Man City Beat Liverpool & Is Xhaka The Signing Of The Season?

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1:06Discover the V-Series line-up at cadillac.com. Arsenal, now we're obviously dropping points. We'll be looking over the shoulder and seeing the way City are playing. Coming to the Premier League, he's been probably the sign of the season. I think he's been brilliant. I know what Cara's saying, but we're not seeing goalkeepers having, you know, 100 touches the ball a game.

1:29Kae Kurd:Do you know what? Pep looks so unprofessional on the sidelines. Oh, with this hoodie? Yeah, like, he just wears the CP clothing, like, hoodie or whatever, and you're like, bro, just, like, come on, man, at least just make a bit of an effort, innit? I think when you've won what he's won, you can wear what you want, can't you? No, I agree. I do agree with you. I like when a manager wears a suit and tight, you know what I mean? Yeah. Them days are gone now, though. What do you think of managers wearing suits and... You're on a clothes hype today, because as Wayne walked into the room, he didn't have his headphones on and straight away you were coming for his clothes asking if he was wearing a jumpsuit.

2:01Kae Kurd:I said it looks good on him, to be fair. No, you described him as wearing a jumpsuit. Yeah, you said you had one similar to it. It wouldn't be the first time for him. You hear him, it wouldn't be the first time. That's good. Okay, should we talk football, guys? Yeah, let's do it. Let's start with City and Liverpool. What did you make of it, Wayne? Yeah, I thought City were really good, efficient. energy, intensity Liverpool really struggled to deal with that Doku was incredible, I thought he was tough for Conor Bradley I think for coming off the performance against Real Madrid and then Doku was causing him big problems and I fell for him a little bit because I don't think he got much help, I don't think Mo Salah gave him that much protection in front of him Gravenberg then was having to cover and do a lot of work to try and help him out.

2:55But Doku, honestly, when he's like that, can cause everyone problems. So City fully deserved a win, I thought.

3:03Kae Kurd:Those goals were amazing. That Doku goal was incredible, man. Sometimes that's what you just want to see in a football match. You just want someone to just go, hey, give it here. Let me smack it. Yeah, no, it was a great goal, I think. I think you could say with Doku, he's unpredictable in it. So sometimes he has too many touches. But I thought today, his decision-making was really good as well. and it's a goal. He's cut inside, top corner. I think Liverpool could decide to get out of him and try and stop it, get more pressure on the ball, but fantastic finish. What did you think on the offside goal, Van Dijk?

3:39Kae Kurd:It's a hard one, isn't it? Because from my perspective, any time Liverpool get a decision going against them, it's the correct one, Wayne. I thought it's a goal. I think I get the rules and what the rules say, but I think Donnarumma can see it the whole way and he makes the decision to go for the ball and gets nowhere near it. So I don't think Robertson is the standard of front to the keeper. I know he's close to him, but I think it doesn't impact Donnarumma. He sees the ball all the way. He does a dive, full dive for it and gets nowhere near it. So I thought that should have stood. Let me just throw in what the Premier League match centre said.

4:17Just this is the reason that it was disallowed goal. The referees called offside and no goal to Liverpool was checked and confirmed by VAR, with Robertson in an offside position and deemed to be making an obvious action directly in front of the goalkeeper. What do you make of that, Kay?

4:31Kae Kurd:Do you know what? What obvious action was he making? He took, didn't he? But he's not in the eye line of the goalkeeper, so he's not affecting Donnarumma's decision to... I get it if he's in front of Donnarumma and then he's having an impact, of course he is, but he's a bit to the side of him and Donnarumma can see the ball the whole way and he ducks out the way of the ball. So I just think, I guess it's the rules, but Donnarumma is weight on his right foot and then he's tried to shift quick and dive. So he hasn't waited for Robertson to make the decision and then dive after he's dived before he's done the movement.

5:13So I think it should have stood me. Virgil van Dijk has just spoken. and we're kind of getting these live in as we're recording and he said it doesn't matter what I say about the goal because anything I say will be in the media. Here we are. And the whole international break will be my comments on the decision. I just focus on the fact we lost. You guys can debate if it should have stood, which is exactly what we're doing. But on to Liverpool's performance overall, Wayne, particularly in the first half. When they'd come off such an impressive result in midweek against Real Madrid, did it surprise you at all?

5:46a little bit but I think Man City are on a really good run of form and they're on fire at the minute and so City can do that and make it really difficult for you to get near the ball and move the ball quick and with a good tempo so but Liverpool they looked a bit tired I felt I think I don't know whether that's off the back of the Madrid game they looked a bit leggy couldn't really get to the ball didn't press well didn't run back well I think when City got beyond their attacking players. I don't think they got back into position and helped the defence. When you're playing the best teams, you need every player getting back into the shape and making it as difficult as you can because City can punish you like they did.

6:27I'm a little bit surprised. I thought they would have got comforted from that Madrid game. But in the Premier League this season, they've struggled. They've left five defeats now and they're in eighth place at the minute. So the fans are tough to try and retain the title. Why do you think they're doing better in Europe as opposed to the league? What do you think it is about Europe that's a bit easier for them? I don't know. Maybe I'll just talk about the tempo and intensity. The Premier League is probably a little bit higher than it is in the rest of Europe. So maybe that's a factor. But again, when you've won the last few games, Liverpool, so you'd expect a bit more from them today.

7:06But yeah, I don't know. City are a good team, aren't they? and Haaland's on fire. Zocchi was on fire today. So I just think you've got to praise City more than Evergott Liverpool today. Yeah, you've got to praise City, Wayne, but these kind of games are normally a lot tighter, aren't they? We don't really see in recent years the games between City and Liverpool are normally more hotly contested. Is it just a reflection of where Liverpool were at? What do you think it comes down to? Yeah, confidence, which you thought would have been high after Madrid after the Madrid game and yeah I think the Van Dijk goal getting to Slough was a big moment in the game I think because if that's given Liverpool even though they didn't play that well get back to 1-1 just before half time and it could be a different outcome but that's not given then to get the second goal and then it's very difficult I don't think I felt Liverpool were going to get back in the game after that and they finish it off with the third but yeah it's I think it's more of how well City are doing at the minute Arsenal now we're obviously dropping points we'll be looking over the shoulder and seeing City with Pep Guardiola behind you then I think that Arsenal will be a little bit nervous seeing the way City are playing just a word on um jeremy docu wayne he's he's a player i think he's made 100 appearances for city now hasn't he and he's a player that on his day looks absolutely unplayable what did you make of his goal and you've already what are you laughing at do you know why i find it funny

8:51Kae Kurd:there's a trend online that docu only does well against um defenders that are over 30 so once the defenders over 30 they hate to see jeremy docu it's a whole trend online so it's interesting that today it was Conor Bradley, a quite young defender and he was running rings around and maybe the fact that Mo Salah wasn't helping had something to do with that. But yeah. I thought my camera zoomed in on me or something and that was the reason you were laughing. What did you make of that, Wayne? And the fact that obviously Docky was brilliant. He's finding more consistency, isn't he, this season? I think in previous seasons he's been in and out and can have unbelievable games and have some bad games as well.

9:31But I think he's consistent with his performances and when he's like he was today it's almost impossible for anyone to defend 1v1 against a player like Doku it's very difficult to be on it so I fell for Connor Bradley today with him

9:44Kae Kurd:With players like Doku I think isn't it wonderful just watching what they can do with the ball but sometimes you're just like we just need the end product like where's the final ball or where's the shot that can cause some problems and I think with Doku right now with games like this you see he's got it in his locker and like you said it's about the consistency did you have players that you were playing with that were similar to that when you were playing? I think you know look at Nani Nani on his day was incredible some of the stuff he'd do and goals he'd score and assist as well and then some days he'd frustrate you because you know when players have got that much ability and then you know I have bad games as well of course but I think when players have got so much ability it's you try things you know sometimes you give defenders credit as well defenders defend well against and if you deny the space then it's a lot more difficult for players like that and that's where I just felt he he had a lot of space to get the ball down and get faced up with Conor Bradley and you know you ask them for trouble there and I think we've seen that with Liverpool as well a few times we've seen it with Chelsea where Chelsea targeted down the right hand side of Liverpool because I don't think you know Salah gives you goals he gives you assists he's a fantastic player but he doesn't tend to get back in and help out his full back a lot so I wouldn't be surprised if that was something that City worked on Were you disappointed?

11:16Did you want to see more from Salah in that aspect today when in terms of helping Connor Bradley out? Yeah I've made this point earlier on this season as well and you know as a as a team you could see that Conor Bradley was in trouble. You could see that he was having a difficult afternoon. So you want to go and help your teammates out. So in the big games, in games not so, in the lesser games, if you like, I think you can get away with it. And if you're playing against, you know, you're not playing against Dooku every week and you can't get away with it. But in the big games, you'd hope that everyone puts the work in to help your teammates out because normally that's a big factor in who wins the game.

12:00and I think Liverpool and down at right-hand side didn't do that well enough today.

12:06Kae Kurd:Yeah, but if you're the manager and you know your 33-year-old winger hasn't probably got in his locker anymore to keep tracking back, should you not be making changes sooner rather than later? Yeah, you can do it, but Salah always, you know, I think whatever you say about him, he's one of the best players ever, in my opinion, to play in the Premier League and he gives you goals. So you want players on the pitch who can score goals. as well. So, yeah, we had it with Ronaldo in very similar times and when you've got a player who, you know, consistently over a period of time can get you the goals and the numbers that Salah does and what Ronaldo did for us, then, but what we've done well is we covered it and we, you know, we all got back into a shape and accepted the, you know, Ronaldo worked hard, I'm not saying he didn't, but we accepted the, we're going to have to do a little bit more work and he'll go and do his bits of magic to win his game.

13:05So I don't think Liverpool had that balance there today. Where does this leave the title race, do you think, then? Because they're down to eighth now, which is remarkable given the start they had. I know they weren't playing that well, but they were getting the results. They've got 18 points from 11 games. Are they still in it, Wayne? I think it would be difficult to think with Arsenal's form and obviously I know they dropped points yesterday, but with Arsenal's former Man City now coming into a great run of form, I think it'll be difficult, but it's still early in the season, so you never know.

13:37I just think with Arsenal and City, they're obviously the two favourites. I think Arsenal will be a bit nervous, as I said before, with City coming up and they'll be thinking not again, to get the title pitched after again, but I think that's where it'll be one of them too. I'd still probably edge Arsenal.

13:56Kae Kurd:I think I think you can never rule out Man City yeah I think they only start getting going after Christmas as well so it's going to be a bit of a difficult one but on the plus side Man United I knew you were going to go there I knew one of you would go there and I was hedging my bet that it would be you Kay go on anything more to add I thought you might want I thought you might want to gloat a bit more there Kay to be honest I was waiting for them to finish it off but no I think before the game if you would have said United come away with a point then you'd probably take it but I just think taking the lead and then conceding the two goals like they did you know you just want them to hold on and you know try and see the game out but show really good character to come back and get a point in the end so I think overall if you just isolate the result it's a good point I can't believe that was where your parting gift was on Man United I thought you were going to wax lyrical more I think, like I said, Man City, you can never rule them out.

14:57Kae Kurd:I think with Pep Guardiola at the helm, you can just see something is always brewing. Like he's always got his mind on like two or three games ahead. And I think it's hard for anybody to go up against Manchester City. That's why it makes a win over them even more sweet. And I think Arsenal are in a great position. But we saw yesterday with like the Sunderland game, you know, you can play against Arsenal. You can play against Arsenal and you can make it difficult for them. And I think it's now that we've seen how Sutherland played against them, I think it almost provides like a blueprint for other teams in the league to go, listen, if you get in their faces, if you crowd the box, if you try and make life hard for them, you can score against them and you can win games or you can get a result against them.

15:44Kae Kurd:And I feel like with Man City, they have a lot more options at their disposal. They can play in a few different ways. Whereas I think with Arsenal, I don't know if they're as adaptable as City are. So I think, look, it is Arsenal's to lose, but do not rule out Manchester City at all. Yeah, no, I agree. I think Arsenal are slightly favourites. But I think what you're talking about, Sunderland, there is, it's no fluke where they are in the league because the opposite of what I was talking about at Liverpool is you know Liverpool have got obviously better players and more ability in the squad but but what Sondland's have is a work rate of determination everyone pulling for each other and if you know someone's not in position someone will cover for them and that's why they've picked up as many points as they have this season so and that's you know sometimes that's what you need you need you call it the basics of the game of working hard and running for your teammates and and running for the team but So if you do that, you can be successful.

16:54And then it becomes about the player's ability and letting the forward lads go and get on the ball and be creative and try and score goals. But you need that foundation of everyone getting behind the ball.

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17:45What about Granit Xhaka? What a signing he's been. Obviously, seen him in the Premier League before but okay I mean you puffed your cheeks out then he's he's looked a brilliant bit of business one of the signings of the summer arguably it's amazing I think when I think people underestimate

18:00Kae Kurd:how important the midfield is and especially with with a player like him he's got bags of experience I know at Arsenal the the relationship got a bit sour at times but the guys played in other European clubs he won the league with Leverkusen so you know this is this is a player that's got bags of experience and he's got leadership skills in abundance. And I think that leadership and just that bit of experience where he can be calm on the ball and he can sort of be that cool head with a lot of younger players around him as well can really, really help a team like Sunderland to push on. And he's been fantastic.

18:38He has. I think he's obviously, he's never been the quickest anyway, Xhaka. But I think when you're talking about his experience there, no one went to slow the game down or if the team need a breather and you're not always trying to go forward and score goals you can slow it down and keep the ball up for a bit he brings that and positionally he picks up some really good positions I think when he had the situation with Arsenal when he fell out with the fans I think it showed his character to go and play for Arsenal I think he was captain for Arsenal after that as well so to get through that and then go and perform for Arsenal and then obviously at Leverkusen to go in obviously we're just in but at Leverkusen but to go and be part of a team which beat Bayern Munich to the league title I think it was the first time for 10 years or something like that 11 years something like that I think it was that Bayern Munich didn't win it he's shown what a good player he is and coming to the Premier League you wonder can he do it obviously with a promoted team as well coming up what impact can he have and he's been probably the son of the season I think he's been brilliant I actually interviewed him.

19:48You mentioned there, Wayne, that obviously he had that awful thing with the fans where he reacted and then it felt like he was on his way out. I interviewed him when he was back in the team. And I remember going to that interview and not really knowing what to expect and just expecting him to be kind of just a fiery kind of opinionated bloke. But he was actually like a really deep thinker. And he seemed like a, it's easy for me to say this, I probably wouldn't say if it was horrible, but he was just a really nice guy. and I think that whole Arsenal, the way that happened, kind of affected him and almost reignited another fire in him and has given him a whole other chapter and a purpose and I feel like probably coming back to the Premier League, I don't know if you agree, Wayne, he maybe had a bit of a point to prove.

20:24Coming to Sunderland as a newly promoted club, he probably wanted to show, look, I'm still a top, top player and I can really help this team and that's what he's doing. It's a brave move as well to go to, obviously Sunderland's a fantastic football club, but to go to a promoted team who everyone tipped to get relegated and be up for that fight I think you've got to give him a lot of credit for that and he's gone in the fans seem to love him in there as well obviously they will with his performances but again it's that desire and work and influence he can have on other players which you can see he's doing that so he's been incredible I didn't think he'd have a season like he's having so far.

21:10Kae Kurd:Yeah, but do you know what else I love? The fact that he's come in straight away and he's been given the captain's armband and he's been able to act on it and he's been able to lead by example. I just think to go into a new team as well where you probably don't know your teammates and stuff as well and to go in there with the captain's armband and be able to garner that respect from your peers, it must say something about him, doesn't it? Yeah, and Sunderland have got a very young squad as well. so I think, you know, he'll almost be like a father figure and he'll be a big help for the coach as well.

21:44You know, he'll be in between. Man as captain, of course, you are that anyway, but I think with a lot of Sunderland players, first time playing in the Premier League, young players as well, and he made a lot of signings in the summer, he'll be a massive help for the manager with them players for sure using his experience.

22:03Kae Kurd:What's the biggest thing you could do as a captain when those younger players are around you? Because you were a captain with a lot of younger players around you as well. What was it that you could pass on to them that could make them better players or perhaps get you the win on that game? Yeah, I think decision-making, game management, as I said before, about knowing when to slow the game down when you need to and, you know, your decision-making on the pitch. And, you know, if you're winning the last five minutes, your full backs are staying back and stuff like that and you can organise that on the pitch you're a coach on the pitch basically and with young players what you get is they want to go all the time and even when you're winning late on by one goal the full backs want to still go forward and stuff so you use your experience and your brain and communication talking to them so yeah I'm sure he'll be doing all that so he probably is the best sign in the summer for sure.

23:03Yeah, it's interesting, isn't it? Because I think Sunderland's form and teams like Sunderland doing well has led to a few people kind of questioning maybe the quality of the league. I know Jamie Carragher wrote an article this week suggesting there's been a bit of a regression in the Premier League. Do you agree with that, Wayne? I know what Cara's saying, but I think it's refreshing. I think we're seeing, you know, we're not seeing goalkeepers having, you know, 100 touches the ball a game and stuff all the time now. and set pieces are so important. They always have been really important in the game and long throws are back in favour as well.

23:38So I actually enjoy it. I think I like it when it's a long time and people are getting people in the box and set players and stuff. I want to see more runs in behind. I still don't think players run in behind enough, but I'm enjoying it.

23:55Kae Kurd:Do you know what? I do think the quality of the game has regressed, but not for the reasons Jamie Carragher said. I think tactics in football are very cyclical. Like what's fashionable now probably won't be fashionable in about two or three years, but then like 10 years from now, people are going to be doing long throws and whatever again. But I think what you've got is, and I've probably said it on here before, where I feel like the floor of teams has raised. So you've got like a lot of players that have got great technical ability and they're great athletes. But I think the game sort of lost a lot of mavericks and a lot of players at the top, top quality where there were times where, especially when you were playing, Wayne, you would look at teams across Europe and you could name two or three, maybe four players in each side and you were like, bloody hell, they're incredible.

24:44Kae Kurd:Whereas I think we've sort of lost that at the moment as well. But I think the tactics, just because people aren't playing tiki-taka anymore in possession football, that doesn't mean that the league's regressed. Yeah, I think it's, I know what you're saying there, and the game has gone more positional and, you know, players staying in the positions and especially in the top end of the pitch where, you know, you think of like Zola and Bergkamp and, you know, players of this quality and, you know, coming deep, getting on the ball, running behind, you know, creating. You had individual players who, you know, So you go right the way through Henri, Drogba, Stephen Gerrard, when he went forward and stuff.

25:28You had players who played off the cuff a little bit more, where I think now it's all patterns of play and it's a bit more structured, which probably takes away that freedom for the attacking players as what we used to have. Is it as fun, though? I think I prefer it at the moment. I like the unpredictability of games. And isn't it nice to, like, we've got this amazing title race and Arsenal are doing really well and they're going to Sunderland. like in previous years they go to a promoted club and you'd be like no disrespect to the promoted clubs but they were getting relegated you just expect them to go and get three points whereas now we know that's going to be a proper game do you know what I mean as a fan do you not like that