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Daily Premier League in English: Episode 91 - Arsenal held by Bruno Fernandes, Bournemouth squander their lead away at Spurs, Forest capitalize on weakened Man City
24 Plays23 days ago
Join Michael Thompson and Michał Czarniecki as they review the highlights from last weekend's Premier League action. How is Bruno Fernandes's back holding up after carrying the entire Man United attack? How did Tottenham exploit a Bournemouth side missing Zabarnyi? Will Ipswich Town or Leicester City join Southampton in their demotion to the Championship? Tune in and enjoy!
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Transcript
Introduction & Agenda
00:00:44
Mikey
Hello and a very warm welcome to this Monday Review Show with me Mikey and I am joined today by none other, our American based compadre Mikhail. How are you sir?
00:00:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
I am pretty good, pretty good. it could have been worse, so that is why I'm super, super happy with what transpired, but we will get onto that shortly.
00:01:06
Mikey
Absolutely. Another great weekend covered by the Daily English Premier League podcast here at GSPN. And today we're going to review all the Premier League games, but we're going to focus in on a few in
Man United vs Arsenal Analysis
00:01:17
Mikey
particular. We're going to start with the first segment about Man United-Arsenal.
00:01:21
Mikey
And then we are going to fill the middle section of our sandwich with a Forest and Man City mouthwater in Thai. And then goals galore. ah Bournemouth with Tottenham Hotspurs finishing two-hole. And then we'll finish with a wrap-up of the Premier League table to look at how it has affected the Premier table with 10 games to play.
00:01:44
Mikey
But I would like to dive in with the game Old Trafford. Sunday, the last game of football to be played, it was Man United-Arsenal. It finished one all and as a Man United fan, we're coming out of this game thinking ah positively about oh the game was. I think for the for the neutral, the game had everything in it. It was a very interesting game.
00:02:06
Mikey
um United took the lead with a Bruno Fernandes free kick. um
00:02:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:02:12
Mikey
There is a lot of controversy over this free kick and the fact that Anthony Taylor decided to make the wall of Arsenal 11.2 yards, giving them an extra 1.2 yards, which if you're breaking down football to the finest detail, which we love to do about the Premier League, that is a huge problem.
00:02:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:02:32
Mikey
and offer for Bruno Fernandes to take advantage. An advantage he took. Beautiful free kick and for many United fans, I think there's no play deserving of that accolade more than Bruno at the minute.
00:02:45
Mikey
um The game continued and it was it was a nerve-wracking game, but Arsenal were putting on quite a lot of pressure, I felt, in the second half. and and no That pressure paid off with the Declan Rice finish, which It's a beautiful thing. Clip the inside of the post. It couldn't be helped defensively, in my opinion. It was a very good Arsenal goal.
00:03:08
Mikey
and But not only was Declan Rice heroic in the sense that he finished, but he also made a huge recovery challenge um on Rasmus Hoyland in his own box from behind and at 1-0, which was a very significant moment, I thought.
00:03:25
Mikey
And just to finish, before I go over to Mikhail and ask for his view on the game,
00:03:29
Mikey
There was two huge, huge chances later on for both teams. um It was Bruno Fernandes who had a chance against Rea, which was saved.
00:03:29
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:03:42
Mikey
And then the rebound was bouncing in and Rea managed to claw it out. from off the line and then went down the other end Martinelli had a chance from about three yards out all they needed to do was push it in and he managed to sky it to our delight obviously and so the game ended 1-0 massive disappointment for Arsenal um glimmers of hope I would say for Man United and I wanted to just give a little shout out to Heaven who on his debut
00:04:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:04:12
Mikey
ah had no dribbles past him. And for a young defender against the second in the Premier League, I think that's a huge statement and a great accolade to have to his name.
00:04:23
Mikey
what's your What's your big takeaway from this game?
00:04:26
Global Sports Podcast Network
My big takeaway from the game is that Bruno, Bruno, Bruno, he came from sporting like Cristiano.
Challenges in Offense & Defense (Man United & Arsenal)
00:04:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
He goes left, he goes right. Make defenses look bad.
00:04:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
And here's our Portuguese Magnifico. And to all of the Fulham fans, which decided to go on on a limb and... comparing them ah comparing our great captain to the rat here's i will just give you a big quick tutorial on what to do in situation like this after bruno scored such a great free kick so step one you stand up step two you do something like this your with your hands and then you do this movement
00:05:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's called standing ovation, guys, because this is one of the best talents that Premier League has ever seen. And of course, i could spark I could spark some discussion about that.
00:05:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Perhaps. I don't know. But the reason that the fact that Bruno is a player who's carrying the entire club on his back... i To be honest, I really already feel for him for his retirement years because those back pains will be, oh my God, his hiss back will be cracking.
00:05:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
Cracking once, like five times every day on the um during his retirement. Okay, but speaking seriously, I really, really enjoyed Man United's attack, especially in the second half.
00:05:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Because on the first half, we were a little bit, you know, hidden in the back. ah We did not want to let Arsenal create a lot of chances. ah but so But then again, we weren't super creative and in in offense. And that is basically the story of Man United's life recently.
00:06:06
Global Sports Podcast Network
especially when you look at the stats of Man United, how we rank among other Premier League teams. I mean, for example, we have 233 shots in box before this Arsenal game, mind you.
00:06:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
And that was, we were ranked 14th in the entire league. Shots to goals conversion 9.3, which is 17th result in the entire league. ah Man United, to say that they have problems in offense is like saying nothing. And yet, there is a one there is one guy who somehow managed to carry it all together.
00:06:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
um In other honorable mentions, yeah, like you mentioned, beautiful display by Aiden Haven. ah The fact that it was his debut, as far as I know.
00:06:53
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah that was like even better because, wow, like with such a pressure with such pressure with a team which not so long time ago were title contenders and he just came out and it made an amazing substitution um unfortunately at the expense of Joro who needed to be subbed off because of the injury. I hope that this injury will not be ah long.
00:07:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Diogo Dalot... Well, you know it, Mikey. He's my favorite player, right? Like, he's just... ah It's amazing. Irony. He did not play as bad as I thought he would, because obviously, ah coming into that game, i actually thought that because of his mistakes and because of overall Man United's austerity, Calafiore would score a hot trick against us at Old Trafford, which did not really seem so far-fetched at the time. But I'm really happy with this point.
00:07:43
Global Sports Podcast Network
And just one quick point before we move on. This result helps Liverpool a lot. And I think we will get to that in later segment where we will be talking about the table.
00:07:55
Mikey
Yeah, possibly. I think just to touch on the Liverpool aspect, I do feel that the league was won last weekend and and I don't think this has done any help towards changing my opinion on that.
00:08:07
Mikey
But just on that on that matter, I would argue that both of these teams lack a centre forward that's recognised and has the experience of making...
00:08:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:08:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:08:23
Mikey
those runs that you expect from a centre-forward or the hold-up play that you might expect from a centre-forward. With the United, we've talked about this at length, but with regard to Arsenal, would you say that not having a recognised centre-forward and not buying a recognised centre-forward is their demise this season, why they're not challenging for the title, why it's over with over 30 points still to play for?
00:08:47
Global Sports Podcast Network
I do not think it's only the matter of the centre-forward. I really do not think so. Because if you remember Arsenal's struggles against Newcastle in the Carabao Cup semi-final, how like the the Eddie Howe side gave them absolutely zero chance to progress to Wembley to play in that final, which is, by the way, not so far away.
00:09:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think it's going to be in less than a week time. by the way. ah So, no. like Arsenal's problem is lack of a creativity in some parts of the game during the like while they're attacking.
00:09:22
Global Sports Podcast Network
That's the issue number one that i off the top of my head. And yeah, having not having a centre-forward, yeah, like it it could be one of the reasons why Arsenal is already out of the title race.
00:09:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Well, mathematically, they still have some chances, but I do not think that they will be able to catch Liverpool, not with so many points of of difference to their disadvantage. their disadvantage ah But it's just it's I think it's just a part of a bigger problem.
00:09:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
And the fact that Mikel Arteta cannot... he He either doesn't have enough material, and by material I mean... not only center forwards, but other players around that center forward who could create something?
00:10:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
Or it's just the, I don't know, overall overall shape of attack. Like, um I don't know whether you had the same feeling, Mikey, but to me, Arsenal attack seems boring.
00:10:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
It's nowhere near what they were presenting last season when they came really close to dethron i to dethroning City. um manchester city
00:10:24
Mikey
Yeah, possibly. i must admit, when I was watching today, i'm i'm a big fan of ah midfielders that like can play intricate football. And Martin Odegaard today, breaking through the lines and playing really fast, one-touch football.
00:10:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Hmm.
00:10:39
Mikey
I thought he shone today, especially in the first half. and But I do agree with you. i think I think you're probably right in the sense of a lack of... I don't know what it is.
00:10:50
Mikey
I think my point about Arsenal and the centre-forward situation is that... They're notorious for having like really high calibre. Historically, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Robin Van Persie, they've managed to maintain, you know,
00:11:08
Mikey
Ian Wright back in the day, this
Intermission & Nottingham Forest vs Man City
00:11:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:11:11
Mikey
centre forward and those centre forwards linked to their to their glory years.
00:11:17
Mikey
And I just wonder whether whether having a focal point up front that can guarantee you goals um has been detrimental to to their that title. But I guess we will never actually know the real reason.
00:11:30
Mikey
and But before we jump into the other very interesting part of the table, second and third,
00:11:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
right
00:11:36
Mikey
or as it was before the weekend. ah Let's hear from our sponsor here at GSPN.
00:12:22
Mikey
Absolutely. And the early kickie kickoff on Saturday was probably the headline game of the weekend. It was Nottingham Forest, who are the underdogs who have shone much greater than ever expected, against Man City, the form team that have currently dipped and really struggling to maintain any form in the Premier League.
00:12:44
Mikey
at the minute ah playing against each other. And as a game, as a spectacle, it had so much written on it. I was on the the preview show that went out on Friday.
00:12:55
Mikey
And for this, I tipped Man City to win. and as As a prediction going forward for the game, I just felt that... the The form of Forest currently had dipped, and but I was proven very, very well and truly wrong, and not only by the result, but by the performance.
00:13:15
Mikey
There were chances for both teams, but I would say Forest had the better of the chances, clear-cut chances. and They made that count with Callum Hudson-Odoi's late strike.
00:13:26
Mikey
and ah what ah What a great game of football in the sense of it being such a close, definitive game, a 1-0 game.
00:13:34
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right.
00:13:34
Mikey
A fantastic defending by Forrest has to be said. It doesn't change that that that there's a lack of unity with Man City and the way that they're playing at the minute.
00:13:46
Mikey
But it's done a hell of a lot for the Premier League um and and the standings, which we'll again address in our last segment today. But as a game, Forrest can be nothing but delighted with this.
00:13:59
Global Sports Podcast Network
Absolutely, and I totally agree. and Actually, i'm I'm looking at the the key facts, the key conclusions from this game, and one of those will help me make my point.
00:14:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Because City have failed to score in four Premier League matches this season. Only in 2016-17 season have they done so more often under Guardiola.
00:14:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
So that... Sounds like a crisis. And what was the sign of that crisis in that game? Out of 14 shots with expected goals, 0.86.
00:14:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
Only, if I see correctly, only three were on target. Only three. And we're not talking about the 100% situations, like how could how could they have possibly missed that?
00:14:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
We're talking about the overwhelming majority of attempts being from outside the box with Nottingham Forest being super organized defensively. So that's one point to take out of that game, that frustrations in Man City offense continues.
00:15:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
And as far as Nottingham Forest go, i They desperately needed something after those little stumbles. and and And to be honest, I'm i'm a happy for them. And Hudson Odoi with the goal.
00:15:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
um Yeah, like what else can you actually want? like I think like one thing that i could, as we say, like little rock that I could throw into the garden of Nauticoke Forest would be Chris Wood's discrete performance.
00:15:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah For some reason, his form has dipped slightly. And it remains to be seen whether he will go back up to the same levels which he presented somewhere like at the end of the the day of the year, and like in that first half of the of the season when he was just scoring like crazy.
00:15:49
Mikey
Yeah, absolutely. i think i think it's important to probably mention um the goal. and The goal was was a counter-attack with, I don't know, a move that... Morgan Gibbs-White played a phenomenal pass to Hudson-Odoi.
00:16:08
Mikey
and And from that point of receiving the ball to running directly towards goal, I felt that he was when he took his strike, he was in a position on the right-hand side of the box to to not create much of a problem from a goalkeeping point of view.
00:16:22
Mikey
and And for someone who I really don't like Edison, I can't stand him, ah but I have respect for the fact that he is ah good goalkeeper, but I don't think he's as good as what people seem to rate him.
00:16:35
Mikey
um And it kind of proved my point because being beaten your front post with an effort that wasn't clinical in any way, ah I think he will be coming away disappointed with that, especially it dropping them into fifth in the table.
00:16:51
Mikey
and And it's such a costly costly ah mistake. I mean, they did have a chance at the end. Kovacic on the half volley just glistened past the post. It would have been a beautiful strike had it gone in, and but it weren't to be.
00:17:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
It wasn't to be. And because of that, now ah what we can see in the table is that, and well, actually, instead of trying to analyze what the implications of this game for Man City are, I can just refer to Pep Guardiola
Tottenham's European Struggles
00:17:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
himself. He just said that now now they have 10 finals and the next one we start.
00:17:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
So 10 finals ahead in Pep Guardiola's mind. That tells you all you need to know about how dire the situation is at Etihad. And as far as Nottingham Forest go, i would really love to see them finish in top four.
00:17:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
That would be such a great story. It would be... the Yeah, I know... this comparison to Leicester City from season 2015-16, it's been overused slightly by so many experts and so many commentators, so i will not use that.
00:18:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
Instead, I will just say that such stories like Nottingham Forest with such overachievers finishing in and in those european um European places, as I can call it, that would be such a great deal for Nuno Espirito Santo after so many ups and downs for this manager.
00:18:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
I really kind of root for him. How about you?
00:18:22
Mikey
Yeah, absolutely. I wish them all the very best. I think they've done phenomenally well this year and and they deserve every accolade. I think Saturday's result was that was the cherry on top of the on top of the cake ah as as the season goes.
00:18:36
Mikey
If they make Champions League football or European football, it's a massive success for them. ah I just hope they continue to do that.
00:18:42
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:18:44
Mikey
and It's so congested. We'll talk about that very shortly, and how that could potentially play out for them.
00:18:48
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:18:52
Mikey
But it's really important to move on to a team that struggled in Europe um in Tottenham Hotspurs against AZ Alkmaar during the week with a really, really poor display ah losing 1-0. And this was their opportunity to turn it round.
00:19:08
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:19:08
Mikey
um It didn't start that way. Bournemouth turned up and the first goal came from a really bad pass from Pedro Poirot and it was just carried. I can't remember who carried it. covered something.
00:19:22
Mikey
can't remember his name. His name's going my head. ah The full-back. And he played De Bruyne cross, a De Bruyne S cross, for Tavenier to come in at the back post and and just slot it home. It was a beautiful goal.
00:19:35
Mikey
and
00:19:36
Global Sports Podcast Network
I think you ah did you mention like like the the guy assisting the goal for Bournemouth, right?
00:19:41
Mikey
Yeah, the Hungarian guy plays full-back.
00:19:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
Ah, Hungarian.
00:19:46
Mikey
and
00:19:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Kerkis. Kerkis.
00:19:48
Mikey
but Say again?
00:19:50
Global Sports Podcast Network
It must be Kerkis.
00:19:51
Mikey
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's him.
00:19:52
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, that must be him.
00:19:54
Mikey
and So anyway, the game carried on and and Evan Nielsen on his game returned back to the Premier League, ah slotted home a very classy finish. I do have a question about the Sar goal.
00:20:07
Mikey
Tottenham responded two minutes later and Pepe Sar was the goal scorer from long range and it was floated over the goalkeeper and he was on the right hand side outside the box.
00:20:09
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:20:19
Mikey
I thought it was a cross. I'm not sure he was going for gold, but it it landed in the nen well He didn't really celebrate either. He didn't react.
00:20:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, to be honest. And the reason I'm laughing at that is because ah that kind of... ah In Polish league, in Polish extraklasa, we call it... We'd call it cross-o-shot.
00:20:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
So a cross which actually got transitioned in mid-air to a shot. And that is basically the classic, and it's a standard in Polish league. But to see it in in English Premier League, I was humbled. I was absolutely humbled, and I was so happy that...
00:20:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
the crossover shots actually i have arrived in Premier League.
00:20:59
Mikey
Uh,
00:21:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
But, but okay, but, but, but look okay. Jokes aside, um, that goal was unexpected. And, uh, just to go back to how Bournemouth scored both of those goals, uh,
00:21:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
The way how I saw it, it was like Tottenham, all it took was like one final pass, not quite there. One missed a key pass, one missed move. And that was enough for Bournemouth to unleash their, like what they are known for.
00:21:28
Global Sports Podcast Network
like the the the the, let's just say, the flag barriers, like carriers of of of the modern football style. So basically blitzed counterattack. And then again, Evanglison, Tavenier, those were basically one or one counter-attack goals.
00:21:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
And it all happened because of mistakes of NJ Postacoglu's side. so and and if and And to be honest, I do not think we should knock on Tottenham too much after this game. Because they did what they were supposed to do.
00:21:57
Global Sports Podcast Network
They were trailing to nail. A lot of people would probably write them off at that at that moment in time. Because, come on, we're talking about Flying Bournemouth. Yeah, sure, they did have some stumbles along the way. But still, we're talking about a team which has some perspectives for Europe.
00:22:14
Global Sports Podcast Network
I would actually tell off, if if I were Antoni Iraola, I would tell off my side for sister sister just blowing it away, like for bottling it completely.
00:22:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I do not understand why, especially after that penalty, which was which was conceded by Bournemouth. It was such a stupid way to concede a penalty, really. like Like in such a critical moment of the game, and and then the son with a Panenka style just just you know adding more insult to the injury. That game was supposed to be won by Bournemouth. And the fact that they didn't win it, they only have got themselves to blame.
00:22:51
Mikey
Yeah, no, i I have to agree. so i agree that Tottenham lacked, they gave a lot of possession away. That's completely true. But I do think that was down to the intensity that Bournemouth played in the midfield and to create situations where Tottenham are feeling rushed by ah the other the opposition. That being said, I completely agree. I think Bournemouth can only blame one person, and that's Kepa, in regard to conceding the second goal.
00:23:21
Mikey
and Sung Young-min coming into the game at half-time created a big difference for Arsenal.
00:23:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Wow,
00:23:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
okay.
00:23:29
Mikey
at far I keep saying Arsenal. I'm getting messages from my friends telling me about the Arsenal game. What score was that again, Arsenal fans? Anyway...
00:23:39
Global Sports Podcast Network
wow okay
00:23:39
Mikey
that and But Sun Yung-min made a big impact. and He had a chance before the goal where he cut inside and he clicked the outside of the post. um And he is I thought his penalty was so classy to just let it trickle down the middle.
00:23:56
Mikey
Yeah, very, very impressive. And as you say, let's not give Tottenham too much grief. ah Because bringing it back at home and that will send them into the second lead against AZ Alkmaar this week with a little bit of positivity, i should hope, and for them to proceed.
00:24:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they have to produce.
00:24:15
Mikey
So before we continue, let's tell you guys a little bit more about Zencastr and why it is the platform we choose here at gsp yeah
00:24:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
And they have produce. Mm-hmm.
00:24:55
Mikey
Absolutely, make sure that you do. And with regard to the Premier League table now, we're going to have a look at some of the games that we've not discussed so far and look at how it's affected some of the teams that we have discussed.
Premier League Standings & Relegation Battle
00:25:07
Mikey
um We had top against bottom. I called out 7-10 nil. It could be appalling. I'm pretty sure most football fans expected that. Southampton went 1-0 up at Anfield, which was probably the biggest shock of the weekend.
00:25:21
Mikey
Yeah.
00:25:21
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah.
00:25:22
Mikey
But Liverpool, being the team that they are this season, came back and absolutely dominated after they equalised and quite convincingly won. I don't think this the the part of the table we need to concern ourselves with is the top two.
00:25:39
Mikey
um I would like to get your opinion on the bottom of the table, though. Everton played Wolves and that finished 1-0. Ipswich and Leicester both lost against teams that you would expect them to lose against.
00:25:56
Mikey
I'm just looking now. It's six points between those teams and Wolves for the drop. And we've got 30 points up for grabs. Do you think it's possible for either Ipswich or Leicester to escape the drop?
00:26:13
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah That is a good question. Because, yeah, Leicester and Ipswich. let's Okay, let's let's focus on on on the opponents of Leicester, right? So in the very next fixture, they will be ah playing against Man United at home.
00:26:27
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Then it's Man City away, Newcastle, Brighton, Liverpool at home. Then Wolverhampton, Southampton, Nottingham Forest, Ipswich. And they finish with Bournemouth away.
00:26:38
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah That's how they finish the season. So I think that for Leicester, their most crucial games ah that will basically be do or die, as far as Premier League is concerned, will be games against ah Southampton and Ipswich.
00:26:56
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because if you manage to get a result against ah the your your fellow relegation contenders, then your chances will increase. ah You were talking about like a six-point difference, if I remember correctly?
00:27:09
Mikey
Yeah, that's right. I mean, the it's seven points with the goal difference.
00:27:11
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly.
00:27:13
Mikey
The goal difference is dramatically different.
00:27:16
Global Sports Podcast Network
Exactly. ah Yeah, sure. But like then again, like ah somebody could have the worst goal difference in the world, but then again, it will not matter as long as as somebody will have more points than the other team. So with that being said, with Leicester, if they score good results against Southampton, good results against Ipswich, then all of a sudden, they will get closer to Wolves. They will get closer to yeah two Wolves, basically, because we're not talking about West Ham, because that's like ah like they're even further down there.
00:27:44
Global Sports Podcast Network
So Leicester and Ipswich. Okay, let's let's focus on Leicester. Leicester, they have a chance. They still have a chance to escape the relegation. Now let's look at Ipswich Town. ah Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, very ah difficult games. Wolverhampton, very important game for Ipswich.
00:28:00
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Everton, Brentford, Leicester. And they finish at home with West Ham. That's how they finish the season. So I think there the the the path towards staying up And the Premier League for Ipswich is way more difficult than the Leicester one.
00:28:18
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because they're going to have to try not to drop too many points against the big ones. So Arsenal, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Newcastle. And then they're just going to have to deliver against Leicester.
00:28:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
So I have a feeling that Leicester has got a far more room for error than Ipswich. That's how I feel. Just looking at how those ah upcoming fixtures look.
00:28:41
Global Sports Podcast Network
um And then we have Southampton, which I think they've already come to terms.
00:28:45
Mikey
Yeah, they're done. we don't We don't need to cover them.
00:28:46
Global Sports Podcast Network
Yeah, they're done. Exactly. And then we can also take the, you know, just just just out of ah curiosity, we can look at Wolverhampton. They're going to have Southampton, West Ham, Ipswich, Tottenham, Man United, Leicester, Man City, Brighton, Crystal Palace, and they finish with Brentford.
00:28:55
Mikey
yeah
00:29:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Yeah, Wolves, they are in a far better position. They're starting it off with some not so difficult fixtures. I mean, Ipswich by far, they have a far worse um future fixtures than Wolves. But then again, anything can happen. we like you could You cannot write somebody off and you just or you just cannot put a W in the column.
00:29:24
Global Sports Podcast Network
And Premier League has punished a lot of those guys who decided to you know, write additional W to their column without actually playing the game. So.
00:29:34
Mikey
Yeah, it's true. It's true. I mean, they do play Seth Amson next weekend. so you'd imagine if... If they were to win that and ah both Leicester and Ipswich weren't to get any points, ah the task becomes that little bit more of a challenge and possibly out of grasp.
00:29:49
Mikey
But like as you say, it is the Premier League and we can't just put Ws in the column or points where we think they are because it's subject to change. It's really interesting that all three teams have to play each other ah in that area. So it will be it will be a telling time at the bottom.
European Spots & Top Four Predictions
00:30:05
Mikey
But at the minute, as it stands, I can't see...
00:30:08
Mikey
Ipswich or Leicester doing the job to get out of the relegation zone.
00:30:12
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, interesting. Because then again, but but what about those direct matches, like you said? Because those those can actually ah reduce that difference that they have to the save zone, right?
00:30:25
Mikey
Yeah, absolutely. and you can yeah As you say, you can never write them off, but like i would if I was a betting man, I would bet that Wolves stay up quite comfortably. Looking at the fixtures, as you've read out,
00:30:37
Mikey
I think Wolves have the better side of that. And they would probably, I would expect Wolves to get results against Leicester and Dipswich at the minute. So, yeah and they're playing, you know, teams like Tottenham, who are so unpredictable, the Man United.
00:30:50
Mikey
and Yeah, I don't know. It's interesting. But the other part of the table that is really interesting and actually quite dramatic is the European spots.
00:31:03
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:31:03
Mikey
And that goes from third all the way down to arguably ninth. There's a ah seven-point difference between third and ninth, which is it's phenomenal, really. Aston Villa are the only team within there that have got a game in hand and they're on 45 points.
00:31:23
Mikey
You've got Newcastle who have got two games on Villa, one game on the rest, which would put them, if they won... They would go joint... Oh, wow. They would go joint fifth with one City currently, and probably going to sixth because of their goal difference.
00:31:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Mm-hmm.
00:31:41
Mikey
It changes so, so much. City obviously have slipped out of the top four now after the result against Forest and Chelsea winning. As you mentioned before, Brighton won, which has pulled them right up. They were and we're much lower down on the table.
00:31:56
Mikey
it's it's completely up for grabs. And at the minute, all those teams in there are getting results, bar maybe Man City, but sporadically are getting results. So what what if I had to push you to an answer as we're coming to the end of the podcast, where would you, what would your prediction be for top four Champions League and who's getting the last European spot?
00:32:17
Mikey
Take away the cup competitions. I'm not bothered about those.
00:32:20
Global Sports Podcast Network
Right. Okay, so just purely at ah pure purely Premier League table. so
00:32:24
Mikey
Yeah.
00:32:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
ah Okay, so Liverpool-Asenal, obviously. And then we've got, I think Nottingham Forest, they will not maintain that third position.
00:32:35
Mikey
Cool.
00:32:35
Global Sports Podcast Network
Because when push comes to shove, Chelsea, Man City, Brighton more and and Aston Villa, they will try their hardest. to clinch their better positions at the table because as as well as Aston Villa does in Champions League, ah there will come a time when they will get eliminated because the quality of football in that knockout round currently in the Champions League is far too much for them to handle.
00:33:04
Global Sports Podcast Network
So at some point, Aston Villa will be eliminated from Champions League and it will it will be from that moment on where Aston Villa will focus all of their almost all of their resources on Premier League.
00:33:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
So because of that push, I think that Forrest will not finish third. I still feel optimistic about them, so I think that they will finish fourth. And I will also predict the Aston Villa to move third.
00:33:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
We'll see whether I will be right. So Liverpool, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Forest, and then we're left with that one final spot. You know what? Looking at the season that Man City's had so far, they do not deserve any European football. I'm sorry.
00:33:45
Global Sports Podcast Network
Brighton is a far more deserving side at the moment. of of Europe than Man City. And that's just that's just facts. As far as Bournemouth and Newcastle, it's going to be tight. So it's just going to be a toss between Newcastle, Bournemouth, Villa, not Villa, Brighton and Man City.
00:34:02
Global Sports Podcast Network
And I think when it's all said and done, i think Brighton will come on on top for that fight for the fifth place.
00:34:08
Mikey
Oh, wow. You heard it here first. I'd like us to write this down or note it or put it on the social media or something to recognise what you've just said there.
00:34:15
Global Sports Podcast Network
Oh, goodness.
00:34:18
Mikey
My gosh, there are some bold, bold claims coming from the USA today, people.
00:34:25
Global Sports Podcast Network
is it Is it because of the knowledge or is it because of the lack of knowledge? Hmm. We'll let you, we'll leave you wondering.
00:34:29
Mikey
Who knows, Adam?
00:34:30
Global Sports Podcast Network
All right.
00:34:31
Mikey
The Premier League football is is so unpredictable.
00:34:31
Global Sports Podcast Network
i
00:34:34
Mikey
i can actually forecast Forest getting fifth, and Chelsea getting third, I reckon City will get fourth. I think as it as it remains, and but just shuffling those teams around a little bit.
00:34:48
Mikey
But as you know, we will find out very, very soon as these games progress and as the life in the Premier League continues to throw us curveballs that we just weren't expecting.
00:34:59
Mikey
Will Mikhail be right or will Michael be right? Who knows? But we will find out as we follow the season together. It's been an absolute pleasure to be back on with you, Mikhail. I hope that you have a fantastic week.
00:35:10
Global Sports Podcast Network
you.
00:35:12
Mikey
ah From everyone here at the daily GSPN Premier League podcast, it is farewell from us.
00:35:19
Global Sports Podcast Network
Thank you.