Bedlam at Anfield as City complete comeback to stay in title race: Football Weekly

Summary

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Football Weekly – “Bedlam at Anfield as City Complete Comeback to Stay in Title Race”

Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Max Rushden
Panel: Barry Glendenning, Jonathan Wilson, Nedum Onuoha

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Episode Overview

In this lively, laughter-filled episode, the Football Weekly crew break down a dramatic Premier League weekend spotlighting Manchester City's thrilling late win at Anfield, the ongoing title tussle with Arsenal, the chaotic and hilarious moments of VAR, and a series of crucial results at both ends of the table. The panel—Max, Barry, Jonathan, and Nedum—bring their signature blend of in-depth analysis, quick wit, and occasionally fierce debate to a weekend that had everything: stunning goals, calamitous errors, comedy, and controversy.

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Main Discussion Points

I. Bedlam at Anfield: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City

An Iconic, Chaotic Finish and VAR Controversy

• Szoboszlai’s Wonder Free Kick:
  • [09:31] Barry: “The free kick was sensational. Just… I don't know how he kicks the ball like that.”
• Donnarumma’s Brilliant Save:
  • [10:00] Jonathan: “As important in the game as any of the goals.”
• Controversial Disallowed Goal:
  • Hilariously slow “p-roller” towards goal after a series of fouls involving Haaland and Szoboszlai. VAR correctly rules it out, but the panel mourns the loss of comedy and chaos in football.
  • [01:56] Barry: “By the letter of the law the goal should have been ruled out… but by any other metric—fun, banter, vibes, entertainment—it should have been allowed.”
  • [04:20] Jonathan (deadpan): “Sorry, I was paying no attention. I was reading my toaster manual.”
  • [06:57] Max: “Szoboszlai’s cheated, Nadum, your head is in your hands, which is early for you. Only seven minutes in.”
  • [08:43] Max: “The ultimate DOGSO [Denial of a Goal Scoring Opportunity].”
• VAR vs Football’s Romance:
  • [01:56] Barry: “VAR is a thief of joy because beauty in football is in the mistake.”
  • Jonathan defends the rules: goal difference might decide the title, so refereeing matters.
  • Nadum embraces the chaos: “I just keep watching it back. It’s just a hilarious example of how pristine football can sometimes be ridiculous.”

The Title Race Implications

• City’s First League Win at Anfield With Fans Since 2003
  • [13:44] Nedum: “It’s going to give them massive belief. They haven’t been perfect, but with a six-point gap, hope remains.”
• Arsenal’s ‘Inevitability’
  • [17:40] Max: “They have an air of inevitability… four wins in a row, when we thought there might be a wobble.”

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II. Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland: Efficient, Relentless, Yet Not at Their Best

• First half: Sunderland hold Arsenal for 42 minutes.
• Arsenal punish mistakes mercilessly, with Jokerez scoring two “EFL-style” goals and Zubimendi finishing superbly.
• [16:10] Jonathan: “Arsenal forced two mistakes, score from both. Quality means one small slip can cost you.”
• [17:53] Barry: “Arsenal didn’t pull Sunderland’s pants down here, but beat them comfortably without playing at their best.”
• Jokerez’s Role:
  • Panel debates whether he’s Arsenal’s answer as a true #9, or just another useful option.
  • [19:07] Barry: “Arsenal were always crying out for someone who scores skanky, scrappy goals.”

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III. Manchester United 2-0 Tottenham: Romero’s Recklessness & United’s Resurgence

• Romero’s Sixth Red Card with Spurs:
  • [22:31] Max: “He is a liability. He does these challenges you saw in the 80s—can’t help himself.”
  • [23:53] Nedum: “It kind of reflects on me a little bit… but when they have a crisis, we say Spurs’ll be better when Romero’s back. So there is something there.”
• United’s Turnaround:
  • [28:49] Max: “Extraordinary what Michael Carrick has done in four games… now sort of favourites for Champions League.”

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IV. Relegation Race & ‘Mid-table’ Drama

Brentford’s Surge & Newcastle’s Malaise

• First win at Newcastle in 92 years.
• [33:10] Barry: “They also benefit from freshness. Newcastle just played their 39th match of the season.”
• [34:14] Jonathan: “It feels like a bit of a nothing season for Newcastle…the Saudis seem to have lost interest.”

West Ham’s Crucial Win and Burnley’s Problems

• [36:16] Nedum: “An enormous win for West Ham… you could see it coming.”
• Burnley “have nothing”—possibly resigned to relegation.

Leeds 3-1 Nottingham Forest

• Leeds, full of confidence, dominate Forest to climb away from the bottom.
• [40:16] Jonathan: “Leeds are playing with great confidence at home, not going to drop many points.”

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V. Palace, Brighton & The Extent of the Relegation Scrap

• Palace Beat Brighton 1-0:
  • [44:47] Barry: “This was a massive win for Palace… not much to say, because it was crap.”
  • Brighton’s form is worrying; pressure mounting on manager Fabian Herzler.

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VI. Additional Notable Results

• Chelsea 3-1 Wolves:
  • Cole Palmer’s low-key 25-minute hat trick.
  • [46:32] Nedum: “I hope he continues to do well—such quality. For England, without question, you take him to the Euros.”
• Fulham 1-2 Everton:
  • Everton snatch win despite Fulham’s dominance.
  • [49:29] Jonathan: “Maybe they’re the Premier League sponge…absorb shots, squeeze it and dribble out a goal.”
• Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa:
  • Panel agrees this felt like the end of Villa’s title challenge.
  • [50:56] Nedum: “Not just the result—Bournemouth battered them… doesn’t feel like a team starting a new run anytime soon.”

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Barry (on VAR and the Disallowed Goal):
  • “If you really want that goal to be ruled out, you don’t love football. You love procedure and law and terms and conditions.” [01:56]
• Jonathan (deadpan):
  • “Sorry, I was paying no attention. I was reading my toaster manual.” [04:20]
• Nedum (on Anfield chaos):
  • “Such a hilarious example of how football… can be ridiculous.” [08:43]
• Barry (on Arsenal):
  • “They beat Sunderland comfortably without playing anywhere near their best.” [17:53]
• Max (on Spurs):
  • “What do you call a team six points off relegation, 13 games to go, with captain out for four games and loads of injuries?”
• Jonathan (on Newcastle):
  • “It’s very hard to look at them and see anything other than the club just treading water.” [34:14]
• Nedum (on Villa defending):
  • “That’s the worst bit of defending I think I’ve ever seen from a defender.” [54:19]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Chaotic “no goal” at Anfield & VAR debate: [01:19] – [09:17]
• Szoboszlai’s Free Kick and Donnarumma Save: [09:31] – [11:28]
• City’s Title Hopes: [13:23] – [15:41]
• Arsenal’s ‘Inevitability’/Sunderland Review: [16:10] – [21:24]
• Romero’s Red & United’s Streak: [22:31] – [30:53]
• Brentford’s Newcastle Win/Newcastle Stagnation: [30:53] – [35:39]
• West Ham beat Burnley; Burnley’s Gloom: [35:39] – [38:59]
• Leeds Dominate Forest: [39:59] – [41:51]
• Palace Beat Brighton, Herzler Under Pressure: [44:05] – [45:43]
• Cole Palmer Hat-Trick: [46:21] – [48:33]
• Villa’s Fading Challenge/Bournemouth’s Impressiveness: [50:52] – [55:03]

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Tone & Takeaways

• Fun, irreverent but insightful: The panel laughs about procedures but ultimately delivers sharp, precise takes on trends, glaring errors, and why both chaos and strict law are part of the modern game.
• Tactical breakdowns mixed with banter: As always, the debates veer between geeky detail (DOGSO, offside law, game theory) and gleeful, sometimes silly, humor.
• A weekend that encapsulates the madness and magic of the Premier League: From VAR farce, goalkeeper blunders, and comedic “almost goals” to the relentless march of title contenders and the misery at the bottom.

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Perfect for Listeners Who Want:

• Detailed analysis laced with comic relief.
• Recaps of the crucial moments shaping the Premier League title race and relegation battle.
• Commentary on refereeing, VAR, and the “soul” of football.
• Playful but honest appraisals of managers, players, and controversial figures.
• The collective catharsis of watching—and loving—utter footballing bedlam.

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Transcript

[Nedum]

This is the Guardian.

[Max]

Hello and welcome to the Guardian Football Weekly. Manchester City winner, Anfield to keep the title race alive. A really fun second half. Liverpool on top. Szoboszlai's incredible free kick, City's comeback, Alisson's recklessness gifting them a penalty. Donnarumma's brilliant save. And then a ridiculous p roller drifting into the net with players falling over each other to stop anyone getting it before var brackets correctly close brackets spoiled the fun. Elsewhere, Arsenal do feel slightly inevitable. Jocherez with two against Sunderland. While Villa's challenge looks to be over. Manchester United are in the top four, beating spurs with a lot of help from a checks notes, completely out of character challenge from Christian Romero. Lots of managers under pressure. Eddie Howe after a home defeat to Brentford, Fabian Hertzler after a home defeat to palace. And Sean Dyche as Forest are hammered at Leeds. There's also a massive win for West Ham and Fulham somehow losing a game. But they could have been 5 nil up in. We'll answer your questions. And that's today's Guardian Football Weekly. On the panel today, Barry Glendenning. Welcome.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hi, Max.

[Nedum]

Hello.

[Max]

Jonathan Wilson.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Morning. How you doing?

[Max]

And I'm all right, thank you very much for asking. And good morning. Nadia Manuha.

[Nedum]

Morning, sir.

[Max]

Right, let's start then at Anfield. Liverpool won Manchester City 2. And I know we need to talk about the title race and the whole game, but can we start with. With one of my favorite bits of the season so far, Gmail man says, my immediate reaction to that Turkey goal which has just gone in, is our Rushton is going to love that. Oliver, was today the first time a player got someone sent off by fouling them? And Rice says, can a disallowed goal be in contention for goal of the season based on comedy value alone? I mean, Barry, just this ball rolling so slowly towards the goal with Harland and Soberslife fouling each other. I loved. I loved every second of it.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, it was tremendously entertaining. And if only Ran Shirky had hit it a little harder, it would save us about. I. I'm going to guess about 15 minutes of chat. I think we can all agree that by the letter of the law the goal should have been ruled out and the correct decision was eventually arrived at. But by any other metric. Fun, bands, vibes, entertainment, referee, romance. Romance. It should have been allowed. People will disagree with this, but I think anyone who claims to love football does not want that goal ruled out. If you really want that goal to be ruled out, you don't love football. You love procedure and law and terms and conditions. You the kind of person who buys a new fridge or oven or toaster and immediately begins reading the manual and marking bits in highlighter pen. Your favorite bit. I'm reminded of our mate Charlie Baker's impassioned, I wouldn't say a rant, but a. Well, what was it? A creed. On Talksport recently where he described Var as a thief of joy. He said it's a thief of love because beauty in football is in the mistake. And a lot of people who watch football, especially kids, don't really care whether referees get things right or not. I'm firmly in that camp and I totally get that other people aren't. But, yeah, I think it was a crying shame that that goal was ruled out. I don't think the ref wanted to rule it out because I don't think he wanted to send off Dominic Saoi. But as Jonathan pointed out in our group chat, it means he's ruled out of Liverpool's game against Sunderland, which is good, but I. I don't care. I want Dominic Sao to play against Sunderland. I. I don't care whether he's ruled out or not. I would like him to be there. But anyway, that, that is my take on. On that goal. Ray and Shirky should have hit it harder.

[Max]

No, but the fact it was so slow made it so fun. I'm scanning, I'm scanning the panel to see who might be described as heartless and loving procedure. And my eyes are drawn to Jonathan Wilson.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Sorry, I was paying no attention. I was reading my toaster manual.

[Max]

Do you have a comeback, do you think? Do you think. Are you happy with what happened?

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yes, it's completely right decision. And people think this is a Varsu. It's not a Varsu. The only issue with Var is Craig Pawson should have made the decision in the moment as it happened. My first reaction was, this cannot be a goal. It has to be. Red car for Szposlane. Well, my first thing was, is Haaland in his own half when the ball's played. And yes, he is. It's not offside because it's one of those exciting things where the goalkeeper's not there and a defender is there. So you sort of, because you're so used to the goalkeeper being behind the defender, you're not thinking offside. But yeah, so that was my first thought. My second thought was, this has to be no goal and a red card. You can't have a situation where the ref just chooses to Ignore an obvious foul because it doesn't suit sort of the vibe. If Haaland and Svozlai have been sort of tussling and had been 50. 50, yeah, fair enough. You probably can just about ignore that. But where there's been two fouls one after the other, you can't ignore. You can't create incentives where a player who has been fouled but the advantage played then has carte blanche to commit another offence. That just makes no sense. Also, the reason these laws exist, it's not just because of that one game. In this one game, maybe it would have been some kind of natural justice of a game and finished 3:1. But you've got to think of the other consequences. At the minute, City is six points behind Arsenal. The goal difference, Arsenal's got him better by five. It's very possible, oh, well. Not improbable, not impossible, that the title is decided on goal difference. And if City get an extra goal goal difference because of a goal, it shouldn't have stood. Arsenal would quite rightly be absolutely furious.

[Max]

That would have made it better actually, wouldn't it?

[Jonathan Wilson]

Only in terms of vibes. And the reaction of Arsenal fans, if that happened, would be truly hilarious. That is true. Again, I'm not sure that would it be hilarious is a good way of running any institution.

[Nedum]

Maybe.

[Barry Glendenning]

I think it is.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Say Sebastian wasn't sent off, scores the winner or scores a hat trick in Sunderland on Wednesday. Not only is that unfair on Sunderland, it's unfair on those other teams challenging Liverpool for the final Champions League places. The reason this feels unsatisfactory is not what Craig Paulson's done, which is to follow procedure perfectly. Apart from the fact he should have done it himself rather than hiding behind Var. The reason it feels unsatisfactory is because.

[Max]

Sabarzalai's cheated Nadum, your head is in your hands, which is early for you. Only seven minutes in.

[Nedum]

I know, I know. It's quite impressive there, isn't it? Everything that's been said is really interesting. I'm just. I just keep watching it back. We're very sure that, you know, this is the right process and so on, but is this the right process? Just because Szobozlai could have gotten back to stop the ball going in if he was maybe three or four yards further back? Does the ref just let everything go on and it's just a goal and all that other stuff doesn't matter because it's technically still like a foul on Haaland. But does Haaland's foul on Szobozlai matter anymore if Szobozlai doesn't look like he can get there because you know that final scene is Silverzlai laying on the floor in the six yard box close to thinking he could potentially kick it away. Is that the most important thing or is it everything else that came before?

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yeah, but presumably Haaland wouldn't commit the foul if he was further back.

[Nedum]

Well you never know because a striker thinking he's going to score and then somebody pulls him back, that's red mist. Like that's the only time you see them angry, somebody taking away their goal. But yeah, I'm with, I get it. Like I, I unfortunately have turned into that sort of like laws of the game stickler type guy. Well, you know, because this has happened, this is what's going to happen and so on and so forth and it's the, it's the correct decision. I wish as Harland has said, that Shirky tried to play him in instead of trying to shoot because I think according to the two different speeds of say Soberslay in Harlan, I think there's only one guy that's going to be potentially winning that one. But also like one of the few times it's just, it's so chaotic and to see it somewhere like Anfield and you know, even that whole dog. So like tell me like a more obvious example of a denial of goal scoring opportunity. Like this debate was Salah's won this was this one that. Well Harland's running through on goal and there's no goalkeeper that, that. Yeah, I think that, I know, I know he's been out relatively speaking over the last month but that's, that's a pretty, that's a pretty strong opportunity but.

[Max]

The, the ultimate dog so.

[Nedum]

Exactly. I suppose in the end like from a man city perspective it didn't matter and for Liverpool like Sabaslay is going to get one game for that and as you said it's, it's like you could say it's cheating but that's like, that's like game theory, isn't it? That's the first thing you try to do and if you can get away with it then fine because in that moment what are worries, other options, just let him go through. So I'm, I enjoyed watching it and I think I'll watch that forever because it's just a hilarious sort of example of how football, even for as pristine as it can be at times on occasion it's just ridiculous. And that's exactly what that was to.

[Max]

Me, yeah, I mean, the whole of. Actually, the whole of injury time, Barry was brilliant. But like, that whole last 20 minutes was in a game that was not a bad game, even if it was still nil. Nil. But, you know, as soon as Bosley scores that free kick, that next 20 minutes was just brilliant.

[Barry Glendenning]

It was about 72 minutes on. It just was tremendous entertainment. The free kick was sensational. Just. I don't know how he kicks the ball like that. To leave a goalkeeper of Donna Roma's quality just standing motionless watching the ball whistle past him like that as it veered away to the right into the top corner was amazing. The Donna Roma save was incredible.

[Jonathan Wilson]

The.

[Barry Glendenning]

The Bernardo Silva gold was good. Sabers lie was he played him offside there or played him on side there. So that was him giving off some main character energy ahead of his. His big moment. The penalty with Erling Haaland was standing there as supposedly Matt Callister tried to put him off. And he didn't seem at all flustered. I was kind of wondering, was he doing that thing where he then chucked the ball to somebody else to take the penalty once every.

[Nedum]

All the.

[Barry Glendenning]

The kerfuffle had died down, but no, he was quite happy to take a good penalty. And then that Donna Roma absolutely sensational save, which has kind of been forgotten a bit because of what happened after it. But that was a brilliant save.

[Max]

Yeah. And actually, actually, Wilson, that save has kind of been forgotten, but also Alison's complete recklessness. He just doesn't need to do that. And that's actually the. That's the big moment of the game, really, and it has kind of been forgotten.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yeah. I mean, just no need to make that challenge. Just, you know, a very weird rush of blood. But, yeah, but Donna Rummer save. I thought Joe Hart's punditry on that was really interesting. That shows.

[Max]

Brilliant, wasn't it?

[Jonathan Wilson]

The real advantage of having a goalkeeper as a pundit, that they're explaining things that, I mean, certainly would never have occurred to me. I don't know if it occurred to an outfield player, but, yeah, the way he sort of takes that little skip to his right before diving up for it. But, yeah, it's just a sensational save and as important in the game as any of the goals.

[Nedum]

Yeah.

[Max]

Actually was. It's a bit like you talking about Hungary in the 50s. Joe Hart could be talking absolute nonsense because none of us know.

[Nedum]

We just have to agree with him.

[Max]

I really do. I really. I really do. Like how he. How he breaks it all Down. I mean, that. That free kick.

[Nedum]

Canadian.

[Max]

I mean, the four of us, you're probably the best person at kicking a football.

[Nedum]

Oh, God. Are you sure?

[Max]

There are two noises that, like the noise of how he strikes it and the noise of it hitting the post is beautiful, but, like, technically that is. It's so good.

[Nedum]

Yeah, 100%. And I know there's been a sort of critique about, well, should you have more people in the wall and so on, but think about what he's had to do to score that free kick. He's had to miss the wall on the left side, as we've seen it, but then curve off to behind where the wall was, whilst also giving the goalkeeper a clear view of seeing where it's going to go. You know, that's such a. It's such a low percentage goal, but such a. Like a high quality strike, because that's the only way, realistically, he was going to score, to strike it like that. And most people, when you try and get it to spin that way, it will probably slice. It will not be caught as sweetly as that. And you say, well, you know, is. Saba's like, he has it in him. He does, but even for him, that's not a high percentage, like opportunity as such. But it was. It's an amazing strike. I think it kind of reminds me in some ways in terms of, you know, I'll just let him shoot type mentality. Do you remember Calanoglu's in Bundesliga probably seven or eight years ago, where he's like wobbled one in from about 40 yards? No wall in there. I think he was. I think he's at Leverkusen. It's one of the best goals you'll ever. The goalkeeper says, oh, go on, just let him shoot. Balls moved in about eight different directions and then landed in the top corner. Keeper was nowhere near it. But you sort of. You make these sort of like, guesses. You know, you've got other things to focus on. You put two in the wall, you can then still defend with everybody around it. But the strike is as pure as it gets. And obviously we know that he has the ability to score goals from distance, but that one itself, to cut across it that way with that power, that's a 1 percenter type strike, in my opinion, actually.

[Max]

I mean, obviously it's a massive result for City. Like, they haven't won Anfield for so long.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Thank you.

[Max]

That's okay.

[Nedum]

Yeah.

[Max]

What's it like to lose Anfield? No, no, I'm. But not that it's just it's obviously such a massive win. But like what, what chance do you give them of winning the title in the, in the way that they are playing at the moment? Obviously that result gives them, you know, momentum.

[Nedum]

Yeah.

[Max]

And the Carabao cup finally quite interesting because if, if they do beat Arsenal then obviously the, you know, there'll be all that chat around nervousness of Arsenal, but Arsenal in the box seat. But what hope do you give City?

[Nedum]

Well, to be fair, the nervousness you could argue is going, is going both ways because Arsenal, yes, they haven't done it in such a long time, but they've been through a few of these title races before. So you'd like to think that you develop on the sort of negative experience you've had in the past to prepare yourself for these moments, especially with a deeper squad and like a more experienced core group of players as well. But I think the win yesterday, like it's still six points behind Arsenal. There's no guarantee Arsenal going to be dropping six points for, you know, for the next few months or whatever. There's no guarantee of it. But when it's nine, it does feel different. And also from City being one nil down, especially because at the start, from 2026 in the league, they'd not scored a goal in the second half, Man City hadn't. So when it's one nil to Liverpool according to the prior trends, that's it, it's over. You know what I mean? That game's over. And as you said, that record at Anfield, the last time City went Anfield with a crowd was in 2003, I believe. And sorry, Nicholas and Elka scored, but Peter Schmeich was in that for Man City. That's how niche it is. That's how niche that game was. Peter Schmeich was in that for Man City at Anfield and City one. So to go all those years, this is before my career started, this is when my career started, this is after I retired and they were nil down. So it's like, well, I guess that's it then. So to see that, I think it's going to give them massive belief. Obviously they've not been perfect. But heading to this next busy part of the season as well as having a starting 11 who the manager sort of trusts, he's having some players coming back in and a bench that I think he believes in a little bit more than say we saw not too long ago. So the pressure will be on and they've ridden their luck. I Think before yesterday it was one winning six and they were still technically there. With the chance of only being six points behind Arsenal, it feels like the gap should be bigger. So as far as belief goes, City, you've probably gained some and maybe Arsenal have a little bit more doubt. But then, you know, they're in the driving seat so they don't need to worry that much.

[Max]

Interesting that you and I both measure eras of the Premier League in your career. And I thought that was just me, but. But you do it too. Conscious that we've got lots to get through. I don't know if Barry Wilson had anything else to Major pick up. Arna Slot was upset with Mark Gay's challenge, but it's there. Probably was cover, wasn't there? If not, I'll move to the Emirates. Arsenal 300 nil. What a balanced panel we have for this game. Wilson, you were there. What did you make of it?

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yeah, I mean, I think 3 nil was probably a slightly wider margin than it ought to have been. You know, suddenly conceded three now in. In three successive away games. But this was significantly the. The best performance of the three and they held Arsenal for 42 minutes and played pretty well in that first 42 minutes. But Aldereta gives the ball away cheaply to Madueke. Arsenal cycle it round Sunland rushing back, they're not set. And Zubamendi scores with a brilliant finish. And that's the. The quality Arsenal have. That one small slip can cost you. And then the second goal slightly different. Mukiele losing the ball. It was slightly less of an obvious error than Aldoretti being caught in possession, but he gives the ball away trying to clear it and Arsenal score from that. So Arsenal forced two mistakes, they score from both of them. I think the point from a Sunland point of view is that these never look like scoring. They had a good 10 minutes just after half time without ever really looking like they were going to take any of the chances. They only scored six goals away from home all season. That's why their away form is so much poorer than their home form. Mikol Arteta is very complimentary of Sunderland. Regista Briese was very complimentary of Arsenal. It felt like the mutual respect at times was a bit too much. It felt like it almost killed the competitiveness of a game. You asked to get the third goal in injury time on the break, where it's another Sunday mistake. Ronaldo misjudges it on halfway. So three now. Arsenal won comfortably enough. Yeah, maybe it was more of a 2 nil game, but it was always a something nil game.

[Max]

Yeah, they do. Barry have an air of inevitability at the moment about them Arsenal, don't they? I mean, since that defeat to Manchester United, four wins in a row in all competitions. They have, they have bounced back when we all maybe thought there might be a bit of a wobble.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, I. I was more expecting a wobble from them in the Leeds game at Ellen Road than I was here, obviously, because they're away and Ellen Road is very hostile environment. But they absolutely pull Leeds pants down. I don't think they pulled Sunderland's pants down here, but they did beat them comfortably without playing, I would say anywhere near their best. So that has to be good from an Arsenal perspective. My only gripe about this game would be that I was quite sad we let Victor Garez score twice because. Padding his numbers there a bit.

[Max]

No, but I think he's good. Nadam. I don't know. Like he scores EFL goals. You know, if you put those goals at Carlisle Stadium on some mud, they'd look like proper EFL goals.

[Nedum]

But.

[Max]

But I sort of think Arsenal might need this. I think. I think, you know, he's their top scorer now. He will get probably 15 by the end of the season. You know, I think he. I think he might be answering his critics a little bit.

[Nedum]

His critics? You think that. You think those two goals have helped Barry make his case, that he's actually like a top. Top strike? Is that what you're saying? Because it doesn't feel like.

[Max]

No, it doesn't feel like it just then. But I don't, you know, I'm talking about critics, not Barry.

[Nedum]

Yeah.

[Barry Glendenning]

Isn't that what Arsenal were always crying out for someone to score those skanky, scrappy goals and, you know, because that's what they didn't have. So if he provides that service, great. It's another box ticked.

[Nedum]

I think for the years people said, oh, they need a nine, they need a nine, need a nine. Like, I wasn't necessarily buying into that because I'd seen Arsenal play some really good football without one. I saw a point where they were at 50 points at the halfway point of the season, a point where they were either first or second top scorers in the league as well. And I think at times we sort of get caught up in like, well, somebody missed this chance and if there was a nine there, they would have scored this chance. But some of those chances haven't really. So let me put it this way. It's like for some of those games, if it was another team doing it, it wouldn't necessarily be the nine that's scoring that goal. It would be other people just stepping up in big moments. And then the discussion isn't about the nine not scoring, it's about the team not scoring in that manner. And Jokers is obviously a good player, but I think what sums up is I think Arteta sees him as an option. I don't think he sees him as the main option because there are certain games which maybe require a skill set. But I quite like, to be honest, watching Arsen when it's a mix of like Havertz and Jesus, because it's a little bit different. I think at times for defenders, you kind of know how Yokerez is going to play and he's a good finisher and stuff, but he wants to play like the physical side of things. You know, some of the runs are not as a slur, but like, yeah, that. You do see more of that saying around the EFL and stuff. But it's not said he's not a good player because obviously he is. But I think for Arsenal, sometimes when they go up against some of these sides, they need the brute strength, but they need a bit of finesse as well. I think the other two kind of have that and say, there's no surprise to me, say the Havertz assist for the Joker's first goal, you know, I think that's a clever bit of movement from Havertz from that turnover. Obviously he needs to be able to capitalize on the mistakes, but Havertz drifts into a space and he plays a great pass. And then even for the second goal, it's great that Yokares can be there to tap it in, but a lot of that comes from the pressure of Martinelli and the full speed nature of that. Maybe someone else would have been there, but I think for Arteta, it's good to have options. You know, Yokerez can start on the bench, come on, and score two goals and make a difference. If it was the other way around, then he started, maybe they'd been winning, maybe they wouldn't. But yeah, I don't think he's the main person at Arsenal up top. I think he's just one of the options that he has. So as a consequence, yeah, he must be a good player, but I don't think he's the difference as such.

[Max]

One other note from that game is that Brian Brobbie, probably lucky to stay on the pitch, a clumsy Challenge. I mean, who. Who would do a clumsy challenge on a football pitch like that? I know. Brobbie.

[Nedum]

Brobbie. Brobbie would.

[Jonathan Wilson]

But.

[Max]

Anyway, yeah, he probably got away with that. And that'll do for part one. Part two. We'll begin at Old Trafford. Welcome to part two of the Guardian Football Weekly. So, four wins in a row for Manchester United. They beat Spurs 2 nil. I mean, the main story of the. The game, Wilson, is Christian Romero, who has spent a couple of weeks just being rude about the board on Instagram. Can the board now be rude about him on Instagram? His sixth red card for spurs, his fourth in the Premier League. Since he signed, no one in the Premier League has been sent off more. He'll miss four games. And I don't know what you think. I don't know how good a defender he is. Like, he is a liability. Like, he's good at passing the ball, he scores goals, but he does these challenges that you saw in the 80s where you take the ball, a bit of the ball, and you just take everything else and you get away with it. And he sometimes. He still gets away with it, but he just does it all the time.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yeah, I mean, yeah, he's a liability. That's what he is. I think good Romero, when his head's switched on, is great, but he's always prone to. I mean, it wasn't the worst challenge on Saturday. I think on another day you might have got away with it, but you can't argue with it. I think something slightly strange happens with Casemiro's legs. His sort of ankle gets caught under him, which makes it look worse. But that's not saying it's not a red card. It just isn't the worst example of that type of challenge. It's not the worst challenge Romero's made this season. But just why are you making that sort of challenge 35 yards from your own goal with plenty of players around you? It's just. It's just the sort of thing that a sensible, calm defender doesn't do.

[Max]

Nadim, you're a sensible, calm defender once upon a time.

[Nedum]

That's not me anymore.

[Max]

No. Now you're a violent psychopath.

[Nedum]

But take a. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely. Since I retired, the edges really come out. I think for Romero, like, the discussion is like, is he. Is he a good. Is he a good player? And so on. Well, yeah, for me, he has to be. Firstly, like, you know, he's played. He's played international football. Like, it's very tough for me to have Played for QPR in some dark times, and then say that this World cup winner, you know, isn't a good defender because it kind of reflects on me a little bit.

[Max]

But isn't that funny that I can. Because I've never.

[Nedum]

Yeah, listen, yeah, you gotta, you gotta be careful. You can speak about certain things here, Max. But. Yeah, but as well as that, when it comes down to spurs, when they have an injury crisis, if it's ever Romero and Vandervan that are out, we'll say, oh, they'll be better when Romero and Van de Ven come back because they've got a good partnership. So there is something there. But I just think like the stuff which you said about the board, what I think is interesting is the board and so on. He's done this for a year, two years now. The stuff that he says, I'd imagine a lot of spurs fans agree with, with what he's saying. So he's not the villain at his own football club in the way that we will perceive him to be the villain from the outside. He appears to play with air quotes, passion, and wants to represent those fans and work with his teammates. And he's trusted to the point where he is the captain. However. However, having said that, the team does not. The squad is at his bare bones and there are not enough players left to be playing a four game ban. I don't think that helps the club out too much.

[Max]

I think it does.

[Nedum]

I don't think it helps too much at all. And it was the fact that like, you know, sometimes like people be red carded and they're stunned, there's like an appeal. It's like, oh my gosh, what's going on? Like saying to the referee, blah, blah, blah, Casimiro's on the floor looking like his leg's about to get chopped off because it's so bad, this tackle, I remember I was like, ah, yeah, that's a red, isn't it? That's a red. He's taking his armband off. He's like passing over. He's even got his flipping international teammate Martinez saying like, what are you doing? Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a red. But like, as captain, with the responsibility that you have towards your team, especially in the tougher times, to go missing like that after trying to be outspoken about you having the team and club's best interests at heart, the argument just falls flat. Because now, I don't know if you know any spurs fans, Max, but you're now in this weird position where you try and defend him in a way which just makes you sound like a crazy person. Previously you could have said, oh, the club stuff, yeah, fine. But that tackle, you could easily pull out of those tackles. And to give you a bit of insight as well, like the referees know what players tendencies are and so on. And sometimes say, like, if a ball's between two people, he'll shout for somebody to not go in for a tackle. That's what a referee would do. You'd be like, calm, calm, don't do this. And so on. Now, unless Romero's red mist is also something that makes him death, I think he's probably had the chance to pull out that tackle, but also for to add a bit of balance to this. So Christian Romero's got four red cards here since he's arrived. Do you know who's second on that list in the Premier League? And you know he's third. It's actually quite funny if you have to guess in terms of red cards.

[Max]

Oh, what are they? Is it wispy? Is it wispy tens who keep getting sent off? Is it?

[Nedum]

No, no, no, no, no, not at all. Actually, the person with the other most amount of red cards in that time. Well, sorry, up until the other day was Casimiro. I put that out there.

[Max]

Okay. Yeah.

[Nedum]

Who's on the same as ESRI Konza on three.

[Max]

Okay.

[Nedum]

Yes, the Christian Romero's. It was Romero on who's on four now. But previously he was on three with Lewis Cook, Casemiro Konza, Mason Holgate, Raul Jimenez, Rhys James. In fact, Rhys James is minutes per red card. Probably worse than Christian Romero's. Let that sink in. But he doesn't like that's. That's a. That's a captain. It's a liability there. Rhys James.

[Max]

Yeah, but they don't fly in all the time. Anyway, M says the spurs in danger of relegation. Wilson, are spurs in danger of going down?

[Jonathan Wilson]

I mean, they shouldn't be. But on the other hand, what do you call a team at six points off a relegation zone with 13 games to go and playing abysmally with a captain out for four games and loads of other injuries?

[Barry Glendenning]

I mean, they're missing. I think they did 10 or 11 out for that game. He's now out for four. Destiny. A doggy had to go off, so he's probably out. That's was 13 players missing six points off the relegation zone. The only thing not putting them in the relegation zone is the fact that they're Tottenham Hotspur and people think it's kind of inconceivable that spurs could go down.

[Jonathan Wilson]

But the best thing, yeah, we thought it was great last season when spurs finished fourth bottom but won the Europa League. Imagine this season if they finish third bottom and win the Champions League and Thomas, I can turn around to Ange and go, that's a real season. And also imagine if Arsenal do then lose the. Do then lose the title on goal difference to City. Just imagine the meltdown in.

[Nedum]

In North London.

[Barry Glendenning]

A mushroom cloud.

[Max]

It feels unlikely, but, you know, let's hope Manchester United now Basset won four Premier League games in a row for the first time since Eric Ten Hag was there, unbeaten in the last eight.

[Barry Glendenning]

Saying that kind of takes the gloss off what is an otherwise excellent achievement.

[Nedum]

Well, if he could do it, how.

[Barry Glendenning]

Hard could it be?

[Max]

I mean, it is extraordinary what Michael Carrick has managed to do there in four games. I mean, they are now sort of favourites to get into the Champions League.

[Barry Glendenning]

I mean, it's extraordinary in its ordinariness because he hasn't done anything that particularly revolutionary. He's just playing players in their proper positions and the players clearly have a lot of time for him and didn't have much time for his predecessor. He made one change here. I think that's kind of tactical tweak where he didn't play Brian and Buemo as a center forward and didn't really have a main striker in this position. So Tottenham's defenders didn't. Weren't quite sure what whether to stick or twist or who to mark and whatnot. But apart from that, Carrick hasn't. He has his results speak for themselves, but he hasn't done anything particularly brilliant or anything that would suggest he's a managerial genius.

[Jonathan Wilson]

The great advantage he has is, is that United have not played a team this season and will not play a team this season who have played less football than them. They have been at least as fresh, if not more fresh than every team they've played and will play. So I think there's only two more games they've got this season against the team has even played the same number of games as them, which is the West Ham game they've got coming up. But maybe West Ham are distracted by the fact they got the FA cup at the weekend. And is it Bournemouth the other game? If they look fresher and sharper and playing with more energy than their opponents, that's not necessarily some great tactical thing by Carrick. That's just that they've been absolutely hopeless and haven't had to play much football. So they are in a. In terms of qualifying the Champions League.

[Max]

You're saying this would have happened anyway?

[Jonathan Wilson]

Very much not. But it just makes it really hard to judge Michael Carrick. And they really should now qualify for Champions League quite easily because they should be really fresh.

[Max]

Newcastle 2, Brentford 3. Brentford's first win in Newcastle in 92 years. Done the double over them this season. Wataro is brilliant in this game. Amazing cross for Janel and he strikes the winner so well. They are seventh nadum level on points with Liverpool and I don't know if you had them relegated at the start of the season, but lots of people did and it's. It is great credit to Keith Andrews, isn't it?

[Nedum]

Yeah, it's huge credit to Keith Andrews. I think when you look at say the, the toil that Thomas Frank is sort of having at spurs and you see players like Visser for example, not necessarily being able to have the impact that Newcastle that he had last season was another strikers, another key player gone and Brentford are better. Question mark. Yeah, you know, it's. It is surreal. I think it's probably a couple of months ago I was seeing them what felt like trending in the wrong direction and I thought, wow, they might be in trouble the same way you're having that discussion. Well, a Spurs in a relegation dogfight. I thought that was Brentford. And then casually they've had a ton of three o' clock kickoffs on a Saturday where they just keep winning, keep winning, keep winning. And now they're. They're like primetime. They're. They're box office. They're a great team to watch in terms of how they try and play because it's not as say simple. Not simple, that's disrespectful. But the way that I think they played previously feels a bit different to how they play now. I think they do want to try and take the game to you as quickly as possible. They do have set pieces and so on, but they've got some really good footballers out there. There are some games where you know they'll have a ton of possession and they travel really well. I think most, most recently, like a loss to Chelsea was actually a really impressive performance by them to where they're disappointed that they've not gone to Stamford Bridge and won in a game which they dominated for the most part. I never thought I'd be hearing that about Brentford or thinking that about Brentford especially at this point in their history. But they've been fantastic. You know, they deserve so much like credit for being able to, you know, continue to develop as a club, to develop as individuals as people keep getting taken away from their club. But they're really, really worth, worthwhile. And I think for me, the only issue is, like, maybe this is my bias. I hold mine up. This is me. Even though they're doing really well, I'd imagine most teams that would go and play against them say, well, we're just playing Brentford. As opposed to playing against a team where they've got the second top scorer in the league. And they're one of the most informed teams in the league that can play really well at home and away and are essentially pushing for Europe right now. Which is not something I thought I'd be saying about Brentford come the middle of February.

[Barry Glendenning]

They also benefit from the freshness that Wilson spoke of with regard to Manchester United. They had all week to prepare for that game. It was Newcastle's second match in four days. It was Newcastle's 39th match of the season. So. Which is not to take away from what they're doing. You can only play the games you're given to play.

[Max]

Yeah. And actually Brentford, apart from that, Chelsea, away again. They've won the other four of the last five. Wolves, Everton Villa, now Newcastle and. And the. The move that led up to the penalty was a brilliant move, wasn't it? I don't know if it was a penalty or not. I can't have another handball discussion. Meanwhile, Wilson, Eddie Howe after the game said, look, I've always said the pressure I put on myself couldn't be more extreme because I demand really high standards. I know how he feels. I'm obviously not doing my job well enough at the moment. I obviously don't know how that feels. I'm annoyed with myself, angry with myself and blaming myself. I've got to take full responsibility for everything you see on the pitch. And I've got to work out solutions. We've sort of talked a few times about whether he's under pressure or how much pressure he's under. But, like, things are not working at the moment.

[Jonathan Wilson]

No, I mean, I think they're equidistant from Champions League qualification and relegation. I think they're 10 points off both. So realistically, they're going to be mid table and that feels like stagnation. After last season when they won a trophy, when they got in the Champions League, you know, they are still in the Champions League. They could have a run in that. They're still in the cup, so they could have a run in that. Which could salvage the season. But it feels like a bit of a nothing season. Obviously their summer was ruined by the whole Isak affair. But even beyond that, you look at their signings. Yeah, Lange's done nothing. Jakob Ramsey's done nothing. Valtomaader, after a good start, has sort of regressed to where people had seen him play in Germany. Sort of thought he was of. I mean, he's only 23. He may well develop, but not quite being at the level you'd be paying 65 million quid for him. It's very hard to say the squad's in a better place now than it was this time last season. And I think an ongoing sense that the Saudis have kind of lost interest in the project. I mean, the stadium moved. Nothing seems to be happening. Even the training ground development doesn't really seem to be. To be going on. So, you know, it's very hard to look at them and see anything other than the club is just sort of treading water a bit at the minute, which, after winning the Carling Cup. Winning it, winning our first trophy for 70 years, it's a little bit like Palace. They win something and that's great. And you have a great euphoria and obviously, you know, that's a great thing to win. And in 10, 20, 30 years, people look back on that with. With great fondness. It hasn't actually changed the club in any. Any real way.

[Max]

Yeah, that's interesting. I like how you said, you know, Voltimata may develop. He's only 23. I like the idea that he might grow even more. And actually Keith Andrews, Keith Andrews actually said of Django Watara, he's growing every week. And I was like, he's quite big anyway. Like, he's doing that every week. Be like a Sabutio corner kicker. Burnley nil. West Ham. Two massive winners for West Ham. Natum consigns Bernie probably to the championship. Scott Parker was booed. The players were booed. He was pretty upset. Upset about that afterwards. But we should start at West Ham, I guess. Three wins in the last four. Three points off Forest, four, six points off Leeds and Spurs. They could get out of this.

[Nedum]

Yeah, they absolutely could. Can I just give a shout as well to Wilson because you called it the Carling cup. And like, I love it when we all just show our age, just let it slip out.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Oh, come on.

[Max]

Come on. It's very much the Milk cup if Wilson's showing his age here.

[Nedum]

To be fair, I was thinking. Yeah, for him. Yeah, I was thinking more Coca Cola cup or Is that the wrong thing.

[Barry Glendenning]

Rumbelos for me, Clive?

[Nedum]

Yeah, some, absolutely. Like it's an enormous win for West Ham, but you could kind of see it coming, couldn't you? I think West Ham in recent weeks have played some good football and they have gotten some results. They're sort of energized with the signing of Tati Castellanos and a couple of others. And even I've got to say, by the way, I think Wan Bissaka coming back from AFCON has been a big deal for them. I think he's done very, very well. And there was even a point, say against Burnley after they took the two nil lead. Like, I think he made it, he made a block on the line and maybe this is just me having a defender's bias. Like that was a big moment because it was quite early in the second half and if that goes to 2 1, then Burnley have a bit more belief and it's like a different sort of game for West Ham as such. But to be able to go on the road and collect points, doesn't matter who you're playing against. Because as somebody who unfortunately has looked at the bottom half of the table as a player for a lot of his career, sometimes when you look at fixtures, you can't help but assign yourself potential points. And being at home to West Ham is definitely one of those fixtures for Burnley, even if they hadn't won for 20 games, and I know the number's like 15 now, whatever you say, well, West Ham at home, that's where we're going, that's where the run's going to start. So for it to not only like not start there, but to lose by a couple of goals, to have your crowd booing you as players booing you as the manager, everyone that turned up that they would have had a belief that they could maybe should be winning that game, you want to test yourself against those teams who are down there. So whereas West Ham have got momentum now, Burnley's pretty much, they've got nothing, you know, 11 points back with 13 games to go, having won. I think it's three games all season, it's horrible for them, but for West Ham it's a really good three points and a much needed three points. And now Forest, like even Leeds, Leeds winning that game against Forest on Friday was massive because now you know they've got a six point gap to West Ham, but West Ham are three points away from Nottingham Forest. This is one of those finally, after a few years, one of those like relegation dogfights. Where you could actually say oh maybe It'll take you 40 points to stay up. You know, because one of the teams down there is actually winning some games of football as opposed to just essentially just counting down until the end of the season.

[Max]

Don't say that. I don't know where spurs are getting 11 points from. I don't want to think about that. Five in a row for Cresencio Somerville. Actually both goals I thought were really brilliant. The Fernandez pass for Somerville was like inch perfect. His finish was great and his little. Some of those little flicked. Was it Juf on the left. He put in a brilliant cross like Watara's cross. It was so good for Castellanos anyway. Yeah, I mean there's no point sacking Scott Parker, is there Barry?

[Barry Glendenning]

Probably not. They may well do but I don't think anyone's going to come in and get them out of that pickle. I. I kind of feel sorry for Scott Parker. Burnley just aren't a very good team. I mean they were dreadful against Sunderland last Monday. They weren't very good here. It was a very comfortable win for West Ham. Burnley had. There was a short. A bit of life in the middle of the game. But they were two nil down at that point. Scott Parker is it. It's not working out for him as a Premier League manager, is it? I think this is his third bite of the cherry and to those bites having been with the cherries and maybe he's just. The championship is his level.

[Nedum]

Yeah.

[Max]

I mean it's hard because he. He never seems to have. Although like when he was at Bournemouth and he said this lot are useless and then he came in. Was it Iriola came in or someone else? No, it was Gary o'.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Neill.

[Max]

It was Gary Neil. That's right. And. And made them considerably better. Natum, you mentioned that leeds win over Forest 3 1. I mean it was absolutely huge game on Friday night and Leeds, you know two up by halftime. Three nil up early in the second half. Wilson, they totally dominated this game.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Oh completely dominant and seemed to be absolutely loving it. Loads of little back heels and flicks and. Yeah, I mean they're playing with. This is another reason for spurs to be nervous frankly. The Leeds are playing with great confidence particularly at home. They're not going to drop that many points at home between now and the end of the season so. Well, they're on 29 now. You would assume they'll get, I don't know, at least another three home wins and then they are getting to 40 and you know, I, I think Nedham's right that I sort of thought 36 points was safe for Sunderland beating Burnley on Monday. And I think they need another, well, another two wins to be absolutely safe. I mean maybe that's me being, being paranoid and overly nervous. But one of the reasons for that is that both West Ham and Leeds are playing really well at the minute and getting more points you'd expect from teams or certainly more points than teams that position have been getting in previous seasons which then forester the other team in big trouble that their form is not good. They sort of look a bit lifeless under Sean Dyche. And you think given Marinakis, could he go in the near future?

[Max]

Yeah, I mean that's probably the interesting point worth pointing out. Dominic Calvert, Lewins. But chest goal. I mean I love a chest moments of football but that was a great finish. A strong right peck. He must have at least have won every fixture they played in the evening at Ellen Road this season. Five of them. So maybe they should just delay kickoffs until 7.45nadium, you think? What do you make of Sean Dice there? It's almost like they got him too soon.

[Nedum]

Too soon? Yeah.

[Max]

Like, you know, the Dice bounce comes in later in the season.

[Nedum]

Yeah. Well, does it? I don't know. It's strange. We're living in weird times here. Like Sean Dyche comes into an Oskam Forest side that are also playing in Europe whilst also trying to fight off relegation. That's a strange thought. At the same time as say Brentford in seventh and you know, United the underdog, who don't have any European football or an FA cup or a League cup, who are trying to qualify for Europe, you know, it's just really, really strange times and I think they'll. That three point gap at the bottom between them, between them and West Ham, I'll be honest, it is still quite significant just because teams can go on these runs now, but in reality down there, because these runs don't happen very often. So yes, you can have a dip in form but as long as you're just outside of that bottom three, you know, like you can look into this a bit later in the season. You never know when you've gained your last point of the season. You can always assume that something good's going to happen, but you never know. You never, never know. So if it was to stop, what's your position? And for Sean Dyche, like maybe he'll completely sack off Europe in the next few weeks. Maybe they'll just Be like, nah, this isn't for us. The league is the priority. And if that's the case, maybe things become easier because being able to play in those that many games between now and the season is not going to benefit them. But league wise they will find form. I think that result and performance against Leeds in some ways would be alarming. But I doubt that he's gonna, he went into the dressing room after and said, unlucky boys, that this will be fine, we'll carry on as we are. I think he'll probably try and use that as a, as a line in the sun and say from this point forward, this is who we're going to be. And it's going to be probably a style of football which maybe we have seen before from a Sean Dyche, regardless of whatever type of players that he has now. And I think there will be more robust going forward. But as I say, take the three point gap for now. That is the biggest positive.

[Max]

All right, that'll do for part two. Part three, we'll begin at the Amex. Welcome to part three of the Guardian Football Weekly. Brighton nil. Palace one really says, how high up the league does the relegation scrap go Now? I say up to and including Palace. Would you agree with that, Barry?

[Barry Glendenning]

Oh, you're gonna have to tell me how where our palace.

[Max]

So Palace have 32, Newcastle 33, Bournemouth and Fulham 34. Above the nervous Sunderland Wilson 36. But then below them it is Brighton 31, spurs and Leeds 29, Forest 26, West Ham 23.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, I, I don't know but this is a massive win for Palace.

[Max]

Well, sorry, thank you for making me repeat it all just so you could give that answer. It was really, it was a really worthwhile use of my time anyway. You're right, Barry, it was an enormous win for Palace.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, of course it was. Quite apart from the, the needle involved, this was a really bad game against two teams in rotten runs of form. I think Brighton now have won 1 in 12 in all competitions and palace went into this game without winning 12. So they needed something to Electra shock their season back into life and got it through. Through. Well taken. Goal by Ishmael Sar. I think Fabian Hertzler has to be under pressure now at this stage insofar as we don't really know what Tony Bloom is ever thinking because he's got quite the poker face. A poker face which has helped earn him billions of pounds at the poker table. A brilliant win for Palace. There's not really much to say about this game. Because it was crap. But palace defended well, got the goal and got the three points.

[Max]

Yeah, fair play to Gasan, who Stambardo said was the worst player of all time, who did quite well to set up that. Yes, minus Sargo, which is the first thing I've seen him do. So well done to him. But yeah, the story is Herzler and how much pressure he's under. I guess. Wolves won Chelsea three. Brad says, have you ever seen someone less enthused to score a 25 minute hat trick? That's just Cole Palmer's way, I guess, isn't it? He's such a wonderful player name and you hope he stays fit. And it's really, you know, it is the sort of England conversation because he's a 10, so he's behind Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham, I guess. But they're there. There's got to be space for him. Nadum hasn't there?

[Nedum]

I'd like to think so for the quality that he has. And you know, this is a guy who I think he came on in there, did not set up a goal in the, in the final of the last euros. He came on off the bench there, didn't he scored.

[Max]

He scored.

[Nedum]

He scored, yeah, of course. Yeah, he scored, yeah. And I thought he had some impact so it would be tough to completely leave him out. But what's interesting at the minute is the discussion around his, like his fitness and his injury and so on because he's playing. Then after the game says, yeah, you know, I'm not fit. That's not really normal type lingo to be giving yourself as a player. Yeah, well, when he gets fit, when he does this. Well, if he's not fit, like why is he playing? If he's carrying injury, why is he in it this time? Surely you'd want him to be able to come back and you know, to find match sharpness and stuff, but to be fit enough to be able to play. So yeah, I hope he continues to do well. Like a Cole Palmer hat trick. That type of vibe from two penalties feels like Cole Palmer from two seasons ago, you know, when he first like came in scoring most weeks one of the most exciting like talents we'd seen for a while. But I hope he, I hope he does stay healthy. I hope he can find that form and I think he'll be potentially like a big difference for Chelsea, obviously against Wolves. It's a tough sort of measure because Wolves are sort of playing two games at the minute. There's the one where you know, you know they're going to be relegated but the other side where they're almost playing for their futures and for the crowd to do something to keep them sort of enthused a little bit. But he did what he needed to do. And I like the two pens that are pens but the set, the third goal, I like the late run and I like the first time finish. That's something that he can do very well. And not to say like to compare it because it's like decades worth. But somebody for Chelsea turning up late in the box are on the edge and finish it first time feels like a Frank Lampard to me. That level of like importance in stepping up in that manner. So yeah, I hope you can stay healthy. And for England, I don't know if this is so Thomas Tuka was at the Fulham game. Firstly I thought he must live in West London and have something to do that evening because I didn't think Fulham vs Everton was the game where I'd expect to see the England manager. But I said, oh, maybe Smith Row. I thought oh my goodness. Because that's what England need. Another number 10. Another number 10. That's not going to play because Harry Kane will play the 9 and the 10 and everyone else must fall in line around it. But yeah, Cole Palmer in form, in good health for me, without question. You take him in the summer.

[Max]

Maybe he doesn't know that Harry Wilson's Welsh.

[Jonathan Wilson]

That's possible.

[Max]

You say the Wolves players are playing for their futures or for the crowd. I wonder which Mosquera was doing for my favorite penalty foul of the season by just pushing someone over. Why not just if you can't be bothered. Two hands right at the back shove. Penalty. Great stuff. Liam Rossini has won his first four Premier League games in charge. Yes.

[Barry Glendenning]

You know, I mean, I think you're doing majority disservice. No.

[Max]

Okay.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Fair.

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah.

[Max]

Yeah, you're right.

[Barry Glendenning]

I'm not sure Mascaras was even the most stupid in that match.

[Jonathan Wilson]

At least.

[Max]

Obviously.

[Barry Glendenning]

Obviously Wolves are going down and. But crike, give yourself a chance at least.

[Nedum]

No, I agree.

[Max]

Fulham on Everton too. Wilson, how far ahead do you think Fulham should have been in this game? Like they had so many chance. I thought five wouldn't have been unfair.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Yeah, yeah. I mean they had loads of chances. They didn't take them. This, I don't know. This feels like something that happens with Everton quite a lot. Did this not happen against Leeds the other week that they. Leeds battered them and then Everton got one back. I drew the game from nowhere. So maybe that's just what they do. Maybe they just, they're the Premier League sponge, but you just absorb shots and then you squeeze it and it dribbles out a goal. But you know, they, the last 20 minutes, that game, you. Everton played really well. So yeah, Fulham could have had it one, but. But they didn't. And that's. If you don't take your chances, that's what can happen.

[Max]

The winning goal, the first US chat show host goal. I can remember o' Brien challenging Leno. Was the corner taken by Trevor Letterman. I don't know where was. Where was Jeff Carson in all of this? Marco Silva as producer Joe writing with a remarkable sentence in his post match that I've read so many times, Marco Silva said it is normal when you lose the game, we lose the game we lost. You know, you can't argue with that.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Marco.

[Max]

David Moyes was on good form. He, he had a touchline ban because he'd celebrated the winning goal the other week. Was it a winning goal? Yeah, it was. He said. I haven't actually seen it again. It looks as though the center back was in front of the goal and got a touch from five stories up. I'm glad I was up there because I'd have probably been on the pitch for that second goal as well. Bournemouth won. Villa won.

[Nedum]

Finally.

[Max]

This Nadim, is. Is this the end of Villa's title challenge? It feels like it, doesn't it?

[Nedum]

Yeah, it certainly feels like it, but not necessarily just because of the result. It's just the fact that I thought Bournemouth battered them. It was like a really strange thing to see. I thought Villa were gonna be. Obviously they've got some injuries which are key in midfield, the likes of McGinn, Telemans and others. But I thought they were going to be more so on the front foot. They rode a storm for a part of the first half and then Morgan Rodgers scores a screamer. Tell me if you've heard that before. You know, it was a great finish. Kicked it so hard, the keeper, he dived like after the ball hit the net.

[Max]

You can get beaten at your near post. There is proof you're allowed.

[Nedum]

Yes. If it's a rocket that is going towards your near post. Yes. It's understandable that maybe you don't save it. But it for me it never really got better. As I was watching the game, I thought, oh, Villa have their spell, they'll have their spell. But the spell that they had wasn't for very long. And as I said, the, the nature in which sort of Bournemouth Went at them. I was very, very impressed with, I think on a different day, like. But I think Bournemouth's probably win that game more times than not. If you were to repeat it, some of the chances that they had, you know, Martinez in nets, like, he's doing well, he's doing really, really well for them. And I think I was just a bit disappointed for a side who, you know, have, well, at some point would have had aspirations of being in a title race because they weren't that far away. All of a sudden they're nine points back now and I think it was incredible when they went on that run of winning 10 plus games in a row and they were very much deserving of being up near the top of the league and being spoken about in that manner. But that performance to me doesn't feel like a team that's going to be starting their next run anytime soon. So, yes, they are potentially out the title race, you could say, well, probably definitely out the title race. But, you know, Chelsea are in fifth, are only four, four points behind them. So now instead of like looking up thinking it's a games game, what are Arsenal doing and so on, it's like, well, what are the teams behind them doing? Because United as well, and Chelsea, they're both in great form. So unless you continue to, you know, grind out some like, positive, positive results, you might start signing down the league. But again, then I suppose the upside is it's the top five teams that make it to the Champions League this year. Just a shame that a team in six are the reigning champions and they're good to go, aren't they? So let's see.

[Max]

Yeah, I mean, it's hard, I guess the Premier League's hard, isn't it? That's the proof. You can go on this amazing run, but teams, other teams have good players and can be on form because Bournemouth are on a terrible run and now they're on a brilliant run. Since the turn of the year, only Manchester United, Chelsea have collected more points than them. And I think. Was it John Bruin, Barry, who mentioned Rayan the other day and he scored?

[Barry Glendenning]

Yeah, he was very impressed with him. Yeah, he scored a really good goal. But I mean, Bournemouth were well worth their point in this game. Should have taken all three, but the defending for that Ray and goal from Luca Dean was, yes, extraordinarily bad. Now I'm going to charitably give him the benefit of the doubt. I think he thought Emmy Buendia was coming across to help him and kind of left it to Him. But Mebund didn't. And. And Luca Dean, short of, you know, going full Sir Francis Drake, taking off a cloak and. And laying it down in front of Muddy's boots.

[Max]

Walter Riley.

[Nedum]

Yeah, okay.

[Barry Glendenning]

It's all sirs. Yeah, it was a weird bit of.

[Nedum]

Non defending, I think, Barry, you've been very charitable there. I would argue that's the worst bit of defending we've seen this whole year in the Premier League.

[Max]

Wow.

[Nedum]

Okay, that's. That's the case. That would make for it because Ryan is coming towards the goal. Luka Digne is left back traditionally, and maybe. You know what I mean, I'm too conservative with this as a fullback. You try and show him outside instead of opening the passage to come inside. And when Buendia has never caught up with Ryan, you think to yourself, well, maybe it's important that I do something because the worst case scenario here is like. Well, not even. Just, like, just. Just stand in the way. It's like he just moved. He's just completely moved out the way Ryan goes and he scores. But I think, to be honest, the thing that set me off the most is then Dina just threw his hands up in here, like, what's going on? What's going on with you, my friend?

[Barry Glendenning]

Like, what was that?

[Nedum]

And all these disclaimers, Great player, all that stuff. That is one of the worst bits of defending I think I've potentially ever seen from a defender because he just basically, it's like he gave up on it, thinking that was the right thing to do. But I don't see why that would be the case when your winger is running directly towards you with the threat of, like, potentially scoring a goal.

[Barry Glendenning]

I think if I was Luca Dean in that situation, I'd want one of the fans to put an overcoat over me like Pele in Escape to Victory, usher me out of the ground because I would be afraid to go into face Unai Emery in the dressing room. I would imagine that was not pleasant. Or if they're doing a video meeting today.

[Max]

I did like Ryan's toe pun, though. That's a good way to score a goal, isn't it? Fraser says. Never mind. Dr. Tottenham, after bringing to an end the longest ever EFL losing streak at home in history. Is it now, Dr. Cambridge? Yes, of course. Cambridge United. They're themselves on their longest unbeaten run in history of 14 games. Six wins in a row. Went to bottom of the table, Harrogate. And of course we lost. Anyway. Anyway, it's okay. We're still in with a shout and that'll do for today. Thanks, everybody. Thank you, Wilson.

[Jonathan Wilson]

Cheers. Thank you.

[Max]

Thank you, Barry.

[Barry Glendenning]

Thank you.

[Max]

Thank you. Natum. Always welcome here.

[Nedum]

Yeah, thank you very much. I appreciate that. I'll. I'll review that. Well, thank you very much. Appreciate it. No.

[Max]

All right. Football Weekly is produced by Joel Grove. Our executive producer is Danielle Stevens. We'll be back on Wednesday.

[Nedum]

This is the Guardian.