Arsenal edge past 'Jekyll & Hyde' Chelsea | Sesko is now a game-changer for Manchester United

0:00Peter Drury:Welcome everyone, we're at the Emirates Stadium which is celebratory right now off the back of another Arsenal win 2-1 against Chelsea. It's a five-point gap at the top again, one game in hand. We end the weekend in a sense, Gary, where we started it. What about this game though? There was a whole lot of jeopardy around it.

0:17Gary Neville:Yeah, I mean look, it's a very good week for Arsenal. You think about where they were a week last Wednesday after the Wolves game and there were big questions and I think one of the toughest things in a title race is when you're actually asked to play second and your competitor, your main rival's playing first and City have had that advantage in the last week where they've played two games ahead of Arsenal. I don't know how many times that's going to happen. I actually think that, to be fair, look, it always happens and to be fair we're on TV but it is a massive advantage to play first. So I don't know how many occasions that's going to happen before the end of the season but I think there is something when it gets to the last six or eight games where maybe they should play together or on the same day.

0:58Gary Neville:I don't know how that can work because obviously you want to try and get every single game on. But I do think it's a big advantage in Arsenal. Mikel Arteta before the game was asked by Patrick Davison whether it's an added pressure seeing your rivals win last night. And he said no because we just need to do our job. That's the standard answer. It absolutely is a lot more difficult. You know, if Leeds get a goal last night in the 90th minute, Arsenal just lift themselves on a Saturday night and they've not even played. if City get over the line and win you don't go down, you don't get down in the dumps or anything like that but you just think right, we definitely have to win tomorrow, you know what I mean, you've got no cushion, you've got no room for error so for them to respond like they have after that Wolves game and get the two wins in difficult games Tottenham, I know that Tottenham aren't playing well at the moment but it's a North London derby and it should never be taken for granted, they had difficulties in that game in the first half where Tottenham got level and then today again it was a scruffy game but it doesn't matter you're going to get moments like that Mikel Arteta would want to see I think a bit more fluidity in his team but Chelsea made it difficult for them I thought Chelsea played well in the second half I wanted to see more belief from Chelsea in the first half I'll come on to them shortly but for Arsenal set pieces those corners are a they're a savior aren't they I mean they're a savior in one hand because they are so good at them they've mastered the art of of set piece delivery of making the right runs of confidence of psychologically destroying the other teams before they started almost teams like sort of in panic mode I felt sorry for Rhys James actually specifically on corners because he was given the task of blocking Gabriel and I just think you're over complicating it I know what they're trying to do with that they're trying to get Rhys James who's quite stocky in build to block him before he makes his run but it becomes about a height thing in the end and I just think that Rhys James ordinarily would never pick up the best header of the ball in the opposition team so why he's given that job I don't know now look I remember many many years ago playing football I was once given the job of blocking Duncan Ferguson and blocking Les Ferdinand in games they were two exceptional headers of the ball and so I was given the job of wrestling them and fighting them and stopping them running so that actually other players Nemanja Vidic or one of the other centre-backs could go and head the ball it wasn't Nemanja Vidic actually it was probably in the Yap Stam era or Gary Pallister era but I was there to be sort of like stocky and so if they were making a run from say the penalty spot I was there to block but after the first one you could see that Rhys James was struggling so why don't you just put Chalabar onto Gabriel and just say look, enough's enough, let's not overcomplicate things, let's not try and be clever.

3:47Gary Neville:And that to me was a key aspect of the game. And Arsenal today, look, they've won and that's all that matters. That is all that matters. And it's a tough game and you're going to get games where you're not quite at your best. I still think that Mikel Atleta will want to see a bit more fluidity in open play and creating more chances. but I think they can really to be fair be quite happy tonight about where they are going into this sort of midweek game that they've got.

4:19Peter Drury:And around the whole wobble thing which is actually now yesterday's news last week's game at Tottenham which was one thing and this was a very different game today it seems to me you may or may not agree that they have demonstrated actually quite a good degree of poise it's like you know they certainly the players however nervous the crowd are the players to me look a solid, coherent, with it bunch.

4:41Gary Neville:Yeah, they are. I mean, look, it was a wobble because I think if you just sort of add up, I think it was Forest, Liverpool, the defeat against Manchester United and then the Draw v Wolves. The Draw v Wolves off the back of those sort of three in the period of like four or five games, that is a major wobble for a title challenging team. So I don't think we're wrong to say it was a wobble and you're asking questions, but they've responded well. and you've got to make sure that when you're on a little run like that in a season like this that you do come out of it and it's very difficult when you're playing games every three days to maintain performance all the time.

5:18Gary Neville:You just have to be physically strong, you have to be resolute, you have to be making sure that you win when you don't play well and they've got that about them. It's a shock, I just heard a little bit of Saliba's interview on the pitch at the end of the game and the way in which he talks about conceding that goal before half-time, he said that's not good enough that's not what we do they really do value clean sheets they value their defensive work they're really sort of like quite strict on it I thought in the first 10 minutes of the game Arsenal adapted well when Chelsea looked like they had something going on with a with Palmer in that pocket but then they pushed Gabriel or Saliba in so it's Atata works sorry Atata to be fair to him he sees danger they do respect the defensive side of the game a lot it's one of their strongest aspects and they'll be disappointed with the goal they conceded at Tottenham last week, the goal they conceded at Chelsea because it's caused them a little bit of pain and I actually thought Chelsea were doing well in that first 15-20 minutes of the second half but they get in front we'll come on to Chelsea and how they get in front in a minute but they get in front and then they hang in there and sort of at the end it was a little bit scary but this crowd that are going to be coming in here for the next 10 weeks there's going to be a few more of those

6:28Peter Drury:It's interesting you talk about game every three or four days obviously they've just actually just had a week off but that's that's very rare if they go all

6:36Gary Neville:the way they got a favorable FA Cup draw at Mansfield they probably got a favorable Champions

6:42Peter Drury:League draw against Bayer Leverkusen if they keep going through the rest of the season they're going to have more games which aren't Premier League games than our Premier League games so I mean how do you deal with all that when probably in the psyche of the average Arsenal fan winning the Premier League is number one.

6:58Gary Neville:Oh, absolutely. I mean, look, because Mikel Arteta and this team need to win a trophy, they can't go and then just sort of, you know, if they'd won loads of trophies in the last few years, you could definitely prioritise the Premier League. So if they'd won FA Cups, League Cups, won a Champions League, say, then you could say, right, okay, it's all in on the Premier League. But they're not in that position to be able to do that. And they have built a squad here where he's amassed a group of 22 players that you could have two different starting 11s if they were all fit. So that's why they've done that.

7:28Gary Neville:They've got a great squad and he's going to need to trust that squad. A bit of a worry that Declan Rice looked like he did something over in that far side and he came off early because he's the one player that you think they can't reach on. But that's their fixture list there, by the way. I mean, March 14th, March 4th, March 14th, 15th, 22nd. And obviously there's the big break and then they go 11th, 18th, 25th. Is this the... That's just Premier League. Is that just Premier League? Yeah. And then you've got all those sort of FA Cup, Champions League games and Carabao Cup final in between that as well, which actually is listed there.

7:58Gary Neville:But you look at those league games, Arsenal are in a great position. They've got that big game at the Etihad, but they've got lots happening before that. I keep talking about that game, but look, it's been a good week for them. How he manages the squad whilst winning a trophy and making sure he wins this league. because look, the Champions League you can never just throw away the Champions League and you're in a Carabao Cup final so you have to play your best team in that the Mansfield game is the one that they'll just completely change, I mean you'll just have to risk but that's a risk, that's a calculated risk but this is the trophy they have to win, you know I think before the game I don't know how many times we go over to that 2004 sort of, we go over to 2004, the last time Arsenal won the Premier League title was in 2004 it's now 22 years and I support a football club that went 26 years without winning it from sort of what it was, 1967, was it?

8:54Gary Neville:To 1993. And you don't want that. I mean, that's too long for this football club to be and they've got so close over this last three years. This is really the trophy that will transform this group of players and this manager. The Premier League title, it will transform them. The one that people think, right, they are real. They've done it. and the Arsenal fans know that so yeah I'm really looking forward to the running it's it's close they're up against Pep Guardia but you wouldn't want it any other way would you if you're going to win it you'd want to go and beat the man that basically has always won it type thing you want to make sure that everybody's there when you go and win it and you don't get it sort of handed to you as a gift not that they would turn that down but you want to make sure you've come through it and you've sort of you've withstood a title charge from Manchester City and you've been sort of in a neck and neck race and you've really sort of got that endurance and that mentality that you can look back upon and think, right, OK, we've done it.

9:53Gary Neville:We are champions. So I think for me, it's an intriguing next six to eight weeks. City are not going to make it easy for them. And last night, they didn't have it easy themselves, but they got over the line.

10:02Peter Drury:Yeah, well, let's deal with City now. We can come back to Chelsea and the Champions League positions. What did you think of City last night? Leeds gave them a terrific game.

10:10Gary Neville:I think Leeds, I mean, that was an awkward one for City. and I think that Pep Guardiola, there's a clip of Pep Guardiola at the end of the game where he's got that little grin on his face. He goes like that, little kiss to the fans and then he goes like that and you don't see too much emotion but we have in the last couple of weeks, haven't we, seen emotion from Erling Haaland, from Pep Guardiola where they know what's happening here. They know they're applying pressure to a team who haven't got a great deal of experience in this race and they'll be sat there tonight, Manchester City thinking they'll just be in their roast dinner thinking a little bit, when Chelsea nearly score in the last minute, they'll just be thinking that that might be something that would help them.

10:52Gary Neville:But look, it's in both their hands, isn't it? I mean, that's simple as that. It's in both their hands. So, you know, Manchester City's players have been there before. They won't shirk it. But yeah, there's an interesting game going on because obviously Atat has worked with Pep Guardiola. So there's a respect there, obviously, as well. But Pep Guardiola won't want to get beaten by anybody, let alone someone who's been his disciple at one point. And City, I thought last night, they're not at the best. They're not convincing. I don't know how many times we have to say this. They're not what they were a few years ago.

11:25Gary Neville:Leeds had a good 20, 25-minute period where you just think they've got a score in that period. But then after that, City start to play. And Semenya is a good signing, eh? He's a good signing. Gay and Semenya, really good additions in that transfer window. that could be the difference for City at the end if City do win it you'd be looking at that transfer window and thinking that's where they just made the difference

11:49Peter Drury:OK so these Champions League places then behind the top two I know you'll want to talk about Manchester United in a moment but Chelsea are our immediate concern and right now their concern is that they're the odd one out they're 6 out of 5 as it were how are you reading that dynamic through Chelsea eyes in the first instance

12:08Gary Neville:Do you know, I've never commentated on a team that make me feel so many different emotions during a game about what they are. You can watch them in a match and you can think they're naive. You can think they're too nice. You can think they're electric. You can think they're a great possession team. You can think, oh, they've got a lot of talent. You can think so many different things about... You can think they're ill-disciplined. And they're all those things. Because in the first half, I was watching them and thinking, come on. you're not making runs forward like it matters you know honestly I think sometimes when I watch football players play run like it's hurting you you know what I mean run like it really matters and when I watch Chelsea's players run forward in that first half they're almost ambling forward no that isn't going to get you in a game like this that is not going to get you a victory you have to really hurt you have to run 99 times and not get it thinking you're going to get it in that 100th time in these types of matches, making those runs in behind.

13:06Gary Neville:Actually, the Chelsea corner that they got for the goal was when Neto makes a run across the line and makes the dart in, and it really makes a difference. I don't see enough of that. Runs in behind without the ball, the ones that you're not going to get it, but your mate might get it, but you'll open space up for others. And they don't do enough of that at times in games, and they're too nice, and they're too possession-based, and they're too passive. And then I watched them in the second half, and I think the complete opposite of that. I think, ooh, this is dangerous. These are a team. You know, you see them sort of getting on the half turn.

13:37Gary Neville:You see James on that far side whipping in. You see Hato making lots of runs forward down this left side. He was a lot more aggressive. You see Enzo Fernandes running forward with purpose alongside Jao Pedro. And you think, right, that's where you need to be, Enzo, in there. And there's so many times during matches with Chelsea, you flip from thinking they're miles away and they're naive and they're nice and they're academy team to thinking, right, OK, you get a goalkeeper. You get an experienced centre-back, you put an experienced centre-forward into this group, and you could be in business. Now, they've got to keep players fit.

14:09Gary Neville:But if Chelsea kept Rhys James fit and their centre-backs fit, but added a top, they need a top-class goalkeeper and a top-class centre-back that's experienced. And they need a top-class centre-forward to accompany João Pedro and De Lape, not to replace them or get rid of them. Have three strikers, and one of them is João Pedro, very good. One of them is De Lape, young, got a lot to prove, but he's got potential and then bring someone in and look, that's difficult. That's difficult because I'm sort of imagining that you can just go and pick them off a shelf. They're not there, are they? But they need a centre forward of experience and I'm not talking about experience like he's in 33, I'm talking like 27, 28.

14:48Gary Neville:Somebody at the back who's 26, 27, 28 who's got real presence and can bring that solidity for them or they've got to emerge out of the pack they've got but I'm not quite sure. I can't work them out sometimes and then the goalkeeper, they do, look, I'm going to talk about the goalkeeper. He invites problems, Robert Sanchez. Every time I watch him play, I have my heart in my mouth. And then obviously on the goal, he flaps at it. So for me, Chelsea are three players. And I've thought that for a couple of years, to be fair, that they need those sort of what would be centre-forward, centre-half, centre-back, goalkeeper.

15:21Gary Neville:And you think sometimes, they're not far away. But then you can watch them other parts of the match and think they're miles away. And they've spent a fortune and they've wasted much of it. And it's weird watching them. I mean, the old discipline is a thing. Did you say eight sendings off? That was nine today. Nine. Nine sendings off. Seven in the Premier League. And do you know something? They're not like a team that bully others or sort of are aggressive. It's just petulance, isn't it? And lack of thought, lack of intelligence, inexperience, whichever way you want to put it. Descent. You know, getting bookings for descent.

15:55Gary Neville:And then sort of like, you know, over on that far side, Neto making that challenge. He knows that Martinelli's good one-on-one. He's just got to run back, almost match him and follow him and just let him sort of cross it or try and block the cross. He can't get involved in there and go into ground. So, just stupidity. I think Chelsea would have had a good chance in the last 15 minutes. So, look, I've got many different thoughts about Chelsea. It's almost like a jumble sale of thoughts, really. Because they make you feel like that in every single match and you can't work them out. I'm sure the manager's the same.

16:26Gary Neville:He's just doing his interview here now and they're thinking parts of games, they'll be thinking, I'm proud of this group of players. And in other parts of games, they'll be thinking, come on. In other parts of games, they'll be thinking they're naive. In other parts of games, they'll be angry with them because they get sent off and they're ill-disciplined and they're costing them points. All these different emotions. They've got an inexperienced manager as well. They've got an inexperienced team. So yeah, I think there is some experience needed in the club, in the dressing room. But they've got some players that make you think, they can play they can play but they're up against it aren't they they have got a game against Manchester United in a couple of weeks a few weeks

17:05Peter Drury:and before that this week Gary they've got a game at Villa and you know who are the other you might say vulnerable one

17:12Gary Neville:in that group I think I said that didn't I on this podcast three or four weeks so I could sort of see this coming with Villa they could get sort of pulled back into it and they are getting pulled back into it interesting game midweek Chelsea is it at Chelsea?

17:26Peter Drury:No, Villa.

17:27Gary Neville:No, Villa. Interesting. I mean, Chelsea are six points off it. If Villa beat them, they're nine. I don't think Chelsea will get beat midweek. I don't think they will. I think that defeat today, sounds mad this, will give them a bit of confidence going into Wednesday because I think they've played quite well in parts of that game today, to be fair to them. I thought they were poor for the last half hour of the first half and obviously they scored the goals before half time, but I thought they were really quite flimsy in that period of the game but the goal, give them a little bit of something and probably give the manager a little bit of something to say at half-time to them.

18:05Gary Neville:Are you going to play? Sometimes, as a manager, are you going to play or not? Are you going to run forward? Are you going to commit in this game? Are you going to show a bit of belief? And that's all it needs sometimes. It's not tactical, actual, tactical information that sometimes players need. It's a case of, Enzo, are you going to run forward? You know, Hato, are you going to make sprints forward and go forward at left-back? And Rhys, are you going to get forward and put some crosses in? And Cole, are you going to get forward and get on the half? And he's almost asking the questions of them.

18:31Gary Neville:Are you just going to let this game pass you by? Are you going to play in a football match and watch Arsenal just go and roll all over you and score from corners? That's the type of thing that I think might not have been said like half-time, I might be well off it. But that's what I would have been saying. Maybe that's why I'm not a coach anymore. But I feel like that's what needed to be said to them. Come on. and yeah so for Chelsea big game in midweek Villa look like they're you know United I think level with them now on 51 points aren't they Liverpool are strong Chelsea have got a bit about them interesting what's going to happen in this next few weeks I think United play Villa definitely in a couple of weeks United play Chelsea I think a few weeks after that as well so it's all going to happen and United do look like they're in the box seat You watched them today?

19:18Gary Neville:Yeah You watched them today

19:19Peter Drury:How were they?

19:21Gary Neville:I thought Crystal Palace did really well in the first half. Look, it's interesting, these matches. I'm sure Michael Carrick tonight will be really happy. The big difference with Michael in these last few weeks is that in these difficult matches, and I'm talking about the Fulham game where United have to score late on through Sesco. They have to score late on at West Ham to salvage a point through Sesco. They have to score pretty late on against Everton in a difficult game where Everton had a mountain of corners with Sesco and they've had to score today. You know, they've had a little bit of luck today with, I say a bit of luck, but something, a bit of good fortune, I would say, getting the penalty and then the sending off, which means that obviously in these matches, Michael Carrick has got Manchester United over the line.

20:05Gary Neville:But there are still moments in these matches, these types of opponents, West Ham of this world, Fulham's, Crystal Palace is at home, Everton away, where United still struggle against a team that plays a little bit deeper, which means that Manchester United can't play fully on the counter-attack. It's interesting against Everton. They had to score an amazing goal on the counter-attack on Monday night. But Everton, to be fair, sat pretty much in in that game. And United still find, this Manchester United, still find it difficult against teams that play deeper. And it's a struggle. But they weren't getting over the line in these games under Ruben Amirim.

20:41Gary Neville:They are getting over the line now. And I have to say that the goal from Cescou is an absolute beauty. the header is a brilliant header I love headers anyway I think last week my favourite ever goal was Cristiano Ronaldo's in Rome but that was a proper header that from Cesco and he's got his confidence he started him today which I think was always going to happen and it's a big win the controversial moment in the match was the sending off and the penalty the penalty was on the edge but you can see why that was given because it was a little pull, but he sort of lets go and he sort of falls in. The sending off...

21:23Gary Neville:I thought was harsh. I thought the sending off was harsh. We know that if you don't play the ball, that they can then say... They looked at it five or six times. I was in the truck behind watching it over in the compound over there. I'd have been really annoyed if it was my team and you got a man sent off for that. I think I've been probably a little bit annoyed about the penalty. So a little bit of a break in that moment for Manchester United and Michael Carrick takes that break. But yeah, tonight, Michael Carrick, he'll be fully focused, long way to go, really proud of his team getting over the line.