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Footballistically Arsenal

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·57 min·5 clips
Why did Arsenal's international players fail to beat a makeshift Championship side, and who is to blame?
The episode begins with Boyd Hilton and Alan Algar hosting without regular co-host Josh Landy. Boyd shares a positive anecdote about hosting an Arsenal fan event at the British Library, featuring panelists like Alan Davies and Clive Palmer. The conversation quickly turns to Arsenal's recent FA Cup defeat to Southampton, with both hosts expressing frustration over the performance. They question Mikel Arteta's decision to start goalkeeper Kepa and analyze the team's lackluster display against a makeshift Championship side. Statistical dominance in shots and pass accuracy is dismissed as misleading, with the hosts emphasizing poor execution and motivation. Individual critiques focus on Gabriel Jesus, who has scored only nine Premier League goals in three seasons, Ben White's rusty and seemingly unmotivated play, and Martin Ødegaard's recurring shooting failures. The hosts discuss Arsenal's puzzling short-corner tactic and whether inadequate scouting contributed to the loss. They then highlight 16-year-old Max Dowman as a bright spot, debating if he deserves more starts. The episode shifts to previewing Arsenal's upcoming fixtures, including a Champions League match against Sporting Lisbon and a Premier League game against Bournemouth, with Alan expressing fear over a potential collapse. Boyd remains more optimistic, noting Arsenal's tendency to recover from setbacks. The hosts conclude with predictions for the Sporting game and mention Alan's bet on Manchester City winning the league.

As heard by us

A sharp Arsenal discussion of Southampton, Manueke's unpredictability, and the frustration around a poor performance.

Footballistically Arsenal works best in the uneasy space between a poor Southampton performance and the temptation to turn every Arsenal discussion into a wake.

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Why you'd press play

You get a Southampton post-match argument that detours through Manueke unpredictability and the British Library.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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