Arsenal’s late heroics at Newcastle and peerless Palace beat Liverpool – Football Weekly

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Hello, and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly.

A brilliant weekend in the Premier League, so many late goals, it was almost as good as the golf.

Those cowards, Arsenal, turn it around at St.

James's Park late on.

They're good from corners, but they were good in open play too.

So many tough calls, Jarek Gillett must be exhausted.

Artes aside now, just two points behind Liverpool, who get deservedly beaten by third-place Crystal Palace.

Edion Ketia, the hero, after it looked like Federico Chiesa had grubbed an equaliser late on.

Manchester United aren't back.

Well beaten 3-1 by Brentford.

Rumours of Sir Garris might be fun to replace 3-4-2-1 with a big old handbreak.

Chelsea mess it up for themselves again.

Brighton the joyful beneficiaries.

Two defeats in a row equals pressure on any Chelsea manager.

Speaking of managers, Graham Potter gets the boot at West Ham for being really not very good.

Can Nuno cheer everyone up at the London Stadium?

Well done to Maxime Ostev who scores as many as Erling Harland at the Etihad and still waits for his first win at Forrest as Sundon climbed to fifth.

There's a vital win for Villa.

Wolves almost get the right prescription from Dr.

Tottenham and Bournemouth leave it late at Leeds.

We'll do all that, which is quite a lot.

Answer your questions.

And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly.

On the panel today, Will Unwin, good morning.

Good morning, Max.

Welcome, Nada Banuaha.

Morning, sir.

And everyone in Europe's second favourite man from Offaly, Barry Glendenning.

Hello.

Hello.

And congratulations, Shane Lowry.

Yeah, well done, pal.

Let's start at St.

James's Park.

Newcastle 1, Arsenal 2.

Goon Squad says, much will be made of the various narratives around the referee decisions, managers, etc.

But at the end of the day, that was just a very good performance from Arsenal, wasn't it?

Matched Newcastle's intensity and were much more creative and dynamic than we've seen so far.

Do you agree with Goon Squad, Nadam?

I agree with Goon Squad 100% on this particular thing.

And I don't know his back history, but for now, I'm very much on board with that.

Because I was impressed by Arsenal, because going to St James's Park, given, you know, the sort of recent loose rivalry the two clubs have had with Newcastle getting the better of them, you wondered how Arsenal are going to respond.

But I thought they were good on the ball.

They were obviously good from set pieces.

And I think what impressed me the most realistically was the depth that they had.

And in fairness, the physicality that they can offer as well.

You know, Arsenal are the team that can go up to St.

James's Park and not be bullied.

And they made a point of that throughout the game.

From Yokres up top to the guys at centre half, you know, to even a goalkeeper that commands his six-yard box very well from set pieces.

So

I was very, very impressed because at times, you know, you thought, oh, it's going to come from this set piece, but they had one or two moments with like really good bits of play from some really good footballers.

And from my perspective, obviously Newcastle have lost, and there's a couple of moments where maybe Nick Polk would want to redo it.

The fact is, Nick Polk was the best player for Newcastle on a day when they were playing at home.

So I think that says a lot about the nature of the game itself.

And Arsenal kept going, they kept going, they kept going.

And yeah, it feels like the deserved winners.

And to win it that late in a game which you feel you do deserve was great.

But I've just got to mention one thing.

I do have some Arsenal friends that think there's a conspiracy against them with refereeing and stuff.

But I didn't hear them after that Gabrielle potential humball.

It seemed to fall silent at that point.

So if they want to come forward and discuss that, please let me know whenever you can, guys.

Yeah, I mean, Nick Pope might want to redo that kick up field.

They basically just gave it back to Arsenal.

You think, oh, mate, don't do that.

I thought Erze and Rice.

particularly Will were brilliant in this game.

Yeah, I mean, Deck Club and Rice going forward has, you know, been very good for a long time, but also seems to be very settled in central midfield, a bit deeper, maybe at times.

But that short corner at the end, where I mean, I'm nicking a bit of Joe Hart here of 97%

of corners from Artist this season have been directs.

But to see that in all the pressure of football, that sort of shows the difference that you have in terms of mentality, that you can see different things when others aren't reacting, when you can see the opposition are asleep.

And also, Eze was asleep originally.

Right and seen about half a second earlier, then had to sort of somehow maybe whistle to Eze to get his attention.

A special Guna whistle or something.

But this is it, and the difference, and being able to be on top of it at 90-odd minutes.

And Eze, you know, I was at Port Vale last week, and Eze scored his first goal.

And I think that wasn't a great performance overall, but given the confidence to show that he is an Arsenal player and things like that, and just constant threat

that pushed, you know, 60-odd percent possession against Newcastle was really good.

And so they should have had more goals.

I think they're really settling now, and

that confidence boost of a couple of late goals against City

against Newcastle in difficult matches, really going to be a confidence boost to individuals and as a team unit.

And you look at yesterday bringing, you know, Eaudegaard coming on to change the dynamic, Marino changing the attacking dynamic.

Really good options that are changing games, which is key.

I mean, I think for Newcastle, a little bit unlucky with Livermento's injury, where you're having to change your defence again when you don't want to.

But yeah, Arsenal thoroughly deserves to take all the points.

And that header from Marino Barry is just perfect, isn't it?

Yes.

What was it?

Big Ron used to say he gave it the eyebrows.

Raul Jimenez scored a similar-ish one for Fulham as well.

And

they're a lot more difficult than they look, as someone who has a fine repertoire of headers in my locker, as everyone knows.

But yeah, to steer it in inside the far post from that position is difficult i think nick pope thought that was going wide but i don't think he'd have got it i don't

know because it's so perfectly placed i think but uh whether he thought it was going wide or not he didn't get it and it was a fine a fine header yeah yeah and actually just looking at um marino you say give it the eyebrows he's very herstute in that area when he's older he will be like norman lamont the um the gabrielle header as well it's classic arsenal nadam isn't it there's so much going on his run to get a yard on down Berners-Ex and Saliba just getting, you know, Tenali just sort of loses him and he's just, he occupies Pope.

And it's sort of so well choreographed amidst the chaos.

Yeah, it really is.

But, you know, as we were talking about that Marino header, I was going to mention like the quality of the delivery as well, because as somebody trying to defend a set piece, the sort of the flatter the ball is, the less your chances are of being able to affect it if you're in the wrong position to start with.

Like some of the higher ones, you can make an adjustment and so on.

But when the ball is that flat and it goes to the right person, there's not much you can do.

Do you think Rice is so good that he's putting it on Marino's head there?

Or is there some?

I'm just getting it in an area.

Not to,

he's good enough to be able to do that, but I don't think he's so specific that we put it onto his eyebrow.

Let's just say that.

You know what I mean?

I think it's a great ball into a great area that his player is going to be in.

But even, say, for example, for the second goal, Nick Pope has, you know, he'd been great for the majority of the game.

He'd made that mistake, in our opinions, about him trying to kick the ball along to start a counter-attack, that thirst to try and find the winner instead of like, in fact, do you know, let me call out what it is.

Sometimes goalkeepers are on a different sort of like feel to the rest of the players because the rest of the players have been suffering for about half an hour.

You've been running around chasing people at times, chasing shadows, throwing your body on the line, you're exhausted.

Goalkeeper gets it and he's seen a language on because, you know, he's a new player.

Oh, this is our chance to win.

Listen, as a defender there, I just say, please, just lay down.

Please just lay down on top of the ball.

We don't need this.

But yeah, so he's trying, in some ways, it's almost as if he's trying to make up for it by coming to sort of be commanding from that set piece.

But again, the ball delivery is so flat that if he's not in the right position to start with, he's never going to be in the right position at the end.

And I think Saliba does a very good job.

And this is, I think, one of the reasons why Arsenal is so good at these set pieces and some of these other teams now.

Because it's the delivery.

There are people who are going to get their head to the ball.

People are going to be disrupting other people and around the ball.

And people, most importantly, who disrupt the timing of the goalkeeper.

So now

Gabrielle can head the ball into the middle of the goal.

And it makes perfect sense.

So everybody doing their job from those set pieces is what makes them really dangerous, especially when it's in, you know, the like 96 minute or whatever it is, because you've dealt with so many to that point.

But it's a reminder you just need one and Arsenal in fairness to them.

They don't lose that belief from those set pieces, throwing kicks, everything.

They'll put it on you over and over and over and over and over.

And as we saw, you know, it only takes one sort of one slip, one mix-up, and they'll reap the rewards.

And yeah, I guess it's definitely what they deserve.

But also to go on to what Will said, that injury to Livermento was a massive deal.

You know, for him, having to see him getting stretched off, having been somebody, I think it was a couple of years ago, I had a serious knee injury as well.

You wonder what that's going to mean for him, for Newcastle, and so on, because his versatility playing right, left, however, it was going to be, all of a sudden, with all due respect to him, did we ever think we'd see Dan Byrne playing left-wing back against Arsenal?

Probably not.

So, yeah, that definitely had its impact in the game.

But, yeah, to go to Arsenal, the belief was there, the set-piece setup was there, and everyone continued to do the jobs that were required of them from the delivery to the header to the blocking and to the moment.

So, I guess it's what they deserve.

To decision corner, I mean, Jared Gillett was being chased around the pitch so much.

It was like a man trying to get away from some V's.

It was just there.

It was just relentless.

Everything, every time

something happened, they both players would be in his face.

And I think, Will, I think they're all right, aren't they?

The Gokures penalty, Pope gets a touch.

The Voltsmata goal is not a foul on Gabrielle.

The Gabrielle hand ball, I must admit, I was like, I hate those handballs.

I also don't want Arsenal to win,

but so I don't mind this one being given, but it does take that deflection, right?

Which is really hard to see.

So I just sort of think VAR and the ref between them got it all right.

Yeah, I mean, I think everyone who looked at the penalty first of all thought Stonewaller,

no chance, Pope's done anything to affect that.

But yeah, he got a little touch that was imperative, obviously.

Still took him out, which, you know, nice touch for the goalkeeper in the end.

Cheers you up.

And then the handball,

I mean, you've gone to this late, maybe, but Matt Cash as well.

You know, sort of similar things where it's just no one's doing that deliberately.

So I really hate when handballs are given for these sort of blocks.

It's

the most irritating thing.

And then, I mean, the Gabrielle attempt to win a foul off that is just pathetic.

And maybe, and

hopefully, the upside of VAR now is that maybe for those decisions, the referee will be a bit more conservative and go,

well, leave, well, I mean, leave it.

And so if it is a foul VR, I'll do it afterwards because it just looks soft.

And it was.

And he was just trying to win it.

And there's plenty of other occasions.

Maybe they need the referee from Forest just to

to save them for for diving and things like that.

But yeah, I think a lot of those decisions were

sort of sixty forty, some of them.

You'd always side with a ref, I think, and that's the important thing for Gillet.

That it might not be 100% either way, there's a little bit of nuance, etcetera, but yeah, got them all right.

And it o and big calls as well, obviously.

When once you make given a penalty and changing your changing your mind, to actually have the conviction when it's not clear to everyone potentially to do that, I mean, fair play to him.

Will says that Pope took Giokaris out, and I think the thing is he didn't, and that's why it shouldn't have been a penalty.

Because people are comparing what happened yesterday to the Robert Sanchez one for Chelsea the week before.

But they're completely different challenges.

Joe Hart explained it very well on Match of the Day.

Pope got the ball, planted his foot, so Geokeris ran into his leg and went over.

There was no active aggression on Pope's part, whereas the same cannot be said for Robert Sanchez the previous week.

So I thought it was a penalty at first as well.

I think everyone did, but ultimately the correct decision was raised.

I'd have a slight issue with Var

re-refereeing the game, which we've been assured wouldn't happen, and it is happening all the time.

It happened quite a lot over the weekend.

But I don't think it's as much of a problem if they get the decision right, ultimately.

We'll get to that Man United sending off.

I mean,

the Man United penalty in a bit.

Nadem.

Barry, I had something to say, but Barry's made a point there, which I think needs to be referenced.

Like, I think the vast majority of us just didn't see that touch from Nick Pope.

So the video system referee has actually shown us something that we would have needed to discuss because

that's the type of incident where, say, there's going to be a director somewhere for Sky or whomever who sees that and says, oh, let's have a discussion about that afterwards.

If you would have missed it and say, oh, oh, who's going to speak to Howard Webb or who what's Dermot going to say on Monday?

This, that, and the other, blah, blah, blah.

But I think in the end, like, that's, I think that ends up being the right decision according to the letter of the law, especially when the referee's like still got his microphone on and says, no, no, he got the ball first and then the man.

Do you know as he was getting towards the, towards the play?

But I will say as well, I don't think Nick Pope, Nick Pope even knew he got the ball, you know, because to check his sort of like behavior after the penalty has been given,

he's looking like, oh, for God's sake, what have I done here?

Luckiest man going.

And to talk about the handball as well, I think this is quite a a sane podcast.

But I also believe that the views that we've expressed are probably in the minority over the majority now.

Because I think from what I've heard, I don't know if it's anecdotal.

A lot of people still say that's 100% a handball.

Because this is the argument that kills me, like completely finishes me off.

Like, why is his hand there anyway?

I'm like, well, why is it not there?

Oh, don't get me, don't get me started, Nadem.

I don't have enough time.

Because football has changed so much that that is now, people see that as a handball.

But none of them should be handballs.

But like, we'll get to the Matt Cash One.

And Marco Silva referenced a Fulham one that they conceded.

Because it's impossible to be totally consistent in these, is that arm raised or not raised?

Is that a natural?

Is it not?

None of them should be penalties.

Zero.

And if you have to, if you have to, if you want to make it a free kick, make it a free kick.

Because A, they're fun.

And B, that's not.

That's not such a big punishment.

Because Gabriel doesn't deserve to be penalized for a penalty for that.

Matte Cash doesn't either.

But a free kick, I'm with it.

It's fun.

But that will never change because that will never happen because it's a good idea.

and infantino no no infantino this isn't his fault but it probably is lacalina and david ellery don't listen to these good ideas i mean we said

on the pod we did after the first

round of fixtures of the season there were several of these handball issues and we said this is going to be a problem throughout the season because no one understands the handball law and it is being a problem and will continue to be a problem and i don't see how that problem can be solved.

I just solved it.

Don't you?

Yes, we did.

People aren't listening to this sane podcast, as Nathan said.

Anyway, well done.

Yes.

Well done to Arsenal.

It was a very good win.

And it wasn't cowardly and they did attack.

So, you know, congratulations to you.

Let's go to Selhurst Park.

Crystal Palace beat Liverpool 2-1.

They were brilliant in this game.

If not for Allison and the woodwork.

Well, they would have been three or four up by half-time, I think.

So they completely deserved that win.

And when Kieza scored, you're like, I can't believe it.

But it was brilliant for Palace and it was brilliant for Ankettia.

Yeah, I mean, Crystal Palace just trying to give Liverpool a taste of their own medicine this season.

I mean, it's someone that had seen a lot of those late wins for Liverpool.

I mean,

four out of the last five games I've been to have resulted in injury time goals that have affected the result and a lot of rewrites.

And, you know, they say nurses have it tough, but sometimes sinker football channels.

We're out there.

We're out there on the front line.

But yeah, I mean, absolutely incredible.

I mean, 18 games unbeaten.

Mateta, if you look at sort of the evolution of the striking position, somewhere that sort of pace, physicality, but also the composure to finish from inside, outside the box, is, I think he's

probably the most underrated striker in Europe at the moment, just of everything that he brings to the game.

I honestly think he's that good and he's a confidence player, as all strikers are, and he's really on it at the moment and has been on it since Glasda turned up.

I mean,

wherever Mateta goes next, Glasnar has to go with him, I suspect.

They've got a very well-disciplined system.

Everyone knows what they're doing within that team.

There's no messing about, all playing for one.

And Keto, who probably hasn't really done much since he's arrived at Palace, always showed great promise at Arsenal and lone moves and things like that.

Agent Nketiah.

Yeah.

Yeah, genius from Arsenal.

This, if this is going to get them the title

by a point.

But

what a finish at the end.

Composure, quality.

And

talk about confident strikers needing those moments just to kickstart something

and for Palace to show that having gone down, a lesser team would have probably just accepted the point at that stage.

But to go back to

show again that you can create something and Liverpool fell asleep, let's be honest, he's got a bit of space.

But yeah, incredible for Palace, incredible what they're doing.

It'll be interesting to see how they manage things, you know, with the European games coming up, if they can get that balance, because I'm not sure the squad's as deep as it could be.

I think it was against Liverpool, they had the same start in 11, apart from Jeremy Pino in for Eze from the FA Cup final, which shows great consistency if you consider the amount of turnover in players at Premier League Cups this summer.

So they've got that consistency.

So yeah, it'd be interesting to see if they can balance it perfectly with Europe.

Maybe being in the Conference League might help them a bit with lesser quality opposition, but Steve Parrish might not agree.

I loved how Enketier was like, this is what I do

when the ball first went in.

And then after the VAR check, his real emotions came out because that weight was agonizing and God it was so tight.

Naden what what did Palace manage to do?

It's a stretch to say they blew Liverpool away but they were really much much better.

What did they do that no one else has managed to do?

It's a great question.

Thank you so much.

We've seen Palace beat Liverpool.

Is it two of the last three times or is it three times in a row?

Because they're beating the community shield, didn't they?

Yeah.

Obviously overall from the panel shootout.

But Palace, as a side, they're a team that are very, very comfortable, like absorbing pressure.

You know, you can go and go up against them, but they have the belief that they can stand there.

They don't get bored of it.

But then you know full well that they've got a massive transition in them that will put you under pressure.

Because I think it was a year ago when they played, I think it was City or somewhere like that, Glasnow was talking about how his side are like top in the league for sprints and so on.

And you think, well, how would that really work out when a team is always in a low block?

Well, it's because everybody goes when they need to go.

So the way that you play against them, like they frustrate you and they almost drag you to a point to where you think you have to commit more bodies forward, but that's playing into their hands.

And their belief commitment, and you know, you mentioned the

same side being picked again.

That again is a huge strength.

I think at times we get drawn into the conversation about you need depth, you need depth, you need to be able to rotate, so on and so forth.

For them, they're like the exact opposite of that point.

You know exactly who the player is going to be.

You know exactly how they're going to play.

And they know that with those around them as well.

And the confidence and belief that they have is very much there.

So going up against Liverpool, they've beaten Liverpool recently.

They've beaten Man City in the FA Cup final.

They've beaten loads of teams.

This unbeaten run is remarkable, by the way.

It's absolutely remarkable that they're on.

So they have no doubts about their style of play being robust enough to be able to get wins against anybody and the chances they create against liverpool side who this season you know as well said they've had a lot of late wins but their late wins have felt a bit different to say like arsenal's late win yesterday because it didn't necessarily come with a great performance so you knew at times liverpool obviously had the the the right players for those big moments but they're also getting lucky with one or two things But against a side like Palace, maybe you weren't going to have that luck and they didn't have it on the day.

So you had to give Palace a ton of credit.

They definitely deserve it.

And to go back a year, to be a a historian, they didn't win their first eight games of last season.

This is like a remarkable thing in my mind because I remember thinking, oh, are Palace going to go down last year?

And then fast forward a year, they're in Europe and they're the most confident and just, you know, settled side, arguably, in like the whole league.

So yeah, fair play to them.

And are we going to talk about Liverpool or do we just do it from the Palace standpoint?

I was just going to say, Nadam, is it a stretch to call yourself a historian by going back a year?

I don't.

I mean, I'm not.

Listen, within this very modern year.

In 2025, it is.

I am very much a historian.

I am very much a historian for saying that.

Yes.

I suppose as someone who potentially hosts a podcast specifically about yesterday, actually a year.

It's eons.

It's eons ago, isn't it?

This is ancient history talking about a year ago with Glasner Palace.

You can do some Liverpool, of course.

Yeah, the Liverpool thing.

I'll just be, I'll talk about Slot.

Slot's comments after the game about one player decided to be more offensive than, you know, thinking about defense and not taking a draw and so on.

Why mention one player, but then not say the player's name?

For people that don't know, just give us the context.

You were saying the reason they lost the game is because in their defensive moment one player was thinking about trying to win the game so he's trying to go forward and that's what left the gap for in ketia to score the goal uh which then meant that liverpool lost the game so it's a really specific thing to mention without being specific about who the player was it's almost like he sent you on this mission to try and figure out who could i possibly be talking about but it is frimponga at the back post and in fairness to him i think he did get back in position so it wasn't like he was like at the halfway line or anything like that but i was doing a show yesterday and someone made a good point as well.

The goal comes because Kirkz decides not to kick the ball forward with his right foot and instead kick out of his left for a throw-in.

Vaughn due respect in a 90-whatever minute playing against Palace.

A throw-in defended is not what you need to be doing anywhere in your sort of defensive third.

So it's a series of errors, it's consecutive errors that lead to goals, not just that moment from the player that he

wants to mention but remain unnamed.

I'm not really on board with that.

I don't see the angle at all.

Sure.

And I mean, he did sign for him pong.

He should know he's quite attacking.

It wasn't even that bad.

That's the thing.

It's great for the title race, Barry, isn't it?

We said it on Thursday.

It's great that

they don't go on this massive march and now people can sort of see the potential holes in Liverpool.

Yeah, I think the form of Ibrahima Conate is a concern for them.

I think Arsenal have had a more challenging set of fixtures to get the season started.

What are we now?

Five, six games in?

Six games in?

I think Arsenal have had the more challenging fixtures and they're only two points behind so

i i won't lie i i expected them to slip up against newcastle but they got the job done and that's a massive win for them and if they hadn't capitalized on the defeat of liverpool the previous day i think it would have been very deflating for for all concerned with arson but but they they did capitalize eventually got there in the end and they're they're in a very good position they are.

I tell you who isn't.

That's Manchester United.

And we'll start part two with them.

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Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly.

Candid says maybe I'm jumping the gun here, but are you United in crisis?

Brentford 3, Manchester United won.

Look, a Manchester United defeat will is no longer surprising.

We get pushback for talking about every Man United loss like it's a huge story, which happens a lot.

I don't know if this one feels significant or it just feels mad, you know, that Amarim hasn't won back-to-back games since he got there in almost 12 months.

And they were just comprehensively the second-best team here.

It's almost as if Manchester United are now a very mid-table team, and that they win games at home against your Burnleys and your Chelsea's with head men, and they lose against Brentford and teams like that because the Oates teams are better than them.

Because United, with that squad, etc., will finish about 12th.

And that might be the stage that we're at with United.

Must say on positives, I really like that kit.

Yeah.

Black shirt, yellow shorts, yellow socks.

That is lovely.

Yeah.

But

the thing is, Rhemoim,

we all talk about the system and the formation.

And he's like, oh, when we lose, it's the system.

When we win, no one mentions it.

When they lost, and the whole point in this system is that you overload in certain areas, at no point do I see any of that or have done really since he's arrived.

The system doesn't seem to be working, and any great coach would be able to adapt to the plays he's got and maybe tweak it.

But that doesn't happen.

Instead, you sort of end up with these mediocre performances on repeat.

Defensively, I mean, shocking the first goal and the second.

I mean, how on earth that ball was just allowed to go to the top, chase, score, and how on earth Chelga's allowed to chest the ball down for the second is absolutely mesmerizing.

But, I mean, I'm not a former Premier League defender, so maybe someone else on the panel can discuss that.

No, no, Nedham's crying, sorry.

Do you know what?

It looked like Nedham had fallen asleep.

He couldn't face another discussion.

It couldn't face another discussion about 3421 and whether it were.

The problem is that obviously there's not much coming out of United about negatively for Amarim because, I mean, the usual problems, who can replace him, blah, blah, Southgate.

I mean, if Southgate replaced him, who one of the people Ashworth was considering who they then sacked after they got Amarim.

The problem for United is if they do sack Amarim, which I think is unlikely, then Jason Wilcox' position really should be under a lot of pressure for backing him, for doing the recruitment that has left the squad

very top-heavy, not sort of dealing with the problems in defence in midfield.

And so Wilcox can't really turn around and go, we need to sack him because he then has to look at himself and go, oh, maybe I'm not, maybe I'm a slight problem as well.

And so the problems may just continue for as long as

Amarim wants to stay around.

Is the only one surprised they lost to Brentford after winning the game last week?

Is anybody?

Hands up if you're surprised.

No hands up.

Okay.

Yeah.

I think we're in this really funny place with United to where, like, you know, when they win two games in a row, they will celebrate it.

Something I never thought I'd see associated with United under any of their managers in the Premier League era.

So it is strange.

And I think they have a squad that's capable of...

you know, being able to do it.

But as Will was saying, some of the defending, some of those moments, like, to be honest, the one that really sent me the most, and it's disappointing to have to say this about somebody somebody who literally has represented the country so well for so many years but that harry maguire mistake from the first goal where thiago's running in behind one of the first things you get told from a very young age if there's no pressure on the ball you cannot try and step up yeah john henderson had as long as he needed to and i think we just saw the week before with brentford i think possibly against chelsea where he played a long ball through to he did the same yeah i think with sharla to score or something So that's something that they're going to be looking for.

So to try and step up there, but then also then have to try and chase somebody back when you're already going the wrong direction.

That's great and i think some of those individual moments are essentially what's going to be costing them and also some the mystique's not there anymore you know teams have a genuine belief that they will get points against united whether it's home whether it's away it doesn't matter whoever's playing well these are the flaws we'll try and play into it and yeah i was looking at the fixtures before i was not falling asleep so they've got sunderland at home before the international break which

that feels like a trap game in itself doesn't it because if sunderland win that it's chaos but then also like united should win that.

And then you go into international break and talk about it for at least five days before England play.

But the fixtures after that, Liverpool away, Brighton at home, Forest away, Spurs away, Everton at home.

Don't see two in a row coming there either, to be honest, which is somewhat of an alarming state of affairs for where United are right now.

You're going to reference Baz,

the guy who's still living.

The haircut guy.

His is five games.

The poor bastards.

They ain't winning those five in a row, that's for sure.

Look, Thiago's got five and six.

Like, his finish was brilliant for the first goal.

And I loved Barry, the third goal.

Like, the speed of the break, Yamaluk is so good at it, and just the way.

And again, some kicked that ball so hard that it went everywhere like an old plastic football and then ended up right in the middle of the goal.

Yeah, it was a brilliant counter-attack.

Weirdly,

Nadum has highlighted Harry Maguire's mistakes.

And

Amarim is one of the...

a coach who regularly takes off central defenders during games.

It was Harry Maguire he took off and left Matthias DeLicht on.

I thought Matthias DeLicht had an absolute nightmare of a game.

He was so bad.

And yet it was Maguire who was replaced by Lenny Euro.

The counter

Brentford break at speed with Yarmaluk plays the ball to Matthias Jensen who advances.

I think he kind of just shot because Matthias DeLicht was backing off him and he didn't really have any other options and he just thought, oh to hell with it i'll have a pop and yes it's fizzed and swerved and swazzed its way past by inder but for all the the movement of the ball it still went into the middle of the goal

by inder who had an all right game by his uh admittedly not great standards probably should have kept it out there's an interesting point naden that i think michael richards made on match of the day just about the number of for not formation changes that stays the same we know that but the number of different positions players are playing them a taking centre backs off which feels weird because not many managers do it but also you know you're you're left centre back then you're left wing back then you might be right centre back or you're playing in the 10 then you're wing back then you're back in the 10 and so you can't get any rhythm right even if you are able to play all those positions if you're only doing one for 10 minutes and then one for 15 minutes and no he's chasing the game But that's just, that seems quite obvious.

I'm in an interesting position here because I may have to go against that take.

Okay.

That's too friendly.

No, please do.

I will say, Nadim,

you corrected me incorrectly about Zavi Simmons' position when I looked at the number of times he'd played left and in the 10.

So

we called him a winger.

Well, you called him a winger.

I'll have to jet the test.

I don't know if that matters.

As a historian, as a historian, we can do this if you want.

Sorry, Professor Onuaha.

Anyway, do carry on.

Derek, do carry on.

Yeah, in regards to United and the changes, firstly, like the defensive changes just don't feel right because as a defender playing in a game, usually for subs happening, you never need to look to the to the side to see if it's you that's coming off.

Because usually, if you're coming off, you're either injured or you're having an absolute horror show.

But to do it, the manager obviously thinks there needs to be some level of freshness back there, but I would tend to disagree because, you know, those guys, like, could you imagine it gets to like the 60th minute and Van Dijk's coming off for, I don't know, who they've got available now, you know, to try and get Gomez or something.

Yeah, to try and freshen up the defence.

It's the type of stuff that you just don't see.

But he he generally believes in it.

And it's funny to think that, given the fact that, you know, there are three defenders back there already.

Do you really need to be having the rest and so on?

I don't get that part.

And also in terms of the

changing positions and so on, I think coming towards the end of a game when you're chasing it, like...

All cards are on the table.

The manager is going to do whatever.

It's not the true structured nature of a game in itself.

And he's just trying to do something different.

So I don't think it's a case of needing to get settled because at this point, it's more or less just the kitchen sink being thrown.

And if you happen to be playing left wing, you you happen to be playing left wing.

You know, we've seen times for United where Harry Maguire is playing up front.

Is he disappointed when he only plays 10 minutes up front instead of 20 because he doesn't have enough time to establish himself in that position?

Probably not.

So, you know, it is what it is.

It serves its purpose in that moment.

And I don't think the players coming off, if they lose, will be disappointed that it didn't get longer to stand in a certain position because they probably had that for the previous 60, 70 minutes.

But as you said, some of the substitutions and the time in which he does it, they might seem very clear to the manager, Amarim.

But I think for other people, it very it very much feels a little bit unconventional which isn't great when you're losing you know one in two games whatever it is that the run that he's on at this moment just before we end this and we haven't praised brentford enough and our apologies

nathan collins should have been sent off barry and var took four minutes and everyone can see it's a red card yeah brentford were two one up uh nathan collins gave away a penalty by tugging brian and boomer's shirt It was a clear denial of goal scoring opportunity.

The ref awarded the penalty correctly, didn't send him off.

Then Var decided to intervene and see if he should be sent off.

So Fernandez is hanging around waiting to take the penalty.

Takes four minutes to arrive at the wrong decision.

And the decision they arrived at was, it wasn't a denial of a clear goal scoring opportunity because Mbuemo wasn't in control of the ball.

How could he be in control of the ball?

He had a big Irishman hanging out of the back of his shirt.

He couldn't get to the ball properly.

So that was ridiculous.

And then some excellent shithousery from Keith Andrews, who I think this is a statement win for him, even though it's only against a bad Manchester United team.

You know, he's a young coach trying to build a plane in mid-air or rebuild it.

He decides, oh, we'll delay it even further by sending on some substitutes.

So Fernandez had five or six minutes to think about what he was going to do with the penalty.

Took a bad one, and Keeveen Keller saved it.

Yeah.

To Stanford Bridge, Chelsea won Brighton three.

Worth saying, Will, if you're a Brighton fan, apart from perhaps Palace, winning at Chelsea, a team who've taken 15 players and staff since Todd Bowley came in, the joy in that away end, you know, when they score in the 90-second and then the 100-minute, they looked so happy.

Yeah, the business of football, sort of desperation to copy models from elsewhere and see how it works.

It's an interesting take.

I mean, it shows on the pitch that it's not always the straightforward solution as Manchester United and possibly Chelsea at times will tell you.

But again, Chelsea, two weeks in a row, where they've given the opposition a massive advantage.

I appreciate split-second decisions, but I always think that it's better to have 11 men on and be a goal, you know, obviously with a level up, but in the previous week, maybe a goal behind.

But I don't understand why you can't make that decision and think, well, just let him through.

We'll see what happens.

And then after that, changed the game, complete, you know, Chelsea dominated, you know, 60 opposite session and sort of went the other way.

Brighton, Danny Welbeck, the master.

Last season was the first time he'd scored 10 in a season.

He got a bit of criticism at the start from the manager this year and has come back and started getting the goals.

A veteran of the game and happy to take the criticism and come back.

Great finishes.

I like DeCuypa

at Club Bruges as well.

And so I'm really pleased that he's slotted in quite quickly.

It's always a bit of a step up from the Belgian league, but he's looked really good.

So yeah, really good for Brighton again.

Well, you know, they've made sort of proactive changes to their hierarchy this summer as well, recently.

And if Club always sort of progressing and moving in the right way.

So, really pleased, though.

I'm really pleased, you know, Chelsea solution to throw money at things.

And, you know, a lot of talk now about Mareska's job being a bit in doubt, which, you know, after a couple of defeats, big game against Benfica this week.

Playing Jose's Benfica as well, which makes it even more fun, doesn't it?

I mean, Welbet gets better and better.

How really good will he be in 20 years' time?

That header was so good.

I mean, the cross from Minte who is a really exciting player, isn't he?

Do you think the vibes are off at Chelsea?

Because as Will said, Nadem,

they were just so dominant in this game.

And they had a lot of injuries as well.

You know, they've got a lot of defensive issues.

Fafana, Toysin, Levi Colwell as well.

Obviously, Cole Palmer's not that there.

And they were

as cruising as you can be at 1-0 before that red card.

I don't know if it's the case if vibes are off, but

I think it's the last three results haven't been anywhere near what they would have hoped for, I believe.

You know, losing to buy in in the manner which they did you know like Chelsea oh they're back in the Champions League but it's not like the Chelsea that we know it's like a younger version of Chelsea almost feel like a newcomer in there as such and then that game against United where so many people would have fancied them to go and get a result you know all of a sudden you're on the back foot because of a red card and then this game at the weekend to be playing at home I think that's the that's what makes it feel worse because those other two were away but to be at home and to be dominating a game of football and then to just be swarmed upon by you know what is essentially your feeder club almost uh it was a a bit awkward for the 15 people, I think, you were probably talking about, from the staff to the players to, I don't know, whoever else is there.

But I don't think the vibes are off.

I think it's going to be a tougher stretch with key players being out, as you've mentioned, but they are still a very good side, which is why they were dominating that game until the red card happened.

It's not to say that Brighton couldn't have had a comeback because they've done that against City and probably others so far this season.

But to lose in that manner, to lose late as well, and to lose multiple games in a row, it's not something that we associate with

Chelsea when it comes down to patience over the last

decade or so, even with these new owners.

So I think Maresk is going to be feeling the pressure and needs to find something different.

But unfortunately,

even if he runs out of players, he still can't go in that special dressing room and bring in the likes of Sterling and DeSassie.

They're very much unavailable, aren't they?

So you just have to wait till January.

And Maresko's allowed Brighton to take advantage because he was just against United, it was defensive substitutions very quickly.

Against...

Brighton again, defensive substitutions very quickly to then just say, well, right, we're going to try and protect the lead, which against top-class opposition for quite a long period of time you know at the weekend again i just think you're causing yourself a lot of problems when you've got a quality attack in players you actually can't even with 10 men put a bit of pressure back and i think trying to absorb it all is just so difficult at the top level for that period you know 10 minutes fine but for that length of time i thought it was it was quite negative for mareska yeah another interesting uh non-penalty when gusto kicked minta in the face and it wasn't given but you know it'll even itself out I'm sure an interesting question from Gordon who says are some managers jobs for example Chelsea and Manny Night becoming too toxic a Glasnar or an Irayola would be crackers to go to United wouldn't they I mean the same Barry could potentially be said at West Ham although on a slightly sort of smaller scale I guess they sacked Grand Potter on Saturday apparently they decided to do it two weeks ago they waited till he'd done a press conference as far as I could tell about swapping his face with the one pound fish man and others and then sacked him and then Nuno was already taking training on the Saturday afternoon.

West Ham can confirm Grand Potter's left the club results and performances over the course of the second half of last season and the start of this season have not matched expectations.

It's hard to disagree with that.

Potter said, I'm incredibly disappointed to be leaving West Ham, particularly without being able to achieve what we set out to achieve at the start of our journey in East London.

I do acknowledge the results have not been good enough up to now.

I mean, it's no surprise, is it, Barry, that Potter has been fired?

No, absolutely not a surprise.

The owners and the hierarchy at West Ham had to do something, not least because

they're taking a lot of heat themselves from fans, arguably more heat than Potter was.

They have to be seen to be being proactive.

So I'm not surprised Potter has been sacked.

I am surprised that Nuno has agreed to take the job

because I think if he waited, something better would come along.

Having said that,

West Ham's biggest issue in terms of conceding goals is they just cannot defend corners.

I think that's something Nuno will be able to sort out reasonably quickly.

He may even have sorted it out by tonight, Monday night, when they go to play Everton.

And if he can do that,

I've every confidence he'll do a pretty good job at West Ham.

He can't do a much worse one than Potter.

I think Potter was averaging exactly a point a game over nine months.

So I am surprised Nuno took the job, but I suspect he will be pretty decent.

Do players care, Nadan?

I mean, it's as simple as if the manager likes you, you care, and if they don't, they don't.

Or if players go, we're not doing very well, it'd be good to get someone new in.

They're just like, I mean, is the WhatsApp group just like, oh, well, here's a new person?

Do players care?

I think the ones who are closer to him would care.

But I think in terms of the general feel around the place, like, you know, when you're on the pitch and you're seeing fans leave the stadium quite early because the team's not doing so well.

And maybe it's the tactics, maybe it's the training.

You know,

you can't escape those things because you know for us like we we watch them once a week or whatever like they're training together for this whole time so they know whether the vibes are good or they're bad because sometimes they will leak into the training ground and when it feels like a chore to be coming into work that's when you know managers probably need to be needs to be changed and so on so i think there will be some level of disappointment if they like him on a human level but in terms of results they're probably all the way off the business of football and how it can't stay that way Because as well, with fans and stuff, if a fan doesn't like a manager and they see a player, they'll probably tell the player they don't like the manager, which then puts the the player in a position to where, what, am I just going to argue for him, say, no, no, he's actually brilliant.

Don't worry about the facts.

We're averaging a point a game and you guys are all leaving early.

Like, everything's actually fine.

I think you can read the situation, you can understand the critiques, the criticism, and you find out very early whether you think it's going to work or it's not.

And unfortunately for Poster West Ham, it just never seemed like it was going to be working from an early stage, whether it's to do with, say, almost like a personality trait or the fact that they thought it would bring excitement, but then they weren't really scoring many more goals.

And defensively, they felt just as bad as they were before under Lepategi.

So as a player, you care a little bit in terms of the person because you do know them and you probably wish them well after giving you the opportunity to play.

But then also you probably care more about the person that's going to be coming in because what does this mean for you?

Because now you're talking about your future.

If Nuno comes in and everyone's like, oh, maybe Nuno will be playing really defensive and he'll hit us in transition.

He likes this type of profile of player.

How does...

this affect me and as you said that was uh an interestingly quick turnaround of manager yeah you don't really have much time to grieve the last person before saying well i need to make make sure I turn up approximately an hour before training starts this week because then you'll see, look, this guy's really keen.

He wants to do everything he can.

Look at him.

He's doing extra after training.

Ooh, he loves it.

Yeah, look at him.

He's actually standing there doing a low block all by himself on the training pitch.

That's my type of player.

You know, so yeah, the future person is more important than the past, especially when the turnover is that quick.

I can't remember if I said this at the live show or on the pod, Barry.

So correct me if I did.

But how does this affect me?

Is exactly what you said when I told you I was about to become a father and I was moving to Australia.

When I said exactly the same thing to Charlie Baker, he said, you'll be a great dad.

That was his opening gambit.

It's not really affected you too much, Barry.

Well, to be fair, Max, you did show some video footage at the live show, which proves you aren't a great dad.

So you're, in fact, that you're anything but.

And there's another story I won't tell, but could, which further cements the fact that you're a terrible father.

So let's move swiftly along.

What's the second one?

You lost your son.

Oh, I lost him for a few minutes.

It was quite terrifying, but you know, I found him again.

He went down a different alleyway.

The descent will of Graham Potter is interesting, isn't it?

Austerson's Brighton.

You know, your stock is so high, Chelsea, possibly England, then West Ham.

It's sort of hard to know where he'll go next.

After leaving Chelsea, he was sort of very nervous about his next job and just heavily linked to Leicester and had a long talk with Leicester and probably made the right decision not to go to Leicester, but got to a certain stage and thought, I'm going to have to take an available Premier League job here.

And unfortunately for him, it was West Ham who, I mean, I think you'd read Jacob Steinberg's piece about how rudderless and desperately poorly run they've been for quite a long time.

So it's not obviously

plenty of it will be put down to him.

But I think the sort of recruitment over the years has been terrible.

I think they're still trying to recover from the Tim Steiden era of recruitment where it's sort of square pegged round holes and no real strategy.

But yeah, I think Potter might be tempted by the prospect of heading abroad now.

He's seen the Premier League.

It's ruthless, you know, and picking his club very, very carefully.

He'll have time.

He'll take his time.

He won't rush into anything.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw him rock up somewhere a bit out of the way, away from this Premier League madness.

He's sort of come to probably irritate him a little bit.

I'm sure he wouldn't have enjoyed being put off that press conference when he was getting saps and whatnot.

So yeah, it's a shame for him.

Chelsea again went in.

It was a bit strange place to be lots of turnover in players so trying to create a cohesive unit was difficult and didn't get time west ham you know some good players there but lacking in key areas and that's been a problem for him and you know once things start going against you and the fans are going against you it's hard to pull it back and i think he's found that so yeah

Seems, you know, not dealt with him too much, but yeah, seems like a nice enough guy, thoughtful guy.

So hopefully he can pick himself back up i mean you've seen how difficult it was for ten hag after leaving a big job again he uh lasted four games but yeah i think he might be a bit more careful and take something a bit out the way this time okay that'll do for part two uh with apologies to the rest of the games uh we've got a lot to cram in so we may rattle through

And we're back live during a flex alert.

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And that's the end of the third.

Time to set it back to 78 from 4 to 9 p.m.

Clutch move by the home team.

What's the game plan from here on out?

Laundry?

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Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly.

Fraser says it's Maxima Stev, the Frank Sinclair for the Generation Elf bar.

I had to look it up.

It's a vape juice or something like that.

A brace of own goals that the Eti had, City 151.

Doesn't tell the whole story of the game, that scoreline, I think.

Nadin, what was your own goal record like?

Do you know what?

I was clean as a whistle the first like seven years of my career.

Then one happened and I couldn't have felt any lower.

I was like, oh my god, this is actually a horrendous feeling.

And was it a shinner?

What was it?

What was your...

It was at at West Ham.

Cross came into the box from a corner

and I was marking someone and the two people ahead of me, as the ball's coming in, they've missed it.

And then it's just dropped and just hit my knee and gone in.

It's a pinnock.

Oh, God.

So what a horrendous feeling, honestly.

Especially West Ham's gold scored by

Sunderlands.

They ain't nobody else at home.

What a horrendous feeling, honestly.

And did a teammate, did a teammate like patronizingly say, you know, you'll be all right.

no do you know what that those ones what's what's worse being patted on the back or people looking like they just ignore you just leave you to suffer by yourself i feel like you just can't win in that situation uh but i think end up scoring like maybe three in my career and they're all exactly the same balls just like ricocheting off you and going in and you're just wishing the earth would just like swallow you up to be honest i look at 1-1 Will, this was a slightly tighter game, wasn't it?

But City did run away with it.

So I don't know how

back City are from this result.

I think second half, they just sort of clicked into Game Or I mean, Doku having incredible season, everything's sort of coming together with Doku.

One of those players where he's got all the talent, but trying to put it all together in one cohesive plan as a footballer, where he knows what he's doing next.

And also, I think now his teammates know what he's doing next, which wasn't always the case in his early time at City.

And I think just City just clicked into gear a bit, played a bit quicker.

And when you've got that amount of quality on the pitch, no offense to Bernie, but they don't, that these things will happen, especially when you're making a few mistakes.

Well, actually, the worst mistake I step made was the flick-on for the Haaland goal.

Oh, yes, so good.

One of you, don't let it one of you put a name on it.

The own goals are really unfortunate.

That's just actually a massive cock-up.

City, yeah, week by week, obviously, big change in dynamic from the performance at Arsenal and things.

But yeah, I just think the quality on the pitch, if City get into that rhythm that they showed in the second half a bit more, say, I'm going to the Monaco game this week, and

they should really beat monaco not in a great place at the moment but i just think yeah harlan scoring repeatedly doku looking exciting obviously a few worries about rodri but i just think yeah

there are signs that it could be quite an exciting season for city now with everything and tovinho looking really good after after his summer where it was like he might be off foden getting back to his best after a pretty terrible year or you know looking like he's got potential to do that so yeah i'm nervously optimistic that city can have a really good season there.

Good for you.

So Villa, that was patronising.

That was like helping someone to score their own goal.

It didn't merit that.

Will it was a good answer?

Villa 3, Fulham 1.

A really important win for Villa here, Barry.

I mean, for half an hour, Fulham and Josh King, not that one specifically, looked like they were tearing Villa apart.

Yeah, but they were tearing Villa apart.

Yes, they did.

And that's why it looked like that.

Josh King's a very exciting player.

He's having a bit of a rough trot of it at the moment.

He had his maiden Premier League goal chalked off,

disallowed.

I can't remember whether it was harsh or not, but it was.

And he looked very crestfallen and disappointed.

I think he was ruled out by Vivar, something or other.

He's now been booked for simulation two matches in a row.

And I thought the one yesterday was a bit unfair.

It doesn't really matter, but it's something you don't want to get a reputation for.

I thought it was a penalty.

Did you?

I mean, yeah.

I mean, I know he goes the other way.

You don't think so, Will?

I mean, I know he doesn't need to start going down.

I do think Martinez sort of hooked his ankle out from under him.

So, yeah, maybe it was a penalty.

I don't think it certainly wasn't a dive.

You can lose your balance.

You can go down without it being simulation or without it being a penalty.

I lean further towards being a penalty than simulation.

But anyway, as I say, it is not something you want to get a reputation for because referees will be

keeping an eye on you and pre-disposed not to give you the benefit of the doubt.

But we spoke about Raul Jimenez's goal already, really good header.

Then somebody at Villa flicked the switch and they got a much-needed win.

Ollie Watkins got a confidence-boosting goal.

Morgan Rodgers,

having been the subject of some mockery and derision from his own fans during the week,

he played well.

John McGinn's pretty reliable.

He scored a good goal.

And Emmy Buendia

came off the bench and made a couple of good contributions.

Interestingly, he replaced Harvey Ellery, who did the square root of Bugger All while he was on the pitch.

So

he hasn't hit his stride yet at Villa, but it's still early.

early doors, isn't it?

Yeah, I mean, there's nothing, something so great as a fan to score two goals so quickly because you're just still celebrating.

It's like this, this could go on forever.

This is so exciting.

Billy says, is it time for Sunderland fans to dust off our passports?

Yeah, they won one nil at Forrest.

Former Sunderland hero, Nada Manuhera, is here.

Are you ready for the Europa League or the Champions League?

I mean, a great victory,

slightly controversial goal.

Yeah, I think the,

as far as decisions that probably didn't need to be made this weekend, I think that one from the referee was probably right up there.

But then in some ways, like, I thought Forest were good overall, but also look how badly they defended the set piece.

It's really interesting that there are four players at the back post surrounding one of ours.

I wonder what could possibly be happening next.

You know, you want to have a little sense for those moments.

But yeah, Sutherland doing well.

It's something that, you know, I'm very, very happy with it.

And also, I didn't expect it.

With all due respect to them, the squad that I thought they were bringing up, I thought if they don't make a few signings here, I couldn't see them getting many points, to be honest.

But instead, they're like, they're robust.

The goalkeeper's doing really well.

The defense is solid.

The midfield's got a great engine to it.

They've got a good ability to score goals.

They're good in transition.

And they've got depth.

Like Triori coming off, coming on rather, Broby coming on.

It's not something that I thought we'd be seeing this season, but it's something that does make sense in the moment.

So, yeah, I think they are probably going to win the league.

Probably

the FA Cup, definitely.

And next year, I'd imagine they'll be in that draw for the Champions League and so on.

Do you know the mega draw coming in at pot four?

But Sunderlander, for now anyway, all the way back.

And I don't mind it at all because it seems like it makes sense.

The points that they're getting, the way that they're playing, it doesn't feel like a fluke.

Like, it was a tough game going away to Nottingham Forest, but they played in a manner which they needed to.

They've got someone in Shaka who, you know, has got so much experience.

And even the way, like, listening to him talk after games is really good because he doesn't pretend it was something that it wasn't.

They were really good.

They suffered, but we're learning how to do this.

We're learning how to do that.

So if we can talk to the press like that, imagine how he talks to his teammates and brings out the best in them.

So I'm all aboard the Macam train.

And hopefully they do something good in the derby as well because then that could be like proper vibes through the roof, going to win the league, going to win it all-type territory.

Nadum, can I ask,

most of the players who got Sunderland promoted aren't really getting much of a look in on the first team now.

Will those who are still at the club be really pissed off over that or will they just accept that that is their lot in life?

I think it depends how the manager's spoken to them.

I think if the manager hasn't said anything and they've been completely pulled away from it, then you would be really, really disappointed, especially if like you can sense that there's not going to be any game time for you at all.

So there would be a level of disappointment in there.

But if they do have to go somewhere in January, they're coming from a place where like

they're in the Premier League now.

They're technically a Premier League player.

So the options that they have could be better than say they would have had if they were still in the championship.

So yeah, there's some disappointment that always will exist with people who,

you know, help a side get promoted, for example.

But then it's a tough argument to make that somebody and some of these players have never played in the Premier League before and haven't really played to the highest level before.

If they're saying, well, I should be playing.

I think the argument stands up in the championship, but probably doesn't in the Premier League, which is why they're unfortunately in the position that some of them are in.

First one, Wolves won.

Wolves so close to getting their first win.

It is their first point of the season.

It would have been vintage, Dr.

Tottenham Will.

But Jao Polinio, like Clark Kent, looks puny, actually.

Absolutely ripped when he takes his shirt off.

Got an equalizer late on.

Probably a fair result.

The Tottenham were better in the first half, Wolves were better in the second.

Yeah, I mean, I think you look at the positives of Wolves that Pereira with zero points on the board changed things at half-time really positively.

And it made a big difference and

they deserved to score.

And you wouldn't have

really criticised if they'd gone on to win it.

The players look like they're starting to settle.

But Pereira made the point that they...

They had a lot of players arrive late in the window, then went played zero games, went off into actual duty and things like that.

And so now is the point.

A bit of confidence after the Everton win.

Arias looks a good player.

Defensively, looking a bit better.

Sam Johnson in net seems to be an improvement as well.

So yeah, really good for them.

I mean,

but

for Spurs, not their greatest performance overall.

A bit one-dimensional at times.

Really upset that the Kudos score was disallowed because that Bergfell assist would have been absolutely incredible.

So nice.

But again, you know, you live and die by recruitment and getting getting Paulina in so many important contributions already this season.

And if I was ripped like that, I'd probably take a book in the last minute off an equalizer.

No,

I was thinking you can't take your shirt off unless it's a winner.

Get the ball, get back.

There could be one more chance.

He's missed the chance.

I think.

Show your ripped another time.

Wait and see what he does when he scores a winner in the last minute.

Oh, no, absolutely right.

Balls out Polinia.

We look forward to that.

2 Ellen Road leads to Bournemouth 2.

Will you be there as well?

So tell us all about this game in 60 seconds and apologies because there weren't really any duds normally over a weekend there'll be a few duds not really any duds at this weekend no 90 odd minute equalizer from a bloke score teenager scoring his first goal in the premier league so big moment and not another rewrite for you will i was out banging a beer tray with a soup ladle

leads really good really physical i think probably Premier League teams that have come up learning from the mistakes of Russell Martin, so they can thank him for this, that trying to outplay opposition when you've got inferior players isn't the best idea.

Be tall, be physical, be robust, get in teams' faces, make it as difficult as possible.

Really hostile at Ellen Road.

And Carvert Lewin should have scored for

had three really good chances, probably should have scored at least one in the first 20 minutes.

So, if he can get into a goal-scoring frame of mind, then I think Leeds' got a really good chance to stay it up.

But Bournemouth kept going, not their best game, a little bit disjointed,

a little bit slow at times.

But again, that's because leads are at them and whatnot.

And four goals all from set pieces, which is the modern game.

So, you know, and Leeds just learning those things as well that the fine margins of you know switching off for those goals the the draft excluder with Brennan Aronson for the semenya yes really don't put your shortest player as the draft excluder so maybe he'll he'll be out for that

but yeah just and it was just little moments of fine margin from both sides so yeah really tight game but yeah I think leads will do well if they can keep that that level of physicality and that level of aggression going because I think that can make a difference, you know, Premier League level with a lot of talks of tactics and whatnot.

But actually, those sort of things do make a big difference if you can make Ellen Road intimidating.

Does the draft excluded needs to be the same size as the wall?

So if you're like a three-man wall, you need Tarek Lampson.

And

if the keeper wants an eight-man wall, you need Dan Byrne, and that's how it works.

And if they don't exactly tell you, just aesthetically, it just doesn't...

It doesn't work.

I thought Lord Longstaff of Northumberland scored a really, really good goal in this game that has been completely underrated and overlooked.

I'm not saying it was Pinnock style gold of the season material, but it was a really good shot.

I thought it was a bit of a shank.

Wasn't it a bit of a

bit of a shank?

Or is that unfair?

I'd like to say, I did say that he had a really good game in my work.

In the Max Report.

My reream work.

But yeah, and a really good signing.

Again, good recruitment.

12 million quid.

Incredible for someone with that experience and knows what he's doing.

And probably a six-player

draft exclusive.

Yeah.

I'm saying Longstaff.

That's his role next week.

That's what he would be.

No, you're right.

I shouldn't have criticized.

It was a a good finish.

Well done, sure.

Okay, that'll do for today.

Thanks, everybody.

Thank you, Will.

Thank you, Max.

Thanks, Baz.

Thanks.

Thanks, Nathan.

Thank you, sir.

Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove.

Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens.

We will be back on Wednesday.

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