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Week 22 Premier League Recap · Premier League Playground: Lad and Dad

0:04
All right, and welcome into another episode of the Premier
0:07
League Playground Week 22. We are rolling through the
0:11
Premier League season. Luca It feels like it's been a
0:15
while since we've had a podcast. Yeah, I feel like it has,
0:20
honestly. I know we were, we were firing
0:22
them, you know, every couple days we were doing it.
0:24
But we got a little bit of a break with the FA Cup and League
0:27
Cup games and so we had a little bit of a break there.
0:30
We didn't have a pod for a while but we got Week 22 in the books
0:34
so we're going to get to that. But of course I am the dad.
0:37
Bjorn, you are the lad. Luca Miller, all right.
0:39
How are you? Luca, I'm doing good.
0:41
How are you? I'm good, I'm good.
0:42
Well, you were back in action this weekend playing some
0:46
soccer. Yeah, football.
0:47
We won 13 to 4. How did you do?
0:50
I got a goal and two assists, so I thought I thought I played
0:53
pretty well. Good, good.
0:54
Yeah. And you're and so you are kind
0:56
of in going through your football season, but you're now
0:59
back outside with your team again.
1:01
You started your first week of practice.
1:02
Yeah, that was fun. How do you think it went getting
1:05
back out there? I think it's pretty good.
1:07
I've been practicing at home so I don't think I was too rusty.
1:10
Well, I was also going to ask you, do you feel rusty getting
1:12
back out there? Not as rusty as I used to feel
1:15
with not doing. So you've been doing some work
1:18
at home, even though it's been cold, you've been kind of doing
1:20
some extra extra dribble up, which is like a interactive
1:24
soccer ball where you use the iPad and it gives you drills to
1:26
do and it's like a smart soccer ball, right that.
1:29
Yeah. It's.
1:30
Cool. Yeah, you enjoy doing that.
1:32
Of course, you've been playing some football, so that's been
1:34
keeping you sharp. Yeah.
1:35
All right. All right, Luca.
1:37
Well, interesting week. It felt like we said this after
1:40
week 21, not a lot of movement at the top as the teams are all
1:45
sort of feels like stuck in neutral where they're just not
1:47
really doing much. Yeah, So some interesting
1:50
results, but we're just not seeing a ton of movement with
1:52
the top four teams and we'll sort of get into why, but ready
1:55
to dive into the games. I am.
1:57
All right, Luca. Well, we came out hot this week.
2:00
Manchester Derby, early kickoff on Saturday.
2:05
Take me through the Manchester Derby.
2:07
Well, I remember you came back from soccer, your soccer game,
2:12
and I was just breaking up and you said the Manchester Derby
2:15
just ended and I was like, oh, what was the score?
2:18
And you said two nil, but you didn't say the team.
2:20
I was like to know who and he's in United and I started freaking
2:24
out so and then the 2 Neil United, I predicted to be two
2:28
one United. So I kind of get that one right.
2:31
Yeah. Good call by you on.
2:32
That yeah in Boimo in the 65th minute and Borgu in the 76th
2:36
minute. United were just all over them.
2:40
Donna Bruma amazing saves. Ahmad hit the post, Mount
2:46
Heather Gold called back just all over them.
2:50
Holland only had 14 touches and has gone seven games without a
2:56
new now PK goal. Yeah, this was, you know, so the
3:01
backdrop, Luca, obviously United had fired rumor Ruben Amaram,
3:05
they brought Michael Carrick in as sort of an interim manager to
3:08
the end of the season. So he's been going to be given
3:10
the rest of this season. You know who is Michael Carrick?
3:14
Well, he's sort of a bit of a man you legend.
3:16
So Michael Carrick's 44 years old.
3:18
He was a really good defensive midfielder, played at West Ham
3:21
for about 5 years, two years at Spurs, but he's known for
3:24
playing. He played 12 years at Manchester
3:26
United from 2006 to 2018. So he knows the well, he knows
3:30
the tradition that's there. He's.
3:31
Two kids that are in United, right?
3:34
No, no, that that was Fletcher. Right, Fletcher took.
3:38
Over So yeah, Carrick, like I said, he you know, Carrick
3:41
coached Middlesbrough from 22 to 25.
3:44
He actually got he got sacked this summer from Middlesbrough,
3:47
but he he has a little bit of coaching experience but never
3:49
coached in the Premier League. What a first game for him.
3:53
I mean, you know, to come in. He actually was an interim
3:57
manager before. So when Ole Gunnar Solskar got
4:00
fired and before they hired Ralph Ragnik, actually Carrick
4:03
managed back in. So this is we're talking 2021.
4:07
So he actually was an interim manager for just a couple games
4:10
there. Actually had two wins in a draw
4:12
when he was an interim. Manager.
4:14
So he's still unbeaten in the Premier League now.
4:16
Four games he's managed, he's doing something right here for
4:20
him. But yeah, you know, they looked
4:23
great. I mean, it just you it just
4:25
looked like kind of this. They've been sort of lifted from
4:28
this Reuben Amaram veil of just sadness and not wanting to play
4:32
the way they want. They were flying all over the
4:35
place. They're playing with energy.
4:37
Different formation. Carrick lines them up.
4:39
Four at the back. Reuben Amaram was kind of the
4:41
three at the back with the wing backs kind of making it a back 5
4:44
S totally different formation. Of course it helps to get some
4:47
of their guys back from AF con, you know, in Bhumo AMA, we're
4:51
back. Real nice counter attack goal
4:53
from Mbumo there. But yeah, like you said, Donna
4:56
Ruma probably kept three goals out himself.
4:59
Yeah. I mean, you know, he's Donna.
5:02
Rumor is obviously a very, very good goal.
5:04
He's great shot stopping. He really is, you know, Luca, is
5:08
it? Are you worried at all about
5:10
Holland? I don't know what is he like 19
5:14
goals still or is he a 20? I think he's at.
5:17
I think he's still at 19. He's on 20, he's got 20 Premier
5:21
League goals. All right, I don't know if I'm
5:24
worried yet. You still Holland?
5:28
But I don't, I don't even, I don't even know what to say.
5:32
What do you I mean like in in this situation here, you know,
5:35
like I said, so city look at the XG for this game had United at
5:39
2.27, City at 0.45 shots on goal.
5:43
United had seven City only had one.
5:46
I mean like I said the 2 nothing result it it like it.
5:49
Could have been five. It should.
5:50
Have been more. It should have been more.
5:52
I mean, this is pretty incredible.
5:54
You know, you look at what City has done and, you know, how are
5:57
they? It's just almost incredible that
5:59
they just sort of got completely played off the pitch at old
6:01
track in a Manchester Derby, you know?
6:04
But you you saw something coming here.
6:06
You picked United to win 21 Which?
6:08
Is. What do you what was it that you
6:10
thought that you said United have a real chance to win this
6:13
game? Well, I thought because United
6:16
are getting players back from AFCON, they had McGuire back.
6:21
I don't think they had the whip back, but at least McGuire,
6:24
which helps their defense and their offense.
6:27
City have been struggling in their last games, haven't won
6:30
yet and lost four I think and they, I mean they lose last last
6:38
week. Well, so City had come in on
6:40
three draws and of course then now they lost, yes, 4 without a
6:44
win, but they'd had three draws in a row, which again, we talked
6:46
about the top teams. When you draw, it feels like a
6:48
loss. And with their really messed up
6:50
the fence right now, I just saw something that Man United were
6:54
going to win this game. Well, there's a great call by
6:56
you and that's exactly what happened and it's.
6:58
One of my favorite calls this year.
7:00
Yeah, yeah, that's like I said, that's a big one.
7:02
I mean, who gets incredible? And it's just City just sort of,
7:05
you know, they have an injury crisis and when they just go out
7:07
and they buy players. So we, we talked about they
7:09
bought some menu, they Mark, they bought Mark Gahey.
7:13
In the past 12 months, City has spent $570 million and brought
7:18
in 14 new players. What about Liverpool Spent like
7:22
700 million? Well, but Liverpool, yes,
7:25
Liverpool spent a whole lot in the summer, but for Manchester
7:28
United it was last January transfer window this summer and
7:31
this January transfer window where Liverpool and Arsenal
7:34
didn't do anything in the January 1.
7:36
So it's it's not as if I'm not saying Arsenal and Liverpool
7:39
don't spend money, but that's a pretty incredible 12 months with
7:43
a 14 new players come in and you spend $570 million over that
7:47
period of time. I saw something Luca, where Pep
7:50
Guardiola came in in 2016. Since he's been there, he has
7:54
spent $2.4 billion on OH. My gosh.
7:59
I mean, you know, people talk about like what a great manager
8:02
he is, but that is just an absurd amount of money.
8:06
How much is Arteta spent? I want to know that question.
8:09
Well, now I'll say that our Ted hasn't been there as long.
8:11
I think our Ted has been there since 2019.
8:13
He's spent about 1.1 billion. The next highest is Diego
8:17
Simeone at Athletico Madrid. I think.
8:19
Is it like 1.2 or 1.3? That's the next highest.
8:23
That's the. Next highest net now.
8:24
Now like I said, the one thing I will say though is some of these
8:26
managers have not Pep has been managing full time since 2016,
8:30
so he's going on 10 years. Some of these managers like,
8:33
like I said, our Ted has been there 7 Now see Simeone's been
8:35
there the whole time. But some of these other managers
8:38
on that list like Jose Mourinho or something like that, have
8:40
either not been in like massive clubs where they spend a lot or
8:44
like Angela or Hansi Flick at Barcelona, Real Madrid to do
8:48
spend. They haven't been there quite as
8:49
long. So I will, I will give a little
8:51
bit of a caveat there. But the point is, is that you
8:54
know, this ridiculous amount of spending, like if there's a
8:57
problem, the answer for City is we're just going to go out and
8:59
just buy another player. And apparently you look at
9:02
Gayhee and you say, well, he only came in on $20 million.
9:05
You know, that's because he was in the last six months of his
9:07
contract. But Luca, they had to pay him
9:09
$400,000 a week, so they're going to pay Mark Gay he over
9:13
$20 million a year. I mean, that literally puts him
9:16
at the top like four or five defenders in the entire Premier
9:19
League for salary. So that's the other thing is you
9:21
see these transfer numbers and that's just the number paid to
9:24
the club. So remember how transfer goes
9:27
down, right? It's at the 2 clubs agree for
9:28
money. Then you go to the player and
9:30
you've got to sign him to a contract.
9:32
You've got to give him wages. That's the other massive
9:34
advantage the city have is, you know, Holland came over for $60
9:37
million. You know, like how's that even
9:39
possible? Well, it's because they paying
9:41
him, you know, probably at the time was maybe 450 a week,
9:46
450,000 a week. Now I think he's up to like 657
9:49
hundred, you know, because it's crazy.
9:51
So it's like they can pay these ridiculous salaries and you
9:54
know, look, I mean, they need help on defense.
9:56
What's your what just if you just had to take the money out
9:59
of it? What's your thought on gay he
10:00
going to city? I think that's a good move.
10:04
I think he will start and I think he would help because
10:08
right now the fence is looking a wolf out of sorts and I think he
10:14
could clean up some of the mess with that.
10:18
Yeah, it'll be interesting that they that's where they need the
10:20
and they signed Semenya, but I really they needed to help on
10:22
defense. Obviously, you know, Guevardi,
10:24
all Diaz are out. Stones has been out for a while
10:26
now. They're starting Kusanov and
10:29
this Max Elaine, who was playing in the championship a couple
10:32
weeks ago, they'd recall him on loan.
10:34
These are their two central defenders, so there's a massive.
10:36
Kusanov has not really been that guy for them ever.
10:39
No, he's young, but I haven't really seen much to get me that
10:42
excited. His debut against Chelsea did
10:44
not go great. No, did not.
10:46
It did not. Yeah, he made a pretty bad
10:48
giveaway there. But yeah, we'll see.
10:50
You know, like I said, I mean, they may not even be done
10:52
spending. I mean, they probably, you know,
10:54
want to add another guy or two. It's just it's the massive
10:56
financial advantage city have really over everybody else
11:00
because you know, you can say, well, Arsenal spent a lot of
11:02
money this summer. Liverpool did too, you know, but
11:05
it's just like they just can't every transfer window just go
11:08
again and spend more. You're going to watch it.
11:10
Like I doubt Liverpool or Arsenal make a signing this
11:13
entire January because they just can't do that.
11:16
Every single window where cities just like all right, here's
11:18
Simenio 100 million, you know, here comes Gay in for 35 million
11:22
transfer fee and we're going to spend, you know, put you on one
11:24
of the highest wages for a defender in the Premier League.
11:27
It's like having no salary cap. It's like I when I I play Madden
11:31
and I turn off the salary cap because it's more fun and I can
11:35
get better players. It's like doing having that.
11:38
Now look, I going back to the game for a second though there
11:41
there is a moment in this game that maybe could have really
11:43
flipped the switch one way or the other early on the 10th or
11:45
the 11th minute Diego Dallo foul on Doku.
11:49
Describe the foul and give me your your opinion on this one.
11:52
So the ball gets played to Doku and Dalo kind of comes in, he
11:56
studs up, hits him in the knee, Doku's knee bends back and he's
12:03
like he's rolling around in pain.
12:06
I can see that being a red card. Definitely in my opinion that it
12:10
is a red card. What made it a red card for you?
12:14
So the so the they called a foul on the field and the and referee
12:17
gave me yellow. What for you makes it a red?
12:21
That was so high, it wasn't on the ankle.
12:24
It was a it was a because it was just die.
12:28
That was studs up in the knee and his knee bends back.
12:33
Yeah, I, I think you're right on this one.
12:35
This, this one I'm surprised didn't get a little bit more
12:37
talking about too, because like you said it, it comes in, you
12:41
know, he's not running at him super fast, but he comes in and
12:43
like you said, studs up. He gets him on the knee.
12:46
His knee kind of buckles back. I mean this clearly in dangers a
12:50
player's welfare and that's sort of one of the criterias is like
12:53
dangerous and reckless to me is a dangerous and reckless.
12:55
I think Stallo very lucky to not get a red year, which would
12:59
really flip the script on this game.
13:01
Like I said that I you know, if I'm a city fan, I'm a little
13:05
upset about this because I'm again, you know, team goes on a
13:08
red card in the 11th minute. Totally different game.
13:11
So yeah, I, I don't know, I'm real surprised on that one, but.
13:14
Yeah. All right, look, let's move on
13:16
to our next game. We had #4 in the standings,
13:19
Liverpool taking on Burnley. This game ends one one.
13:23
I predicted it to be two nil Liverpool.
13:26
So Bruce Lie missed the PK in the 32nd minute.
13:28
I think Jack PO gets taken down and several slams into the
13:33
crossbar. Just proves that there's a thing
13:36
called having two powerful shot and Wiert in the 42nd minute
13:42
nice goal into the top corner and then Edward in the 65th
13:47
minute into the bottom corner. Now Liverpool have drawn 6 of
13:52
their last nine Premier League matches and still on 4th.
13:56
Within we're still in fourth on 36 points.
14:00
Yeah, Liverpool I feel like are going to feel pretty hard done
14:03
in this one. XG Luca They had 3.18 Burnley
14:06
with 0.411 shots on goal to 1. Burnley had Weston City FG and
14:13
they still scored. Yeah, total shots, Luka.
14:15
Liverpool had 32 to Burnley 7 and just like you just couldn't
14:19
kind of find a way they, you know, like you said, they
14:21
haven't. We're very clinical with your
14:22
chances. Yeah, it's sort of been the
14:24
story of Liverpool. I mean, last year Liverpool
14:26
would have probably won this game 41.
14:28
Maybe more. You know, so yeah, I mean, look,
14:31
they're not going to try. They, you know, they get a point
14:32
here. If anything, they gain a point
14:34
on City and Villa now. Manchester United picked up
14:37
three points, so they're now only one point behind them.
14:40
Chelsea got to win, so they're only two points behind them.
14:42
So it's getting interesting to me for the 4th, 5th, 6th spots.
14:46
Here. Yeah, with the with, it's
14:48
looking like maybe a Liverpool, United, Chelsea sort of race
14:51
for, for you know what, Champions League, Champions
14:53
League, a lot of them. I wouldn't be too disappointed
14:55
yet because it looks like England won't get another
14:59
Champions League spot. Yeah, but if, but if there's
15:01
remember that's six teams for five spots.
15:03
You know you have the top three separating.
15:05
Yeah, but like, if I was united right now and the season ended
15:08
right now, I wouldn't be too disappointed.
15:11
Well, yeah, United would be in 5th.
15:12
Yeah, I. Know yeah yeah so like I said
15:16
Liverpool 4 draws in a row like you said they just keep drawing
15:18
all these games it reminds me of like what Arsenal did last year
15:21
with all the draws and you just can't have that many draws and
15:24
really expect a kind of challenge and yeah they're still
15:26
now 14 points off of the 1st 1st place and I think yeah their
15:31
title chances have been I think done for a couple of weeks now
15:34
but. Yeah, like.
15:34
I said they're in a real battle here.
15:36
For they were done for me like a month ago A.
15:38
Month ago couple. Maybe 2?
15:40
Well, speaking one of those teams chasing Liverpool, Luca
15:43
Chelsea hosted Brentford in a London Derby.
15:46
This game ends 2 nil Chelsea. I predict to be 31.
15:49
Brentford. John Pedro in the 26th minute,
15:53
the goals like originally called offsides but they overturned it,
15:57
then Cole Palmer peak and the 76th minute.
16:00
Honestly Brentford man they had so many good chances I'm
16:04
surprised this game and two ended 2.
16:06
No, Chelsea, like this game should have been 3-3 maybe.
16:10
Yeah, there's a lot of chances in this game wasted.
16:13
Brentford now three wins and eight losses on the road this
16:17
year, they have not been great on the road.
16:19
So yeah, pretty much it. Yeah, it's you predicted 31
16:24
Brentford and that's probably what it should have been. 8
16:26
honestly. Brentford Luca had so many great
16:29
chances, Not just good chances, so many great.
16:31
I mean literally guys on the 6 yard box by themselves I think.
16:35
I think Damsgard pushed one wide shot, a past one.
16:38
I passed up a shot and tried to pass the ball, yeah, and.
16:42
Jensen had like a volley off the post.
16:45
Yeah, I mean, Brentford, this game does not like this is the
16:49
scoreline is not exactly how this game went.
16:51
Like I said, Brentford were good in this game.
16:52
They just couldn't. Quite.
16:53
I feel like they are a little bit better than Chelsea in this
16:55
game. Yeah, I think they definitely
16:57
were. Like I said, I think Chelsea's
16:58
lucky to get a win here. I mean, they're they're at home,
17:00
but I think Brentford clearly had the better chances, but they
17:03
just, they just weren't clinical.
17:04
They just couldn't find that last one.
17:06
You know, Chelsea needed this win, Luca.
17:09
They've gone five Premier, three games without a win.
17:11
So I mean, they were kind of desperate to get a win here.
17:14
And again, that just now keeps them sort of in the mix now two
17:17
points behind Liverpool and 4th, one point behind United for
17:21
fifth. Because I mean, they've got
17:22
Brentford, Newcastle, Sunderland all kind of chasing them, only
17:26
one point behind them. So it's it's really to me really
17:30
shaping up to be like kind of a fun Premier League season here
17:33
with all of these teams sort of in the mix and and it feels like
17:36
anybody can beat anybody. Yeah.
17:38
It's just like, you just don't know.
17:39
We'll get on to Arsenal, going to Forest and and, you know,
17:41
drawing and, like I said, City and United losing to United.
17:44
It's just, I don't know, it feels like maybe there's not a
17:47
great, great team. It feels like you know?
17:49
There's I think Arsenal is a great, great.
17:50
Team. Well, we'll see.
17:51
We'll see. I mean, you want them to be a
17:54
great, great. Team.
17:55
I think they're a great half grade team.
17:58
What does that even mean? Like like how many letters are
18:00
in great 552 and 1/2 butters for great?
18:06
I I don't know if they're a great team yet.
18:08
We, we will see. We're going to see how the
18:10
second. Half of season.
18:10
Goes if they if, if they go on to win the Premier League title
18:13
and they kind of keep what they're doing, maybe.
18:15
But you know, we'll see because right now they're doing well.
18:18
We'll get on to them in a second, but they're in four
18:20
competitions. They're doing very well in all
18:22
four. So but Liverpool were in the
18:26
same boat last year and came away with one trophy.
18:28
Now they won the Premier League. That's a massive trophy.
18:30
I would take that in a heartbeat.
18:32
Yes, me too. In the Premier, like yes.
18:34
I would take a trophy if we win the Caribou Cup.
18:37
I'm freaking out. Shirts.
18:38
Shirts off. We're taking at this point
18:42
exactly, so we'll get on to them in a second.
18:44
But all right, Luca, another London Derby, Spurs hosting West
18:47
Ham. This game ends 21 West Ham.
18:51
Spurs lose. Yeah, let's go.
18:56
And it's at Spurs. Sorry, I predict to be 00.
19:02
It was 21, obviously. Somerville in the 15th minute,
19:05
he scores. Yeah, I think it could be his
19:07
first goal for West Ham, at least in the Premier League, I
19:10
think. Anyway.
19:11
Romero, nice header in the 64th minute and then Callum, Callum
19:15
Wilson and the 94th minute gets the winner.
19:20
West Ham gave up. We, we, we mean 12 headed goal.
19:27
They gave up. They've given up 12 headed
19:30
goals. That's that's a lot.
19:31
Yeah, I mean, they they have the worst defense in the league.
19:33
They've given them 44 total goals, but they give up a lot of
19:37
them in the air for sure. But here they found a way to
19:40
keep it to 1 and they battled. And like you said, Wilson, right
19:43
before that, that corner kick had a real good chance in the
19:46
box. And but they keep at it and they
19:49
get a big, big three points, you know, as they try to close the
19:53
gap to get out of the relegation zone.
19:55
They're in 18th. So they're in a bad spot.
19:57
But they're only five behind Forest now.
20:00
So, you know, if they can get a couple wins, maybe they can try
20:04
to escape relegation. There's, you know, time to do
20:06
it. But yeah, they desperately
20:08
needed this win. Spurs, Luca, my goodness, man.
20:11
They are really, you know, just awful.
20:14
Thomas Frank's job in jeopardy. We'll see kind of what happens.
20:19
I would have fired it fired him two weeks ago.
20:22
Entire two weeks ago yeah I mean look, they they you know they
20:25
went to Dortmund and Champions League and they won and or I.
20:29
Don't know but Dortmund had a red card.
20:31
I know they did, but still, that's that's how the game goes
20:34
and they didn't win. There pretty well in the
20:35
Champions League, actually. They are, and I think that may
20:37
be a little bit of his saving grace is that he's actually
20:39
doing pretty well there. They're in the top 8 I think.
20:43
But yeah, like, I mean, Tottenham, it's just amazing to
20:46
me that they're in 14th place on 27 points, tied with
20:49
Bournemouth, only two ahead of leads.
20:52
I mean, it's it's pretty incredible.
20:54
It's it's sort of dark times there for Spurs, but.
20:57
I love it. You love it.
20:59
I'll take it. All right, Luke, well, let's
21:01
move on to a team. No dark times here for
21:03
Sunderland hosting Palace. This game ends 21 Sunderland I
21:08
predict to be 1 nil. Sunderland Pinot in the 30th
21:12
minute, gets the first one opener for Palace with fee, then
21:16
answers in the third 3rd minute and then Bravi.
21:20
Man this guy scores a lot of clutch goals in the 71st minute.
21:24
Sunderland still unbeaten in that at home.
21:27
Six wins and five drills. Yeah, Sunderland.
21:30
You know they are. We talked about how good they
21:31
are at home. Them and Arsenal, the only two
21:33
teams that not lose a game at home.
21:35
Sunderland's XG 1.72 Palace 0.61 Shots were 13 to 6 in this one.
21:41
Sunderland, like I said, just a very, very good team at home.
21:45
They're now getting some guys back from AFCON.
21:47
So I'm curious now you they hit a little bit of a rough spell
21:50
there, you know, with all the games coming through December
21:53
and into January. So they're getting some guys
21:55
back to see if they can maybe now push on a little bit.
21:59
They're on 33 points, so right now if we say 5th place Luca is
22:03
a Champions League spot. There are only two points out of
22:06
a possible Champions League spot.
22:08
Oh my God. Absolutely insane to say, but
22:10
they I think they totally deserve, they deserve it.
22:13
This is not a fluke to me at all.
22:15
And like I said, with them getting some guys back, keep an
22:17
eye on, like I said, Sunderland for just sort of hanging around
22:20
here and it's going to be tough. There's a lot of really good
22:22
teams sort of battling it out in this sort of, you know, top 10
22:27
area Palace, Luca. It's sort of sad what's
22:31
happening right now at Palace. So, you know, in the summer they
22:34
sold as A to Arsenal. Yeah.
22:36
You know, totally happy about. Yeah, I mean, well, as an
22:39
Arsenal fan we are. But you know, they almost sold
22:42
Gehey to Liverpool, but they pulled that deal back at the
22:46
last second. You know, now they sell Gehey
22:48
the day before a game to City. Oliver Glassner Luca then comes
22:52
out and says that he's like, I'm not coming back.
22:55
I'll finish out the season, but I'm I'm not coming back.
22:58
So he's he's going to be gone. Matetta now Lucas says he wants
23:02
out. He doesn't want to be there.
23:04
Oliver Glasner Luca in this game, he didn't make one
23:06
substitution in this game. I I feel like that's a message
23:10
to the owners like, hey, you haven't given me any good guys.
23:13
I'm not playing anybody off the bench.
23:14
And that's pretty rare in a Premier League game to make no
23:16
substitution. And he was real harsh.
23:20
Luca in his language. He said he's felt like
23:22
abandoned. And you know, I, I guess my
23:25
question to you, Luca, is when, when you, if you get hired by a
23:28
team that's like a typical mid table team like Palace,
23:32
Bournemouth, Brighton, you know, do you sort of have to go in
23:36
there with eyes wide open knowing the deal going in there
23:38
is that their model, Luca is get young players, you develop them
23:43
and then they get sold to the big teams.
23:45
Like that's just what happens with these guys.
23:48
Or do you think, No, like he did something, He won the FA Cup,
23:52
he's got him playing well. Powell should spend some money
23:54
and reinvest, even though that's probably their business model.
23:58
I think they should spend some money and reinvest even though I
24:01
know it's not their business model.
24:03
Yeah. I mean, look, I think you'd like
24:05
to do it, but I, I, it's not, it's not what these teams
24:07
typically do. I know, but.
24:10
You know, everybody wants to spend money and stuff, but I, I,
24:13
I think there's a little bit of like when you get hired by these
24:16
teams, that's sort of the, the deal they make.
24:19
And also a lot of times, Lucas, some of these managers like
24:21
Ariola Bournemouth has thought of as very high, you know,
24:24
thought of very well, class or not, they they raise their stock
24:28
and now they can go on to other places.
24:29
You know, Glasner, you know, who knows Manchester United this
24:32
summer, might he go there? Maybe, maybe feels like maybe
24:35
that could be possibly a bit of a fit there, but.
24:38
Stand Premier League. You know, so you know Ariella is
24:41
at Bournemouth. Does he move on to, I don't
24:43
know, you know, another team, you know, a little bit higher up
24:45
there. So I mean, the managers can do
24:47
it too. They can kind of come in, raise
24:49
their stock and go off to another team.
24:51
But it it's kind of it's dark times for Palace right now.
24:54
They are struggling on the field.
24:55
They're losing guys. I just the morale there feels
24:58
really, really low. Yeah.
24:59
It's kind of a shame because the magic they created with that FA
25:03
Cup win. And then the beginning of the
25:04
season they were one of this like couple teams that were
25:07
unbeaten. Yeah, yeah, they got off to a
25:09
great start. They were playing well, but you
25:12
know, they just don't have the depth of squad to to lose now
25:15
Gay here halfway through, you know, he's such a key piece for
25:19
them. But yeah, I don't know.
25:21
I don't like to see it. I just think it's sort of sad
25:23
for Palace and their. Fans, yeah.
25:25
All right, look, let's move over to Leeds hosting Fulham.
25:29
Yeah, not much in this game. One nil leads is the final
25:32
score, I-22 in the Metra and then 92nd minute I think gets
25:39
the winner for them. A big goal, but that's a big win
25:43
for Leeds. Foam only had 7 touches in the
25:46
league's box. Leeds box and HXG for Foam was
25:50
.0 point 39 and Leeds had 1.43. So yeah, let's watch it in that
25:57
game. Yeah, so Leeds kind of feels
25:58
like they deserve the win here. You know, I mean, it's a nice
26:01
goal, you know, that that he had sort of reaching his leg across
26:04
like the defender's body on the cross, sort of knocks it right
26:07
into the corner there. Yeah.
26:09
Fulham, Luca, you know, it's a sort of what they do.
26:12
They sort of they gain a little momentum.
26:13
They're playing well, moving up the table.
26:16
And then they sort of have these sort of inexplicable losses
26:19
where they just sort of generate nothing.
26:20
And and, you know, now it's a sort of a big loss for them now
26:24
that now they're sort of back in 11th here, Brighton coming up.
26:28
You know, I felt like Fulham was finally gaining a little
26:30
momentum. You know, they had a win, draw,
26:31
draw, win in their last four games.
26:34
So but it just feels like this is always a story with them.
26:36
They never just sort of put together like a real long
26:39
sustain run a result. So hopefully they can see maybe
26:41
they they can bounce back here a little bit.
26:43
Looks like they're maybe going to be active possibly in the
26:46
transfer window. Oscar, Bob.
26:50
Ricardo Pepe. They're looking at him, but then
26:52
I think he got hurt. So there's some talk about Oscar
26:55
Bob from City. You know, that could be an
26:57
interesting guy. I'd like to see him go, he's
26:59
pretty good. Yeah, it'd be nice to see
27:01
Fulham. We're very quiet this summer
27:03
adding guys. It'd be nice to see them maybe
27:04
add a piece or two here in January to kind of help the
27:07
squad. Like I said, they they were
27:09
playing real well the past month or so.
27:11
Yeah. But for leads, good three points
27:13
for them. Like I said, they're in 16th on
27:15
25 points, so well done. All right, Luca, let's go to our
27:20
boys here. Arsenal went on the road to
27:22
Forest. And that game ended 00 I predict
27:26
to be two nil. Arsenal 9AM40 shots on goal.
27:30
The first time at home since April 2023. back-to-back games
27:34
with zero goals for Arsenal. So yeah, not really much to talk
27:38
about in this game. Yeah, it's the first time since
27:40
the since 2012, two thousand 2013 season that Arsenal have
27:45
gone back-to-back not scoring a goal.
27:48
In some ways, I feel like you could see this coming.
27:50
You know, Sean Dyche just sort of sets up in a very low block.
27:53
He sets up very defensively. He's just going to make you
27:56
break like a break them down. And they're very well organized.
28:01
And Arsenal don't do well breaking down low blocks that
28:05
just seem to lack that sort of creative flair in the final
28:08
third to sort of, you know, get around and create chances like I
28:10
feel like other teams can do. When teams do that to us, I just
28:14
feel like we really struggle. And I I, I don't know, I just
28:17
with this game I just had, you know, I just was going into this
28:20
game thinking like, I don't know, I just don't see US
28:22
winning it easily. Yeah.
28:24
I would have liked to have thought we could have still beat
28:26
Forest. They really did not mount much
28:28
offensively, you know. It it felt like they were going
28:31
for the tie. Yeah, kind of.
28:33
And I guess it's a decent point for them.
28:35
And look, ultimately, I guess it's actually a pretty good
28:37
point for Arsenal because, you know, they, it's a big missed
28:40
opportunity to me because they go into the weekend and you're 6
28:43
points up on City and Villa. Well, you know, the day before
28:47
that City lose, so you have the chance to win and go 9 points
28:50
up. And so yeah, you still gain a
28:54
point on them, but it feels like a massive missed opportunity
28:57
where if you're up 9 points and that is like feels like a real.
29:01
Substantial and they will also loss too.
29:03
Yeah, they end up losing too. But yeah, I just think to me,
29:06
it's just sort of a real missed opportunity for Arsenal in this
29:09
one. I So I do want to ask you, Luca,
29:10
there's a situation in the second-half of this game for
29:13
ball comes into Forest box and Ina sort of goes over to get it.
29:18
He's right on the end line. It sort of hits up off his
29:21
shoulder, kind of then comes down on his upper arm elbow area
29:26
and he sort of corrals the ball a little bit.
29:29
It eventually does roll out of balance for a corner kick, but
29:31
what was your thought on this? I think that's a handball.
29:34
Okay, tell me why you think that.
29:36
I think it does hit his hand and I don't think it looked like he
29:40
was in like a unintentional spot.
29:44
It kind of looked like it was intentional, to be quite honest
29:48
with you. Yeah, I it looked intentional
29:51
and it definitely does hit his hand.
29:54
It was still in play. You're looking for if it wasn't
29:56
in play anymore, but it definitely was.
29:59
But yeah, I think the refs kind of missed that one.
30:02
Yeah, I was a little, this one. I was a little bit on the fence
30:04
with this one. You know, when I initially saw
30:07
it, I did not think it was a penalty.
30:09
The more I've seen, I've seen it, I think there is sort of
30:12
clear motion of his hands and he's I does look kind of
30:16
intentional, like he's trying to sort of scoop and keep the ball
30:18
in play, which he doesn't do and it leads to a corner.
30:21
But yeah, this one, I don't know.
30:23
I'm surprised this didn't get like a little bit of a closer
30:25
look. It felt like it was pretty
30:26
close, pretty quick look on it, move on.
30:29
But yeah, I don't know, look, I, I feel like I've seen this given
30:33
where a guy makes like an intentional motion with his hand
30:35
and touches the ball, but it wasn't given, you know?
30:38
And like I said, I mean, I don't think it was as clear as some
30:40
other ones. But yeah, I mean, like I said,
30:44
that would have been a big thing.
30:45
Obviously could have. Gotten a penalty and somehow
30:47
found their way there. But we'll see.
30:49
Like I said, Arsenal bounce back this week.
30:51
Had a good win over Inter in the Champions League.
30:53
But we'll get on to next week's game.
30:54
But just massive game. But Man United coming up.
30:57
Yeah. All right, Luke, let's move over
30:58
to Wolves hosting Newcastle. Again, not really anything to
31:02
talk about. 00 I predict to be two on Newcastle passwords
31:07
fourth goal list draw this year. Only had one in past two years.
31:15
Wolves unbeaten in last four. I mean, it's pretty good.
31:19
Yeah, I mean, Wolves, you know, this, this record-breaking,
31:22
terrible start that they had, are starting to, you know, get a
31:25
few results. I think ultimately it's going to
31:27
be a little too late. You know, they're on eight
31:30
points. They're 14 points from Forrest
31:33
and 17th, you know where they'd want to be where you don't get
31:35
relegated. Just think that's too much for
31:38
them to make up. So good to see them playing
31:41
tough. Like I said, I I saw this when
31:43
Arsenal played and I was like, wow, this team is is better than
31:46
their record. And you know, I watched some of
31:49
this game and like I said, they they played, they played well.
31:53
You know, I mean, like I said, they really hung in there.
31:55
So I mean, they're playing way better than they did.
31:57
But yeah, I think it's going to be a little too late, yeah.
32:00
For Newcastle Luga, again, missed opportunity.
32:03
I mean, they've been playing well.
32:04
They came in three wins in a row.
32:05
This was their chance to sort of move up, get close to 5th, get
32:09
close to the Champions League spot.
32:10
They're still in a good spot. They're on 33 points.
32:12
You know, they're in aid. So they're close, but they had
32:15
really been gaining some momentum, and they're going to
32:16
feel like this is missed opportunity, not getting a win
32:19
against Wolves. Yeah.
32:22
So all right, let's move on to another surprise result here,
32:26
Luca. Aston Villa at home versus
32:27
Everton. Again, not really much dog rock.
32:30
This game ends one nil. Everton I predicted to be two
32:33
nil. Aston Villa Berry in the 59th
32:36
minute, he scores and Villa's second home loss and last 29
32:41
Premier League games. Everton's first win against
32:45
Aston Villa and last 13 matches going back to 2016.
32:49
Yeah, I mean, this is 1 where, you know, Villa at home here
32:53
again, they had a big opportunity.
32:55
They knew that City had lost. They knew Arsenal would tie.
32:58
This was their opportunity to really maybe get a little bit
33:01
closer, put a little bit of pressure and now they're going
33:05
to look at it as well. They missed a massive
33:07
opportunity. They couldn't even get a tie or
33:08
even get a point. So they drop a point to Arsenal
33:11
in this one. Luca Barry now has three goals
33:14
in his last four. That's pretty good doing.
33:16
Pretty good for them. Bad news for Everton, Luca.
33:19
Jack Grehalish is gonna be out two to three months with a
33:21
stress fracture in his foot. That is a massive loss, Luca.
33:24
He's an important player. And Kieran Dewsbury Hall still
33:27
out too. He's still out, too.
33:29
So yeah, they've got to get some guys back here and kind of
33:33
figure out a way Grehlish has been really, really good for
33:35
them. It's interesting, Luca, you
33:37
notice that we just talked about the last three games here.
33:39
We had a 0000001 goal. Scoring is down, you know in in
33:46
so far this year Luca, we've had 1700 games in the Premier
33:50
League. All last year we had 16.
33:55
Yeah, it's weird. Goal scoring tends to be down
33:58
for some reason. I, I don't know if teams are
34:00
just sort of, you know. Playing more defensive.
34:03
Yeah, I I think that's part of it.
34:05
I think some of these sort of mid table lower team are just
34:07
sort of willing, like, you know, we just said Nottingham farce or
34:09
we're almost willing to just take a tie, you know, to sit in
34:11
play real defensive. But you know, it's it's you
34:15
know, obviously we want to see goals.
34:17
We want to see the excitement of that.
34:18
So don't love that trend. That's something to keep an eye
34:22
on it and in terms of how low some of these goal scoring games
34:25
have been. All right, Luca, the last game
34:27
of the week we had Brighton hosting Bournemouth.
34:31
This game ends 11. I got spot on.
34:33
I predicted 11 Tavernier PK in the 32nd minute.
34:38
He gets to go for them and Cousteau off the bench.
34:41
Bicycle Kid goal in the 92nd minute to tie it up.
34:44
Brighton's ninth goal by its most in Premier League and
34:48
Tavernier six goal in all competitions, most in the season
34:51
for him. Yeah, the bicycle goal is is
34:54
definitely worth going and checking out.
34:56
Oh my gosh, what a spectacular goal this is to get them the
34:59
tie. Brighton, Luca, we've talked
35:01
about this before. They are sneaky.
35:03
Very, very good at home. Five wins, 5 draws, only one
35:07
loss. You know, so we've we praised
35:09
Arsenal and Sunderland for how good they are and they've
35:11
they've not lost any at home, but Brian is a very tough place
35:14
to go and play. They've lost one game now at
35:17
home and they're doing pretty good, Luke.
35:19
I mean they're they're in 12 on 30 points.
35:22
So you know, like I said, kind of where we probably expect them
35:24
to be kind of mid table, but they're kind of putting together
35:27
I think a pretty decent season for them.
35:29
You're unbeaten in their last four.
35:30
Yeah, Now three of those were draws.
35:32
So interesting game coming up with Fulham that we'll kind of
35:35
get to that. Your prediction there.
35:37
But look, there it is that that's Week 22 wrapped up.
35:42
We still have Arsenal leading City and Villa by 7 points,
35:46
Liverpool then in fourth on 36th of 14 points behind Man United
35:51
and 5th, Chelsea and 6th, Frankfurt and 7th.
35:53
So like I said, I think it's shaping up to be, like I said, a
35:57
pretty exciting kind of run in here.
35:59
We have 16 more games to go, so there's still a ton of season
36:04
and a ton of movement here, but I just think we'll go.
36:06
What I've noticed, you know, is it just feels like anybody can
36:10
go out and beat anybody. There's so many solid teams and
36:13
I think there's going to be some surprising results as we come in
36:17
that'll keep it real interesting here for these sort of, you
36:20
know, I'm going to call it like 4th through maybe 9th, those
36:24
teams kind of battling out for those European spots.
36:26
Wait I I for some reason I just did something in my head.
36:30
Wait, how many points is Arsenal on on 1st?
36:33
They have 50 points. Oh.
36:35
So theoretically, if the first and second team lose every game
36:40
and wolves wolves when every game for the rest of the season,
36:44
they'll win first? About 58 points. 16 * 3 + 8. 16
36:50
* 3 + 8 yeah. So yeah, they theoretically
36:54
could Now that that would be pretty amazing if that happened.
36:57
Yeah, one one out of their first 22.
36:59
Yeah, I just, I was just thinking of that first thing
37:03
because you said there's 16 games left.
37:05
All right, Luca. Well, as we wrap up though, I
37:07
need from you who is your Player of the week?
37:10
I need a goal of the week and who's your team of the week?
37:13
Well obviously goal of the week is gonna be Cousteau losses.
37:16
Bicycle kick. Yeah, that was pretty awesome.
37:19
Team of the Week from going United.
37:20
Yeah, yeah, that was a big win. They played great player they.
37:27
Stood out no one really had. They did Brobby.
37:29
He played pretty well. Brobby all right, give a little
37:31
shout out to him because he's been really good for them.
37:34
Had a pretty clutch goal in this game.
37:35
Yeah, he seems to come up with these real clutch late goals and
37:38
he did it to Arsenal. I mean, he's been really good
37:41
for them. I didn't know much about him to
37:43
start the season. He played at IX before.
37:45
Hey, yeah, he's a good player. I like him.
37:48
All right, Luca, well, there it is.
37:50
Let's look ahead to Week 23. So we're doing the podcast on
37:53
Thursday. We got week weekend games here,
37:56
so we're getting kind of back on a little bit of a normal
37:58
schedule. So let's run through what we've
38:01
got coming up this weekend with our Week 23 games.
38:04
Right off the bat, Luca, you've got West Ham hosting Sunderland.
38:08
I think Sunderland win 2 now. 2 now OK, so Sunderland, Luca, you
38:14
like them kind of getting back on track.
38:16
West Ham coming off the wind. They're at home, but they're not
38:19
going to get any result from you here.
38:20
No. All right, all right.
38:22
What about City hosting Wolves? So City struggling big time, but
38:29
they're at home. City just lost to Bodo, Glimped
38:33
in the Champions League. I'm going one. 10 My goodness
38:36
look a 11 city can't beat. I.
38:40
Breaking Bad. I wanted to go 21 wolves but I
38:43
thought that was just wild. All right, 11 city drop more
38:47
points. Are they are?
38:48
They going to fire Pep then Luca because of these bands.
38:50
All said, is this what it's going?
38:52
To come? No, not yet, but.
38:54
All right, go to up Fulham hosting Bright.
38:57
I think also 11. Okay.
39:00
Yeah, both like kind of dark horses game.
39:04
Yeah, kind of an important game for both of them.
39:06
They both so full on on 31 points, Brighton on 30.
39:09
So if if one of these teams can win, that kind of puts a little
39:12
gap between the other there. All right, here we go, Luca.
39:15
Burnley hosting Tottenham. I'm going Burnley wins 1
39:21
Nothing. One nothing.
39:22
Oh my gosh, I I think, I think the nail in the coffin for
39:25
Thomas Frank if they lose. Yes, if they even tie to
39:28
Burnley. Yeah, I mean, he, like I said,
39:30
got a little bit of a reprieve this week with the Champions
39:32
League win, but I just, if they can't, if they don't beat
39:35
Burnley now it's at Burnley Stadium.
39:37
Turf wars generally tough. But they've been better away,
39:40
which is so weird. They have, so that's the thing
39:42
you would expect. Tottenham have been playing
39:44
better on the road. Yeah, they to me, they've got to
39:47
win or else something's got to give.
39:49
All right, look, here's an interesting game.
39:50
Bournemouth hosting Liverpool. I'm going to 1 Liverpool. 2 All
39:56
right, so Liverpool Luca on the road are going to get the win.
40:00
What about Crystal Palace hosting Chelsea London Derby
40:03
here? I think Chelsea win 31. 31 OK,
40:07
so more misery for Palace here. Yeah.
40:10
All right, here's an interesting game that I'm kind of interested
40:12
in watching this one. Luca, Newcastle hosting Villa.
40:15
So you've got Newcastle. Luca unbeaten in their last
40:18
four. 22. 22 Okay, what makes you think too?
40:21
I'm I'm curious or sort of thought on this game.
40:23
I just think both teams have like lots of goal scores like
40:28
Harvey, Barnes, Voltamade, and then on the other side it got
40:32
like Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins.
40:34
And I feel like both teams are, I mean, somewhat even and where
40:40
is it? I think it's at Villa, right?
40:42
No, it's at Saint James Parks in Newcastle's home field.
40:45
Yeah, but I just think S could be a good game.
40:48
Yeah, I'm real interested. I agree with you, I think.
40:50
And you forget Lisa, now healthy, he scored in the
40:52
Champions League this week from Newcastle, so he's now kind of
40:55
available with those other guys that you mentioned, Bruno Green,
40:59
Marash playing great for Newcastle as well.
41:02
You got Anthony Gordon there. But then Villa, of course, I've
41:05
just been rolling lately, obviously up until this past
41:08
weekend. So I I think they're going to
41:09
kind of bounce back. But I'm real curious to see how
41:12
this game goes because, you know, it's just like I said,
41:15
Newcastle's a team that I always thought were better than where
41:18
they were, but they've now slowly kind of moved up here.
41:21
They're at home where it's generally really tough to go
41:23
play. This is I think this could be a
41:25
real fun game to watch. I'm with you.
41:26
I think there's going to be some goals in this game.
41:28
So I just want to watch are Luca Brentford hosting Nottingham
41:31
Forest? Think Brentford wins 2 now
41:35
they're great at home and Forest all OK.
41:38
All right, how about Everton hosting Leeds?
41:42
I it's 00. 00 All right, another 00 game to add to the total.
41:47
All right, Luca, the final game, the big one, Arsenal hosting
41:51
Manchester United. This all of a sudden feels like
41:54
a bad. I wish Ruben Amaram was still
41:56
there a couple weeks ago. I wasn't as worried about this
41:59
game. I wish like, Carrick would have
42:01
just been there for that game and then Ruben Amaram came back
42:04
for this game and then Carrick took over for the SOP.
42:07
I know because they, like I said, they look like a totally
42:09
different team now. Is it?
42:11
Did they look like a totally different team because it's her
42:14
first game under the new manager?
42:15
You're playing Manchester City, it's a Derby game.
42:19
Or is this sort of like reawakening the giant here with
42:22
Manchester? You know what, What do you
42:24
expect from this game? I think they'll come out like
42:28
Chelsea did against us, kind of like very energetic, kind of
42:31
like how they came out against City.
42:34
But I think it's not going to be an easy game 100%, even though
42:37
we're at home. OK, So what do you all right so
42:39
well then give me your pick for the game I.
42:40
Think it's going to be two One Arsenal?
42:42
21 Arsenal. But it won't be easy.
42:44
It won't be like we're up to now.
42:46
And then they get a consolation. Well, let me ask you this too
42:48
from an Arsenal standpoint, Luca, you've got, you know, this
42:52
week in Champions League they started Jay Zeus at striker puts
42:55
in two goals. Giochrist comes off the bench
42:57
and scores a goal. But I still start Jay, Zeus or
43:00
Havers. Maybe Havers?
43:02
Well, I, I, I know you like Haversuka, but he hasn't even,
43:04
like, played a minute in like the past couple weeks.
43:07
Yeah, You're not, you're not going to start him in this game.
43:10
So I'm curious, who would you start between Jay Zeus and Yoga?
43:13
Oh, obviously, Jay Zeus. So you would start Jay Zeus.
43:15
Why would you start him over you?
43:16
I just think he offers more than Yokrez.
43:20
Yeah, Gilchrez. He's not great at first touch
43:24
and I think Jay Zeus is a little more skilled on the ball and Yo
43:29
Perez is fine at finishing, but I just think J Juice is better.
43:33
I think J Juice has is overall better player.
43:37
Yeah, you know the other guy, they won't do it.
43:39
But the one thing I would almost think of Marino too in this.
43:43
Situation. Oh yeah, I forgot about him.
43:44
We have enough. He's he's been good.
43:46
He's been really good. I'll tell you the reason why is
43:48
because I think that, you know, one thing is we know McGuire
43:51
will probably start as a central midfielder and he's very good.
43:54
Central defender. Central defender and he's really
43:57
good in the air. Now Jay, I think Gilchrist is
43:59
not very good in the air. Even though he's a big guy, he's
44:02
just not very good in the air. I think Jay Zeus is pretty good
44:04
in the air, but he needs, he needs to get space to do it.
44:07
But I think if he gets a little bit of space, he's good.
44:09
Marino, I think is great in the air.
44:11
Someone who actually could challenge McGuire for balls like
44:13
on corner kicks and things. Like that and as Haverts comes
44:15
off the bench, he's also pretty good in there.
44:17
He is he is good. I, I don't know Luke that you're
44:20
going to see haverts in this game.
44:21
I know you like him and stuff like that, but he has not played
44:23
Luke in in a couple weeks. He had that brief spell.
44:26
He's been on the bench, but I just don't know if they trust
44:29
his fitness right now. Like you're going to throw him.
44:31
And I mean, if they're up 3 nothing or down 3 nothing, Yeah,
44:34
he may get some minutes if this game is close.
44:36
Look, I don't see them going that route.
44:38
He's just not game sharp. You know, We need to get some
44:41
minutes into his legs. I don't know why he has not
44:45
played since, I don't know, two or three weeks ago when he had
44:48
that came in, he played like, what, 10 or 15 minutes, I think.
44:52
Was it the next game? Then he wasn't even on the bench
44:56
and then he's been on the bench but he's not played, You know, I
45:00
don't know. I don't know what the answer is.
45:02
I've not seen anything that he's had a set back.
45:03
I've not seen anything that he's not training well.
45:06
So I don't know. It feels like there's something
45:08
a little strange going on with him.
45:10
This is a big game. Like I said, you just can't
45:13
throw him in there and say go ahead and do it now.
45:15
Look, maybe if there's 5 minutes to go and you need a goal, you
45:18
put, just put all your attacking players in and he is good in the
45:20
air. So maybe that's a situation
45:22
where you've literally got, you know, Jay, Zeus, Geochrist and
45:25
Havarts on the field just because you're chasing a goal
45:27
with a couple minutes ago. But yeah, look, I, I, this game
45:31
is real interesting. I'm, I'm curious, like I said,
45:33
I'm curious, you know, what United teams going to come out
45:36
here if they can sort of maintain that real good level
45:38
that they brought to their last game.
45:40
They've been an up and down team this year.
45:42
They've looked great and then they've sort of looked not
45:45
great. I think they'll be up for this
45:47
game. But you know, they it's
45:50
sometimes it's hard to get that emotional level up week in and
45:53
week out. You know that that city game,
45:55
first manager, you know, first game under the new manager.
45:58
It's easy to get that emotion going.
46:00
Now you got to do it again. Now they've also have the
46:02
advantage. They didn't have a game all
46:04
week. You know, we had to travel to
46:06
Milan, you know, now, granted, we rotated the squad pretty well
46:09
and still like, you know, they could rest all week.
46:12
They've been on the training ground with Carrick all week.
46:14
So I think it's a bit of a fascinating game.
46:16
And I think United Arsenal games always have a little bit of
46:19
something kind of crazy that like will happen.
46:21
So this will be a fun one to watch for sure.
46:25
All right, Luca. Well, yeah, you got your picks
46:27
in there. So I guess, should we move over
46:30
to our viewer mailbag? Yeah.
46:33
All right, Luca, the viewer mailbag question is for you.
46:36
And it says, look, if you were a soccer manager, OK, you're the
46:39
manager of the team, the coach, the manager, whatever you want
46:41
to call it. What formation and style of play
46:45
would you want to play? I like 3-4, three when I'm, you
46:51
know. Explain what that is to people.
46:53
It's three defenders, 4 midfielders and three like
46:56
attackers. OK, so it'd be like 2 central
47:00
midfielders, maybe one CDM, maybe 1 central attacking
47:03
midfielder, then two like left and right midfielders and then
47:07
the left wings and right wings, the striker.
47:10
Then you got your left back, right back and the center back.
47:12
So I like to spray three at the back and you have your goalie.
47:16
I do I I like to do that when I am like just making a team out
47:20
of my soccer cards. That's my favorite formation and
47:23
I would play very attacking just because defending it's just
47:26
boring. If you play super defending
47:29
you're just boring. All right, so you're going real
47:32
attacking just because you like an exciting style of.
47:34
Yeah. You want to try to entertain the
47:36
fans, keep them half. Yeah.
47:38
OK. So you're right.
47:39
Just you're going to try to outscore everybody here.
47:41
Yeah. OK.
47:42
That's pretty much the goal. Yeah.
47:43
OK, that just sums it up. All right, so now are you, are
47:46
you someone who with this formation, you you're going to
47:48
press a lot. You just sort.
47:50
Of. All right, So you're pressing
47:51
right off the jump. Everybody's involved trying to
47:54
win the ball back. Yes.
47:55
OK. All right, so you're you better
47:58
get some good defenders here. You're leaving them out there on
48:00
an island here. Yeah, depressing.
48:01
But then they got to defend and, you know, All right.
48:04
When I get I make my card line up, I make sure to get like a
48:08
rock solid defense back there, getting Gabrielle, getting
48:13
Roberto Carlos and I'm getting Canavaro.
48:16
You're bringing them out of retirement.
48:17
Yeah, OK. Right.
48:19
Back in their prime. I like it, Luca.
48:22
All right, Luca. Well, let's go over to our
48:23
Digeno section. And we have been rolling through
48:26
all the teams in the Premier League, doing a little bit of a
48:28
deep dive, trying to learn a little bit more about them.
48:31
We are up to your favorite team. Luca, wait.
48:34
What? Manchester City.
48:37
No, Disgusting. Luca as the citizens.
48:40
We have to talk about these guys.
48:41
Yeah, everybody gets their due here.
48:43
Everybody gets their due. I almost started talking about
48:45
our show but we always like, wait what?
48:46
Yeah, we already did that. We're doing it alphabetically.
48:48
So Manchester City, Luca nicknamed the Citizens or the
48:51
Blues. They of course play their
48:52
colors, the sky blue. Guys can skip over this if you
48:56
want to. Luca.
48:57
They were founded in 1880 as Saint Mark's as a club that
49:02
provide like healthy activities for young men.
49:05
So they were actually just like the Saint Mark's club back in
49:07
1880 and they just were like an area for like young men that
49:11
could come and just, you know, be healthy, do some exercise,
49:14
get some fitness in. They were called Arrow Wick AFC
49:18
in 1887 and eventually in 1894 adopted Manchester City as their
49:23
name. They won their first FA Cup in
49:25
19 O 4 and in 193637 they were their first.
49:30
They won their First Division championship 1934.
49:35
They also got an FA Cup there. And so, you know, Luca, they
49:40
very sort of famously we're a team that kind of, you know,
49:43
we're always second fiddle to Manchester United.
49:45
You know, Manchester United who will do next week, probably the
49:48
most famous team in all the football.
49:50
So they were always sort of second fiddle to them.
49:52
And probably most people in Manchester rooted for United
49:56
versus City. Major change for this came with
49:59
with ownership Luke in 2008, the Abu Dhabi group, which
50:03
essentially is a country in the Middle East, the United Arab
50:05
Emirates royal family, it's like a Kingdom there and they sit on
50:10
basically oil fields and they sell this oil and they are one
50:13
of the most wealthy countries in the world and they are owned by
50:17
essentially the United Arab Emirates royal family.
50:20
And to put that into perspective in terms of how much money they.
50:23
Have unlimited no shower cap. We'll take, for example, let's
50:26
say like, you know, Stan Kronke, the owner of Arsenal.
50:28
His net worth, how much he's worth, is probably like 10 to
50:31
$11 billion. It's crazy.
50:33
You know Malcolm Glazier, owner of United, his net worth by 6 or
50:37
7 billion. You know, now these numbers are
50:39
not exact. You know, however, the the the
50:42
royal family of the United Arab Emirates that are probably worth
50:45
about 400 to 500. Billion.
50:47
Goodness gracious. So it's, you know, in 2008 when
50:51
they bought the team, they immediately we've talked about
50:53
how Pep Guardiola when he came in, in 2016, he spent $2.4
50:57
billion just on transfers alone. The guy who makes the transfers,
51:01
the general manager, is probably OK.
51:04
We're going to make this a super team.
51:06
Yeah, I mean, and that's essentially what they did was
51:08
they, you know, essentially kind of just funneled endless wealth
51:11
like into this team. And look, they've had amazing
51:14
success. I mean their their trophy cabins
51:16
now with the now all this is mostly recent, but 10 league
51:20
titles, 8 of them coming since 2011.
51:23
Seven FA cups, 6 or I'm sorry 8 league cups, six of them coming
51:29
since 2014. They won a Champions League in
51:32
the 2223 season, which of course was their treble winning season
51:36
when they won three trophies. They have a a Club World Cup to
51:39
their name too in in 2023. But you can see, look at how
51:43
almost all their trophies and all their success has come, you
51:47
know, since this major, major change in ownership, which has
51:50
completely changed the face of this club.
51:52
They play of course. Look at the Eddie Had Stadium
51:54
which opened in 2002 that holds about 52,900.
51:58
They used to play Lucas, a place called Main Road from 1923 to
52:03
2003. Much smaller stadium in
52:05
Manchester held about 35,150 famous managers there.
52:11
Luca Joe Mercer managed from 65 to 71.
52:14
Kevin Keegan managed from 01 to 05.
52:17
Roberto Mancini was there from 09 to 13.
52:20
And of course, one of the most famous managers in the world,
52:23
Pep Cardiola has been there since 2016.
52:26
Their biggest rival. Of course, we just talked about
52:29
it. Manchester, Darby, Manchester
52:30
United. Yeah.
52:32
So Luca, they're most expensive, buy the most expensive loop.
52:35
They have spent crazy amounts of money on lots of players, but
52:38
their most expensive player they bought.
52:40
Do you know who it? Is it was not Holland.
52:42
It was not Holland, no surprisingly.
52:44
Was it Rhodri? Good guess.
52:47
It was not Rhodri, it was a guy who just went out for two to
52:50
three months with a foot injury. Oh, Guardian.
52:54
No, Jack Greilish, not even on the team anymore.
52:56
In 2021, Luca they bought him for $136 million from Aston
53:00
Villa. Oh my gosh.
53:01
Yeah, their most expensive sale was in 2024, Julian Alvarez.
53:06
They sold for $109,000,000 to Athletico Madrid.
53:10
So they've done some good business.
53:11
They've done some good sales with some players, you know,
53:15
with some of their club legends. Billy Meredith played I mean
53:18
this is back in like 1894 to 19 O 6 Francis Lee, Colin Bell,
53:24
David Silva, Sergio Aguero is their all time leading goal
53:27
scorer. Holland will probably surpass
53:29
that. But for right now Aguero is
53:31
Vincent company, Kevin De Bruyne, Luca Yaya, Torre
53:36
Fernandinho a lot of players again.
53:39
Do you? Know who's a club wedging?
53:41
Yeah, I think so. To me he is played there, I
53:43
think from what, 2013 to. 20. 21 I think so you know, he's there
53:50
like 10 years had a lot of success there.
53:53
Statues outside their stadium are are Francis Lee, Colin Bell,
53:59
David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Vincent Company and I think KD
54:03
BS got a statue coming. Who's that?
54:05
Kevin de Bruena. Oh, so they have a lot of
54:08
statues of players actually outside there's.
54:11
He's getting one or has one. He's getting one all right.
54:14
You know, other players look in the Premier League who have
54:16
played there. J Gabriel, J Zeus, Cole Palmer,
54:20
of course, Kyle Walker, Mcatees and Chenko.
54:23
Raheem Diaz? Not in the Premier.
54:25
Oh, right, yeah, he did play there.
54:26
Jaden Sancho, Kieran Trippier, Frim Pong was there for a brief
54:31
period of time. Ben me Riad mares your boy
54:35
Ederson. Yeah.
54:37
Raheem Sterling, Odamendi Eden Jeko, Leroy Sane, Ferrin Torres,
54:43
Of course, we just mentioned Julian Alvarez, Danilo Gel
54:46
Cancello, Mario Balotelli, so they've got a lot of players
54:49
obviously come through. I'm surprised.
54:52
Why didn't you put Ederson on the club legends list?
54:55
He's not a club legend, he's not a.
54:58
He just is. And look, we can't help but sort
55:00
of mention with this team 115 charges brought by the.
55:05
Premier and they're still looking at it.
55:07
They're still looking at essentially what these charge
55:09
are for financial sort of irregularities, failure to
55:12
cooperate with an investigation, that they basically sort of hit
55:16
a lot of money in terms of payments to coaches and players,
55:20
overinflated sponsorship deals. And these charges have basically
55:24
just been dragging on now for three years.
55:26
It seems like there's just no end insight.
55:28
They've been heard by an independent investing
55:31
investigatory panel, which I guess are three people that are
55:34
eventually going to make the decision on this.
55:36
And it's just, it's crazy that we just have no decision on
55:39
this, but. It's a year or. 2 can't help but
55:43
sort of mention that when you talk about City right now, but
55:45
yeah, there they are. Look up like it's the most
55:47
successful team in the past 10 years.
55:49
Yeah. All right, Luca, well, let's
55:51
give a quick plug to our Instagram.
55:55
Come find us Premier League playground on Instagram or if
55:58
you have any questions, if you want any plugs, you want to be
56:02
ask us a mailbag question. We have an e-mail of course,
56:04
which is premierleagueplayground@gmail.com.
56:08
We got a YouTube channel as well.
56:10
Yes, give us a subscribe. So yeah, give us a subscribe
56:13
there. But we end all our shows, Luca,
56:15
with our Penalty Kick Trivia shootout.
56:18
We'll go back and forth like they do in a penalty kick
56:20
shootout and ask each other some trivia questions and we'll see
56:23
who can win. So do you want to go first or do
56:26
you want to go second? I want to answer first.
56:29
Answer first. All right, Luke, I'm going to
56:31
start off easy for you. I'm pretty sure you know this
56:33
one, but Robert Levin, Dosky never played in the Premier
56:36
League, but great goal scorer with Barcelona.
56:38
He plays for what national team? Poland.
56:41
That is correct, Luca. Since you gave me an easy one,
56:44
I'll give you an easy one. OK?
56:46
Who is Arsenal's mascot? I'm going to pause so everybody
56:50
can guess. Yeah, good old gun or source?
56:52
Yeah, I mean, I have choices if you need it.
56:57
The other choices, I'm just going to read them to Canon,
56:59
man. Gooner Gorilla.
57:02
OK. And Arsenal ace.
57:05
And then it'll be gonna. Like to see those even they're
57:07
like. Bad I.
57:08
Kind of like to see Canon Man and Gooner Gorilla and.
57:11
Arsenal ace. Gunner source is a little weird,
57:14
I'm not quite sure what. How do we get like a green
57:16
dinosaur? You like Gunner?
57:18
Source. I like it.
57:18
I like Gunner. Source.
57:19
Yeah. I'm not quite sure how they kind
57:20
of came up with a green dinosaur.
57:22
Either it's a stuffed gunner. Source.
57:23
I think we got one from London. Yeah, we brought it back from
57:26
the Emirates Stadium. Yeah.
57:27
It was cool. All right, Luca, here's a bit of
57:31
a tough one. For you.
57:32
OK, who was the only manager to win the Premier League with two
57:37
different clubs? Is it Marina?
57:48
That is correct, yes. He won with Manchester United in
57:51
the 1617 season and he won with Chelsea in O4 and O5 in O5IN O
57:56
6. That's a good one.
57:56
Yeah. So only manager to win with two
57:58
different clubs. Brain, What could it all be?
58:00
All right, 2 for two. Yeah.
58:03
Which English club has the nickname The Cherries?
58:08
Bournemouth. Correct.
58:10
All right, 22SO2 right for each of.
58:12
US 2 rolls. Each All right, Luda, what
58:15
stadium is the largest in the Premier League by capacity?
58:20
Manchester United, Old Trafford. Old Trafford, that is correct.
58:24
Old Trafford is the biggest, Old 74,000, that is the largest by
58:28
capacity. Yep, you got that one right.
58:30
Which English club has the nickname the Toffees?
58:35
The Toffees are. I'll let everybody pause for a
58:37
second, Everton. Correct again like this is.
58:41
I know, I know, my Nicki. Scary.
58:43
All right, look, another hard one for you.
58:45
OK, All right. What club has been relegated
58:49
from the Premier League the most times?
58:51
And I'm going to give you a little bit of a hint on this
58:55
one. They're cut.
58:56
They have they have green and yellow.
58:59
As Norwich, Norwich, I, I'm not even lying, I was going to pick
59:03
that even if you didn't give up. OK, that's really good.
59:05
That's hard. They they've been relegated 6
59:07
times. I was.
59:08
I'm not even lying. I don't lie.
59:10
That was crazy. Which country is Alan Shearer
59:13
from? Sure.
59:16
Is he from Scotland? No, it's England.
59:20
Oh my goodness, Oh my goodness, that might have just cost me the
59:23
game. I thought England almost seemed
59:25
too easy to me. Yeah.
59:27
But like, oh man. All right, all right, look,
59:33
Shane Long has the fastest ever goal in the Premier League.
59:36
In 2019 for South Hampton, he scored against Watford.
59:40
How quick was the goal? You're going to get choices.
59:44
Was the goal scored in 5.32 seconds, 7.69 seconds, 9.1
59:50
seconds or 15.79 seconds? 7.69 seconds.
59:54
That is correct. Fastest goal?
59:58
Yeah, under 8 seconds under. 8 seconds.
1:00:01
That's crazy. Sounds crazy, which country is
1:00:04
Hugo Sanchez from? Hugo Sanchez is from Mexico.
1:00:09
Correct. All right, I think you win
1:00:11
again, Luca. All right, I have a bonus
1:00:14
question for you. All right.
1:00:15
Go ahead with the bonus. I got one too.
1:00:16
I'm gonna ask you. I'm gonna see you.
1:00:17
Which country is Eric Continoff from?
1:00:20
I know this continoff's from France.
1:00:23
Yes, correct. All right, here's one for our
1:00:26
little Arsenal trivia, Luca. OK, I'm gonna get this right.
1:00:28
Emirates Stadium has five statues in and around the
1:00:33
stadium. And of course we've been there
1:00:35
twice, walked around, you've seen all these statues.
1:00:39
Can you name the five people who have statues outside of the
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Emirates Stadium? So I know Arsene Wenger and
1:00:46
Terry Henry. Those are.
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Does Tony Adams have one? Tony Adams does.
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Does Bentner have one? No.
1:00:54
OK. 1 is a player. Chapman.
1:00:59
Oh, very good. Yeah, that's the one.
1:01:01
I didn't know you would get Herbert Chapman.
1:01:03
Yeah, a legendary manager. There and then player one other.
1:01:06
Player. It's not Sol Campbell.
1:01:10
No, I played #10 forward is basically he was like a #10. #10
1:01:17
it's not Viera. Not.
1:01:18
Viera it's. You're you're close though.
1:01:21
It's no, you're going to kick yourself here.
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Man the. Statue is him leaping up with a
1:01:29
ball on his foot kind of real elegant player, no?
1:01:34
Santi Kazura. Oh my gosh, you're naming like
1:01:36
all the guys from the Invincibles except for you're
1:01:41
going to kick yourself. Oh man, I I Invincibles.
1:01:46
Scored a famous goal where the ball came into him, he flips it
1:01:49
up, spins Bowers into the camp. Yeah, then he's got.
1:01:53
There you go. Yep. 5 statues outside the
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Emirates, though. All right, Luko, I think that's
1:01:58
all I got. There's the final whistle and
1:02:01
that's full time for us. Thank you for listening.
1:02:03
Bye.