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Your every day can pay for your holiday. Just sign up to the British Airways Club. Start collecting today. Search Avios. T's and C's do apply. Vegas baby. and welcome to another Arsecast Extra. As always, we're James from Gunnar Blog. James, even though the men did not play yesterday, they had no game this weekend, it has to be a very goodly morning. It does. Is this an Arsecast Extra?
Or are we elbowing Tim Stillman out the way and declaring this, the Arsenal Women Ask Blog podcast? I mean, yeah, incredible. Absolutely extraordinary, I have to say. What an amazing result and achievement. Yes. For those who, I don't know, have been living with their heads under a rock. No, you wouldn't live with your head under a rock. You live entirely under a rock, don't you? If you're unaware of what's going on in the world.
Yeah, I think so. Yeah, you're under a rock. Your head is in the sand, I think. That's it. yeah is the rock on top of the sand they could be right it could be if like as long as your head is not buried in something you surely are aware by Well, the first of a possible couple, possible pair of Champions League finals. Champions League finals. Arsenal women went to Lyon yesterday, having lost the first leg 2-1. and beat Leon 4-1 away from... What an incredible comeback. I mean...
I don't know if comeback does it justice. You know, comeback sort of suggests that, let's say it was 3-0 from the first leg and we turned it around by winning 4-1 or something like that. It was quite tight after the first leg, but I guess it is technically a comeback, but it was such a decisive performance and result. What a way to qualify for a Champions League final. Just amazing. It really is. It's inspirational stuff.
You know, the first leg didn't end particularly favourably, and going away to a side with the pedigree, the record of Lyon, it looked like a tall order. But yeah, a remarkable performance, remarkable result. Sets up an Arsenal versus Barcelona Champions League final. A fixture, obviously, which will have some resonance for fans of the men's team.
And which, you know, is also possible on the men's side too. I mean, it's kind of crazy, the synchronicity. Real Madrid in the quarterfinals, a French team in the semifinals, the possibility of Barcelona in the finals. You couldn't write it, Andrew. No. There's a lot going on, isn't there? I mean, the last time we won a European trophy, who did we play in the semifinal? Personage of Man. Yeah. Wow. Yeah. That was in 1994 when we won the Cup Winners' Cup.
And we beat PSG in the semifinal to get to the final against Parma. That's interesting. Amy Lawrence has... forewarn me that there is also a history of some rather painful fixtures in Paris down the years. On the other side of the coin, I think I'm right to say. The Cup Winners' Cup Final with Naeem. Was that game in Paris?
Very possible. Good question. Good question. They'll be screaming the answer at home if they're of the appropriate age. 1995 Cup Winners Cup Final. It was at the Parc des Princes. There you go. But... it does feel like the stars are aligning somewhat. And, you know, the women deserve all their own flowers, frankly, independent of our sort of...
ongoing interest and curiosity about the men's competition. I mean, that is just absolutely fantastic. And what an amazing story for a side that, you know, the manager was dismissed early this season. Caretaker steps in. does such an extraordinary job now to reach a Champions League final. What a turnaround it's been there. Yeah, it really is amazing. It really is. They've done such incredible things under René Slagers, haven't they?
Yeah, it's just one of those things, isn't it, with football, that things can get a bit stale? or not quite reach the level that they need to, and somebody else comes in and has slightly different ideas, different way of doing things.
And it can bring a new energy. You know, you look at somebody like Alessio Russo, who kind of struggled under Jonas Eideval, but who's come to... the four really under under renee slagers um yeah i mean this this is a a thing i'm sure that tim and jamie will discuss in more detail in the the arsenal women arse cast when they i don't know when they're doing it by the way um
Because I guess Tim is traveling back from Leon today being out there covering the game. But yeah, they'll discuss it in more detail. But it is, it's amazing. And I was... It was last week, the week before maybe, I think before the first leg of the... What do you call it? Semi-final against Leon. I think Renis Leggers was talking a bit about how, you know, there's this sort of one club idea, you know?
And for Arsenal to be in the position that we're in this season where we could do something actually genuinely historic, no club has ever won the men's and women's Champions League in the same season. Now, it would be historic on its own if Arsenal were to win the Champions League, the men were to win the Champions League. But what a... What a sort of opportunity or what a kind of inspirational, motivational thing it must be to have that little bit.
You know, I'm sure Mikel Arteta is aware of that. I'm sure everybody at the club is aware of that. You don't need any extra motivation, really, do you, to win a Champions League or to want to win the Champions League. To have something just that little bit extra special could be, who knows, the difference. It would be amazing. I mean...
Arsenal women won it in 2007, I think I'm right in saying. And that is commemorated on the exterior of the Emirates Stadium. I think if the men and the women do it in the same year... I know they've just done it. They might have to redo that exterior. It honestly would be that significant. Build a new stadium. Fuck it. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. We'll have 22 statues put up around the ground. Yeah, it would be. Absolutely phenomenal.
But yeah, I think we've got to sell it. When you reach a final of magnitude and in the manner that they've done it, It's got to be celebrated in its own right. And I also think it is a real... reminder and inspiration. to the men's team of what's possible. I have no doubt that Mikel Arteta, when he arrives at training this morning and addresses his players, will be talking about what the women have done.
you know paved the way and set the example and shown really i think how important is to remember that this is a 180 minute effect And whatever happens at the Emirates Stadium tomorrow night. it will only be half-time. If that means Arsenal are ahead, they'll have to keep their wits about them because they'll still have a lot to follow in Paris. And if they're behind... Well, then the comeback is still possible. Yeah, that's a great example. I mean...
The character and the attitude and the never-say-diness of the Arsenal women is evident in both of the quarterfinals and the semifinals. You know, losing the first leg in both, you know, 2-0 away to Real Madrid.
And then you come back and take them at home. You win 3-0. 3-0 over Real Madrid. Nice familiar scoreline. You know, same with the game against Lyon, where I think Arsenal probably should have won that game. Missed chances and then... got caught with a bit of a sucker punch goal to lose that one 2-1 at home, but then to go to Lyon and turn it around.
That level of belief, that level of character is fantastic. You know, to be able to see that and to be able to demonstrate that in these big games, in big moments, you know, that's what it's all about. Remontada after Remontada. Yes. Yeah, we know how to. We're reclaiming the term. We know how to Remontada. They could teach Real Madrid a thing or two, that is for sure. And character, belief.
But quality as well. I remember you came over for a women's game a few weeks ago, right? And you came back. about Mariona Caldente. What a goal. Unbelievable. There's a great picture. I don't know if you've seen the picture yet. As she is letting fly, Katie McCabe is standing in the background with her arms in the air. Like there's no possible way she could know what Mariona's about to do there.
But she's ahead of the game, I guess, to use an Arsenal catchphrase. Brilliant, brilliant goal, I have to say. And just before sort of half-time too, and then to score the third goal just after half-time, I think it really rattled Lyon. And they, as you said, have such extraordinary pedigree in this competition.
I don't think we can, yeah, can't ignore that. That should be underlined. It puts what Arsenal did yesterday into real perspective. Yeah, a good manager too, a former Arsenal manager, Joe Munson. But yeah, Arsenal were just superb. And Leon made mistakes, you know, errors at the back, but Arsenal were ruthless and capitalised on those. I've got to say, like, you know, Yeah, they really exceeded my expectations. I thought it was a big challenge to go there in that second leg and turn it round.
And they've done it. And I've seen the newspapers this morning calling it one of the great European comebacks. Wow. Can't disagree. Makes you very, very proud to be a fan. For sure, for sure. And what a big occasion that is going to be in Lisbon on May 24th against Barcelona, who, you know, are an incredible team. It's going to be very, very difficult, a big challenge.
You know, like you said, we've overcome the challenge of Lyon and beat Real Madrid as well. You know, there's a lot to take from that, and they should go into that game with a lot of confidence. Absolutely, yeah. And at least it's not a European final against Chelsea. It obviously went out in the semi-final, but, you know, Arsenal-Chelsea in the European final, that's not gone too well of late.
Or better. So what else this weekend? Well, the men didn't play. No. which actually I guess worked out quite nicely because it probably put a bit more spotlight on the women's team and rightly so. Somebody won some sort of league title, I gather. But I wasn't paying much attention. Yeah.
I didn't look at it. I sort of tried, you know, I've got a few Liverpool fans on my timeline, my brother, obviously, and I sent him a little text to say congratulations. Being the good brother, being the good brother that I am. Well, given all the trauma, the mug-related trauma. The mug-related trauma that we've endured in the past. But yes, I sent him a little text. But I've sort of tried to not look at any of it. There's part of me this morning that hopes in the nicest way possible.
That although Mikel Arteta is going to be absolutely laser focused on tomorrow, right? And what he needs to do with his team. And he will have been very proud of Arsenal women yesterday doing what they did and paving the way, showing the example of what you need to do against high-profile French opposition in a Champions League semifinal.
I think there will be part of him that will have been hurting yesterday, and I hope it hurt quite a lot. And like I said, I mean it in the nicest way possible. I think it will. I think it will. be eating at him slightly. We actually haven't spoken on air since the two-all draw with Palace in midweek last week. And I know that was kind of... There have been a few games recently that...
It's sort of tempting to sort of isolate them in analysis, you know, and be like, well, we're focused on the Champions League and, you know, made uncharacteristic errors. But I sort of think there's now like four, five or six of those games, it feels like to me. And I think that Mikel Arteta being as exacting and demanding as he is.
I do think when he, if he dares look at that Premier League table this morning, divert his focus briefly away from the Champions League, I do think he will look at it with I don't know if regret is too strong. I think he'll have feelings. I think he'll have feelings. He'll definitely have feelings, yeah. Yeah, about the gap.
And about some of the points Arsenal have dropped along the way for a multitude of reasons. Sure. I think I said this to Charles Watts on Thursday or whenever it was we spoke that... The idea that the title has been gone has been around for quite a while because there was a gap to Liverpool and, you know, I think you can think of games where you go, right, that was the moment we needed to win that game or...
Whatever it was, but I do think as well, there's been quite a proliferation of draws recently that have had an impact on the title race and how quickly maybe that it's been wrapped up. I don't know how many games are left to go for. We've got four. Right. But, you know, we've drawn three of our last four. Lost one recently. Yeah, I mean, I think we've only won three of the last.
nine is it something like that wow yeah so so yeah i i do think i do think it will gnaw at him a little the way even though we might have as a fan base decided it was gone in i don't know january or february or whatever it might have been um i don't think he quite felt that way and i think the manner in which it's sort of slipped away will bother him We're grateful that there's still so much to play for.
Yeah, for sure. I mean, it could end in extraordinary fashion. But I do think the bread and butter, the day-to-day job of the Premier League. is where Arteta's big focus is. You know, when you go into the start of the season, it is about the Premier League and you want to do well in the Cups and you want to do well in Europe. But that's your week after week stuff, you know. And I think... When they reflect on the season, when they analyze the season, when they... Look at how it all panned out.
I think they will look back and say, okay, there are things we could have done better. I think there are things we did pretty well in the circumstances. when it comes to injuries, and there's probably little appetite for us to go into those again. But I think they will have to look at decisions made recruitment squad building all of those kinds of things which i think have played a pretty big part in us
not being quite where we needed to be this season. I know there are other factors. I know there are injuries. I know there's suspensions. I know there's crazy decisions. But I do think the heart of it for me anyway was how we built the squad going into this season. And it was just missing something. Maybe it wouldn't have been enough anyway when you have Mo Salah doing what Mo Salah's done for Liverpool, but I wonder if...
One or two recruitment decisions might well have enabled us to score five, six, seven more goals in games that might have turned four or five or six draws into wins. Yeah, I think that's fair. We had Trevor North asked, you know, in this morning's blog, you mentioned lessons learned from Michel Arteta. Can you expand on this? I mean, I think you've just done that.
It's not to kill them, really, because you don't know quite how a season's going to pan out. There are things that I don't think anybody could have reasonably anticipated. You mentioned the injuries, but also some of the development of players. If you had known in June that Myles Lewis Skelly would become the left-back he's become, would you have diverted as much resource into Ricardo Calafiore? Do you know what I mean? Great question.
And the answer is probably not, but you couldn't possibly have anticipated that. So there's no sort of judgment from me on the club's decision to do that. We needed a left-back at that time. But yeah, I'm sure there'll be lessons learned. And even with the injuries, you know. I think bad luck has certainly played its part, but I'd like to think that... club are kind of interrogating everything around that to ensure that
they're doing the utmost they can to prevent those scenarios taking place. For sure. Whether it's training, how many minutes players are playing. you know just all aspects of kind of performance and player care to ensure We offer as much mitigation as we can. Yeah, you've got to look at every aspect of it. And we're doing it with the benefit of a lot of hindsight, you know, 34 games in, four games left, and we're able to analyze because it's played out.
Yeah, it's easy from where we're stood. Yeah, for sure. I mean, Trevor actually had a second part to his question where he said, are there lessons that we could learn as fans as a result of this? I don't know. I don't know. In what sense? Well, the only thing I can think of is
that a season's sort of not over till it's over. You know, I think one of the lessons I've learned is sort of like, oh, in January, February, it really felt like... you know the writing was on the wall and yet here we are a few days away from May talking out about a potentially historic
culmination to the campaign. Yeah, that's true. That's true. Do you think maybe the fact that, you know, we haven't had much of a track record in the Champions League and this is only our second season back in it after years out of it, we did. I think we did pretty well last season, get to the quarterfinals to lose to Bayern Munich by a single goal after we were denied a penalty on Bakayo Saka.
In the home game, that might have tipped the balance in our favour. But look, I'm not holding any grudges against... That referee, whoever he is. But, you know, that might have played a part because I think if you'd said to people, can Arsenal make... the Champions League final this season? Can Arsenal win the Champions League this season? I think if you ask people in January... The majority would have been like, no.
So that probably played a part. I think people saw the Premier League as more achievable for Arsenal this season. And yet here we are. In a scenario where the reverse is true or the converse is true or whatever. You know? So we're... What did Arteta say last week? Something about you've got to write your own history, but once you do that, then people will start to believe in it.
So there we go. I mean, did you watch any other football this weekend? I saw a bit of the FA Cup semi-final on Saturday between Crystal Palace and Aston Villa. Mm-hmm. Which I enjoyed. I enjoyed watching Crystal Palace get through to the final where they're going to play Man City. I didn't see the game. yesterday. But I was glad to see Palace go through. I think they deserve to go through. Scored some nice goals. The Bereze goal was really, really lovely indeed. And yeah, there was some...
Emi Martinez and Una Emery and that kind of stuff. Brad Dennett got in touch about that, actually. Brad said, morning, gents. Seeing Martinez celebrate a missed penalty like he had just solved world hunger to then go on and concede two more goals thereafter.
ranked pretty highly on my you love to see it leaderboard just above kids supporting a rival team crying uncontrollably at full time something that my fiance says makes me a bad person Is there anything similar that brings you an unreasonable amount of joy that other people might judge you for? No, I mean, I'm pretty much on the same page as that, you know. I did laugh at that. The Emi Martinez reaction to that was really...
A bit over the top, I think. Like I get celebrating a guy missing a penalty. Didn't we have one a couple of years ago? Ramsdale and Bruno Fernandes. Yes, yes, yes, yes. That was the one, exactly. But, you know, there's still a way to go in the game and you're actually losing the game as it stands. So, you know, maybe get on with your job. try and save one of the ones that went in. He's not had a great season, actually. I don't think Martin has.
Yeah, I mean, I've not watched every Villa game, obviously, but the ones I have watched, I don't think he's looked... the best goalkeeper in the world, as I think he has been awarded twice now. Jonathan Pearce keeps saying on BBC that he's the best goalkeeper in the world. It's like, really? I mean, he's a huge personality. That's a big part of it. You know, that is, but technically I'm not sure.
Old Debu, yeah. I mean, I find his sort of position among the Arsenal fan base kind of... fascinating because it just feels like he's managed to erode any kind of warm feeling that might have existed for a guy who was with us for more than a decade. Yeah. But there you go. The force of that personality can be quite abrasive, I think it's fair to say. Yes. I mean, there's...
There's the meme stuff, isn't there, about how he always talks about Arsenal and that kind of stuff. But I mean, I've also heard him talk about Arsenal with... you know, real respect and fondness for all the time that he did spend here. And, you know, those were weird times as well, you know, when he made his breakthrough because of the injury to Bernd Leno.
Thanks to Neil Mopay. Without Neil Mopay, Emi Martinez would just be another middling fucking run-of-the-mill guy who's probably a Rotherham or something, you know? Imagine owing everything you have in your career to Neil Moe. Yeah, well, there you go. But I've lost my train of thought here. I have said this before, but I do think some of that meme stuff was a bit overblown because...
It kind of wasn't his fault that he got asked about Arsenal in every interview he did for like two years after he left. Yeah. and you know we know how social media culture works that's what gets clipped up or screenshot and suddenly it's all you're talking about um but equally i do see that he is uh as i say quite an abrasive personality i think you can have an interesting debate about whether Arsenal got it right on him, you know, was it...
Was it good to, was it a good call to sell him or should they have just kept him and, you know, until they could get their David Rye, their precious David Rye? I guess just going back to it being weird times, it was sort of, lockdown um yeah nobody quite knew what was going on in terms of fans and money and there was money on offer for emmy martinez and there was no money on offer for burned leno let's say if it was a right do we take 20 million for burned leno or 20 million for emmy martinez
Maybe you keep Emi Martinez and sell Bernd Leno for 20 million, but there was no 20 million on offer for Bernd Leno. And I feel like, and I could be completely wrong here, I do feel like perhaps. given what we know about Mikel Arteta, that at some point... He and Emi Martinez might have had just a little bit of a falling out along the way. It does feel quite combustible, doesn't it? Yeah. Yes, I think that is fair. But yeah, I saw bits and pieces of that.
I'm fully Team Palace for the final. Oh, me too. Me too. I was Team Forest for the other semi, but they couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. No. And, yeah, like, if City... I mean, we speak about a season not being over till it's over. Given the depths they plumbed at certain points this season. qualified for the Champions League and lifting a trophy at Wembley. Yeah. That would be quite annoying, actually.
But I mean, that feels sort of inevitable because of who they are and what they do and how they've done it, that even when they're terrible, they'll end up winning a trophy. People say, oh, it's just the FA Cup, but I'd take an FA Cup. Not ahead of a Champions League, though. Let me just state that for the record. I'd absolutely take a Champions League. I mean, did you watch any of the game yesterday at Anfield? Was it in any way surprising to you that...
Spurs spurs it to the max to ensure that Liverpool won the title, losing their 19th game of the season. Wow. Spurs are very in the fortunate position that in each of the last two seasons, they've been able to play their part in preventing Arsenal winning a Premier League. And all they've had to do is lose. It's very much within their wheelhouse. They've had lots of practice.
Yeah, exactly. A game where they'd have to win to stop Arsenal winning the league, I think that would be a much bigger problem for them. No, no surprise. I mean, I didn't even watch it, Andrew, to be honest. I saw that fixture and just thought, well, they're going to absolutely... It's kind of a dream opponent in a game where it's like, we're at home. If we win, we win the league. And we've got, you know.
Probably the league's most poorest defence up from Southampton are in town. I don't think that's quite fair, actually. Ibswich and Leicester are also pretty terrible defence. But you shouldn't feel bad about sticking the knife into Tottenham in that regard. that's true um so no i had no i think it's fair to say i had no hope or expectations of anything but uh a thrashing yeah and that's exactly what they dished out and won the title and
And I have not seen a minute of it, Andrew. I've not seen Mo Salah score, lift a trophy. Did they get the trophy yesterday? I presume so, yeah. Why wouldn't they? Presumably it would have been there. Well, the Premier League know the same as us about Spurs, Andrew. Yeah, the trophy was there, you know. With the ribbons on it. Weeks before this game, as soon as they saw it in the fixture list.
they had the trophy sent there engraved and read it um but i've actually steered clear of it it's funny isn't it it's like liverpool They seem to be involved in sort of their own discourse around their title win. I don't think it's something Arsenal fans or City fans or fans of any other club are sort of particularly... querying or questioning or challenging but i am seeing like liverpool players and fans come out and sort of
defend their title win a little bit? No, sorry, I don't understand. But I don't understand because, you know, I'm not on the bad place anymore, so I don't see what goes on over there. But what are they... What are they defending? I think they've been the best team. Yeah. In the league this season, the most consistent team with the best player in the world right now.
who just produced the best season of his life, an unbelievable individual season, which has helped them, obviously, as a collective. What are they... What are they hitting out at? I think it probably is just a social media thing. I think you're probably right in that. I think when you win the title at a canter, as they have... Oh, people say it's because, well, you know, it wasn't a challenge or, yeah. Fuck that.
You know? Sorry. I'm just pouring water out of my open window here. Okay, cool. Is there someone beneath it you don't like? No, it's just onto the flat roof. I don't know why. I had a half-empty bottle of water, and I said, I must empty that on the roof while we're talking. I've got no idea why. I decided to do this. The Mac buys a drink later on. Yeah. There's birds out there, all right. But, I mean, the, yeah. There was a point I was going to make about Liverpool.
I think as well, this idea that they've been some kind of surprise package under Arna Slott is a bit of a weird one as well. They've been such a good team for a long time. You know, they know how to go the distance. I know they've only done it once before, but they've done it. And Arna Slott has won a league title before as well. at Feyenoord. So, you know, they do have that experience and they've got some, you know, some really top players in the team with Salah Van Dijk, Allison.
You know, even Trent Alexander-Arnold, who'll be on his way, I think, to the basket case that is Real Madrid. He might be changing his mind, actually. about going there but yeah I think they deserve the title much as it pains me to say it I don't know why Liverpool fans would give a fuck what anyone thinks.
Yeah, well, they shouldn't. I mean, listen, I don't wish to take anything away from Liverpool. I think they've been excellent. I think Arnestat's done a brilliant job. Salah's been unstoppable. I do think this isn't the strongest... i've ever seen like if you look at you know the historically big clubs i don't even think we've had
our best season of the last few years. City certainly haven't. When you've got teams like United and Spurs being as appalling as they have been, it's not necessarily the strongest field. Chelsea started well and have had... A really bad second after the season. I feel like because of United and Spurs, that's sort of not being massively talked about. But the wheels have come off a bit there for Maresca.
So, you know, I do think there is some merit in the idea that they have been the best of a bad bunch, but they have been the best by some distance. They have been very, very, very good. Their record speaks for itself. Yeah, I guess. Congratulations, I guess. The difference is obvious. When you look at the table, right, beyond points, If you see... Points is quite important. Points is quite important. It's the main one. But when you look at...
Liverpool have drawn seven games. Arsenal have drawn 13 games. Liverpool have lost twice. Arsenal have lost three times. So we're pretty much, you know, aligned there in terms of losses. But Liverpool have scored 80 goals. Arsenal have only scored 63 goals. A few extra goals from a wide player, for example, that might turn a few of those draws into wins. Different season. Different season. It really is. Yeah, it is. So is it fair to say then it's basically all Raheem Sterling's fault?
I'll leave that. I'll leave that to you. No, no. No, that would be the one where I would say, when they look back on it, that will be the decision or one of the decisions that I think they will have to hold their hands up and say, got that one wrong. Yeah, I'd be surprised if they went back to something like that.
next summer you know yeah if they if they're like scratching around they go what about if we loan jayden sancho that's i'll be out i'll be picketing the emerald state do you know what i mean like yeah don't take overpaid, underperforming players. from a rival in the hope that they magically rediscover their form. I would say it has been proven to be not a sound strategy. So we're all in for Demba Ba this summer, is that what you're saying?
Listen, there was a time I loved them. I dreamed of Demba Bart. Who was the other guy? Around that time. He scored like... He went through this run of scoring... Happy Cisse. That's the dude. He was at Newcastle, right? They were at Newcastle together. Yeah. And he had... A quite extraordinary hot streak, didn't he? Yeah. He was sort of on course to break all sorts of Premier League records and didn't get the move, I think. You know, didn't get his kind of Denver bar.
Louis Saha, here's your prize for six months of prolific golf scoring in the Premier League. He ended up going to China. And then to Turkey. I mean... He's still playing! He's playing in Dubai. Was he available in January? That's the question. He was. And we fucking fucked it up again. Lessons learned. Lessons learned. Let him go to Al Kabila unreposed. Did you watch any of the Copa del Rey final?
No, actually. I tell a lie. I saw some clips on social media of Jude Bellingham not tracking back. Right. That was the extent of my interest. Did you watch it? Yeah, it was Saturday night. We just watched a movie and... You know, turned on the last half hour. I caught extra time between... Barcelona and Real Madrid. Barcelona obviously won the game with a late... A late goal in extra time. But there was some extraordinary scenes. Like, at one point, Rudiger is so incensed that the referee...
giving a free kick against Kylian Mbappe, I think it was. It was quite a soft free kick. One of those where he whole put his hand out, you know, and the player goes down clutching his face. Rudiger's trying to throw things at the referee. People are holding him back. which is mad when you consider all the sort of pre-game stuff that went on about the ref, Real Madrid's own TV channel.
putting together a compilation. I don't know what the exact phrase of this compilation was, but I think it was basically how this ref has fucked us. Countless times in the past. So all this pressure was on the referee. He gave a sort of a tearful press conference before the game talking about how his kids were being affected because of...
what Real Madrid have been saying about him and all the other kids in school, you know, so to have this sort of focus on the referee and then for Rudiger to look like he was, he was going to fight him. It was incredible. That guy's a lunatic. Yeah, yeah. And I have to say... Again, I know that my sort of stance on this can be a bit divisive, but that's why I do think... criticism officials like it has to be
measured, you know, because at that point it just becomes completely untenable, I think. I think that, yeah. There is something, it's different. Like if we're bitching about a referee on a podcast, we're two fans bitching about a referee on a podcast. But when a football club itself, via its own in-house production channels is... essentially calling the referee a cheat or whatever it is, or corrupt. Making fail compilations. Yeah. Fail Army has got the gig.
to do all the compilations for Real Madrid. But yeah, it is very different. But anyway, it was lovely, I have to say, to see them lose. They've had a miserable, miserable few weeks. And we've been part of that. And it makes me happy. It's not that I'm a Barcelona fan by any means. Far from it. But I did enjoy Real Madrid being very unhappy and very sad. Yes, Barcelona's success potentially. ominous. But let's see. Speaking of major European clubs suffering defeats, Paris Saint-Germain lost
On Friday night. Yeah. Did you pay any heed to that? I mean, they were on course. I think they were about 30 games into their domestic season. And they were unbeaten. They were on course to be Ligue 1's first ever Invincibles. And then they suffered a home defeat to Nice. I think it was 3-1. So I just saw the result and I was like,
Well, I presume they fielded children or something, you know? No, no, I'm just, yeah, just looking at the lineup now. It was a very strong team. Sure. It was effectively the team. Mm-hmm. Um...
Perhaps their focus was elsewhere. I mean, certainly, if you're a Paris Saint-Germain fan, you'd be looking at our two-all draw at home to Crystal Palace and thinking, well, you know, they don't look... great either but um well we we definitely you know we haven't spoken since palace on air anyway but we were 100% not 100% focused on that game. Does that make sense? Yeah. And I think probably the same is true for PSG. Because as much as, you know, being unbeaten.
It eventually would be a big deal. I think them, the Champions League, is kind of... the holy grail right so how is it the holy grail for psg but not the holy grail for us should it not be also the holy grail for us given that we've not won it or is it because of how PSG has been constructed, that it becomes something more? Well, they're playing a farmer's league, Andrew, as you'll be aware from social media discord. I think, honestly, I say that because...
Because I think for the ownership of PSG... It's always been about the Champions League. And maybe because their domestic title, they've won it a bunch of times. Like we haven't won a domestic title for 20 years. Yeah, I guess. So I think...
For many fans, the Champions League is the Holy Grail. The Champions League is what it's all about. But I think when you're not... i don't know something about kind of the natural order of things isn't there where you sort of think about winning the league title first yes um and we've been so close to it and it's alluded to us and All those kinds of things. But yeah, you make a good point. I mean, in the historical context and maybe even to Arsenal's own.
You know, you could make the case that the Champions League might be worth more. What do you feel personally? About the Champions League. Versus the Premier League, yeah. If you had asked me at the start of this season, you can pick one, Champions League or a Premier League title, I would have gone Champions League. Because, you know, I'm desperate for us to win the league again, obviously. Like everybody, I want to see us win it. I want to be able to...
you know, have those bragging rights over the rest of the Premier League. I really, really do want us to see us win that, but... You know, I was there in Paris in 2006. It was not the best night of my life. But just to have it, just to be able to say that we've done it, just to be able to add that trophy to our cabinet, you know, for a club the size of Arsenal to have never won the Champions League, I think is...
I don't know how to say it. I feel like it should be something that we have done in our lifetimes with some of the teams that we have, you know? 2006 is a regret because of how close we came, but maybe the bigger regret even is 2004, you know, when... I think if we go through against Chelsea, we go on and win the Champions League with that incredible team and those incredible players. So there's a real sense of having missed out.
on the Champions League in the past. So I think that's something we need to correct. So yeah. It's the one trophy, I guess. I haven't seen Arsenal win. Nobody's seen Arsenal win. And it would be amazing for all of us if we could do it this season. So that's kind of how I view it. I'd be beside myself if we won the Champions League. i really would yeah it's a little bit that thing of like
I think if you'd asked me in August, I would have said the Premier League. And it's not to devalue the Champions League or say I think Premier League is more important. But I think for me...
The story of Arsenal sort of trying to win the Premier League over the past two years, I sort of... need the sort of consummation of that the final page needs to be written yeah yeah finish the story yeah you know i i do think that sort of the narrative uh the part of me that loves narrative and you know sort of needs to to reach completion
And I feel like the Champions League will get to that another day. Obviously, now that it's panned out the way it has, I think it would be fantastic and amazing and a truly unique achievement for Arsenal to do it in the Champions League. um so i'm certainly not turning up my nose at it i do slightly have that thing of it is quite it is quite nice as a fan how can i put it this might sound mad
I spoke to a Newcastle fan after they won the League Cup earlier this year. And after the initial euphoria died down... I remember them saying to me like, yeah, I don't really know what to do now. They were like, we've done it.
And so as much as I do want us to win the Champions League, that I do have this little nagging thought of like, will it be like a dog chasing a car and when it catches it it doesn't know what to do with itself do you know what i mean i mean they don't usually catch the car that's the thing cars typically are much faster than dogs
Yeah, that's the good thing, I guess, about being a dog. It's difficult, you know, for the dog to get its teeth into the side of a car, even if the car is stopped. Once the car stops, once the car stops, the dog is like, yeah, all right. I don't need to chase you. Then the car takes off again. And the dog goes after it. I feel like I would cope absolutely fine with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm sure we all would.
And the great thing about football is it resets within about three months. So it's like... That's it, yeah. You've got to do it all over again. Listen, now that we're at where we're at with the men and women's competition, it's... you know, it's tantalisingly close to a sort of real fairy tale finish. So look, let's see. That's a book I'd like to write, you know, the year Arsenal won two Champions League.
Yeah, you and the fucking rest of the world will all be doing it. I hope you're ready for a dozen books about Arsenal. I swear to God, by August, there'll be... bookshelves will be just flooded. Yeah, yeah. Charles Watts will be back with another chapter on the end. Don't you worry about that, mate. Yeah, exactly. Every single Arsenal reporter on the beat will have their own Arsenal win the Champions League book.
Double-double or something, wouldn't it be called that? No, it wouldn't. No, it's going to be called Arsenal-Rebuntada, I think. Arsenal-Rebuntada. But yeah, it would be mad, wouldn't it? I don't know what we would do. Like, that's what I mean. I just don't, I don't know. I don't know what we would do. We would have a fucking party and have a great time.
And wake up probably feeling quite hungover. And then you have a couple of beers that afternoon. You start to get yourself on the right trajectory. You're feeling okay again. Then you have another fucking party. And then at some point you go home and you just feel happy. Great.
Sound good? That does sound good, yeah. That does sound good. There's nothing more frightening than the possibility of being happy, Andrew. Don't worry, it won't last forever, James. Okay. Phew. Couldn't have that. I don't want to be happy all the time. No, no, no. How am I? We'll be back to complaining again.
Before the transfer window is out. Let me tell you. What Denver, what are they doing? Papi Cissé was available. He was right there. Oh, okay. Well, listen, why don't we take a little break here? And we will come back with your questions and more in part two right after this. It's Sam and Pete here from the Staying Relevant podcast and this week our podcast is brought to you by Aviof.
Listeners, if you didn't know already, we've been challenged by Avios to collect enough Avios throughout the year so that we can go to... Vegas, baby! All right, mate, calm down. I can't wait. There's so many ways to collect Avios. your weekly shopping, your daily coffee, shopping online, commuting to work, the list.
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Your every day can pay for your holiday. Just sign up to the British Airways Club. Start collecting today. Search Avios. T's and C's do apply. Vegas baby. Welcome back to the Arsecast Extra. This is part two of the show where we answer the questions that you send to us on bluesky at gunnerblog.bsky.social and at arseblog.com.
and also on the Arseblog Discord chat server, which you get access to if you are an Arseblog member on Patreon. You will have heard, of course, that this month we have been planning to donate every penny that we earn from Patreon. to charity. We picked four really, really good causes, one of which we made a donation to last week, which was
The Arsenal Foundation is part of the fundraiser being run by our friends over at the Arsenal Vision podcast. I just had a quick look at their fundraiser total now. It's £204,553. which is absolutely incredible. I believe there is another significant donation still to come to that. So it's going to rocket by the end of the month. The target was 150,000. So we made a donation last week of 15,000 euros.
to the Arsenal Vision Fundraiser and to the Arsenal Foundation. This week, we will also donate 15,000 euros to Oscars Kids Ireland, to the Islington Food Bank, and to UNICEF. And we want to thank all of you who've Come on board during the month of April. Your subscription, our Patreon subscription. We'll go a long way to those totals. We haven't quite collected the Patreon revenue yet.
but we've topped it up with some personal donations as well. So 15,000 euros each to the Arsenal Foundation, Oscars Kids Ireland, UNICEF, and the Islington Food Bank. So thank you to all of you who have been part of our Patreon and who have enabled us. to do that this month. It's an amazing thing to be able to do. And the generosity of the Arsenal community, the RSplug community, the Arsenal Vision community, the online community.
For all the talk of, you know, how bad things can get online, it does demonstrate, James, that, you know, there are a lot of good people out there and a lot of good people who want to do good things. It's amazing. Such generosity. And yeah, it's sort of humbling amounts of money, really. It's extraordinary that it's been raised. I did put in some money to the Arsenal Vision campaign and I managed to do it. on the wrong website so i meant to donate to
you know, the Arsenal Foundation through the Just Giving page. And I think I sort of accidentally ended up bidding like quite a large amount of money to sort of watch a game with Elliot or something like that by mistake. And the last thing I would want. But fortunately, in the back channels, they managed to get the money to the right place. Okay. Yeah.
I managed to escape that particular fate. But yeah, brilliant. Brilliant. And what's... excited as well, we'll be able to celebrate that and hopefully more. with many listeners at the Union Chapel. Yes, our gig at Union Chapel on May 17th has sold out. It went on sale to our Patreon members first, then on general sale. Thank you to everybody who bought a ticket. We're really looking forward to seeing you there. And we're hoping, of course, that there can be a big...
A big prize still in the distance as we have our usual podcast or two. Yeah, of course. Of course, there's one already, but we need another one. It's down to the Arsenal men to follow the lead set by the ladies. But look, we are looking forward to seeing everybody there at Union Chapel back in. Feels like our kind of spiritual home, doesn't it? Ali Pali was great and it's a lovely place, but there's something just a bit special about Union Chapel. Yeah, no, absolutely.
You know, it's always an amazing night and it's just such a beautiful venue. Can't wait. And if we've still got something to play for, I think it will feel extra special. I see. We're there on the Saturday night. Adam Buxton, comedian and podcaster, he's there on the Monday night. Oh, that's cool. I feel like we should leave something really, really confusing for him in the green room. Just like an envelope or something. And he's like, what?
have a think about that maybe an envelope with a a piece of paper marked with a black spot inside yeah a threat from pirates yeah the pirate the good pirate den baba who the hell is this Okay. Shall we do some questions? Yes, let's. Do you want to start or will I start? Why don't you start? Okay, I will start because we had a couple of questions about this particular issue. One from...
Queen Gooner at sofire.bsky.social. She says, if Marino is injured for Tuesday's Champions League game, what lineup do you think Arteta will play and how much of a miss will he be when we've also lost? and also Wiltor, who's at thebigdog.bsky.social. He says, do you suspect that the Marino injury talk is Arteta trying to keep PSG guessing? and he will be ready to go tomorrow night.
So I don't know. For starters, I don't have the facts on this, I'm afraid. I suspect that's exactly what it is. Just because... We know Mikel Arteta. We know he likes to cover his workings a bit. I hope that's what it is as well, I should say. i think if we don't have merino it's a major loss it's a huge blow because we're already
without one midfielder through suspension. Then we could lose the guy who's normally been our centre-forward of late but might have to step back into midfield. How we'd cope with it and what we'd do... Uh, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard. I think at that point you're sort of looking at you're looking at more unconventional options aren't you you're looking at Alexander Zinchenko.
Ethan Ranieri, maybe. Maybe Ranieri. Yeah. Start somebody else at left back and push Lewis Skelly into midfield. Possible, but. None of those fields. Close to ideal, really. No. Because, you know, another guy who's played that left eight position, albeit with pretty... you know underwhelming results has been leandro trossard but you know he's going to be needed up front sure so Yeah. If Marino's not available,
My suspicion is it would just be Zinchenko in midfield to keep Lewis Skelly where he's at. Yeah, I think that would be probably the thing he would go for, given the experience of Zinchenko. Yeah, at least he sort of fits there, if you know what I mean, in that left eight position and has played there quite a lot. When he's played more recently in midfield, I think he's tended to be more in the kind of right eight, Martin Odegaard. Yeah.
That's because he's been playing instead of Odegaard, I guess. Yeah. On a couple of those. So, listen, I sincerely hope... that marino will be fit and available you don't have any uh exclusive tidbits for us andrew i don't unfortunately have any inside info and i'm guessing you know when michael arteta is asked about him It's a weird press conference time. It's seven o'clock this evening is the press conference. It's at the Emirates, I guess, because of the high profile.
nature of the game and the increased media spotlight on a Champions League semifinal. But there will have been a training session, won't there? So we'll find out in the afternoon before the press conference if Marino is out there. you know they make the first 10 this afternoon i guess the first 10 15 minutes of the The training is usually open to journalists, and you see that Marino's in training, or there's no sign of Marino. I'm hoping he's there. I think he's a key part to...
to what we've got to do, particularly in the absence of Thomas Partey, who's suspended, of course. Apologies for my voice. It's cracking because I've caught a bit of a cold. this weekend and it is a bit um is a bit wobbly so excuse uh any croakiness on my part but what about this just so i can follow up on this one with regards marino it comes from greg justum greg just ham on the Discord. He says, has enough of a comparison being made between Havertz first season and Marino's?
feels like there are some parallels between their first halves of the season versus their second half. I appreciate via different circumstances, though. He talks about the shift to center forward, confidence, goals, assists and all round contributions have followed similar paths. And I was curious about your thoughts. Yeah, I think we have talked about that a few times. It is a kind of eerie parallel, really, and strange because...
In Havertz's case, it was a guy who'd played a lot of football as centre-forward. Coming in, struggling to settle in midfield and then getting a chance up front. In Marino's case, it's a guy who's never played centre-forward in his life, getting a chance through injuries and thriving in similar fashion.
Yeah, I think there is something there for sure. Whether it continues on the same trajectory beyond this, I don't know. Has it started our next season as our starting centre forward? I don't see that. uh in merino's future but perhaps i'm wrong but yeah i definitely think there are some parallels there um and you know in terms of lessons learned I mean this is a lesson I think Arsenal fans have learned by now but giving players time
before you make, you know, final assessments of them. At least, at least a season, I think. is always something to remember. What are you, crazy? Giving players time? What's that? Yeah. I mean, it is... I think Marino... I'm so curious to see, to fast forward, let's say, two years into the future and know, will we reflect on... Marino playing up front. in the way we do on Flamini at Left Back as a kind of strange novelty, a quirk of that particular time? Or is this something that we will see?
more of you know that he is going to develop into a player who has this kind of multi-functionality and it's actually going to be made use of i'm so curious to see All going well. And I say this with the utmost respect, because I think he's done a fantastic job in a role he's not accustomed to. I think he's worked really hard. He's been pretty effective, probably more effective than people would have expected. But I hope we don't see him up front ever again after this season. Just...
from the point of view that we were better covered in that area of the pitch. You know, and that's not a criticism of Marino. It's more about, you know, where our squad is and who we've got available. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think... I think we probably will see it, but like... As a kind of third or fourth choice option, you know, it may be in the latter stages of a game or in a domestic cup early round, something like that. But yeah, predominantly, I hope.
sort of liberated to play the role that he was born. Speaking of setter forwards, we had a question. who said over on Blue Sky, hey guys, Victor Jocarez scored four and then he's got three exclamation marks yesterday. And he keeps being linked with us. I followed Amarim Sporting closely and keep following Sporting's performances. I have no doubt that he can be the striker we need and for a good price. What's your current view? on the matter. I mean, he does score a fucking lot of goal.
There's no question about that. Yeah, they were 5-0 winners at Boer Vista. Right. I mean, there is that whole, you know... quality level discussion, you know? Yeah. The Portuguese league and some of the Portuguese teams, nevertheless, 52 goals. this season in all competitions for Big Vic. It's tempting. It's tempting. It's not to be sniffed at, 52 goals. No. I'm just watching highlights now of Boa Vista Sporting to see... the kind of goals he scored. The first one was sort of Giroud-esque.
a neat little finish at the near post. Okay. Second one, the ball's been played into a wide channel, the left channel. He really likes it in that area, sort of Thierry Henry-like. Drives in field, skips inside.
smacks it at the bottom corner beautiful goal okay uh but but this is exactly the sort of goal that he regularly scores for sporting that some observers doubt he'll get the opportunity to do as much in the Premier League, i.e. released into space, plenty of room to run into, not playing necessarily against the deep block that Arsenal have to... batter their way through from time to time. Third goal, hat-trick goal. Here he goes.
played in on the inside right channel, holds off his man, good strength, finishes low through the keeper. Not great keeping. But again, pace, power, and you can see the defenders in this division. really do struggle to live with his physicality. And I think this is the fourth goal coming up. Ball over the top. Dreadful defending. Makes up about 10 yards on his man with a run-through on goal.
oh actually it's saved that time but the rebound's put away so there you go it's another aspect of his play like He gets a lot of chances, so he's not scoring every single time, but then that's often the hallmark of a good striker. And the fourth goal is just a tap in, tap in from a little square cross across the six-yard box. But yeah, like... If you watch Jacarese at any point, you will see him running away from central defenders and putting serious distance between them.
His physical attributes, I think, in that league. are probably unmatched, to be honest. Probably. Listen, I was out there for the game against sporting... Yeah, as you were. In the Champions League. And we won at 5-1. And it was a great night. And Arsenal were deserving and convincing winners. But I recall a couple of moments. I think he hit the bar at one point, didn't he? with a kind of run where, you know, he, I can't remember if it was Saliba or Gabriel or both,
But he gave those two guys, who are pretty much as good as it gets in terms of central defenders, he gave them some problems that night. The scoreline obviously reflects very well on Arsenal. And you can write off Sporting or you can write off him based on that scoreline alone. But he did stand out a bit that night in terms of the one player maybe who physically was able to deal with... that Arsenal team. So if you want to see that as a good sign, You might well do that, yeah. I think he's...
Yeah, he's kind of, this isn't to downplay his... finishing ability or his intelligence or his you know other aspects of his game but i think he's kind of the battering ram option you know i i think he is a pretty awesome physical specimen um And I think he would enable you to do, I'm not saying he would score goals at this rate or is as good a player necessarily, but I think he would allow you to do some Haaland-y things in terms of hitting him.
hitting him from deep, you know, playing the ball in behind, letting him take centre-halves for a run in the channels. For a guy who scores... 50 goals in a season, he spends a lot of time running into those wide channels and getting one-on-one with his man. So I think he would help stretch the play. You know, every Arsenal reporter is currently trying to answer the question of which centre-forward they're going to buy. And in the last month or so since Andrea Berta...
I've heard positive indicators about all of the... major names who are said to be in contention. So who are the, who are those, you know, the, the names that are in contention that you're in? Would be one. Uh, Benjamin Sesco would be another.
Alexander Izak, we know about the long-term admiration. I do still get the sense those are the main three in the frame. There are other strikers in Europe who... you know, have brilliant goal records in, like, say, a Victor Ossiman or Etiquite, who I think is widely admired, Arsenal among them. But those three are the ones that the names that I keep hearing. And I think.
I'm sure like Andrea Berta has his favourite. I'm sure Nicola Teta has his favourite. Scouting department might have their favourite. And it's fascinating to see. how they arrive at that decision then presumably economics is going to be part of it as well sure i mean did just talking about um joker is there and the way that he plays When you think about what Arsenal need to do next season, we've got this idea that, okay, we've got to get over this.
perceived or otherwise with the low block, right? We've got to be able to score more goals in tight games. I think those are things that we do need to look at. I need to... Need to overcome, but is there maybe as well a need to add more variance? to our play in terms of how we actually play. Yeah. You know, that, that idea that, okay. If you have a lot of the ball and you're playing a team like Everton,
Right. Everton are just going to sit and defend and you've got a lot of the ball and then you've got to you've got to find a way through whether it's a battering ram or whether it's a scalpel. You've got to just pick your way through with a piece of craft or a piece of precision passing, whatever it might be.
But is there maybe an idea that, okay, if you're playing in Everton, um next season rather than build up through midfield from the back through midfield and um up to your forwards to the point where you're forcing the opposition back into that low block by virtue of having the ball you maybe go a little longer. I'm not saying...
we need to turn into a route one team. But does that kind of variance in how you can play or how quickly you can get the ball from back to front play a part in how effective you can be? Totally. And that's what I mean, rather, when I say, It enables you to do Haaland-type things. We've seen City doing that. Edison hitting him early or dropping the ball in behind the centre-backs for him to run on to.
the critique of him might be oh he's not a low block center forward but you could equally make the case is he the antidote to the low Is he something that gives defenders a different problem, enables us to change our game so that we're not faced with that low block as frequently? Sure. i don't know man i also changed my own mind personally on sort of what deal i think arsenal should do almost week by week i i i think i sort of i often find myself coming back to benjamin sesco just because
He's been watched for so long. Arsenal know him so well. It's the deal with, I think, maybe the most upside in terms of value and potential and development opportunity. You know, can Mikel Arteta... coax him, coach him into being precisely the center forward he wants rather than taking a kind of ready-made product. And the economics maybe as well in terms of fee and wages and all those things. But you could convince me.
You could convince me of either of the other two pretty easily. Do you have a gut feeling as it stands? I think we need more info, to be honest. My gut feeling on Ezek is that no, that's not doable, not possible for- all kinds of reasons that we've talked about. So I think you're then choosing between
Sesko and Jokeres unless they go in a different direction or choose one of the other players that you mentioned. We had some questions about Oli Watkins and whether or not Arsenal might go back in for Oli Watkins in the summer. which, you know, I think would be a kind of underwhelming arrival, to be honest. I could see some sort of logic for it in January when we needed somebody now.
But I don't really see that as the ideal summer scenario. I guess it's about who can deliver the most straight away, you know? I think the answer to that is Jokeres, probably. Like, if these acts unattainable, I definitely think Sesco's more of a kind of... Project. ...development. Yeah. Just for the ages, you know? Yeah. Yeah, I really don't know. The EZAC one is obviously...
by far the most difficult to pull off. And one thing that occurred to me the other day is that I think if Arsenal to have any chance, Newcastle will need to not... I think that's Newcastle currently sitting third, just two points behind us, but obviously it's pretty congested. Sorry, five points behind us, but just two points ahead of Nottingham Forest in six. We host Newcastle. Is that the weekend of the... It is, the weekend of the live event, yeah. So...
Could we have an opportunity to beat them and put them out of the Champions League and keep alive our slim hope? Landing Alexander Izak. I don't know. Yeah. Alexander the Great Tifo going around the clock end. Yeah. I mean, the other thing on Izak, by the way, is the winner. And we probably need to be mindful of this with all these strikers. We are not the only big club looking for a celebration.
Chelsea will be for sure. Liverpool. Liverpool is a big one. They're the champions. They are the champions. They need a number nine. They're a big club with a big pool and they really like Isaac. So, you know, and if they don't get him, they'll want somebody else. I keep saying United, but I think given how bad United are, I think we'll probably have to consider them in a slightly different category. But there are...
powerful, wealthy clubs who need number nines this summer. And the longer that Arsenal don't make a decision, I think the more risk that it could come back to bite them. Sure. So we shall see. Yeah. Well, hopefully those, you know, who are we going to get discussions? They come to a conclusion on that pretty quickly. Yeah, I think so. I mean, They're probably exploring all their options right now, and they're probably spinning plates.
you know exploring all the all the potential deals um i think androberto will be given sort of license to do that really to kind of back find and figure out the you know the permutations the the costs, everything associated, and then that will be part of the decision. But it's a big one. It's maybe the big one of the summer. Yeah. Yeah, that's the one where all the eyes will be on. That's for sure. I do think we've got other things to...
to sort out, but those are maybe discussions for another day. Nobody wants to hear us talk about defenders today. Okay. I don't think, anyway. What about talking about a Champions League semi-final? Okay. The Real Arsenal Deal says, good morning, gents. Aside from Arsenal 10, PSG 0... as Elliott would want. What do you believe an acceptable first leg result would be? Ideally, we'd love to take a lead to Paris. However, our away form this season gives me belief we can win there as well.
How do you even answer that? Who the fuck knows? Based on the women's semifinal, who the fuck knows what a good first leg result is? I mean, any kind of win would be a good result. No question. I don't think a draw would be a terrible result either. Yeah, like you said. Don't get beat 3-0. Just don't get beat, yeah. As you said at the top, it is only going to be halftime, but it's about managing the tie, not just managing the game.
tomorrow night absolutely yeah don't don't don't let it get away from you how how different a challenge and test and difficulty of challenge do you think this will be as compared to real madrid um It's a great question. I mean, I think when we went into those Madrid games, we were worried a little bit about...
our lack of firepower maybe in comparison to theirs. When you look at the players that they had up front in terms of, you know, Mbappe and Vinicius and Rodrigo and Bellingham, they were a big worry for me going into those games as it turned out. Well, they didn't do an awful lot over the course of two legs. I think PSG similarly are very, very strong. They've got some really, really good players.
They're very quick as well. I think they're better now than they were when we played them in the group stage. I think they're pretty decent defensively as well. I think the Bukayo Saka and Nuno Mendes... Battle is going to be a fascinating one. Huge, I think. Yeah, because he has really impressed me, I have to say, every time I've watched PSG play. A left back, you say? Yeah, yeah. Arsenal scouts. Our ears prick up. So I think that will be very interesting.
Yeah, it's going to be tough. They've got some great players and some real quality up front. But I think we demonstrated against Real Madrid, we've got the ability to cope with that. Well, I mean, what are you thinking? I really don't know. Sorry, what a crap answer. I just think... I think PSG... probably a better team this year than Real.
But I think with Real, you're playing so many other factors. You're playing the badge. You're playing some of these absolute superstars who can win a game in a moment. And you're playing the Bernabeu as well, which is a whole other sort of obstacle to overcome. So I think psychologically, Madrid was the bigger test. But I think... tactically and technically, I think PSG could be really tough. I mean, I was so impressed by them against Liverpool.
And in the first leg against Villa. But in the second leg, they were on the ropes at times at Villa Park. They conceded a couple of goals and should maybe have conceded at least one more. I think we've got a good chance, Andrew. I do think we've got a good chance.
We should be confident and we should fancy our chances without taking anything for granted you know yeah i'm gonna say a win let's look for a win on tuesday night any sort of win i think is a really strong result a little one nail or a two nail or something would be very very welcome indeed you know a clean sheet i mean i'd bite your hand off right now of course Of course. 2-0 is an outstanding result. And we're capable of it. We are capable.
but it's just it's so hard to predict isn't it you know it's hard when you're when you're talking about a team You know, it's the same with Madrid. It's like they don't play in our league. So the measuring stick, do you know what I mean? Getting a barometer for how good they are is difficult. What you would say about PSG is they knocked out Liverpool. They knocked out Villa.
They've beaten two Premier League teams across two legs. They are a serious outfit. Whatever you may think of Ligue 1, they've beaten the English champions over two legs. So they have to be taken very, very seriously.
um and and it's my honest belief that any of the four teams i know might sound fatuous because obviously everyone's got like a chance but i really do think any of the four teams in the competition at this point could win it i i could see all all those scenarios happening so is there a clear favor in your mind of the four or is it pretty even I think I make Barcelona favourites. I have to be honest. I think they're the strongest. And I do wonder if...
I almost daren't speak this aloud, Andrew, but when people have asked me what I think is going to happen, I do think we will reach the final. And then I wonder if we may come up against Barcelona. as per 2006. Well, we owe them. We owe them. We do owe them. We do owe them. But that's the final, that's the final I would predict. Without getting ahead of yourself, would you prefer to play Barcelona or would you prefer to play Inter Milan?
I think I want us to play Barcelona. I think I... i think inter would be tough and they've beaten us this season um albeit the sancero um and Yeah, I think Barcelona. I think that, you know, the sort of stylistic contrast. could work in our favor and also just like we might only win the champions league once in my lifetime right if at all and i think the sort of
I spoke about how I love the story of the game. You know, the story of returning to the Champions League final. And as you say, getting one over the Barcelona. the same club that beat us in 2006, does hold a certain appeal to me, the symmetry of that. And obviously also... It would be lovely to inflict that kind of pain on Barcelona.
in two finals. There's no question. Who would you rather play in a, I mean, people are going to be furious with us for even asking this question, but who would you rather play in a specific final? If we got through, if we did the job against PSG, I think I would prefer to play. I totally understand that. I think what makes me nervous about Inter... I mean, I don't know much about Inter. I think I saw it was on TNT or some other coverage that...
I think it was Owen Hargreaves maybe saying, it's Inter's year. And I was like, is it? Like, no one told me. I didn't know. But a lot of people in Italy and outside Italy feel like... They are a very serious outfit. And I slightly worry that, like, they're sort of like the Simeone, sort of niggly, difficult...
I feel like if we play Barcelona, I think we can be the Inter to Barcelona. But I worry that Inter could out-Inter us, if that makes any sense. It makes sense. And I just want to be clear. I don't say Inter because I think... It would be easy. I just wonder... if we might have a slightly better chance against them. I know what you're saying completely about the way they operate and how good defensively they are and how they might negate certain aspects of our game. But I also think...
We've got elements to our game that are very strong that could work in our favour more against Inter than Barcelona. But look, we are getting ahead of ourselves. We have a job to do against. PSG tomorrow and is it next week or the week after? uh... is next week right okay there you go it's very much next week very very much next week okay well what about this one from Boutros Gary
on the Discord. He says, one of the advantages of being utterly useless in the FA Cup is the gap opened up before this PSG first leg. Beyond the obvious rest, Could we see something from our set pieces with the coach having a bit more time with the boys? I feel like we tend to see adaptations when there've been small breaks in the season and a few different routines may give us the jump on their analysts.
Yeah, that might be an interesting aspect to these two games. Set-piece again, Ole, Ole. It could well be. I mean, the players, this is about as long as they'll have had. for some time now, I think, you know, in terms of the fixture list and just how fatigued players are by this point in the season. We've heard Mikel Arteta talk about that, how, and players, how at this stage of the season, it's kind of all about recovery, really.
you know that they're training in the most light of ways but yeah there'll be time for some set piece routine i know my set pace routine let declan rice bang it in the top corner uh i like that one yeah it was interesting i saw a clip actually of aaron ramsdale chatting to somebody doing an interview and he was asked, have you seen Declan Rice, either with England or Arsenal, score those kinds of goals before? The second one, yeah, I've seen him do it before. I know he can score that.
I didn't know that he had that in his locker. He said there was a degree of whip that sort of sending it outside the wall and back in. He was like, I've never seen him do that. But I just found it interesting that he was like, second one, yeah, I've seen him do that in training. But obviously to do it on that stage and in those circumstances. whole other thing entirely yeah
Does beg the question, should we have got him on free kicks earlier if he was doing that in training? We have been banging that drum for a while. Nobody listens to us. That's the problem. No. And, yeah. How much do you think it's hurt us not having Gabriel on the set pieces? Obviously, Jakub Kivy all got his goal against Palace. Brilliant header. Yeah. That's a nicely timed header as well, I guess, because A just sort of adds to his growing confidence and self-fulfillment.
sense of sort of you know security in the team sure but also maybe just gives psg another problem to think about in those dead ball scenarios i think what you're missing is presence You know, just that sort of fear factor that he generates because he is so good in the air and he scores so many goals. Aggression as well. Like the way he attacks the ball, it's not just his size. It's been interesting to note, I think, that Mikel Moreno has been the guy to sort of take on the Gabrielle role.
You know, the way everyone goes to the back post and we leave one guy around the centre circle or a penalty spot, rather. Yeah, he nearly got one, didn't he, at Ipswich? Yeah. I remember watching that on Match of the Day. They were like, he's got a score there. And I was like, I think that shows a sort of misunderstanding.
kind of i agree with you i think it was you know it was nearly a brilliant goal considering the movement the timing of the jump and everything else like if he's if he's half an inch higher in the air it's in the back of the net probably but like having arrived at it at the point where he does. it's incredibly difficult to do anything but head that ball upwards you know so yeah
Yeah, I did think that was a slightly odd piece of commentary, but it was a great run and showed the threat he can offer. So yeah, I approve of that message, the idea of... If we're going to look to hit somebody, it's got to be him. Yeah. Or the top corner via Declan Rice. That's it. Or maybe Declan Rice goes one better and puts a corner in the net this time. He's come close a couple of times this season to doing that. That said, PSG have a gigantic man in goal.
They do, but he conceded, actually, one of the funniest goals I've seen this season. Oh, yeah, yeah. It's Germany. Do you remember in the international game where... at a corner it's worth seeking out actually i forget who put it in the back of the net in the end but he just sort of goes and stands on the edge of a six yard box and um generally just take a quick corner and whip it in yeah whip it in at his near post and and he's left completely surrounded yeah yeah but donnarumma um
Hey, if you like narrative, if you like stories, I mean, I know Saka scored against PSG from a free kick earlier in the season, but if Arsenal get a penalty in this tie, that is, of course, the goalkeeper Bukayo Saka faced in... The Euro's final in 2021. So there might be a kind of interesting bookend moment for Bukayo. No Panenka, Bukayo. I'm thinking no Panenka. I'm thinking no Panenka. I'm thinking no Penenka. Yeah, he's going to look down on the back of his hand,
He's written, no Penenka, just to remind himself. Hopefully that's what the TIFO says, that we drop from the roof of the North Bank. No Penenka. We drop it at the moment of penalties awarded, yeah. The double bluff then when he actually pulls off the Penenka is going to be amazing. Yeah. All right, what about this one to finish us off? It comes from Guiri on the Discord. He says, a little while back.
In a moment of desperation, it led me to turn the volume on my TV down to 23 when Marino came on at Leicester. He wears 23, of course. I happen to have it on 51 against Man City. Again, but we won 5-1. But wait, against Real Madrid, I was wearing a white t-shirt. I thought to myself, surely not, I should change. Wearing white is a bad omen.
Against Ipswich, a blue T-shirt. Against Palace, a black one. Fair to say, come Tuesday, I'll have found something blue with red on it. My question is, to what extent does football drive you crazy? My fiancé just sort of sighs and accepts me now. We had other questions about... you know, any potential, what's the word I'm looking for? Superstitions. That's the word.
Well, I too, I turned up for the Real Madrid home leg and I was wearing a white hoodie. And I was like, oh, perhaps I've misjudged this. But it went so well. that I wore the white again at the Bernabeu. So what do I do, Andrew? Do I wear white for PSG or do I have to wear red and blue? How does the magic work? You see, it's very, very unlikely that you have two lucky garments.
Right. So just stick with the one that has the bit of look, which is the white. Okay. So wear the white. And then if it doesn't go well... We know what to blame, what to change for the second night. And who to blame, most importantly. Well, of course. What the fuck? I think my chair nearly just fell apart there. It's telling us it's time to go home, Andrew. I think it is. I think it is. We should do that because
There's still a bit to come today. We've got an episode of The 30 for you over on Patreon looking back at all the weekends. Premier League action. Probably won't look back too much at Anfield, just to be clear. We won't look back too much in Anfield, but we might also look ahead a bit to PSG. In that one, I'm not sure how much my voice is going to hold up to do...
another episode and then a preview podcast. I don't know that I've got it in me. So we'll try maybe and do a bit of PSV preview or PSG preview. It'd be nice to be playing PSV again, wouldn't it? But it's not. It's PSG. So join us over on Patreon for that a bit later on. For now, though, thank you very much indeed, as always, for being here. Hope you enjoyed the show, and we will catch you on the next one. Bye-bye.
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