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The ArsenalVision Podcast - Episode Summary
Episode Title
Eze and Rice Seal Confident Champions League Win Ahead of Cup Final
Episode Description In this episode, hosts Elliot Smith, Clive, and Tim discuss Arsenal's recent Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen, the implications of the result, and look ahead to the upcoming League Cup Final against Manchester City.
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Key Topics Covered
- Champions League Performance
- Winning Against Bayer Leverkusen: Arsenal's dominant performance leads them to the quarterfinals, described as "routine" compared to previous seasons.
- Tactical Adjustments: Discussions on the midfield's structure and how players adapted to Leverkusen's style.
- Eze's Goal: A highlight of the match included Eze's stunning goal, showcasing his growing importance in the squad.
- Declan Rice's Impact
- Complete Performance: Rice's contributions included a goal and solid midfield play, earning him the Man of the Match award.
- Role in Midfield: The dynamic between Rice, Zubimendi, and the attacking players was emphasized, noting their ability to control the game.
- Squad Depth and Player Contributions
- Victor Gyokeres' Role: Discussion on how Gyokeres contributed despite not scoring, focusing on his movement and link-up play.
- Ben White's Return: White's return to the starting lineup brought experience and composure to the backline.
- Cup Final Preview Against Manchester City
- Emotional Stakes: The significance of the cup final against a rival, with emphasis on the need for Arsenal to assert their dominance.
- Tactical Dilemmas: Potential starting lineup considerations, including the choice between Trossard and Martinelli on the left wing, and the goalkeeper decision between Raya and Kepa.
- City's Form: Analysis of Manchester City's recent struggles and how this could influence the match.
- Fan Sentiment and Club Aspirations
- Anticipation for the Final: Fans are excited about the cup final due to its historical significance and the potential for a trophy.
- Mental Approach: The opportunity to play with freedom and excitement versus the pressure of historical expectations was discussed.
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Key Takeaways
- Arsenal’s performance in the Champions League indicates a shift in expectations for the club, highlighting a return to form.
- The dynamics between players, particularly in midfield, show a well-structured and cohesive unit under Arteta.
- The upcoming League Cup Final presents an opportunity for Arsenal to assert themselves against a major rival, with both teams bringing unique challenges.
- The emotional aspects surrounding the cup final add another layer of significance, making it not just about the trophy, but about establishing respect in the football community.
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Final Thoughts As the podcast wraps up, the hosts express a sense of optimism leading into the cup final. They highlight the importance of this match not just for the trophy, but for the broader narrative of Arsenal's resurgence as a competitive force in football. The anticipation builds as they prepare for a thrilling showdown against Manchester City.
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Upcoming Episodes
- Champions League Review: A follow-up episode to analyze the Champions League results and implications.
- Cup Final Instant Reaction: An immediate response to the League Cup Final, capturing the emotions and insights from the match.
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Note: This summary is structured for clarity and insight into the discussed themes, appealing to both avid Arsenal fans and general football enthusiasts.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOArsenal Champions League Victory Overview
1:00 to 1:46
Introduces the podcast episode, discussing Arsenal's recent Champions League match and the outcomes for rival teams.
“Declan Rice with an absolute rocket with a free kick.”
Previewing Champions League and Cup Final
1:47 to 2:55
Hosts outline the topics for discussion, including Champions League analysis and an upcoming cup final preview.
“The team that's good at corners and defends well is not the good guys.”
Reflecting on Arsenal's Champions League Performance
2:56 to 5:25
Discussion on Arsenal's dominant performance in the Champions League and what it means for the club's expectations.
“The official details will come out later this week when we have the final confirmation of the timing of the Bournemouth game.”
The Importance of Winning and Competing
5:26 to 10:08
Exploration of the significance of winning trophies, the mentality of players, and the overall strategy for competing across competitions.
“Even under Arsene Wenger, we got to that one final.”
Analyzing Chelsea and City's Downfall
10:09 to 12:34
Comparison of Arsenal's success to the recent failures of Chelsea and Manchester City in the Champions League.
“for winning either of those two trophies.”
Chelsea's Financial Impact on Modern Football
14:02 to 17:30
The discussion delves into how Chelsea's financial decisions shaped their brand and position in football.
Premier League vs European Competition
17:31 to 22:20
Analyzing the dynamics of Premier League teams in European competitions and Arsenal's adaptability.
“There is increased focus, but there's 10 other things we do really well that people are ignoring.”
Arsenal's Tactical Strengths in Recent Matches
22:21 to 25:04
Exploring Arsenal's tactical performance and individual player contributions in recent games.
“And Gaffier comes back into the starting lineup to play his old team.”
Off-Ball Pressure and Team Dynamics
25:05 to 28:00
Discussing how off-ball pressure contributes to Arsenal's overall game strategy and player roles.
“At the moment, the skedger makes a flying save.”
Analyzing Arsenal's Pressure Tactics
28:00 to 29:00
Discover how Arsenal's off-the-ball pressure shaped the game's dynamics.
“I mean, that really is what I think starts to unlock this game for us, right?”
Show all 40 chapters
Player Dynamics and Tactical Adjustments
29:00 to 31:00
Explore how player combinations and positions impacted the game flow.
“The dynamic, Clive talked about the right technical level on the pitch, you know, the technical players that were there.”
Performance Highlights and Key Moments
31:00 to 33:00
Learn about standout performances and critical moments in the match.
“And as a result, you can get maybe better games, the kind of games the neutral says that they want to see.”
Eze's Game-Changing Impact
33:00 to 34:40
Assess Eze's overall performance and his highlight goal that defined the match.
“in all competitions this season, as many as the Invincibles won across all competitions in 03-04.”
Eze's Evolution and Contribution
34:40 to 37:00
Delve into Eze's development within the team and his contribution to the game.
“But the goal itself is, of course, the highlight of the game.”
Team Chemistry and Player Integration
37:00 to 41:20
Examine how new players are integrating into the Arsenal system and their impact.
“If you look at his past map, sorry, not his past map, his heat map from this game, and it's really, really classic 10, but the reddest spot is literally on the D, Elliot.”
Eze's Stunning Goal and Its Significance
41:20 to 42:05
Experience the excitement of Eze’s remarkable goal and its implications for the team.
Eze's Stunning Goal and Performance
42:05 to 43:10
Discussion of Eze's remarkable goal and what it means for him.
“in his career and that during the run-in he gets hot, which would be even better for us.”
Declan Rice's Man of the Match Performance
43:10 to 44:10
Analysis of Declan Rice's contributions and why he earned the award.
“It's a beautiful goal, but it's just a Declan Rice game.”
Midfield Dynamics and Team Shape
44:10 to 46:20
Exploration of the midfield's interplay and tactical setup during the match.
“I thought the whole midfield three, that could be the best I've seen, the three of them.”
Understanding Declan Rice's Role
46:20 to 47:30
Insight into how Declan Rice contributes to the team's tactical framework.
“But obviously Rice, I think sometimes on these big charges he's through, when he's driving through, he's always looked to lay it off.”
Looking Ahead and Cup Final Thoughts
47:30 to 48:19
Anticipation of upcoming matches and how recent performances set the stage.
“He has the capacity to be the best player in a game at the best level.”
Victor Jokras Performance Analysis
51:34 to 52:20
Examining Victor Jokras' contributions and effectiveness in the match.
“Let's talk Victor Yorchris just a little bit more.”
Jokras' Role in Team Dynamics
52:20 to 53:55
Discussing how Jokras' involvement impacts the team's overall performance.
“So what did you make of Victor Jokrasz in this game?”
Team Fitness and Performance Peaks
53:55 to 55:37
Insights into team fitness and performance peaks leading up to crucial matches.
“That means we have a, we can't just say he's a low-touch player.”
Yokras' Growth and Future Prospects
55:37 to 56:00
Final thoughts on the growth of Yokras and expectations moving forward.
“in the way game I had worries about our fatigue.”
Assessing Yolkres Performance and Impact
56:00 to 1:00:40
The discussion centers on Yolkres' performance, highlighting his involvement and potential as a striker.
“So the only thing I'm saying is, look, we played a lot of away games too.”
Ben White's Importance and Squad Depth
1:00:40 to 1:04:40
The hosts debate Ben White's contributions to the team and the significance of squad depth in the current season.
“And I think he's done it reasonably well.”
Looking Ahead to the Cup Final
1:04:40 to 1:10:04
The conversation shifts to the upcoming cup final, analyzing Manchester City's current form and potential strategies.
“And when the subs come on, I thought they were all excellent, you know, and they did their jobs.”
Anticipating the Arsenal vs City Match
1:10:04 to 1:12:08
Discuss the evenly matched nature of the upcoming game between Arsenal and City.
“I could even see it going all the way to penalties.”
Tactical Considerations for the Final
1:12:08 to 1:14:34
Explore potential tactical approaches and player selection for the cup final.
“Clive, do you have a feel for who gets picked?”
Saka's Importance and Management
1:14:34 to 1:17:24
Examine Bakayo Saka's role and the importance of management support after a tough game.
“And so I feel confident we've got enough to compete with them.”
Evaluating Saka's Performance
1:17:24 to 1:20:15
Analyze Saka's current performance level and the impact of expectations on his play.
“It's not quite at the level that we're used to.”
Left Wing Strategy Against City
1:20:15 to 1:23:52
Discuss strategic choices for the left wing position and player effectiveness against City.
“So you mentioned that you thought you'd like to see Califiori on in this game so that we can respect the ball, as Liam Ross Sr.”
Tactical Substitutions and Game Strategy
1:24:00 to 1:26:21
Discussing the tactical implications of player substitutions and game strategy for the upcoming match against Manchester City.
“against Leverkusen, very similar to Eza, he kind of just went off the pitch.”
Analyzing Player Roles and Matchups
1:26:21 to 1:28:30
Analyzing specific player roles and how they match up against Manchester City's strengths.
“Maybe Ben White may not start and Timber will start just because of their wide play.”
Emotional Investment in the Cup Final
1:28:30 to 1:30:54
Expressing feelings and investment in the upcoming cup final, recalling past experiences and expectations.
“I mean, one thing that's nice about this is Tuesday to Sunday means you probably could pick the same team if you want again.”
The Importance of Winning Trophies
1:30:54 to 1:33:57
Discussing the significance of winning trophies for Arsenal and the psychological implications of the cup final.
“I think the thing I don't like about the position, because usually this game happens a month earlier, actually.”
Final Thoughts and Future Outlook
1:33:57 to 1:38:01
Concluding thoughts on the cup final and what winning could mean for the team's future.
“And I promise you, I promise, if we do it, everyone's going to go out and get horrifically drunk.”
Anticipating the Cup Final
1:38:01 to 1:38:15
Discussion on the excitement and expectations for the upcoming cup final at Wembley.
“But either way, it's going to be a lot of fun to go to Wembley, to see a cup final, to have a chance to get one over on City and to win our first trophy of the season.”
Upcoming Podcast Plans
1:38:15 to 1:38:33
Overview of upcoming episodes including a Champions League review and a preview of the cup final.
“We're going to do a little bit of a preview of this after we've had manager chat and stuff on Friday night, Clive.”
Transcript
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1:18It's Rice. What a goal! Declan Rice with an absolute rocket with a free kick. Arsenal League 1-0. Cut inside. Saka! Sublime finish. He's back with a bang with Fukuyo Saka 1-0. Unbelievable. The teams that allegedly defrauded the football world for years crashed out of the Champions League last night. But unfortunately, the team that's good at corners got through. This is the Arsenal Vision Post-Match Podcast. My name's Elliot Smith. You can buy me on Twitter at InkGunner. Hello, everybody. Thanks for being here. The good guys won last night. I mean, I know we're not the good guys. The team that's good at corners and defends well is not the good guys.
1:57You know, we need to look at the teams that committed, allegedly, years and years of financial crimes and malfeasance. Those teams didn't get through, unfortunately. But the team that's good at corners did. We're in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. on to Lisbon as Bodo glimped their way out of the Champions League. No Arctic Circle journey for Arsenal, which is great. And now everybody scrambles to say, wait a minute, all of a sudden I think I would like to go see Arsenal away in the quarterfinals of the Champions League. We've got a cup final coming up. We're going to try to focus on that a bit today.
2:32What we're going to probably do today is talk about the Champions League, a bit of a cup final preview. Tomorrow, for patrons, we'll do a Champions League roundup covering all the games that haven't yet been played as the time of this recording. And then on Friday, we'll have a Friday night, Clive, where we really properly get stuck into the cup final. And then we'll have an instant reaction. And Tim has some fun ideas of what we can do post-cup final. So we're going to have some cool content coming out after that. So hope you can join us for all that. As a reminder, we'll be in D.C. the weekend of April 11th.
2:58The official details will come out later this week when we have the final confirmation of the timing of the Bournemouth game. We'll be in D.C. April 11th. There'll be a nationwide event around that and give you more information around that if you want to be a part of that. And with that, I can tell you that I love you so much. I brought you two wonderfully insightful gentlemen to talk about Arsenal for me on my behalf and for you. One of them is Tim. Hello, Tim. Hello, there. And the other is Clive. Hello, Clive. Hello, hello. If you find Paul wonderfully insightful, you can check out the instant reaction last night.
3:28Okay, let's just talk a little bit about getting through. And Tim, the interesting thing for me with this is everybody loved it. It was a good performance. It was dominant. It looked like the arsenal we kind of remember ourselves to be and have frequently been in the Champions League this season. And yet, it felt very perfunctory. It felt very as shrug of the shoulders as qualification for the quarterfinals of the Champions League can feel. And I'm wondering what that says about where we are as a club right now, that we can get to a stage of the Champions League that had actually been eluding us for a while and just feel like it was expected.
4:04Yeah, I was reflecting on that actually earlier, just thinking about, you know, we weren't in this competition for years. We couldn't qualify and we tried and tried and we were trying to push that boulder uphill. And now we treat qualification at all as something very, very perfunctory because that's not a conversation we've even been in for a couple of years. But even getting to the quarterfinals, this is the third straight year. You look at all of the kind of data, as it were, which I'll preface this by saying I know that is not as important as having the trophy in your hands, and that is the step we all want to take.
4:40But you look at the last three years, the level of performance has been really, really high. Really high. Yes, we do have to take that next step and get that trophy in our hands. But this kind of reminds me of the league, where I always kind of say with the league title, in this era where you're competing with nation-states who might redacted, redacted, redacted. The whole thing, and I think Liverpool have taught us this, compete every year. Just make sure you compete every year and there'll be a year it falls for you. And I think the Champions League has always kind of been like that. Keep getting to quarterfinals, keep getting to semifinals, go to the final and there'll be a year it drops for you eventually.
5:22We've never really done that before in our history. Even under Arsene Wenger, we got to that one final. Did we get to one other semifinal under Arsene in 2009? and obviously the goalposts have shifted in European football the Premier League has a financial dominance and we're not as at risk of losing our players etc etc so I wasn't having like a cheap shot at Arsene Wenger there but it just kind of feels like we are in that mode at the moment where you keep going to the latter stages and and it will it will come for you one year whether it's this year or the next or the one after that and um I'm with you I felt that this was I think this felt even more perfunctory because most of our games are not.
6:07Most of our games, and I think that's one of the stories of the season for me, is that we have to usually work incredibly bloody hard to win a game because we're a pretty starless team. We've got a lot of good players, spread of attributes, but we're not a team who has a star that wins us. At least from an attacking standpoint. Yeah, yeah. Like seven to ten games. We don't have 1-0 Mo Salah eight times a season, you know. So we have to work really hard to win every game. Whereas this, this felt perfunctory because we created a lot. I think a lot more than the XG really shows you. This to me felt like the goals were spectacular, but they felt like they were coming to me.
6:53And even in the Everton game, I didn't feel like that. So there's, I feel like something happened on Saturday that felt like a bump, as it were. And it's a question now of how long we can make that last for. Yeah. And Clive, I think there's an interesting dynamic developing here, which is last season, our whole season became defined by our run in the Champions League. Because other things hadn't really fallen for us the way we necessarily would have wanted them to. and we drew Madrid and we drew PSG and I thought we did really well under the circumstances with the players we had available and what was happening and we know what happened there.
7:30This season, we aren't defining our season by the Champions League because of what else is on offer and yet we have a pathway that makes this never-before-one competition more accessible to us than maybe it had been previously. And so I wonder how you think about progressing to meet sporting with a chance to get to the semifinal in this competition and the extent to which maybe it not being the only thing we're focusing on is a positive to help us kind of see it as the next game up instead of our everything. Because I think players really measure themselves by the Champions League. I think it's a competition that actually really matters to them.
8:11But it's just becoming the next game, given everything we have coming up, you know? Yeah, I would argue that point. I don't think the Champions League is all and everything. I think the league is all and everything. That just could be my personal desires to win the league. Can I ask you, do you think the players would feel that way too? Yeah, yeah. I think they're in next game mentality and you have to be. When you're in four competitions, I don't think you can sit there and say, I want to be defined by one. There's a massive opportunity in the Champions League that we haven't seen before. and the nature of how we play really suits cup competitions, it's going to have to take a really good side to beat us over two legs, in particular when we've done so well in the league phase, to enable us to have a second leg at home.
8:59And the way Arsenal present those match days, they are becoming really nice events, where the crowd is fully engaged, the fireworks pre-game, the whole feeling is really, really positive. and so we've got a really strong opportunity, stronger than ever really, for the most of you, knowing where we are, knowing how we play, knowing, I mean Elliot, if anything, I can't wait till you ask me a question about what we did, play style, et cetera, et cetera, I've got it all in my head, just what we're doing around the game of football with the players that we have and the absolute focus of them in every single action opens up everything, why would you then say I'm going to be defined by one competition?
9:42I think players from a sporting participation point of view, they want to be at the elite level. And that means you need to be in a Champions League competition. And I think that's where we are and that's where we'll be next year and potentially the next few years. So we become a destination of choice for many, many people. So yeah, I think being in a competition is absolutely fine. but it's alongside the league, this club and this set of players will be judged and remembered for winning either of those two trophies. But for me, it's the league, but I can be argued, and it's personal choice for each individual listening.
10:19Yeah, I guess it's not so much that I want the Champions League more than the league, and I can make a pretty cogent argument for why the league is more important this season, because I think if we don't get the league over the line, given the position we've found ourselves in, a lot of the doubts and questions that have previously been raised will be raised quite loudly and will be harder to rebut this time around. So I would like to win the league, first of all, because it's been too long, 22 years, and also because we've been so close, and I just think if you're also rands for too long, that can wreck a project.
10:51There's other years to go win the Champions League. It's just we've never had a draw like this, and had we gotten this draw last season, I think we win the Champions League. I think we wind up facing Inter or maybe even PSG in a final and a one-off, I think, with nothing else to focus on. maybe we have a chance to win it, but we'll just have to see. Each one of these competitions has to be navigated. We're in no position to throw any of them away now. And that does create a next game up dynamic that can be helpful because you almost have other outs. You know what I mean? Well, we got this next game, but we're in three other competitions.
11:22So you can just keep going. What you don't want is to be in one. It all feels like it can go down the drain with one poor result. So I think it's a good position to be in. And a last thought just on last night, generally, Tim, and then Clive, I've got some big tactical questions for you on what we did last night. I thought there were some really exciting things about our performance. But looking at what happened to City and Chelsea, I mean, couldn't have happened to two nicer clubs. At a time when we are being talked about as the villains of football, it is a reminder that Chelsea received a suspended transfer ban and a slap on the wrist fine for years of financial impropriety and fraud, which they self-reported, to be fair.
12:00But, you know, the ill-begotten gains of Roman Abramovich invested in that club to win them Champions League's titles. They have admitted to the guilt of what they did. And they got smoked 8-2 on aggregate, lost badly at home. City have not admitted to anything. They have alleged to breach many, many of the financial rules that govern football. They got smoked at home, going down to 10 men, losing 2-1 and crashing out with a heavy lost to a very mediocre Real Madrid team, I think it's fair to call them. So a nice little comeuppance for those teams. And I wonder how you think about just that moment of Arsenal sweeping through to stay in four competitions while being talked about as the villains of football, while the actual villains of football got pretty nicely humiliated in this round.
12:47Yeah, let me start by saying I think the I use the word punishment advisedly for Chelsea as a disgrace. It's an absolute disgrace. um you know i i think i've i've said before on this podcast i used to work in fraud investigation at the beginning of my career it is something i care about it's not just because it's chelsea and a consistent frustration is how how um crime or impropriety or financial impropriety of millions and millions and millions of pounds when it's committed by people with millions of pounds people don't care about it and that's that's something that is just i it blows my mind that people don't care about it um but i i think ultimately for all the kind of self-reporting and all of that some of the reasons are wafer thin like oh uh psr and all of this it's like oh how much did you sell those players for uh remind me and you know you got into the club world cup which paid you you know tens and tens of millions of pounds on the back of like it's it's really really weak stuff ultimately i'd put this to you elliot do you think chelsea think that is worth it what they did of course it's worth it they've got of course it's worth it if you told them that in 2008 you'll get a 10 million pound fine and you won't be able to buy an academy kid for a year do you think they'd take it they would shake your excuse my language said shake your fucking hand off for that deal and that's a disgrace well let me just say one thing on that tim because it's to your point it's not just that they won a couple titles in a couple champions leagues i'm sure for the fans that alone is worth it it is the scale the global scale of that club's brand today because of that victory chelsea was not this size globally chelsea would be sitting with a lot of these other once fabled clubs trying to figure out who they want to be in modern football were it not for that era of success and that era of success was built on fraud right so that fraud didn't just win them trophies that fraud changed their brand and provided a sustainable model now not sustainable they just lost almost 400 million pounds but you know what i mean a model to being one of the biggest clubs in the world and being in that group which they would not have been had they not committed yeah and the idea that because the owners are different the club is now different i mean it is kind of different do you know what i mean like almost like the club just started again not true um so yeah i think it's a disgrace i think it's a i think it bodes very very badly for anything else that's about to come and i think you know a lot of clubs would look at that and go yeah that's kind of worth it that's worth it um but leaving that aside so yes i will always enjoy chelsea getting thrashed quite frankly um but i enjoyed it even more i wasn't really across the man city game um quite as much but um yeah and it's it's interesting isn't it because every year like there's a week or two ago it was like oh the premier league teams are dominating the champions league there's six of them in the round of 16 completely justifiable conversation by the way about is that the way this competition should be going is you know is the premier league too powerful for the other i think that's perfectly justifiable and interesting conversation but here we are like a week later and it's like uh the premier league teams can't compete because you know the league's too difficult and and all of that um but but what it shows to me and and some of these teams came up against good teams as well psg are defending champions they're no jokers right and and they've just been sitting there like they always do just biding their time for this time of the season to come around and similar for real madrid as well like we we talk about big leagues i think we have to stop talking about uh sorry about that my ad blocker just came up don't don't block the show it's not an ad no there will be ads for some reason my ad blocker has just decided to give me like this massive pop-up which i really didn't want um anyway uh thanks for blocking all of those ads but not blocking yourself but i i think what it kind of shows and and look real madrid as well in this competition so yeah i was talking about we talk about big leagues but really it's not big leagues anymore it's the premier league and big clubs Bayern Real Madrid PSG probably Barcelona and some of the Premier League teams are facing those clubs Barcelona Real Madrid PSG they've all been drawn in there um so you know it's a little bit of happenstance but I think what it shows as well is I mean first of all Arsenal did their work in the group stage which is a big reason they got the draw they got yep but at the same time I think it just shows how adaptable Arsenal are to any type of opponent.
17:25That to me is the story of this season. People have decided to obsess about corners. Again, justifiable conversation. We're very good at them. Lots of teams are very good at them. There is increased focus, but there's 10 other things we do really well that people are ignoring. And I think that's why, you know, listen, we might be carrying the coefficient on our shoulders. So everyone better get on their knees, kiss our feet and hope we win the thing. If you root for a team that's potentially going to finish fifth, you better be rooting for Arsenal at this point. Let me just say it that way. And by the way, if this was the Real Madrid Vision podcast, we'd be having a very interesting conversation about whether Mbappe and Jude Bellingham not being available has helped them play a more collective style of football.
18:06But setting that aside, Clive, your thoughts on this before we get into the specific game that Arsenal football played on this Arsenal Vision post-match podcast? Talks on what exactly, the Chelsea aspect or the play style? Just the Chelsea and City getting humiliated, the sort of dynamic of what's happened last night. And obviously we don't have the benefit of what's about to happen later today. And by the time you listen to this, it's maybe happened already. Yeah, the Chelsea stuff sticks with me. I'm not a fan of them. I remember when Eden Hazard was going to Chelsea, actually I thought he was going to Arsenal, depending on what paper he read at the time.
18:40And that move alone changed their history. He became player of the year. has won everything ended up at Real Madrid they made 90 million quid from me I think they bought him for like 32 million quid Chelsea's value as an entity has grown with those players on boarded I feel for the smaller clubs I feel for the Forests the Sheffield Wednesdays the Evertons even the area where I grew up Luton Town got some significant significant punishment that ended up in non-league they were just dismissed away I don't know the intricacies of all those cases off the top of my head, but I do know one thing is the common trend.
19:20The smaller clubs get dealt with differently to the bigger clubs. And that's the trend you can take from it. And it just may... We suffer a lot. We suffer a lot of negative press because we're a big club and we haven't won the league for 22 years. There's a reason why I haven't won the league for 22 years, because the two clubs that got charges against them have won a lot of the trophies in that period. And they have have lived under a different financial climate, and we've had to do it another way. And there's just not enough focus on that for me. There's not enough thought process because they're too scared.
19:56There's too many lawyers calling them up saying, don't you dare. And so the people rather focus on the minutiae of our play and without even looking at the wider game. It's a very frustrating position to be in at the moment, but not massively. And I want people to listen to this bit. don't get don't get hung up by it because I promise you there's so much more joy around than that and I think we need to not let this I know you're not saying this Elliot not let this take away from the joy because I'm not sure if we're going to get there I'll tell you something I've been watching this club for a long long time and I can't remember I can't remember feeling like this about a team you know the completeness of this team we could We could draw a blank in a big game and it all go wrong.
20:43But there's something really interesting happening. And I want to look at that. And in the rest of the world, we'll have to look around and eventually respect us and go from there. But, yeah, this is just the world we live in at the moment with Man City and Chelsea. People are not prepared to challenge them. They're scared to challenge them. Man City in particular, they've got significant funds. they can take you to court for as long as you like and they can burn your money which they've already done to the Premier League they can just get fatigued to be their chief ally and wear us all down to the point where we just don't care no one cares about them anymore no one cares about Chelsea what they've done anymore that moment's gone well I care and I know Tim we speak about this before Tim's been to those grounds all those strong teams and walked out of that ground with a towel between his legs no one cared about how their Arsenal fans are feeling on that day were getting smashed around London.
21:40Mate, we're beating Chelsea regular now. Mate, we need to keep it going. Keep beating them. Make sure that shift never goes back to where it was. Yeah, and right now, it certainly doesn't look like it's going anywhere. And to your point, we are approaching a point where it feels like this could become one of the more joyous celebratory seasons, maybe of all time, but certainly in recent memory. And I'm sure as hell, not going to let it be ruined because Jamie Carragher didn't say enough nice stuff about us. So, you know, it is what it is, man. I'm going to enjoy it, and we're lucky to have this community because it helps us enjoy it.
22:15So, Clive, getting into the game itself, this was a really, really strong performance from Arsenal. Ben White coming in to start was great to see. Leo was fit to start again. And Gaffier comes back into the starting lineup to play his old team. Jokras up front, you know, good, strong lineup and a good, strong performance. And two things that I really noticed about this that I want to talk to you about tactically. We won the return of Arsenal's press as a way to generate not just change of possession, but chances they were giving us the ball because we were so organized. And then maybe a little bit about what Leo's introduction does and the way he comes in and makes the extra man in midfield.
22:51Rice goes out wide. There were some really interesting dynamics around where players were playing. And if you think that that maybe helps Jokras look better, if it helps Eza look more involved, Zinchenko, Zubamendi, you had a great game. So lots of dynamics there, but the press and the, the positioning of some of our players in midfield was really interesting to me. Anything there that you, that you wanted to cover? Yeah, I think we looked like we had the right technical balance in the team. You know, you have to remember that European football is different. I think your ability on the ball is really important in these games, you know, to manage the ball, excuse me, have change of pace, for example.
23:34Yep. Yep. Agree with that as he vamps to cover your cough. Change of pace is really important. The narrowness by which we defend. So when they're going down the middle, right, so we have a turn-on possession, we squeeze in from the sides really nicely. I thought Trashard and Saka did that really well. And sometimes when you're in the ground and you can see their wing-backs on the touchdown, you're thinking, oh, come on, should we mark them? Should we mark them? You know what? They're further away from the goal. As that ball travels out there, you travel out there. But make sure you protect your middle.
24:03I thought we were really, really good. But also when we're looking to expand, we can expand quite close together. So we can go one, two, three, then we go. So your defensive positioning allows you to attack depending on when you retrieve the ball. So I thought in this game, I thought almost every player had a good game. And if you close your eyes and say to yourself, okay, what's the Hink-Happy game? He played it. Same for Trossard. Nice and neat, nice and narrow. go for the whole team every one of them in their positions had that game which almost is their identity Ben White had a not a charging game but his passing game was really really good Saka had a really strong strong game a strong data game look at the numbers again he's really really high if you you know whether you like Jokeres or not did he have a Jokeres game yes he did he got a couple of shots look how many sprints he made look how much distance he covered and every one of them had a game that you can Look at Raya.
25:05At the moment, the skedger makes a flying save. Every one of them has something in this game. And it's all underpinned by our ability off the ball. Back to your press. The ability off the ball is what separates this team. It's the ability off the ball which separates it from previous generations of our Tetris arsenal. the first time I saw this intensity and relentlessness close up was the Forrest at home game this season and we were 3-0 up and you'd have thought we were 3-0 down the players were charging around trying to get that ball back it was just relentless and that is what's so interesting about us and you mentioned Jamie Carragher earlier and I have to make this point because I thought he did a fantastic analysis on Liverpool and Monday Night Football and he's literally he's calling out Liverpool's front four.
25:57He's calling them out for walking, not pressing. You compare them to last year with certain players in that front line that worked a lot harder. Longer they're this year. They're not working as hard. They're separated as a group. They're not as compact and they're 21 points behind Arsenal. They come to the Arsenal analysis and all I want to do is count corners. I'm thinking, hold on a minute. You are literally telling me the opposite of what Arsenal are today. There are no walkers in our team. Whether they're playing bad or not, no one walks. everyone presses everyone works look at the dual numbers for Saka at the moment off the scale look at the dual numbers for Trosso somebody who I previously called weak who wasn't interested outside the game look at the dual numbers for Eze every one of them is upping it off the ball and it's creating an on the ball game which is very transitional quite quickly we do not need to own the football to own the game and I'm sitting there in my seat thinking we haven't got the ball but I'm alright because everyone's standing in the right place and when we go we go and we press and we go and get it off and we press as a unit it is slick it is absolutely slick it's the sort of game that could travel anywhere if you have those principles you can go anywhere in the world with that and challenge a team in the end i felt we overpowered them overcame them outrun them till they were discouraged and start losing patience and peanut ball four because our press and our compactness and our recovery running lines and our abilities just spring into shape really, really quickly offensively.
27:28Basie Elliott just overcame that team until the gap was significant. And I will give them praise. I thought they were organized and decent at a decent exit, but they ran out of power for me. They couldn't keep up. Yeah. I mean, they'd conceded just nine times in their last 14 matches with seven clean sheets. It's an organized team that has found their rhythm of knowing how to play defensive football, good organized defensive football. But if you ask Leverett, Kusen boss, Casper Hulman, what he thought of his side's performance. He said, in the first half, we made too many mistakes in our buildup.
28:00Arsenal put a lot of pressure on us. I mean, that really is what I think starts to unlock this game for us, right? Is that off the ball pressure. I do want to continue with you, Tim, before we get into some of the individual moments on this idea, though, of how we're using players differently, because we've seen the Yoko Ress and Martinelli combination not always look particularly good, especially with Incappier on there as well. In this game, it was Leo. And at times, he was in our half, picking the ball up off of Zubimendi or off the center backs while Rice was out on the left-hand side and Incappier was up the pitch.
28:40And I do think that, first of all, creates complexity for the opposition on who you're going to follow if you're trying to go man-to-man or if you're trying to maintain your positional discipline. but it just seemed to make it, I think, simpler for certain players. I think it clarified things for Zubimendi on where his next pass was, where he needed to be. I think it clarifies things for Jokeres, right, who doesn't have to try to combine. He can focus on his runs. So what do you think of that? The dynamic, Clive talked about the right technical level on the pitch, you know, the technical players that were there.
29:10I really thought that was noticeable from an on-the-ball standpoint as opposed to, you know, the excellent work we did off the ball. Yeah, I think there's so many elements of this game that are so interesting. I think, first of all, we got a good look at them in the first leg. And it makes me wonder about some of our Premier League games this season. If like Forest, for example, in January, we get a second leg against them a week later, where we've had a chance to really dissect how they defend, the places they go and all of that, and see what we could do to teams when we get a second chance, a second leg.
29:44I think there are a lot of things that were quite deliberate, obviously, about the starting lineup. Leverkusen, they remind me a lot of Villa when Villa are good under Unai Emery. Lots of centrality, lots of lines of pass. They have almost that kind of 2-2-2 kind of shape with the wingbacks on the outside. They don't really play with wingers so much. And that caused us trouble last week. They had three lines of pass. and I actually didn't go to the game. I gave the ticket to my wife and so I watched on TV and on TNT, Karen Carney did a really good analysis of how Leverkusen gave us problems in the first leg and quite often it would be, you know, there'd be Leverkusen play with the ball and straight line, there'd be three of them and we're kind of not really used to that in the Premier League but I felt like we were ready for that this time and I felt, for example, the selection of Hincapier it felt to me like Hincapier and Saka you guys get out on the touch lines make the pitch nice and wide Ben White was coming in quite a lot obviously Trossard was coming in it's quite interesting that Trossard didn't start against Everton did he?
30:58have I got that right? was it Marzinelli? you didn't so we played Calafuri because he's going to come in field and you know Madueke is going to play on the outside whereas this game Trossard's going to come in field so Hincapier played probably like he did Leverkusen as a wingback really like really on that touchline and he was superb by the way particularly defensively as well at the moment and so it just felt to me like we had Saka and Hincapier nice and wide and then it just felt to me we're a bit like if you guys are going to bunch up the middle we're going to bunch up the middle too and our players are better than yours basically so it you won't find superiorities you won't find overloads we'll match you up and our players will beat your players and it's that simple and i felt what really impressed me about this game was because this is exactly how i expected the tie to go right i thought the first leg would be tight nervy maybe one one maybe we get out there with a two one but that we'd deal with them at home and after 10 minutes i revisited that and i was expecting this game to be tough don't get me wrong i respect leverkusen but after 10 minutes i was like oh this feels like it's going to be a slog again and then it just wasn't like I think we really got to grips with what the game was what the game was offering the spaces we need to get into and after that I just don't think we look back we started stacking shots and I thought this was one of our most impressive performances of the season and if you are rating Arsenal's top five performances of the season so far I'm going to say three of them would probably be in the Champions League yeah yeah and maybe that's just because those are the games where you can play a style of football that allows your dominance to result in more end product.
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32:44Teams want to come play you. They have to come play you. And as a result, you can get maybe better games, the kind of games the neutral says that they want to see. Per Opta, there are 12 shots on target is the most for us this season in any competition. And per Harvey Downs, Arsenal have now won 37 games in all competitions this season, as many as the Invincibles won across all competitions in 03-04. and obviously we've got a long way to go still. There were some moments that this could have gotten a little bit trickier. The one that jumps out to me is in the 26th minute at 0-0, Grimaldo finds Terrier.
33:22Terrier finds Grimaldo into the box. They kind of take everybody out of the play. Rice got bypassed, and Piero and Capier comes all the way from the left-hand side all the way to the right channel. I guess if you're looking at it from the attack standpoint, all the way from the right-hand side all the way to the left channel and makes a really important challenge. And I just want to call it out because it's sort of from the side and from behind. He's kind of got to wrap his leg around. He takes the ball cleanly. If he doesn't, it could be a penalty. It could be a red card. It could be a goal-scoring chance.
33:55So a phenomenal moment of recovery from Incappier. Reminds me a little bit against Everton when he made that phenomenal recovery run after Rice had lost the ball. So defensively, you know, he's really showing not just quality but awareness. But for me, Clive, this game is a textbook example of how you can play better than the opposition, but someone's got to score a goal from something. Leo had chances he didn't convert. Gabby had chances from corners that he didn't convert. But it takes a moment of magic. The only downside of Eza's sensational moment of magic is that it takes away from what I thought was an overall sensational game from Eberachia Eza.
34:32It wasn't just that one moment. He was killing people with turns on the ball and driving it forward and no-touch turns and dummies. He was all over it. But the goal itself is, of course, the highlight of the game. So you want to tell me your reaction to watching that live and as his performance overall? I don't know how you can find a downside to that goal, mate. Well, it steals all the headlines, even from the player himself. That goal, to watch his ascension in comfort in the team has been really good. and for him not to try to be somebody else, but that's he just tried to be a better version of him.
35:09He could easily stay at the Palace, right? Play every single week, score a lot of the goals. Don't bother running back because they're going to give you the ball in space anyway. They're going to do that work. Or you come to Arsenal and you get questioned, you get challenged. You have to work like everybody else. You have to learn different systems, different pressing schemes. You have to own the 10 position on your own, not as part of two 10s. and you have to come to a big club which every time you put one foot out of place is going to be highlighted amongst millions and millions of people and he took that route the harder route to become an elite footballer and now I'm reading England's squad it's been written down and he's in all of them because any coach watching him now can trust him in all phases of the game which is on, ball, off, ball and in transition he was always smart and on the ball and in transition but now he's smart off the ball which means he's working into a team into a team ethic at the very very highest level both tactically physically he's got it and his intelligence is really really high it takes a lot you know to come into this group with big players around big players that own our attack you know Saka, Odegaard, Havert these are big players right they own the ball Zubmendi's coming he owns it you've got to come in and join that and people expect you to do something you're the big money signing don't forget you're the one that costs the most money you're 27 you know the league come on then what you got what you got you know what's your position how you gonna dominate where you gonna play well I was standing next to Jokre for the first phase that's what the manager told me to do and that was fine but now he's doing everything he needs to do he's dropping deep going left going right creating relationships all over the pitch he's helping Jokre when he needs to he's working off the ball when he needs to and he's finding himself on that D.
37:00If you look at his past map, sorry, not his past map, his heat map from this game, and it's really, really classic 10, but the reddest spot is literally on the D, Elliot. It's right there on the D. And so he's managing to be everywhere we need him to be, but also be a threat to the goal, which for me is what a number 10 needs to be. You know, that's the profile that I like at the moment, but it changes. Well, it doesn't work. we want something else we want something else and I think that's the nature of modern football and I'm already thinking ahead to the City game and I think tactically in this game we were perfect but we were very transparent in what we did we can all see it every single player we can all see what they did what they liked doing how they played what our patterns were I thought we read Leverkusen's patterns really well particularly on their exits and counter-press and won the ball and I know the Man City laptop boys of watching that game last night.
37:59And even though I loved every bit about it, I think we have to make changes for the weekend. We have to show a different face. I think it's really important because you can't assume that the same thing is going to happen. I just don't think it will. But Eze, for me, he's here now, isn't he? He's here. And he's developing his own identity and it's great. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, it's just a sensational game. There was the moment where he he takes the ball and sort of spins away from Tapsoba and just a beautiful moment there. The ball winds up with Saka and there could have been a chance there. There was the other one where he drove all the way into the box.
38:37I think he should have played in Saka that time, but decides to keep it on his left and his shot gets blocked at the last minute. Even that's good though, Elliot, isn't it? That he's not deferring. And like he's taking that shot and after that, I think he had to go off, didn't he? I thought, what's he done? Did he kick the floor or something? But he had to go off. He says he's okay, by the way. Yeah, he did. I could see from the ground he was doing interviews standing there. I thought, well, he's not doing that if he's injured. So I thought he was going to be fine. But even that alone, to say, I'm not passing to the top boy.
39:05He's mate. I'm going to dummy that, use him, and smack it bottom, call him my left. He just got blocked out. Yeah. I mean, everybody's reaction. The Williams-Saliva reaction to his goal was sensational. I loved his celebration. Can you imagine scoring that goal to unlock a Champions League round of 16 tie? You scored that goal, and your only reaction is to just grab your shirt and pull up the badge and look at it and walk away smirking. He is the definition of chill. He just has all the chill. You know when they say, that person has no chill? Everett has all the chill. Just stunning. It's funny, you know, I watched him again because I was watching on TV.
39:53I watched when they were walking out for the second half and obviously the camera was on him. And he had a real stride on him, you know. There was a bounce in that step. And it reminded me a lot of, I don't know if you saw this clip, it was really funny, but on Sky, they asked Daniel Sturridge, you know, as a kind of joke about the Max Dalman goal. They were like, you know, how would you be walking into school on the Monday and he kind of just like he actually acted out the walk he would do and like as it kind of looked like he was doing that it was it was like almost catwalking it was like okay yeah like to borrow your phrase Clive he's he's arrived and not just because of that goal he had several shots on Saturday he has a volley a couple of minutes earlier which is low which was on its way as well but that was blocked I mean I think if he'd have done this volley for that first one he had taken someone's head off.
40:44I think it was just as well that there was nobody in the way. Otherwise, there'd be a Leverkusen defender's severed head sitting in someone's back garden in M5. But it just, it feels, doesn't it, like him and Jochrez, I know we'll probably come on to talk about him. They feel like part of the team now. It doesn't just look like they're, when I say they're standing there, I've never questioned the effort of either player, but it's not like we're waiting for maybe them to do something or maybe a shot will come like we're not waiting for things to happen for them or to them like they're part of how we play now and it doesn't mean they always get everything perfect but that they just they look like part of the team and maybe this is just the way with attackers that it does take attackers a few months in a way that probably it doesn't for defenders because defenders it's much more stand there and when the ball comes here stand there whereas with attackers there's rotations different teams do different things and yeah but with as a you know you guys have talked to the last couple of podcasts about the need for a hero at the moment is someone going to pick this thing up and win us a couple of these trophies and not saying as a definitely will but he's well placed at the moment isn't he yeah and I mean there is a lot of data by the way that shows that as a has been a second half player in his career and that during the run-in he gets hot, which would be even better for us.
42:13Yeah, the reactions to his goal were sensational. Obviously, William Saliba went nuts, Troussard. It's an amazing goal. You can see his qualities as well in and around the box, the way he takes that shot with a lot of confidence in how it goes in. It's one of those goals you only score, I don't know, maybe once or twice in your career, so credit to him. Ezza on his goal, quote, I don't know if I could dream of scoring a goal like that, to be fair. It was a good goal. I just saw the opportunity to shoot, and I'm thankful to God that it worked today. It's a special goal for sure, and I'm going to remember it for a long time.
42:39Hopefully it's the first of many in the Champions League for me. I'm going to be watching this one for a long time. It was really, really stunning. A bit reminiscent of Thierry Henry's famous goal against Manchester United, of course. That's been referenced. The way it flies in, the speed that it flies in with that gives the keeper no chance, just so impressive and a phenomenal all-around game. And yet, despite that stunning goal, the UEFA observer did not award Ebrecha Eza, the man of the match award because he awarded it to Declan Rice, Clive and Declan Rice scored a goal that I think is Declan Rice summed up it's a ball recovery where he's quick off the spot to see where the ball's going uses his athleticism and is in his instincts to get to the spot, get the ball take it down, uses his technical level to get it under control and pass it in just about shaving the post on its way in.
43:38Inch perfect. It's a beautiful goal, but it's just a Declan Rice game. His corner delivery was good, as was Saka's, by the way. His pressing was elite, his defensive recovery, and he scores a goal like that. So he winds up man of the match. What are your thoughts on Rice's performance? Yeah, he's all right, isn't he? He's not bad. But for what it's worth, I don't think he's been at his absolute best recently. So this was really, really nice to see. Like I say, almost every player had a really, really good game. True. If you look at it in units, right? So I've got to mention, I thought him and Zubimendi were excellent in this game.
44:12I thought the way they manipulated him. I thought the whole midfield three, that could be the best I've seen, the three of them. You know, the way they interlinked, the way they covered for each other, the way they all worked off the ball, but on the ball they were really silky, undercarrying for Zubimendi and Rice. Rice always does it, but Zubimendi hasn't done it lately and people have been after him. Well, I just keep my mouth shut, really, because the manager keeps picking him and I just let other people get there in their own time. Because I think he's absolutely critical to what we do. And so, yeah, Rice does his stuff.
44:45He does his open play stuff. Stuff you can just see. You can't miss him. He does big strides, big intervention, momentum changer. Exactly what you need in a game. Crow can see him. Incappy's got a bit of that. Big space, big tackle, big run, big cross. It's all big. You can't miss him, right? Cult hero stuff. when you can see that. The players are a bit more intricate. Maybe take a little bit longer to view. But if you look at the data around these two, I will talk to both of them because I just can't help but they were classic double pivot in this game and the shape of the team was that box down the middle a little bit with Trossard inside, with Eze inside.
45:22Jokeres and Saka as your forwards really, reference point, different types of reference point. Saka as a standing target, hit me in my feet or hit me off the angle on the side. And then Jokic being a running target, but also a post-up target. You've got your two forward reference points and you have your ballers in the middle of the pitch. And Rice just interlinking it all, being the glue to the team, gives you a level of security. Sometimes, you know, when he rests at it, he rests in a position that protects the team. But when he goes, he goes. He goes wherever he likes, knowing that other people will cover for him.
45:56So he has got a framework to be the player he wants to be. And I know people want to see him in positions where he can defend and do big defenders so we can do more attackers. I actually thought the framework for this team in this game is underpinned by Rice and Supermendy and the two centre-backs. And I thought it was a great example of the four of them working together. But obviously Rice, I think sometimes on these big charges he's through, when he's driving through, he's always looked to lay it off. and sometimes he dummies and checks it off to a trust file and things like that and I've often felt in my seat mate just shoot just shoot you know and um on this one he shot and there's more goals to come and when that happens there'll be no trophy individual trophy that he can't have if you start scoring a little bit more you know and because he's got everything else these guys yeah yeah i i still think that teams win big things because they have a great team and great tactics great management right a little bit of luck all that stay fit but it's also because they usually have a couple globally elite levels of talent and those globally elite levels of talent, propel them to something special.
47:15I think we have that in Saliba. I think we have it in Gabrielle. I think we have it in Saka. I think we have it in maybe Eza. There are players that have it, but maybe, maybe the one above all of them is Declan Rice. He has the capacity to be the best player in a game at the best level. And there is just really no getting away from that. Mikel Arteta, when he arrived, called him a lighthouse player. And he has lived up to that and more so. I mean, he has made that comment make sense through the way he plays. I do want to touch on Ben White. I think his return is important. We can talk a little bit about a couple little moments in this game.
48:06Victor Jokras' performance is worth a chat too, I think, a little bit more, especially in light of the fact that he's now going to go back to Sporting Lisbon. Well, not on a transfer, just for the next round of the Champions League. And we have to look ahead to the cup final. So all of those things still to come. But how could you enjoy those things if you did not know the correct brands to provide your business and to improve your life. And of course, we're going to tell you those things because we love you and we care about you and we want you to be in a good place. And so we start with factor meals.
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51:53But I think we saw in this game really the highlight of what he can do even in a game where he doesn't score. Occupying center backs with great runs, good physicality, great link-up play. He was involved. He was threatening. He was creating space for the other attackers so that when Leo would get on the end of something for a shot, He had driven those defenders all the way back into their goal mouth. I love this Jokrasz performance. And he's going to be facing his old team in the next round, which I'm sure he's relishing. So what did you make of Victor Jokrasz in this game? Yeah, he was my stock rising for the game.
52:27I think what's happening here is, if you look at the first game, I thought he started that one in Leverkusenov really, really well. But after a while, we stopped giving the balls to him. Remember we got the center back on the booking? and then in the first game he had him, he had him on token for some reason we stopped feeding him in this game I think we fed him a lot more he looked sharp, he looked quick I think he knew he had those centre-backs and he wanted to run them and I also had a very good view of Ben White's, I think Sleba tried a couple over top curlers and went a bit straight sometimes you can see the trajectory from North Bank end, but Ben White had a lovely curling pass, he curled it out to come back in and Jokre's got on the end of it and I think once he can see his role and we start playing to him and didn't ignore him I think he was really really quite good so I I thought he massively took hold of people took hold of their centre-backs but I could sense a relationship Elliot with the team and not just he needs someone near him I can sense that more people are giving him the ball I think Trostard always likes giving the ball Ben White gives him the ball and Eze is getting closer to him and I just think we fed him a little bit more you know touches we talk a lot about touches and I think sometimes we maybe over index it but I the games I don't like from him are like 15 to 20 touches the games I really like from him are like 30 touches plus you know and so what does that tell you he just needs to have a little bit more involvement anything around 30 to 40 touches his best game is probably in the early 40s means he's in it.
54:11That means we have a, we can't just say he's a low-touch player. We have to make sure we use him. Even if it's only to stretch teams, just break teams apart. I think he's getting a lot better in this hold-up. The technical player is getting better. He's braver to lay off first time. I don't think he's scared of the crowd anymore. I don't think he's scared of making a mistake. I just think, I fancy his layoff and I'm going to do it. I thought for a few players today, there was less fear around. But when they did give the ball away, just have a quick look at their reaction to get it back. It was really, really quick.
54:47So he's just part of it. I think the manager's probably said to him, I don't care if you make a mistake, but I care if you don't react. And so that's taken the fear out of his game for me. And he's just, I thought it was one of his best games. I did hear from before he came that when he knows he's got somebody, he's really, really effective. When he knows he's got the physical on them, I think he knew it in this game. but what we've done the last few weeks with him is that he's had Kai Havers there and Kai's allowed him to sit down on occasions and he's looking fitter and fresher and sharper this was always the plan this was always the plan but now we can see it in fruition and dare I say it should I say these words same I'm going to say are we peaking are we peaking because the Brighton game and the Labour Cougars in the way game I had worries about our fatigue.
55:40The Everton game, from minute one, I was happy. You know, I could see the bounce, and that bounce is still there. 25 shots against Everton, 21 shots against Leverkusen. Mate, we're back. We're back, he says, before we lose to City at Wembley. Yeah, that's a good thing to say right before a cup final. We're back. We're so back. So the only thing I'm saying is, look, we played a lot of away games too. We're coming off a period where we were away from home a lot, and now we get to be at home a bit, you know, plus Wembley, obviously. And, you know, that can have an impact as well. Tim, do you have anything you want to add on the Yolkres performance?
56:18Anything you spotted? And, like, I do think, well, I'll add my narrative later. You tell me what you thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I thought, first and foremost, he looked for the ball a lot more. I saw him in much deeper positions. I saw him on the halfway line. I saw him tracking back a lot. it felt less like give me the ball on the edge of the box and it felt more like I'm going to come and get it which I think made a big difference listen technically he's still not the cleanest sometimes he treads on the ball sometimes that you know that like he did that he made a really nice run in channel in the first half and he tried exactly the right thing Ezra was coming for the cutback and he tried to do it on his left foot.
57:03And I think he kind of got lucky that it came off the defender and went out for a corner. Because it ugly, didn't it, too? I think it might not have made it all the way to Esa's foot because he's on his left foot going away from goal. I don't think that's ever coming. I don't think that clean technique is ever going to be there at the stage of his career that he's at. but that that's let it's not no problem but it's much less of a problem when you're more involved and there's volume involved and that's that's ultimately that's one of the the keys to being good striker is volume keep getting the ball keep trying things keep shooting keep trying the layoff that that's what the game is as a striker get involved as much as you possibly can and he didn't score in this game and i don't you know he had a shot at the beginning of the second half where he was kind of up on his own.
57:58And again, he wasn't hesitant. He had the ball and there was no one around him. So he thought, okay, I'll have a shot. And there was just less hesitation. Maybe it is a confidence thing. Maybe it is a tactical thing. But I just felt he went fishing a lot more. I think that's the big difference. Yeah. So here's what I'm going to say, right? There is a desire to see every player at Arsenal as a superstar, right? That's what we want. We want them all to be superstars. And sometimes I think that desire to want to see that can color our analysis and take it a little bit away from objectivity. And my objective analysis, which by the way, may not be right.
58:39It's just my objective analysis, is that... This player is doing really important good stuff for us this season. I think realistically if Kai had been fit, he would have made a lot of share minutes and play some of the games and Kai would have played others. Kai had not been fit for most of this season and he's had to be our starter in almost every game. And as a result, we've seen some high highs, and I think this was up there by the way, and some very low lows. and the challenge I think sometimes is when you have a player like that it can be difficult to analyze them because you have players like Pakaio Saka for example who most of the time their low lows are 7 out of 10 so you just know what you're going to get Declan Rice low low 7 out of 10 right and I realize I'm naming two of the great players Victor Yorchus is capable of some very low lows he's capable of games like Brentford away where he played 90 minutes and had you know 7 passes no shots lost all his duels he's capable of those low lows.
59:41But I do think in the Champions League we've seen more consistency of performance. I think this performance was really in line with what I think he's capable of. And I do think that in the next round he can go and have really big contribution against a team he's going to know really well and feel really comfortable playing. With Kai back, I don't think he has to shoulder the whole burden of this position. So if we can see performances like this it's really encouraging where he didn't score a goal but he contributed. He contributed really effectively, and I thought he did against Everton as well.
1:00:14So, yeah, really, really positive signs for him. And like I said, I don't think we have to be so eager to say, this proves the player's elite, they're a star. This proves this player is good enough to contribute important things for us. And that's all we need from him. He's not a 120 million pound acquisition like Izak was, right? And he was brought in to be part of the group. It just so happens that the way our center forward position has evolved, he became the group. for large periods of this season. And that's a burden he's had to carry. And I think he's done it reasonably well. Clive, before we shift gears and finish off with the cup final, Ben White starting this game is really important to me because as great as Muscara is, and I think Muscara is great, I think Ben White has the experience and I think the attacking talents to add something to our performances, especially in some of these upcoming home games in the league against middle of the table kind of opposition, the fact that Mikel trusted him in a must-win game to start and be able to trust his body and trust his performance, I think is important.
1:01:17And I think for the most part, he showed that he at least physically can get out there and play at a reasonable level. And while I obviously love Uri and Timber, I think having Ben White in the rotation becomes very important for us. Just, yeah, part of the group. I think the big change to how I feel about Arsenal this season and has been the expansion of the squad and the quality of depth. You know, I just looked at a tweet earlier on today. I'm not sure if it's accurate, but I'm just going to say it. That there are five summer signings that have had 54 goal contributions between them. Between Yokores, Eze, Madweke, Zutmende and Inkapi.
1:01:52That's 54 goal contributions. Yokores has scored 16 to assist. We're starting to see that the squad is everything. And so, again, you know, first 11s are nice, but Ben White's a really good player but he can't play 60 games and neither can Timber. So just accept it. And we've got three right backs from Mosquera now. Accept it. And know that we're going to need them because a really fit Ben White's a really good player. A very knackered Ben White on an injury is not such a good player. And we've seen both in the last couple of years. You know, and I thought in this game, I had a good view of him.
1:02:28I thought his passing was really, really good. He spared himself. When he's tipped off, he does eight overlaps. He might have done two or three in this game. But he stayed inside, much like Timber did. But when he was deep, I just thought his timing of that angled pass, we know the one when Saka comes off the line. Timber hasn't got that pass. It's only an eight-yard pass. But he hasn't got that cohesion yet. But Timber has got way better dribbles than carriers and way punchier and more dynamic and sprinty over short distances. Ben White's a bit more of a sprint stamina guy. Big, long run. Here he comes, here he comes, here he comes.
1:03:04That type of play. You can see it coming. Far more traditional. But when he stands, he's far more play-making. You know, he can really move it and clip it. And so I really like the diversity between the two of them. I think sometimes we fall into camps. Now, if you're playing against Doku at the weekend, you ask me, Elliot, which one I want to play? It's got to be Tim Brown. I know which one I want to play. But you ask me, when Saka had probably the worst game away at Leverkusen. Was that the Leverkusen game? Was it probably the worst game in the history of soccer kind? Yeah, it might have been the Everton game, I think, was the one.
1:03:40Oh, Everton said he was better. No, Everton was okay. You're right, it was Leverkusen. Leverkusen. You know what? He didn't have a combination with him. It didn't work. And when I saw that, I thought, that's a smart selection. And I hope he would have played if Timber was fit. Because Grimaldo is a decent player, if I said his name right. And so to have Ben White there affects their best side. And I thought it was a really smart decision. As soon as I saw it pre-game, I think Ben White's timer arsehole could be coming to an end, but if it doesn't, he's absolutely great, isn't he? He offers something completely different.
1:04:15Yeah, I really enjoyed performance. I really enjoyed the economical side of it, knowing where he is in fitness-wise. Again, they got him out there before he something twanged and brought someone else in, which was really, really smart. I thought the substitutions in this game were superb again. Every one of them, you know. We'll have nothing to moan about soon. He's picking the right 11, right? He's picking the right 11. All 11 are playing really, really well. And when the subs come on, I thought they were all excellent, you know, and they did their jobs. And even the final sub, I've got to say this, right, the final sub, I was watching Saka dying.
1:04:53Tim, if you were in the ground, you'd have seen it on your side. He was doing one of those for about 10 minutes where he's trying to get out. I'm limping I'm hurting I need to get out of here to set myself for next game the manager just ignored him mate and said you stay on and he made a change to bring on Myles Lewis Kelly which I thought was superb man management to get him on the pitch I thought it's so good he misses opportunity at Mansfield to play he misses opportunity to play in midfield again I'm not sure it was Wigan or Portsmouth I'm not sure which one it was whereas Califiori went down in injury pre-game and he had to go back to left back so he missed the opportunity to play in there and the manager said you know what I'm going to get you on so you feel part of this because he looks a bit disconnected at the moment.
1:05:30I thought that is class man management. Everything he did in this game. Norgaard, right? Norgaard missed the squad on Saturday and so he went 2-0. On you go, mate. On you go. Well said, Tim. Because Zubemendi was playing fine. But he took him out to make sure that Norgaard was included. And this is what you need at the moment. You need them all in. I'm not selecting those teams, mate. As long as they're all in because we've got so many games ahead, so many competitions, hopefully. that we can need every single one of them to bring their best game, but you can't do that if you feel emotionally involved.
1:06:04And at this moment in time, me and Tim talk about it as a women's team, or we did earlier in the season, every one of these players are active and involved. Every one of them. Yeah, including David Raya, by the way, who got the chance to make one spectacular save late that could have made this just that little bit nervy. I mean, the good thing is we got to make subs with an eye towards the cup final at the weekend, around 70 minutes, left some players on, of course, but got some players off. But if David Raya doesn't make that save, then all of a sudden, you know, you've got not necessarily your preferred group out there.
1:06:34And if something goes badly wrong, you're having extra time with them. So it was a really good save. I did have to laugh though, because I had talked a little bit about is Raya starting to flap a little bit. He did have the one where he flapped and it went off Saliba's knee. And time seemed to stop for a second as it just crept up over the crossbar. Did you see the one, Elliot, where I didn't see it. Tim Yudas at home watching TV. when he came out the edge of his area, went to roll it out, but maybe he was out of his area. Yes, it was a handball. Yeah, it was definitely a handball. I didn't see that in the ground.
1:07:04Yep, it was a handball. So, you know, swings and roundabouts with keepers. It's always swings and roundabouts. Just don't get sent off in a Champions League final and I'm behind you all the way. Please don't even say it. Why did you say that? That's the sort of thing my mate Trev next to me says. I agree. A couple of things here, by the way. I do think sporting getting through is helpful, not because I think, you know, sporting are worse than Bota Glimt. I think we should be better than either of them. That's just my candid observation. But I do think it's better to go to Sporting Lisbon than to go to the Arctic Circle right before going to the Etihad.
1:07:36So I do think that's positive. So, Tim, let's talk League Cup Final. A couple of things. I'm going to ask you one rapid-fire, super quick question. Is Mikel Arteta giving this game to Kepa Aretha Balaga or is he giving it to David Rye? David Rye. Yeah. I think there's no doubt David Rye. Clive, you're shaking your head. Kepa. I think Kepa and James Trafford will play. They've done all the media and they're in all the posters. So that's what I think will happen. I think, I don't know if clubs do this but I think there might be a little nod to say it's what we're doing with the goalkeeper. I don't know.
1:08:18But that's what I think is going to happen. I'm not sure how I feel about it but again, to go on the theme I just said earlier on, you can't have people going out training all the time and you'll be told you're going to be the cup keeper and then when the cup final comes along, you change it. I don't think they're going to do that, but let's see. Gosh, it's an interesting one. I don't have a strong feeling. I see the argument both ways. So we'll just have to see. We'll tuck that one away, keep it in the back of our mind and see what he decides to do. Tim, in terms of the cup final, Manchester City are coming off you know pretty humiliating night they created a poster ahead of their second leg with Real Madrid there's a movie coming out called like the Hail Mary Project or something like that or Project Hail Mary is what it's called it's off a really good book and they put David Silva's face on it and they were like Project Hail Mary we're gonna come back we're gonna do it Bernardo Silva thank you and Bernardo Silva did do it and by it I mean handled the ball on the goal line and got sent off leading to a penalty that lost them the tie.
1:09:22Well, further lost them the tie and a red card. They did have a chance to take players off because the tie was lost, although the players that were on had to run around with 10 men for the balance of the night. How do you think about... Let's talk about the City side of this before we get to the Arsenal side. Their form is poor. Emotionally, they're in the gutter. But they will see this maybe as they're a big opportunity to flip all the narrative, ruin our moment, and lift themselves back up. Erling Haaland in particularly dreadful form. How do you see City coming into this one? Yeah, so I'd preface this by saying I think this is a coin flip game.
1:10:03I think it's totally 50-50. I could even see it going all the way to penalties. At the same time, if you offered me City coming into the game in this shape, I'd take it. I'd definitely take it. I think the thing is about these games, these Arsenal City games, they do feel quite separate somehow, a bit like those Man City-Liverpool games kind of used to. And, you know, both managers kind of make adaptions. And I guess what you'd say is that, is Arteta just going to keep it going because we're in, quote-unquote, a good moment? And does that give Pep the chance to analyse what we're doing and really come up with a plan to stop it.
1:10:44Do we make modifications? They're so difficult to read. These games, I think, what happened in the game in September, essentially they score first and sit on it. And I wouldn't like it if that happened again, quite frankly, because that's a lot of quality they'd be able to put behind the ball. So I'm really intrigued to see that. I don't think we'll do that much different. Little modifications, I can see like, I don't know, maybe Havertz will start or something. I can see bits and pieces, but I don't think we'll massively depart. Whereas I feel like Guardiola, he's definitely got form for really departing.
1:11:22And he's more difficult to read in games like this, I think. I guess what I'm saying, it does count for something. I think the City are not in good shape at the moment and Arsenal are. But I think that's like a percent or two overall. all I still think this is an absolute coin flip and I don't think what you're going to see is big confident Arsenal taking you know poor beleaguered Man City apart I don't see a world unfortunately where that happens at all I see that this is going to be a really evenly matched game between two pretty evenly matched teams over the course of a game over the course of a season I think it looks like we've got more staying power we've got like the bigger squad and all of that But in a one-off game, there isn't much between these teams at all.
1:12:12Yeah, I mean, the one thing that I would say is they've been so bad in second halves that you'd be forgiven if we want to just try to keep it tight in the first half and try to beat them in the second half where they've been absolutely dreadful. Clive, do you have a feel for who gets picked? One thing you mentioned, Bakayo Saka did get left on for 90 minutes. And I'm sure a lot of people, similar to myself, were thinking, is that a signal that he might start from the bench in the cup final? That would be obviously a big decision for the manager to make for a player who's the key reason why the club is in the position it's in today.
1:12:43But that's certainly one that came to mind for me. There's enough time Tuesday to Sunday. There's enough time. We didn't have to break thereafter. So there's enough time. I would, now Saka's our skipper at the moment, mate. He is leading the team. So I don't think we're going to not start him. Doesn't mean we have to end with him. I think that is one of our big advantages. which is our bench is really strong and we can speed up the game. I think I have a tendency to control the game in the first phases against them, but I'm more interested in what they do. So they're probably going to play Kuznopka.
1:13:18I think Mark Gay can't play in the League Cubs. They'll probably play Kuznopka at centre-back, potentially, and he's quite quick. And so I... Well, he's very quick. He's Kyle Walker quick. right so so i don't i'm not saying that your quiz can't play but i'm thinking this is a kind of habits game to control the game you know to control to make sure when you're at wembley every little pass every little bubble of the ball is important on a big cup final when half the ground is theirs fans and half ground is yours everything feels a bit more tense and i just want people i want all the ballers on particularly at the start of the game for the first hour and then I think we can tear into a little bit more with more a little bit more dynamism etc and then with Madweke potentially Jokerez and end the game with the sprinters you know that's how I feel about it even to the point where potentially potentially I want Califioi to play in this game again to have all on-ball personality when you're playing City you can't be scared of the ball you can't be scared at a moment you have to own it when you can and i don't want to be a situation where technically we can't control the moments can't control the jewels but we can control it but i'm not worried if in capi play that's fine i'd like to see timber play because i like you know their wingers are quite sharp i like i trust his one-on-one ability but i also think he could be injured because that injury did look you know didn't look great and i've not heard a whisper yet at the time recording where he is you know so but I'm really comfortable with the whole group at the moment now the key with them is the key this is the key area you've got to feel like you belong on the pitch with them step one you've got to feel like that you've got to feel like yeah we're here now this is the first test we haven't we played them before we were better than them they nicked the goal but we weren't really sure of ourselves a lot of new players we were assimilating into the group we didn't know much about them where they play where they stand if they can win races or not or control games we know much we know much more about our squad depth now about those players.
1:15:20We all have significant contributions. And so I feel confident we've got enough to compete with them. I feel confident we've got enough to stop them. Our centre-backs are tipped at the moment. They are so good, you know. And so, yeah, I think it's time for us to show. And there comes a moment when you have to beat this team, good and proper. Last time we played against Wembley, against them, it was on penalties and we nicked it late in the end with the equaliser in the last second. I just think it's time to establish ourselves. you know but it's a 50 50 game doesn't go right mate it's not the end of the world it really isn't it's not the end of the world but the three other trophies to try to win i i think it'd be a shame to get to the final and not show and not play well but it's moment in time i'm a lot more confident of that than i was at the end of the brighton game where we won the game probably deserved to win just but i didn't have a feeling a good feeling about how we looked on the grass so it felt a little bit stodgy.
1:16:17Whereas right now, it's almost as if players are fighting to get into your first 11, Elliot. That's what it looks like to me. All fighting. Yeah. Obviously, Kai Havertz's first game for Arsenal, proper game, was against Manchester City as a striker in a very good performance. Remember when I called you on the way out? And I said, oh my God, what have I just seen? I was so excited. Yeah. I could see him reprising that role for sure. It's funny. even though he went all 90 and even though Mikel very rarely starts Bakaio three times in a week post-injury I still think you have to start Bakaio's sack in a cup final I just think you do he had a he had a bit of a rough one you know and but he came back against Everton but I was looking at him closely and I didn't sense it I looked at the old apps afterwards data wise and it looked much better he did with the eye and I looked at it again last night where he was really really quite good but even better on the data than it was with the eye.
1:17:14We all know there's another level there. The final execution wasn't there last night, but all the other stuff was, right? It's just the final execution, that little ability to get past the guy and take the shot. It's not quite at the level that we're used to. I really liked how Mikel spoke about him after the bad game away. And he sort of said, look, everyone has a bad game. Now we need to show him love. Bang, selected next game. Skipper. Bang, next game after that. you're the skipper you're going to stay on you know and he's like we're not going to take you off we're going to move you into the 10 against Everton you're staying on you're staying on in this game so what he's saying to him really indirectly is we believe in you you're having a bit of a rough one but we're not going to we're not going to bail on you and I think that's such good man management you know to remind him of his importance no matter how good you are no matter where you are in your life in your personal life in your work life when someone comes up to you and says to you I believe in you you're really really good it has an impact and reminds you of who you are and how you've achieved and what you've achieved it has an impact to you and I think he's had that from the club and the management as well as the new pay packet I am a little bit worried about how he's being judged now I did this myself I remember when Theo Walker was a 100 grand a week player I thought what a good player him good player when he got the pay rise to 140 I judged him differently I judged him as one of our top paid players in the club, and I wanted a bit more.
1:18:43So every time he didn't trap it, I felt, come on, mate, you're now getting paid actually 40 grand. I don't want that to be part of Bakayo's sort of analysis, looking at his wage, and then suddenly we all become a little bit harsher on him. I get it. I will say the flip side of that is, I think Bakayo Saka has the capacity to be the best wide player in world football. and because I think he has the capacity to be that I evaluate him against the talent I think he has right like I do think it is normal to evaluate performances against expectation and level right like if Christian Norgard has to start a game I don't say he wasn't as good as Declan Rice I don't think he is as good as Declan Rice you know what I mean but Pakaio Saka I think it's fair to want to see him elevate to Ballon d 'Or caliber player.
1:19:38Like that, everybody who loves Arsenal believes that's in Bakaio Saka's range of outcomes. So I don't think it's totally unfair. I've said this before. I just think when a player has a big injury, especially their first big injury, the subsequent season is often a bit stop-start, a bit off the level. There's highs and there's lows and there's not as much consistency. I think we will see a bit of that with Bakaio and I think next season, when he's a year removed from the big injury, I think we're just going to see the trajectory head right back to where it was heading. So I'm not worried about it, but I'm also not super surprised by it either.
1:20:10Not that he's been bad, just that the level isn't elevating to where it seemed like it was trending before he got injured.
1:20:19So you mentioned that you thought you'd like to see Califiori on in this game so that we can respect the ball, as Liam Ross Sr. would say. And remember, ball is literally be all. So if you want to be all you can be, you have to respect the ball. Do you think we'll respect the ball with Kalfiore? Do you think he will go right back to Incappier given the quite impressive wide players that City can put out there, especially 1v1? Yeah. I'm not bothered. I mean that sincerely. I think both players are excellent. And maybe both players will play during the game. That's maybe what we should be focused on.
1:20:58Incappier was so good last night that people listening to me saying, Clive, he's got to play, you know? But I thought Kyle Fiore was really good against Everton until he came off. So it all depends on the game plan and what we want to do. As I said earlier, I think we've got to do something different, but we shouldn't do something different just because I think so, or you've got to do something that maybe City don't expect. But maybe you say, you know what, we're good. Let's do what we know we're good at. And, you know, all the roles I thought were perfect. As a truster attacker, the role was just fantastic, you know?
1:21:29So do we do that and then start with your careers to make sure we got pace and bring Kai on later? Or do we start with Kai and then bring pace on later? Honestly, I don't mind. We've seen both in the last few days, and it's worked really, really well. And so what do you think? Where's your head edging towards? I mean, I have to say I've been so impressed with Piero and Capier. I probably, because you know what I like, I like technical quality and skill on the ball and flair players and goals and link up. I probably lean slightly towards Calafiore because of what he can do on the ball. But I acknowledge this is a game where you can get killed in two moments where you don't quite track Holland's run.
1:22:13And I do think in Cappie's ability to recover, in Cappie's ability to help make sure that we don't get caught that way is probably valuable in this game. But to your point, are we trying to neutralize City or are we trying to go hurt them? because the one thing I'll say about Manchester City is they can be got at. They can be run through. They can be beaten. But you need players who are going to go in the hurtful areas, who are going to play the pass on the slant between two players to get in between their lines and get them turned and running the other way. And so what you prioritize, if you prioritize covering defensively, you may find yourself in a game where you're doing a lot of defending.
1:22:50And that's going to be the calculus Mikel has to run. And so, Tim, a big question there then is, how he sees that left wing position. It is the one position, like whether it's in Capier or Cal Fiore, we have a great player in there, right? Left wing is still the position where is Leo fully fit to come back and play again after having just played? Do you want Martinelli running at a Manchester City defense that can be caught out in the way that Martinelli is effective at catching out, especially if Kai's going to start? And then if you play Leo, you have all players that want to have the ball to their feet and don't run behind.
1:23:25It is a big choice, but I think it is all interwoven. So it's hard to say who he'd pick off the left because it probably ties into who he picks through the middle. But do you have an instinct on which he might do or which you'd prefer him to do? Yeah. I mean, the Martinelli thing is interesting, isn't it? Because they don't have Kyle Walker anymore. That's what they always used to do. And Martinelli was pretty much our only left winger anyway. It's like, we'll play Kyle Walker. And that cuts Martinelli's ankles off, as it were. but they don't really have that now, do they, at right back? So that's potentially an option.
1:23:58I'd be really interested to know with the Trossard substitution against Leverkusen, very similar to Eza, he kind of just went off the pitch. There was a slide tackle. I think he just got caught a tiny little bit. It didn't look major at all. It looked like a tap on the top of the boot, and he was straight out of there. Now, don't get me wrong. That's one of the first positions that's up for substitution anyway, game to game, whoever starts. And it will be the same on Sunday, by the way. Whoever starts between Martinelli and Trossard, you'll have 60, 30, maybe 60, 60, I think. So on one hand, a lot of it was probably about how do we start the game and how do we finish the game, really.
1:24:41But I just felt when he took Trossard off, and I know Trossard missed a game or two with a knock, it did feel a bit we need you on Sunday and again we will definitely need Trossard on Sunday whether he starts or not but I just that's what Arteta pretty much always goes with at the moment like when when everyone's fit and firing I think he like I think there's something about Trossard out there he likes the balance of that he likes having you know that kind of I guess slightly more technical come inside a little bit you know move inside a little bit and have sacker you know doing winger stuff on the other side i just think there's something about that balance he likes and so i think if i were a betting man i would i would say that he's going to pick trossard um but but both of them trossard and martinelli are both going to be very very important in this game i i feel and and a lot of it a lot of it will tell you whoever starts will tell you i think how Arteta sees this game.
1:25:44Does he see it as a chess game or does he see it as we can outrun them? And yeah, I think that and left back are the most interesting selection choices. Kai? Yeah, Tim's convincing me. I think, well, Trosso, I think that's an easy one if he's fit. I think he plays. And if he plays, I think Jokic may play. Just got a feeling for that. Again, I've just gone back on myself, but again you don't want to give Man City territorial confidence you must be able to turn them around it's so important so don't look at them and think that Kuznov is quite quick Kuznov can run out of the gate and go and get a hot dog come back in by the time we get on the ball he's a bit thick he's quick but he ain't bright and so having that threat is really important and I think I think Kaepi can provide a little bit of that and Saka can obviously do it as well so I think that's important so I don't want this team to start potentially but I can see almost the same team starting because it works.
1:26:44It really works. Maybe Ben White may not start and Timber will start just because of their wide play. But let's look at what they have in wide areas. They have Nunes and probably Aiton Nore will play left back. They'll probably think it's Arsenal, right? So we need to make sure we have O 'Reilly and Rodri in midfield with Bernardo so we can dig into us and create fouls and create moments and look at the referee. but they're going to make sure they have physicality in there you know and um because they know that's where they lack to try to stop the counter to try to they want to control the territory have ways of attack and make us all stressed so in some ways we need jokeres to spin from kuzanov onto diaz diaz mate he's got the old rigor mortis going on there elliot mate honestly running three times and you'll soon see his knee lift disappear and so that threat is probably what they don't want to see they probably want to see us playing to feet all nice five yard passes little five where they can sit wait squeeze squeeze squeeze constrict we must be able to transition them watching real Madrid what do they have elite speed on the break and I know it's a different game last night because they're down 10 men but mate you're watching this you're watching this foot race aren't you and you're thinking you can't control nothing you can't control nothing they are getting at you at will so if we don't have that ability I think we're making a mistake you know so i think runners in wide areas trust our smart passing yokarez on that left hand channel that's key rolling saka on the right hand channel rolling saka comes out madameweke comes in you know martinelli comes in and they're going to have a constant threat against them you know so that's where my head is at the moment i've done full circle yeah i could see him doing anything i I mean, one thing that's nice about this is Tuesday to Sunday means you probably could pick the same team if you want again.
1:28:39Like, I don't think you have to worry about resting. There's been a decent amount of rotation going on. Worth maybe looking at the national team participation because like Victor Jokras has a qualifier semifinal on Thursday. You know, Kai Havertz has a friendly with Germany on Friday if he's even called up or if they let him rest up more. So things like that, right? England play friendlies on Friday. do you have a an important national team game on a thursday maybe mikhail has that in his mind you know i look i still think the more important thing is tuesday sunday means he can pick anyone he wants that's really how i think about it if he wants to pick pikaio saka i think he can pick pikaio saka um i think benches i'll tell you one thing ali just you brought it up so sorry to interrupt yeah but califiori has a massive game doesn't he really a massive game massive and so So to be, this is how you work with your national manager, you might say, you know what, I'm going to look after him for you because he needs to play in both them games.
1:29:37So that means that California may not start in this game. I know it sounds crazy, you shouldn't be thinking that way, but that's how you can have a favor sometime down the road when you really need him. So it makes a bit of sense. Yeah, yeah. And I mean, look, it is a cup final. It is a huge game. So I'll finish with this, Tim. look I think benches will be important in this game you know they have a lot of talent they can bring off the bench if they don't start with Marmush he can come on if they you know they'll probably start Semenyo and Doki but like Foden can come off the bench Savinho can come off the bench they have they have some real talent that they can call on if they need a goal this to your point it's a coin flip game but do you want to just give me a sense of how much you're invested in it.
1:30:20I am starting to feel like it's a win-win in the sense that if you win, it is a trophy. It is a trophy over Manchester City. It will be a wonderful celebratory moment. If we don't win, it will be easy to pick ourselves up based on what's still available to us this season. So I think the players can go out there with a bit of, I don't want to say freedom and make it sound like lackadaisical, but a little excitement to go beat Man City and win a trophy without the pressure that the whole season comes down to this. Am I reading it wrong? No, no, not at all. You know, I think that's right. I think the thing I don't like about the position, because usually this game happens a month earlier, actually.
1:31:01And look, maybe that's, I'm probably happier with that in retrospect, but I don't like it just before the international break, because if we don't win, it's going to be two weeks. of yeah and and and i don't think it would be so much our fans but it would be it'd be two weeks of the usual suspects you know um winding everyone up and and i kind of obviously i don't want that in terms of how invested i am in it i'm massively invested i was there in 1993 the last time we did 33 years 33 years ago i was nine and when we equalized in that game i was 39 tim i wasn't born yet i cried when paul merson scored in that game because i was there with my mum and the guy behind me and and you know in 1993 still wasn't really the done thing to go to football with your mum but that's that's how i how i did it and the guys behind like really kind of looked after me that day they didn't need to my mum had been going to football since 1950s but they didn't know that they just saw like my mum with me and assumed that i dragged her along and uh when merce scored like they lifted me up on their shoulders and i cried not so much out of happiness because i was i was only like in fact i hadn't turned nine yet right and so i was i was a bit it was my first final it's the first piece of silverware ever saw arsenal win and i find it incredible that we haven't won this trophy since then um i've still got the scarf i bought at Wembley that day and I'm going to be wearing that on Sunday and I'm kind of making like lunch plans and all of that our usual haunt is not available because Man City fans come to Wembley a lot they know you know nice little spot on Harrow on the hill which it's all booked up but I it's been too long since we've been to Wembley it's been too long since we've been in the final I'm really excited about it I'm really invested in it I think it can really be the start of something as well I I feel like the rock, the snowball feels like it's starting to roll down the hill at the moment.
1:33:07I want to keep it going that way. And I think this would be even not bigger than the Everton game in terms of the result, but in terms of having that good feeling, having that momentum. I think if we win this game, all the talk for two weeks, it's going to go the other way. All the talk is going to be, you know, it's going to be, Clive, you're a rugby man. It's going to be set up like a conversion. It's going to be between the posts. You've got the tribe between the posts. The quadruple is now a mere conversion. And if you don't do it, you're a horrible bunch of bottle jobs and the manager should be sacked.
1:33:43That is how it's going to be. But I'd much rather live in that world than the other world. And even just in isolation, I do value this cup. That doesn't mean I don't see it as the least of our priorities, but I do value it. I really want to win it. And I promise you, I promise, if we do it, everyone's going to go out and get horrifically drunk. And the ticketing situation for this one, Elliot, 2018, it went to silver members. I think it even went to red because we'd been to a few finals. People were disillusioned. We lost 3-0. I left 10 minutes early. This final, every bloody season ticket holder tried to get a ticket.
1:34:24And there's going to be a lot of season ticket holders who couldn't get one. the last two league cup finals went to silvers and reds that shows you how much it means to our supporters everyone everyone wanted a ticket for this and i think i i think it's it's really really big for a number of reasons clive yeah tim's got me excited i want to go now right so uh it's like uh well 1993 i was a little bit older and i've i won a competition to be in a box and i didn't know that in the box it was free drink and i abused it and i was trapped in the stadium until the lights went off and so uh yeah it's a great day but yeah i i do think i didn't i've always sat here and said i'm league cup league cup you know go in the league but mate when clavers went around that keeper in the semi-final i just said to myself what are you on about me what are you on about this is really important and um i even thought the community shield was really important just to establish ourselves in man city and we won the league game thereafter i think it's very important that we we put these teams away you know we we need to beat man city in this game but we really need to beat them in the league game you know that that's that's more important in my mind but it's tight if you want to be seen as that team that's quite good you have to earn the respect to people on the outside you have to every it's just part of the world you know we haven't won anything big for a while and so part of that respect process is beating the team your major competitor you have to beat them and show everybody that you're better than them i think we are i think we're better than particularly off the ball our ability to transition from man to man to zonal defense and just move the ball in different ways and play different types of game we're really really good they have some really really top talents so if we're not in shape they will take advantage of but whatever happens this group is only just starting where that Manchester City group is still being defined.
1:36:19What struck me against Leverkusen is our game, how clear it was to me, how defined it was to me. The roles are all perfect. The balance was perfect. And we're in a good place. So that needs to manifest itself by winning something or validations needs to be done by winning something. So I'm really hopeful. The way Wembley works out, you get about 33 ,000 each. But then there's a few neutral tickets. They're all going to be Arsenal. we'll have a lot of them that's all I'm gonna say City were doing four tickets per season ticket holder wow were they and that's where we want to get by the way not so because we're a much bigger fan base than City what I want is in five years we're in this final again and it's our League Cup final again 50th visit to Wembley in the last five years we just won four trebles and a quad we could give this one a pass you can bring a nine if you want you know what I mean Mikel's got an interesting psychological dilemma that's what I'm going to say because I think he can go back to his group and say one of two things.
1:37:17He can be like, guys, you got a very exciting season ahead of you. This is a chance to have some fun and go slap up city, go enjoy it. He could go that direction. The other direction he could go, he could say, guys, you can't win the quad without this. And if you win the quad, you're the greatest team in history. This is your first leg of the most historic season that's ever been put together. Go grab history. He could do that. Creates immense pressure. So it's up to Mikel. Does he want to say, guys, we got so much big stuff ahead of us. This is just a fun chance to go win a trophy in Slap Up City.
1:37:53Or does he lean into the historic pursuit and put that on their shoulders and ask them to carry it? I'll be curious to see how they play. Do they play with the freedom and excitement to go grab this history? I hope so. But either way, it's going to be a lot of fun to go to Wembley, to see a cup final, to have a chance to get one over on City and to win our first trophy of the season. We're going to do a Champions League review show tomorrow. We're going to do a little bit of a preview of this after we've had manager chat and stuff on Friday night, Clive. And we'll have an instant reaction to this on Sunday with some potentially very drunk guests, including Tim.
1:38:25So it could be a very good time. And that's what we hope it is. Clive, thank you very much. Thank you very much. Tim, thanks. My pleasure as always. My name is Elliot Smith. We love you. And we will talk to you after Arsenal 10, City Note.
1:38:47Thank you.
From the publisher
On this edition of the ArsenalVision Podcast, Elliot is joined by Clive and Tim to discuss Arsenal’s confident win over Bayer Leverkusen, the other results in the Champions League, and to look ahead to the Cup Final. Chapter timings below.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro Music
03:56 Reaching the Champions League Quarterfinals Feels Routine
07:43 Balancing Champions League Ambition vs League Priorities
12:20 Arsenal Thriving While City and Chelsea Collapse
23:50 Midfield Structure and Tactical Adjustments On the Ball
28:15 Arsenal’s Dominance and Adapting to Leverkusen
34:27 Eze’s Stunning Goal and Breakout Performance
44:27 Declan Rice’s Complete Midfield Performance
52:32 Victor Gyokeres’ Impact Without Scoring
01:01:03 Evaluating Gyokeres’ Role and Contribution Level
01:02:04 Ben White’s Return and Squad Depth Importance
01:08:24 Cup Final Goalkeeper Decision Debate
01:10:09 Assessing Manchester City Ahead of the Final
01:13:16 Selection Decisions and Saka’s Role
01:15:43 Left Wing Choice and Tactical Balance
01:21:21 Calafiori vs Hincapie Tactical Tradeoffs
01:30:23 Emotional Stakes and Importance of the Cup Final
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