just so many things.

42:54I mean, this Premier League is generally wild. It feels like just so much effort for Sertl output though. that makes sense there's like so much it's almost like like late night it's not quite as bad as late 90s Serie A but it feels the games have kind of the tightness of that there was a thing about late 90s Serie A where if the home team didn't if the away team didn't score in the first half it was a dull game and I feel like we're not quite there with this Premier League but I feel like that was the only thing the away team scoring was the only thing that would break the game open because then the home team would have to just hammer them and then like you'd see things open up but i mean this this weekend i mean example the two-wheel draw uh spurs burnley spurs right romero equalizing very late on after burnley do some great things their second goal was great link up the burnley second goal and talk about toris frank being out but i'm like again if you're going to sack a manager sack the manager because you want to sack them not because they get a point Yeah it wouldn't be because of the point at Burnley It's because of the overall conversation I think there's a lot going on with Spurs and Thomas Frank that we've talked about I think it's a bad fit, I think it's also a bad fit I think the thing about it, and now look I think this is a great point for Burnley by the way and they could have got all three I also think that Spurs deserve a bit of credit for getting back into it and coming away with a draw A lot of the time we don't side with managers, I think looking at the Amarim example as an example I think in the long term the long term thing of Manchester United I think he probably would have got it fixed if he had been given a bit more time.

44:34I also think that one of the things that has created this sense of freedom for Manchester United is the sense that people are not discussing Manchester United or Michael Carrick in the same way that they were discussing Reuben Amarim and Manchester United So therefore there's a freedom there of just being like one of the old boys coming back in, right? That Amron just never really got. We've talked about that at length, so we don't need to do that again. I think with Thomas Frank, like I still think that it was a mistake to fire Antipas to Cogler anyway. You go and win the Europa League like that and then you get replaced.

45:09To be honest, I feel sympathy for Thomas Frank in the sense that I think you could have put 99 % of managers in that position and I think they would all struggle. or it's definitely struggle for popularity with the fans because I think it's just it's just a really really tough place to be at the moment for Spurs I just think the emotional connection we're relitigating and again I can't be redoing this not because I don't enjoy doing it because people are going to roll their eyes but it just I want to say more generally it speaks to how difficult it is to it speaks to how difficult it is to manage a Premier League club that Thomas Frank can arrive with those credentials from Brentford and struggle this quickly.

45:48And that Ange before him can win multiple Manager of the Month awards. Like, what that says about your ceiling as a Premier League manager, like your ceiling, what you're capable of achieving, it's not like he turned up and he was like the dog's breakfast every single month he was in charge. It's not like he was ranking, like he was ranking like first out of 20, like on multiple occasions in the Premier League and got bounced out. And now his reputation, his name is kind of, it's kind of in the mud. it is wild how quickly you can fall off. Amor M2, who arrived with all the credentials and all of that, like, I just think the sheer number of moving parts the coach effectively at this level is something that we don't comprehend.

46:32We don't comprehend how quickly it's changed. I mean, I wrote this book about management in what, the mid, the mid-2000s, I wrote a Premier League management. And at that time, the average tenure of a Premier League manager, I think, had halved in the previous 10 years. And I think it's gone down by 50 % again. I mean, it's ridiculous. Yeah. The life cycle. It's like a mayfly. There's a thing there about just, I think, culture and society and the world in general, though, where everything has become a lot more instantaneous. It's about that time when all of a sudden political leaders started getting way, way younger.

47:09Like way younger. And what it meant was there was no mentoring now because the generations couldn't mentor others and also because the generations did terrible things too. it just felt like the life cycle of a political leader became smaller and i'm not saying that like you need to hire older people i'm saying that the intensity the demands mainly social media feud whatever but narrative cycles and the desire for something new and this is not even blaming individuals it's more about the systems we now live under the desire for freshness a fresh approach and sometimes actually and put it this way does arteta even get the time now that he got at the beginning.

47:47I don't think that happens. You almost have to, there's almost like a sweet spot that you need now to get time as a football manager. You need a club to fall to a point where they're like, any progress is progress. Totally. In their mind, right? Yeah. And you also need a hell of a lot of luck. A wild amount of luck. A wild amount of luck. You do also need to, I do think, I feel like I'm kind of reiterating, just repeating myself a little bit, but I think that also So there are just some managers just getting easier rides than other managers in terms of how they're treated and the conversations around them.

48:26And I think that Thomas Frank's a weird one because I think he came in with probably quite a lot of goodwill from the media. But I think the fans... Can I actually say this? Go on. I can't believe I'm saying this because it'll probably be contradicted within the next month. Eddie Howe has been given a much fairer shake than I thought he'd be given I'm really surprised by how patient Newcastle have been with Eddie Howe and I'm not saying this to knock him I'm not saying that I'm saying in the context of higher fire there are some clubs that are actually quite are quite keen to like make a shift and I just think whoever is making the decisions in that in that context.

49:09I'm surprised by the faith he's been shown. I mean, that's a good thing. Don't get me wrong. I'm saying that's a good thing, actually. In terms of Newcastle's identity, yes, they have identifiable challenges, but that is a team with an identity. That is a team. When you look at it, yes, it has its flaws, but you look at it and from week to week, I fundamentally know what Newcastle are doing. I think they could vary the approach. I think they need different personnel now and again in the central areas to change things up maybe a little bit more, a fraction more, but frankly, if they bought like an Adam Wharton I think it's a game changer for example right I just don't think they need that many new pieces to become a level more elsewhere in the league in terms of patience I mean the Villa Emery thing looks like a great fit but every now and again you hear rumblings out of him because I think he's just quite spiky in a good way I think this iteration of Emery is the best Emery we've seen in the Premier League that's not even close it's a great fit too isn't it yeah yeah we've skipped two games in the Premier League we've not finished yet but talking about managerial stuff Liam Rossenia got another win as Chelsea manager some of the takes around this guy and the guy just carried on doing the work and getting a tune out of that team look and again Crystal Palace we know they've lost the loss of Gueye I mean to see Esteval Esteval by the way fantastic goal this is not a knock on him to see there's something symbolic about Esteval bursting into the space that would have been occupied by a guy like Gueye And the moment, again, like this is the thing, like people feasting off carcasses.

50:42Crystal Palace are being asset stripped every few months for their best players. That is happening. That's a real identifiable thing. But at the same time, Chelsea, that's how you put away a team that's struggling. They were really, really good against Palace. Really strong. And yeah, in the other game, Forrest beating Brentford 2-0, which is again like a massive result of that because Brentford have been so good. Yeah, and Forrest struggling. Awani got his first goal in about a year. in the Premier League and then his celebration he looked it was a great goal it's so funny it's such a good goal you're like how has this guy been struggling to score but you know also injuries absences he had that really horrible injury didn't he towards the end of last season right where he had that like rupture yeah he'd been going through it but his great finish from him gorgeous finish and at the end like the way his teammates celebrated with him was a big deal for him and a huge one for Forrest how do we feel about the Premier League after this weekend I mean to be honest West Ham back-to-back wins is unbelievable Forest and they kind of needed to win that to it's one of the performances of the one of the performances of the weekend anywhere in Europe that huge win for them yeah do you know what I'm very very pleased about as an Arsenal fan what's that Arsenal go to Ellen Road next week and it's not a night game oh yeah fair enough three o 'clock kickoff on a Saturday afternoon I will take because if that was like a five if that was another 5.30 kick off I would have been like we're done I'm not watching that no no no no no alright is that all the Premier League that is all of it yes that's all of it quickly before we move before we go to Europe let's just shout out the WSL very quickly because Man City responded they needed to beat London City line SS 2-1 which they did a late Bunny Shaw winner for Man City 9 points clear at the top gonna start calling her Ballon Shaw hey they should do listen after Arsenal had gone to Stamford Bridge the day before and beaten Chelsea 2-0 Beth Mead giving that work Man City and Arsenal both went out of the League Cup in midweek with performances that weren't I should say not great from either side and I think the responses at the weekend like for Arsenal to go like Man City lost to Chelsea in the week and then to respond to that on the weekend and the next game in the WSL next week is Man City, Chelsea.

53:09Whereas Arsenal host Leicester. I still feel like Arsenal making a run at this like a back-to-back Champions League, it just feels a bit outlandish. But that's where the joy is going to come from this year. Get a good league finish, I think, consolidate in the league and then just try and open up in the Champions League because they have the firepower to do it. We'll see. All right, man. Shall we go to the Bundesliga quick? Yes. yes oh Bayern Munich 1 Augsburg 2 Bayern's first defeat of the season in the league and wow Augsburg every now and again popping up results like this and loving it loving it on socials loving it on the pitch and did well to come back Ito put them ahead but Augsburg they hung tough and they were really resilient really impressive and do you know what I didn't watch the game live so I was like oh this I wonder if Bayern rotated and they didn't really rotate that much oh they came with it yeah super impressive for Max Borg yeah Bayern it feels like occasionally Bayern have this in them was it last year when did they lose to was it Bochum oh the the thriller the 3-2 was that a couple of years ago the absolute thriller I guess no no no it was last year because we were in New York when we watched it there's a couple of, look, there's a couple of teams that do this to Bayern.

54:38And they will get cooked, but they'll have, they will have their way, they'll have their way with them. There's just certain things that align for them. The Bochum game was an absolute banger. That was a banger. Wasn't it that year, a couple of years ago when they're like, Bochum beat, they got beaten 7-0 in Munich, but then like, beat them for theirs or something wild like that. Was that the one where Leon Goretzka was doing kick-ups with the tennis balls? Yes, it sounds like it. I think it was, wasn't that the tennis ball season? Might have been. I think so. But yeah, like Augsburg, fantastic here.

55:09This is the first loss for Bayern. And I think someone posted having a lot of fun with that on socials, taunting Harry Kane for not scoring. That was outrageous. Sometimes the English language Bundesliga socials are out of control. Look, we love to see it. Michael and Lisa going very close with a banger off the bar. But Augsburg surviving and an incredible victory away from home. So Dortmund closed the gap to eight points. It's on. It's on. They're catfishing us. It's so on. 3-0 at Union. That's a wild result. And a good response from midweek for Dortmund. Baylevic-Curse beating Werder Bremen 1-0 on Saturday.

55:54Go from Lucas Vazquez. Hoffenheim continue their really, really good form. They beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1. and Hoffenheim are well and truly pushing for Champions League. It was really interesting at the top actually, apart from Bayern, the entire top seven won. Yeah, Freiburg, Goodwin over Köln as well. Big win for Mainz over Wolfsburg, which was a terrible result for Sampauly because it meant that Sampauly then dropped from the relegation spot, so the playoff, back into the bottom two, although they did start the weekend right at the bottom of the Bundesliga. As we mentioned, they drew 0-0 with Hamburg in the Derby, They host Leipzig on Tuesday, I believe, in the rescheduled...

56:38Yes, on the Tuesday. Yes, the rescheduled game that got snowed off a couple of weeks ago. In that big snow. In that big snow. Just quickly, Stuttgart being Gladbach 3-0, great result for them. And you mentioned Freiburg being Carl. All right, we need to talk about Serie A. We do, we do. is this the weekend where you felt like it started to separate a bit does it now feel like it feels like Inter are starting to put the foot down a little bit completely it did feel that way it did feel that way the only side in the top four to win this weekend were Inter they beat they beat Pisa 6-2 Fatic win on Friday and it kind of set the tempo really because the rest of the sides just didn't look I mean, to be honest, I think the only other side who could come out of this feeling relatively positive is probably Roma.

57:34Even though they dropped points at home to Milan, but I think that Milan needed to keep up with them. You know my thoughts on the Roma title challenge. I just don't think there's enough firepower there and they're not turning enough losses into draws. The real challenge for me was coming from Napoli or Milan, but Milan in recent weeks, they've kind of split the difference in terms of a couple of those matches again like draws that should have been wins for a team their quality the sasweller result that we were at a microcosm of what we've seen in recent weeks from milan so really it just felt like if we're going to see any real movement it's going to be from napoli but napoli getting absolutely handed it to them by juventus 3-0 and meanwhile inter well we talk about entering this way inter fans will be like hang on a minute we were 2-0 down yes they were tuned down against pisa they're not awake yet like this this inter result inter look look at just look at the numbers right 34 shots compared to pisa's eight xg 5.07 to 0.34 like it was an absolute pisa acquitted themselves so well giladino great to get out to the tunnel lead but when inter turned it on this is the thing is it's that firepower ryan they just feel like they have this ability more than any other team in the league just to really like turn it on when they need to and i'm not saying away the highest top goals the highest goal scorers in the league as well which i think it just shows you how how how much more firepower they have than anyone else and a league that's driven by that like seriat in the last few seasons has shown that it's a league it's not it's not the seriat of old of course we know that long time ago it's a league where the teams that play the more expansive football more often than not tend to prosper at the very top of the table.

59:20It's not always been the case in Serie A and they've got their hot hand and it is theirs to lose in a way that it wasn't even a month ago actually. And then the big result of the weekend was Ive's win over Napoli to close the gap on Napoli to a point in the top. 3-0 goals from Jonathan David Kenan Yildiz and and Philip Kostic. It felt like a bit of, not so much a statement, but that one was always going to be on the calendar, wasn't it, for Spalletti playing his old club? I think I would put it like this. It is a, it's a confirmation of their direction of travel. I mean, they've been moving. Yeah, yeah.

1:00:00They've figured, whatever they've had to figure out, they've figured it out, Juventus, I think. Well, Napoli beat them, what, in early December? And then since then, they've only dropped points to Lecce. Caleri was a shock. The Caleri result was a weird one, So in the context of what Juventus are building and Spalletti there, it was a strange fit, I thought, at the time. But the thing I think that benefits Spalletti is that Juventus aren't really Juventus anymore. You know, we said that Atleti haven't been Atleti in a while. I think that actually the Juventus job is a, it's not a blank canvas, right?

1:00:33But it's less populated than it was maybe 10 years ago. And I think that's allowed Spalletti a bit more room to bring in his ideals. and I like him he's got a clutch of decent players there as well I like it Before we end up on La Liga can we just shout out Hearts joined with Celtic in Scotland which was kind of all Hearts needed to do I'm glad they're giving Hearts props as not made them tank Exactly Rangers won on the weekend and are now second they've overtaken Celtic in the Premier ship they beat Dundee 3-0 Alright shall we wrap up on la liga yes um i suppose the main headline here crisis what crisis real madrid a 2-0 over villarreal and i've got to say this i said this before earlier this weekend but looks suspiciously like xabi alonso's formation and ideals are putting real madrid in a good stead in a good position to maybe go on and win this whole thing like they weren't in crisis before but if you look at the deployment of players that he used are below it it's kind of i thought ralph really hated playing right back now do you know what i mean like what is i don't arde gula is an eight that's chabby alonso innovation mastanto play up on the right that was him like what are we even doing here what are we doing like and it's look it's fine with real madrid it's fine until it's not that's the thing um so they win 2-0 Mbappe scores twice and then this is I suppose the real news from this scores the Penenka in sort of an added time and then says afterwards I did it basically in solidarity with Braham Diaz which is so strange look Mbappe fabulous player all the rest of it superb and also like dude read the room there's been a there's been there's been a few this season I'm a bit like yeah like he's he's done more things I've like raised my eyebrow in the last like two weeks and I think in the previous like three four years put together very strange and Braham Diaz at the end there was a really nice moment when Papage goes over and they hug at the final whistle and it was clear there was some solidarity there because bless him like he looked he looked devastated still in this game it's going to be with him for a while and it's really it's really really sad to see a player suffer because we've said this before, like we've said this many times before, like Morocco had clear-cut chances in the second half of that final.

1:03:12Like El Carbi had a sitter from six yards and we'll never talk about that again. We'll never talk about it again. He had an easier chance than a penalty that he missed from six yards and we'll never talk about that again. And rightly so, because individual players should be demonised, right? But this is kind of the thing. So yeah, 2-0 win for Real Madrid, which put them briefly top, but then... Real deposed by Barcelona, who scored some beauties. The Laminya Malle bicycle kick. Laminya Malle scores a bicycle kick from near the penalty spot. And it won't even be a big conversation. And it's a beauty.

1:03:49Rafinha gets a gorgeous one on the counter. What a return he's been for them. And Barca, again, doing that thing where, like I said before with Barca, they could win everything or win nothing. And I have no idea. And both Schrodinger's Barca. they're both everything and nothing they're fully alive or fully dead quantum football the moment you observe them they change they alter yeah um yeah barca who knows with this title race who knows that laminio mal volley was oh my god ridiculous so almost first one was brilliant i was like wow that's a great goal and then rafini got the second one i was just like wow that's a great goal and then laminio mal gets the third and you're like i I know I referenced this the other day, but it's the three of the four stages of the Vince McMahon meme.

1:04:36Yes, exactly. Can I say something about bicycle kicks, though? This is something that's happened here, right? The Laminia Mile goal, and maybe it's because we just get more football from all over the world on our phones. There is an era when a bicycle kick would have been the conversation of the weekend. And I think what's happened is it's almost so weird. It's the normalisation of technical brilliance. you know like Rabona crosses you remember like you it was so real like you would see like a cross a Rabona assist like you would see one like I don't know once every couple of seasons like Maradona did it and it was like oh my god like and it was genuinely incredible but now like people are growing up because players are growing up and watching all these people and it becomes part of the repertoire and it's just a way to get space now when Turkey did it don't get me wrong it was an incredible highlight thing I mean as are too but it just feels like the normalization of technical brilliance is so much i'm not sure if we talk about if unless we make a note of this limineum bicycle kick i think that maybe i think a month and a half now we've forgotten about it i just think that's the level now the level is ridiculous like what's that sci-fi movie where the entire planet is just like the surface of a lake it's just the entire solaris is it or something it feels like the premier is like that like football's just like that like things just disappear into the lake and the surface is calm again and we forget it all.

1:05:57The great forgetting. All change at the top of... Why do I say all change? PSG beat Augs' air away on Friday. And because of Lons' defeat to Marseille, which we mentioned earlier, PSG are now top of La Liga. Sorry, that would be something going top of La Liga. They're now top of La Liga. Like United, we're going to win all the leagues and the Champions League. The Fair Play League. definitely not after sorry some of that was it felt like we didn't talk about this at the time we didn't talk about this earlier and I wish I had done but it genuinely felt like the ball was in play for about a minute and a half of the seven minutes at the end of that game

1:06:45absolute suffer ball I know that like there's a stadio thing about maybe we can wrap up on this theme but like I'm starting to I'm starting to I think lose faith in an old stadioism what's that I don't think the suffering is necessary I don't think it's quite that necessary at all I think more than ever so more than ever no I disagree I'm getting to the age now where like I've come through the other side I believe it's necessary again what you need okay right let's wrap on this thing let's what you need is spiritual purification Ryan oh f*** off

1:07:23don't patronize me after just because you've been this is this is i just want the study of derby when you need it i've been to the mountaintop ryan

1:07:35what mountaintop have you been to just out of interest what mountaintop are we talking about the pits of despair the pits of despair it's a spiritual mountaintop is it a hypothetical mountaintop courses you see my knees i can't climb anything these days

1:07:57so in short the suffering is i don't think the suffering has to be that necessary no that's true what i would say is as united fan it's been so long that i've experienced like unbridled joy at the team that i i'm struggling to like open up and just accept feel the love i'm still thawing out yeah I'm still thawing out Ryan I'm still thawing out I'll get there I'll get there I mean what a lovely note to finish on just feel the love everyone feel the love exactly feel the love feel the love feel the love look out for each other and if the suffering isn't necessary don't do it don't do it and do it quiet quit quiet quit bad result go outside do what I did back in the day before social media before the internet don't read the newspapers don't read the match reports literally turn the phone off don't engage 48 hours don't engage and it will pass that's it only way forward don't do it you don't have to do it don't give them the satisfaction of the engagement don't let them know leave them on leave them on unread archive the messages alright let's get out of here let's do it we hope everyone's staying safe and well wherever you are we'll be back on Thursday and until then don't forget to check the Stadio Arch was placed on Spotify speaking of which we're playing out on Trespassers in the Stereo Field by the American Analog Set anything you would like to add Musa Kwonka?

1:09:29Oh yeah just a quick shout out to Venezia who are absolutely cooking in Serie B Wow bang we're like five straight in the league looking incredible really really exciting and they're in second place just behind Frosinone and ahead of Monza looking really really good playing some glorious football so shout out to them and we hope to catch them in action again soon enough be lovely that definitely all right everyone much love have a great week we'll be back with you on Thursday see you then

1:10:13Thank you.

1:10:45Thank you.