Episode #227 – Arsenal and Manchester City Face Off in the Game of the Season! PLUS FULL Matchweek 23 Review

hello and welcome to the squeaky bum Time Podcast presented exclusively on

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the chop Sports channel of the premiere streaming Network we're recording this on Monday February 13th tomorrow's

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Valentine's Day make sure you get things for your ladies I am your host Laura cortees

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the merseyside darpi Liverpool or back Arsenal entering early squeaky bum time

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and Man United Title contenders again maybe not but first my two favorite

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things in the whole world VAR and City slander let us get to it

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but first housekeeping please like share subscribe

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to the show it means everything to us I'm appreciative of all you people who watch the show

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Tony Mike John Manny Dimas Christian

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everyone who listens to the show I appreciate you on a regular basis uh BJ

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Mike Salerno of course the legend lives in our minds forever please like and review the show uh first things first

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VAR controversies all across the league everywhere all the time uh one in the

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Arsenal game where it was a ball into the mixer back and forth in and out back and forth in and out uh they don't use

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VAR to check offside because it was taking too long because there was too much going on of course that makes sense

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because why have VAR if it's going to take too long and then this a second one

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um a handball by Sue check in the West Ham game where suchek puts his arm on the

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ground is he offside did he do it on purpose blah blah blah handball they don't call it you've seen them given as

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they say and then in the venerable M23 Darby that was a 1-1 draw

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Brighton has a shot on goal estupion was fantastic in this game he gets put

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through by McAllister they call him offside on what's a perfectly good goal because guess what they drew the off

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Sidelines in the wrong place isn't that wonderful uh I know John Santana in our

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WhatsApp group is always arguing for VAR and life changes and things change and

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we have to accept you know the growth of sport and the growth of everything but

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it's not good for sport it's not working it's not working it's not working

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we follow sport not for precision but for accuracy and

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the referees I don't care what anyone says they're really good they do a great job they actually get these things right

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when you think about what's going on who's on the field how it's happening the speed it's happening the fact that

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they get anything right is shocking so these guys are the best of the best I don't care you can say no fine or maybe

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they're not they're the best in England at least and they get a lot of things right and I

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don't think we need VAR honestly people are going to complain about things anyway it seems people are getting them

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wrong anyway what is the Point again who is it for why do we have it

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what is it there for for whose benefit who is benefiting from this gamblers

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fans so that they can say they're doing the right thing TV is it so that people have something to watch on TV I don't

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understand it the rules of the game are clear the referee is there to manage the

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entertainment the passion and the flow of the game when we try and go for

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precision we lose sight of what sport is about which is competition and Humanity

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I just came from the zoo of the zoo excuse me from the circus with my daughter and wife we had a great time

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and why am I bringing up the circus because it's in Lost Art that's disappearing people juggling people jiving people doing physical activity

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that's amazing and we've lost it for the sake of oh I can go watch a Marvel movie

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what I saw was human beings doing amazing things and when we downgrade things into a different mode of life

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where we're just digitizing and trying to find Precision and everything for a thing that's imprecise it's Humanity I

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want the humanity I don't care about I'm at this point where I don't care about the wins and losses whether it's

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perfect when people watch football and complain about the referees really they're complaining about the fact that

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they don't have control and the referee is the only thing you see that you feel like you can control you can't control

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it it's men running on grass with a round ball and there's 11 of them

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you're never going to get it all right it's all subjective and we should just accept it and live in the moment live in

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the natural life that was designed in the 1880s for this weird game with

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arbitrary rules that just is be in the moment enjoy your team

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let go it doesn't have to be right enjoy the moments

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enjoy the Aguero goal again enjoy um enjoy Istanbul again

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enjoy all of it because if we had had VAR they would have been checking those moments and they would have been ruined

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enjoy Ali in in 1999 you think they wouldn't have checked if that was offside with with all that with Teddy

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sharing them of course they would have and he would have been off or a foul on schmeichel or countless other moments

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that would been ruined by the stoppage of play football is beautiful because it moves football is beautiful because it

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is alive it just keeps going and the energy and the fans Push It Forward we

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don't need to have replay unless I like technology I work in tentology unless it

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cannot disrupt the flow and moments if they can call it immediately I'm all for

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it but until it can't be called immediately don't do it it's not worth it it's not

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worth it um so that's my VAR and then um on City I know no one wants to talk about this

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but I you it's something interesting that's happening when you are a person who has allegiance

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to a club and this happens this is the nature of sport you get so attached to it like I am with

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City that you can't stop but fighting

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I want to defend it because in some way it's me I'm the club I'm City it's my

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team as much as I said the other day I don't care and I don't want to defend Mansour you can't help it there's a

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human condition that grabs you and pulls you into this silly thing where I feel

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like I've got to defend City at every turn and I'm I'm pushing this and Liverpool fans that and look at this

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financial issue and look at that one and and all these things and I just got into a whole rant about City just wanted to

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win we wanted to spend money to win we just wanted to win

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just like Lance Armstrong just wanted to win he took he doped the whole sport was dirty he just wanted to win

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that's the argument for some of these things Financial doping what does that even mean we just wanted to win we

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wanted to stop Manchester United from winning all the time I was looking at the um at the top five leagues there's an FB

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ref you can see a history of all the top five leagues and it really happens around 2008 when Bayern and uve really

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take off and I think that if it weren't for City United would have just kept winning or Chelsea would have just kept winning

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they were in line for those teams to just keep winning and winning without any competition to them and thank God

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City cheated whatever we did otherwise the hegemony of those teams would still be there I don't know that's

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just how I feel I just think without the psg's and Chelsea's and

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cities of the world the teams would have been the same over and over again just like they are in

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Italy just like they are in Germany just like they are in France frankly because there's no one pushing at least

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in the Premier League United is there to push at least there's there's Chelsea to

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push and Arsenal have and Liverpool will have all their legacy and can push a Nouveau Reach team like City but City

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needed to push them anyway I feel crazy about having to defend it but I'll keep defending It

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Anyway let's go to the scores uh right now just to get a sense of where we are so Saturday early West Ham won Chelsea

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won not a great result for my friend Grand Potter then Fulham defeated Nottingham

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Forest we knew Forest winning on the road is impossible didn't help when both

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um McKenna and Bali went off in the first five minutes from Central defense then Southampton loses after being up a

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goal to wolves up a goal was down to 10 and they lose

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and that costs um the manager's job then and if I say then again I'm fired Arsenal 1-1 against

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Brentford they're slipping they're blipping they're in trouble Arsenal get bullied by Ivan Tony and the boys from

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Brentford on another VAR conference oh more VAR controversy you want Palace one Brighton one to M23 Darby Brighton we're

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bossing this game Crystal Palace I don't know viera's getting a pass then Mighty Lester back to back four goal games they

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smashed Tottenham oh my God that they smashed Tottenham betancour goes out Eric Dyer is cooked what a

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catastrophe then we ended Saturday 1-1 the United Newcastle United versus Bournemouth

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Gary O'Neill's a good manager I don't care board myth are pretty good uh they'll go down but they're still pretty

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good Newcastle still can't find goals goals goals although almiron did score one then on Sunday

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Leeds nil United two on the back to back on their home at home with leads I thought leads were

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good they could have won this game but no United and Marcus rashford score goals then City are back City smash

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Villa three nil in the first half win it 3-1 at home looking good Bernardo Silva

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playing left back pept crazy and then today in the merseyside Darby Liverpool

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2 Everton nail those were the scores but we are going

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to go to the great North London and watch Arsenal collapse in real time no no it's

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not a collapse uh I think what's happening with Arsenal let's just go through it really quickly

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um trust art scores the early goal coming on for Martinelli really nice pass really nice goal

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trussard gets onto it lashes at home on a great cross from Saka then the controversial goal Tony

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across from uh oh God let me let me see who it is the cross comes in from a

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Christian norgaard and Pinnock actually it's norgone or pinik are are batting the ball around

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Pinnock with the really high up header then norgaard who's offside uh Pats it

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back to Tony who hits it in it goes all over the place and Tony scores it

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um and it's 1-1 um never really held on for to be fair to uh Brentford Brentford had one other

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good chance from Tony that he probably should have scored on 39 and then the other shots not too many on goal that

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you would have thought were game-winning goals but again Brentford came in you know how Brentford is going

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to play they're gonna come and kick you in the face ass and mouth and they did

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that and um they're good they're 10 unbeaten while

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arsenal we talked about on week match week 19 we're on 50 points at halfway and now they're only on 51. so they're

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having a hard time kicking on from getting to that 50-point Mark they're really only on 51 in their last two

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games they've only earned one point a loss to Everton and now a draw so they've allowed City back into this one

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a couple things I think about this I don't think that Arsenal are playing

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badly I don't think anything's wrong I just think you know

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it's hard to win the premier league and you can't just run the same group out there all season one guy did

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it I remember Antonio Conte when he won the league with Chelsea he ran the same 11 out there all season but he had no

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Europe at all and John Terry uh played every game and every minute but I don't

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think you can do that with this team this is a you know mental strength

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is the other component you know you have the physical skills you have the

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technical skills you have the confidence and then the last part is that mental

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fortitude of having done it every step passed for Arsenal is getting further

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and further into the unknown and I think you know Arsenal are feeling it in this moment you know and Kezia came in and

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held them up but now they need an infusion and Trust art helped he got a goal right he's trying to contribute but

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now they need another another step they need to go up again at a level again and that's the question we have for Arsenal

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now can they go again after having this blip getting punched in the mouth by Everton and now getting punched in the

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mouth by uh Ivan Tony and Brentford these are two teams that are physical that came at Arsenal and really gave

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them a hard kick and I wonder if Arsenal have the steal

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to pick themselves up one more time and they're going to be tested their next

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match is against my beloved Manchester City and I worry for them I think if

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they lose this game they will be in deep trouble uh very weird season I do want

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to give a little bit more love to the Great and Powerful Fulham who now sit in eighth uh eight wins

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10 draws four losses so eight and four that's really good they're plus seven on

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34 solidly London teams doing really really well just an incredible

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performance by uh Thomas Frank and his boys so many good players that are

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playing in Brantford and I think the question we should have is what player from Brentford would you want on your

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side we know Tony but is he a product of long balls going to him can he get the ball at his feet uh which one of those

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Midfield players would you want is it norgard or or or one of the Defenders Ben me Ethan pinnick coming from the

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lower divisions coming from Dulles Hammond unbelievable I mean Ethan pinnick is is their primary central

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Defender he's so physical had an amazing tackle on in kethia when he had a turn and go through so really good

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performances are all around for them who would you want from their team I know who I would want I'd like the

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midfielders they're pretty good and I like um I like the fullbacks as well so uh on the on the VAR controversy

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it's it's a fake controversy this is a ball into the mixer it goes

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off of three or four heads and somewhere in there there was an offside I grant you that

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but is that the spirit of the law is that what we want do we want

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the fact that Arsenal would have been got off the hook because their players are too small and

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unable to fight for the ball that was as it was playing Head tennis around it wasn't a beautiful goal but Arsenal if

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you want to win the league you go get it and push it out it was three different bounces that you want them to get off

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the hook on a marginal offside what are we Spain this is England this is the home of

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football this is where you separate the men from the boys this is fighting for goals yes

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norgaard had his back foot offside there were 20 guys in the box that's

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what we want VAR for I'm not having it Brentford deserved that goal whether it was that one or another one they should

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have gotten a draw it would have been harsh had they called that offside and that's what I mean earlier in my VAR rent

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we we had a goal we had we had Tony going over to the side for Sergi kanos

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whose mom died and he was his teammate no longer on the team because he wanted to play and we would have called that

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off because some guy I just don't agree with it I

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think it's a bad idea I'm over it I just unless VAR can go if you can't fix it in

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30 seconds we're not fixing it I don't want it because it really takes away from the thing that I love most about

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football and Arsenal fans yes you can complain you can complain everyone thinks their team is hard done again

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it's because we don't have control we want to control everything and a referee feels like something we can control

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but you can't control it maybe there was a run that wasn't seen maybe there was a ball that was a fraction offside a ball

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that hit a post a guy that would have been played in those you don't see you don't worry about those but a call you

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control and we made that into a thing I just think it's a bad idea it's a bad precedent and I don't want anything to

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do with it um we move on to my beautiful and beloved Manchester City

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great performance I was so grateful for this what did I say City scores in the first 15 minutes to win

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the game what did they do they scored a goal in the first five minutes rodri Cuts in front City sneaky a good set

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peace team get their goal early and then they're able to cruise uh in this game

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pep went with all the old boys no new boys I mean we have Holland mahrez

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grealish but then where it gets weird is we have Laporte Diaz and Walker but no

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left back so Bernardo Silva I guess is the left back it's the formation is like a three four three

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um weird formation a box in the middle uh and and Bernardo Silva was just incredible pep solved his hey how do I

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figure out how to find more control in the Midfield without taking off Holland and he just decides

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well I'll just play an extra midfielder and they'll be the fullback so rather than play a left back he just

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played Bernardo who shuttled back and forth between being in the Midfield and being a fullback just an incredible

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performance from Bernardo if you see his touch map it's incredible but City scored their goals pretty easy Roderick

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then a really nice one from gundagon shockingly City played a ball over the top what do you know Holland gets on it

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he's his face is back to goal so he spins around and fires an amazing cross to gundagon reminded me of the Aston

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Villa goal to win the league God loves it uh and then Riyad mahrez on a penalty that Jack grealish Drew on uh young

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Jacob Ramsey poor guy I clicked his heels and then mares put that through and that's when I knew something was

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wrong with Holland Holland didn't take the penalty which meant he was hurting so city were up three and cruising but

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the more interesting part of this game was the Defiance from Pep in his press conferences just coming out guns blazing

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all takers naming names being like I know what eight teams wanted us to get

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kicked out of the Premier League and he's like Arsenal Chelsea United Liverpool just calls him out then he

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calls out Stevie G's like did Manchester City make Steven Gerard slip I loved his career but that wasn't on us so just

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going through everything and just being defiant and owning all the wins that City got and I think it galvanized the

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team I think there was a little bit of oomph that came from City a little bit of like you know what Siege mentality

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the city the city fans were singing really loud they brought the flares out when the team showed up they were

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singing the Premier League so we used to sing wafa the Champions League theme song and now

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we're gonna sing it for the for the Premier League theme song so you know any song you have that's the

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establishment cities just putting their middle finger up and I don't blame them you know what if if they're after you

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don't apologize just go scorched Earth and that's what city's gonna do I think

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one of the things that I think about with the obstruction pieces I think these investigators have been

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just asking for everything and cities like I'm not giving you that why should I give you that there's nothing in there

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I said I didn't have it you go with what you have I'm not giving you stuff so you can find something on me anyway

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City are fantastic really good performance and going in feeling strong

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for the match against Arsenal just such an important important game just like I

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cannot tell you how worried I was a month ago

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about or two months ago about City uh playing Arsenal we're catching Arsenal

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right at the right time they're on a downturn or a worried Turner or something like that

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where City have just kind of been like okay we took it in a mouth we're bleeding in the mouth we've got Ruben

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Diaz back Ruben Diaz by the way was fantastic in this game The Tackle he puts on Leon Bailey is just brutal

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Savage and something no other City Defender does there's no physicality like everyone just backs off and kind of

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was like oh we're not supposed to tackle Reuben doesn't care he tackles this is a guy who's PFA player of the

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year so you know when city won the league in in the uh in the bubble season so City go into the game against Arsenal

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feeling good that game's on Wednesday feeling good feeling strong feeling like

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themselves feeling defiant feeling like no one can beat them

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uh Arsenal going limping questioning whether the thing that they do is the thing that they do I think the only

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question here for city is how do they play because uh Holland might be hurt I

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don't think that hurts City frankly because City haven't been playing well with Holland anyway he's kind of not

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contributing to the build up because he's always up top so City might be able to play with more control and have a

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little bit of a headache removed from playing Holland because he seems to be a little bit of a missing thing foden got

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back into the game maybe foden will play at the nine at the false nine I don't know but I think City wins this game

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they go level with Arsenal having a game in hand and despite how bad this season has been

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for city which it hasn't of course it's only been about the performances I think if City win this game

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Arsenal in trouble real trouble uh it becomes a statement it becomes uh a

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moment uh one of the moments of the season will be Wednesday so we'll find out what happens you know if if Arsenal

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win it's less damning because it's just three points for City to have to come

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back from so they'll drop back down into six points behind it'll shock us uh

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it'll be sad but I don't think that City will feel like they can't win but it'll give be a huge boost for Arsenal Arsenal

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will feel like oh my God we we dodged one but arson we're gonna have more moments they have to suffer I know no

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one thinks that this is a real thing but in order to win the Premier League you have to suffer think about City in 2011.

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they dropped games down the stretch uh they almost blew it against QPR it gets

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very very tight this show is not called squeaky bump time for no reason

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things get difficult down the stretch really difficult you have to look around

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for leaders and you have to look around for people who've done it before first Arsenal they're going to be looking to

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zinchenko and Gabrielle and Thomas partsey I guess he won in Spain

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and zinchenko and yeah and they really have to find those moments who's won a trophy on

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Arsenal not many players maybe an FA Cup here or there so it's gonna be tough uh

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and arts and cities whole Squad there's no non-winners they're all winners

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um except for Holland in a weird way everyone else is is a big winner so I'm looking very much forward to that

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and how pep brings this team together I have no idea

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speaking of uh teams that are back uh we do have our friends from Liverpool

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coming back together um they did not look good until they scored their goal uh they were a little

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disjointed uh it was at home the crowd was up for it and just before Salah

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scored the goal on 36 Everton had had a set piece tarkovsky misses the goal he

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hits the post and when I say that this break was beautiful it was fantastic it

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really was they so it pops out after it hits the post it pops out to McNeil who tries to take

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another shot he doesn't quite miss it he's off Target um and then

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Darwin Nunez just flies grabs the ball I think there was a pass before and I'm

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not sure who it was maybe it was basic I can't remember but Nunez takes it flies

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downfield gets it back to Salah who then uh gives it back to him and they just do a give and go on the run and on the move

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and it just becomes a race uh and Salah to his credit puts it away but on that

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thing Jordan Pickford just goes running around to someone else but it's an incredible shot like six six um Liverpool players

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come flying forward on this break and from there you know Liverpool going to the breakup

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of goal gakbo gets a nice goal from Robertson and Salah after that and then

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you know once it's up to there's really nothing for Everton to do Ella Sims was an interesting player who played for

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Everton a unit of a dude a giant Striker who'd been on loan at um

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at Sunderland and had been playing well he had seven goals in 17 games doing really well for them uh shame that

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Sunderland would lose him but it looks like someone dice was like hey I got no transfers bring me this unit he's six

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foot three he's a monster uh he didn't really get into it but he was there early took a shot early and was trying

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to put himself about interesting to see a new Striker and I wonder what Neil mopay thinks although he did come on

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later uh trying to you know do his thing where he tries to steal your girlfriend uh this was a big game for Liverpool

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like I can't can't deny that winning emergency side Darby is a big deal for Liverpool but uh klopp was well into it

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we got to see Joe to come back we got to see firmino come back so maybe this is um so so maybe this is a moment for

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Liverpool to lift themselves up again like I said earlier maybe a couple episodes ago Liverpool

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and klopp live on emotion and positivity and optimism and they've got to have it

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um klopp was been very negative and defensive in his press conferences and he's down like the team lives on mood

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it's like literally a Vibes team when Liverpool's Vibes are good they just

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irresistible and you love them and I'll admit it they're very charismatic and attractive team when they're playing at

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their best when they're talking and Robertson's fighting with Pittsford in 87 they start laughing at each other's

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faces all that stuff really lifts Liverpool up and and klopped at his fist

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pumps at the end and he needed it they needed it they were in such bad form they're still 10th or ninth or whatever

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um and you know for for Everton though they just have to feel like okay this wasn't our game they played well for a

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half I thought Onana ducore and gay did the best they could but you know after a

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while they just didn't seem to have it uh the goal that that

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scored kind of Cody probably could have blocked it Seamus Coleman was getting run ragged a poor guy I love him I've

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always loved them but he just couldn't hang with Nunez in the pace of of Liverpool so we find out what

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Liverpool's made of you know the getting guys back they're lifting themselves up they had their UEFA it wasn't our fault

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thing come through uh nothing is Liverpool's fault as we know um but they move on and for Everton

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they're still in a relegation Zone so leads are safe for now

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but they do have to try and get out of it they do play leads next is that true

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they do so this is a six pointer they have leads and Aston Villa games that they'll

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want to try and win especially the one they're both at home I think they'll want at least

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4 from those two so I went in a draw or at least one win from Leeds and Aston

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Villa would do two would be amazing they really gonna need at least one from these two home games then they're a way

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to Arsenal away to Forest which will be tough and then home to Brentford so what they can get out of these I'm not sure

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but that takes them into the beginning of March you know we'll see what dice can bring to this team I believe in them

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I believe in daesh he'll find a way uh it just was unfortunate once the goal went in from Salah they kind of lost

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their Edge and the fans started singing you're going down and and the thing just turned on them and they just couldn't

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get another foothold in the game so we'll see what happens with Everton but again in the relegation Zone on 18 one

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point behind leads uh leads I believe still have a game in hand but it is

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tricky for them yeah yes no they're even on games now so leads caught up with

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their got their game in hand Everton on 18 leads on 19.

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in the relegation zone so there's that

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Crazy Town um let's go to our friends in uh

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Manchester United who played the second time against Leeds

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um I thought I watched a lot of this game I thought leads were worth it they thought they they pressed again they did

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the same kind of fighting and biddiness that they did to

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um to to United in their first game and they did win the XG battle I know we all

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love XG uh but you know Michael scubala was coaching leads leads still have no

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coach because you know why do you need a coach uh it seems they were a little bit weird with this firing of uh firing of

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their coach early in the game cresencio and Bamford both took shots Bamford another shot got blocked and Somerville

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you know in the first half this was really about leads and leads had most of the

31:14

run in play honestly they were the one who looked like they were going to win this game against the Run of play

31:21

Luke Shaw on an amazing cross gets into rashford and he just heads it home no problem uh I thought a little

31:28

bit of the defending was weird the spacing between the two Defenders really threws things off uh the change to bring

31:34

on garnacho for Sancho and lisandra Martinez for Malaysia changed how United

31:41

played because it brought Luke Shaw out onto the wing changing their formation so Shaw who's in fullback had been

31:49

playing in Center back which is a weird thing that they played McGuire and Shaw together but Shaw once Shaw was able to

31:55

go back into position he was able to do the service it's his ball that gets on to rashford and rashford puts it away

32:01

rashford on fire I mean good for him uh then garnacho right after that on the

32:07

pass was from Veg horse so veg horse became a provider dropping in so that

32:13

um rashford and garnacho could run onto him it was a really good pass from Veg horse to set garnacho free and it's so

32:20

fast I really like our nacho um you know and for or

32:26

for United they pick up points but again listen friends they're not in this title

32:33

race because of performances like they had with leads any other day leads with this chord any other day

32:40

uh I just don't think that they have enough depth they still have lots of games where they're just sort of sitting

32:46

deep and hanging on and luckily other teams aren't beating them you know I whenever they come up against a better

32:52

team you get the sense that United are going to lose uh because they they do play well and

32:58

they have a way of playing so it's not to diminish them it's not to say that they've stunk or whatever but I just

33:04

don't see in the underlying numbers in how they play whenever I watch United that they're controlling these games

33:10

they're hanging in they're playing well uh and their XG does sort of show that

33:17

they're on plus seven XG plus 10. like if you look at the top four cities on

33:22

plus 28 gold difference United cities on plus 34 Arsenal's on plus 28 in third is

33:30

United on plus 10 and then Newcastle on plus 22. so

33:35

United are really in line with more of a Brighton and a Liverpool on plus 10 than

33:42

where they are so they've been getting more points than their play suggests now

33:49

that's great for them the points are in the bank there's nothing you can say about that so it's not to diminish what

33:54

they've been doing but they've been lucky uh not lucky sorry they've been they've crafted their own luck they

34:00

finished when the chances they've had but I don't think that Marcus rashford is going to score like a 35 goal scorer

34:06

so he's been doing everything for them scoring the goals they need I just don't think that they're on for the title

34:12

they'll drop points again there's just no doubt about it they're not ready yet I don't think any United fan should

34:18

think it but you never know anything is possible Sancho coming in is a big deal

34:23

if they can get him going maybe he's another goal scorer I just don't think they're ready for that leap in battle

34:31

uh speaking of a team that's starting to not look like they're ready uh Newcastle goes down to the longest

34:38

trip you can take from Newcastle to Bournemouth in the Eddie Hal Darby and they just kind of lay an egg again

34:45

they've drawn four out of their last five they're still unbeaten in like 17 like Newcastle don't lose but now

34:52

they're not winning so I thought Bournemouth were really game for this game they played really well so Gary

34:59

O'Neill who we've tipped as a team to go down they did get solanki back I think I

35:04

talked about it in their preview but they're just drawing too many games now like I said four of their last five just

35:11

drawing drawing drawing drawing they have Liverpool next then Brighton those are two tough games both at home so that

35:18

should help them but you know they gotta start getting wins come on Eddie Howe

35:24

get a win um just not creative enough I think the Bruno thing has made a difference like I

35:30

said Bruno gamaresh incredible player uh a player that any team wouldn't want on

35:35

their side maybe Liverpool should try and steal them hey you never know uh but kumaresh is great

35:41

Newcastle keep their powder dry they're not slipping too much because no one

35:47

around them has really kicked on like yes United slowly but surely got past them and yes

35:53

um Tottenham are still there but Tottenham have been losing so much uh and they're right in line they're Nick

36:00

Pope amazing season made another great save to save a goal in this one but Bournemouth I think

36:06

showed something to me the problem they have they got solanki back so let's go back down to the relegation Zone Gary

36:13

O'Neill had them playing hard they were good um they didn't get a they get a draw so they are level on 18 with Everton and

36:19

like I said there are four down here that I just think are going down between Leeds

36:25

Everton Bournemouth and and Southampton you've got to think Bournemouth and Southampton are going down because of

36:31

the talent and then Everton are two good leads are young West Ham no

36:38

way wolves no way not with lopategi and then I guess my guess here is perhaps

36:45

Forest could get sucked back down but they've got a five point lead so maybe

36:51

not they are they they've shipped a lot of goals but can they get themselves

36:56

back into it um they do they have the best goal difference XG

37:03

gold difference of the teams in the bottom three and that matters because that tells you where they really are uh

37:10

southampton's we know about bizuno who's just awful they're on XG of 29 but given

37:16

up 40. they need a new keeper what do you do in Southampton so Everton and Bournemouth sit at the bottom and then

37:22

our friends from Crystal Palace their underlying numbers are in the relegation zone so Palace have been secretly

37:29

slipping and I wonder a Forester on 24 and Palace around 25

37:37

could Palace get Dragged In they really have not been playing well winless in

37:42

their last six with three draws stranger things have happened

37:47

um but you know we'll see what happens there I still think it's Bournemouth Southampton it's that third slot for

37:55

relegation I don't know what's gonna happen and then like I said for going up Burnley or nailed on their 18 points

38:02

clear 10 game winning streak they won again three nil this weekend so Vince accompanies Boys in Burnley will

38:08

definitely be coming up to see all our friends in the Premier League um I want to give a little bit of a a

38:15

shout to our friends at Leicester Brendan Rogers baby if you were

38:21

auditioning for the job against Spurs uh I think you'd get it kante's still recovering from his gallbladder surgery

38:28

but a really really bad performance from Spurs just looking old looking slow

38:37

looking lost defensively just all over the shop just

38:43

getting ripped pieces uh they get an early goal from Rodrigo Betancourt who

38:48

then injures himself later in the game and will miss the rest of the season

38:53

with an ACL so Rodrigo on 65 comes off and that's the last you'll see of him

38:58

but the first goal from though from Mendy was just a laser beam that got

39:05

past Fraser Foster I do want to say

39:10

they really need Hugo Laris or another keeper Fraser Foster looked like a tree

39:16

getting cut down when he was diving for balls and a lot of these goals they look like they're good goals but I

39:24

think another keeper might have got one of them maybe two of them because he's bad they just kind of go

39:32

through him or he's kind of slow so maybe these goals are not quite as good

39:37

as they thought they were because Fraser Foster just looked really bad maybe it'll take him time to get back up to

39:42

speed again because he hasn't been playing but Mendy's goal was great then ianacho just bossing everything on the

39:49

break on a turnover uh puts in Madison then ianacho again from Harry Suiter

39:54

this is a ball in from defense right at the end of halftime just stands

40:02

dire up Dyer doesn't close him down he's slow footed he literally stops moving at

40:07

the top of the 18 Yard Box does some flicks with his feet then just leaves the dire in the dust and fires in a goal

40:14

I mean just some ridiculous that went on in this game and then Harvey Barnes scores one late after missing one

40:21

uh earlier from a weird offside call so uh just a 4-1 complete performance by

40:28

the great and power for Lester who have clearly gotten themselves off the schneid

40:33

um Danny Ward is now not terrible uh having Madison back goal and assist for

40:40

him he's not terrible uh Harvey Barnes always good and I've always liked kalechi ianacho still only 26 from the

40:48

city Academy because city were just buying players oh no we actually sold players too and made good players for

40:55

the league so we set up the academy and spent money on that too I'm just going to keep throwing that sort of in kalecci nacho probably

41:02

definitely Lester's best player down the stretch last season we talked about him Mike and I as a nine and a half that was

41:08

our funny joke because he can play he's got a Harry Kane quality to him not so much with his back to goal where he

41:13

flicks the ball around the corner but he can play deep and play people in or he can take goals on and come in score like

41:20

that so I really like getting nacho as well and then Harry Suiter is just a unit if you remember

41:25

um Australia in the world cup with their giant six foot five center-back he's just a pure goon he makes a huge

41:32

difference for the defense of um of of Lester they got a left back and

41:38

Christensen and Suitor and Val feis they just needed to rebuild that defense or

41:43

maybe you know maybe uh maybe Rogers shouldn't have

41:49

left soyunchy in the dog house so long I'm sure he's now gone somewhere else but it looks like Spurs season slipping

41:55

they still have the Champions League they're down in AC Milan they still are in the FA Cup uh they've just gotta find

42:02

a way to get themselves back in Action I do feel bad for kante his best friend died now his gallbladder is out so maybe

42:09

they're not getting the best from kante and maybe he wants to leave maybe Spurs for Brendan Rogers

42:15

you heard it here first maybe Rogers for Spurs I think that would be a good step for him because then it would free it

42:21

would open up it would open up the team to play again because I think that's what we want to see from Spurs we want

42:26

to see Spurs joyful and playing they've had three or four three Tower coaches in a row Mourinho Nuno and now kante can we

42:35

just just it's not work it's not in Spurs DNA to play this way

42:40

uh speaking of teams to play This Way Chelsea's DNA is to play defensive and

42:46

they're still like getting to know you uho Felix was great but they they played

42:51

a 1-1 draw against West Ham West Ham just out of the relegation Zone they get

42:56

a good draw and in London Darby but this was really the early game at the London

43:02

Stadium I thought that Joe Felix was incredible really fun to see him on a

43:08

ball over the top from Enzo Fernandez really good stuff packets I got hurt early uh sochek came in and he'll come

43:14

into the game later and then uh palmari you know Paul Mary scored a goal former

43:20

former Chelsea on 28 level at one and then it just kind of petered out

43:25

you know all this possession again 71 lots of passes but nothing really

43:31

unlocking no connection yet uh Modric didn't do much he came off on 66 for

43:38

zayitch didn't have much going on you know still not shooting much only 12 shots

43:44

four On Target not much going on for uh Chelsea and I worry for my friend Mr

43:51

Graham Potter you know just not as much stuff as you'd like I do like what I've

43:57

seen from Fernandez led the team in touches led the team in carries trying

44:02

to push the team forward he and Reese James really push the team forward and see where they are I still think that

44:08

Mason Mount still has to be one of the players in this team they're at their best there you know it's just

44:15

he's gotta get wins the draws are not helping Chelsea they've got to kick on

44:21

uh it's now winless in 10 for Chelsea just not getting things done I'm just

44:29

gonna look at their last few games but it's definitely a bunch in

44:35

a row without a win um you know it's uh let's see three draws since the win at Crystal

44:42

Palace and then before that they had three losses one to City one to Fulham the Fulham loss I think was probably the

44:49

nadir the draw against Liverpool was fine the draw against Fulham you can't draw against Fulham you've gotta beat

44:55

Fulham so they're kind of sitting where they are a little bit listless the win

45:00

against Palace was was a little good but then draws against like Nottingham Forest I mean come on dude these are

45:08

games you gotta you gotta put together uh he had the nice bump in the Champions League when he came on pushing through

45:15

Milan and getting through the group but since then it's been quiet and a lot of those wins were really because keppo

45:21

went nuts uh and we've got to just find out where Chelsea are how they can move themselves forward and where they can

45:27

get themselves back off the schneido speaking of the schneid

45:33

the Great and Powerful schneid Southampton oh God

45:39

oh Mr Jones has been fired uh they're up a goal in their game

45:46

cruising at home against wolves who were the lowest scoring team in the league

45:53

um Diaz I believe or I can't remember who it was I'll look in a second gets himself sent off

45:59

and um from there okay where is this game why am I losing

46:05

oh here we go two one wolves uh it's Mario lamina gets himself sent

46:11

off he looks like root Diaz because he's yelling at the ref on 27 so it's most of

46:16

the game uh up a man uh Al cares scores the goal to put

46:23

um put Southampton up and they just don't even create anything they have they're a

46:29

man up for an hour and they only have 1.1 gold uh expected goals just not good

46:36

enough not good enough not even possessing the ball just a bitty choppy

46:41

game they don't really do anything in this game

46:47

comes on he takes six shots none On Target you know they they do a set piece

46:54

routine where it's like it's James word prowse just let him shoot what are you doing

47:01

so Nathan Jones finds himself on the unemployment line one of the most

47:08

bizarre managers you'll see just like this overly confident like I know what I'm

47:14

doing kind of thing which works if you win but if you're overly confident and you're losing

47:21

you're just an you know what I mean like just it's hubris like what what are you doing

47:27

just be calm say the things you need to say then get your wins and start talking but he just couldn't seem to get

47:35

his team on side seems like they blew their manager bounce on on Cup games

47:40

which is nice you know they got a couple extra games but they needed those games to be in the

47:46

league and then we've got to talk about lopategy lopategy basically takes over this wolves team and I've talked about

47:52

it over and over again completely changed them they've now got a way to play they stuck together they gotta win

47:58

they scored two goals this is a team that couldn't score any goals uh you know

48:04

um uh Gomes scores the goal really good and

48:10

then oh I have to say one of the goals for wolves the second goal sorry the first goal is this OG by John

48:18

bednarick and he's just like fumbling and slipping on the line and just Falls over and kicks the ball in very much a

48:25

goal that happens when you're gonna get relegated and I think Southampton are definitely getting reallocated but you

48:30

know they'll have money they'll have all their players they'll be ready to come back up uh Rumor Has It Jesse Marsh

48:36

might take this job stranger things have happened what is the US soccer team

48:41

doing if you want Jesse March you better give him the job now or he's going to have another job at Southampton like

48:47

tomorrow so they've got to hurry up and get that done

48:53

um got two more games to go my friends from Brighton just bossed a out of

48:58

crappy Palace really just kicked the out of them but Sanchez normally such a reliable keeper

49:06

drops the ball and James Tompkins and his amazing beard put it in

49:12

um Sally March is on fire he scored his goal on 63. so Brighton looked like they

49:17

were ready to go they had this game in hand and then you know Palace weren't creating anything and Sanchez then drops

49:23

the ball and gives them a gift um so they just get lucky my boys

49:30

are not my boys from uh my boys from South London are really not creating anything Dakota and Hughes are never

49:37

going to create anything Jordan IU is just like I don't know what he does I don't know why he plays he's a forward

49:42

who doesn't score goals so he's just there mateta never scores Elysee is so

49:47

smooth and he just kind of it just wants to look cool but there's really nothing going on in terms of creation for

49:56

um for Crystal Palace without as a and without I mean as they did come on but without

50:02

without zaha they just know zaha's no party but um the Great and Powerful Brighton really bossed this game and

50:09

probably should have won it are gonna kick themselves because they should really look at themselves and think that they have a shot at the top four Alexis

50:16

McAllister can I just tell you Alexis McAllister took seven shots three On

50:21

Target and his expected goals is 1.4 and he got none so let's just tell you uh

50:28

very a very brightened performance to have an amazing player just kicking ass and not doing anything uh nothing from

50:34

matomo this time sad about that you know I love Misa matoma didn't really do much the man who really kicked ass and this

50:41

one was estupion he seemed to be everywhere had 91 touches five tackles two interceptions you know created three

50:49

scoring chances just in a and set up solid March for his goal so just an amazing performance by him you know

50:55

they're just getting a lot of Great Performances out of their players and you believe in them there's they so

51:01

whatever whatever Potter did he left at Brighton and it didn't come with him and deserby

51:07

is looking like a genius but maybe it's just Brighton maybe they have maybe Tony

51:13

Bloom they've got that thing in line they've got the whole thing running and it's ready to take over uh the big one

51:19

here like I said John Brooks is the VAR he just completely Yaks it because he drew a

51:27

line on the wrong player for the um before the offside goal and they didn't

51:33

redo it they went to VAR called a goal that was perfectly on side offside uh I'm sure

51:40

had the referees just called what was on the field which was not offside

51:45

um it was a goal then it would have been a goal but you know VAR is stupid VAR is useless and they ruined a perfectly good

51:52

moment in a derby so good for you VAR way to go good job by you I do want to

51:57

give a little shout to the Great and Powerful uh tricky trees of forest

52:03

sorry Christian not a game that you guys win I think forests have scored only one

52:08

goal away from home all season so you'd expect them to go to Fulham and lose and they did two goals from one from William

52:16

which was amazing Willian just turned back to clock day just tricky tree top

52:22

bins on the left foot just just so class willian's just been a good player for a

52:27

long long time he had a weird time with uh with Arsenal but has really found himself again over in um in Fulham just

52:36

playing great didn't play great had all those great years at Chelsea won the league twice uh being a major

52:43

contributor to both those teams but then you know just kind of took some time at Arsenal under that weird era that early

52:51

earlier Teta kind of weird fell off the team but then tried to go back to Brazil

52:56

played two seasons and then comes back with Fulham and he's one of their best players uh obviously these players are

53:02

never as old as they are but you know he started at 18 at shakhtar and now he's 33 and he's got the Brazilian age which

53:10

you know I don't know what happens there some tricky things go on with Brazilians

53:15

uh they like to they do they spend they spend their legs dancing I think is the issue um except for fernandino but yeah

53:22

Willian there and then one from Solomon he's somebody new I didn't even know who he was came in for Fulham and scored the second

53:29

but Forest just didn't get anything going you know losing losing Bali

53:35

and um wait what is it and McKenna in the first five minutes did not help

53:42

so warl and Felipe have to come in so you can you imagine you start a game and your defense is gone and then you know

53:49

we just don't get much going on so uh there'll be other days for Forest they've got their six-point kitchen but

53:55

I do worry for them uh they do have to get they've got it they're so reliant on their home form that you've just gotta

54:01

make sure when your Forest that you know you've got your 24 points your six

54:07

points above the relegation Zone just keep getting those draws get a win and one win in three they're on six

54:16

it's usually eight that gets you safety so eight is two more wins that'll put

54:22

them on 30 and then a few more maybe it'll be nine this year maybe they need to get the nine wins they gotta get one

54:28

and three something like that so we'll see what what they can do their next game is the Great and Powerful

54:35

Nottingham Forest oh play Manchester City maybe not that one maybe that's not the game you're looking

54:41

for but you are at home City will have played in midweek so maybe there's a chance uh for you but maybe the the uh

54:48

the city machine starts to hum as we play some weaker opponents and play the back end of the season play some of the

54:54

teams we played earlier in the season and get the wins there we're getting very very late in the day and I do want

55:00

to just touch on a couple of things that are happening the champions league is back what this season of never-ending

55:08

football yes I believe Spurs play tomorrow psgv

55:15

Bayern no messy no and Bape that's not gonna go well Wednesday sees Dortmund and Chelsea Liverpool Real Madrid is

55:22

also on Tuesday I didn't even cover that game this is huge for Liverpool at home they need a big lead they need to win

55:28

three nil if they think they're gonna beat Real Madrid but these are big boys playing big boy stuff and then the Great

55:34

and Powerful Napoli let's just go quickly through the schedule uh before we go so tomorrow we have

55:41

PSG Bayern Milan versus Tottenham Wednesday Club Bruges versus Benfica

55:48

that's not one anyone's gonna follow and then Dortmund versus Chelsea then next week Tuesday excuse me so Liverpool are

55:54

free this week they play Liverpool and Real Madrid I'm track Frankford Napoli inter Porto uh and City back in action

56:02

against Leipzig away uh but that's next week so this week's games PSG Bayern

56:09

inter versus Tottenham Dortmund Chelsea called Bruges versus

56:14

Benfica maybe uh Spurs had their eye on Milan I don't know I don't know what's going on

56:20

um anything else any more bets please like And subscribe please love the show

56:26

please say hello to your friends please say hello to your mother for me and I'm

56:32

gonna take us out of here that was the squeaky bum Time Podcast

56:39

with your host Laurent courteans we are the football Wing the chomp Sports channel and presented exclusively by the

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premiere streaming Network we record on Mondays and Thursdays so be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcast

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[Music] foreign