Xhaka and Partey were the clear first choice pairing in the middle of the park last season with Lokonga and Elneny taking turns to be Arteta’s favourite understudy. We discuss how the foursome faired and whether the unit stays as it is next season. Is there a chance Xhaka leaves? Can Lokonga play a bigger role? Will Partey’s injury struggles get worse with age? Is there a future for Torreira or Maitland-Niles? We also talk about the type of midfielder that’s on our wishlist for next season and w...
Jun 10, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast With Aubameyang gone and both Nketiah and Lacazette out of contract this summer, there’s still a chance that the three main strikers we started the 20/21 season with all leave the club before the next season starts. With reports however that Eddie is on the brink of signing a new five year deal, we decided to spend some time reviewing the striker situation at Arsenal. We discuss who we think should stay, how many strikers we need going into next season, and what type(s) of centre forward we’d li...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast A fun 5-1 victory to end the season but sadly Delia’s big yellow division hopping yo-yo couldn’t make themselves useful and beat Spurs, so Arsenal miss out on 4th on the last day. Regardless, The Emirates was full of positivity and support for the young team and manager that have given us much to cheer about this season. On our pod we act all grown up and talk about our feelings on finishing 5th, reflect on whether any of our squad were waving goodbye to the fans for good, plus reflect on some o...
May 26, 2022•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast A painful episode to record on the whistle. Arsenal limp out of the Top 4 race with a 2nd defeat in a row. No goals in two games and a fair few conceded in the process. No-one gave this young team a chance at finishing in the Top 4 and sadly in the end it looks as though barring a miracle at Carrow Road then 5th is where we’ll end up. An admirable effort from the boys but it’s the hope that kills you as a fan. Check out our pod where we provide our very raw and unstructured thoughts post game as...
May 16, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Disaster. Out of all the scenarios that could’ve happened in the NLD, this was one of the worst. One centre back sent off within 30 mins, the other one injured at the end, and an absolute hammering in between. Arsenal head into the final two games of the season still in the box seat for 4th but with a defensive crisis to deal with and team confidence likely bruised in a big way. Check out our latest pod where we review the major talking points and feel out whether we think our boys still have it...
May 13, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s the Arsenal we’re coming to know and love. Make an 11 man Leeds look like fodder but a 10 man Leeds look like Liverpool. Luckily the beatdown we gave Leeds prior to old boy Luke Ayling getting sent off was enough to seal three points and put Arsenal in a powerful position in the Top 4 race. A win on Thursday in the NLD and it’s sealed. A loss still keeps Arsenal in the box seat but with a potentially tricky away game days later at Newcastle, Arsenal fans around the world are gunning for at ...
May 08, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Transcript available on Metacast West Ham 1 Arsenal 2 The chant was “Yellows! Yellows! Yellows!” on Sunday which in hindsight probably made the ref think we just passionately wanted him to book everyone. That arguably could’ve made a very drab game more exciting but who cares about excitement when you grind out a scrappy win away at West Ham to keep the UCL aspirations alive. We reflect on a boozy day out visiting the London Stadium and discuss all the major talking points from the game including Rob Holding getting closer to T...
May 02, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Arsenal 3 Manchester United 1 Xhaka Boom! What a week for Arsenal! How often do you get to beat both Chelsea and Man Utd in a four day period? It was another rollercoaster on Saturday with plenty of talking points and we discuss as many as we could. Why did we struggle to control the game even when 2-0 up early? Did the fans make the team nervous or vice versa? How good was Xhaka’s performance and his thunderbolt to make it 3-1? What do we think of the Elneny renaissance? What does this win and ...
Apr 24, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Transcript available on Metacast Chelsea 2 - Arsenal 4 Stop it. We lose three in a row to Palace, Brighton then Southampton respectively and score a grand total of one deflected consolation goal in the process, and then we go away to the European and World Champions and score four!? With Elneny morphing into prime Deschamps and Nketiah going vintage Inzaghi? Wake us up from this dream. What a win at the Bridge where the atmosphere in the away end was absolutely incredible. Somehow we’re keeping this Top 4 campaign alive with Ma...
Apr 21, 2022•59 min•Transcript available on Metacast Arsenal 1 Brighton 2 How quickly the vibe can change in football? All of a sudden, two defeats on the bounce in parallel with two dominating victories by Spurs and our Top 4 aspirations seem like more of a pipe dream. We go through a detailed post-mortem of the Brighton game focusing on how Arteta chose to deal with the injuries to Tierney and Partey respectively. We also discuss Lacazette’s increasingly poor looking goal returns, reflect on whether Top 4 is out the window, and take an immediate...
Apr 11, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Something a bit different on the pod this week whereby we welcome our first ever guest on the show. Kish, a lifelong Crystal Palace fan, joins Raj this week to discuss the what was a really disappointing night for Arsenal at Selhurst Park. We try and unpack how exactly Arsenal ended their away winning streak with such a heavy defeat plus spend a lot of time getting Kish’s insight on the job Arsenal legend Patrick Vieira is doing at Palace and how the fans have taken to him. We are good friends a...
Apr 07, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast The big concern from Arsenal fans wasn’t whether we’d lose to Liverpool, it was whether if we lost to Liverpool would the wheels come off the train? The Arsenal boys reacted to the Liverpool defeat in elite manner though racking up a 5th away win on the bounce beating Villa 1-0 creating serious feel good vibes going into this international break. Check out our latest pod where we reflect on what the games against Liverpool and Villa have shown us and do our weekly checkpoint on the top 4 race. W...
Mar 20, 2022•1 hr 2 min•Transcript available on Metacast Electrifying attacking play mixed with questionable defensive solidarity resulted in a 3-2 win at Watford… sounds like something out of the Wenger back catalogue right? Whatever the case, another win for Arteta’s boys who finish the weekend in 4th after Man Utd were demolished by Man City. Check out our latest pod where we review the game and go over some key topics such as Laca’s future, Saka and Odegaard’s excellence, the race for top 4 and a preview of our game next weekend against a Leiceste...
Mar 06, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Absolute limbs at The Emirates on Thursday! Karma came to bite Jose Sa in the butt after his (and his teammates’) passionate time wasting throughout the game ultimately culminated in him scoring an own goal in the 95th minute to give Arsenal a huge win in the context of the top 4 race. The Arsenal get their 3rd win on the bounce and now sit 2 points behind 4th with 3 games in hand. Watford away next! Check out our latest pod where we reflect on the Wolves game and figure out how we feel about ou...
Feb 28, 2022•57 min•Transcript available on Metacast Any win away at Wolves these days is impressive but Arsenal even managed to do it with 10 men for a sizeable period of the game. Is it really that impressive though given the amount of practice we get with 10 men these days? We reflect on a hugely important victory underpinned by the now characteristic defensive organisation and desire. All major talking points discussed including a truly remarkable sending off that will surely be the basis of trivia questions in years to come. We are good frien...
Feb 11, 2022•1 hr 5 min•Transcript available on Metacast Arunan and Raj reflect on the close of a transfer window which for Arsenal fans was dominated by our ostracised former club captain Aubameyang sealing a dramatic free transfer move to Barcelona. Overall there was such a ruthless number of outgoings from Arsenal relative to a completely underwhelming number of incomings. What was the plan? Was there a plan? Surely no striker coming in is just madness? We discuss all this and more. We are good friends and also happen to be North Bank season ticket...
Jan 31, 2022•50 min•Transcript available on Metacast Playing with 10 men for around 65 minutes, a depleted Arsenal fought out of their skins to achieve a hugely impressive 0-0 draw at Anfield in the first leg of our Carabao Cup Semi Final. We discuss all the key talking points including Xhaka’s accidental kung-fu kick on Jota, the change in shape after going to 10 men, the magnificent defensive performance, the injury/ availability crisis we’re in, and what the result means for not only the tie but the NLD this weekend. We are good friends and als...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast It was like one of those feel-good Disney movies where the underdog, although valiantly defeated by the all-powerful baddy, still scores the moral victory. Like at the end of Cool Runnings where even the Jamaicans’ biggest detractors gave them a standing ovation as they walked off the track. It was amazing to be there, but still so tough to come away with no points. A true coming of age performance none-the-less and it feels like the fanbase is united once more. We discuss all the major talking ...
Jan 03, 2022•1 hr 21 min•Transcript available on Metacast Before we say hello to 2022, we reflected on the first half of the season which has been full of some quite beautiful positives and some undisputed negatives. The recording mood was overall buoyant given Arsenal go into the New Year sitting in the top 4 for the first time in too long, spurred on by a recent run of dominant and free-scoring wins. We talk about our best players of the season so far, best signings, biggest disappointments and much more including looking towards our next game agains...
Dec 29, 2021•1 hr 13 min•Transcript available on Metacast It’s becoming a bit Jekyll and Hyde with regards to our home form vs away form. The boys cantered to a thumping 3-0 win despite a new instalment of Auba-turning-up-late-for-things drama adding a bit of a distraction prior to kick off. Check out our latest pod where we reflect on a beauty of a first goal, 3rd goal in a row for Odegaard and yet another Gabriel set piece header. We also discuss the Auba drama in detail. Was Arteta over the top in dropping him? Should he have handled it differently?...
Dec 14, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast We recorded on the whistle with a raw discussion on a night to forget. Not so long ago we were wondering about whether we were a half-decent team again. Was it just another false dawn? Arsenal lose after taking the lead (again) against a team that hadn’t won in eight and who are so bad their fans were planning to walkout in the middle of the game. Terrible and boring in possession, the very few chances created were generally stuffed up by a group of strikers who are doing their best to not score...
Dec 07, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Transcript available on Metacast Disappointing result to mark our 50th episode, but an eventful game to reflect on. Solskjaer’s United never scored a goal against Arteta’s Arsenal, and now he’s gone they go and score three in one game. This game had a bit of everything from freak goals, great goals, penalties given, penalties not given… but ultimately it culminated in a defeat for Arsenal. Did we do enough going forward? Why are we conceding so many goals against the big teams? Should blame be placed on senior players like Part...
Dec 03, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast If spirit animals are a thing, then Nuno Tavares’ is without a doubt the Tasmanian Devil. Our still very raw Portuguese firecracker of a wingback inspired a second half Arsenal performance blessed with energy and real quality to get us back to winning ways and to now joint 4th on points. We reflect on the win, take stock of this Arsenal team after 13 league games, and preview a massive next game at Old Trafford against a Utd team at some point in transitioning from their old manager to their car...
Dec 01, 2021•1 hr 12 min•Transcript available on Metacast Blurb for #48 At what point can we conclude that we’re actually a half decent team again? Or that Aaron Ramsdale aka The Brexit Ederson is the perfect Buffon-De Bruyne hybrid? The Arsenal boys overcame what on paper was a tricky test at the King Power Stadium with two early goals in an exemplary first 30 mins proving to be the difference. We cover key talking points such as the explosive start to the game, one of the best all-round GK performances you’ll ever see, one of the best saves you’ll ev...
Nov 02, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Transcript available on Metacast After underwhelming against Palace, Arsenal react with their most complete performance of the season in a totally dominant victory over Villa. Only a consolation wonder goal prevented a 5th clean sheet in 6 games. Has it finally clicked? How much of a difference did Lacazette make? Is Carragher right to call ESR the best dribbler in the league? Check out our ramblings where we also talk about our upcoming games against Leeds and Leicester… plus we couldn’t finish without talking about the Man Ut...
Oct 25, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Transcript available on Metacast A few technical challenges mean we’re releasing an audio-only off the cuff episode to reflect on a painful 2-2 draw against The Eagles at home. Aside from a bright first 20 minutes and a high octane final period, Arsenal were totally dysfunctional in possession. Palace looked like a team with a plan, Arsenal not so much. Would it have been different if McArthur was sent off in the first half for ABH? Why is Partey not dominating games like this? What’s happened to Tierney going forward? Why is P...
Oct 20, 2021•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast It wasn’t the fourth win in a row that we wanted but it’s 10 points from a possible 12 and another clean sheet. The Back 5 have well and truly deserved their wages in this period but how long can we rely on them without scoring more goals? Only Norwich have scored fewer in the Premier League! Will we see more attacking performances like we did in the NLD? Check out our discussion on the last few games and thoughts on the upcoming batch starting with Palace on Monday. We also reflect on the divis...
Oct 13, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Transcript available on Metacast One of the greatest first half performances the Emirates has ever seen. A complete blitz of a Spurs side who looked void of belief and quality was an event anyone in the stadium will never ever forget. Our new look back 5 had their biggest test and barely broke a sweat whilst the Hale End boys ran riot at the other end. We discuss the day on a whole from the build up around the ground to the celebrations at the end. Where did it go right for us? How bad were Spurs? How pivotal is this moment? We...
Sep 29, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Transcript available on Metacast A Wednesday night Carabao Cup game against League One opponents drew a surprisingly large and vibrant crowd, who in turn were treated to a comfortable 3-0 win. A nice little run out to prep for the big one on Sunday, the famous North London Derby! On the pod, we reflect on the AFC Wimbledon game and discuss all the big talking points for the NLD. Who needs this win more? Are both managers under pressure? Will Arteta smell blood? Is Xhaka coming back into the team? Will Kane keep up his scoring r...
Sep 24, 2021•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mikel put out an attacking 433 at Turf Moor which didn’t quite click but thankfully a banging free kick from Odegaard and a rear-guard performance full of grit, resilience and genuine quality got us our 2nd win on the bounce. Mikel’s happy, the players are happy, the fans are happy… harmony for now at least! Check out our new pod where we review Burnley and preview AFC Wimbledon in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. May we see any of the U23s who have seriously been on fire in PL2 recently? We are go...
Sep 20, 2021•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
