preview this big game
for very different reasons for both of these teams Arsenal,
obviously, sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League
table leads battling in the relegation scrap down there. A
couple of points above the Drop Zone after that big win before
the break.
And of course, we're going to focus on a couple of the usmnt
players for leads. In particular, can they cause
the Gunners some problems? But
Andy coming to you can the Gunners be stopped. I mean
it worked it out that the
Magic number to win the tie or they need to reach 95 points
that guarantees them that they can win it. And,
again, it math, which is not usually my strong point, but
they can afford to lose that game against man city. As long
as they win their other remaining games are still be
crowned Champions and
the schedule is looking okay for us and all. But again,
getting ahead of myself, just trying to figure out how this
man, this is going to unfold between now and the end of
the season,
but that's exciting. Right? For Arsenal that we can actually
figure this out now. And
I'm fine, I'm sorry, but I'm sure it is fun
and it's exciting. And I should have said, and we're getting to
that stage of the season. Now with the numbers,
the calculators are out and every single game,
they all mean so much. But now, it means more.
Yeah. You ask, can they be stopped.
And I don't see it,
honestly, because of what they've done in recent weeks,
they lose to Man City and we thank. Okay, here comes
the wobble. They've been beaten head-to-head for the second
time and the other time being in. In different competition
and we think I is this where they start to crack? It's
a young team, a team that's never been in this situation before
they beat villefort for to.
They beat Lester one. No grinded out. And then that was
the only close game they've played for over a month for no
against Everton. So I guess 32 versus Bournemouth them, they
come back. And that was incredibly crazy game, but then
immediately followed up three-nil against Fulham. 4-1
against Crystal Palace. They have played
a lot of bottom half teams and even just lesser top half teams
and blown them away, given them? No. Tunity and the game
and that to me is kind of the Mark is a real Mark of
a champion. You go out there
from minute one and you set the tone you dominate the game, you
control the game, you take the game to the other team
and you show that, you know, they're showing that I think
they believe they're the best team in the Premier League and
I think on Talent
probably not but performance in the way that they play together
and the way that the manager has them playing and just the
the belief that exist within the team right now,
hard to not see them maintaining that for of just
a few more weeks because they have done it for such a long
portion of this season, they've not backed into the position
that they were in any way they have put themselves in this
position. So
I've tried to find ways
that they don't win the title. I've tried to find, you know,
this is the path to City coming back and Arsenal drop in just
enough points and I just can't find them. Now, at this point
eight points, even with the game in hand for city
is it's a massive Gap with barely 10 games to go.
So true and Nick, Andy mentioned to that Of no believe
now that they can win the title and they're the best team in
the Premier League. Do you believe that?
Because I Osaka is the best player
on potentially the best team in the Premier League because he's
really driving them towards a title. Now, he took a little
while to get going this season but he's brilliant for England
during the international break and along with Martin Odegaard,
I think those are the two guys that you'd say,
you know, they're going to be player of the Season candidates
in the Premier League and it's kind of a flip of a coin
between the two of them, but maybe Sakura just overtaken
odegard in the last month or
so. Is that fair to say?
Yeah, so best player
yes, most important player unsure because of odegard
because I have you by the way and I don't want to bring him
up but this just shows the depth of their there at.
I don't want to dwell on them. The depth of their town. Have
you looked
at Martinelli's numbers this year? They're insane like this
team is just they're coming from the left. They're coming
from the right, they're coming, right? Up the middle. It
reminds me of A couple years ago
when we would talk about well, is this guy is
in? Hazzard is he the
most important player to Chelsea know is either best player. Yes
he is who they need to get it
but there are other pieces back there.
Sokka to me, watching him for England.
I think I texted this to you guys,
something along these lines
if he was not English.
And again, usually I'm telling you guys that we overeat
the English players, if he was
Brazilian or or German. I think we're just talking about this
guy as as on another level he takes over games with his
electricity because it's not just creativity. It's not just
craft and it's not just Pace.
It's this total package of
while we're watching something really fun and to think about
his age and what could still be to come if this and this could
be a top-level, let's be honest. But if there is another
level,
then what are we talking about when we're watching that? Because
the England game, the second game
totally forgetting who they played against Ukraine, right?
He was on another level and he was floating. It was, you know,
that time when a player is in so much form that it doesn't
even look like their feet are touching the ground.
That it doesn't look like their legs. Need to fire for them to
run.
It was as good of a player as you've seen
in a land in
a, no
a long time. Yeah. He's just the perfect mold and player and
how wide
Teams play in terms of getting the ball to Wingers,
expecting them to carry the ball to cut inside, to be
explosive to read situations, even to defend a lot.
I remember speaking to him
a few seasons ago. Now when he just first broke into the team
he played against Newcastle, pretty sure he played left back
that day and
had a really good
game going forward, but defensively did it. That's what
I love about him is a total team player and if there's one
player that really epitomizes this Arsenal team under Miguel
arteta, I think it's because
No, I'm sure it's because second because
he's creative explosive
clinical but also is they also rally around them. They will
love him in that team as well. Yeah, they do, they do. And,
you know, it's going to be intriguing to see who wins
these individual awards at the end of the season, but I'm
pretty sure Sakura and odegard are going to be a top of most
less. When all is said and done. I'm talking about the top
of the list, top of the table that Arsenal,
bottom of the table towards it Leeds.
Tada Andy, they use their relegation, fears with that big
win against walls before the international break, but tough
Runner games coming up there, two points above the Drop Zone.
And it feels like this is in a very precarious position as it
has been, for leads throughout
most of the last two seasons. But you know, we're talk about
it with the the big injury news to Tyler atoms that will hit
them hard, but they're just a very unpredictable team and it
seems like, now they've gone from, you know, being a bit
lacking
in. Creativity and goalscoring opportunities
under Jesse Marsh because they wanted to go away from being
that chaos team that would win games for free every weekend.
So now the after that bit of a boring spell that almost going
back reverting to type a little bit and that's probably
for the best for them. Right. And their chances of staying up
and pushing up the table but there's a lot of risk reward in
this situation leads find themselves and
have you Gracia is a known as being a particularly
attack-minded coach so I think they're just trying to figure
out right now The best balance for this team
and it's difficult especially when I got 11 games of
the season to go to save yourself. Yeah,
it was a week or two ago that we predicted relegation teams.
And I didn't pick leaves. I probably had them in 17th just
outside, but as you say that
it's the, it's the perfect earmark
of a relegation team
that you spend all season going back and forth. We want to be
this, we want to be that we want to be this. We want to as
a response to poor results.
Constantly changing
the ideas and the way that you're playing and for Gracia
to have been in for five or six games. Now, at this point seem
to have stabilized them defensively. They weren't
creating really anything going forward,
but it felt like there was something to build on their and
to kind of scrap that and go back to as you say, a bit of
the chaos that they had under Jesse marsch and they're
drawing a game to to that. They should have won. They win one
for two, but I believe
massively out performed in a lot of statistics.
Statistical categories
in that, game by Wolves.
I don't know, this doesn't feel sustainable to me and certainly
not against Arsenal this weekend, but just kind of
looking over the rest of the season.
Two points above the relegation zone is nothing. A wind gives
you
24, 36 hours of reprieve from the relegation battle and then
you're immediately back into it just because of how many teams
are down there. Thinking about the other teams down there.
They all kind of have their way of playing
Of their way of being and leaves is just swinging. Back
and forth from game to game based on what happened in
the last game. And that's that's kind of the last place you want
to be.
Yeah, it really is. And
the last place taller items wants to be right now is on
the treatment table. But Nick reports come out in
the athletic saying that he's undergone
surgery on his hamstring, which never seems to be a good
situation. And reportedly will missed a huge chunk of
the remainder of season for Leeds United. So that's a massive
blow for the usmnt captain. He was
brilliant at the World Cup. Think we ask any Leeds fans
along with you on Mellie. A those two have been
the standout performers and most consistent performers for leads
to season. So
how the leads cope with that and for Tyler Adams, both
the leads and for the Uso, how big of a blow is this? Because I'm
already thinking ahead to the summer for the USA. And if this
isn't
a short term injury which it doesn't seem like it's going to
be, then he's key, isn't he? For club and Country. So I'm
really disappointing
injury for Tyler Adams to pick up specifically this. The
business end of his first Premier League season, it's
big.
Its there's no doubt about it. It's big,
he is the sort of player who allows other players freedoms.
And I look at, I love,
I love when him and Roca are out there together.
I really, really do. I don't know that. I love her Omega.
If Adams isn't out there with them
and I think about that for
for Lou geylang I think about that for other players who
maybe Adams allows them to do their jobs a lot easier.
I think they're in a real.
Problem, if not for the fact that they have some attacking
Talent who can get you a goal out of nothing and I think of
Newcastle teams that I watched over the years that you worried
about. Well, who's going to score the goals or create
the chances to keep them
up? I think there are a lot of guys there and he pointed out
a few weeks ago that,
you know, Rodriguez cooled off. But he's still very good
player. Jack Harrison has been showing up at pretty big times
and he hasn't quit on this non toe is being discussed as his.
Next stop is either like you've a or AC Milan or Inter Milan.
I don't think we're Creating
how good he's been. So,
even Somerville coming off the bench,
I think they have enough attacking talent
to stay up, but I am also stubborn and said they were
going down last week. So
I think that Wolves win is probably way bigger than a lot
of us are giving it credit for because I don't know where else
they're going to get points this year
and they were out performed. Yeah but of items intriguing to
see the makeup of Midfield with him being out. Wesley McKenney.
He's probably going to start alongside rocker and
You know, different type of midfielder. Maybe he gives
lead, slightly more drive and creativity from Central
Midfield is a bit more attack mind in the Tyler atoms. But
defensively
may be, some question marks around that still getting up to
speed in the Premier League. And that's not his main
attribute and is main quality
in those Midfield areas. So
yeah, it's going to be a big Miss. Tyler Adams is a great
player. Obviously fantastic in his first season at Leeds and
Nick, you make a great point there about the Our unit,
I think defensively leads have been a lot better this season.
A lot of that
is down to Tyler Adams and his organization, the high press
all the rest of it. So
now it's all about, can they can they deal without him and
another couple of injuries for leads as well. No toe and
also vulgar as well.
Both of those players
suffered injuries. So
not sure how long they're going to be out for but a couple of
big players they're out wide in Midfield and at Centre back for
Lee's just when they looked up. Her settled team. So,
let's wait and see what happens.
Andy, prediction time. Let's
what do you think's going to happen?
And the Emirates this weekend, as Arsenal, take on lates,
3-nil,
you all know it. We all know it about. Yeah. Soccer early goal
Martinelli. I'll probably get one. Yeah,
sounds about, right?
I'm gonna go with that as well. Three meals, a great prediction
nicked. We have a full house.
I want to do it just to have the full house, but now I'm
going to go create, I'm going to go 5 to 2 when you guys
mentioned McKenney and rope out there together, I thought, you
know, lead starts a lot of fires and Adams puts a lot of
fires out and I'm not sure that McKenney is the same sort of
firefighter,
so but I bet they are fun. So I'm going to 52.
All right? It's gonna be a fun, one, Austin against Leeds this
weekend ahead over the pro soccer, to look at NBC
sports.com for all the latest, how to watch information
preview, team news, and Analysis, and reaction during
the game will have your car.
Bird, Arsenal pushing for the premier league title, one big
final push now and for leads
to scrapping to stay
in the Premier League.