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This is The Guardian. Hello and welcome to The Guardian Football Weekly, honor slots, football heart is broken by wolves. A deflected stoppage time winner brings joy to Mollynew. Is the greatest escape on? Well, no of course it isn't, but the joy at Mollynew elsewhere poses when exactly racing but significant wins for Everton who break their home who do against a still crest wall and burnly, leads lose under the lights to Sondland and Bournemouth and Brentford plow to gold and straw. The midweek round continues with a promising set of fixtures tonight, how many corners will ask Northscore against Brighton and how long will they take over them? The lionesses begin their inevitable march to World Cup gory with a big qualifying win against Ukraine and a genuine FA Cup giant killing. All that's plush your questions and that's the day's Guardian Football Weekly. So Max is on his way back to the Southern Hemisphere, answering the call from his wife, Jamie, after little Willie Rushden decided to stop sleeping in his father's absence. Want a bloody hero? Here's, and he has our full support and empathy. Doesn't he, Barry Glenn Denning? Yes, and we and all our listeners were very much sleeping in his presence. I, I just hope he's not flying home via the Middle East. I reckon he's getting the keys for all to purse long haul. So good luck to him anyway, however, he gets home. Joining Barry on the panel today, John Jarrett Bryan, good morning. Morning, Robin. And my commentary colleague, Slash Nemesis, you decide, Seb Hutchinson. We're very supportive of each other, aren't we? Yeah, yeah, we are, Robin, absolutely. Yeah, yeah. But yeah, ITD. I could be too. No fighting, guys, no fighting. Deep on the BBC, typically. This is our sort of an command style meeting, isn't it? Anyway, to the football and the highlight, really, of last night, which wasn't great, but Wolves 2, Liverpool 1, a really pretty bad first half, but this really came into life in the last 15 minutes. I mean, it was, it was pretty incredible. I mean, Barry, first of all, another really good result for Wolves. Now, another pretty disappointing display from Liverpool. Yeah, I think before we get into the weeds of this game, it's probably worth saying that while the Premier League is suffering this existential crisis, we have to take our hats off to all eight teams who contributed to last night's free throwing feasts of magnificent football. It certainly restored my faith in, in humanity and football. Yeah, this was a brilliant result for Wolves. We'll probably focus, as usual, on Liverpool's shortcomings more than how good Wolves were in the last 15 minutes of this game, but Rob Edwards is really getting a tune out of them now, and it's just a shame it took him so long, you know, he was tuning up that guitar for quite a long time before they started getting any results, but that was another really good win for them, another excellent occasion for a Malanoo crowd who've had very little cheer about this season, this score, I thought two good goals, and probably deserved to win a game that was pretty low on quality. I don't know nothing much of an old happening in the first half, but when it did spark into life, Wolves were really winners, I think, and they took advantage of Liverpool's shortcomings, it's difficult to know what to make of this Liverpool team, Maranislah obviously said what he said in the build-up to this game about not really enjoying Premier League football, and this was a bit of a cell phone because his Liverpool team this season haven't been great to watch. I think too many big-name players aren't performing well enough. They're now in a chase for fifth place, which is not what most of us were expecting at the start of the season. I certainly thought they'd retain their title fairly easily. We'll get into Liverpool, but we should give Wolves their flowers, shouldn't we? It's interesting, isn't it? Because they are relegated, let's be honest, and all but, we should say, are they playing with this sort of freedom, I guess? I mean, Jordan, you're especially pleased with this result because it makes the Arsenal draw. At least you've got a point. We're just psychologically, it's interesting, isn't it? From the Wolves' point of view. It is. Wolves are becoming the ultimate player-hates now because they've taken points against Arsenal, Villa and our Liverpool. They never need the points. They never need the points. They're done, but Liverpool, Villa and Arsenal actually did need the free points. They've been really, really stingy. Yeah, I think there's an element of them just now deciding, you know what, we are pretty much down when the pressure is off. You definitely express yourself better. But I think it's also, there's some good players in that Wolves team, you know, like Wolves will go down and a couple of the go-mes is, I really like my name. I'm like, eight of them are there for two of the eight of them. How many of them have got? I'm really good. I think they'll get picked up. My name a big fan of. Moscera, I think, has been, I've been impressed with him as well. I think he'll get bought. And even the keeper who I thought made a brilliant save in the second half and then messed it up by the salad goal I thought he's got to save that. So he kind of had a bit of a, a weird 10 minute period. But yeah, I think it's the lack of pressure on them. It's allowing them to now just play, but also there's, there's some actual good players in that team who I'm sure will get picked up in the summer. I mean, that's going to be interesting, isn't it? But Rodrigo Gomez is finished. I thought was absolutely sensational, exquisite, wasn't it? The first touch, yeah, no thought it'd taken a bit too far, but then just with the, with this sort of inside foot almost his right foot just poked it past the keeper. That, that was sensational. A little bit of, I don't know, discourse about whether Rodrigo Van Dyke was found that it wasn't, wasn't too much in that was there. And then yes, as you mentioned, Liverpool equalised with a goal that perhaps Josie Sars should have saved. And then the, I mean, the winner to a massive deflection, almost was in slow motion, was it could see Alison's always agonised, painful face going, yeah, I'm not getting this. I mean, it said, but I don't know how much you've covered wolves, but we've seen teams that have been all but relegated sort of sink and basically not win at all and look, you know, destitute and just kind of not, not playing at all. This actually could be really, really good for them in terms of the, the bounce for next season. The three times I've covered wolves live this season, they haven't lost. And in all three games, there's an argument that they should have won all three games, did them against villa at home, did them old traffic and did them at spurs as well. They're really unfortunate in that game. Jean-Paul Lienier scored with the last kick of the game. And spurs were very lucky and they might need that point by the end of the campaign. Rodrigo Gomez scoring yesterday, he became their top scorer with three goals. And that, their lives, their problem really. And the fact that Strand last and went through the whole season, not scoring for them. And then they sold him for that money. They've been in this position for a while now. You've got the sense that all the players leaving, they're not being replaced with that potential quality to kick on. And of course, Jean mentioned that their players are going to leave in the summer. And that's, that's the eternal problem, isn't it, for certain clubs and wolves have fallen to this trap of not being able to replace the players that have gone. I'm, I'm pleased for other Edwards in this scenario because you just want supporters to have their moment, even if they're going down because for supporters, we keep saying there's all the time that every game supporters need moments in seasons. Most supporters know they're not going to win anything. So they just need to see their team win big matches. To beat Villa felt big. To beat Liverpool feels huge. To come back from two goals down against Arsenal. And that probably did free the players up. And I think we need that to remind again, that idea of despite all the bashing the Premier League's getting, it is a competition where the bottom side in this. And we're literally seeing it as just beating the champions. And not many leagues around Europe have that sort of situation. Great celebrations from Rob Edwards who launched the ball on the cone into the crowd full pelt and then then ran down the touch line. It was it was great stuff. I guess frustration for wall spans is like, where was this earlier in the season? Because they're just going to run out of games, aren't they? On to Liverpool up to tweeted that they've lost five games thanks to 90th minute goals in the Premier League this season. The most of any single side in a single campaign in the competition's history, which is pretty damning staff, isn't it? I mean, they look last. We should again reiterate and this was brought home with the applause on 18th minute for Diego Jotter from the walls fans because that's the number he wore for walls and the 20th minute because that's the number he wore for Liverpool. So of course, that's, you know, that's always in the background from this Liverpool side. But it just seems like Barry, these games, when it kind of became a sort of basketball match, they just totally lose control and they can't get it back. Yeah, for that winner that was called Liverpool's midfield basically disappeared. They offered was freedom of the park. The thing of conceding leg goals is happens to frequently just to be an anomaly or one wonders, but what is the cause of it? Is it just lack of concentration? None of us seem sure of how the death of Diego Jotter would affect the players this season. Lots of people were prepared to give them a pass. Lots of people are insisting that it shouldn't have any effect on their performance of slots. However, I don't buy that for a second. I just think it is something to do that so many of their big name players are not playing well this season. And that is bound to have an effect. And most Salah has been poor. I know he scored last night, but he did little or nothing else. And his goal was a little fortunate. Graven Birch hasn't been good. I think he's probably the most important player in verge of endike the way he was bullied yesterday for that first goal was, I don't know. I don't think he was found. We shouldn't let themselves be bullied like that. Cody Gakpo is an added really. Curtis Jones didn't play well last night. Alison, his distribution isn't as good as we've come to expect. So if big name players like that are not performing, then it's obviously going to have a detrimental effect on results. The question for me, Robin, is how does this change? So if we look forward to next season, and if we all bake in the reaction, the response to a tragedy summer gone, I mean, okay, it'll be a year on from that. But a lot of those players are still going to be mourning and they're still going to feel the loss of Jotter. So for me, it's how does this change? Do those players, as Barry was saying, just get 20% better? I mean, maybe it's just a case of a handful of their big players. Just need to go from a four out of 10 to a seven out of 10. And you'll see, I don't know, 10 more points on the board, but I'm thinking to myself, how does this get better? Because, tactically, I don't know what's going on there. They haven't got bad players. So I just can't help but think to myself, okay, let's fast forward to next season. How does this, how does this change? How does this improve? I can't quite answer that question. That's a really good question, I think, because yeah, obviously, we know grief isn't linear, is it? And it's not just going to go away. I think maybe a fresh start to the season might help, but also, I mean, Steven Warnock was saying on five live, he doesn't expect Anna slot to be there next season. I'm not saying that's going to kind of wipe the slate clean in terms of, you know, Diego Jotter stuff, but Seb, I don't know what your view on that is that I still was quite surprised by that remark. This was before the result, but obviously, Jabi Alonso sort of lurking in the background as well. I mean, Jabi Alonso, that's felt like something that should happen for a couple of years now, whether it does or not is all about timing, isn't it? With football, Liverpool are strange. This game, I know we've spoken about this game a lot already, but Walsers first effort on goals and was the goal. Was their first goal? Was Drega Gomez's effort? I mean, they were on course for being, you know, the latest for a side to ever shot on goal in a match this season. I think Bernays was the 86th minute in one of their games earlier in the campaign. So I, I, that's, they've been in that situation a lot Liverpool where they've dominated the ball and they've actually struggled to try and find a way through and then they've looked weak at the back. That's a really difficult balance to overcome. And often teams, the biggest sides overcome it through two reasons. They buy another big player. As we've seen City do, City have sealed up their backline. They got players back from injury. They bought Mark Gahey and now they look stronger at the back and they've got fantastic goalkeeper. So Liverpool, that's the area feel they'll need to address first if they're to fix it. Slots interesting because he just had this amazing situation where he came into a club, won the league. So he's on that high and we know, we know the only way is, is down or you might say across in Liverpool's case. So he's always going to come under pressure. The tipping point will be how Liverpool exit the season because if they do what Liverpool have done in the past, they go on to win the Champions League. For example, those things carry a lot of weight for that club. So I don't think it's a decision we can think of until Liverpool are out of the pitcher in all competitions. And they're also selling the FA Cup where they play walls Friday night. And that's kind of got a little bit more interesting actually now off the back of this. So yeah, look forward to that one. Moving on, Everton to Burnley-Nill. Everton's first home win in six. And yeah, I mean, Barry David Moyt was asked about Everton going into Europe after this game. Yeah, I think it's, but it's possible. And I can't make up my mind whether Everton are over performing or underperforming because they're much higher than I thought it would be, but I think it would be higher still if they had a decent striker. And I seem to say this about Everton every episode. So I apologize. This was a good win for them, but Burnley, it was arguably Burnley's worst performance as a season. They offered nothing. They were absolutely dismal. Everton's first goal came from a set piece. James Tarkowski unmarked at a free kick. James Garner a good free kick from him. And then the second goal was, it was a nice move with a weighted pass from Illyman and Jai to to Jewsbury Hall. And his finish over to Bravica was nice, nice, tidy finish from him, boss. And then arguably the moment of the game was Idrissegana Gays. Wonderful shaft from outside the area that curled and hit the bar. And we got another super save from Jordan Pickford towards the end. And I think that was all Burnley had to offer that one chance. We've seen Everton in Europe before. And if they were to qualify for the conference league, then, you know, any Premier League side in the conference league should win the conference league, I think, but that won't always be the case. It hasn't always been the case, but it probably should be given the financial advantage they have over other teams. My only takeaway from this game was, as Barry mentioned there, Jordan Pickford, because looking ahead to the World Cup, all the talk has been about, you know, who's the back up to Harry Kane, who plays in the number 10, who will be the left back. And it seems to be the one position that no one's talking about and understand to be so is the goalkeeper. And I just think his performance is in recent weeks. I've just reminded everybody that he's one of the best keepers in the league. I don't know if he's in the world class bracket. I think there are three or four better than him, but he's definitely reminded people, you know, ahead of this World Cup, the England do have a very, very, very good goalkeeper alongside a top elite world class center forward and great options in the number 10 spot. So he's really just kind of, yeah, peacocking, if you like, ahead of the World Cup. That's a really good phrase for actually, and he loves doing that, doesn't he? Another sort of, I don't know, sort of a facial expression of, oh, aren't I good? I'm here for it. A couple of, I mean, the highlight for me was the kickoff. I mean, TNT thought it was, it was so good, they tweeted it. It was just like a, they kicked off and it was an up and under, you know, great stuff. 90s football is back. But apparently that happens in the EFLs told quite regular. And it's not that uncommon. I'm told in the EFL, someone said to me last night. So TNT making the big deal of it is fine. But if you watch EFL football, apparently, that's not uncommon. Well, they'd have the rights of the EFL. It's all about that, you know? Yeah, Jules Briehall with a fantastic goal. He is a really classy operator, but he really should have done the snooker queue celebration, shouldn't he? Because of this story. I mean, fantastic stuff, isn't it? So yeah, he gave an interview with the Daily Mail when he was playing at Leicester under Brendan Rodgers. Brendan Rodgers organized a pool tournament. And he said that he was, I mean, killing Jules because he was playing for a pub team at 10 years old. I mean, that should have been questioned a bit more. I think that no one's going to fix up on that. But anyway, that's a side. He's good at playing pool. And he was drawn against Brendan Rodgers in the first round of this pool tournament. And he said to the lads, do I try my hardest? And he did because apparently Brendan Rodgers was telling everyone how good a pool he was. Yeah, he said he beat him three nil. Three nil. He said he was raging. He said, sorry, Gaffer, and a week later, he was sent out on loads of Blackpool. So yeah, fantastic story, said. I mean, can you, I think I believe that. I'm not don't know, Brendan Rodgers well, but I can believe that. Yeah, be a strange thing for him to lie about. I mean, he's a player who's recovered his career from that situation where somebody's playing well. And then they move to a club competing for the top one is don't get a look in. And then you think, can they rebuild after that? And he's doing it ever, too. And he's a key player for them to the point where he's in the England conversation. Unfortunately, for him, it's in a position where England have so many options. So it's pretty unlikely that he's going to get a look in from Thomas Tuckle. But I to divert a bit, it did make my heart sink a bit when I heard David Moise talking about set pieces in a negative sense because I thought to myself, well, Moise talk, I'll tell her everything he knows you would have thought in that regard. Come on, mate. Let's be in a position now where he's he's complaining about or he's not complaining about to be pointing it out. Everton scoring their first goal from a set piece. And I go go back to what you said at the start of this. They are a funny team ever to because you do feel like they should be doing better. They should have had a better results. But they are in an excellent position. And one, they would have loved to have been in in several seasons in the last decade or so. So I think again, is that position of can they kick on from here and get into Europe because it is the cliche to say, but you feel like that club needs a little European campaign. They're that sort of club you feel that they just need one. And it would be and if it is the conference league, then they can push on and try and win that competition. But there's so many teams in the mix for it. So it's again, even though we're right on the business end now. I think is it business end? Maybe one game away from business end? Not sure. Maybe next week. Next week. Yeah, next week. Let's get a couple of more rounds of cup action out the way and then then we're into the business end. Just just going back to the pool batch between Jews, bury Hall. I was going to ask you, Barry, is there a lesson there that you need to let the boss win? Well, I don't know about that. But Brendan Rodgers writes to me very much as that guy in the pub who has brings his own two-piece cue and has a name for it. And you know, he puts his case down on the table and flicks open the latches that each end screws his cue. He has his own shock as well. And probably insist on brushing the table down before the tournament starts. In my local pub, the guys on the pool team take it incredibly seriously. And if they have a whole match, it's like being at a crucible theater, like anyone makes noise or heaven for a defend encroaches through the playing area to visit the toilet. It's frowned upon seriously. That's probably where the comparison ends with a flushing of toilets. I wanted to reference the big Lebowski if anybody's seen that. Let's see in that field, but hey, to Skintana, who was the flashy player. I could just picturing Brendan Rodgers' head. And that purple shirt he had on, and then just up steps, Jewsbury Hall just to take him apart on the pool table. Magic stuff. There's a film in there somewhere. Yeah, and I can't wait for Brendan Rodgers to post. I know he's managing in Saudi now. Maybe get Gary Kotrel over there to ask the question. He's the man, isn't he? He's the man. That's it for part one and part two. We'll do the rest of last night's games and look ahead to the Premier League fixture tonight. Welcome back to the Guardian Football Weekly. Leeds, Neil, Sunderland 1. Barry, you said in the WhatsApp group. This is a truly dreadful spectacle. And this was one of the worst football matches I've ever seen. Now, Sunderland 1, that's great. They've got to 40 points. They're safe. They were safe anyway. But it was horrendous viewing. Melka Rellberg started in gold for Sunderland because Robin Roos is out with a hamstring injury. So, Elberg's this guy they brought in in January because Anthony Patterson, the goalkeeper who was ever present last season as they got promoted. He went off to Milwon, because he wanted to obviously get some game time under his bed. So, this young Swedish fellow came in and he kept a clean sheet on his Premier League debut. So, that was good. Grannishak, they always started on the bench, presumably a legacy of the crunching tackle he suffered at the hand slash feet of Tiner Adams at the weekend. But Sunderland had one shot on target, a bad penalty taken by Habib Diara, Karadarro probably should have saved it. He got a lot on it, but he couldn't keep it out. Leeds were denied a penalty. There was a lot of time wasting from Sunderland. Arigabidi, the highlight of the game was Luke on 9 going to take a long throw in only to discover that Sean Longstaff, who was warming up on the touch line, had stolen his towel and run away with it. So, he couldn't drive the ball off. And then later on, Luke on 9 lead were on the attack. There was two balls on the pitch for some reason. So, Luke on 9 kicked the spare one that Leeds didn't have into play. So, the ref had to stop play and that was an interesting way of stopping that particular attack. Leeds had a goal this allowed. And yeah, it was grim. It was really grim. The only good thing about it was the result for Sunderland. But Leeds, I think, have every right to feel aggrieved here at the time wasting and be the penalty that should have got put in for Luke on 9 grab. And I think it was, what's his name? Pascal Strike around the neck and shoving them to the ground. At Luke on 9 is, I mean, he's a proper shithouse, isn't he? He always has been. But it's because he's quite small and quite cheeky chap, I think he kind of gets away with it, doesn't he? But he's like, he's proper. Every game I've seen him in, he's kind of the dark arts are there for him. I was a huge admirer of his. And I stay lamb, but I felt slightly let down when video emerged to him at some conference somewhere during the summer. And he's gone full high performance. And he along with another famous high performance advocate tells his children to be the light in the room when he sends them off to school every day. And yeah, he was coming out with all this gobbledy goo, which I found quite dispiriting, but I do admire him as a player and he, he's certainly all sondal and nothing. I thought Barry was going to say he was like, it's some far right content, but it was actually worse. Just to be clear, Luke on 9 is not an action. That's be clear. A shithouse and not an action. Drinking up a card in New York City. Leeds lost their record of 22 home games on beaten in games that kicked off at seven o'clock or later a stat that can well and truly get in the bin. Seven, I don't know about you when you go through those stat packs. That one is not one that I would I'd be pulling out in particular. But leads a bit like the weekend unlucky, you'd say, and kind of definitely in games and in this relegation fight. Well, they're out of the relegation zone at the moment. Yeah, the fact that it's still closer area reflects actually they've been unfortunate in so many games this season. And they are a really physical side, but they've also had, I mean, stack for me has really stood out in the games I've seen him. He's looked like a real handful for the opposition to deal with. He's driven the team forward. And Ellen Rhodes, fantastic atmosphere, does really spur the team on. And there was always that sense of would they have enough quality, per se. But at the moment, they're still looking over their shoulder and it's a shame from their point of view because they could have been in a position where they could have opened that gap because the sides below them keep losing. But they just can't quite get away. And I feel for Daniel Farker because the end of the city game full time, I've never seen a man look so angry. But weirdly, this game might hurt more because they dominated the ball. And they would have felt another issue. They've had a penalty, of course. And it was a sucker because that goal, the penalty incident came, I think, 20 seconds after the road on goal had been ruled out. I mean, talk about mood swings in a stadium. Goodness me. And Daniel Farker said after that, he'll never jog again after he got that red card, which I think, yeah, it's big stream. But yeah, just on steps point there briefly, I mean, like every, I guess, target for every team in the Premier League, I think peaking at the right time is really important. And I just won that because he's had a really good period if I'm not mistaken. December January, they've got some really good results. And you thought, okay, they're going to be fine. And as Seb says, for all of the good work that done the last couple of months, they're still not that far clear. And I just wonder if they have peaked the wrong time in a way that West Ham arguably seemed to be kind of peaking at the right time. I know they've not had great results, but West Ham seemed to be on the up in the way that leads for their good period in the last couple of months. They should be five, six, seven points, safer than they are. And I just fear for leads that, yeah, they may have got their good results, if you like, six weeks too early. Yeah, and they're still time for another peak who are not quite the business standards we've managed as we've created. Can I drop in that leads do have to go to spurs? They do have to go to West Ham and they do have all of his findings. Exactly. It's a good position for them to be in and they do have wolves and Burnley at home still to come. So they're still in a very strong position to get out and safety is everything for them, obviously. Absolutely. Bomethnill, Brentford Nill, Bometh's 13th draw this season, they really should have won this one. And the main talking point, Barry was the non penalty. This was Tavineer hit the post, but as he was doing that, just a little tap from Coyote. And Robbie Savage on TNT was seething. He said that was penalty clear as day. Yeah, I agree. And I think if Tavineer had gone down, he would have got it, but he didn't. He took the shot and stayed and didn't score, didn't get a penalty. So I would agree with Robbie Savage on that one. I think Bournemouth should have won this. This is probably the best as a four games, to be honest. Even though it weren't any goals. And Bournemouth just, they hit the woodwork a couple of times. Crupe had a, what looked a certain goal deflected onto the post at the end of one of his own teammates. He shot here too. Unals in her thigh and went on to the post. Yeah, they should have won this and they're drawn too many games. And it's actually Brentford who look more in pole position to get a European place, but still a way to go. On to tonight's games. So big clashes at the top and the bottom of the league. And in the European race, Aston Villa against Chelsea. This looks very tasty. And Villa fans, you can turn off now, Jordan. As our Villa basser, would you like to comment on this? Two wins and eight for Villa. Emory conceding the title. I mean, fair enough, but wanting to get to champions league. Are you saying they were never in it? Oh, well, I don't want to say it, but you said it for me. We can move past that. Yeah, I mean, I'm not going to lie. There's no tears on my pillow about Villa slipping out of potentially the top five, the top five race. I just think again, the timing of them in field injuries has really killed them. It's really, really harmed them. But you know, at least I'll have an extra man to play against against Chelsea when they clash tonight. So they have that in their back pocket. I mean, I personally would prefer to see Villa in the top five rather than Chelsea, just because I think an accumulation of the last two, three years of work, they've kind of earned it. I don't just work like that, but I feel like they've done the right things to be competitive. And I think for them to, and I didn't have them as title contenders ever, but that was a narrative for them to go to do that well, to even be spoken in that light, to not even qualify for the Champions League, I think would be massively disappointing. And I'm sure you do realize there's a force. Yeah, I know, but the momentum seems to be that they're going to be the ones that slipping out that it seems to, that's the way it seems to be going. So I hope they can maintain a top four, top five slot. And do it as for Chelsea. I mean, yeah, I think near and there's had a decent start to 10 year at Chelsea, but we know that Chelsea need Champions League football too for their model to be successful. It would be just a disaster for them to miss out. And I think the loser of this game then becomes the favourite to miss out in that race, in my opinion. And who will be the red card tonight? It's like traitors. That's the question. Brighton against Arsenal. Brighton won the last two. I think a bit of a wobble before that. A lot of discourse said, again, as we mentioned, this set pieces, they're getting a bad rap. Everyone's just jealous of Arsenal, aren't they? That's jealousy. Yeah, that seems to be the story of this season is that there's a lot of fan bases that aren't happy with where their clubs are. And I think in recent years, obviously, City have been so dominant, but so many clubs in the league are a bit indifferent to City in terms of the players on the pitch. Obviously, the club is a different matter, but in terms of the players on the pitch, they quite like some of the players. I found it interesting when Roger said, everybody wants us to lose in his little ramp that's getting him in trouble. Of course, that's not true. I don't think people think about City in that way. Not sure. Well, yeah, the reason I'm talking about the club, the club is under this situation where they're waiting for everyone's waiting for these charges. I think the players on the pitch, it seems like everybody would think if it was man United at the top, people would think, oh, anyone but man United when it's Liverpool at the top is anyone but Liverpool if it's Arsenal at the top is anyone but Arsenal because these are the these are the huge clubs in the league that have had these huge fan bases that have big influences. But in this case, I think there's there is some truth to what people are saying about the criticism of the set piece situation. And that comes to the fact of when you watch Arsenal play, they're not a free-flowing attack. Often teams are in a position where they they stifle Arsenal. And if they are to trip up at the back end of the season, it is going to be that they're attacklets them down in matches where they're trying to respond to issues in the game. City have been a side where even if they went 1-0 down to forest tonight, you'd believe in their ability to rally and turn the game around. If Arsenal full 1-0 down to Brighton tonight, you'd wonder how that game would play out. Even if they went 1-0 up, would they just hold on to that advantage and maybe come on a huge pressure? That's understandable because the time it's taken for them to get over the line here. And if they do, that might free them up. And this is the thing again, it goes back to what we said about Liverpool. The end of the season will obviously dictate how we feel about the whole situation. If Arsenal get over the line, the supporters won't care at all. Not at all, but if they don't get over the line, it will be the stick to beat them with. And that's from Arsenal's own supporters as well as fans of other clubs. If Arsenal do get over the line, is this the least enjoyable title race as an Arsenal supporter? It seems like no one's enjoying it. Yes, I mean, I'm not loving it. It's not particularly fun, but the reason why I'm not loving it is because I think I'm the only Arsenal fan on the planet that actually does think style of play and how you win it does matter. My view is that football's a fan is to be enjoyed. And I think the winning isn't the only thing that I take enjoyment out of. I also say to my friends, when asked when the title, I don't get a medal. I don't get a win bonus. I don't get a goal bonus. I don't get a trophy. So nine months of investment supporting this team, financial time and effort. What do I get out of it? I want moments. I want memories. I want to watch Arsenal play and see some good football. I'm not expecting five new every single game. There's no entitlement to free-flowing football every single game. Of course not. But I think a team with the resources that Arsenal have, the players that Arsenal have, I don't think it's an unrealistic expectation to be at least competitive and play a brand of football that's easier on the eye. So for me, it's not enjoyable, but it's not enjoyable because I can think of a handful of games where Arsenal have played attractive football and won. And that for me isn't good enough. If Arsenal win the league, of course, it'll be in question. I'll be up for it all because it's been 22 years and you can't be top of the league for this long and and then fall off. But for me, you can. Oh, you can. I can. Well, let's see if I just can't see here. There you go. There you go. But just finally, from me, on the corner thing quickly, I find the whole corner chat so bizarre. I'm sure at the start, Robin, I think it's just jealousy. I think a lot of fans are just jealous. It blows my mind. Why would the fact that we score from so many corners is such a talking point. It's like, what should they do? Not try and score from corners. The whole point of a corner is you try and threaten the goal. We found a way to make it a weapon of ours. It's really boring and bizarre for me. This whole corner chat for me. I found it weird the entire season. Yeah, no, it is. It's like, oh, you shouldn't have the title because you scored too many corners. It's kind of it's mad, isn't it? It's part of the game. I understand why Arsenal fans are so concerned about what other people think about their team. But I don't care what other people think about how Sunday will play. I don't think other people should respect Sundayland. I just I do not care. Do you know why, Barry? I think you're right, but I think it's because Arsenal in the kind of Venger era been seen as the footballing team. I think we take pride in the fact that our team has had artists and played great football and Venger ball. And I think we kind of buy into that as Arsenal fans. So when other people say, well, actually, you're just stoked. You're just strokes, but you're just a mid-table league one team. I think some fans take that to Harks. They pride themselves on playing a brand of the air. Just stoke with a bigger budget. And if it were I would argue the current stoke play pretty your football in Arsenal. But Arsenal far more cheer up and the league didn't themselves. I'll stoke wish they'd have a few more goals at the moment from any which way. Just on the game. It's a big game. I know that every game is a big game at this point of the season. But it's I've singled out since I performed something recording. This game and the new castle home game are the two that I have weird butterflies in my smile look about. And if they can overcome those two fixtures. I know people say the man's seat game is big. Yeah, of course it is. But these are two where I genuinely fear we could drop points and Brighton on two seasons have actually harmed Arsenal's title chances at this day to the season. So it's a little bit of PTSD. But it's a game that Arsenal need to come through if only to keep City honest. Down the bottom flume against West Ham. And yeah, West Ham really need a result. And I think that the best thing in the build up to this was a Darmature always Jim ban. He's been banned from the gym. So I knew a spirit. So Santo ban from doing weights. It says I've told him to stay out of the gym. It's one of the things that I think he needs to realize. It's it's enough weight that he carries. That's enough. A Dama. He'll do prevention work, but not their lifting weights. He also was brilliant as they he threw another 21 defender under the bus. This guy over here a redass Glambeckis saying for him, for example, he spends hours at the gym. He needs which is great. Yeah. And it just I don't know. It reminds me of like a sort of one of those men who have on a warranted confidence chatting up a woman saying, you know, I've just been banned from the gym because I'm just too henchman. Yeah, not even allowed in there anymore. But yeah, so that's my preview to that game. City against nothing in forest. Um, Barry, I mean, Vittor Pereira has won this season. The Premier League. I'm expecting a clear city win here. You'd think so. And yes, I wouldn't be massively surprised if the drop points. That's all I have to say about that. Far enough. We'll see what happens. Newcastle gets many night and now this is an interesting one and said, you're on commentary duty for this one. And I think actually the narrative has been sort of a macrocatch returning home almost. Yeah. Yeah. It's such a lovely story of his links with Newcastle and the Northeast and everything else. But he is Mr. Man United at the moment. And I can't find it to me from the outside. He has to, he just has to have the job. I don't see why you wouldn't give him the job. Why would you bring somebody in? They win a lot of football matches. They drive you to your only target at this stage of the campaign. Why would you then replace them? And I feel a Manchester United in a position where when things are going well, they just need to keep riding that wave because Amarim didn't do it every time there's a good moment. He then changed things again and they went back to where they were. So Jim Radcliffe said something and then they went back again and kept taking a step back every time they took a step forward. So this time round, I've, I think I've watched pretty much all of their games since Carrick took charge. And there is a, there is a freedom about their attack. Their attack looks dangerous. You look at their signings. All of a sudden, they all seem to be perfect in the attacking areas. They seem to work really well. And that positivity might go back to that freedom element we were talking about earlier with wolves, whereby you know, wolves have nothing to lose. Man United have nothing to lose the way they're playing. They've got one game to focus on, per round one competition to focus on. And they have the quality in attack. And the defence McGuire is back in that defence. They look a bit more solid. They're still conceding chances. And the palace game was an interesting one. It wasn't going their way, but things turned. But they are. There is a relentlessness about their attack in the same way. I think City have that at times as well that that really can get you going at this stage of the season. It can take you to where you need to go because the attack is, we're talking about defences taking teams to titles and things like that. I just think you've got to have that X factor in your front line when things get tight and you need somebody to pull you out of trouble. And that's how I managed you night at the moment. You cast on the other hand, not in a great place, but they are still in a position where they can still rescue something from this campaign. If they could overcome Man City in the camp, if they can have a great night against Barcelona, it's something to take from a campaign that might look back on as a pretty poor one for them and it feel like a club going backwards. I just going back to United, sorry Robin, to Seb's point. I don't think I disagree with his take on Michael Carrick, but to play devil's advocate, it isn't riding the wave too far. What got them in trouble a couple of times before. So Ollie kind of got them feeling really, really good and they kind of ran with that a bit, a bit premature and ten hog, you know, did they not? Did he ever wave ten hog? He won the cup. He won the cup and then he thought, right, okay, we're going to keep you and I think the common consensus has been proved. They published it and then said, thank you very much, but let's, let's leave it there. So I'm just wondering if that's the counter. Do they have to make a decision right now? I think if this continues, Carrick probably should be at least a front runner for the job, but if Lewis and Rico comes on the market, is that the sort of kind of grab a task for manager that you kind of want to come in and grab that club by the throw to go to the next level? But like I said, the star, I don't disagree that Carrick at the bare minimum should be strongly considered. Yeah, they almost want to start losing so they can make the decision of it. That should be an absolute cracker. Yeah, Newcastle seemed to have kind of, they just performed for Champions League. So yeah, should be, should be really interesting game that one. That'll leave part two in part three will chat line. This is a bonafide cup set and the curious case of Philippe Louise. Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football weekly. So yes, women's Euro qualifiers and Seb, you are on commentary, do you see it? Busy guy. Busy guy for this one. England is playing in a slightly strange atmosphere in Turkey against Ukraine for obvious reasons. As you said, six won win a great start because as we keep saying, gold difference in this world cup qualifying campaign could be huge. Yeah, it's where England have come and stuck in previous nation's league campaigns where they've been another strong team in the group, be it Spain, be it Netherlands, be it France, and they've beaten that side in one match and lost in the other, I say, and it's been gold difference this custom or drawing against another side in the group. Ukraine are the weakest side in the group, but Spain beat Iceland three and all yesterday as well. And it was interesting. England had so much of the ball. I mean, it was one of the most dominant first halfs you could ever think of. I think Ukraine didn't complete a pass in the final third in the whole half, but it was nearly a half time and it felt like the moment that Spain kicked off their game a bit later, then England kicked into action with the rider of just have to win this game and win it well. And by the end, the overwhelmed Ukraine will be honest about it and showcase the depth that they all often show in games like this. The thing that really was striking in a game like this was early in the game, Nicole Kuslova, the Ukrainian forward, picked up a really bad injury. And because the ground was empty, I think it was about 250 people there because of the aforementioned reasons. You could hear her distraught. You could hear her effectively wailing. And it was quite tough actually. One of the most in the season when you thinking this is, it'd be nice if they just, you know, turn the volume down on this because this is somebody going through a lot here. She'd spoken so well in the lead up to the game about the struggles of Ukrainian team and not being able to play at home. And in this huge game, she plays for Glasgow City and it felt like a huge match for her. And it lasted less than 10 minutes. That was a real tough thing to take. And you could hear all the instructions from the touch line. It felt a bit like, you know, watching during COVID period. They're even professional in the end. They are a side of still think that going forward into this cycle. And by the way, the word cycle, talking about well cups and things like that. It was like more of a modern, modern thing. I don't remember growing up using the word. This is the World Cup cycle. But I feel like I'm using it more and more nowadays. But that's, that's how it is. With this particular cycle for us, the Serena Vigman's looking at, can I just add those players just to fill in the little holes? She still knows who our strongest side is, I believe. Can we just get, you know, left footed, left back in who can just be in the squad if we need it. Somehow find a ball player in midfield to compliment Kira Walsh, but still relying on those vital players. And one final thing, Georgia Stanway doesn't get enough love. I don't think in all the talk. If you ask most people to mention an England player in the street, she'd be one of the ones they'd forget about. Yet she is one of the first names on the team sheet and she was excellent last night. No, agreed, agreed. And also, yeah, probably the pick of the goals that Jess Park, who's had a fabulous season with Manchester United. Yeah, just a beautiful sort of, just says not a lot, but sort of a dinked over the keeper, but it was so powerful. It was, yeah, just a great angle of that. Faker, others and Susie Rack will be all over this on Guardian Women's Football Week, Clea, which is out tomorrow. Wherever you get your podcasts, grounding up all the World Cup qualifiers and all the other news from the women's game. In the Asia Cup, we should just mention that Iran's women's team have been praised for their courage, having declined to sing their national anthem ahead of their opening match against South Korea in Australia on Monday. They're the only Middle East in team to qualify. It's their first fixture since the war in the Middle East began in Iran's head coach Marzia Jafarri and her players declined to comment on either the war or the death of the long-serving Ayatollah when asked by the media, understandably. They will face the hosts Australia on Thursday. Talking with the Matilda, Sam Kerr scored her first goal in 851 days in her hometown of Perth. Yeah, it was a lovely moment for her, struggled for two years with a brutal ACL injury and all of that that came afterwards. Only goal of the game as they beat the Philippines. Touching on the subject of the impending World War III for Ritsu Romano, as had his say, whether it's independent or not, well, it's not because he hashtag ad, saying reports on international media about Cristiano Ronaldo, left Saudi Arabia with his family, a wide of the markets, fake news. Cristiano is now doing treatment at Al Nasser training ground after issues in his last game. Cristiano is not left Saudi to return to Madrid. And this was just a few hours, he posted a very strange two-minute video in support of King Salman's Human Aid and Relief Centre, as I said with the hashtag ad. He goes into great detail about a range of humanitarian projects undertaken by the Saudi leader and his KS Relief Project hashtag. Here we go. Barry, this is what he's here for, isn't it? Yeah, it's quite something. He didn't mention the 347 executions. Saudi Arabia carried out last year in this promotional video for the regime. I mean, I have a certain admiration for him. He's carved out this incredible niche for himself. He's got over 27 million followers on social media. He has made the transition from journalist to paid state influencer and he is a journalist that's taking money to legitimize a regime that has a history of suppressing harming and in one notable instance, murdering a journalist. So that obviously, I don't admire that. But at least he's blatant about it. I've given that. He makes no apologies for what he's doing and it could be argued that Newcastle fans, local politicians in Newcastle, the local press and some elements of the national press have all been shilling for the Saudi regime, free of charge for several years now. So while I don't like what Romano was doing, at least he's blatant about unlike many others. Yeah, he's getting paid for this. I mean, joking aside, this feels very dangerous to me. Someone with this amount of followers spouting this stuff. I mean, paid to do so. Yeah, I mean, but as Barry says, he's not really hiding what's going on here. And I think those that with half a brain would disseminate whether they class him as a journalist any more anyway. So I think it would be more concerning if he was trying to be convoluted or sly about it. He's quite clear. I'm being paid a lot of money to spout certain lines about a particular regime country organization. I have less of an issue with that than I would other people who I think are trying to pretend like they are not what they are. So yeah, I don't consider him a journalist anymore. I'm sorry. I know that might not be cool to say, but I think it's quite clear what's going on here. So I almost appreciate, as Barry said, the openness of what he's doing. It's like, cool. We know what it is. Crack on. Who's the target audience for what he's saying? Is it just a message to sort of float in the ether up? I can't imagine anybody really just hearing a message and going, oh, that's really cool. I'm going to take this in my life and it's going to... I've never really understood. I guess it's just something floating in people with a subconscious think. Well, there are a lot of football fans who hang on his every word. Yeah, about Saber, but his opinions when it comes to this sort of thing, whether Cody Gack Poe might leave or... Well, this isn't his opinion. Well, one presumes of his opinion. It's someone else's opinion. He's just parroting it for money. This is influencing, isn't it? This is influencing. Yeah, but with influencing, we've seen it more with products and things, but you're undergoing forward. It's going to be political campaigns, isn't it? There's going to be... They're going to be using social media influences to make statements about things in a way we're not even ready for yet. Well, in better news, happier news, especially if you're a port veil fan bottom of the table, they beat Bristol City in their delayed FA Cup 4th round fixture 1, when all the way to extra time. That is painful for Bristol City going there, having to go extra time and then being dumped out. Ben Wayne's extra time winner means they have set up a 5th round tie against Sunderland. So, yeah, great stuff for them. That'll be on Sunday. Finally on any other business. Yes, this was quite a startling tale here. Former Chelsea defender Flippe Louise Sackt, as manager of Flamengo yesterday, hours after the Brazilian club recorded an 8th Neil win. Now, this... I mean, there has been precedent for manager Sackt after wins, but 8th Neil, that's quite striking. That's not good enough. We won 9th. We won 9th. Not good enough. He averaged a trophy every 14 games. I mean, they must have a lot of opportunities for trophies there. Yeah, to seven titles in 100 matches in charge. But the plot thickens, because reports have since emerged, the president of Flamengo discovered that he was negotiating with Chelsea's ownership group Blueco, while the club was actively working to renew his contract. So clearly, they did not, like, being slighted on that. Apparently, Flippe thought he was being considered for the Chelsea job, but it was actually the Strasbourg job. They had in mind for him. So, when he found that out, he said, oh, bugger off, I'm staying with Flamengo. So, now he's got any job. When did he drop? Well, they started talking about, I don't know, croissants and things and not. He was to say, I'll file that, that went. And yes, finally, Neil Warnock is back everyone. Again, 77 years old, he's back in, back in management. I thought this, yeah, the sort of the manager on many ground on certain managers, like Sam Aladai's etc, who are now in Uber Eats Adverts, and possibly being paid nearly as much as Richard Romano for that. We're gone, but he's back in management. He's the new inter-manager at Torkey after their manager, Paul Wharton was sacked on Sunday. He managed the goals 33 years ago, has been working for them as an advisor for the last few years. He said, his press conference is a surprise for me to be here today. I thought I'd been at Tottenham or Forest, or somewhere like that. I could do a better job, but they never asked me. So, yeah, still very much on brand, Neil Warnock there. So, that'll do for today. I think a wide range of topics covered there. Very pleased with that. Thank you very much, Barry. Thanks, Robin. Thanks, Jordan. Cheers, Robin. And thanks, Seb, Seb. Yes, safe trip up to the northeast. Perhaps it's been very cordial between us today, hasn't it, Robin, you know? Well, when the recording stops. BTS, you have to pay for that, though. But the week is produced by Ian Chambers and Jesse Howard, our executive producer is Joel Grove, and we'll be back tomorrow.
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