We finally got a match to analyse as Arsenal beat Wolves on Thursday night to put themselves in a good position in a fight for the top four. How important was the victory? What does it mean to Champions League ambitions? Why are Arsenal picking up so many red cards? Why was Cedric Soares so good? Simon is joined by Kaya Kaynak of football.london and the Guardian's Nick Ames to discuss the Molineux win, while Nick - fresh from his 42-hour journey home - discusses the Arsenal contingent from the A...
Feb 11, 2022•29 min•Ep 38•Transcript available on Metacast Usual service will be resumed next week but given Arsenal fixtures are a little thin on the ground and the transfer window has shut, we thought it would be nice to offer something different. Our Guess the Gooner game is destined for awards and so here we present a compilation of the first 10 rounds of our addictive quiz. Mark guides you through each round - play along and keep a tally before letting us know how often you manage to beat our panel. The rules are simple: clues and hints...
Feb 04, 2022•34 min•Ep 37•Transcript available on Metacast So, the January transfer window has closed and it seemed to be pretty much one-way traffic at the Emirates Stadium as a host of players left the club. What does the latest market activity mean for Arsenal's short-term ambition and long-term vision? Mark is joined by the Telegraph's Sam Dean and Charles Watts from Goal to dissect and analyse Arsenal's window, while Sam goes full QAnon over Alexander Isak as well as launching a staunch defence of Unai Emery's reign. The panel also look at th...
Feb 01, 2022•34 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast What a week in the WSL for Arsenal as they open up a lead at the top of the table having taken four points from Manchester City and Brighton. Drama and a late leveller at the weekend was followed up with a comeback victory at Borehamwood on Thursday evening. The transfer window has also closed so, all in all, it has been a busy few days for the club. Our resident Arsenal Beat women's expert returns as Molly is joined by Tim Stillman from Arseblog and the Athletic's Art De Roche to discuss all th...
Jan 28, 2022•24 min•Ep 36•Transcript available on Metacast A tepid display at home to Burnley leaves Arsenal looking over their shoulder rather than up at the Champions League spots as a squad struggling for numbers is also clearly in need of new additions. But will there be time to get any? Sam is in charge and is joined by Kaya Kaynak of football.london and PA Media's Mark Mann-Bryans as the trio look back at where things went array against the Clarets, Arteta's lack of options, a conundrum with the formation, Aubameyang becoming Arsenal's Jamie Tartt...
Jan 24, 2022•27 min•Ep 35•Transcript available on Metacast A Carabao Cup semi-final to forget and the visit of rock bottom Burnley to come. Are the wheels coming off the Arsenal top four bandwagon and how desperate is the need for new recruits becoming? Mark is joined by the Evening Standard's Simon Collings and Art de Roche from The Athletic as they discuss where things went wrong against Liverpool and how the defeat laid bare the need to add to the squad in January. There is also a quick look ahead to the Burnley fixture and Art gets 60 seconds ...
Jan 21, 2022•27 min•Ep 34•Transcript available on Metacast A second FA Cup third-round defeat at Nottingham Forest in the last four years has seen another potential trophy slip out of Arsenal's grasp this season. Hopes of silverware are now pinned on the Carabao Cup, with the first-leg of the semi-final clash with Liverpool next up for Mikel Arteta's men. Simon is running the show and is joined by Nick Ames of the Guardian and football.london’s Kaya Kaynak to unpick the Forest loss and look ahead to the trip to Anfield. The winner of the Arsenal Beat mi...
Jan 11, 2022•28 min•Ep 33•Transcript available on Metacast No game to review and a fairly uninspiring FA Cup third-round tie to look ahead to, what better time than to host the mid-season edition of the Arsenal Beat awards - the (soon to be prestigious) Tabbies? :: Goal of the season :: Game of the season :: Signing of the season :: Prediction for the season :: Player of the season - to be decided by listeners' votes Mark Mann-Bryans, Simon Collings, Art de Roche and Sam Dean give their nominees and there is a look at the Liverpool postponement an...
Jan 07, 2022•44 min•Ep 32•Transcript available on Metacast In the aftermath of a fine performance but controversial loss to Manchester City, Mark is back asking the questions and is joined by the Guardian's Nick Ames and newcomer Kaya Kaynak of football.london. The trio discuss the naivety shown in a remarkable three-minute period, run the rule over the key refereeing decisions which incensed the Arsenal fan base and look at just how well the hosts did against a side who have now won 11 Premier League games in a row. They also debate Emile Smith Rowe's ...
Jan 03, 2022•34 min•Ep 31•Transcript available on Metacast Our latest Arsenal Beat special steps away from the pitch to analyse cryptocurrency for supporters. What is it? What are the pitfalls? Are there any positives? We speak to AP’s global sports correspondent Rob Harris, Joey D’Urso - investigations writer at the Athletic, BBC News cyber reporter Joe Tidy and Arsenal Denmark vice president Peter Høst to discover how the latest phenomenon came about and how to make sure you don’t get caught out....
Dec 23, 2021•30 min•Ep 30•Transcript available on Metacast Sam hosts our last regular show before Christmas and is joined by Nick Ames of the Guardian and The Athletic’s Art De Roche. The trio look back at a good win at Leeds (which allowed Mark to use this strained podcast title - Mariah, eat your heart out). Another strong showing, the love-child of Batistuta and Suarez, Art risks his A+ meme game by questioning Cedric Soares, Arsenal leading the fight against Omicron. Then we have a quick look ahead to the visit of Sunderland in the Carab...
Dec 20, 2021•27 min•Ep 29•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is asking the questions as he is joined by ESPN senior football writer James Olley and Simon Collings of the Evening Standard. A quick look back over a good week on the pitch leads to questions over Arsenal's genuine top-four credentials. But the conversation quickly moved to the captaincy debate - Do leadership groups work? Why is Mark talking about The Damned United? Does Aubameyang have a future at the club? Who takes the armband moving forward? Stay safe and - hopefully - we will be rev...
Dec 16, 2021•30 min•Ep 28•Transcript available on Metacast Sam hosts the chat as Arsenal men and women suffered painful defeats in the past few days. He is joined by Molly Hudson of the Times and the Evening Standard's Simon Collings to discuss the Everton loss, a poor performance and Arteta's response. The boom and bust approach, are we back in another crisis heading into the Christmas period? #ArtetaOut is back and the lack of goals. Auba the new Ozil? A look back at the Women's FA Cup final, Molly discusses Chelsea boss Emma Hayes and the constant qu...
Dec 09, 2021•35 min•Ep 27•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is hosting - albeit from afar - as he is joined by the Guardian’s Nick Ames and Simon Collings of the Evening Standard. The trio look back on a disappointing night at Old Trafford, sitting back on one-goal leads, pastry from Arteta, returning to in-person press conferences, whether a trip to Everton can provide the perfect tonic and whose place in the XI could be at risk at Goodison. There is also an update of the Arsenal Beat Fantasy Premier League standings....
Dec 04, 2021•27 min•Ep 26•Transcript available on Metacast Molly is back as Arsenal prepare for their Women's FA Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday. She is joined by Ameé Ruszkai of Goal and the Athletic's Art de Roche to preview the showpiece Wembley event - starting with Doncaster rush-hour and a celebratory pie... The trio then look at Vivianne Miedema's latest achievements, the not-so-pass-agg between Jonas Eidevall and Emma Hayes and discuss Arsenal's international break. A cup final-sized Guess the Gooner rounds things off for an essential 30-min...
Dec 02, 2021•30 min•Ep 25•Transcript available on Metacast Sam is the show-runner and is joined by Simon Collings of the Evening Standard and newcomer Harvey Downes - football data editor at Opta. The trio discuss their dislike for Stafford Services, Arsenal's bouncebackability, Klopp v Arteta tale of the tape, Arsenal miss their free-hit, Sam looks to out-stat the stats man, Partey pooper, Simon's Fabinho man crush, Tavares risk backfires and agreeing with Owen. Harvey then talks us through putting together stats-led features - Arteta's 100, Smit...
Nov 23, 2021•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Simon is back in charge and is joined by Sam Dean of the Telegraph and the Guardian's in-form quizzer Nick Ames. The trio look back on Arsenal's Three Lions and discuss plenty on England with Emile Smith Rowe, Bukayo Saka & Aaron Ramsdale - with a little sing-song from Sam thrown in for free. Then attention turns to Anfield and, with Mikel Arteta saying his players need to "suffer" if they are to finally beat Liverpool - will it be the fans who are left hurting? Finally, our soon-to-be...
Nov 19, 2021•30 min•Ep 23•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is hosting and is joined by Sam Dean of the Telegraph and the Athletic's Art de Roche. The trio take a quick look back at the Watford win - a bad day at the office for Aubameyang, a battling win and the *possible* resurgence of Fofty. With Emile Smith Rowe earning his first senior call-up the guys also discuss his impressive form and what he can add to Gareth Southgate's squad. Then the showpiece event as we look ahead to January and pick our fantasy Arsenal signings. We did this last year ...
Nov 11, 2021•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast Molly’s at the wheel…and is joined by the Guardian’s Nick Ames and Arsenal Beat debutant Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mail. The panel look back on Arsenal's unbeaten run, a lack of European football helping preparation but not rotation, targeting West Ham, what do Watford have to threaten the streak, Sarr the star and another Unai reunion is cancelled. There is also, of course, an obligatory game of Guess the Gooner.
Nov 04, 2021•27 min•Ep 21•Transcript available on Metacast Sam is back in charge and is joined by Nick Callow of Hayters and PA Media's Mark Mann-Bryans. The trio discuss the Leicester win, Aaron Ramsdale's rise and his England credentials, why Nick felt Gabriel's teeth meant he wouldn't cut it at the Emirates, if Nuno Tavares is as good as Kieran Tierney and 5000 days since Tottenham last won a trophy. We also play our next instalment of Guess the Gooner.
Nov 02, 2021•27 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is joined by Art de Roche of the Athletic to...moan about Halloween, mainly. But they also get around to previewing what could prove a tricky trip to Leicester - should Arteta stick or twist with his side? Will the Arsenal defence be having sleepless nights as they worry about Jamie Vardy? Does Art rate Nuno Tavares as highly as the film Monster's House? The pair then select their own 'Arsenal Horror Show' - a match they covered that lives long in the memory for all the wrong reasons. A cou...
Oct 29, 2021•22 min•Ep 19•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is back to host and is joined by The Guardian's Nick Ames and Simon Collings of the Evening Standard. The trio discuss Friday's win over Aston Villa, including the tactical tweaks from Arteta, the display of the summer signings, Partey scoring (which Mark inexplicably backed) and the performance of Emile Smith Rowe in comparison to his acting debut. There is also a quick look ahead to the Leeds game in the Carabao Cup before the more important matter of another instalment of Guess the Goone...
Oct 25, 2021•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast Simon is driving the discussion and is joined by the Telegraph's Sam Dean and senior football writer for ESPN James Olley. As the podcast rose between two thorny Premier League fixtures, the trio debate where Mikel Arteta is taking the team tactically, the Vieira effect, Partey's shooting practice and can Lacazette be an asset even with his future unclear? Ahead of the visit of Aston Villa the discussion turns to the defeat in the corresponding fixture last season, what is needed to address that...
Oct 20, 2021•27 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast As Patrick Vieira prepares to return to Arsenal with his Crystal Palace side, the Arsenal Beat take a look back at what made the French midfielder a shining light in one of the best teams in living memory. John Cross, the chief football writer for the Mirror, Times chief football writer Henry Winter, Mark Irwin from the Sun discuss Vieira’s long-standing impact on Arsenal.
Oct 13, 2021•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast No football over the international break? No problem! The Arsenal Beat is still going strong. France Football's Jeremy Docteur joins us from...well, France...to talk all things William Saliba and Matteo Guendouzi - how have the pair settled, how are they developing and are Arsenal missing them? Molly Hudson of the Times then returns to discuss Arsenal's heavy defeat to Barcelona in the Women's Champions League and how Jonas Eidevall is faring in his first few months in charge.
Oct 07, 2021•22 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is hosting having smugly watched Saturday's 0-0 draw at Brighton from the comfort of his own sofa. Sam Dean from the Telegraph and the Guardian's Nick Ames were in attendance, getting soaked as they filed on a goalless draw - but was it a good point for Arsenal? Who played well? Who failed to shine? Who should stop shooting? As well as those questions, our Guess the Gooner quiz returns, with Mark offering up titbits of trivia for Sam and Nick to work out which former Arsenal player is being...
Oct 04, 2021•27 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Sam is on hosting duty once again and is joined by Art de Roche of the Athletic and PA Media's Mark Mann-Bryans. The panel discuss the intricacies of the win over Tottenham and the joy of seeing Hale End succeed, Granit Xhaka's injury setback and what it means to Mikel Arteta's tactics. There is also a look ahead to Saturday's tricky trip to Brighton, a plug for Art's Quidditch-themed Twitch stream and a number of memes which you will have to search for yourself for the conversation to mak...
Sep 29, 2021•49 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is joined by Sam Dean of the Telegraph and The Sun's Mark Irwin to take a look ahead to Sunday's north London derby against Tottenham. Who would have thought a 2-0 win would take Arsenal above their neighbours given their contrasting starts to the season - but that is where we are, so let us talk about that. The guys also discuss whether Granit Xhaka comes straight back into the team and if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is ready to get back to his best. Molly Hudson of the Times and the Guadian...
Sep 24, 2021•52 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Mark is back to host and is once again joined by the Telegraph's Sam Dean, Molly Hudson from the Times and a returning Nick Ames of the Guardian, who has resurfaced following his league-worst performance on the Arsenal Beat Quiz. The trio cast an eye back over the win at Burnley, ask whether Bukayo Saka needs a rest and look ahead to possible team selections against AFC Wimbledon in Wednesday's Carabao Cup third-round tie. Molly then discusses Arsenal's start to the WSL season and their Champion...
Sep 20, 2021•36 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Simon is in the driving seat and is joined by the Athletic's Art de Roche and Nick Callow from Hayters. The panel discuss the trip to Burnley and how the Arsenal new boys can play a part in getting a result, Thomas Partey coming back into the side and the situation surrounding Jack Wilshere and a possible return to London Colney. Nick also takes part in the now-famous Arsenal Beat Quiz. With a more retro feel to the specialist round, can he get the perfect 10 required to top the leaderboard?&nbs...
Sep 17, 2021•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
