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Daily Arsenal - S1-E117 : Towering Tarkowski, Havertz Hell, Compelling Champions League
14 Plays18 days ago
On today's episode, it's a one man rant! Josh came to record the episode late, reacting to Liverpool dropping points, champions league results and the unmitigated disaster that is Arsenal's injury crisis.
Host : Josh Vince
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Transcript
Introduction and Solo Episode
00:00:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to the Daily Arsenal Podcast, brought to you as part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. It's Thursday, which will normally mean a crossover episode. Unfortunately, we didn't manage to get that sorted in time. So I'm here very, very late on Wednesday night recording a quick reaction to some of the big news that has happened this week. And there's only one place that we can really start.
Merseyside Derby Impact
00:00:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
Goodson Park this evening hosted its final Merseyside Derby as Everton took on league leaders Liverpool in a 7.30 kickoff at the old famous ground. Now Liverpool, before this game, six points ahead of us Arsenal and they had this as a game in hand so if they won it they could go to nine. The final result is a massive game for Liverpool and for Arsenal.
00:00:58
Global Sports Podcast Network
Liverpool 2, Everton 2. Incredible, incredible result for the Gunners and also for Everton. Fair play to them and it did not disappoint. I didn't get a chance to watch the whole game but I've just watched the highlights and I'm looking at the match report now and it was chaos. Beto opened the scoring after a really, really smart free kick from Brantthwaite, which set him through, really tidy finish under Alison. Then Liverpool replied five minutes later with Alexis McAllister, a great glancing headache from Mo Salah. Salah then put them ahead to one with a sort of instinctive finish after a clearance from an Everton player. But then in the
00:01:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
what one oh no that's a red card in the 98th minute the ball bounces around the Liverpool box falls at the far post to an unmarked completely open James Tarkovsky who volleys the ball first time into the top right hand corner causing absolute scenes at Goodison Park meaning that Liverpool drop points, which is huge. If they won this game in hand, we could effectively write the season off, but they have dropped points, which is massive.
Arsenal's Title Race Opportunity
00:02:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
It then as well descended into carnage at the full-time whistle. Takuri went over and celebrating in front of the Liverpool, traveling Liverpool fans. Curtis Jones went over and had some choice words for him and I believe some fists. They both got sent off and then Arne Schlot also got sent off in the scrap and the melee. It was absolute pure carnage, but the
00:02:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is the Arsenal podcast. You know, it's the Daily Arsenal. What does this actually mean for Arsenal Football Club going forward? Well, it means a couple of things. First of all, Liverpool have used up their game in hand. It's 24 a piece now, every single team having played 24. When we look at Everton, it means they're now 10 points clear of the drop zone, which throws, rather irritatingly, throws my prediction kind of out the window.
00:02:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
at the start of the season. I did suggest that Sean Dyche might get dropped, and he did indeed. But Everton, at in the moment, look likely survivors. you know they're in They're in a strong place ever since um David Moyes came back to the club, since he did. I mean, well, their current form is three wins in the draw in the last four games. So it is actually, it's exactly matches Liverpool's form in the last four games. So quite remarkable stuff there.
00:03:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
But the big news, really, the sort of news that's just consequential to us here at the Daily Arsenal Podcast is that Liverpool have dropped points. They could have gone nine points clear of Arsenal after this game. They are now seven.
00:03:40
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, there's still three games worth of points that they need to drop and we need to maintain. It's still an awful lot of work to do, an awful lot of work. um And there's no guarantee that Liverpool will keep dropping points because they're a machine. However, from the reporting that I've read throughout the evening, and I've seen bits and bobs as I've sort of travelled home after work this evening,
00:04:07
Global Sports Podcast Network
It sounds as though Everton were the better side, and Liverpool, as as they kind of have done a little bit recently, have been struggling. I mean, Liverpool got knocked out of the, what was it, the FA Cup, right, Plymouth, fair play to Plymouth, who've unfortunately, unfortunately they've got Man City now, but if we we look at the stats here, admittedly, it's a Derby, anything can happen in a Derby, it's a multi-side Derby, but Everton had more shots in Liverpool. They had almost equal shots on target, it was three to four,
00:04:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
blocked shots, it looked as though Everton's defenders were on a mission. They blocked two shots each side. ah Three attempts from outside the box for Everton, only two for Liverpool. Generally, in terms of the actual offensive output, Everton look as though they dominated Liverpool in most fields. They also did in terms of tackles, one tackles, um clearances, headed clearances, they dominated Liverpool in those statistics as well. And when we look at the percentage, it's kind of what you'd expect from a Liverpool Everton fixture in this sense. Liverpool had 63% of the ball, Everton had 37. So possession was very heavily in Liverpool's favour.
Goodison Park Derby Review
00:05:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah The XG, neither of them had an XG over one, so two orders quite a... What's the word I'm looking for? Quite a flattering score for both sides, but it's huge for us. It means that it's not a huge window.
00:05:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
of opportunity for Arsenal, but it means there's something there. It means that there is a chance that Arsenal now can push forward with some momentum and really chase down this title because if it was nine points, especially played like 24 games played,
00:05:49
Global Sports Podcast Network
you know, there's 38 games in the season, so there's 14 games left. Nine points is a hell of a mountain to climb. Seven is still a lot. Seven is still a big mountain of points to climb and attempts to try and reach that summit, but it's manageable. It is, at least psychologically, it feels far more manageable than nine points would have done. So this result, it's huge at the bottom of the table. It's huge at the top, but also it's rather fitting that the very very last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park and Goodison Park for for those who are sort of coming into English especially English football a little bit later you know ah maybe not as versed with all of the nuances of English football
00:06:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Goodison Park is one of the oldest grounds in the country. Everton are one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in the country and the Merseyside Derby is one of the biggest games of the season every season that the two are in the similar league.
00:06:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's a game that every non-Merseyside fan looks forward to as much as Liverpool fans and Everton fans are terrified of it happening. It's a phenomenal game. Admittedly, Goodison is it's in a rough state. its I think it's over 100 years old, Goodison Park. It's an old stadium. it needs To say it needs ripping down is harsh, but Everton needs something else. And they're moving to a brilliant new stadium. It looks like they'll be in the Premier League to celebrate with it as well.
00:07:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it's fitting that the last Moseyside Starby at that stadium involves three red cards and four goals. It's everything you want from a football game, goals and red cards. And like I say, it opens up an opportunity for Arsenal to push forward.
Arsenal's Upcoming Challenges
00:07:37
Global Sports Podcast Network
At least it would do.
00:07:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
if it wasn't for the news that we're going to discuss just after this break. Arsenal fans, brace yourselves. I'm sure you know this already, but our situation has gone from not great to, oh, good God. So we'll be back just after this message from Zencaster.
Injury Crisis at Arsenal
00:08:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
And welcome back to the Daily Arsenal Podcast. It's me, your host, Josh Vince. It's just me tonight because it is a particularly late one. ah Come home ah relatively late this evening, but we thought we'd get something out for you before we do any focus on Leicester at the weekend. We've talked about the fact that Liverpool have dropped points, which is huge for us, especially with that game in hand. And it's time for Arsenal to capitalise on it. However,
00:08:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
it might be difficult to capitalize on the situation because, as I'm sure many of you would have read, I mean, to be honest, if you're listening to this, you're likely an Arsenal fan. You likely have a vague idea of what's going on at the club. So if you are an Arsenal fan and you keep up to date, you probably heard this news already, but I mean, we'll bring it to you just in case you haven't. In case you're unaware, Kai Havert could miss the risk the rest of the season.
00:09:17
Global Sports Podcast Network
This is news that at Arsenal's Dubai warm winter training camp, Kai Havertz, our main focal point in attack the player who, don't get me wrong, we all give him a rough time on the podcast, but it's inevitable that he, but no, no, inevitable is the wrong word. It would be stupid to say that he doesn't do a massive job for Arsenal. He's also one of our top goal scorers and probably the most pivotal individual apart from Erdogan in the press that Arsenal play with, has torn his hamstring, supposedly.
00:09:54
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, as Matt said on our group chat when this was announced yesterday, to tear a hamstring is a hell of a thing to do. And it's happened twice to Arsenal this season. But it's also worth bearing in mind.
00:10:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
that the situation that this puts Arsenal into currently is. The back four is starting to get fit again, just about. Well, you know, ah about two of our 27 left-backs are now fit. Timba, Saliba, Gabriel, and then Califiorio, Miles Lewis, Skelly, they're all okay. The midfield is starting to come into shape again, Erdogan's finding his feet. Our starting front line is gone. It has been eviscerated by injury.
00:10:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
I'm of course talking about Bakai Osaka, who's been already out since early December, and he's probably he's not due back until mid-March. Gabriel Martinelli, who is out as well with injury, we discussed that on yesterday's podcast, in fact. And now the center of that front three, Kai Havertz, is injured, reports suggesting for the rest of the season. Which means that currently,
00:11:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
in a situation where Liverpool are drop points they look to be struggling a little bit with their form probably a bit overworked at the point where Arsenal should be pushing on really going for it in terms of title and then when March kicks back in Champions League none of our first front three are fit none of them not what
00:11:32
Global Sports Podcast Network
what are they feeding or putting in the boys bodies at Colney because they are dropping like flies constantly and this we've talked about on the pod a number of times you know discussions between us all about the state of the game and the issue with injuries this year in particular I mean I don't like giving them credit because there are Derby rivals but Spurs have been devastated by defensive injuries. Manchester City have constant injury crises going on there. Real Madrid, even, I mean, we'll come to the game at the end of this episode, but Real Madrid have massive injury problems. There are so many teams in the Premier League who are struggling with injuries. Arsenal is one of them. We've had massive ones throughout the season. We lost Erdogan, we lost Rice, we lost Calipheori, we lost big, big players. And now, Saka, Martinelli and Haverts are all out at the same time.
00:12:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
which is almost unprecedented.
Transfer Strategy Critique
00:12:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
I cannot remember a time, especially and ah definitely in Arsenal's history, but also generally in the Premier League, when a teams, all of the teams from three offensive options were injured simultaneously.
00:12:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
is iss unheard of. And then to top it all off as well, in December, what happened to Gabriel J. Zeus, ACL out for the season. So we don't even have the backup of Gabriel J. Zeus, which means, and we were talking about this on the group chat yesterday, just in shock as to what's going on. Our likely front three lineup now is probably Sterling on the left, Trossard down the middle,
00:13:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
and Wanyeri on the right. So that's an 18-year-old, a player who's better as an impact sub and is not a natural center forward, and an older player who's struggled for form, struggled for any sort of consistency at the club on a loan move from a disaster at Chelsea. That's now our best front three.
00:13:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's absurd. absolutely absurd especially when you factor in that the club was in a position to put in a 60 million pound bid for Ollie Watkins and in the winter transfer window I know it's hard to do deals in January but we signed no one no one no cover in the front lines whatsoever so we're relying now on a front three which is a mishmash
00:14:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
And what, getting consistency out of them, getting a flow out of them is going to be a nightmare. The Arsenal board have to look at themselves. Jamie said it on yesterday's pod. I think Rodney mentioned it as well. It's like the football gods karma cursing us for not signing anybody in January. And that was just with Martinelli. Now we've lost Havert too.
00:14:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
And honestly, in terms we struggled offensively this season anyway. We've been a lot more stale this season going forward. We need all of those options available to us to try and create things. We've seen how much we suffered without sack of the periods. Then we finally start getting into a groove. Then we lose Martinelli. Looks a little bit shaky. Then we lose Havots as well. And all of that with Gabrielle, Jay Zeus out too. It is a disaster of an unprecedented level and entirely, entirely of the board's own making. How they can sit there and justify the money that they are on, the directors of football, the technical directors, all of those, how they can sit there and justify the money they're on, when now, as a club, we are in a situation where we have none of our preferred four forwards fit.
00:15:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
when we've just come out of a transfer window where we clearly had money to do things and there were cheaper options out there. They did nothing. Loan moves have gone through. I mean he's not brilliant but it's just Felix. He's gone out on loan. There was a loan move as well for a big player. I can't I can't remember. I'm too angry right now. There are loan moves that have happened. There are lower transfers that have happened. Kravius Scalia we could have afforded and he's a quality winger. There are so many things Arsenal could have done in this January transfer window and now we are in a position where we are utterly and totally screwed because of ineptitude at the top of the club.
00:16:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
I don't blame Arteta for this because he's come out and said how disappointed he was. I blame the people who were getting absurd amounts of money at the top of that club, at the top of the technical hierarchy, who couldn't be asked to pull their fingers out and actually sign a forward player, which for 18 months we have needed. It wasn't needed just in January. It wasn't needed just in the summer. It was needed before that as well. We needed offensive reinforcements. We spent big money on other players, but we needed offensive reinforcements. And did they do it?
00:16:33
Global Sports Podcast Network
did they bugger i i'm sorry that was a big rant i'm not i'm not best pleased about this situation because it's an absurd situation it's bonkers like i say i cannot remember it happening at any point in recent history And now Arteta is left with a headache. I think we were joking about Kieran Tierney being played on the left wing. That looks like that might happen now. There's a good chance you'll get some game time. Or we have to change, go for a front two. But even then, you know, Trossard could potentially play as a forward, as in a in a front two. But Sterling, I wouldn't put in a center forward role. Or Wainieri, that's asking too much of a young player.
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's just maybe put Gabrielle up front to hell with it. He's good in the air. There's going to be lots of balls coming in. Tierney on the left wing. Gabrielle up front to hell with it. Give Kivi awesome starts. It's just it's ludicrous. Honestly, it's absolutely ludicrous.
00:17:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
There's not really much more I can say on that. You know, I've i've mentioned how much I blame the hierarchy. and I think that's where the big problem is. So that's the habit situation that we're in at the moment. and That's my two cents on it. I'm looking forward to getting the guys two cents on it as well when we're back with everybody. We're going to take a quick break now. And we're just going to shoot through some of the Champions League results, seeing as they is important to us, because we will be playing someone in the Champions League, obviously, after these ah
Champions League Overview
00:18:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
group stages done. So we'll be back just after this message from the Global Sports Podcast Network. ah Sorry for shouting.
00:18:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
Welcome back to daily Arsenal podcast. It's our Thursday sort of bonus episode where we've been looking at the Liverpool result and the absolute disaster of the club's transfer policy and kind of habits getting injured for the remainder of the season.
00:19:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
I've calmed down a little bit now and we're going to look forward to the Champions League because it has been going on this week. ah It was, yes, I'm recording this very late on Wednesday, well actually I think it's Thursday morning now. Tuesday and Wednesday evening ah there were Champions League games and there were some crackers. Got to watch one of them and I think it was a phenomenal game of football. On Tuesday Real Madrid, Manchester City at the Etihad. Real Madrid beating City 3-2. City were 2-1 up with like seven minutes to play and they still ended up losing. They just cannot maintain control of games. It's it's a disaster for them at the moment and it means very much advantage. Madrid going into the Bernabeu with a lead now. 2-1 would have been great going to the Bernabeu. 3-2 going to the Bernabeu for Real Madrid. It looks as though the champions are kind of, they're still fighting. You can't never write them out of this competition.
00:20:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
Dortmund beat sporting as well on Tuesday 3-0 is pretty convincing PSG beating breast 3-0 that is a really disappointing fixture breast getting PSG I feel really I feel like breasts have been hard done by that because they were such they were such good fun in the Champions League and then they pick someone they get picked with somebody in their own league and Who is a massive household name? So it's just it's a bit of a bit of a wet fart way for them to go out but What we really need to be focusing on is Arsenal's potential challenges. So Arsenal, we finished in the top eight, so we automatically qualify for the last 16, which means we'll be playing one of four teams. We'll be playing either Fire Lord, Juventus, AC Milan, and PSV Ironhoven.
00:20:51
Global Sports Podcast Network
Now, I'm pretty sure that I said when this was announced, the team that I would want us to play more than any would be Firenord, because Uve, Scary, AC Milan, it's I mean, Uve and AC Milan, both Scary Italian teams, Uve don't lose much. They draw a lot, but they don't lose much. So it'd be really hard to knock out competition to take them down. PSV are a nasty team. They're just awkward and difficult. Firenord are a very, very, very good team.
00:21:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
But of the bunch of them, they're probably the ones that I would fancy us against most now On tuesday night uv versus psv uv beat psv 2-1 in their first leg girls from western mccainney and embagal. Oh goodness me Sorry about that embangler Uh got them the victory with perisage getting one for psv. I actually quite like that result because I As much as I did just say you they ah they draw a lot, they're hard to beat, PSV scare me more. It's just something about the way they play football is incredibly hard to break down and they are the sort of team that Arsenal struggle against. Whereas Juventus, I think we could potentially unpick.
00:22:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Then that left Wednesday's games. So Wednesday, there were some really interesting results here. Benfica beating Monaco 1-0. Bayern Munich did beat Celtic, but only 2-1 at Celtic Park. Celtic are still in that game they go and they go to the Allianz next Tuesday. That'll be, honestly, that'll be a game to watch.
00:22:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Club Bruges as well beating Atalanta at home. That's a massive reverse fixture now next week. But the game that we're interested in, Firenord versus AC Milan. Now, when you look at that fixture and you think there's only really one winner, AC Milan, in this fixture, Firenord beat AC Milan 1-0. Paixiao the goal scorer in the third minute. It's a slender victory but it's a victory and it was a home victory so AC Milan are going to take them back home and play against them probably play very very well. However I think those two results UVA getting a 2-1 win over PSV and final holding a 1-0 result over AC Milan I think they're good results for the Arsenal.
Emotional Conclusion and Frustration
00:22:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
If only we had some forward players who we could punish them with
00:23:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
Sorry, I'm still angry. I'm still angry about the Havoc situation. I'm still angry about the lack of cover. It's been one of those couple of days with Martinelli and Havoc being taken out. I've just livid.
00:23:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think I should probably end it on that note before I say something that I really shouldn't do on this podcast. So that is it. Thank you very much for listening. ah Obviously a bit shorter today, but it was a bit of an emergency late night podcast. We'll be back on Friday, ah hopefully with the guys from Leicester. If not, we'll be doing our own little look into the Leicester fixture. ah Until then, have a wonderful time. Have a wonderful day. Stay safe. And from myself, Josh Vince, and all of us at the Daily Arsenal Podcast. Goodbye.