🎙️ The Totally Football Show •August 27, 2026 •⏱️ 43 min

Can Villa do a Villa against Arsenal?

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1. Executive Overview: Core Theses & Key Revelations

The second matchday of any elite domestic league season occupies a treacherous space in the calendar. It is a period defined by acute overreaction, distorted data samples, and frenetic late-window transfer maneuvers. In the latest edition of The Totally Football Show, panel members James Richardson, Duncan Alexander, Tom Williams, and Liam Twomey systematically unpacked the opening week of the Premier League season, distilling raw match outcomes into structural insights regarding modern tactical evolution and market inflation.

At the center of this conversation lies a radical thesis articulated by analytical statistician Duncan Alexander: top-flight football has decisively passed the era of possession worship. Data compiled across the opening weekend revealed that eight of the nine winning teams operated with significantly under 42% ball possession. This statistic is not a mere statistical quirk; it signifies a systemic shift toward transitional counter-pressing efficiency. Possession of the ball, long treated as the ultimate marker of tactical superiority by the adherents of mid-2010s positional play, has increasingly inverted into an operational vulnerability when facing hyper-drilled, athletic mid-blocks.

Simultaneously, the discussion exposed the volatile mechanics governing elite squad construction. Chelsea's goalkeeping dilemma—highlighted by Robert Sanchez’s ongoing instability and the internal discussion regarding Emiliano Martinez—underscores how reactive recruitment strategies continue to plague big-spending institutions. Meanwhile, Aston Villa’s forced transition from Ollie Watkins to Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson highlights how Unai Emery must once again rebuild his attack under high-tempo constraints. Combined with Tottenham Hotspur pushing toward £400 million in cumulative expenditure and Nottingham Forest laying out a record £45 million for Liam Delap, the episode provided an authoritative snapshot of a league operating at the absolute limit of tactical risk and financial expenditure.

Core Theme Primary Focal Point Key Analytical Insight
Tactical Evolution The Collapse of Ball Possession 8 of 9 Matchday 1 winners held under 42% possession; counter-pressing is now the primary generator of high-value scoring chances.
Goalkeeping Metrics Sanchez vs. Martinez Evaluation Sanchez: 7 goal-leading errors in 3 seasons. Martinez: 6 errors in 20 additional appearances, offering big-game psychological dominance.
Market Dynamics Financial Risk & Hyper-Inflation Spurs approaching £400m outlay; Forest spending £45m on Delap despite limited output metrics at Chelsea.
Frontline Rebuilding Nicolas Jackson to Villa Emery re-engages with Jackson to replace Saudi-bound Watkins, trading aerial hold-up reliability for explosive transitional ball-carrying.
Prodigy Assessment Barcola & Bouaddi Profiles Barcola (£140m total package) evaluated as an elite throwback dribbler; City's acquisition of 18yo Bouaddi marks a shift toward intellectual maturity in midfield.

2. Context & Background: The Landscape Leading to This Conversation

To contextualize the panel's observations, one must evaluate the structural state of the Premier League in the mid-2020s. For over a decade, elite European football was governed by the dogma of positional play. Originating from the Barcelona outfits of the late 2000s and perfected across domestic campaigns by Manchester City, possession was viewed as both defense and offense. Holding 65% to 70% of the ball was considered mandatory for any team harboring championship ambitions.

However, tactical systems are inherently self-correcting. As low-block defenses grew more sophisticated and spatial compression metrics improved across middle-tier clubs, holding high possession without vertical speed increasingly generated sterile domination. Modern defensive setups now actively invite low-value possession, funneling opponents into compact central zones before executing rapid turnovers. As journalist Michael Cox noted in his analysis of Week 1 overreactions—referenced during the broadcast—judging teams purely on single-match possession numbers or debut performances often leads to profound misdiagnoses.

This tactical backdrop intersects with an unprecedented financial environment. Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) have not dampened spending; instead, they have altered its velocity and structure. Clubs are forced into complex financial gymnastics, swapping assets, inflating valuation baselines, and taking enormous structural bets. Tottenham Hotspur’s sprint toward a £400 million expenditure milestone exemplifies this dynamic. Institutions are compressing multi-year budgets into singular transfer windows to secure European qualification before regulatory hooks tighten. It is within this dual landscape of tactical anti-possession and structural financial urgency that the panel’s analysis takes place.

3. Deep-Dive Thematic Breakdown

3.1 Tactical Recalibration: The Devaluation of Ball Ownership and Rise of Transitional Counter-Pressing

The statistical headline from opening week was stark: eight out of nine winning teams registered less than 42% ball possession. In former eras, such a skew would suggest a series of smash-and-grab anomalies. Today, it reflects deliberate tactical design. Duncan Alexander pointed out that the modern game has bypassed the era where ball retention was the single prerequisite for success. Teams across the table possess the technical proficiency to circulate the ball, but doing so frequently plays directly into the defensive traps of opponent counter-pressing schemes.

When opponent structures are fully formed, breaking down an eleven-man defensive unit requires maximum pitch expansion and high-risk passing lines. Conversely, the moment immediately following a turnover—when the opponent is stretched, transitioning from defense to attack—presents the highest concentration of high-value scoring opportunities. Winning the ball back in transition allows attacking players to operate against disorganized backlines with vast expanses of open grass.

The clash between Fulham and Chelsea at Craven Cottage provided a textbook case study. Operating with just 39% possession, Chelsea dismantled Fulham in vertical bursts. Both squads covered extraordinary physical distances, exceeding 120 kilometers over 90 minutes. Freed from the burden of constructing slow, methodical possession sequences, Chelsea’s transitional line of Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, and João Pedro thrived in high-velocity space. By surrendering ball share, Chelsea multiplied their opportunities to attack Fulham while their defensive shape was fractured.

Match Outcome Pattern Traditional Possession Model Modern Transition Model
Primary Goal Source Unpicking low-block via sustained passing sequences Exploiting turnover moments while opponent is stretched
Defensive Posture High defensive line with rest defense structure Compact mid-block funneling play into central turnover traps
Physical Requirement Positional discipline and lateral ball movement High-intensity distance covering (120+ km per team per match)
Value of Possession High (viewed as control and risk management) Low/Conditional (often leads to sterile possession and turnover risk)

3.2 Goalkeeper Volatility: The Robert Sanchez vs. Emiliano Martinez Analytical Dilemma

Few positions illustrate the modern manager’s strategic anxiety quite like the goalkeeper. The broadcast’s breakdown of Chelsea’s goalkeeping targets highlighted a fundamental tension between shot-stopping reliability and overall defensive aura. Robert Sanchez’s erratic display against Fulham re-exposed the chronic vulnerability at the back for Chelsea, prompting internal debate regarding an offer for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.

An examination of Opta metrics over the past three full seasons provides essential context. Sanchez has registered seven errors directly leading to opponent goals. Martinez, by comparison, has recorded six such errors—though crucially, Martinez accumulated those figures across approximately 20 additional matches. While the raw statistical variance between six and seven errors appears modest on paper, the underlying profile of the two goalkeepers diverges dramatically.

Sanchez’s errors stem primarily from technical breakdowns during buildup phases and indecision under pressure. Martinez, despite occasional lapses, functions as a psychological force multiplier. His ability to command his penalty area, claim high crosses, and execute under extreme pressure provides a stabilizing effect for backlines operating under high-intensity physical demands. For Chelsea, acquiring Martinez represents less of a guarantee against individual mistakes and more of an effort to inject elite competitive character into a young squad.

3.3 Market Hyper-Inflation & Financial Gambles: Tottenham's £400M Outlay and Forest's Delap Gamble

The commercial realities of modern football were interrogated through two striking financial cases: Tottenham Hotspur’s escalating expenditure and Nottingham Forest’s record outlay for Liam Delap. Tom Williams noted that Spurs are approaching £400 million in total squad spending, effectively consuming two to three years of projected capital allocation within a collapsed timeframe. This aggressive strategy leaves zero margin for missing out on Champions League revenue streams without triggering severe structural corrections.

Simultaneously, Nottingham Forest’s £45 million acquisition of Liam Delap from Chelsea exemplifies the extreme inflation governing domestic forward talent. Chelsea acquired Delap from Ipswich Town for £30 million via a release clause; after a year of minimal impact and limited starting minutes, his market price appreciated by 50%. Skepticism regarding this valuation is justified when measuring Delap solely by raw goal output.

However, from a tactical standpoint, Delap presents a compelling profile for a direct, counter-attacking team. Unlike Chris Wood—whose strength relies on subtle hold-up play, aerial chest layoffs, and positional instincts within the box—Delap offers raw physical aggression, channel running, and violent ball-carrying capabilities. In an Oliver Glasner or direct counter-attacking structure, Delap’s ability to harass center-backs and win physical duels in space aligns far better than his usage in Chelsea’s possession-oriented setup.

3.4 Striker Dynamics in Transition: Nicolas Jackson to Villa and the Rebuilding of Emery's Frontline

Aston Villa’s opening weekend collapse against Brighton—conceding four goals, suffering a red card, and scoring a catastrophic own goal—served as an immediate alarm for Unai Emery. The situation was further compounded by Ollie Watkins’ refusal to feature before completing a high-value move to Saudi Arabia. To replace his talismanic forward, Emery turned to a familiar figure: Chelsea’s Nicolas Jackson.

Emery’s previous work with Jackson at Villarreal provides the tactical foundation for this transfer. While Jackson remains an erratic finisher whose conversion rates under low-thinking-time situations spark intense debate, his broader skill set matches Villa’s tactical directives. Jackson excels at spinning defenders, receiving ball under pressure, and driving forward over long distances.

Watkins provided Villa with consistent finishing and reliable link-up play. Jackson offers a different profile: higher raw speed, greater direct dribbling volume, and intense pressing capability. In a Villa setup that regularly cedes ball possession against top-tier opponents, Jackson’s ability to explode into open channels allows Emery to maintain a lethal counter-attacking threat. Emery’s historical record of defeating reigning champions at Villa Park in three consecutive seasons demonstrates his mastery of low-possession game plans; Jackson gives him a specialized weapon for those exact scenarios.

3.5 Technical Prodigies and Tactical Profiles: Bradley Barcola and Ayyoub Bouaddi

The upper tier of the transfer market was highlighted by discussions of Bradley Barcola’s £120 million transfer fee (plus £20 million in achievable add-ons) and Manchester City’s acquisition of 18-year-old Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi. Barcola represents the premium modern clubs must pay for elite wide isolation capability. A direct, sinewy dribbler who broke through at Lyon primarily on the right wing before shifting left at PSG, Barcola possesses rare directness in one-on-one scenarios.

The panel debated Barcola's finishing mechanics. When given extended time to evaluate his options, his decision-making can stutter; when operating on pure athletic instinct, his efficiency surges. In modern systems where wide forwards are tasked with unbalancing compact low-blocks through direct dribbling, Barcola’s physical durability and ability to beat defenders on either side justify his astronomical valuation.

In contrast to Barcola's explosive physical profile, Manchester City’s move for Ayyoub Bouaddi reflects an intellectual recruitment model. At just 18 years old, Bouaddi arrives with a reputation for remarkable academic and tactical maturity. Averaging 18.5 out of 20 in the rigorous French educational marking system while pursuing a mathematics degree, Bouaddi’s intelligence translates directly onto the pitch. Rather than relying on flashy individual skill, Bouaddi dictates rhythm, maintains structural balance, and acts as the engine of his side. His profile offers City a calm, intellectually composed midfielder capable of absorbing tactical complexity at an exceptionally young age.

4. Speaker Perspectives & Analytical Contrast

The dynamic between the panel members created a rich multi-layered dialogue, contrasting high-level statistical modeling with direct reporting and tactical breakdown. James Richardson maintained editorial control, steering the discussion through historical precedents while using dry wit to contextualize complex statistical shifts.

Duncan Alexander acted as the primary data anchor. His contributions relied on hard empirical markers: the 42% possession threshold across round one winners, John McKenzie's statistical breakdowns, and deep historical trivia—such as Manchester United’s 1984 defeat to Ipswich after leading at half-time. Alexander’s perspective is fundamentally macro-analytical, treating individual match outcomes as small data points within long-term tactical cycles.

Liam Twomey provided the operational insider perspective. Grounded in direct coverage of Chelsea and the broader domestic transfer landscape, Twomey offered pragmatic assessments of player valuations. His skepticism regarding Nottingham Forest paying £45 million for Liam Delap and his nuanced evaluation of the Sanchez-Martinez goalkeeping dynamic grounded the theoretical discussions in financial reality.

Tom Williams bridged tactical evaluation with European scouting context. His focus on squad construction dynamics—such as Tottenham’s dangerous spending compression and Bradley Barcola’s tactical evolution from Lyon to PSG—added international depth to the domestic discussion. Williams consistently highlighted structural financial risk, evaluating whether individual player acquisitions fit long-term balance sheets.

5. Strategic & Industry Implications

The discussions on this episode point to several macro-level developments shaping the immediate future of professional football:

  • The Total Commercialization of Turnover Moments: As possession metrics lose their status as key performance indicators, coaching departments are restructuring training ground methodologies. Training sessions are increasingly built around transition triggers, rapid spatial recognition, and explosive short-distance sprinting rather than extended positional keeping games.
  • Extreme Valuation Polarity: The transfer market has bifurcated into two distinct categories: proven game-changers available only at baseline fees exceeding £100 million (e.g., Barcola at £140m total package) and volatile tactical fits traded at inflated mid-tier prices (£45m-£50m for raw prospects like Delap). Middle-tier clubs are forced to overpay to secure athletic profiles capable of surviving top-flight physicality.
  • Financial Compaction and Regulatory Exposure: Multi-year squad rebuilding projects have largely disappeared. Clubs like Tottenham Hotspur are compressing their capital outlays into single window splurges to hit performance targets before spending caps restrict maneuvering room. This creates immense structural fragility; a single missed qualification cycle can trigger severe forced asset liquidation.
  • Player Agency and Contract Disruptions: The ongoing contract dispute involving Jean-Philippe Mateta at Crystal Palace and Ollie Watkins' abrupt exit to Saudi Arabia underscore the growing willingness of key performers to force exits when strategic alignments shift. Clubs are increasingly vulnerable to late-window squad destabilization.

6. Looking Ahead: Unresolved Questions & Next Milestones

As Matchday 2 approaches, several critical tactical and operational metrics require rigorous monitoring across the league:

  1. Villa vs. Arsenal Tactical Friction: Will Unai Emery’s low-possession setup once again invalidate Arsenal’s positional control at Villa Park? The integration of Nicolas Jackson into Villa's front line will serve as an immediate stress test for Emery's direct counter-attacking blueprint.
  2. Chelsea’s Goalkeeping Decision: Will Chelsea execute a formal move for Emiliano Martinez before the transfer deadline, or will they persist with Robert Sanchez despite clear statistical evidence of structural error vulnerability?
  3. Tottenham's Financial Payoff: Can Spurs convert their near-£400 million squad expenditure into early-season points accumulation, justifying the compression of their multi-year financial reserves?
  4. Nottingham Forest’s Structural Fit: Will Liam Delap’s physical directness translate into immediate goal returns under Oliver Glasner, validating the record £45 million outlay over Chelsea's initial purchase price?
  5. Possession Regression Metrics: Will the low-possession trend observed in Round 1 sustain over subsequent matchdays, confirming a permanent tactical pivot across the Premier League, or will traditional possession-dominant sides re-assert control?

💬 Key Quotes & Speaker Breakdown

Transfer window

"Emiliano Martinez has been offered to Chelsea. He would address their biggest problem position, certainly coming out of the Fulham game where Robert Sanchez once again showcased his inconsistency."

— Liam

"Spurs are getting up towards 400 million in spending. They are taking huge risks because you feel like they're spending two or three years of their budget in one window."

— Tom Williams

"Robert Sanchez has made seven errors leading to goals over the last three seasons; Emiliano Martinez has made six, albeit in about 20 more games. It's not as if you're going to a completely safe pair of hands."

— Liam

"Emery absolutely loves Nicholas Jackson, worked with him at Villarreal, and I think wanted him at Villa for a while. He's an erratic finisher, but his link-up play and ability to carry the ball are much more suited to a team that attacks with Villa's speed."

— Liam

"I've been quite skeptical all summer that Chelsea would be able to get their asking price for Liam Delap, but that is what they've got. Stylistically, he feels a much better fit for Forest, a counter-attacking team."

— Liam

"It's very easy to win the transfer window. It's harder to win Premier League games."

— Tom Williams

Tactical analysis

"We've moved past an era where dominant possession of the ball is the key to success. Teams are so good at possession now that counter-pressing and winning the ball back is the most productive moment of the game."

— Duncan Alexander

"Eight of the nine winning teams from round one had significantly less possession than their opponent. It all goes well for an exciting back-to-basics campaign."

— Duncan Alexander

Premier League history

"The last time Manchester United led at half-time at Old Trafford in a league game and lost the match was against Ipswich in May 1984."

— Duncan Alexander

Player profile

"Ayyoub Bouaddi is a phenomenal player. He's super smart, studying towards a mathematics degree, and averaged 18.5 out of 20 in the French marking system, which is unheard of."

— Tom Williams
📜 View Full Episode Verbatim Transcript 44,990 characters
Tony Fogel show, Thursday edition, the one that our other studio round the back of the premier in. Some premier rubbish, some top bins, and some unwanted takeaways, it kind of sums up our week one experience. It's more of the same on the way in week two. Week two, he's arsenal down memory lane or emery lane. As they visit Villa, Mark Gay, does the Prince Harry and goes back to the palace. Will Ryan Cherke be Megan? And as Michael Carrick's united face another of the new sides, Ipswich, the question is promoted too soon. And what about Ipswich? All that and more in this totally football show. Thursday 27th of August, this is totally football show. Duncan Alexander's here. Tom Williams is here. Oh. And also speaking to me, literally, you know, one has made that joke before. Hello, James. I also get charcoal brothers to me to use. Yeah, that, that, that I can see. Lee and to me, anyway, lovely to see you, Liam. Lovely to be back. It's funny because a week ago, maybe eight days, the same, self, self-same four of us were here in this studio. Correctly predicted pretty much everything. We got a lot going back together. So much has changed since then. A lot of our predictions for a star. Also, I came in this morning to hear the extraordinary news about Bradley Baccola, Bobby, as I like to call him. And he is a hundred and how many million? Something. A hundred and twenty million hundreds of hundred tables. Yeah. With achievable 20 million on top. 120 million for Bradley Baccola. Got to put down a hundred million just to get a place at the at the table these days. Wow. And the the Premier League. Is it unfair to say what would he be worth if he could finish? I mean, that is one of the the reservations about him as a player, like a legitimate reservation. It's one of these players who you feel like the more time he has to think about what he's going to do when he attempts to finish, the less likely he is to score, but like a wonderful player, like a real kind of throwback dribbler, very kind of sinewy kind of spins past people with ease, really direct, super quick, very consistent, very durable, like doesn't get injured very much. So yeah, I think he'd be a welcome addition to the Premier League. And I think it's hard when the Barclays, if you if you like, a Barclays man. How do you think he will fit in with Eroly's approach? Whose place is he going to take the team, Tom? Yeah. Well, I mean, he when he first burst onto the scene at Leon, he played on the right wing and basically just would run to the byline and cross it for Alexander Lakerset and that was the formula. He's invariably played off the left at PSG where, you know, most nippy right footed attacking players tend to play. He's more comfortable on the right than most players of his generation, I would say. But yeah, I guess he's going to be competing with, you know, Cody Gakpo, Rihungu Moa to be that left side attacking player. I mean, Liverpool are still very short of right side of the attacking players. So, you know, perhaps you could you could see him there, but I think you get the best out of him on on the left. Excellent. Lots of things since our last show, not only the week one results, also Michael Cox writing a lovely piece about how everyone gets things wrong when they react to week one results and classic example was a year ago, everyone, no, Gallagher in particular, raving about to Johnny Rinders. However, that's felt Tom. And his impressive debut for Man City, where is he now? Where is he? So, Cody Arabia. Also to flag up, if you're hungry for something to read, John McKenzie, who's breaking down the numbers on week one, he points out eight of the nine winning teams from round one. And it was very nearly nine out of 10 if Newcastle hadn't conceded that late goal. Had significantly less possession than their opponent. I want to say significantly less than 42% possession. What does that represent? What's that herald Duncan? Well, I think we've moved past an era where Dominant and the ball is the sort of key to success. I mean, you could go back in time to your uncle at a barbecue in around 2012 when I was like, boss, don't keep the ball. Who cares? It's like, now, well, now it isn't important to keep the ball. So your uncle was a visionary? We're not my uncle, but many uncles at the time were very stringent about such things. But my uncle's name, Jürgen Klopp, Gagan uncle. But I think it's interesting because teams are so good at possession now that often, you know, counter pressing and winning the ball back is the most productive moment of the game for them. So yeah, I think it all goes well for an exciting back-to-basics campaign. Love that. Chelsea are on that list. And that was a game which should took place Monday night, of course. So Chelsea's visit to Craven Cottage also saw you Liam on the banks of the Thames. Yeah, always love going to Craven Cottage. It was a lovely evening for football must be said, not too hot, lovely Thames breeze evening sunshine. That's right. Jacuzzi in the new stand must have really, really slapped. And maybe that explains why those two teams ran more than any of the other Premier League teams in the opening weekend. By quite a margin, I think they were both up in the 120 kilometers range, full and slightly more. So Chelsea outrun again as they were regularly last season. Right. But they do look a lot fitter. I think that's a big difference. And Cole Palmer's back. And Cole Palmer looks healthy and confident and free. I mean, having 39% possession meant that he, Morgan Roger, Xiao Pedro, got a lot more opportunities to attack in transition. Yes, yes. Of course, because what is football now, if not a vehicle for references to high finance? But yeah, the game panned out exactly as Chelsea wanted it to, taking the lead after 30 seconds. Early question from the thinking on the right. Why JP Morgan? Well, it has confused me because people are thinking Xiao Pedro and Morgan. Right. But I think the P sounds with Palmer and the T. Oh, yeah. Okay. Drown Palmer slightly. I don't know. It's not, it's not quite MSN, is it? Well, that was the feels like the peak of the. Do you think I would say Magica? Yeah. Genovagica? Yeah, yeah. I mean, the MSN and the BBC. BBC is like at the same time. Although these, yeah, anyway. Well, the Chris John, I rather, I didn't well. See yourself. Yeah, I mean, yeah. The logical choice by linguistic rules would be PRP, but then you're in implying some kind of injection, which we absolutely did not want to do with any kind of relief at all, let's say. Interesting. We're more about full on Chelsea. And indeed, those two clubs prospects this weekend, it's quickly check on the fixtures in match, they do. It begins on a Friday night again. Palace hosting man's city. Five games on Saturday. As mentioned, Liverpool get the Saturday lunchtime slot at home to forest. Three o'clock Coventry Hull is a Premier League fixture. Holocaust fresh from their wheat one, whenever man United and Bournemouth facing Everton also at three on Saturday, then at five, thirty tonnally, up against his former tune teammates as Spurs host Newcastle on Sunday, two games at two, leads Brentford on Sunday and Fulham. And then four thirty man United, up against another promoted side, it switched town Monday night. Perhaps the game in the round, arguably, Aston Villa, who were dismal last weekend against Brydon, facing champions Arsenal, who are, of course, the United Emeralds old side. Can we, can we start with that game? Them losing. So, abjectly, was it the second Premier League side ever to concede four goals, lose a player and score an own goal? That's one of the four. And what an own goal, by the way. As disastrous and opening to the season as you could imagine. Well, I kept a clean chicken a second. Yeah. Yeah. Facing Arsenal, who looked like the handbreakers off, etc. and so on. And yet, why is it that sneaky suspicion that Villa might do Arsenal this weekend? Well, because, I mean, Aston lost their last season. I mean, I was in the midst of Villa's, are they in the title race, but era, around about Christmas, Emibandia scoring later on. But even I'm really loves a challenge, whether that's rebuilding a squad with three days to go, or a transfer window, or setting up against really good teams. Right. I don't, I think Aston will head into this game confident, but also, you know, realistic that it will be a tough game. And Villa will have less possession, which is the new law of the Premier League. That's so true. His record against Arsenal, he's beaten his old club in two of their last three visits to Villa Park. Also, Villa have beaten the reigning champions at Villa Park in each of the last three seasons, so setting up against the big clubs, but transfers. Of course, we need to talk about those because since match day one, Oli Watkins, who refused to play against Brighton, has gone also to Saudi Arabia. And Villa have agreed a deal to bring in Nicholas Jackson from Chelsea Liam. Is that good business? Yeah, I think Nicholas Jackson is a really good player. And I, Emory, absolutely loves him, worked with him at VARL, and I think wanted him at Villa for a while. He's an erratic finisher, maybe not as reliable in that aspect as Oli Watkins has been, but his link up play, his ability to spin defenders to carry the ball, think much more suited to a team that attack with Villa's speed. And Emory will know exactly the situations to put him in to amplify his best qualities. Okay, do Villa have a busy few days before Tuesday's deadline trying to get some more bodies in? Yeah, I think they will. I mean, and I think what happened at Brighton is only going to sharpen their focus when it comes to addressing the various gaps in the squad. At the same time, as we said on the preview pod, Villa tend to start quite slowly under Emory. We know he's an exceptional coach. At some point, you suspect things will come together in some way. So I wouldn't have thought it would be outright panic in the Villa Park offices, but yeah, they'll definitely be looking to get some work done, I would have thought. One of the summer signings, young Gomez, not available, of course, after his brilliant debut against Brighton for the game against Arsenal. Arsenal who could well be fielding as a concert who they bought from Villa, Emmy Martinez looks like he's heading out the door to Chelsea Liam. That could be a significant move. Yeah, it's not done, but he's been offered to Chelsea. They're considering it. And he would address their biggest problem position, certainly coming out of the full-em game where Robert Sanchez once again showcased his inconsistency and why most Chelsea fans lost trust in him a long time ago. Now, I did look up the octodata over the last three full seasons. Robert Sanchez has made seven errors leading to goals. Emmy Martinez has made six, albeit in about 20 more games. So it's not as if you're going to a completely safe pair of hands. It's not hard to find bad mistakes from Martinez, but he is a big game player. We've seen this. He's a huge character. He's made incredible saves for Villa over his career. And Chelsea just needs someone that inspires a bit of confidence for that position. And Sanchez hasn't ever really done that. Right. I don't know why. I feel like moving to a new club might light a bit of a far under him as well. Oh, he's always felt like he's got a chip on his shoulder, Martinez. Ever since he didn't get his chance at Arsenal. But certainly, I think the way the last couple of years have panned out ways, had a couple of moves that he thought were happening, not happen. And now Villa have moved on while he's still there. So I can imagine him taking a few things personally if he does get a chance at Chelsea. From Arsenal's point of view, great start for them, Gabriel Martinelli. Does this, does the move for Ollie Watkins to Al Hilal mean that they won't be buying Gabriel Martinelli? Is that too logical? That's all, all but done now. Oh, that's still also be happening. All right. Exxon, Gunners who are still in for Julian Alvarez? Not so much. I mean, I think they would still sign if they could. But the issue is that, you know, Alvarez really wants to go to Barcelona. So it's a sort of a tricky triangle, isn't it, really? But I think they're probably happy enough of what they got. I mean, left, if they sell Martinelli, obviously, then I guess the left side of the attack is the the area they've not strengthened. Right. Solace. Yeah, but they've got rid of Trussard and Martinelli. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, Solace, if he plays like he did on the opening week and stays fit, then that's absolutely fine. Anyone see Villa doing a Villa against Arsenal? It's hard to imagine them doing it against this Arsenal who just seem so sure of themselves. Right. Just who seem to have shedded all of the neuroses that had haunted them in recent years. I can see it being quite a close game, but I just think Villa, the leap in performance level that they will need to achieve from what happened at Brighton to get to being able to even compete with Arsenal is so substantial that I suspect Arsenal will be okay. And it looks like a good time to play Villa, doesn't it? If this game was happening in a couple of months when the Johan Manzambi fit an available Nicholas Jackson in rhythm, maybe their defense is adapted to not having concert there. It could be a different game, but Arsenal are already 24 hours of all the chance of a window closed as well, which is always fun because if a team does get hammered, then 24 hours to fix it. So nobody sees Villa continuing their excellent record against range. I think they could get a draw. Yeah. Okay. All right. They'll be pinning this segment of audiovisual content at the dressing room wall. Piping it. Yeah. Absolutely. The team that spanked Villa last week, Ken, Brighton will be facing Chelsea. Liam, just while we're here, what were your big takeaways from that to Fulham Chelsea performance? Well, the front three looks great and will be a threat to anyone, I think, but behind that, Alonzo has quite a few issues to address. I mean, they didn't have Moises Kaysado against Fulham, their single most important midfielder. They're at the press conference at Cobham on Wednesday, Chabby Alonzo said he's hopeful that Kaysado will be there, which will give Chelsea's midfielder a very different look. But the left half of their team kind of struggled defensively. Levi Colwell's having to adapt to being on the left of a three with Maxson's Laquois in the middle now. Didn't look super comfortable there. Jarelle Hato is a wingback. That's not really his game. So Chelsea aren't. There are a lot of moving pieces that haven't quite settled there yet, especially with all the new faces this summer. Okay. And Brighton have a terrific record against the Blues. It's almost as if there's an extra bit of needle for them in facing Chelsea. Chelsea and Hove Albion, as it's been at times in the last four years. Yeah, they always feel like they have to give a little bit extra against Chelsea. More at home, I would say I've been to quite a few games at the AMX where Brighton have absolutely mugged Chelsea off. As Danford Bridge, they've had a couple of bad defeats, but they did also come through and win their last season after Chelsea got a man sent off. So, yeah, I'm expecting a very, very lively game. Okay. Both teams are in action on Thursday night. Brighton will be at home to Tromsau in the conference league playoffs. It's Neil Nill from the first leg. Whereas Chelsea hosts Jack Wilshers Luton in the Carabuy Cup. And if they win that, they will be taking on leads. And the next round in a week or two's time. Before we move on, on the transfer front, yes, Spurs has been added again. New players didn't work out last Saturday. Let's buy some more. They picked up Marmouche and Savin Yusori Savio from Man City. Woof, not sure what that takes their total spending to. Lots. I think if, well, as was it, Venzel, whether you include Marmouche, which is going to be alone with an option to buy, isn't it? But they're definitely getting up towards 400 million. Wow. So this is a spurside who were famous for buying late and little, or indeed not at all, under Pochettino famously that time. How is this, and probably this has all been done already, but I'm still perplexed. How has this suddenly become within Tottenham's potential? Partly because they haven't spent a lot for a long time. So they've been saved, they had a very big piggy bank. They have a little bit, and they also have the ground that brings in the most revenue. Right. They also have all the Beyonce and NFL stuff as well. So they do have a lot of wriggle in the Beyonce millions. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it is a bit of a gamble as well. You know, this is, they can't do this in the next window, I wouldn't think. So these transfers have to work. And if you look at the profile of the players they brought in, like we said last week, they probably overpaid for a lot of them just to get them in the door. It's like the post-Garath Bale splurge, which famously went really, although I do think it's interesting that Byron Lodge they have just bought from Premier League clubs, and they have gone for like, you know, Premier League proven players. Obviously Savio, as he's now known, scored on his debut last night in the caravan. Look brilliant, albeit against Charlton, I thought so, but I don't know. So they have always had money behind them. I mean, they are owned by a billionaire in Joe Lewis and, and Enoch, it's just it was always Daniel Levy holding the purse strings. So that's the difference. Well, the handbrake is off. The human handbrake that was Daniel Levy, who would always look for the best deal, occasionally haggle maybe a little bit too hard, and win the deal at the expense of two months of the season. That's not there now, but they are taking huge risks the other way, because you kind of feel like maybe they're spending two, three years budget in one window. But it does look like they've got an insanely good squad. Or not. Yeah, I mean, they've, you know, they've strengthened where they needed to strengthen. They've got a brand new centre backpairing. They've got a brand new midfield, and they've basically got, you know, the best part of a brand new attack. But I think it's done come to say any other day, you know, Marmouche and Savigno, sorry, my apologies, Savio, haven't yet proven themselves in the Premier League. Marmouche is Fernandez. He was the most exciting player in one of the most exciting plays in Europe. Yeah, but we haven't seen that from him yet. We're certainly listening to him, but at the end of his first season, he's in ecstasy. Yeah. And obviously he's got some incredible qualities. Yeah. I mean, he could like catch fire, but there's, you know, it's not, it's not guaranteed. And then, you know, Marmouche is Fernandez. Obviously, you're a wonderful footballer, but you're paying a lot for potential. Right. Sandra, I think he's fantastic to leave some people a little bit hot and cold. And then as we saw against Brentford, like we always get excited by the transfer window because, you know, lots of things happen, but you can pay lots of money on lots of talented players, but throwing them all together is, you know, it doesn't necessarily work. Well, my favourite tweet from the opening weekend was after Brentford dismantled his work, someone saying, why didn't Van Hecker and Sinesi use their progressive passing maps to stop the defense? Right. You know, but it's very easy to win the transfer window. It's harder to win Premier League games. Well, we should see somebody win this game, Duncan, because it is the most played fixture in Premier League history to never record a nil-nil finish. That feels right. It's on brand, isn't it? Newcastle have brought in midfielder Niko Gonzalez from Man City, who, that must be a very empty team bus. The Man City one. Well, because others came in the same window that Marmouche joined the city. It's, you know, it's one way to avoid dressing room frustration. Just sell all of your substitutes. It's almost as if they're loading up for a big transfer, maybe for a midfielder. Oh, all righty. And so, Fernandez, isn't it? Yeah, excellent. We'll talk more about what's coming up. A little bit of Man City across some Liverpool. And also, the fixtures that have caught are a pundit's eyes in match day two next. I mean, it's an exciting fixture list for match day two. Duncan, what grabs your attention? Well, I feel ashamed to go for the Super Sunday slot, the most obvious slot, but it's quite an interesting game. I think Man City's night at switch, because United looking to become the first team or to avoid becoming the first team. How many history to lose their open two games to promote your side? Right. I mean, statistically, this game is it's famous. It is famous, because and this is an almost unbelievable run. Can you do this in a Johnathan Pierce match the day intro boys? If so, would you have them one at old traffic, since the reflex by Juran Juran was number one in May 1984. Another day to make my stand, United may feel that kind of thing. Yeah, well, I think you've just done it. Yeah, statistically, I mean, I love this start, because it seems insane that it's still carrying on, but the last time United led at half-time at Old Trafford in a league game and lost the match, was against it switch in 1984. May 1984, that match. Yeah. And they've come close on many occasions, particularly in the last two seasons. I mean, Bournemouth almost did it last season in a game at Endred 4-4, but yeah, wouldn't it be something? 12. Which circled the square, or swear the circle, or however you want to do that. But I'm impressed by it switch, and I think they've spent a lot of money and they spent wisely. I think Gary Neal is a sort of, is a manager that can get you to 14th, 15th, which is perfect for them. And they'll go to Old Trafford's pretty confident, I think. United pitch, of course, was also the 9-0 game, 1995, which was for quite a while. The records score, well, still the biggest joint biggest winning margin in Premier League history. And Andy Cole chipping in with the first ever five-goal hall. Yeah, believe in Premier. So, you know, something for him switch to a bench, perhaps. How many five-goal halls has there been since, Andy Cole? I mean, if you said you were going to go one-to-one, you're going to go one-to-one, you're going to go one-to-one. So, we're going to go one-to-one. I think I've talked about my head. There's been six. It's been a while. It's good. No one's got double hat trick, just like no one's, no teams have reached 10 goals since the much-hated boxing day nights, it's the three. Don't speak of it, don't know. Too early. That genuinely the lasts. The last team just scored 10 and then in this top flight game. And yeah, quite a few have scored nine. Yeah, well, my favourite of all the 9s of recent times, the best one was Leicester, when they won now, it's had handsome because they're the only team I've seen who they knew that 10 was at. Vadi was great. Yeah, some of them missed the easy chance and Vadi lost his mind. Yeah. Because people, when you get to nine, people chant, we want 10, like quite ironically, but maybe they should chant it with a bit more further because the players need to get the message. There you go. Never thought of scoring another goal, did they do team? No, I think the crowd is suggesting it. Just worried about the scoreboard, aren't they? Like it might not take over. Yeah, Leicester, why they hold back? Yeah. Look, that's just one last thing. If we score nine today, just remember, scoreboard doesn't have that much, so just weak as a product. It'll become nil nil, if it was 10 nil, like the Millennium Bug of scoreline. That's my, yeah. Tom, a game that you've picked out from match day two is Coventry versus Hull. And we were talking about how a game week one results. Yes, can skew perceptions of teams very quickly. Yes. I think the feeling about Coventry Preseason was, it's going to be difficult, but they've recruited quite well. It's obviously, you know, fantastic kind of team spirit there. Frank Nampard has really kind of built something that feels like it's got momentum behind it. You know, in with the chance of staying up, if things go right, Hull, no chance to forget it. They're going to finish bottom, having conceded, you know, a million goals. And then, you know, a few days later, I mean, I don't think you can draw too many conclusions from the way that Coventry lost at Arsenal, but yeah, Hull, with that incredible result at home to Manchester United, minimal possession, couple of goals from set pieces in the first half, some excellent defending. And yeah, then follow that up with a win on penalties over Stoke in the league up in midweek. Coventry also won at Plymouth 4-2, Tywo Awini getting his first goal in Sky Blue, but they did look a little bit scratch. I mean, both, both Hull and Coventry rotated quite a lot, but Coventry, I think they go two in a lap and Plymouth pulled it back to 2-2 and then ended up winning 4-2. So these two teams familiar with each other from the championship last season, both encounters there, ended goalless. That's why I'm looking forward to it so much. Do you think Hull can follow up their magnificent opening fixture? I mean, you know, on paper Coventry are clearly a superior team, but I think, you know, the beating United in the way that they did will have given whole such a lift and such a boost. And it kind of, you know, it may, okay, this is still an important game. Corner Tom, but if you'd said you're going to take three points from your opening two games, they would have taken it. So yeah, I think it will be a non-ildraw and I cannot wait. It feels like we're any one or two sort of Hull corner, free kick goals away from features being written about. Who's their set piece coach? What are they doing? I don't actually know, but I think we, we will find out if they can just look at it. How is it? Oh, yeah. There's a statue from Stachew. There's a statue of it right in the whole statue at Hull Library. Loved it. Is that right? Loved it. Yeah. Okay. Had a productive sideline in incredibly intricate set piece routines. Yeah. Not surprised to hear it. If anyone, if any 20th century poet, Larkin, surely, Liam, your chosen fixture this week is? Leeds Bramford. Partly because my career has actually never brought me to Ellen Road. I've only been there once in a personal capacity. It was for a stag weekend a few years ago. Okay. Four Leeds Bramford in the championship. For sure. Where I was abused by Ovey Rosler. What? Not on a personal level. Your context to this. Right. Please. Because it requires some background. So Ovey Rosler was Leeds manager at the time? Yes. He had previously been Bramford manager. Okay. But he hadn't gone directly. He'd gone via Wigan. He'd left Bramford in the midst of a promotion charge from Wigan. He was all very acrimonious. He came back to try to poach some staff and players. And so when Bramford finally got promoted and went to Leeds, I think this was the first time they'd gone there. Rosler wasn't at Leeds for very long, but he was there when this game happened. And they were giving him all manner of abuse from the start of the game. Were you in your party? Were you amongst the away fans? We were. Were you there as Brentford supporters or just random? Well, there were people in the stag party that were Brentford supporters. Who was quite local? Who was getting married? One of my friends. One of my friends. Okay. Yeah, just one of my good friends. But yeah, there were a few Brentford fans in the group. And Rosler was getting sort of the name of a certain disciple. He was getting poor. A double U word, six letters, not winner. So he had some provocation. And Brentford took the lead, which didn't help. And he was kind of laughing. It seemed like he was taking it in good spirit. But then when Leeds equalised, he turned and made some kind of gesture, which I cannot repeat along with. What is the letter out there? You can do it. A cascade of words that again, at your group. Specifically at the away end, he knew exactly where they were. We weren't very far from him. I've never seen a coach do that in a technical area. Didn't even celebrate the goal. Just turn around and give us a piece of his mind. He's a human being. He is. He is. I mean, it was understandable in context. But it's just it's always stuck in my mind. After what his grandad did, oh, Trafford as well. What has happened on the stage? By the way, and a song. I mean, that was the highlights. The rest of the weekend was obviously stag activities that you'd expect from a weekend in Leeds. I don't know what. Are you really other German football managers to barrack? Yes. Yeah, but sadly, he was the only one that we found. Certainly the only one that gave us something back. Wow. When you said Leeds, Breadford, I thought it was going to be about Mavindu Sengare. How wrong was that? I mean, I like him too. And it should be a fun game. They're both one on the opening weekend. So two very confident teams. Oh, Breadford also had a 6-1 win midweek in the lead cup away at Tom Brady's Birmingham City. Kalamelsen off the mark. Yes. As a B. All right. Leeds are terrific at home. Since the start of December, Duncan and my right only three teams in the Premier League have taken more points at home than Leeds United. We haven't talked about Man City much yet or Liverpool or lots of other sides. Let's redress that next. Hey, Friday, we're doing a totally extra back at your base. You'll be there, Duncan. I will be Daniel Story, be ringing in and Raphael Honeckstein will be joining us. Ian Wright glancing at screen. And on the reason we're talking about that game in Munich, England 5, Germany 1. What a night. What a night. Somehow. I don't believe this is true, but somehow some people are saying it's 25 years. Is it 25 years? That's why we're doing it. All right. If you've got this lead launch pad for England to go on and win the World Cup. Yes. Well, all right. We'll get into all of that. That's hot. You were an England fan of those days. It wasn't it. Never in England. I was an England fan. Very briefly at the age of six. If you've got any thoughts on that and you see this in time, by Friday morning, we'll also know who's in the Champions League phase. The league phase. They can't say Champions League phase. They've got to change that, haven't they? It's just league phase. It's leaguely. And you have to do it in Europa League. Go back to European Cup. We can have European Cup league phase. But just phase is such a blow. Anyway, taking place at stage would be better. Phase. It's just a phase. You still got the double league, haven't you? I think that's the most important for me. Anyway, they're doing the draw for it. Good luck to them trying to get around that on Thursday. The robot does it now, don't they? Yeah, they just press a button. I mean, it's life. Is it that robot from the robot I live being super high into? That would be great. It was running out with the the bowl full of balls. Brains himself against the wall. It might be a welcome development if the robot that broke you same bolts 100 meter wall. Yeah, cool. It does the draw. What times we live in, there are going to be 36 teams in the league, 29 of them already qualified as of the end of the last season. Seven places still being determined by the qualifiers. I know who's not in it. And that's Celtic, who for the second year in a row crashed out in the playoffs. They were three in the lock from the first leg though, Duncan, at home to Lask of Lints in Austria. Job done. And then did they not take the lead? They did. They themselves four near lap on aggregate. Start booking the the flights. But but Lask all they had to do was win four one to take it to extra time. And they were three one up by the hour mark. Oh my goodness. But Celtic rallied a little bit but then letting it go on the 90th minute. So it went to extra time. And then in the 100th minute, Lask went five one up and friend of the podcast, Martin O'Neill didn't go happy. All right. What Lask defending? Is that their most embarrassing European defeat ever? I think with game state taken into account as well. I mean, if you've fallen a lot away from home on aggregate, dangerous lead. Yes, dangerous. Yeah. But I mean, Scottish football is trapped in this sort of doom loop now where if they don't get a team through to the league phase, then that impacts their, you know, their coefficient a bit. And they obviously they used to get a team straight through to the to the league phase or the group stages it was. Now they're going. And it's some, yeah, it's for for a country that used to be so powerful and football and obviously Celtic is former European Cup winners. It's not a good look. Well, under heart, certainly, it's done there a bit for the coefficient by beating rapid Vienna on penalties on Wednesday, which means they will be in the Europe conference league league phase. Excellent. Anyway, also lead cup draw was on Wednesday night highlights are which include Liverpool getting a second round draw against Spurs. Chelsea has mentioned if they beat Loont tonight, they'll have leads. Man United will be up against Brighton. Holders, Man City has nourished fleet with the only fourth tier side still in the competition. We'll get Sheffield United now. We're not talked about Man City yet, particularly much or what's left of them. They're going to be Crystal Palace Friday night. Pissage, that's his home debut in the Premier League and it comes amid transfer turmoil with Jean-Philippe Matetta taking the club to any available authorities to try and end his contract with them and Liverpool getting set to whisk away their top scorer from last season. It's my La Salle. Who always scores against Liverpool? So classic recruitment team that is like, who's that player always scores against us? That's fine. Yeah, I mean, it'd be a great sign if Liverpool, I think. Yeah, I'm talking about the the most solid shaped gap on the right side of their attack. And they should be in La Salle being a relatively rare example of the modern right foot attacking player who's happy, probably happier playing on the right, I think, than he is on the left, albeit, tends to play a bit more narrowly for Palace. But yeah, it would be pretty fine. It would be great to have Salle as well with Salle. Salle, I just, it works, and it just works. But yeah, if they were to lose Salle and Matetta a few days out from the end of the transfer window. Problems for Salle. Yes, indeed. Yeah. Well, it'll be interesting to see what the atmosphere is like at Salle has been because I think it has built a reputation in the Premier League as maybe being the best, most consistently good atmosphere in London whenever I've been there. It's been rocking, but they are particularly low air right now. They do have axled his ass either. I think very solid centre back. Been actually good online in the last two years. You see a very solid centre back, Liam. I think he has his moments. Yes, he has, he makes mistakes, but in general, I think he's he's physical, rugged, good leader and polite. It seems to be a nice guy, plays the piano. Less relevantly, perhaps, but producer Charlie points out that this game may be the point where most fans realise that the white kit, the palace war at Everton last weekend, is actually their home strip this weekend. So I hope you liked it, palace supporters. You've seen there a waste trip. No, I'm not. It's blue and red stripes. Is it really? It's like what kids do on FIFA online to guarantee a kit clash. Yeah. Although I know what kids do on FIFA these days, but that that was a trick that was absolutely. Why would what would be the benefit of doing that? Just if you've got the less less good team bit of a leveler, isn't it? Yeah. Yeah. City of science, I have bloody who we enjoyed at the World Cup. Yeah. Were you enjoying him in Liga and last year? Yeah. Yeah, everyone was. I mean, he's, you know, a phenomenal player. I've written a piece about him. Okay. Would you say something that you can read? I mean, he's like quite apart from being an exceptionally precocious footballer. He's just a really interesting guy. He's super smart. He did very well at school. He's studying towards a mathematics degree. Play the piano. He doesn't play the piano as far as I know, but played all sorts of sports. You didn't get that when you were a few footballers very often and did well at school, but I mean, as in a sort of, you know, as in a modern thing, not even like did well at school like for a footballer, I know, a fans, but like did well at school by like any standard. He averaged 18 and a half out of 20, which is actually a French marking system, which is unheard of. He won a visit with France and markets systems. They're keeping their, they love that I've slapping a rating on something. Right. You can't imagine it. No offense onto an offensive state. That's how you, that's how you just, well, you know, in the sense of like there's been footballers who have been known as proff in the gesturing because they've got a GCSE. Because they're all seen reading a newspaper. Yeah, great. Miso reading the Guardian in the Chelsea doesn't know. Yeah, no, he's, yeah, he's brilliant. I spoke to one of his former coaches at his four, his first club, AFC K, just north of what between Paris and Leal. And we're talking about how as a kid, the scouts from the big French clubs didn't necessarily notice him because he wasn't flashy. And as we know, the, you know, the Paris region in particular, but France in general, produces an awful lot of extremely skillful footballers. And Buwadi wasn't really one of those types of players, but all the coaches who worked with him knew that he was the guy that made the team tech. And that was the case at Leal. It's the case with, you know, Morocco, as we saw at the World Cup. And I think that's what city are, you know, are hoping they're getting someone you can just plug into your midfield, despite the fact he's only 18 years old, who will just kind of, you know, keep everything kind of flowing. I mean, not, not an identical profile to Roderick, but someone plays with the maturity you'd expect from a player 10 or 15 years older. Quite a prospect then. Let's see. Men's city mentioned they're going to be at palace, Liverpool or up against Nottingham, Forrests. Forrests who've had two games so far under Oliver Glastner, they've both been against Leeds, curiously. And they both ended in defeat. The latest one coming on Tuesday in the lead cup. They have moved to strength on their side by signing Liam Delap for checks. No, at all, a club record, 45 million. So Liam, there'll be some people who are not wellmed by that news. Why should they be? Well, I might be the wrong person to ask why? I've been, I've been quite skeptical all summer that Chelsea would be able to get their asking price. Okay. They would be able to get rid of him, but that they, they've been asking for about 50 million pounds all summer, which is 20 million more than they paid by a release clause from it, which, and there was nothing really in his performance his last season to merit such an increase in price. But that is what they've got. What have forest seen then? Is it the kind of Chris Woodmark too? I think they are different players in it that Chris Wood has become such an accomplished kind of hold-up man. We saw him, you know, we saw him setting up goals for New Zealand in the World Cup with little chess layoffs as there isn't really that level of subtlety in Liam Delap's game yet. But what he does have is a lot more mobility. He's got the capability to, in a more direct team, to bundle defenders out of the way to kind of cause panic and create chances for himself as well as being set up by the people behind him. We saw a lot of that, Ipswich. We basically saw none of it at Chelsea. He was quite good at the club World Cup when he signed, at least in the early phase before Jal Pedro signed and completely outshung him. And then he got a hamstring injury, which we didn't play for the first two months of the season. He never settled really in that Chelsea team. And it was always the wrong kind of style of football for him. Okay. And stylistically, he feels a much better fit for forest, you know, a counter-attacking team. You know, you go back to that season with Ipswich in the Premier League. I've pretty wretched Ipswich to even. He scored 12 goals in his first full season in the top flight. It's obviously a real nuisance, a real handful of a centre forward. So the price does feel a little bit steep, but you can understand, could feel like a bug. As long as he can stop elbowing players in the face. Yeah, that is not ideal in the VR era. Obviously, it's that played a lot of games for Derby. So, you know, Christmas dinner could be tricky. Yeah. Just saying. Liverpool. They're in the lap house, so I reckon they just lob each other. Well, it comes. Here's the tech of it, and he's like, don't want it. It's a thought, isn't it? It is a thought. Liverpool, obviously, with one or two issues from their opening game, the two to draw away at Newcastle. Also, this weekend, Bournemouth taking on Everton, who beat Preston North End 4-0 during the week with Chenna Barry getting his first Everton hat track. That's exciting. They're going to be up against walls in the third round. Bournemouth here with their first home game under Marco Rosa, of course. And the other game, this weekend, is Sandland Fulham. You were impressed with Fulham despite their loss. Could easily have taken a point against Chelsea on Monday. Yeah, they were okay. I mean, they're clearly a very early stage of their build with our VRRB lower as well. But they were very expansive. Maybe more so than they should have been against Chelsea, but against other teams, their ability to keep the ball. They had nice little rotations going on in wide areas. That's how Josh King got into to score the equaliser. Yeah, so there are some interesting tactical things that are below us doing there. And if he gets a little bit of time to refine it, they could be quite interesting. Quite a light Gonzalo Garcia as well. Yeah, he looked, you know, with players like that, you don't know. He's not obviously played times around Madrid, you know, how they'd slow him, but he looked like he'd played in the Premier League for ages. Yeah, he pressed like a demon and looked very physical, actually. So he should be able to settle quite well. Now he's going to send the loan first. I care. Welcome to the Premier League. Are we going to see as many surprises as we can as match day one? And what do you think the biggest surprises are going to be? All 10 games end goalers. Yeah. The team with more possession wins every game. Yeah, wow. I guess we can't lose any surprises because like the surprises of game one have kind of removed the element of surprise with a lot of teams. So like if Brent leaves it will be like, well, we know they shifted expectations to do from way. Yeah, we'll see. We should just be grateful that our league is back. Yep. And as good as ever. Hmm. Perhaps even better. Perhaps even better. Brilliant. Duncan, thank you so much for being with us today. Look forward to seeing you when you are next. Of course, Friday morning when we do totally extra Liam, are you off to follow Chelsea this weekend? I'm not. No, my next Chelsea game will be Arsenal away. I'm looking forward to that one. That's what you can. Yes. Next weekend. That's huge. It will be. Wow. And Tom, you're off to Paris this weekend. After I was on Saturday, but I'll be back and I'll be in the studio on Sunday. On Sunday, how nice. Excellent. I hope you'll be joining us for Sunday's live edition when we round up events so far in match day two of the season. Of course, as mentioned before, that Saturday we'll see our special totally extra with Duncan Daniel and Raffer on England 5, Germany 1 for now. I see it. So many thanks to producers Charlie and Jake. We'll catch up with you soon from all of us here. It's goodbye.