Magnificent Mo Salah puts Liverpool eight points clear: Football Weekly

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Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly.

Liverpool hit five at West Ham, eight points clear at the top.

Is late December too early to start googling open top bus companies?

If anyone knows quite what Mo Salah did to set up the second, please let me and Constantino Mavropanos know.

Nothing and Forrester, second.

Show your faces, you morons who said they'd get relegated.

Chris Wood with another brilliant goal.

Spurs, let a lead slip at home to wolves in search of generic questions about stubbornness or ideal logs or lack of defenders or something.

It is what it is, mate.

Man City get a desperately needed win at Leicester, but it wasn't straightforward.

Elsewhere, there's a fun draw in the Battle of the Entertainers.

between Fulham and Bournemouth while Palace beats Southampton.

Also today, a good touch for a big seagull.

Football Weekly spotted on an aeroplane.

Your questions, and that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.

On the panel today, Barry Glendenning, welcome back.

Hi, Max.

Good to be back.

Happy New Year, everyone.

Hello, Troy Townsend.

I'm Max.

And welcome, Lucy Ward.

Hi, Max.

Simon says, is Barry getting enough credit for tipping Liverpool for the title at the start of the season?

His prediction is looking inspired, but this doesn't fit with the absent-minded Baz narrative that is often peddled by Max.

Yeah, 5-0 victory for Liverpool.

And it did, Barry.

It felt like a kind of these guys are going to win the title performance, didn't it?

Well, straight off the bat, I think I do deserve credit for tipping Liverpool to win the title at the start of the season because I didn't see anyone else do it.

But the fact that I also tipped Nottingham Forest to be relegated cancels out any credit I might deserve for tipping Liverpool.

So, yeah,

I'm not going to lie, I'm slightly sad about that.

But

I tipped them at the start of the season.

Nothing I've seen since would make me question that prediction.

And

the fact that they're so rampant, that Mo Sala is playing so well, and that just the quality of the teams chasing them in inverted commas,

I can't see how they can mess it up from here.

But you never know.

I'm not going to say they're entirely reliant on Mo Sala, but

he is quite simply outstanding in a high-functioning team with very few weak links.

And this was the Mo Show again, wasn't it?

The sublime assist for Cody Gatpo, his own goal.

He forced two very good saves out of Afon Sariola, and it was definitely Afon Sariola.

The the run through the middle to set up diogojotta he's he's just

i can't ever remember him playing better than this but it might be recency bias he's got 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 premier league games this season liverpool are leading by eight points so if he stays fit that's it's done it's done anyway i think but um The only caveat I would insert here is that West Ham were terrible, but maybe they were just completely overwhelmed.

Troy, what did I've watched Mo Salad the assist for the second goal so many times and I cannot work out what he's done?

Like,

I can't see that, you know, it's like a move that I've never seen a footballer do.

Well, it's one of those where you're wowed instantly by the ease in which he controlled the ball and slipped it past the defender who had a stiff leg, so it turned out to be a nutmeg.

But it was almost a control and a turn all at the same time um and because of his swiftness because of how dynamic he is in those short sharp spaces you know it was wonderful and then the second nutmeg made it all put it all together and it was it was just superb you know he was asked last night whether he meant it or not and people have now said oh he didn't actually mean it but the question was did he mean the nutmeg and he didn't mean the nutmeg because the player kind of introduced the nutmeg but it

it it was as as good as control And Jamie Redknapp nicked my words because he said about the Dennis Burkamp one years ago against Newcastle.

And I was thinking about that.

And did he mean it?

Did he not?

It doesn't matter.

It's just a beautifully crafted, created piece of skill.

And with the run that he had as well later on, he also again produced a beautifully crafted bit of skill.

So I just with Barry that his plan at the height of his game is,

I don't know, he's just phenomenal.

And Liverpool are lucky to have him and maybe lucky to still have him.

Yeah, I still think Bird Camp is trying to turn Dabizas the other way.

And

there's actually a better version.

I think I've said it on the pod before, there is a better version of that goal scored by Ricardo Fuller for Stoke, which is perfect because he rolls the man exactly how he wants to.

And the finish is like, you know, drilled into the bottom corner.

Yes, Lucy.

I think that Salah in his coming up for new contract year is probably the best Sally you have ever seen.

and that it just that sort of motivation.

But you know, the most important point is my mum was sat with us watching, going, Why has he had his hair cut?

Which, you know, it's obviously not affected him.

And she said two or three times, she's really disappointed that he's had his hair cut.

Is your mum aware that he's also had additional hair?

I told her,

I told her that, but then she said she thinks he then should grow it again, it'd look even better.

So,

um, yeah, so yeah, I think the thing I like about Liverpool is all their attackers want to shoot.

And I know it sounds silly, but, you know, they don't want to take that extra pass.

They don't want to try and pass it in.

They just get into a position and shoot.

And obviously the variety of attackers that they've got mean that they've got, you know, the weapons that they've got is are unbelievable.

But they actually have the mindset is they get into a position and they want to shoot.

They don't want to.

you know, take that extra pass, which is excellent.

Yeah, AD says Salah has 17 goals, 13 assists, Barry said, in the Premier League this season, not even January.

Max Rushdon and the boys at the Guardian have him 11th in the top 100 male players in the world behind Lautaro Martinez and Danny Carvajow.

I mean, that was calendar year, you know.

Argentina won the Copper America, Spain did win the Euros, and also like, it's not just me voting for all of these people.

I can't remember where I put those three players, but you know, even if I included them all,

but Salah has gone past David Beckham for Premier League assists, now 82.

Next in his sights is James Milner.

And I'm not going to read the top 10, but I did look it up.

It was quite interesting to see Cess Fabregas at number three in all-time Premier League assists all the others I was like okay yeah yeah yeah I know all those but that surprised me a little bit I suppose the interesting thing is and and it's hard Barry to we picked out Salah he was obviously great Trent Alexander Arnold had another good game and Virgil van Dijk had another good game and now we are you know two days away from they can sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign side if they want to and the rumor is that trent alexander arnold is the closest to Bagrinov somewhere, which is Real Madrid, according to us, who are a kind of mouthpiece for Real Madrid.

It is worth pointing out.

But

I can kind of see that.

I kind of think if he does do that, fair enough.

I don't, you know, I think it's an interesting adventure for him.

I will be very surprised if he doesn't go to Real Madrid.

I've thought he'd go to Real Madrid for a long time.

I don't think he owes Liverpool anything, and he's every right to go and test himself somewhere else, enjoy a new footballing experience.

He's been at Liverpool his entire career.

It doesn't always work out for players who make that move, but

I think it's something he should do.

Liverpool fans will obviously want to keep him, but I don't think they would begrudge him that move.

He's the most likely of the trio to leave.

I'd say

I'd be him most likely, then Salah, then big Virgil.

Do we think Lopatego is?

I felt like he's got past the one game to save his job troy maybe just everyone's just so deflated now they're just ah oh well don't need to change it i don't know what you think it's like it is hard they were bad liverpool make teams look bad we've seen that already it's not the game to decide on west ham is it no definitely not but they were bad because of a very good liverpool performance and again lucy's noted the the quality of liverpool's forward play was just too much to handle for west ham kudos obviously had a couple of efforts and looked quite quite bright, but maybe they've lost Jarad Bowen as well.

That is not the game to judge them on, and they had had a recent upturn as well.

So it'll be interesting to see where they go from here, what the January window brings, because they do need a centre forward.

Obviously, Antonio not around for a good period of time.

And the other forwards are just not functioning.

So they need to try and put the ball in the back of the net, but they also need to be a little bit more creative and solid.

So there's a lot to do at West Ham, but that is not the game to judge them them on because Liverpool are roller coaster the league at the moment.

Tom says, Forrest in second.

I'd like to think Brian Clough is somewhere up above, squash racket in hand, looking down on Nuno, saying, Good job, young man.

Always worth remembering, they were 17th when Nuno took over last December.

A year later, they're second.

Always worth remembering, as producer Joel says, they were predicted to be relegated by the frauds on Football Weekly.

Myself and Barry, guilty.

We weren't the only guilty parties.

We might have been the only guilty parties on this podcast, but lots of other people had them going down as well.

And I think with good reason.

Yeah, and certainly the only guilty parties to keep banging on about how wrong we were

because it doesn't matter.

But I thought it was really interesting, this, Lucy, that they let Everton have the ball, right?

Because both these sides, the two sides with the least possession in the league, 38 or 39% each, generally on average.

And they let Everton have 64% possession and just said, we know what we're going to do.

And they did.

Yeah, and they basically played Everton at their own game.

So, the first goal was ball over the top into space.

I mean, sublime finish from Chris Wood.

But, like you say, Everton are used to playing, you know, sort of get it forwards,

get it wide, get it in the box.

And even then, they don't really do that as well as they used to do.

And I noticed that

lots of booze, you know,

I didn't see the whole game, but I was watching the highlights, and there was various points within it where player would misplace a pass and the booze.

And that is a really difficult environment to play football in or have any sort of confidence in.

It sounds like Middleseen Park for the last 20 years.

That's it, but it isn't.

I mean, you know, as a player, you try to ignore that,

but it's not quite as easy as that.

And you understand the frustration of the fans.

I think they've had enough of Deitch

as a collective.

And it will be interesting to see what the new owners do.

You know, sort of the mistakes or sloppy player leading up to the goals.

I've only got three wins in 18 games.

You know, they're not scoring goals, but Forrest have been unbelievable.

And I think Nuno is showing up a lot of managers

around, making the most of what he's got, you know, being in a situation that most people saw was not ideal and turning it into something very positive, good recruitment in the end.

And they defend well and they've got a goal scorer.

And sometimes it's as simple as that.

Just with regard to the reader correspondence, I think if he was looking down, Brian Clough would be telling Nuno, you can throw your second place in the bin, young man, because

they're seeding possession.

That first goal was a ball over the top, then a headed one two, and you know, with an admittedly deaf finish.

Clough wouldn't be having that.

He'd be punching those guys in the guts in the dressing room at halftime.

Keep it down.

Keep it on the floor.

It's such a brilliant finish from Chris Wood, isn't it?

Who is just defying, I think, all views on him as a footballer.

Listen, I think both finishes were of the highest quality.

I thought the first pass from Morgan Gibson into Woods was more than just a ball over the top.

It was a perfectly driven forward pass.

And the interaction between Wood and Elanga was amazing.

And yeah, the finish inside the box to a very confident Jordan Pickford at the moment was of the highest degree.

But then also was the second goal.

Again, the same three players involved.

Lovely, intricate play, and a very, very good finish.

Look, I agree with Lucy here.

Sean Dice, despite the results that he's had or the draws that he's had in the last three games, when you get back to Goodison Park and you don't show up, it's not very good on that fan base.

And they are very, very critical at the best of times.

And I think he's finding out that you can do what you want away at Arsenal, you can do what you want away at Man City.

If you don't show some energy and some quality at home, those fans are going to tell you about it.

And yeah, he they were picked off.

And

look,

they had some possession near the end of the game, didn't they?

And they put a little bit of pressure on.

But I think Forrest were very comfortable with it.

And it's a great victory.

And it's nice to see different teams up at the top side of the table.

And long may it continue.

And Morgan Gibbs White said it's hard not to look at the table.

You know, I like the first football I think I've ever heard saying, I'm not looking at the table, it's just the next game, Brian.

It's actually staring at it going, shit, we're second.

This is almost second in the Premier League.

What, Lucy, what's the limit for them?

Like, do they go, look,

he did then straight away say, you've got to take each game as it comes, you know, to just to be fair to him.

But

like, how, how, do you think the interesting thing will be to see when the pressure gets on and it goes, actually, well, you could, you could come in the top four now,

how that affects them, right?

Yeah, I think that.

When you're doing well like that, you've got to avoid, and it is taking one game at a time.

You've got to avoid connecting a few games where you're not getting results because that's the bit where it goes oh here we go everybody's it sort of everybody's expecting it to sort of go down but you just got to keep going i mean that the the thing about nuno is he just seems to be and and and and teams tend to be reflection of managers and he he tends he is quite sort of i mean he has got a temper but i think that he always comes across as as calm that he doesn't sort of let as much affect him you know in between games so that he sort of prepares his his teams well but why should they not go for for europe you know you're talking about some of the other teams not playing as well as as they could do you know he's got together a really good group there you know i look i look at the uh marilla got injured in the warm-up didn't he and murato came on and it was like plugging and play and i think that that's that tells you that a manager has got hold of the group and and they recognize the style of play and they understand it and they know that if they were going to go in and then play that they know what to do and i know that again sounds quite simple but it doesn't always happen happen in in in clubs Neil Mopay tweeted after the game whenever I'm having a bad day I just check the Everton score and smile

that's so bad is it oh god he's currently on loan at Marseille from Everton I mean that's the absolute sort of that's the hilarity of it I saw I saw a few people saying that this is disrespectful did you see Tony Bellew's response what is Tony

just called him a prick

right and listen I mean all things may be true right it can be disrespectful and naive.

He might be a prick, but it's also funny.

Like, like all those things.

But

he's got people looking after his social media because the company that look after his social media have actually sort of advertised that they look after his social media.

And I'm thinking, does he really know that that's happening?

Is that him?

He's got to sign off on that, right?

He's got to

put an end to it, Louis.

Surely.

Yeah, he's done a few in the past, hasn't he?

And he's wound people up.

So,

you know, he's not forgotten, that's for sure.

No, but isn't he just basically saying social media is really silly and we're all taking it way too seriously i do think that's the case and i think what he do does is funny like when he had that feud with james madison but james madison is so clearly a

vastly superior player to new mope

and let's not forget new mope could not hit a barn door with a band

when he was playing for everything so he was one of the worst players in a very bad everton team that, you know, that they were not tweeting there.

That was for sure.

No, but you're right, though.

Absolutely right.

You'll still be fine two weeks' wages by Everton if they still control him every time he probably does that.

Two goals in 11 games in Ligin for Marseille

this year.

Top.

It's better than I would do, probably.

But, you know, yes, you're right.

Probably shouldn't do it.

Glad he did is sort of my feeling on the matter.

Anyway, that'll do for part one.

Part two will begin at the King Power.

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Barry's here too.

Hello.

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Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly.

Lewis says, How much longer can Man City's winning streak last?

Pep Guardiola's 500th game in charge of Man City.

Barry, could you please rank them in order?

Least favorite to favourite.

Favorite was the 63rd.

Right, okay.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I mean, perhaps any win for City is huge.

I mean, it sounds silly, but it's really big.

Leicester really had their chances.

Leicester had more possession, which blows my mind as a statistic when I'm generally not that interested in who had the ball more.

But they got over the line and they needed it.

Yeah, I mean, this game was a chance to see just how far this once mighty City team had fallen.

And they duly showed us by losing at home to Pep Gordiola's side.

They even let Erling Haaland have a confidence boosting goal that was much needed.

But look, I think the only thing the city can take from this game is the fact that they won.

They got three points.

They arrested this slump that has everyone so fascinated and them so bewildered.

But

Lester should have done better here.

They should have got at least a point.

They could have won if Jamie Vardy had been,

well, he he got caught offside a couple of times and missed a couple of chances.

It would be churlish to

criticise City too much, but I couldn't see much from this game that

will have Pep saying, oh, the rot is over.

Now we build on this and go on our traditional post-Christmas run, because

with better finishing, Leicester should should have probably won.

Definitely deserved a draw.

And this Leicester side are bad.

Like this was one of their better performances this season in defeat to the champions.

Yeah, and I wonder with better goalkeeping as well,

Jakob Stolarchic, I think I pronounced that correctly, Try, I just think for that first one, it's not that great a shot from Foden.

And he, and actually, I don't think it's going in even.

I mean, I'm not sure, but

I think, well, I just don't think he should put it.

I think he's got to just let Palm it round the post, hasn't he?

or am i being a bit harsh all us part-time goalkeepers can criticize can't we um

listen it's it's it's it's a difficult one because i actually thought it was a decent shot from foden um after a good bit of play um he's drilled it low it's bounced not too far in front but i think if we're going to talk about a goalkeepers union they would tell you where that ball is supposed to go and it should have gone around um but savinho picked on it very quickly and and good for him as well um he's a really exciting talent and I think to take from that, that gave him the confidence to go and grab the game a little bit.

And he was, I thought he was very good.

I think he eventually got the player of the match.

He created Haaland's effort as well.

It was his only first goal.

I was quite surprised to find out that it was his first goal.

Yeah, but

I put here that he's had the most shits without scoring.

So that's in my notes.

So, yeah, that might be a good thing to add to the equation as well.

But look, I think Barry summed up the game very well there

um and just a note on james mccerty loosey who sort of looks really good at was it sheffield united last year and he does brilliantly to get past his man and you sort of know these players must be really good but how much football do they actually get when they're at city yeah listen he's watching what cole palmer and the rest who have left city or allowed to leave city are doing and knowing that he had that game time when he was fit last last year at Sheffield United and it's frustrating.

I think there was was a little bit of a story come out before the game about him being frustrated and perhaps looking to move.

Then he gets on, then he does well, then Pep's got his arm around him, and then all of a sudden, it's talk of a sort of new contract.

But I think that you know,

it's for young players like that, it's difficult.

It's because you know you're training every day with brilliant players, but the whole point about football is playing football and getting that sort of experience.

And he will know that he can affect that midfield because that midfield is not perhaps playing as well as

it could do.

And I think most significant for City is they're not scoring as much as they used to do.

And when you score, and you saw it, scoring is so important for the defence, right?

Because if you're not scoring, you put more pressure on the defence.

And that second goal just took the pressure off everybody.

And I think that, and he was a key part of that.

So it'd be interesting to see whether he gets much more game time.

You talk about the percentage and that.

I thought it was a deliberate ploy from Man City to allow Leicester the space.

I thought the start city were bright and then they couldn't wear them down early doors, but I thought it was actually a ploy because I looked at their setup.

They're not very happy in what they're doing.

You can tell that there's this gaps and spaces in between the lines that are exposing them.

But I thought, particularly when they got going in the second half, and it was the goal that kind of created that, that that's how they wanted to play Leicester.

I don't think they realized that Leicester were going to play as good as what they did and create the chances that they were creating, which shows that that frouty in the city team.

But I don't think they'd be worried about the possession stats at the moment because ultimately it's the three points that they've just got to gain somewhere along the line.

Yeah.

And actually, that's interesting when we move on to Spurs Wolves, which is

Pep has made, if Pep has actively said, let them have the ball, it's really unlike City that, right?

City just...

But he's looked at them and gone, the side aren't confident, but look, if we keep this tight, our attackers are better than their attackers.

We will get a couple of chances.

We should, by the way, our averages, score more than them.

And

could perhaps do the same, right?

He could look at Wolves and go, we're better than them going forward.

I know all our players are knackered and we don't have any defenders.

But if we can keep it slightly tight, we could end up winning this game.

I don't know if that comparison is totally valid.

I don't know what you think, Troy.

They probably should have won this game, Tottenham.

But they didn't.

Yeah, but there's a nervousness now within the players.

There's a nervousness around the stadium.

And that's what drove Wolves on.

I know Ange keeps saying, I'm going to stick to my principles.

Stop asking me these questions.

But the principles are not working.

The habits are not working.

It's very hard to deliver them all the time with a full squad, with a fit squad.

He's delivering them with players who are playing out of position, who are low on confidence, who, you know, are struggling to enact the game plan.

And their midfield is just as wide open as what Man Cities is at a certain period of time.

And listen, they quite rightly could have won, but Walls are a different proposition than what they were three games ago.

And they stuck in the game and they deserved their equalize and they nearly got another and then Spurs ran down the end and nearly got another.

It's just the way that Spurs are playing at the moment.

It's too kamikaze for me.

And for a side that is,

I can't, I haven't seen the table.

Where are they?

11th, 12th?

They've lost nine games already this season.

It can't be great.

It cannot be great.

And maybe a change in tact or a change in

certain elements of his game may get Spur some reward than what's happening at the moment.

They look better with Benton Co, and then he got a yellow card and he's suspended for the next game.

And it's like it, you know, it just keeps getting worse.

Injury to um Udogi as well, they just keep having them, but you know, they also have to look at the type of injuries that they're getting because obviously that's all to do with, um, I think quite a lot of them are sort of soft tissue and that and you know, repetitive, the high intensity that that they play at but you but again it's like they control the game and if they'd have got that third it would have been complete and this is what i'm saying sometimes when you're in that state and the players are not as confident you don't you you can't just win by the odd goal because you feel the pressure and and that third goal if they'd have got that third goal um obviously would have looked a bit different but that's all about how the the goal changed the outlook of of of the game the game state that's an interesting point you make because they they they i don't think they've won a game by a single goal all their wins are by two or more goals this season and then if it gets close they just can't well that's a kind of irony max to what you were saying earlier and to what troy was saying that

they the reason they conceded that equalizer is because they were actually trying to sit back and close the game out which is not in in their wheelhouse at all yeah no you're right i mean there was an absolutely wonderful moment barry where benton curses alanke ran into each other in the box i don't know if you saw it um That's brilliant.

It was brilliant.

And they both had, like, I can't remember who was, one of them had a better chance of coming onto the wall.

One was running across it.

But if either one of them hadn't been there, it was a really good goalskin opportunity.

And you were just like, oh, God, this is a meme.

This is a meme for the season, isn't it?

Yeah, they both shaped a shoot at the same time, then saw each other, and then both jumped out of the way at the same time.

So left and the ball,

which would have been funny had they won, I would suspect.

In Ange's favour,

the players, Troy, are still killing themselves for Ange,

which is interesting, I think.

Well, look, he comes across as a very decent guy, doesn't he?

So publicly, he kind of says the right things according to the club.

But and then you would imagine that he's still got the players on his side because they're excited at the football that is being played or excited the way that he wants them to play.

That leads to, look,

they've got an incredible month next month.

Do they give anch money to

one you know bolster the squad in in areas that are weak um or weakened um that will tell you a lot because that means that they trust him still and they back him still apparently the liverpool two games against liverpool in the in the carrier bag cup is is the ones that uh they're going to be looking at whether they you know make a decision on him or not but i just keep looking at their league position and say to myself you know in a season where not like again let's highlight nottenham forest being second and Fulham and Bournemouth, who we'll talk about later, doing so well, can Spurs be that far behind in a similar scenario to Manchester United?

And I don't think they can, but yeah, he hasn't lost the players yet, which is one thing, which I think something that may be going on at Man United way before their new manager came in.

It can be turned around, but it'll be interesting to see what January is like.

But I just wanted to make a nod, Max, to the Wolves' goals because we are speaking a lot about Spurs.

But those goals from Wolves, the set play to start with for Hang to Twang to score.

Say that for me because my tongue has been twisted now.

Three Twang Wang, that's it.

And then Stras and Larson's goal.

I mean, to talk about put your foot through the ball and don't worry about what happens afterwards.

It was it was brilliant.

And I'm sure Pierre will be very, very pleased with his scored and how they're taking on his tactics for the free games that he's played.

Yeah.

Have you noticed what he's done, Lucy, Vita Pereira, two wins and a draw?

It's such a dramatic change.

I think that that I did the first game against Man United.

I think firstly, and most importantly, it's a familiar voice.

So he speaks the language of quite a lot of the players within the changing room, which I think sometimes

it's as simple as a different voice.

You know, Gary O'Neill, you could tell some of the players, they're losing the discipline.

I think he's gone in.

I think he's a good fit because he's quite tactically smart.

So he's flexible.

He can play back three.

That group of players look more comfortable in a back three.

So that's how he plays.

I think they're in a false position, Wolves anyway.

so i i you know you look at the defense they're struggling because they lost kilman i think the midfield and the forwards are mid-table and upwards because they have that sort of quality but i think pereira for me

that his background he either is a massive success or a massive failure and he's a great character and i think that will help because when you go in initially and you and you um and you have to have an effect and you've got not much time on the training ground, then you've got to be quite a good man manager.

And I think that that with the familiar voice sort of helps.

So, um, he's basically gone in and said, work hard.

And if you saw Wolves against Man United, you know, they sort of ran about, they work hard, and then they had the players that could

hurt them.

And, you know, I know it sounds simple, but sometimes that's exactly what's needed.

I think he's also got a little bit lucky in that he's had Matthias Kuna at his disposal for these three games because I think he's definitely going to get a ban for that spectacle gate at Ipswich Town which was that O'Neill's last game in charge?

I think so.

Yeah.

Yeah yeah yeah.

So he,

yeah, I think he's been lucky to have had him at his disposal.

You mentioned Tottenham's big month, Newcastle at home.

Then they've got Liverpool's first leg in the Carabao.

Tamworth away in the FA Cup.

Match.

Which I think is filling Tottenham with dread going to Tamworth.

And then Arsenal away in the league.

So that is a tricky January for them, isn't it?

What kind of team does he pick for Tamaris the same team that he's picking now and hope that they do their best

anyway that'll do for part two part three we'll begin with Fulham's draw with Bourmer

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Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly.

So Fulham and Bournemouth both extend their unbeaten runs to seven games.

Finished 2-2.

Lovely finish, equaliser from Wattara.

You know, you just think last minute, there's just so much pressure on him.

He takes it brilliantly.

Evan Nielsen's goal was brilliant as well.

As was Harry Wilson's head, they're all good, Barry.

It was a good game.

This was a good game.

I enjoyed all the games yesterday, I think.

I expected this to be a good game.

You said you poo-pooed.

I thought they might cancel each other out.

I thought they might just be high expectations.

Well, I suppose they did, didn't they?

But in an entertaining way.

Bourum had scorched out of the traps and really tore into Fulham and probably should have been ahead and Jimenez's excellent header was against the run of play and then you had the

Ryan Christie challenge on Anthony Robinson which

I wouldn't necessarily say it was a red, but I wouldn't have been surprised to see a red given.

And I was a little surprised that a red wasn't given.

And I think if it had been given, no one would have batted an Eilud apart from maybe Ryan Christie.

It wouldn't be overturned either.

It was a naughty challenge on Anthony Robinson, I thought.

So that you could say that might have changed the game.

Fulham will be delighted to see Anthony Robinson with no ill effects from that challenge.

I think it was a bit lucky.

I would argue that the draw by the end of it was a pretty fair result.

But these are two good teams who should both have an eye on Europe.

Yeah, and that was going to be my question, Troy.

Of these two teams, when you look at them and the way they play and how they're set up and their managers, you know, who would you favor if you had to put your if you had to put your mortgage on one of these sides, finishing above the other one, where would you go?

I think it's a difficult question.

And now your house is riding on it.

I'm sorry to have done this to you.

Exactly.

I was just going to say, I'm not a betting man, and there's no way I'd be allowed to put the house on it, that's for sure.

Um, I like both.

You've done, you've done what, Troy?

I just, I just really believe in what iraola's doing trust me

all right oh fulham have won late again oh god uh look i just hope they both maintain the quality well listen we're going into it's a really good time of the year and both of them are playing really exciting football and i think they've got their fan their fans must be over the moon with them But the second half of the season could be the one that tells.

Both of them, again, not very big squads.

Everyone pulling together at the moment.

For me, if you had to really push me without me putting me house on the line i'd go for bournemouth um i just think that their style of play has been

has been an eye-opener again and they've that he's trusting his squad the players believe in the manager that's not to say that fulham lads don't but you've pushed me for one i'd go for bournemouth to keep somewhere in and around sixth to eighth place yeah

it's quite interesting that both of them good managers who as particularly um irala you look at him when he first got to bournemouth he struggled in the first first few games of of the season i think i did the the the spurs game last season but allowed time to implement their ideas allowed time for the players to understand what what he wants because they obviously believed in him i don't think you know a high i mean you know

you talk about Manchester United and they don't, you don't get, because of the scrutiny, you don't get that time.

And now you're seeing the fruits of it.

I looked at the stats before I came on.

And those of you who sort of look at XG, so the quality of the chances, I think they're underachieving by about nine goals, which is quite significant, really.

So they've got that sort of much leeway.

They need to be a little bit more clinical.

They're creating a lot of big chances.

So if they can keep people fit, like Troy said, you know, it's a difficult time if you can, you know, for injuries and perhaps suspension.

I mean, it's incredible what they could achieve if they keep going in that same direction.

You look at the team.

Semeno, brilliant.

You know, hopefully nobody will look in January.

Lewis Cook, who obviously I know well, he's excellent.

Tavernier, again, they're playing well.

Cliver, even Nielsen.

So players that you probably wouldn't have sort of picked out until you see them perform

in a team like that.

So, and then Fulham, obviously, Michael Silver, the same, manages players well by the look of it, tactically, really sound.

I like how he shifts between back four and a back three, depending on who he's got available.

Good recruitment again.

And I'm pleased for Jimenez scoring regularly again and playing regularly again.

Because he must have gone through a horrific time with the injury, but also a bad time thinking,

Am I ever going to because he will have thought, am I ever going to be that player again?

And it looks like he's found a home at Fulham.

So I like that.

And actually, scoring a really brave header, right?

Which must have been when he was coming back to think, you know, could I

be as brave as that?

Because it was, you know,

it was a move like that and, you know,

a clash that caused his injury, I suppose.

Before we move on from this i i just noted with interest there lucy referred to mark as uh tavernier which is how i pronounce it but i often get ridiculed for my pronunciation apparently it's tavernier

so i just can anyone confirm which it is i know i i think it's tavernier barry but when james was at our academy before his mum moved to newcastle and we used to call him tavernier that that's that's the only reason why i got and then i heard tavernier i'm thinking oh i'm not sure we called him that as a kid, but yeah, oh, quite happy.

Let's us be right and everyone else wrong.

Well, I mean, you know, I would say some listeners are

can be quick to come and tell us what is right and what is wrong.

And we welcome that.

Football weekly at theguardian.com.

And if James or Marcus happens to be listening, or Manny, Tepper, Tever, whatever it is, please get in touch.

Absolutely.

But, you know, don't get onto how you say Neymar or vehicle, Barry, or we'll be here forever.

Palace 2, Southampton one.

What did you make of this, Troy?

Another new manager in play.

I thought Southampton started bright.

Great goal.

Great play from Walker Peters down the left-hand side and young Diblin getting a goal.

He's a talent, by the way, and he's one that they may struggle to keep

if their destiny is the championship.

And then it's centered all around the foot.

I think, Troy, their destiny is.

Well, I don't want to preempt it because I don't want to give you more trouble than what you're already in at the the moment max what will you bet on that

oh dear um but it all centered around the the um the palace equalizer didn't it whether um ramsdale was obstructed by matetta um which allowed chalabur's goal to go in or whether what do you think what do you think i didn't think ramsdale was strong enough i don't think it's a shove i just think matetta has put his arm up and and ramsdale has bounced off it rather than be strong.

I'm here to be shot down, so no doubt others will.

But from there, Palace kind of dominated.

Do you know what?

I think there's something unethical about putting someone really big.

Like, you know, most people put a small person like Cookarella on the keeper, who's annoying enough.

But saying, go on, Mateta's on you.

Like,

that's just not.

I think, I just think there's, there's, it's immoral.

I think.

Well, you can take that up with Crystal Palace.

But even after they conceded the goal, sorry, Troy, even they were still allowing him to stand in front of Ramsdale unimpeded.

So, well, sorry, Ramsdale was impeded, but no one was getting between them or any.

But I think that's what clubs do now.

They just stick to whatever the setup has been from the outset.

So whether it produces a goal, whether it doesn't produce a goal, whether you concede, it just seems pretty strange at the moment the way teams set up at set pieces and particularly corners.

They obviously targeted Ramsdale.

They put it straight right on top of him and they did the job.

But he produced a couple of great saves after that as well.

But as a screamer for the winner,

untouchable.

When that lad is on fire,

there's no end to what he can do.

And there's been a bit of criticism of him recently.

And obviously, he's picked up a few injuries as well.

That was some effort and

deserving of a winning goal for sure.

Do you like the fact that

Onuacu has started under Urich

twice?

And, you know, Southampton are just trying to get the ball long to him, you know, a six foot seven guy.

They should have put him on a...

Dustin Martin is at home with his head in his hand.

No, no,

you don't.

No, he's not.

He's watching videos of how they used to play.

That's what he's doing at home.

Yeah, yeah, probably.

Any other business then?

It says an Andros turkey update.

I mean, I don't really mind who cooked your Christmas dinner for.

He's on his winter break, so he came back for Christmas for a few days so we were lucky enough to have him for a few days they've gone back now because despite it being a two-week winter break they play on January the 5th and they've got a cup tie as well they're mid-table they're doing all right he's come off the bench a couple of times lately but he's definitely enjoying life out there it's a beautiful city and a beautiful place to live and the football ain't too bad as well so yeah and Talia Spore has he taking the family with him or is he out there the family are there at the moment but schooling schooling

over here

means that they spend some time as much as they can.

But yeah, at the moment, they're still here.

It's an interesting thing for a footballer to have to that we spend very little time thinking about, you know, those sort of those big choices that you have to make.

It's interesting, Max.

I had a conversation with someone about it the other day.

I just said, oh, I just automatically felt that he would have taken everybody and the kids would have gone and this, that and the other.

But there's so many different factors.

And a lot of it, being a footballer, is a lonely life.

Not many people would say that, but you know, particularly if you're traveling around, and yeah, it's the part of the game that probably people don't understand.

If you're moving around in this country, obviously, it's easier, but uh, yeah, when you're traveling abroad, etc.

He's unlikely to play 500 games for them.

Do you know what I mean?

Like, like it's a big move, and then you're there for a year, and then you're like, okay, well, he's got another 18 months, he's got another, well, 16 months.

Um, so they'll cancel his contracts.

Jesus, that's not nice, is it?

Um, yeah, so he's got that period of time took them long enough to get him clearance.

Oh, exactly.

Exactly.

But he's enjoying it very much so.

And it's a nice way to,

I'm not going to say bring down the curtain, but a nice way to enjoy the final elements of his career for sure.

Barry, you had a question about Chevy United West Brom.

What is it?

Oh, not really.

By the way, Max,

there were two Premier League games the night before that you haven't mentioned.

What two guys?

That is a really good point.

I haven't mentioned him at all.

And neither is producer Joel.

We should both be.

And you've just hurt of any other business.

That's a good point.

Joel's not usually like that.

Joel's usually on the board.

The goal of draw between Brentford and Bryan, wasn't it?

At Bryan.

I suppose there was the Gio Pedro.

Okay.

There was the Gal Pedro's elbow.

Yeah.

How do we feel about that?

I think he is.

He is a very lucky boy.

He didn't connect with it.

Whoever he's through with that, I can't remember off the top of my head.

head, is very lucky he didn't connect with it.

I don't know if he can be retrospectively banned because he got a booking, but that was savage.

And

yeah, seeing something like that makes, actually makes me angry.

I think he fully intended to smash his elbow into, and I apologize if I'm wrong, but only he knows.

Yeah,

I don't agree with you.

I don't think that's what he's doing.

I think he's,

and I might be wrong.

I think he's trying to say to the ref, look, this guy is on me.

And he had, and I don't, and honestly, I might be wrong.

I don't, I'm happy for the, I'm happy to be open to Troy and Lucy.

I think he's complaining to the ref in a kind of, this is really annoying way.

But like the still images do make it look when you see a still image of it, you're like, well, how's he on the pitch?

But I don't know.

Lucy Troy, you can weigh into this.

I think that he knew what he was doing.

I don't think it was an appeal to the ref i think it was a moment of anger um that he just stopped himself in time whether that's right or not and or or could have got closer and did that i think he he definitely was upset at the the close attention that he was getting i i agree with barry i think he's a very lucky boy i mean

contact could have been there and and we'd be talking about one of the longest bands that we've ever had.

But yeah, I think he's got away with it.

I don't think you often see footballers lose the temper, like a snap lose a temper often.

And I think that's what he did.

And then thought, oh, hang on a minute, I was lucky there.

He must look back and think, Christ, I was lucky there.

Just lost his temper for a split second.

I've only seen it a couple of times, and that was my first impression.

All right, happy to stand corrected.

You may well be correct, but oh, I think they were both very lucky.

I'd just like to see the best in Pittsburgh, you know.

That's what I like to do.

And Arsenal beat Ipswich 1-0.

I would say

it's a win for Arsenal,

but that game will remind, and it was quite a very convincing 1-0.

But

Arsenal fans will have watched that no Saka, and they'll have gone, oh shit, because,

yeah,

and he's out, they reckon, at least two months.

I think that's their

title.

Any vague chance they had to win the title, I think that's gone now.

I just don't, they need him too much.

Him and Odegaard, if they're out for any long length of time

it's not gonna happen I think.

They played um like an extra attacker because they played Havertz didn't they in the in the midfield that sort of left left-sided cent uh central midfielder and it and it just made it a little bit it it made the game a little bit more um

chaotic which obviously helped Arsenal at times but but did help Ipswich as well and I think that w when they're sort of moving forward to to replace or not replace Saka but decide how they're going to work without it I read something the other day about it and and and Arteta likes to be defensively solid likes likes to sort of have that behind but I think that he's he might have to take a few risks to just to sort of grab those extra points that that he needs without Saka that that could be quite difficult nice tweet from Grimsby Town FC during their game yesterday 26 minutes in a seagull takes one from the team from a town long ball hope it's okay.

Good touch, though.

So, yeah, our best wishes with the seagull.

And Owen says, I feel a new bond with Barry, having been stuck on the same flight as him at Dublin Airport for three plus hours on Saturday.

I was weighing up whether to say hello, but then my 10-month-old son muniched himself through three layers of clothing.

So my priorities changed pretty quickly.

But there you go.

Owen, you could have said hello to Barry.

Yeah, I actually think I know who Owen was.

I think he was sitting at the back of the plane about three rows behind me and yeah because of fog of gatwick we were stuck in the taramac in dublin for hours oh god three an extra three hours with a ten man ahead of a 50 minute flight oh you don't need that i hope owen isn't the young man who was sitting directly behind him discussing uh fantasy football teams with his dad because that

the kid who was telling his dad bournemouth are a one-man team i wanted to turn around and and have a word with him but uh so if that was you on sort sort yourself out and watch a bit more bournemouth joel's left the preacher joel's left the meeting he's so bored of what we're drolling out now

um he says my internet is dying i can't hear anything oh dear maybe we'll never hear of joel again and but look he had a good run didn't he um

and uh that'll do for today look he forgot those two games he forgot the brentford bright and the arsenal

so he's done a runner.

No, I sacked him.

That's it.

There's a lot of competition in football podcasts.

We cannot carry any passengers.

That's just the way it works.

Can you imagine if we had forgotten to mention the Arsenal game?

Oh, my God.

Oh, gosh, he'd have been in trouble.

Anyway, no, I think between Christmas and New Year, you can get away with anything, frankly.

And we got away with this.

So thank you, chaps.

And ladies, that'll do for today.

Thank you, Troy.

Thank you, Max, as always.

Thanks, Lucy.

Cheers, Max.

Thanks, Baz.

Thank you.

Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove.

Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.

This is The Guardian.