00:00:00
00:00:01
S1-E30 : Friday Forecast, The clash of the titans as we preview Arsenal V Manchester City! image

S1-E30 : Friday Forecast, The clash of the titans as we preview Arsenal V Manchester City!

S1 E30 · Daily Arsenal
Avatar
19 Plays14 days ago

It's Friday which only means one thing, time to look forward to the match up against our real competators, Manchester City! Join the boys as they discuss the history of the fixture, the dangers that the Champions pose, and have a healthy little rant about the speed and intensity of the football calendar!

Host : Josh Vince

Guests : Josh Duncan, Jamie Patterson, Lewis Bryon

Find us on our social media with the links below!

Instagram: @gspngunners

TikTok: @gspngunners

X: @GSPNArsenal

Zencastr - Built for quality - Designed for growth 

A new era for creation is here. The only complete audio + video platform to get best-in-class recording, intuitive editing, Al-powered growth features, and top-tier distribution tools — all in one place. 

Get started for free! We highly recommend it! https://zencastr.com/?via=ken 

Global Sports Podcast Network

Creating the world's first network of 30-minute daily podcasts for the world's biggest sporting export, the English Premier League. 

For advertising and sponsorship details or to learn more about the scale and demographics of our audience - email Ken Davies, VP Business & Development at: 

ken.davies@globalsportspodcastnetwork.com 

www.globalsportspodcastnetwork.com 

Copyright | 2024 | Global Sports Podcast Network | All Rights Reserved

Recommended
Transcript
00:00:09
officialgspn
Hello and welcome to the Daily Arsenal Podcast brought to you as part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. It is our 30th episode and on this exciting milestone we bring you our Friday forecast. Looking forward to the clash of titans. Potential title decider, an arguably scariest game of the season, our match away at the Etihad on Sunday afternoon against Manchester City. My name is Josh Vint and I'm joined today by a full first team lineup of Joshua Duncan, Jamie Patterson and Lewis Bryan. Hello, gentlemen. It is great to see you all. And to start us off, JD, I have to ask, how vital is this game on Sunday? How big a game are we talking about right now?
00:00:56
Josh D
um Yeah, no, it is a big game. It's a game that we cannot afford to lose, but I don't think we have to win. But if we do win, I mean, it kind of does give us a good chance of, you know, pushing agency with the title.
00:01:08
officialgspn
Okay, Lewis, do you agree that we don't have to win this one?
00:01:12
Lewis Bryon
Yeah, I think when people say it's a must-win game this early on in the season, I don't ah don't agree because the game's, although it's city and there are rivals and this shows us where we are against them, I suppose, it's too early on to have a massive impact. You know, the games start meaning more when when you're at the latter stages of the season, in my opinion. and
00:01:31
officialgspn
Farron and Jamie, in terms of what these two have said, too early to call this a title decider?
00:01:36
Jamie
ah Yeah definitely I mean I touched on it with the Man City guys the other day and I mean they they see it as a big game don't get me wrong we all see it as a big game but for them lot they see it as this could decide it but for me yeah I don't see this as like a title decider it's it's too early to play it's just too early in the season we're only what five games in so if it's a different story if we were you know twenty six games into the season you know that's completely different but this is still very early
00:02:09
officialgspn
Do you know what that smells to me of, Jeremy? That smells to me of fear from the city boys.
00:02:11
Jamie
all
00:02:14
officialgspn
According to their title decided this early, they're terrified. And so, hopefully, they should be. So what we're going to do first is we're going to have a little look back at the history of the fixture.
00:02:24
officialgspn
So in terms of how many times we've played city, it's been 211 times all in all throughout the entire history. that includes cups everything arsenal excuse me have won 99 times city 65 and they've been 47 draws so a pretty decent record against them as far as history goes however they are the new scary boys since the 1718 season they've won as is very very well known six out of seven titles and since that time we have played them 14 times
00:02:59
officialgspn
We've won once, we've drawn once, and we've lost 12 times. So it's not the best record. um In terms of how that's going, Lewis, do you feel that history's weighing on us a little bit at the moment?
00:03:17
Lewis Bryon
I don't know if it is, you know, that them 12 defeats, ah a lot of them years were a completely different Arsenal team. And to, to what the, probably the last two years are now, I think it's better to take it off the last, last couple of years when we've sort of turned the corner and we look like a different, a different outfit.
00:03:34
Lewis Bryon
We got, what is it? Four points off them last year.
00:03:37
officialgspn
Yep, full points awesome.
00:03:37
Jamie
Yeah.
00:03:38
Lewis Bryon
So for me, that's what I'm going off and we've got one up on them.
00:03:42
officialgspn
That is very true. I mean, the last time that we took anywhere near those amount of points off of them was actually the 14-15 season when we did take four points off them again, admittedly, 10 years ago.
00:03:53
Josh D
Thanks.
00:03:53
officialgspn
So hopefully, the 10-year anniversary, we can even better that. The goal difference in that time period that I was talking about before the 17-18, Arsenal scored six goals in those games.
00:04:04
officialgspn
Manchester City scored 33. ah So quite a big difference in terms of goal difference. Jamie, obviously, as Lewis alluded to, the Arsenal team's changed a lot. Defensively, do you see that rapidly improving in the next few seasons?
00:04:23
Jamie
Yeah, definitely. I mean, you look at Saliba, we we we describe Saliba as our Rolls Royce and Gabriel, again, he's just and an unbelievable figure. i'm I'm pretty sure, I'd like to hope that after this weekend, Saliba and Gabriel will be checking their pockets to to just see what's what's in their pockets, if anything.
00:04:45
Jamie
But if you look back, like Lewis kind of alluded to, if you look back to, you know, I kind of touched on it again. And I said, like, if you look back at when Arteta first came into Arsenal, the the back two, you know, the two centre backs we had then were Mustafian Socrates.
00:05:01
Jamie
So to look back then and to compare to what we've got now is huge.
00:05:02
officialgspn
Yeah.
00:05:09
officialgspn
It's a massive difference, isn't it? And JD, I'm going to throw a little bit of trivia your way, or actually gonna we're going to quiz you effectively.
00:05:15
Josh D
That's not good.
00:05:19
officialgspn
In the season where we took four points off them last, which was the 14-15 season, Arsenal scored four goals against Man City. Can you guess who the four different goal scorers were?
00:05:33
Josh D
I think Jude, Sandy Cozola, Mikko Arteta.
00:05:35
officialgspn
Yeah, he was one of them. Yes.
00:05:43
Josh D
I think I'm wrong with that one.
00:05:44
officialgspn
No, not Arteta.
00:05:46
officialgspn
There is a midfielder in there and a winger.
00:05:52
officialgspn
No.
00:05:54
Josh D
I
00:05:56
officialgspn
Jamie, yeah Jamie, you're looking for flex. Do you want to jump in and give him a hand?
00:05:56
Lewis Bryon
Aaron Ramsey.
00:05:59
Jamie
It wasn't someone like Kokkolan, was it?
00:06:03
officialgspn
It wasn't Coquelin, no. Lewis, you got any ideas on who the other golf scorers were? Who got Giroud and Santi.
00:06:07
Lewis Bryon
it was was you know yeah Was it Aaron Ramsey not one?
00:06:08
officialgspn
They scored in the 2-0 win.
00:06:11
Josh D
remember that
00:06:11
officialgspn
We're looking for the 2-0 draw.
00:06:12
Jamie
Yeah, same.
00:06:14
officialgspn
2-0 draw.
00:06:17
officialgspn
No, he wasn't.
00:06:18
Lewis Bryon
No, he loved to go.
00:06:18
Josh D
Wilshire, Jack Wilshire.
00:06:20
officialgspn
JD's got it. Jack Wilshere was the midfielder who netted the goal. Now the winger. The winger was pretty prolific for us at this time.
00:06:28
Jamie
Oh, Alexis Sanchez.
00:06:30
Josh D
Yeah, fences.
00:06:30
officialgspn
Alexis Sanchez, there you go.
00:06:31
Lewis Bryon
Oh, why yeah.
00:06:32
Jamie
Oh oh my gosh.
00:06:32
officialgspn
Yes, they were the four goal-scorers in terms of that fixture. In terms of um the two who scored for City, it was Dimascheles, if anyone remembers him from long ago, and um ah some player called Sergio Aguero, no one's ever heard of, who unfortunately
00:06:43
Josh D
Wow.
00:06:44
Lewis Bryon
Listen up.
00:06:44
Jamie
Wow.
00:06:44
Josh D
ah
00:06:51
Jamie
Fair play.
00:06:53
officialgspn
He is also the top goal scorer in the fixture of Arsenal City. He is currently Sergio Aguero. There's a good chance that could change in the near future, but we're gonna get to that in the next section. So we're gonna take a little bit of a break. And when we come back in section two, we're gonna focus on the citizens, the noisy neighbors, the irritants in our side. And we'll be back just after this message from Zencaster.
00:08:10
officialgspn
And welcome back to the Daily Arsenal Podcast. It is our forecast Friday episode, and we are looking forward to the massive, massive game against Manchester City at the Etihad. And now we're gonna take a little bit of a focus on Man City.
00:08:23
officialgspn
Starting off, I don't think there's really anywhere else that we can particularly start off. ah Jamie, you alluded to to it in the crossover episode. Well done, by the way, for holding your own.
00:08:35
Jamie
Thank you for that.
00:08:35
officialgspn
That was ah blow was a brutal half an hour you had to sit through.
00:08:38
Jamie
I mean three against one weren't easy at all but you know had to stand my ground and yeah had to do what I needed to do.
00:08:46
officialgspn
smashed it bro you smashed it but Lewis Erling Harland he scored 72 league goals in 70 games at this point is he just a Thanos is he just inevitable yeah
00:08:47
Jamie
Appreciate it.
00:09:01
Lewis Bryon
Yeah, I mean, he is a freak. That is the best way to describe him. He's a football freak. And i I personally thought he would slow down a little bit, like, especially after the last season, there was signs he could maybe slow down or you could, you know, play him out of a game maybe, like Austin would have done previously. But it's this season, he's just proved prove me and everyone else are wrong. um He's, yeah, he's scary. He's scary.
00:09:24
officialgspn
Do you reckon, obviously, the Etihad last season, Gabriel and Saliba very much, as Jamie said, kept them in his pocket, do you reckon that's likely again this time or does he seem to be on another level at the moment?
00:09:37
Lewis Bryon
Yeah, I mean, they're the only two that have really done it. um Yes, he's on another level, but they can definitely replicate that. You know, they've just got to, you've got to just make it uncomfortable for him the whole game. You've got to be, you know, little pushies, little pulls, just knocking him, anything to knock him off his rhythm.
00:09:53
Lewis Bryon
and You also need to do that probably doubling up as well, not just a one man, one man band, which we can do. um Does that then allow more opportunity to the rest of their players probably, but you've got to prioritize who you want to stop. And at the moment it's that man, Harlan.
00:10:09
officialgspn
Oh, he's got to be the focus of the defence's attention, hasn't he, 100%? JD, obviously at the moment there's a lot of talk about how Arsenal do not have their first team midfield. I mean, against Spurs, it could be argued that none of them played. Because realistically, Erdogan was out, Wright was out, and Marino, who we brought in to probably be a starter, was also out.
00:10:32
officialgspn
Two of those players are still going to be missing. In terms of their midfield, who scares you more? Would it be Rodgeri or De Bruyne?
00:10:42
Josh D
I think both of them, to be fair. I think Roger is world-class, to be fair. He can just do things. He's he like one of one of the best box-to-box players i can I can think of right by now. And De Bruyne, I mean, De Bruyne has shown it for years that he can find the pass, he can pick a pass.
00:10:57
Josh D
But then again, in the big games against Arsenal, he doesn't, apart from a couple of seasons, he doesn't really turn up um them Arsenal fixtures.
00:11:03
Lewis Bryon
Careful. yeah
00:11:07
Josh D
I've got a little bit of hope that um I think we can keep them quiet.
00:11:08
Lewis Bryon
apple
00:11:08
officialgspn
Well.
00:11:12
Josh D
I think it'll probably be a very boring no-no one-one game. I don't think it'll be like back in the days where they just free no half time and just game over.
00:11:22
officialgspn
I mean, that's a lovely thought, but you've said it now, as Louis mentioned. So, you know, it was fun having hoped while it lasted, but thank you, JD. You have pushed the dials of fate very carefully towards KTV.
00:11:33
Lewis Bryon
And now he listens as well.
00:11:36
Josh D
yeah
00:11:37
officialgspn
Jamie, looking at Rodgeri in particular, he signed in 2019. Since then, City, he's played in, well, City have played 190 games. They've lost 28 league games out of that.
00:11:51
officialgspn
which equates to pretty much 15%. He went on a 74 game unbeaten streak every time he played for City. How do we break the lines when he is in the midfield? How on earth do we get through him?
00:12:06
Jamie
I think the one thing I've realised with Arsenal is we like, we do like our wing play and I think, again, if we could double up, providing that Ben White and I don't know who would play the left-back role, say if it was Callifiori or even Yuri and Tim, but I think we've got to kind of just double up and try and go for like an overlap because It seems like one-on-one, we we we can we could take some of City's players one-on-one, but it's, again, Roger De Bruyne could list a few others to to say the least. But I just think if we could double up on City's players and just try and create ah an inversion or you know or something just to give us a bit more hope going forward, I don't see why that couldn't be the key.
00:12:58
officialgspn
Okay, okay, that's an interesting way of looking at that. Lewis, you understand the tactics of the game incredibly well, being in the game regularly yourself. We know that Harland is a huge threat. Where do you see, apart from him, obviously, where do you see the biggest issue for Arsenal's defence coming from? Is it going to be from the wide plays? Is it going to be from the building from deep that City like to do or is it going to be from the directness of the runs from midfield? so Where do you think the real threat apart from Hardant is going to come from?
00:13:31
Lewis Bryon
Yeah, for me, it's like you've touched on Roger there. I think we've with players like Roger, you can think you're keeping them out of the game. And then 20, 30 minutes have gone by. you We've not touched the ball. We're knackered, chasing shadows. And then that's where they just show a bit of turn of pace, change of speed, and they open you up. So it's that's why players like Roger are so good, because you think you're dealing with them. And then all of a sudden,
00:13:55
Lewis Bryon
You've not seen the ball. ah I think that's where the danger is going to be, just from having not enough possession, not being able to keep up with with the defensive duties for for so long when you're chasing the ball, you're shuffling across to the side. Every time they do it, they're dictating where you're where you're moving pretty much. And they're so good at it's so good at turning the pace. They've all got the quality to maintain that at high speed. So I think it's going to be the how long do we not have the ball for, and how long can we maintain that defensive shape?
00:14:24
officialgspn
So an element of exhaustion effectively is kind of what you're concerned about.
00:14:28
Lewis Bryon
mental exhaustion probably more than anything.
00:14:30
officialgspn
I mean, you've got to see the state of the players after the Spurs game to show the amount of effort that they put in just against Spurs. I mean, City is going to be, let's be honest, with with intended disrespect to Spurs, City is going to be a much tougher game than in Spurs.
00:14:43
Lewis Bryon
Yeah.
00:14:47
officialgspn
Now, Jadie, we're recording this on Thursday morning, so this is actually before we play Atalanta tonight. Last night, City played against Milan. Did you get to watch any of that game at all?
00:15:01
Josh D
I did watch the bit of the game. um I think Milan did a decent job, to be fair. I think they did waste a few chances, but I think they did kind of keep them quiet from the majority of the game, really.
00:15:11
officialgspn
In terms of like, obviously the game was at home, it ended up nil-nil. They managed 22 shots, but only five of them were on target and they looked really, really vulnerable on the counter as well.
00:15:21
officialgspn
Realistically, Milan, if it wasn't for um of the right Darmian with that ridiculous attempt at cutting it back and backhealing it in that attack, they could have gone on to win that game Milan, relatively comfortably.
00:15:31
Josh D
Yeah. Yeah.
00:15:35
officialgspn
Does that give you a little bit of hope going into the game that City were realistically not at their best at home? Or are you more worried that that's going to spur them on to be even more clinical against us on Sunday?
00:15:48
Josh D
No, I don't think it gives me a bit of hope. I think I think so you see, they're just that good. You know, they just know how to pick pockets and and find a way of playing. And I think even if we were to go there, defend him and do the whole set up that we did against Spurs. Again, you mean you've got Roger in the brain ah and people at Harlem, you can finish any goal. It's going to be a very exhausting game. So yeah, um i'm I'm pretty worried. I don't, I don't think and you can't look too much into that into game.
00:16:15
officialgspn
Okay, fair enough. Well, JD doesn't have much hope, but is pretty hopeful that KDB will have a rubbish game. so It's a fun dichotomy here on the ah Daily Arsenal Podcast, but we'll be back just after this little break and message from the Global Sports Podcast Network.
00:17:08
officialgspn
And welcome back to the final part of today's Friday forecast. Looking forward to the weekend fixture against Manchester City at the Etihad. We're going to focus on Arsenal now. This is what were where we really make our bread and butter.
00:17:21
officialgspn
Now, when I wrote the when I wrote the notes for today's podcast, this was about probably we started recording at nine o'clock, I started writing about quarter past eight. And looking at Erdogan, it said a long while hasn't really been quantified in terms of how long he's been out.
00:17:39
officialgspn
As I was writing the notes, it was quantified for us because a report came out that it's going to be a minimum of two months that we're losing Martin Erdegard for, which is a huge, huge amount of time. Lewis, you've been in professional dressing rooms. You've been around medical staff and teams. Ligament damage to the ankle.
00:18:05
officialgspn
from you know you've worked in this very professional environment how bad does that sound from your perspective that really isn't
00:18:12
Lewis Bryon
is that it's not good at all. And for the the main reason that comes to my head is ah ankles and especially ligaments is the worst for reoccurring injuries as well. um I know that's not what you want to hear, but I mean, you go into a change room before a match, 80% of the players will have their ankles strapped probably maybe more because they've all had some sort of ankle ankle problem and once you have that you need to get it strapped pretty much.
00:18:37
Lewis Bryon
And it's it's very common to have it happen again down the line. um So it's not good news. um Yeah, ah try to spin it in a positive way.
00:18:44
officialgspn
Oh, goodness me.
00:18:46
Lewis Bryon
but
00:18:48
officialgspn
Do you think in that case two months might be quite ambitious or?
00:18:52
Lewis Bryon
not No, I thought two months could be fine. like they It depends obviously how help bad the situation is, how bad the ankle tear is, but it's just after that it wouldn't surprise me if it if it happens again to older God.
00:19:04
officialgspn
so all these uh things that we were saying at the start of the season about now we're fine for depth we're going to be absolutely sound nope out the window five games in captain out for two months with what sounds like now a recurring ankle injury that's fine uh well thank you for your insight lewis it has made me feel very sad it's a professional analysis on it um jamie
00:19:24
Josh D
and
00:19:24
Lewis Bryon
ah sorry like
00:19:29
officialgspn
There is some good news. Obviously, he's coming back for tonight's game, but in terms of Premier League, Rice will be back on Sunday. Considering that Erdogan is out, and as we now know, out for a while, how massive is it that Declan Rice is returning to the side and hopefully the starting 11th?
00:19:48
Lewis Bryon
Sorry,
00:19:49
Jamie
Yeah, absolutely huge because at the end of the day, Rice is that guy that can keep control, he can dart forward, he can drop back.
00:19:51
Lewis Bryon
mate.
00:20:00
Jamie
You know, Jorginio, yes, he he has similar qualities, but it's not a massive difference to me. He can he can get forward, he can, but it's it's all about that pass, it's all about that pass through to either the midfielders or just the wingers it's it will be so huge and Rice is quite a very strong figure and I think in that North London Derby we were kind of lacking a strong figure so the fact that we thank goodness it wasn't a straight red and I mean you know yeah we we all have our opinions on on that Brighton game but yeah look at the end of the day the fact that he's ready for the City game would be is just huge it's just so needed
00:20:46
officialgspn
I'm sure it was um ah very, very good for you all to hear, very relieving to hear that the referee has since come out and said, I didn't want to give you a red card, but my hands were tied.
00:20:55
Josh D
Yeah.
00:20:55
Jamie
Yeah Yeah
00:20:57
officialgspn
JD, what a joke. i see
00:21:01
Josh D
I literally watched it it watch them how web on Sky Sports News as well and he was talking about and he was talking about the inconsistency when Pedro, when he literally booted the ball, you know, thrust out of the halfway line and didn't even get caution. And he said that, yeah, these are things we need to kind of, you know, dredge us up in the game. And I was just sitting there just like,
00:21:20
Josh D
But first of all, the literally, the guy kicks him. like i'm i'm free that And the ball just hits his leg.
00:21:25
officialgspn
ah
00:21:25
Josh D
I don't know how that can be a yellow. like i don't I don't know. It bottles the mind that that the Premier League referees are like this, honestly.
00:21:33
officialgspn
Honestly, how he didn't get anything for kicking right. But, you know, that's all said and done now. Rice is back, which is the important thing. Now, JD, you are one of the more, um let's say opinionated members of the Daily Arsenal podcast. It's a facet of you that we all love and we all cherish.
00:21:52
officialgspn
Something I haven't asked you about particularly, because I quite like him. I don't know about Jamie and Lewis. We'll get their opinions in a moment. What do you make of Giorginio as a player in that midfield? Do you rate him as a controlling element and sort of somebody who can dictate the pace of play or do you think he's well past it now?
00:22:11
Josh D
No, I think he's a decent player. you know I think he does. He can come in and do a job. He's not a start-off for me. you know He doesn't doesn't walk into the team like that. But um you know every time he has been called upon to do a job, he's done that he' done his best.
00:22:23
Josh D
I know he's got tired legs after 60, 70 minutes. He's the first guy you're thinking. He probably needs to come off.
00:22:28
officialgspn
Mm.
00:22:29
Josh D
you know maybe He looks exhausted. But um yeah, for number two guy, I think he's all right. i don't I don't think you can get another guy off the bench. I can do what he does consistently when he's called upon.
00:22:41
officialgspn
Yeah, I have to agree with you. He's like a consummate professional and stepping into that leadership role as well to lead the team was really big. But speaking of him being exhausted, obviously we played Tottenham on Sunday. It was a massive game. We then play Atalanta tonight away in Italy. And on Sunday, we traveled to Manchester to play Man City.
00:23:05
officialgspn
Lewis, Roger E has come out actually recently and said, if things don't change, the only option left is a player strike. How, how do you view this sort of set of fixtures that um there's because there's a big talking point at the moment in terms of the amount of football that these guys are playing? Do you agree with Roger E that it's just getting a little bit ridiculous in the amount they're expected to play in the quick turnarounds?
00:23:31
Lewis Bryon
Yeah, the schedule is ridiculous. I think it's been that way. It's been ridiculous for a good few years now. And and a lot of people say, oh, they're only playing, you know, two, three games a week like that. These are the people who played casual football and can can play them two, three games a week. But they're you've got to think they push their body to the limits, you know, their minds, the limits every single day.
00:23:51
Lewis Bryon
to get the best out of them. So when you're right on the edge, right on the limits, when you've got to do that two, three times a week, sometimes the limits push back, and that's why you get so many injuries. So it is it's dangerous for the players as well. um And for me, you're not going to get as high quality matches that you want to see when you're playing two, three games of world-class football a week. is It needs to go. It needs to change somehow.
00:24:15
officialgspn
I can't agree with you more. And I mean, JD, you're nodding along really viciously there. The emotional exhaustion as well must be immense because like you say, it's not like a kick about in the park or anything like that.
00:24:26
officialgspn
This is intense professional sport played at the ultimate level, but also surrounded by tens of thousands of people each time you do it, receiving abuse, having the concentration of being a professional on your mind.
00:24:38
officialgspn
JD, you clearly agree with Lewis that it's just getting ridiculous.
00:24:40
Josh D
Yeah. Yeah. And I is i think I understand the way for trying to do like to make every game exciting, you know, scrap all the, you know, often when teams get like before the old system, or they get like 10 points in the group, they can just rest a few players and the game's not really important. I get what UEFA is trying to do, but then like what Lewis said, the quality of performances will drop because the players will just be exhausted. So it doesn't really balance out their idea what they're trying to do. That makes any sense.
00:25:05
officialgspn
No, 100%. And Jamie, carrying on with this point, this last thing I want to mention about it before we move on to the predictions and the lineups and things. The way I look at football is that ultimately, as much as it's a sport, it is also an entertainment.
00:25:19
Jamie
ye
00:25:19
officialgspn
And Josh and Lewis make an amazing point that the quality of the games when these players are so tired and so constantly injured is going to go down.
00:25:25
Jamie
Yeah.
00:25:28
officialgspn
Do you feel that this is really impacting the enjoyment of fans, the amount that there is expected to be or do you think there's a potential potential for football fatigue almost with the amount of football that's going on?
00:25:40
Jamie
I think, yeah, there is a sense of football fatigue. i mean with the amount of games we play like you look at Arsenal's fixtures now so obviously we had Spurs Sunday we've got Atlanta tonight we've got City Sunday then we've got Bolton Wednesday and then I think we've got I can't remember who we've got Saturday or something but you look at the space between them games I think it is ridiculous I did also touch on it with Josh last night but from what but UEFA's idea of um prioritizing competitions i think he's completely wrong in my opinion because from what you a for want to do is the reason why arsenal and teams are playing on a thursday night is so that they prioritizeed the champions league in one week so next week you'll have the aro league the following week you'll have the conference league and what you wait for trying to do is prioritize competitions rather than just have a week full of, you know, Tuesday, Wednesday, Champions League and Thursday, it's the Europa and and the Conference League. I just think it's too much. You know, you're ask you're you're really asking a lot of players. And another thing I didn't disagree, another thing I kind of disagree with, and I touched it on it on the City podcast, is the fact that City you've played last night
00:26:59
Jamie
Arsenal now have to play tonight then catch a flight back to London pretty much the same night by the time the boys get back you've only got what maybe two days to prepare for City whereas City have got that additional day so I don't think UEFA have really considered Premier League teams and other teams in general really
00:27:22
officialgspn
no i can't yeah I think you're absolutely right and also with this summer I think if I'm not mistaken I've heard reports about the Club World Cup
00:27:29
Josh D
Yeah.
00:27:31
officialgspn
taking place this summer as well or some sort of competition.
00:27:33
Jamie
Ah.
00:27:34
Josh D
Yeah.
00:27:34
officialgspn
of But you know we'll probably get into that in another podcast. For now, we're going to switch back focus. We've had our rant about UEFA.
00:27:42
Lewis Bryon
so Yeah.
00:27:42
officialgspn
We're not fans, basically. And we're going to have a look at the predicted lineup for Sunday's game. I think, a general consensus, we can all agree that the back five, goalkeeper in the back four, picks itself.
00:27:58
Josh D
Yeah, I would say so.
00:27:59
officialgspn
yeah
00:27:59
Jamie
Pretty much.
00:28:00
officialgspn
Yeah, i'd I'd say timber at left back probably.
00:28:00
Josh D
Yeah.
00:28:04
Lewis Bryon
Yeah.
00:28:04
Josh D
Yeah.
00:28:04
Jamie
Yeah, I wouldn't, I wouldn't rush Califiori back.
00:28:05
officialgspn
He's no Lewis is timber impressed you so far because I have to say get in the Spurs game.
00:28:07
Josh D
Yeah, never know.
00:28:12
officialgspn
I thought it's brilliant.
00:28:14
Lewis Bryon
Yeah, he's got both sides anyway. We've always had someone that's been good defensively, couldn't really rotate in or could rotate in not as good defensively. He seems to have both. So yeah, he impressed me a lot.
00:28:23
Josh D
Yeah.
00:28:24
Jamie
Yeah.
00:28:24
officialgspn
Yeah, it's fantastic. Now, JD. that actually no we're not going to come to you from midfield i'm going to yeah i am so i am going to the midfield yeah the midfield obviously is still we're still trying to figure out how to work the midfield with urdu guard's absence if you were arteta how would you set it up
00:28:48
Josh D
Oh, it's quite difficult because Ranieri did impress me when he did come on. I and i think he kind of do a shift there. But again, it is a big game for him and he is, you know, he's only 17. I don't want to put too, I don't think I'd start him in the game. So I probably would go with Juninho and Pate probably in a two hold and probably pay Rice in the eight.
00:29:09
officialgspn
Rice in the eight. john I was gonna sort of ask this one. we Oh, Lewis just pulled a face that did not agree.
00:29:14
Josh D
ah
00:29:15
officialgspn
That was a face of discomfort. Lewis, do you not agree with him in the eight?
00:29:20
Lewis Bryon
I just don't agree with Giorgino and Pate. I don't think they can play together very well.
00:29:24
Josh D
Yeah, no, I need to be same with me.
00:29:25
Lewis Bryon
and
00:29:26
Josh D
I don't think they can, but I think that's how it's going to play.
00:29:27
Lewis Bryon
yeah
00:29:30
Lewis Bryon
yeah just If you have just them two and then Rice just ahead of him, I don't think that's enough attacking threat from the midfield.
00:29:30
officialgspn
Okay.
00:29:36
Josh D
No, yeah, it's not.
00:29:37
Lewis Bryon
I think he'd done trot-eyed before, didn't he?
00:29:39
Josh D
Yeah.
00:29:39
Lewis Bryon
I'd probably go trot-eyed, Rice and Pate.
00:29:40
Jamie
Yeah.
00:29:43
officialgspn
so we can possibly see a slightly similar sort of, more of a 4-4-2 setup, sort of a little bit more traditional with, you know, Trossard in the attacking midfield role, but pressing as the second striker in that sort of shape.
00:29:56
Lewis Bryon
Yeah.
00:29:57
officialgspn
Then Jamie, in that case, who do you start up front? I think the centre forward, Josh, picks itself.
00:30:09
Jamie
I mean, this might surprise Josh, but you could maybe start Jay Zeus. You could maybe start him.
00:30:15
Josh D
Cool.
00:30:17
officialgspn
Okay. Okay.
00:30:19
Jamie
He's back fresh from injury.
00:30:20
officialgspn
Yes.
00:30:21
Jamie
He kind of kind of knows how Pep plays. He's had that experience at City. You could maybe, if if not Jay Zeus, maybe even put Sterling out there because again, Sterling, I know like it would be a second game, but he kind of get a feels of what a pep team would look like. But yeah, I think why not why not start Havertz? Just to wind up Josh, why why not start Havertz? And if he bags like a last minute winner, then I'd be very interested to see your your reaction come Monday morning, Josh.
00:30:57
Josh D
and No, I agree. I'll just start habits, to be fair. um I'll start habits. I agree.
00:31:01
Jamie
Mmm...
00:31:02
Josh D
I think...
00:31:02
Jamie
Are we seeing a shift in... Are we... Are we...
00:31:04
Josh D
No. No, I eat.
00:31:05
officialgspn
yeah
00:31:06
Jamie
um It was worth the try.
00:31:06
officialgspn
but be silly no yeah
00:31:08
Josh D
No, I don't. No, habits. I mean, he does in the North London game, he did work hard. I give him that. He worked hard off the wall. He did all the day work. And I think it'd probably be one of those games where he's good in day work as well.
00:31:19
officialgspn
It's
00:31:22
Josh D
but I mean, when was the last time he scored a goal? Like this guy can't finish.
00:31:26
officialgspn
been awhile.
00:31:27
Josh D
It's a bit, you know, it's a bit.
00:31:28
Jamie
Do you know what? I can go as far back as Nottingham Forest.
00:31:32
Josh D
Yeah. and I know he's been injured. I'll give him a fair that I know he's been injured, but you know, he's couldn't keep, I mean, he's so good at everything else. It's just shooting wise. He's like habits get goals here and there. I don't know how he does it, but he gets goals. So I won't go with that.
00:31:46
officialgspn
Lewis, did you have a point you wanted to say about Jay-Z's? I saw the chuckle then.
00:31:50
Lewis Bryon
No, i just I just found it quite funny.
00:31:53
Josh D
Nice
00:31:54
Lewis Bryon
I don't know. I think everyone gets on to our strikers a bit too much. But sometimes you don't know what they're being asked of Artero. You could think from the outside, that they're having a poor game, but he could be doing everything that Artero's asking him.
00:32:02
Josh D
shoot.
00:32:03
Jamie
Yeah I wish, I wish
00:32:07
officialgspn
That is very true. That's a very, very
00:32:09
Lewis Bryon
Or not.
00:32:10
officialgspn
as a very, very straightforward, logical way of thinking about it. But I have to admit, I do enjoy Josh's emotional way of thinking about it as well. as right So a quick question before we wrap up, lads. um Are any of you coming up to Manchester for the game?
00:32:25
Lewis Bryon
and I'm not.
00:32:26
Josh D
Nah. Yeah, I wish, man.
00:32:28
officialgspn
Well, um I will be at the stadium. I won't be in it because goodness me getting a ticket in Manchester is impossible. But I will be outside the stadium around the concourse interviewing any Arsenal fans for the Global Sports Podcast Network about how they're feeling.
00:32:45
officialgspn
before the game and hopefully as well after the game if the weather doesn't scare me away and ruin all of my equipment. But that is it from the Daily Arsenal Podcast for this week brought to you as part of the Global Sports Podcast Network. A huge thanks to Jamie Patterson, Josh Duncan and Lewis Bryan for joining me today.
00:33:03
officialgspn
As I said, if you're attending the game and you see a bald man walking around in a daily Arsenal Global Sports Podcast Network coat, come talk to me. I'll have a microphone. We'll chat about Arsenal. You might even hear yourself on the podcast. Make sure to share the podcast wherever you get them. Listen to us. Subscribe. Follow. Follow all of our social media. Thank you very, very much for listening. Have a great weekend. Stay safe. And we will see you on Monday. Goodbye.