League title race. My question to you guys is simply this, is
this a two-horse race for the premier league title this
season? No, it's not Man City and Liverpool
Man City and Arsenal. Ask nor top of the table. Just one
point ahead of Man City and Andy are to come to you. You
smoke there, when I said that I was at the Emirates of
the weekend, I saw the way they
just blew away taught them at times. The creativity, the quality
the balance of the team is, all right? And even
the players are coming off the bench, such a strong Squad
right now. And identity that Miguel arteta has worked really
hard to
really, just put together the last few seasons been a lot of
ups and downs but now we're seeing all that hard work
recruitment wise, the philosophy, the culture, all
come to fruition
in these opening couple of months of the Season
by Tony and opening couple of months. So
are we getting ahead of ourselves here adding our
storms of the title race? Or do you think the legitimately up
there with City and the only team that can really challenge
them for the premier league title this season?
What do you think? My answer is going to be
something fun? I can only guess, please. It's
it's not it's not even that and there's there's actual logic
behind it. I promise that it's still a knit one and still
an incredibly young team tied. For the, the youngest average age
this season 24 and a half years old.
And if we're talking about a title race,
them going head-to-head, over 38 games against the team that
has won back-to-back titles. That is one what four? And five
years chasing their fifth and sixth also Chase.
And champions like
Arsenal are a very, very good team and we're going to talk
about why we're going to talk about a lot of similarities
that they have with Manchester City as well. But at this point
in 2020 2223
Premier League season,
they are not the same as Manchester City. They are not
the same thing. They are not the same
side, you know, sighs club or or strength of squad is just
still a difference that exists between those two things. And
Liverpool were the one team for the last handful of years that
could
I'd just about get there that could push them pretty far,
even beat them to the title in one season. But Arsenal,
I think they have the potential if they can keep this group
together for a couple of more years, Manchester City, go
through, what's going to be kind of a forestry build and
evolution as they begin to get a little bit. That's actually
a very, very veteran
Squad. And so I just look at the experience Factor, that's
involved there. The depth of squad that City have now and of
course, darling Holland. Who is, you know, on Pace? What 66
goals at this?
Point. I don't know how anybody. And this is not to put
Arsenal down or slight them whatsoever. I don't know how
anybody stays within 10 points of this city team by the end of
the season.
That's a good point. We say this, a two-horse race to off
the would be the closest but obviously I think we all agree
that man, city are Head and Shoulders Above the Rest and
it's going to be difficult for anybody to stay with them.
But Nick I mean you wag your finger there. Do you think
someone else is closer to see than Arsenal? So
not necessarily What I'm going to tell you is the same thing.
I said, last year, I want to stick to my guns. I think
the 6-pointer games between the top four teams remain a big deal.
I think the class is such that
not all of the big six teams this year. Liverpool's put
themselves in a bad spot man. Unites put themselves in a bad
spot but I'm even looking at Tottenham who has an incredible
incredible game in game out, tactical manager
a game planner like that. I'm looking at Chelsea now with
grand Potter and the way that they act Squad is still coming
together in a dynamic. You're like Raheem Sterling Cooper
Rhea being on one side and James on the other and I'm
thinking that it's either
a one-horse title race. It's a four-horse title race. Because
the reason is in these, in these and Andy Dow is grimacing
because the top ten, which is funny, but I'm thinking about
these, these in game matches, the big six points wings and it
wasn't too long
ago. Maybe was it last year or two years ago that City only
lost like four games with two of them were to Tottenham?
Well, I do think That the
field is such that just like groups.
I don't know. Teammate 220, you wouldn't be surprised if
a single one was somehow involved in a relegation fight from 1 to
6. I think there is room for a team that handles itself in
the big games to still be within 10
10 points as you said a man city I think men said he's
going to win the league. I think as long as Pepin
Hollander there they're going to win the league but if it's
not a one-horse race, it's three or four horses and we
won't know.
Who those horses are really
again, my refrain right,
until the World Cup.
That's true. That is very true.
I think the one
Cut, not false hope but the one reason I give are still have
even more hope than they probably should have, is
because Man City are so focused every single season on winning
the champions league
and I feel like down the stretch. After the World Cup,
they're going to be so focused. Now, especially of Harland that
they're going to say, right? This is our chance that this
guy in this form. If he's fit, if he's fresh off, the not
playing in the World Cup, by the way,
this is our time to kick on
and really take that competition
by storm and Sally. Finally, win it. So that could play into
our stores hands a little bit.
I don't know, I just feel like they have a really good balance
again. I was there at the weekend. So maybe this is
recency bias and I'm seeing how the fans are reacting. The
managers reacting to, that the players, the unity. When you've
got guys, like Granite Shaco, who was
just down and out. Never going to play for Arsenal again.
And his Redemption Story, the whole stadium was singing his
name, he was applauding scored a great goal. You have great
stories and great characters throughout the Arsenal team,
and they are
Very young great point, but I think that's also a massive
positive for them. And yeah, I'm trying not to get too
harmful as Arsenal fans in the comments. I know I'm always
telling us, they're find what
their find some kind of way of messing this up, but it's hard
to not be positive about Arsenal right now. And and and
it just to look at these teams. I mean,
the fact that are still doing so well, a lot of, it's down,
a man city, right? I'll Teta his job as an assistant on the Pep
Guardiola, the training style, and the fact that they were
able to take zinchenko and Gabrielle Jesus from Man City
this summer.
That's been a huge bonus, their winning mentality of the group
and taking them to the next level. So, if there are any
other similarities and even the style of play, right? It's like
watching a
man city self. If you will here in England because they are
very, very similar in the way that they play. The way
the full-backs come in overloads and Midfield. We saw against
Tottenham of the weekend.
They just couldn't handle that when been whitens and chenko
were talking inside. So
it's a lot of similarities. So in a way man, city of almost
created another title, Under for them to go against. Yeah,
it is interesting and also the same summer in the same
transfer window, they both landed their Striker as well.
And we're for
a couple of Seasons or at least the season for Arsenal, there
were questions over you know who's going to be that guy up
top. After a bombing Yang fell out and everything that went
into that situation occurred and the fact that one of them
came from the other.
You know, it is really interesting.
Spurs have been the one team for the last couple of years
that have consistently challenged in beaten Manchester
City. And so
I kind of took that thought it with what we're talking about
here in the similarities and thought, well the matchup
the way that they play, the way that they can frustrate teams
makes them a, you know, a fairly tough matchup for
Arsenal and I came away. So impressed with the way
the Arsenal played because they didn't give Spurs a chance to
even get started in the game. The first four minutes of
the game was
all Arsenal possession.
So they showed that they've got a new kind of
Newfound ruthlessness about them that they may be not have
had in the past and there is certainly a massive massive
progression that I think is occurred with that Squad
falling apart down the stretch last season. I think, was
obviously a big lesson for them. Clearly, they, you know,
they sorted through that and they have learned from that and
they've come out and even better to start this
season. But again, I just look at city and say, I don't know
how anybody how anybody can compete or compared
to what? That is because I don't know if we're going to do
it this season or next year, or five or ten years from now. But
one day
we're gonna look back at this team and say,
wow, that was really something special, and we didn't realize
it may be quite in the moment because we were still living in
at the time.
I'm already thinking about Man City,
and what they have to do to remind me of my favorite team
ever, which is 08/09 Barcelona that and some Pep Guardiola
project. And when I really started to admire him, you'll
remember that team beat man united for the Champions League
Chrono. But an You jump in here
real quickly.
I really think there's a shout for Tucker. I know there are
reasons to be kind of down on the project right now, if
you're looking short term, but you and I even were speaking
about what it looked like before hand and
a couple of the Miss chances. This is a touching them team
that also Drew Chelsea away and could have won that game. It
was a very even game. I know the West Ham draws a little out
there,
but I really think on a week-to-week basis, the way
we've seen them punish inferior teams,
if they can continue to do that. That they can stay in
the discussion and circle these big games on their on their
calendar. I really think Tottenham it's hard to say it
today because it's so easy to be reactive after a big game,
but I really think they're a lot closer to being the genuine
article than a lot of people want to admit.
Yeah, I think this game told us. Sorry. Joe, go ahead. No,
you go ahead.
Okay, I think this game told us where spurs fit in the league.
I think they are very,
they are very very comfortably
top for this season. They might be the third best team in
the league will see. What Potter is able to do and how quickly
with Chelsea. But to me I think stylistic we in the way that
they play, how kind of
almost a defensive but passive the way that they're reactive
to the other team, I think they are going to do what you said,
Nick. I think they are going to be nearly impossible for
the Lesser teams if you will to beat them because they don't
beat themselves, that's been an issue for a long
time for Spurs, and a lot of teams in kind of that
almost there in the title race, but not quite there.
They were, you would have games where they would just find
a way to lose. Is a game that they never showed. I don't
think this team will do that, but I think there is a definite
jump in
the way that Arsenal and probably we will see City
whenever they eventually gets play, them can just dominate
the game now in a way because to go back to the point, I made
a couple couple minutes ago because
they both have a centre-forward. Now, I think
that clearly was a big, big issue for City against Spurs,
and especially against Conte, because the way that he can
tactically draw the game up, but I think introducing
a player
like Holland and for Arsenal as well.
Jesus, who was incredibly busy on the weekend, I think that is
kind of the thing that puts them over the top and I know
Spurs have Harry Caine but they're not quite using him in
the same way. And so I think there are limitations to how
good's first can be there,
very, very solid team top four.
But I think that's a big jump to whatever City you're going
to and an Arsenal is I think there's a sizable Gap. I think
between those two right now, just for what Arsenal ceiling
could be, I think, Spurs ceiling is much lower,
two points for me. If Austin lose, God, when Jesus, that's
big problems with Um I think you know as good as in catio
Martinelli and obviously wears out yeah that's a huge huge
blow for them. And
then of course I think in tottenham's
sense I feel like they're very similar to Antonio. Conte is
Chelsea team when he first turned up at Chelsea and won
the league, they've got quality, they frustrate teams,
they frustrated, City That season, they've got that in
their locker,
but I just feel like they are
a couple of players still away from being that title
challenging team. It's still a project. Let's see, event con
taken last, the course
this season because you always already seems to be getting
a little bit annoyed. And another team, we haven't even talked
about in the title conversation, all of us, kind
of thought they'd be there at the start of the Season.
Nick Liverpool, I mean, young flip side
all over the place defensively.
Going forward a salah', hasn't it top form, then, missing
study or mane. They can't quite figure out the combinations.
It's difficult. I mean, cops talking about losing confidence
and also a lot of injury problems but they could have
legitimately been four or Five kneel down to Brighton at
the weekend and had no complaints whatsoever about it which is
crazy to say. So
is this just a blip full of upon their core is this then
pretty much out of the title race already because
what the 11 points
below Arsenal at this point, I mean, that seemed even at this
early stage of the Season, like a heck of a lot to try and Claw
back. What do you think?
Well, here's the thing Mansion hand, first of all,
Nunez had it in his stride and Salah is in finishing his
chances. So I'm not ruling them out yet. I think it would be
This to do. So
here's the thing with Liverpool at the moment. However, it does
seem like they have an attitude issue and I mentioned it
a couple years ago and even did earlier this year.
There are shades of clops final season at Dortmund. Not that
he's going to leave. But that this attitude that everybody
bought into that. We're going to overcome the odds. We're
going to overcome bad luck. We're going to go overcome
everything
while now bad luck
and not finishing, they haven't overcome it and I don't think
at the moment, there's an in-game answer of that
confidence and We know what to do.
I think they'll figure it out the club's going anywhere.
I don't think he should go anywhere but they need
an attitude just because you're starting to see in Virgil Van
Dyke and a couple other players on the field. They
are almost looking for excuses. The way we hear those. We've
been making fun of clapping his press conferences and I think
there's a little bit of a trickle down right now. There's
my point on Liverpool.
Some of the murmurings here about sort of the
NetSpend arguments and saying over the years, when you
actually look at how many places Is that they've had to
sell to bring in others? I mean,
look at this summer, they sold stereo mono. Brought a new nest
for a lot of money, but obviously,
it's just,
and he's back again. There is obviously it's just, I think
I would like to see clop
back to little bit more. Considering how much Chelsea is
spent United City and even Arsenal. I think that's
probably part of this as well. They're probably a hanging on
thick, like you said to Van Dyke
and other players,
and they put gone all-in on
Ella, and that new contract. But in an Ideal World, I think
he would have wanted to freshen up the squad, even more,
especially in Midfield, given
some of the issues there and
Fabby, Neo Thiago Henderson being injured different points,
nebby, kite, and never really working out. So, I would like,
for next season, if clop is still around full of Porto,
really go, because if you do look historically at the how
much money they spent, they still spent a lot less
than all of the other contenders they're up there with,
and it's always been
one star player go.
In out another one coming in that kind of scenario. So
yeah, let's wait and see
the Premier League title race. Is going to be really
interesting though, seems like at the moment is City's to
lose, doesn't it their head and shoulders Above the Rest? But,
personally, I feel that if anybody's going to challenge
them, it's going to be Arsenal.