Lorcan & Seb discuss the tactical themes of Arsenal's wins against Sevilla & Burnley, including how Leandro Trossard's involvement improves our front line, the differing merits of Zinchenko & Tomiyasu at right back, and our set piece supremacy. Timestamps: 00:00-05:24: Intro 05:24-20:25: Zinchenko & LB Dynamics 20:25-27:12: Trossard & ST Dynamics 27:12-35:15: Midfield Dynamics 35:15-48:46: Crosses & Set Pieces 48:46-end: Outro Videos with pivot staggering: https://x.com/L...
Nov 14, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Towells, Manas & Seb decompress after a frustrating game at St. James' Park which gave Arsenal their first loss of the season. Here is a reading list that covers the history of Palestinian resistance in its various forms: https://shorturl.at/aefP1 Timeline: 00:00-05:26: Intro 05:26-06:13: Match summary 06:13-19:57: Ref chat (rant) 19:57-27:08: Performing under pressure 27:08-41:33: Odegaard, Havertz & chance creation issues 41:33-49:56: Transition & Tomiyasu 49:56-1:05:20: Why is our...
Nov 07, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 2Ep. 14
Towells, Lorcan & Seb dig into how a team that is struggling to create many chances managed to put 5 past Sheffield United, before briefly touching on the Sevilla game that was and the West Ham & Newcastle games to come. Timestamps: 00:00-03:08: Intro 03:08-07:43: Nketiah's in the room 07:43-12:18: Havertz at RCM 12:18-15:30: Jesus injury 15:30-22:31: Scoring 5 + Sheff Utd Passivity 22:31-28:56: "Staggered" Pivots 28:56-39:26: ESR, squad rotation & the Carabao Cup 39:26-45:22: Sevill...
Oct 31, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Will & Seb are joined by Max Radwan to discuss two 2-1 wins on the bounce for The Arsenal, at home to Aston Villa, then away to Bristol City, before previewing the game against Manchester City. Timestamps: 0:00-05:25: Intro 05:25-21:04: Return to back 4 & defensive personnel 21:04-27:08: Mead & Miedema 27:08-43:24: Breaking down a 5-4-1 block 43:24-47:12: Obligatory "Russo Is Good" Segment 47:12-58:12: Manchester City Preview 58:12-end: Outro Thanks to Max for joining us! You can fin...
Oct 29, 2023•1 hr•Season 1987Ep. 2
Seb, Lorcan & Manas discuss a frustrating 2-2 draw against Chelsea - a result which feels like a microcosm of the problems Arsenal have had so far this season. Thank you for supporting the podcast, and sticking with us through 50 episodes. Here's to the next 50! Timestamps: Start-02:21: Intro 02:21-16:00: In-possession issues 16:00-24:46: Pressing man-to-man 24:46-33:57: Odegaard 33:57-37:00: Havertz 37:00-40:54: Smith-Rowe 40:54-44:24: Tomiyasu 44:24-52:41: Goalkeepers 52:41-54:40: A point ...
Oct 24, 2023•55 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Towells is joined by Pot Shot's Vibes Correspondents Sam & Cian for an overview of the season so far. We discuss the Emirates atmosphere during the City win, the loss to Lens in the Champions League, and our unbeaten start to the Premier League season, before answering 10 quickfire questions freshly gathered from our twitter. Timestamps: 00:00-04:02: Intro 04:02-11:50: Manchester City 11:50-29:31: Defeat to Lens & the UCL group so far 29:31-47:30: The Premier League season so far 47:30-5...
Oct 17, 2023•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 11
In the first episode of a new series focusing on Arsenal Women, join Will & Seb for a chat about The Arsenal's bumpy start to the season, Jonas Eidevall's new contract, and the upcoming game against Aston Villa. Timestamps: 0:00-01:28: Intro 01:28-20:13: Manchester United review 20:13-25:39: Early season struggles 25:39-35:40: Jonas Eidevall's new contract 35:40-48:20: Aston Villa preview 48:20-end: New 3rd kit & Outro Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode, tell your frien...
Oct 12, 2023•50 min•Season 1987Ep. 1
The Arsenal have beaten Manchester City in the league for the first time since 2015. (Yes we also lost to Lens in the Champions League this week but we'll worry about that another time.) Join Towells, Lorcan, Manas & Manchester City fan Brandon Manuel as they break down this close-fought encounter. Timestamps: 0:00-02:20: Intro 02:20-07:43: Game overview/how are we feeling about the result? 07:43-20:18: Rodri's absence, City's game plan & how Arsenal dealt with it 20:18-28:02: Jorginho &...
Oct 10, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Alex & Seb chat to Jon Mackenzie about Arsenal's 4-0 win over Bournemouth and the differences between this year's Arsenal and last year's, with a few of your questions sprinkled in throughout. Thank you to everyone who sent in a question, whether we answered it or not. We really appreciate your support! Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-03:10 Bournemouth overview: 03:10-06:12 Declan Rice: 06:12-25:49 In-possession play & roles of #8s: 25:49-42:40 Are Arsenal the best out of possession team in the ...
Oct 03, 2023•1 hr 24 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Alex, Lorcan, Seb & Towells discuss a 2-2 draw in the North London Derby - a draw that really feels like a loss. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-04:32 Game summary: 04:32-06:10 Initial thoughts: 06:10-11:51 Out of possession approach: 11:51-22:05 Half-time changes & starting team: 22:05-34:02 Issues on the right hand side: 34:02-45:18 Creative struggles: 45:18-54:25 Injury issues & upcoming schedule: 54:25-1:04:17 Outro: 1:04:17-end Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode, tell ...
Sep 26, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Alex, Lorcan & Manas discuss The Arsenal's 1-0 win against Everton, including a deep dive on the issues the Gunners have been having with central progression & making the most of their #8s, before taking a quick look ahead at our first Champions League game on Wednesday & the North London Derby next weekend. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-01:42 Game overview: 01:42-12:15 Central Progression & Accessing the 8s: 12:45-43:18 Attacking Set Pieces: 43:18-50:12 Offensive issues/are we boring?...
Sep 19, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 2Ep. 7
[CORRECTION: In the episode we discuss Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou - but he's not Sevilla's goalkeeper anymore! He joined Al Hilal in the summer. Woops] Arsenal are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016/17! Join Alex to find out what they're up against in the group stage. To do so, he is joined by La Liga writer & PSV "sufferer" José Pérez to find out more about Sevilla & PSV, and then Ligue 1 expert Ninad Barbadikar to chat RC Lens. Intro: 0:00-4:34 Sevilla: 4...
Sep 12, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Well, that was fun, wasn't it? Join Seb, Alex, Lorcan & Manas to dissect Arsenal's 3-1 win over Manchester United. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-3:54 Arsenal's approach out of possession: 3:54-16:36 Issues in central areas: 16:36-22:49 Arteta's use of substitutions: 22:49-25:29 Partey's injury - is our squad deep enough? 25:29-33:21 Zinchenko-Rice pivot: 33:21-45:45 Havertz's struggles: 45:45-59:22 Chance creation: 59:22-1:13:19 UCL group draw reaction: 1:13:19-1:17:58 Outro: 1:17:58-end Please su...
Sep 05, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Alex, Lorcan & Towells discuss a frustrating game against Fulham, where two of Arsenal's worst recent habits reared their ugly head: Conceding within the first minute at home, and dropping into a block the moment a lead is gained. At the top of the podcast, we discuss the passing of our friend Omar. His friend Jonathan Peters is running a marathon to raise money for the charity James' Place, who help to support suicidal men. If you have the financial means to donate in Omar's honour, you can...
Aug 29, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Season 2Ep. 4
On a mild Monday night in Croydon, Arsenal came out 1-0 winners against Crystal Palace with a performance that brought out the David Moyes influence in both Mikel Arteta and Declan Rice. Manas, Seb & Towells discuss our standout performers, how the tactics shifted over the course of the game, and why Arteta loves going to a 5-4-0 block after we get a red card. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00 Game overview & notable lineup choices: 0:40 Tactics before the red: 15:54 Tactics after the red: 32:24 H...
Aug 23, 2023•50 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Manas is joined by Sean Walsh of 90min to find out more about new Arsenal signing David Raya. Thanks to Sean for joining us! You can find him on twitter @SeanDZWalsh , and his work on 90min here: https://www.90min.com/authors/sean-walsh . Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode, and leave us a review to let us know what you think! It really helps us out. If you want to send us any questions, or keep up with all things Pot Shot, you can find us on Twitter & Instagram @potshotpod ...
Aug 18, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Arsenal took all three points from their opening Premier League game against Nottingham Forest, but it wasn't just a walk in the park. Alex, Lorcan, Manas & Seb discuss how the lineup was different to what we saw in the Community Shield, what that meant for our tactical approach, and the virtues of tactical flexibility when compared to the familiarity of a consistent system. Timestamps: Intro & game overview: 0:00 Lineup changes from Community Shield: 2:12 Match tactics & changes in ...
Aug 15, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 2
The Arsenal have won the Community Shield for the 17th time, and in doing so have beaten Manchester City after 8 straight defeats to Pep's side. Join Towells, Manas & Seb as they dive into everybody's favourite good use of time: trying to make meaningful conclusions from a pre season game. We discuss how Arsenal's three new signings fared on their debuts, how we can get the best output from Saka, and how the new stoppage time rules may affect the team over the course of the season, before fi...
Aug 08, 2023•47 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In the first podcast of the 2023/24 season, we welcome two new faces to the Pot Shot Crew - Manas & Lorcan - as well as running through our opinions on Arsenal's summer business and our pre-season predictions. Timestamps: Intro & welcome new members!: 0:00 Summer signings & potential for more: 04:08 Pre season predictions part 1: 24:31 Pre season predictions part 2 (under/overs): 46:28 The Community Shield: 1:34:19 Outro: 1:39:24 The "Under/Over" format we use in the second half of t...
Aug 04, 2023•1 hr 41 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In our final pre-season podcast, Alex is joined by Lorcan ( @LxWrites1 ) to discuss how Arsenal's preseason games have gone, and what they can tell us about how the team might play going into the 2023/24 season. Thanks to Lorcan for coming on! You can find him on twitter @LxWrites1 . You can also find Alex twitter @alexfrco . Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode - you can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. We'll never say "all" in case we're missing one someh...
Aug 02, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 37
In a very different kind of podcast, Towells is joined by Sam ( @AGenuineOutlaw ) and Cian ( @bootcutgenes ) to discuss the (Emirates-era) Arsenal players that YOU, yes you, were completely wrong about. Tune in for a discussion of names you know, names you'd forgotten, and names you didn't realise were still only 36. No Timestamps for this one, because it'd be spoilers! Thanks to Sam & Cian for coming on the show - you can find them on Twitter @AGenuineOutlaw and @bootcutgenes respectively. ...
Jul 22, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Alex is joined by Jack Elderton, Editor of Analytics United and West Ham fan, to find out more about new Arsenal man Declan Rice. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-1:48 Rice's breakthrough & development at West Ham: 1:48-12:21 What kind of player is Declan Rice now? 12:21-24:14 What role(s) can Rice fulfil at Arsenal? 24:14-36:28 Outro: 36:28-38:58 Thanks to Jack for joining us! You can find him on twitter @jackelderton , and his work on https://analyticsunited.co.uk/ . Please subscribe to the pod to ...
Jul 15, 2023•39 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Towells is joined by Kees van Hemmen, co-host of the Devils in the Details podcast & fan of the Dutch national team, to discuss Arsenal's latest signing: Jurrien Timber. Timestamps: Intro: 0:00-0:59 Who is Jurrien Timber? 0:59-2:20 Ability in possession: 2:20-5:40 Role at Ajax & aggressive defensive style: 5:40-12:07 Aerial weakness: 12:07-14:25 What is Timber's ideal role? 14:25-16:06 Can Timber perform the Ben White role? 16:06-19:42 What role do we expect him to have in the Arsenal sq...
Jul 14, 2023•30 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Welcome to the first in a new miniseries on Pot Shot, where we take a quick look at Arsenal's new signings as they happen. These will be released around our usual output as and when we make signings, so shouldn't interrupt our usual episode schedule. In this first episode, Seb is joined by Orlando Valman ( @0rland1nho ) to discuss Kai Havertz - how he fared at Chelsea, how he may fit in at Arsenal, and what his best position actually is. Timeline: Intro: 0:00-2:17 Havertz at Chelsea: 2:17-13:17 ...
Jul 02, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 1
On our first pre-season podcast, Alex is joined by Lorcan ( @LxWrites1 ) & Manas ( @WatmanAFC ) to have a look at the major transfer rumours circling around Arsenal at the moment, and think about what they tell us about how Arteta wants to re-shape the side ahead of next season. Timeline: Intro: 0:00-3:55 Recap of last season's structure & potential outgoings: 4:34-13:17 Declan Rice: 13:17-24:38 Kai Havertz: 24:38-49:30 Jurrien Timber: 49:30-1:03:48 Striker dynamics & where will Have...
Jun 26, 2023•1 hr 46 min•Season 1Ep. 35
In part two of the squad review, Alex, Seb & Towells look over the midfielders & forwards currently under contract at Arsenal, rate their season, and decide whether they should be kept, sold, or loaned out this summer. We're supporting Scouted Football during their crowdfunding campaign for the new edition of their print magazine! Scouted is a highly collectable, beautifully designed football journal featuring a collection of profiles on unearthed young stars. If you want a first-edition...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 1Ep. 34
In part one of the squad review, Alex, Seb & Towells look over the goalkeepers & defenders currently under contract at Arsenal, rate their season, and decide whether they should be kept, sold, or loaned out this summer. We're supporting Scouted Football during their crowdfunding campaign for the new edition of their print magazine! Scouted is a highly collectable, beautifully designed football journal featuring a collection of profiles on unearthed young stars. If you want a first-editio...
Jun 10, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 34
Towells, Alex & Seb are joined by Lorcan ( @LxWrites1 ) for a brief look at the Wolves game, before a review of the season that was, and the inaugural Pot Shot Awards, where we'll give out awards as illustrious as Best Newcomer, Best Player and Moment of the Season. Timeline: Intro: 0:00-3:35 Part 1: Wolves 3:35-17:00 Part 2: Season Review 17:00-48:08 If you were told at the start of the season how it was going to go, how would you feel? 17:00-26:41 What’s one thing you’ve learned this seaso...
Jun 03, 2023•1 hr 44 min•Season 1Ep. 33
On the penultimate pot-shot episode of the 2022/23 season, Towells, Alex & Seb assess the 1-0 loss to Forest (and decide whether or not we care), before answering your questions about our drop-off in form, how we should ideally be looking to build a squad & beans. Yes, beans. Thank you to everyone who asked a question - apologies if we didn't get around to yours this week, but keep an ear out, as it may well get answered in a future episode! Timeline: 0:00-0:52: Intro 0:52-24:08: Notting...
May 25, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 32
After a 0-3 home loss to Brighton put the final nail in our title charge (barring an absolute all-timer of a collapse from City), Towells, Seb & Max ( @assna_maz ) sit down to discuss a fascinating tactical battle, discuss what we want to see from the remainder of the season, and attempt the nigh impossible: having an interesting and nuanced discussion about whether Arsenal have "bottled it". Timeline: Intro: 0:00 Arsenal 0-3 Brighton: 1:58-27:00 Have Arsenal Bottled It? 27:00-49:41 What do ...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 31
