Arsenal Start Off Season Strong, Man United Show Promise

0:13Robbie Earle:Hello and welcome to the Do Robbie's podcast, your destination for in-depth discussion and analysis of the Premier League. I'm Robbie Mustoe, he's Robbie Earle and we're at somewhere rather special my friend.

0:23Robbie Mustoe:We're at the sideline at Old Trafford, we've just seen Manchester United taking on Arsenal. Arsenal getting a 1-0 win. A bit of a goalkeeping mistake, we'd have to say. But a day when I think both teams can take something from this game. Arsenal certainly the three points. Manchester United, Rob, let's just start with them. I mean, from my point of view, and I'll say, obviously I know you weren't at the Premier League Summer Series tournament because you were away on holiday. But this is a continuation of the work. And I said to you, Ruben Hamran, happy place, is on the training ground. He's with these players.

0:57Robbie Mustoe:and you can kind of see some of the work that's been done and just a bit of a different feel about the team and the club, really, in some sense.

1:05Robbie Earle:First off, it's such a pleasure, really, to come to the UK for our first weekend. The atmosphere here at the start. I mean, we know there's, like, on the back of the summer series and to the signings, there's some enthusiasm, some excitement about the season. It was loud here, mate. And it was a fierce game, frenetic game. I thought Man United made it a fast game. I don't think Arsenal really wanted that. I thought United were quite direct at times to get those front players involved. And they played some really good football. They were very close. David Ray made a brilliant save, a fingertip save a little later in the game.

1:37Robbie Earle:Dorgo hit the post.

1:38Robbie Mustoe:Hit the post, yeah, from the left-hand side. And they stretched Arsenal a lot, Rob. Both wing-backs got high up the pitch. Dollo overlapping and Burma. Dorgo going on that left-hand side. And it was kind of... Everyone's been talking about the system and the shape, haven't they? Well, today it was none of that. It's not so much about that. It was about people getting in good areas of the pitch and causing problems. To that point, I'd have to say, I thought Arsenal's defender was excellent. I thought Sliba and Gabriel, which we know is one of the best, probably the best end of that partnership.

2:08Robbie Mustoe:Calafiore coming in on that left-hand side did a good job.

2:10Robbie Earle:He picked Calafiore instead of Marzlou Eskely. I know Lee Dixon and commentary talked about he thought it was a smart decision. I think it was because he's physical, Calafiore. He sprints into the midfield as well to help out. In fact, both full-backs do when they play. but I think bringing him one side, Ben White's an experienced, like he's been there, done it, he's a good defender. You know, you looked across at the back four, that's kind of a big, big unit.

2:33Robbie Mustoe:We were fortunate, weren't we? We just had Mikel Arteta at this a few minutes ago, and what he talked about, Rob, was like managing what Manchester United was today. It was like big crowd, big atmosphere, new signings, new manager, almost like a fresh start, and I think he went, I'll go with my experience, like more controlled heads to make sure I deal with it. And they did a good job of that, didn't they?

2:54Robbie Earle:They really did. Let's talk about some of the new players on display, Robby Earl. And let's start with Manchester United and those front players. Mateus Cunha and Brian Umbermo.

3:04Robbie Mustoe:Well, we know those guys, Rob. We know what they do. If the service is right, if the setup of the team is right, they're going to cause problems. They are, aren't they?

3:12Robbie Earle:They did today. It wasn't their day in terms of finishing it off. But they looked bright enough and sharp enough. We kind of knew what they were going to be like. And they were, pretty much.

3:21Robbie Mustoe:The question mark was Mason Mount started the game, but Benjamin Shesko came on. And we got 20 minutes of Shesko, which kind of looked OK. He didn't really get a sniff. He looks fit. 6 '5". He's 22 years of age. He's a lot to come. You almost sense when he gets in the team and starts to stretch the opposition going the other way, we'll see more of him. I think that front three is going to be exciting.

3:45Robbie Earle:It's whether Shesko can quickly adapt to the speed of things here in the Premier League. That's exciting for them.

3:53Robbie Mustoe:For Arsenal, Martin Zubimendi, first of all, in midfield. Ace. Ace. Dropped in between the two centre-backs very often.

4:01Robbie Earle:Very deep. He played very deep. Very, very deep.

4:03Robbie Mustoe:So it allows Calafiore, if he wants to either go out or come infield, it allowed on the other side Ben White to get higher up the pitch.

4:12Robbie Earle:He's going to be a really important player for them, Rob. I just think he is. I mean, today, he was still good today, but in other games when he's a little bit slower, and when they're at home, is going to be just getting tons of the ball, keeping things going, keeping things moving. The amount of times he passed, by the way, to Martin Odegaard, which is a vertical ball, that's going to be really important.

4:29Robbie Mustoe:Good football IQ, everybody tells me. Really, really good.

4:32Robbie Earle:Victor Jokerez. Yes. Maybe not quite so impressive today, my friend.

4:36Robbie Mustoe:No. Listen, I always said, and you can go back on the podcast, that you play centre-forward for Arsenal, it's just not being at the top end of the pitch. Arsenal have such a very kind of grooved style of play. I think it takes you a while to get used to that. And I think it might take this guy a month before we see him sort of fitting in. I think Graeme Lassau talked about it, where there was once or twice in the game today, it looked like he wasn't quite an Arsenal player. What say you, my friend?

5:07Robbie Earle:Well, it's really early, yeah. I mean, I just think this was a really difficult game for Arsenal. And every time the ball came up, I want to see him, I think, again, Lee Dixon and Comeridge talked about, he's lost nearly all the headers. He's a big lad. He's big and strong. He's got to do a little better with that with the physicality. But it is early yet. And they've got options. You know, the whole bet, the five subs came on in the second half. Kai Havertz is one of those. Very different. He comes on and starts sprinting around. They've got lovely options now. Last thing before we move on to other things this weekend, Rob.

5:35Robbie Earle:Bayon Deer, the Man United goalkeeper of that era. I know they've got the front players. I know there's talk about maybe a midfield player, Baliba from Brighton. how urgent is the goalkeeping situation I'm assuming that Andre Anana is going to be back real soon

5:48Robbie Mustoe:although he wasn't anywhere in the squad today, does he move on there's a lot of rumours about to be honest Robert I'm at this situation and I've said this before without repeating myself, unless you get a top class goalkeeper in the goal, I think of Liverpool and Simon Mignolet and Liverpool were such a good team and every now and then the goalkeeper let you down They go and get Alisson, end of story. I wonder if Manchester United might have to do the same.

6:18Robbie Earle:Let's rewind a little bit, Rob, because, of course, the first game was at Anfield on Friday.

6:26Robbie Earle:Liverpool's vibe around it, of course, was all about Diogo Jota and the football club over the last six weeks now has been in mourning. The emotion we felt, Rob, the spirit we felt. the game was, I mean, Bournemouth were very strong opponents on the day and there was end-to-end action. It was a really, really good test of football. Liverpool ultimately, it just felt the game went 2-2 and very late in the game, Liverpool found away. Kiesa came on. Mo Salah gets his first goal. First off, how impressive were Liverpool given the emotions around the night?

7:04Robbie Mustoe:Very good. having got Tunnel up and maybe the disappointment of getting to 2-2, five minutes to go in the game, they get themselves the victory. It was almost like this team were not going to leave that pitch without three points to honour Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva. The emotions of Mo Salah, Rob, that will stay with me on the pitch.

7:25Robbie Earle:Yeah, just for those who didn't see it.

7:26Robbie Mustoe:In front of the cup, you know, tears welling up, obviously. We'd said that, you know, I'd said many times, you don't know how people are going to react until they're there on the day. and Mo Salah probably thought, I can hold this together and then got to the end of the game. He scored the goal. He did the Jota celebration and in front of the Kop, he was obviously very emotional.

7:46Robbie Earle:I mean, the first weekend, it is all about, not all about, but a lot about new players. Lugo Ekotike, the new striker, and Milos Kerkers, the full-back. I think particularly on the day, we'll get to Kerkers and his game against Semenyo, but Ekotike, Rob, looks like he's got a little bit cleverness. He comes into midfield, he links very well.

8:05Robbie Mustoe:I'm kind of wondering if you're Alexander Ezek. Do we really need him? Are we going to put Ekadike backwards?

8:13Robbie Earle:Yeah, yeah. Just on the Kirkus, who is a really good player, he's 21 years of age. He was up against a player in the game on Friday, Rob, that had a very eventful game. And sadly, sadly, sadly, again, there was some racial abuse accused of a fan very close to some. I knew when he was going to take a long throw in. He reported that. I think the police were involved and hopefully that gets dealt with. And it's still very upsetting for everybody. Obviously, the player as well. But how about him as a character, as a personality, to kind of brush that aside and play two goals in the game?

8:46Robbie Mustoe:He was the outstanding player on the football pitch. He was the outstanding player. I thought, in fairness, Rob, it was dealt with in perfect situation by the referee, by the Premier League, by the Liverpool staff. He put a nice message out to Menno. He thanked people that the football world had got around him, which I thought was important as well to show that it isn't everybody. It's isolated incidents and isolated people. But, yeah, Semenya is a talent. Liverpool showed their emotion, got the job done. That was a special night, Rob, for us to be there, to witness that.

9:25Robbie Earle:Then on Saturday, Rob, to be fair, there was more emotion.

9:28Robbie Mustoe:We got a Wolverhampton Wanderers against Man City.

9:32Robbie Earle:at Molyneux and Diogo Jota played three years for Wolves was a huge favourite brilliant play at Wolverhampton Wanderers his wife again was in attendance and the Tifo and the atmosphere that was another very well done pay of respect from Wolverhampton Wanderers wasn't it?

9:49Robbie Mustoe:Yeah, number 18 he was for Wolves he was number 20 for Liverpool but the number 18 18 minutes on the clock there was a moment of applause was excellently done by the football club. In terms of the football, well...

10:06Robbie Earle:Maybe the biggest statement of this opening weekend.

10:10Robbie Mustoe:Yeah, was Manchester City. Manchester City and Pep Guardiola coming to our desk talking about the hunger's back. And I said on our preview poddy, this new young group, this fit again Man City, might just rejuvenate Pep. We're only one game in, but I'll tell you what, it was a pretty good start.

10:31Robbie Earle:I think what I kind of read between the lines of Pep Guardiola is saying that we're starving again. And there's a few players that maybe had won a lot. Maybe it looked like Gundogan. Bernardo Silva played, by the way. You've got Mateo Kovacic. In terms of midfield players, there's a new midfield in town at Man City.