Arteta’s Arsenal Under PRESSURE & Pep’s City CLOSING IN?

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1:55We went paintball and kayaking, which was dangerous. There was rocks everywhere. Players were banging into rocks and stuff. Do you think it's going to come down to next Sunday? If Arsenal win, then I think that'll be it. If City win, then I think there'll be a couple more twists and turns. So, do we have a title decider on our hands next Sunday? Wayne? Yeah, I think it'll be, obviously it's an important game. and I think if City win it, I put them favourites to go and win the league and obviously if Arsenal win it, then I think it's theirs for the taking. So yeah, it probably is a title decided.

2:37It just goes to show how important the Carabao Cup final was, isn't it? You think? Yeah, Arsenal have been shocking since and City have clicked. We've been saying all season that City haven't looked good and they've still been there or thereabouts. So the fact that now that they're clicking when it's the business end of the season and Arsenal are in the form that they're in, which they always seem to be in in April. I think City have a great chance of doing this. And if this happens yet, it is going to be the funniest thing in Premier League history to be top of the league for so long and to throw it away in the last month.

3:12It's not happened yet, but if that happens next week, oh my God, I'm going to be laughing till 2028. Wayne, what do you think's happened? because Arsenal against Bournemouth, I mean, Irola came out after and said he'd watched how Pep Guardiola did it in the EFL Cup final. What has kind of changed for Arsenal in their recent poor run of form? I think it's just the pressure of trying to win the Premier League. And you hear a lot of people talking about experience and how important the experience is of winning league titles to having your squad. And you've got quite a few players who haven't won the league and that pressure does build up and when you have a couple of bad results you start searching for answers and it looks like they're struggling to get out of it I still think obviously they've got a great chance to win the league but they're just starting to show signs that they're cracking a little bit and City obviously they know how to win the league title I know City have got a lot of players as well who haven't won the league but they know how to do it they've got a manager who knows how to do it and they look strong.

4:18They look strong at the minute. The Arsenal players haven't won anything. They've got a couple, haven't they? They've got Jesus who's won the league. Ex-City players. They know how to win it with City. That's the issue. I think it doesn't help that, you know, every time they get to this situation that they falter. And I don't think Arteta's comments and his managerial tactics and his little antics do anything to help them. Yeah, there's been a bit said, hasn't there, about the fact that I think last week they were training, Wayne. I don't know if you've seen the footage where they were training and he put big screens up outside in the training ground with motivational videos to try and motivate them.

4:57What did you make of that? I think everyone's different. Every coach has different ways to try and sometimes to make team fun. You don't need tactical stuff. You just need to make it fun and competitive. And yeah, every manager has different ways of doing things and if he felt that that was the right thing to do at that time, then I don't think you argue with him. But yeah, I think things like that get blew up and made bigger than what they actually are, I think. Do you know what it is though, Wayne? With those things, if you win and it works, people go, oh, what a genius. It's marginal gains.

5:35Look at how amazing it is. But when it doesn't come off, it just starts to look cringeworthy. Yeah, it does. and I think we've seen in the documentary which he's done there was a few things where you're looking at it thinking that's a little bit strange what you're doing with the light bulbs and stuff like that but yeah I suppose that's what coaches nowadays are trying to find different ways and players might need different ways of communicating with them and at the minute it hasn't quite worked for them but you know they've got a good chance of that working this year Do you know the one thing that I find funny about this is When you've got that much pressure on you as a team to go out there and win the league, is what you need from your manager more pressure?

6:23Or do you sort of need like a night out? Do you sort of need something like that to sort of... Imagine that if we saw pictures of the Arsenal team on a night out this week. No, but genuinely, sometimes I feel like, because Wayne's mentioned it before, like sometimes just having a bonding experience is much better than your manager like hyping up the pressure and them getting like fans and stuff. He was saying like telling the fans to bring their breakfast and bring their dinner and bring their lunch and let everybody get up for it. I just feel like he's trying to create a siege mentality sometimes that's probably affecting the players more so than it's helping him.

6:55I don't know what you think. Yeah, I think the best managers know the players and every individual is different. and some players will need that pressure and need them to go at them a little bit. And some players will need to feel comfortable and relaxed, which brings more out of them. And the best managers see that. And I'm sure in different ways, he'll be speaking to different players a little bit differently and trying to get them in the right frame of mind as an individual first and then as a team. He's an emotional manager as well, isn't he? So I guess he doesn't want to be inauthentic. Like his emotion is part of probably what's got him to this part of his coaching journey.

7:35But what do you make of his emotion and how he's using that with his team? Yeah, well, it's worked, obviously. I think they've been really good for the last three years and a little bit unfortunate not to win the league. So I think it's worked and it has got them players to a position where, you know, they still could go and win the league. So I think we shouldn't question it just yet because we have seen a progression over the last few years. And if they go and win the league title, then we all sit there and say he's done the right thing. So, yeah, I think he's done fantastic. He's just been a little bit unlucky.

8:14Liverpool and City have been really good over the last few years. Wayne, was there anything you did when you were in a title running and there was a lot of pressure? like those title races against Chelsea, was there anything in particular that you remember that made you feel a lot lighter? I think just the manager was speaking to you and there was a couple of times we went paintball and kayaking in Wales. I've got so many questions about that now. Which was dangerous. There was rocks everywhere. Players are banging into rocks and stuff. Yeah, so there was a couple of times we'd done that. But in the main, it's just getting on with your training and not changing too much.

8:56Because players see it as well. If you start changing too much, the player sees that the manager maybe is feeling a bit of pressure as well. So I think the manager has to get the balance right on that. Okay, we can't just skirt over. Have you got any memories of those kayaking or paintboarding experiences or anything? Yeah, it was Roy Keane actually who took us. and it was good, but he actually was banging into the rocks and stuff. And so it was dangerous, but I'm sure, I think there's pictures out there. It's from 2005, I think. So did he instigate it? Was that like a captain's thing? So do you think in this situation, that's what the Arsenal, you'd hope or expect the Arsenal leaders to be doing?

9:35The captain, Odegaard, the senior players like Declan Rice? Yeah, I think it's difficult because they haven't been there. so I don't think they'll know what's right to do and that's where pressure comes in that's what the pressure is and when you've been there and you've been in the title race and you've gone on to win it you know you can stay a bit calmer and not panic and I think for the Arsenal players now they'll be searching for answers and searching for what is the right thing to do because they haven't been there and they haven't done it so I think it's they'll almost want to do something but then they won't want to do it if that makes sense what would you say to the Arsenal players now other than probably don't listen to podcasts like this and try to keep away from the noise because it's tough isn't it in the world that we live in obviously I know it was different you had the newspapers and that that were a bit more then but like now with social media they're all going to be on social media I guess ignore it but what would your advice be to them keep doing what they're doing it's got them to this point in the season top the league for a long time in the season they're having a little bit of a blip at this time, this moment in time, but they have to just stay consistent in what they're doing.

10:43That's all. But the blip always seems to be around this time of the year. Yeah, so maybe that's, you know, something which is on their mind and the, I don't know, they feel that and they want to, they try too hard. I don't know if I couldn't answer that, but they just need to find a way, find a way to get through it. Do you think they'll have watched City? I'd imagine the players will have. Except Ben White. I reckon all of them have. They will have watched it, yeah. It was some performance, wasn't it? Gosh, it was a statement again. Yeah, I thought City were... It was quite tight, actually, first half.

11:18And then second half, they would come out and be a little bit more aggressive. And the tempo, the ball moving was a lot quicker. And Chelsea struggled to live with that. And they were clinical in the second half. So it was a performance you'd expect from City, I think. What did you make of it, Kay? because it felt like at half-time Pep Guardiola just reminded them of kind of what was at stake here. And that opening part of that second half, they were brilliant, weren't they? Of all the sort of league titles, I think this will probably be one of the most special for Pep if it happens for them. And I do have a sneaky little feeling that he probably might leave at the end of the season if they win it.

11:56And I think he's probably relayed a lot of that passion to win this to his players. And you saw people like Cherky coming out in the second half and he was so instrumental to both goals. He was just amazing. It's so weird because Cherokee wouldn't consider as sort of like a Pep Guardiola type player traditionally, but I love the way he plays and what he'd done today was absolutely amazing as well. And yeah, City, when they get into gear like this, it's a frightening prospect. They've got players who've been there and that's different, I think. Under the chasing Arsenal and obviously the game next week is very important to them.

12:37But they look strong. I think they look physically fit and they're probably peaking at the right time. So Arsenal just need to find a way to try and stop them and hope City drop points. What is it about them that makes them so impressive at this time of year, Wayne? Because their record in April and May is astonishing. And I heard Micah Richard saying on TV earlier that all season he's wanted City to be the team chasing because it does just suit them? I think he'd still rather be in first place, but I don't know this time of year. I don't know whether Pep does something different with the training.

13:14We've seen a couple of weeks ago, we give the players three days off. They didn't even train before one of the games. I think it was the Champions League game. They didn't train before that. So whether they're doing less training to make sure they can put more work in on match day or they're doing more training or they've done more training. We used to do a mini pre-season with Alex Ferguson in January to keep us going until the end of the season. So maybe he's doing something like that. I also think there's an element of like, when Pep Guardiola speaks, you probably listen as a player more so than you would do under any other manager.

13:51So even those like new boys coming in there, they've seen what Pep's won. And when Pep's... I think when you've spoken about Sir Alex saying, we'll win that game or like we'll get three points there or whatever, and sometimes when a manager says that, I reckon you just start believing in him anyway. Yeah, but I think it's more importantly, as a group of players, you need to feel that, and you need to have that belief and confidence that you're going to pick up points and go into games with no fear, and really go and try and win the game. I think maybe Arsenal have sat in there and tried to nick the game, than actually going out and taking the game by the scruff of the neck.

14:32And I think that's what City do better than Arsenal. And yeah, I think it's all on next week, really. Is the difference at the moment as well, a little bit, that all of City's key players, like you've mentioned, Cherokee, maybe Haaland, I mean, I know he scored in the last game, but is the difference maybe that Arsenal's players aren't as in form at the moment, whereas it feels like City's players are? Yeah, I think obviously that helps when you're playing in form. I think the signings of Gay and Semenyo, a huge they've really made an impact at Man City and yeah I think they added to another very good squad and I think they're just going through a period where you know when they go through these periods they look unstoppable and unfortunately for Arsenal it's come at this time so yeah I think that experience as well I think from the manager is huge Do you think it's going to come down to next Sunday?

15:26I think if if Arsenal win then I think that would be if City win then I think there'll be a couple more twists and turns Formula One is all about precision tiny margins massive ambition flat out performance and that's exactly why it's exciting to see Cadillac entering Formula One bringing an American luxury brand with performance pedigree onto the biggest stage in motorsport but this isn't just about the grid that same racing mindset the obsession with engineering the pursuit of perfection lives in the Cadillac V-Series lineup, giving you the chance to experience the precision and performance of the grid on the open road.

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16:52Does it help that they've got the whole week to prepare City whereas Arsenal have obviously got a huge game in the Champions League in midweek as well? I think every play is different. I prefer to play in midweek and you tailor your training so you don't do as much training but you play the games. When you've got a full week then you can end up doing too much training and being a bit fatigued going into the game. So I think every player is different on their own body, how that works. And I prefer to play. But surely these games do feel different because we're all going to be talking about it all week.

17:24We're all going to be hyping it up. Can you remember going into these big games and them feeling different? Yeah. And it's hard to stay away from it. And you could say, don't watch anything or don't read anything. But it's very difficult to get away from it. So I think the players will be getting reminders is all week of the game I think it's important they just try and keep the focus and concentration and prepare right As neutrals as well Kay and as you as well Wayne you haven't got kind of you're not a Man City or a Liverpool fan Liverpool sorry to Liverpool fans definitely not you Man City or Arsenal fan it's so good and rare to have this kind of title decider potentially isn't it Kay it's fun I mean it certainly makes it a lot more interesting yeah I mean this is what you sort of want.

18:15You want there to be a title race. You don't want it to be all dead and buried months in advance. And I think with Arsenal being so close and being so dominant this year for such a long period, I think it's given it added significance because if they do lose, it's not going to look good, I don't think, on Arteta or the team in general and their fans, if I'm being honest with you, because they've been telling... I mean, that clip of Theo Walcott asking Wayne, what if this team could beat the 08 team? You love that clip. Oh, mate. I watched that like twice a week where Wayne's going, we'd batter him.

18:55Just that bit. Because they didn't falter at points like this. And yeah, there's a lot riding on Sunday. We faltered as well. We lost leagues when we were leading him going into the running. So it's part of the game. You win some, you lose some. But I think this is so important for Arsenal to win the league this year. I think if they don't, then that's a massive setback for them. It feels all like it's psychological at this point as well, isn't it, Wayne? As much as your ability on the pitch, we know that these are two of the best teams in England. But so much of it must be who's the psychologically strongest.

19:34Yeah, I think so. And I think that City will have the edge on that, I think. because just purely the managers they've got and the players they've got who've won the league and won big trophies. So I think City will have the edge on that. They'll be able to stay a little bit calmer than the Arsenal players. I think they'll be worried because when you go on a run and you lose a few games, you start thinking, where's the next goal going to come from? Where's the next win going to come from? And then just that negative mindset it really does have an impact on your performance. Wayne, you see the first season you won the league title.

20:15Was there any of the older players that would say anything or do anything when you had a loss or was there anything that people helped you out with throughout that year where you were going for the win? Yeah, I think you just want to win so badly. When you lose a game, it hurts so much, but that's where the manager was brilliant. We'd draw the game and he'd emphasised the importance of that point and that point will help us win the league. So he tried to get you up even though you were disappointed not to win the game. I think just the calmness of Giggsie and Scaldi, the calmness of them players who've been there and done it, really helped us as young lads.

20:59Yeah, it is chaos, isn't it? And it's kind of chaos at both ends of the table. Now, if we look at what's happened in the title race this weekend, at the other end of the tableway and it all started on Friday night with West Ham with a massive, kind of a bit of a statement of their own, putting Spurs in the relegation zone and Spurs unable to respond today. Yeah, it was a massive win for West Ham and then for Tottenham, obviously, with the new manager coming in. You expected more from them, I think, today and the difficulty... I think the manager there, De Zerbe, will be looking at his players and he needs to find out quick which players he can trust because I've said it all season, the players have not played to the levels in what they are and I think they're probably starting to realise now that they actually are in danger of getting relegated and De Zerbe has to find some answers quick because they could go.

22:00What did you make of the performance? Yeah, a bit flat. It looked like sometimes you get a bounce when the new manager comes in, but I think you get that when a new manager comes in and you're really front-footed and you're putting pressure on the ball and you're aggressive. I think that's how you get that with a new manager. I think they were a little bit in between knowing what they were meant to do. Is it just that their squad aren't good enough? Yeah, I think they've got good players who can play better than what they are. Yeah, probably at the minute a mid-table team. But they're obviously in the bottom three.

22:36Confidence is massive. When your confidence goes, it's very difficult to get yourself out of that. As an individual, you can obviously have behind your teammates when your confidence goes a little bit. But when you've got a full team with a lack of confidence, that's tough. Do you think that Roberto De Zerbi was the right appointment for Spurs? because obviously there was a lot said about Igor Tudor and whether he was, and Giserby's been linked for a very long time. There's been a lot of people that have had their say over it. What about you? You don't know, do you? I think time will tell on that, but I think he's done an okay job at Brighton.

23:11He'd probably done what was expected. Not special, really, with Brighton. So, yeah, I think he's probably got a point to prove in England and he needs to try and do that quick with Tottenham. So, yeah, I think time will tell on that one. Did it surprise you that he took that job though? Because you say that he's got a point to prove in England. No one wants to go into Spurs and be the manager that does take them down. Yeah, I don't think he'll get much of the blame, will he, on that. But, yeah, it was a surprise. And I think they've probably had to add a few more notes on his contract. I was going to say with that contract, it didn't look like a surprise.

23:56I thought it was interesting, actually. I don't know if you heard what you said post-match, K, but you said something about these players don't need a coach. They're really good players. What they need is a father, an older brother, kind of an arm around them. It feels like that with a lot of modern day players, unfortunately, doesn't it? I feel like the whole attitude towards maybe like having a go at certain players or shouting at certain players, you probably can't do that anymore. I think nowadays with this generation, they, for want of a better word, are a bit softer and you have to take a different approach with them.

24:29And I think there's so much more things at play now where you probably didn't have it before, where, you know, you have a go at a player maybe to try and motivate him. he's already on the phone to his agent asking for things. Things get leaked a lot quicker. So I think Wayne will probably know better than I would do in that respect, isn't it? Yeah, I think they're probably not as resilient as players of 10, 20 years ago. Players now, they have a lot of people around them and they don't like getting told no. We see it all the time when a player's left out with the team for a couple of games, they're asking to move on.

25:09rather than knuckling down and fighting for the place. I think that's just the way it is at the minute. A lot of players don't like you shouting at them or getting in the face. So you have to find a different approach to each individual, as I said before. Can we start talking about this now? Because I think there's been a lot of, oh, Spurs won't go down, they're too big a club. They're going to find the wins that they need. They're now below that dotted line, which again, psychologically is probably big and maybe changes.

25:42Because the ramifications financially, everything could be huge, Wayne. It'll be a disaster for them, won't it? If they do go, and I think that's where some of them players are probably looking at it thinking, well, if we go down, I can move on and go and get another Premier League team or go to a different club. But they have to shows the passion to the Tottenham fans because if they go down a championship, it's not easy. It's tough. You know, you're seeing Leicester now who won the league not long ago, struggling and, you know, could get relegated into League One. So it'll be a disaster for Tottenham if they go down.

26:22All right, Spurs-Brighton might be big, but let's be honest, the title decider next week at the Etihad is bigger. So let's just go back to that, Wayne, because I'm intrigued as to how you think tactically both teams approach it, particularly Mikel Arteta because we can talk about the psychology but he needs to get his tactics right we've seen them kind of sit in and try and be hard to beat particularly in these big games away from home does he need to do the same again? I think a draw will be a good point for Arsenal anything to stop Man City winning I think you know you have to play dirty you know be tough to break down make sure you you know there's no gaps in between the lines because that's where City can really hurt you and try and hit them on the break and whether the fans like that type of football or not, they have to do everything just to stop City from winning.

27:09And I think they will. I think they'll go low block and try and be resilient enough to stop City from scoring. It'll be interesting as well to see what team he does put out. I know we're talking on Sunday night, they've still got to play sporting in midweek. But they've had a few injuries, haven't they? But as Kay, you said it, didn't you? He likes to play the same team. So it probably depends who's available to him by Sunday as well, the likes of Paquio Saka. I think Mikel Arteta has been quite short-sighted in a lot of the way he's managed his squad. He's gone through a lot of those players.