Extra-time with James Benge - Who starts vs Leverksusen & Champions League predictions

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Welcome back to Inside Arsenal. Welcome to this week's episode of Extra Timer is always

joined by James Benj of CVS Sports back to the Monday slots today, no hot water bottle

mishaps, James.

We are so back we have very little new to talk about not least because I've spent all

we can listen to Tottenham Hotspur podcasts.

Have you?

I tell you what, this seems to be a growing thing amongst the Arsenal community.

My friend Mark shout out to Mark message me the other day saying he was listening to

a hot Tottenham Hotspur podcast because he finds it genuinely hilarious and I think there

are others who seem to be joining in on this new phase amongst Arsenal fans of not just

listening to Arsenal content on their podcast but also reveling in Tottenham Hotspur

mid-ery.

Apparently it is very, very funny to do.

I'm sure that's why you weren't listening.

Yeah.

Just me, you would even say such a thing, you know that I am doing this to ready myself

for a big Champions League weekend.

I need to know everything that the fans are saying before the big game against that

let's go Madrid and what the fans are saying is we are so doomed.

I was going to say are they a happy bunch?

They are not.

They are not.

Shout out to the guys that do the V from the lane because there's a really good podcast.

I mean, look, podcast recommendations for Spurs for me, please, I will listen to them

and I will enjoy them.

Okay, so you are your covering Spurs Athleticos, is the Athleticos in it they got?

I've actually, we have some Tottenham writers on staff, like some Tottenham fans on staff,

so I've insisted that I do different games so that they have to go and sit through Tottenham

Hotspur and say let's go Madrid.

Okay.

We know out for them.

Okay.

I saw that Ali Gold was just about to board his plane today, a friend of ours who

who covers Tottenham for those who you weren't who he is just about board his plane today

and he got booted off by a fire alarm.

Good start.

Good start with a trip for Ali.

Well, it's only the best best outcome for Tottenham if the same happened to them.

Maybe say, maybe say, well, they say that, you know, for all their misery, this season

in the Premier League, Champions League they did very, very well.

So we'll see how they get on against Athleticos.

We will talk about the Champions League as we head deeper into today's show.

We're going to both sit down and try and do our predictions as we start the official

sort of knockout stage of the competition now.

We're going to do our predictions of either bracket, see who, see who gets it spectacularly

wrong or not.

I can't read what I predict.

We'll have to revisit our predictions as we're about sort of, once we get about six

weeks out from the end of the season for the Premier League.

See how we're getting on.

I did, my, my, my, my wild shout of the season of one area going alone in January did prove

to be correct.

I know I got that one right.

Yours was it.

It was going to make the England squad.

I'm pretty confident that you're not going to get that one right, but I did, I did nail

that one.

But we're interested to see how close or way off we are as we get towards the, the business

end of the season.

And so we'll sort of catch up quickly on what happened at the weekend as well.

Mansfield obviously the injuries are going to focus on the Labor Cuisine game who could

potentially start that.

We've got comments and questions from you guys as always that we're going to get stuck

into.

But there was some, um, there was some big breaking news wasn't there just as we're

about to start recording this.

There was some breaking news today and that is finally, finally, the, uh, we have learned

the extent of the punishment for Rodry after his, um, and he officials outbursts.

When was it?

It was off to the Spurs game.

Wasn't it the two February, the first February, the, the first, we now have the outcome

of the, uh, the sort of investigation that's been done by the FF, let me just bring this

up on screen now.

So he has been sanctioned.

He has been hit by the regulatory commission with an 80,000 pounds fine and a warning as

to future conduct following the hearing, um, but there is no ban.

I think Arsenal fans have been keeping a close eye on this with the lead gate coming

up.

The, the camera cut final coming up in less than two weeks time as well now.

We've been waiting and waiting and waiting to find out what was going to happen to

Rodry.

Now we know 80 grand fine, but, but no ban, how, uh, how, how do you see that?

Well, it'd be, it'd be thin gruel in the Rodry household, weren't it, without 80,000

loss.

I'm sure that'll really hit hard that, that's, you know, that's got to be what an

afternoon's wages day and a half, yeah, really be missing that money.

Um, I am surprised.

I've read through the written reasonings for this very quickly and we should say, like

Rodry accepted the charge and the F A did not ask for Rodry to be banned.

But what I don't understand though, his argument is he didn't mean to question the neutrality

of referees and he did not intend that.

I don't understand how saying we want too much and the people they don't want us to win,

but the referee has to be neutral.

I don't understand how any reasonable person can understand that is not the question.

When Rodry says that, you kind of have to say, what did you mean then?

Like, how, how can I read that as you're not saying or implying that the referee was

not neutral in a, in a game where, you know, there were, I was there, there were no

areas.

So I, I don't agree with the F A's reasoning and I suppose for that reason, I probably

would say that a short back would have been fair.

Well, I would, I, I would like to join in the criticism of the decision.

I am very much aware of it was not so long ago that Michaela Tetum managed to get off

his disgrace speech after the Newcastle game by saying he actually meant disgraceier.

And kind of a different meaning of the word in Spanish.

So I think we have to take that, that into account as well.

Maybe they have the same very good lawyer when it came to a, when it came to it.

I think a lot of Arsenal fans have been looking at this haven't they just think, you know,

could, could Rodry miss that one of the two games we've got coming up against, especially

as it dragged on and dragged on and dragged on to get to this point where we are now just

two weeks away from the, from the final, but that's not going to be, that's not going

to be happening.

He's going to be involved in a 80 ground fight.

I suppose it's pretty much what to expect.

I know I have to admit personally, I never expected a ban from this, especially as it

sort of dragged on and on and on.

You could tell there was a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes for it to, you know,

these sort of things tend to be resolved a lot quicker than this one was and the longer

it dragged on the less I thought there was going to be, there was going to be a ban involved

in this.

Yeah, I agree that I wasn't, I wasn't expecting much.

And look, I think the other thing I would want to say about this is, this isn't pre-

ACL Rodry.

Well, I would certainly say if you're an Arsenal fan and you're thinking about, you know,

the title race is always nice to see City without a key player.

This isn't the sort of Rodry of the season where they won the treble and he could win a

game for you single-handedly.

I mean, he might, he might be by the end of the season, but I don't, I don't think

that sort of it would have to mulch you as impact that it would have had if he'd gone down

for a few games before he got that ACL injury.

They can cope without him and he's not quite as good as he was.

Yeah, no, I agree with that.

I agree with that.

I don't think it's, yeah, it would have been very different two years ago in that running

with Rodry.

I got, I got missed sort of two, three, four games in that running a couple of years ago.

I think the outcome was great.

Great, great names, two great names on the panel, by the way, Stuart Ripley and Francis

Bernale.

Well, 90s.

Premier League men and whatever it's called, that fate, that phase was, that craze was,

Barclays men.

That's very not Premier League men.

Barclays men, there you go.

Stuart Ripley.

Flying winger.

Flying winger.

Go on England captain, Stuart Ripley.

I think you go on England captain.

Well, that was when basically England could not generate a single-left foot.

Left foot.

Yes.

I remember myself and my brother, when we used to play football as kids, we used to it,

to sort of insult one another, we used to call each other Francis Bernale.

Oh, no.

No, we did.

Because Francis Bernale, back in the day for Southampton, always, whenever he was on

highlights packages, it was always getting sent off, getting a book in, scoring a home

goal.

It was always for doing something really, really stupid.

And we'd never watched that much Southampton, obviously, back then.

But so we always used to think he was just like the worst player in the world, and we

always used to call it, we'd always call each other Francis Bernale.

He still do to be fair sometimes.

And there's always like, there's always one in the preb, because I sort of think as

Francis Bernale left, it was Titus Bramble.

Who is it now?

No.

Well, I don't know, now I'm a staff, he's left.

What are you going to do?

I'm going to go out.

I'm going to go out.

I'm going to go out.

I've always got so much unfair grief.

Agreed.

Agreed.

I've always got so far.

I'm so much unfair grief.

I thought he was very, very solid.

Fee night at Amphrington as well.

I've never quite understood.

Obviously, there was some bad moments, but I've never quite understood the mocking he

got.

I thought it was a little bit harsh.

Should we talk about Arsenal, as we are now coming up to the 10 minute mark, obviously

Rudry was linked to Arsenal in a way.

Good win in the FA Cup.

Good Cup tie.

You know, everyone who's watched this knows that I didn't see the 490 minutes of the game

because I was away at the weekend, but I've caught up with it.

It was just a classic cup tie, Arsenal, lots of changes, different formation, Mansfield,

players well aware.

This was a big moment and they gave us good as they got fair play to them, great occasion

for them.

Arsenal just about getting through the quality showed, brilliant goal by Ezra.

Are you telling them in disguise, chance after that goal from the YN as well?

So job done for Arsenal into the quarterfinals, but at times some of you guys will be watching

all this and insist you'll probably know who Arsenal are going to get.

That draw is due to take place in just under five hours time now at the time of recording

this.

Bingo's cross for Port Vale at home, where you shall wait and see on that.

Just avoid Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool, please.

Thoughts on the game briefly.

Job done.

Job done.

I think the only disappointment is he and we'll talk about this.

We came to it with two injuries, really loved watching Max Diamond.

I think almost everything to do with the formation change and the system and the set pieces,

you can park all that.

It's only relevant if Arsenal played Port Vale again, really.

Yeah, I, you know, it's also just a sort of result.

I would have liked that.

You know, I'm sure there will be some people watching as you're like, no, I wish we'd

come to Arsenal and run up 10 goals.

You know, I don't, I liked when we kind of went, I went to Sutton and Sutton got to give

a really good account of themselves.

I probably would have preferred three one, so you've got a bit of breathing room, you're

not having to bring on the kiosk.

I wouldn't be asked.

No, if there was a two goal gap in one goal game, James.

Exactly.

That's what we're here for.

You know, I was, I was all in towers that we can spend the, I was there in the park

on Sunday, and on Saturday, I was in the sort of pool that they've got there at the hotel

that we stayed in, in the park.

And as I went into the pool and had to leave my phone in the lockers, it was 2-1 of

about, I don't know, just to shade over five minutes of normal time to play.

And it was 2-1.

So I didn't know for about an hour and a half until I came back out what the score was.

And as I did it, I was like, I can't believe playing what I can believe, but I was thinking

it's so in keeping the Arsenal that we're playing the league one side.

And with five minutes to go, there's still jeopardy on this game as I'm putting my phone

into the locker and I'm still not going to know what happened.

But it was good.

It was a good game.

It was a good cup.

Cup side.

I like you as well.

It's nice for the low league team as well.

If you avoid a spanking and you're in the game, you put up a really good show, which

they did for a place and they attacked Arsenal, watching the highlights, they had plenty

of chances.

As well as an end-to-end game, lovely goal, as I said, by, by as it to win it.

But yeah, Max Downman was the start.

I was saying this in my show this morning, let's get your thoughts on this.

I called him a kind of wild card in terms of the potential title race really in the running.

You just wander with Downman.

I mean, he's so good when he's on it, when he said, and I know they're playing Mansfield,

but whenever he's on the pitch this season, he's impressed at every single time.

It doesn't seem like he's overrored by anything.

And I do wander in these final six weeks, eight weeks.

None of us have really considered it.

I always thought you might get a bit of a game time.

Could he be a bit of a wild card in this in this running?

Do you look at him and what he can do when he's on the pitch?

Now he is back fit.

And think he might be a little bit more than just a tiny, you know, I don't know, a sub

or a bit player, a minute here and there, do you think he could be more than that?

I, I, yeah, one step up because I, I would have thought the role for Downman in the big

competitions between now and the end of the season would have been game one, get him

on the pitch.

I know they don't need to do the number of games for medals, but you know, not far off

that.

It's like an experience for him to come on.

Now, I think for me, he's, you can sort of see a world where he's the fourth or fifth

substitution when Arsenal need to change a draw to a win or a loss to a draw.

You know, the game changer, just because what he, there are others in the squad he can

do a bit, but I, when he's sort of picking the ball up deep in central areas against

Manchester.

I've not seen many Arsenal players dribble the ball this, well, this effectively, ride

challenges.

You know, you would say it's probably him and Ezra in terms of close control in central

areas that you would look to, of course, Sacka as well.

There's something there.

It's not, I don't see him starting a Premier League game unless the season is already decided.

And I don't really see him kind of being first or second up off the bench.

And we saw this a little bit at the end at the start of the season as a guy that just

gets a chance to come on and have a go when Arsenal need to turn the tide.

They need someone who's going to be aggressive, front footed.

I would really, I would trust them.

If I'd set a brings him on, I'd be like, I'd have to know what he's doing here.

He knows why.

But yeah, we may also just not see him at all because that's not what the game state

calls for.

I think we will.

I honestly think we will see him.

You know, the start of the season, remember, I am feel when you need to go and then

who did that?

Exactly.

15 months ago, it's Max Downman, I'll take a turn to the bench ahead of more experienced

players.

I feel like we kind of, maybe with this absence of him, we've kind of forgotten about

that a little bit.

But now he's back and you see what he can do.

I think I'll take to would use him in situations.

I wouldn't be a tall surprise.

He'll be really disappointed in the score at the weekend.

That was a big, big chance for him to become the hardest and the youngest of a goal

score, wasn't it?

He didn't take it.

I'm sure he would have been thinking about that on Saturday night.

You did talk about the injuries as well.

That was sort of the down, the down point from the game at the weekend.

We lost kind of fury again, away and see how bad that is going to be like a bit of a hamstring

injury.

The way he was sort of holding his leg as he went down on the floor, trossed it gone

off as well.

I'm not counting him too much away after the game, not he really could just said there

were little niggles.

And as long as I'm going to have to look at it, I'm going to be heading down to open

training tomorrow before the squad heads off to Germany.

But that is a blow, isn't it?

I mean, trossed off that specialty califury, well, well, whites out as well.

We're not sure in Celebi yet to lose califury again, potentially for, I don't know, two,

three, four weeks if it is hamstring.

That'd be a real real blow.

Very frustrating.

Really?

I worry because Pierre Opencapier already looks a bit tired and a bit run down.

I'm sure Incapier would have, like, like, like, have us.

I'm sure he would have played a big role against Leverkusen anyway.

He can, which I should say, because it would be a different role in the Premier League.

But I think it's maybe about, you would probably have brought califury in for at least one

of the Everton game or the Leverkusen second leg with an item in Capier starting in the

EFL Cup.

I suppose the thing you would say with both califury and trossed is they're the one position

on the pitch that Arsenal have got, like, three options.

So, you know, you've got, well, I mean, they've got more at left wing, but you probably see

Martin L.E. again, it's Leverkusen.

I wouldn't surprise me if we see Marsler Skelly at some stage in the next fortnight.

I think he'll start one of these games in the build up to the final miles.

If califury's out for the whole sort of two weeks up to international break, I think

Miles starts one of them.

I said this morning, I wouldn't be surprised if he starts the second leg at home to Leverkusen

ahead of the final.

I think you need to look at, though it's a much better team than, like, a PSV, you

want to do an awful lot to get this tie one in in the first 90 minutes and give yourself

the chance to just take the Hingcapier is the, well, probably really Hingcapier and maybe

Timber, if Ben White recovers in time, take those two guys out the firing line for the

second leg and see where at Zubimendi as well.

See where else you can take a few, save a few minutes and keep an eye on the car ride

back up.

It's, it's not the worst time in the world.

I mean, like, you almost think, like, if it's four weeks, at least half of those are

in the international break, and unless it's a really bad hamstring injury, which it

didn't look like it did it, and look like, you know, he walked off himself, he just looked

uncomfortable.

So while it would be a frustration to lose him for the final, the other three games,

they're not the worst in the world, they're not great, I'm quite worried about Hamilton,

but they're not the worst.

No, no, I agree, I was, it's been interesting in what, how strong he goes in Germany.

I mean, I think he goes full strength in, in Germany, like you, I think, when we'll

be looking at this little block of games that Arsenal got now, with the, the, the label

who's in the home and away, you've got Everton sandwich in between and obviously you've

got the final before the international break.

I think you'll be looking at this.

These next two are full strength, full strength, whatever happens, first leg, Everton,

full strength, eye on making changes for the second leg, kind of result depending in,

in Germany, but that will be his plan and then, you know, keep as many players, he can

relatively fresh ahead of the finals.

I think you'll be looking at it, looking at it that way.

I don't think he'll make too many changes, or I don't think it'll be too much rotation

for the first leg in Germany this week.

I think it'll be very much full strength, try and get this tie as good as one before the

second leg.

Yeah, exactly.

So with that in mind, what do we think in sort of, in terms of who starts versus

Leverkusen?

Now, the hope is that Celeba will be fit.

We'll get an eye tomorrow when we head down for, when Open Training happens before

they fly out to Germany, but the hope is that Celeba will be back for this game.

So if we, if we go with Celeba being back, or we, in agreement, it'll be obviously

right comes back in gold, Timber will be right back, Celeba Gabrielle, and then he can

cap you.

There's not going to be, I'll be very surprised if Lewis Kelly plays this one.

Agreed?

Same.

Yeah.

Supermendium Rice.

Delighted.

They both got the complete and utter weekend off, didn't even go.

I really liked our Tetis team selection for this, by the way, for Man's Field, what

he did.

The fact it was like a bit of a hail Mary's ass, sorry, it would have done 10 minutes in

back three.

You just do it anyway, and he rested the players.

I wanted to see rested.

He gave some minutes to players who needed minutes, you know, have it and stuff like that.

I thought he got it really spot on in terms of his team selection and how he set the

team up.

It was very un-Artetta like it, really, to be honest, it was, he got, he did pretty much

what we all wanted.

So Supermendium Rice obviously come back in doubtful that Odegaard's back, even if

he is, I don't see him happen.

Do you think Avert's might play in the Odegaard role, or do you think he'll be as a 10?

I think it will be Avert.

I think Avert's will start.

I'll be surprised if he doesn't start, so, but I don't think he'll start ahead of

your career.

So I wouldn't be surprised if he, if he starts in the sort of as a position, then maybe

you might see Avert's on the left, maybe, or do you think it will be Cosmart and Ellie

being so strong in the Champions League this season, it will be Martin Ellie.

I think it will be Martin Ellie on the left.

It's two from three, isn't it?

I think he'll be inclined to, I think Ezra probably has more value in the Evertan game.

And I think, you know, more open spaces, I know that, I don't think Labour Cooson is

sort of quite the same, like, back three team that they were under Alonzo, so that maybe

not quite as much space, I don't really know though.

I mean, certainly you would think Martin Ellie suits the open spaces of the Champions

League games, Ezra is more of a Premier League guy to me.

And I think you kind of do me to like, I have it's, oh, it is by the way, I was just,

it is a back three.

It looks like that Labour Cooson pack, so that I like Martin Ellie for.

I have it's a really popular figure at Labour Cooson and like, really well regarded.

And I think they would like to, he would like to play Arsenal probably like to play him.

So yeah, I think have it to play.

Yeah.

So you think it will be the have it from your craze and that kind of what we saw against

Leeds at Elmer Road?

Yeah, because it works really well.

Yeah, I think it will be that.

Yeah.

So Sakura on the right, have it's in the sort of ten stroke, second strike or all your

craze up front and Martin Ellie on the left.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I mean agreement.

I think that's probably probably going to be what it is, be a bit disappointing for us to

lose his place, but I wouldn't be at all shocked if, if that's right, Labour Cooson

drew three or the weekend Gromaldo scored again, still banging the goals in Gromaldo for

them, isn't it?

What?

Yeah, back three for them and the weekend drew three, three at Fryberg.

You still, you've seen as much as them recently as you were previously during the Alonzo days?

Yeah, I hate to be, I hate to be like, cruel, but no, you've not got Javier Alonzo in charge

and you've not got my favourite player in the world, Florian Vitts.

Kaffirne though, it's supposed to be like a really promising young striker.

We're going to have a little chat about strikers in no Q&A bit.

He's a name I'd like to keep an eye on, but he doesn't fit the criteria of that question.

So there's sixth so far in the Bundesliga, 13 wins from 25, seven feet scored, 48, conceded

32, two wins in the last five in the Bundesliga.

I mean, it's absolutely not a full-con conclusion, of course, it's going to be a difficult game,

but this is certainly a two-legged fixture you would expect Arsenal to come out on top

on.

Yeah, and for what it's, you know, I've had to do a little work thing today of which English

team you'd pick as the most likely to make the round of the quarterfinals and like to

me then the ball and with the ball, they're pretty strong favourites with the bookmakers

with everyone.

So if you go about this task professionally, you should be fine.

You probably need to have a good team for the second leg, but I would think you'd be

fine.

Right.

Should I bring this up on screen now?

So this is the road to Budapest, 2026, so we've got the brackets here, Arsenal obviously

in the blue side of the bracket, City Liverpool Chelsea all in the other side of the bracket.

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I was going to put our predictions on, I'm sure that's really a thing, but we're going

to make our predictions in terms of who's going to end up at Budapest along this journey.

So Paris versus Chelsea, first of all, should we start there?

Do it in the order.

Who comes out on top over to, so Chelsea are at home in the second leg.

That's right, yeah.

Yeah.

And I've been training holders, obviously.

And I have Chelsea going through.

You have Chelsea going through.

Did you see PSG against Monaco in the Champions League or indeed in Liga?

I saw the Champions League games.

I didn't see the league game.

I saw the Balrogans scored a good goal.

Yeah.

PSG looked really tired.

It's strange that they've sort of been drawn against the one team that sort of had

as demanding at the past 12 months as they have, but Chelsea just got enough depth that

you would sort of say that the problems they have are not like they don't have enough

players.

I think this is like one of the two really close ones, but I have Chelsea going through

here.

I bet you have PSG.

I don't.

I think it's really, really tight.

I kind of want to say PSG now because you said Chelsea, but I kind of feel like Chelsea

going to go through that as well.

I just think they, I think they will.

I've not seen loads of PSG this season.

I'm just what I have seen if they've not looked completely and utterly dominant.

They don't have anywhere near as good a goalkeeper as they had last season to save a moment

to bail them out.

And you know, basically single-handedly one in the Champions League certainly in the semi-final

last season.

I think Chelsea going to knock them out.

I agree.

I'm going to Chelsea.

And I'm going Liverpool in the other one, by the way.

Yeah.

I think there's going to be some fun moments with that.

I think that could be a very open, fun game.

I think there could be plenty of goals across those two legs and I think the atmosphere is

going to be great in both games, but I think Liverpool will shade that and it's going

to be throwback.

Champions League throwback of Chelsea versus Liverpool in a knockout fixture, reminding

us of the late 2000s, with those epic contest between Raffer and Merinia.

Luke, you're going to see one of the nicest expros you'll ever meet.

Absolutely.

Well, not that I've ever met him, but he's good expro.

Good pundit when it repops up as well.

So, yes, Chelsea and Liverpool in that top half, that will be one of the quarterfinals

according to us.

I'm sure lots of people are agree, disagree, sorry with that.

I don't see anything but Manchester City knocking around with you now.

I think that's going to be fairly comfortable for Manchester City.

No, I'm bad, but he's there and probably that he trained today, he trained today, apparently.

I don't think that necessarily means he's definitely going to start, but he did train today.

No, Bellingham as well, no, Carreras.

It won't be big at left, and then we both got Bayern, right?

Absolutely, yeah.

So, Manchester, you buy in in the other, I'm going.

So, Chelsea, Galatasaray and then Manchester City versus Bayern, so then who goes through

from the quarters out of Chelsea and Liverpool?

Chelsea.

Liverpool.

It's tight on that one.

Yeah.

Okay, so we differ there.

So Liverpool, I'm saying Liverpool, you say Chelsea to reach the semi-finals.

Man City versus Bayern, that'll be a contest.

That'll be a contest.

And you know when that lands, like in the fixture list?

Yes, just before the Arsenal versus Man City, I think the away leg for Man City would be

the week, the days before the game at the edge he had against Arsenal.

And do you know what, I think one of the things that I'd love to see Harry Kane do more

of it?

You know that thing where the defender jumps up to head of ball, and he just accidentally

happens to drift into the space that they were looking to land into?

Can't be wishing injury on anyone, James.

I wouldn't dream of it.

I think, oh God, I think Bayern would knock them out.

Same.

Okay, so we're going to buy in Liverpool semi-finals there.

Oh, I've got Bayern Chelsea, but I think we both would have the same winner.

I would, I would, I would, I said Liverpool at the start a while back.

I said Liverpool Arsenal final, and I'm not sure I want to change my mind on that.

I kind of would, I think, if it was Bayern as a Liverpool and was staring at those games,

I'd be like, I don't know how I could predict Liverpool to win this.

No, Bayern, Bayern, I think.

Yeah, I'm going to buy it.

Okay, so you're going to buy it in the final from that side.

So Newcastle versus Barça.

Barça, I think it's one of those games that could go really wrong for Barça.

Like, if you, if Anthony Gordon is just on the end of a couple of well-time true balls,

and the, you know, they were unlucky to lose 2-1 in the league phase, Newcastle,

but they did lose 2-1 in the league phase.

So I would pick Barcelona.

Everything says Barça, I should win that, but I just got to sneak feeling

Newcastle going to knock them out.

I just thought that knew that Barcelona Highline that everyone talks about,

the way that Newcastle playing, the way that Gordon, if they're going to go Gordon as a nine,

now I've watched them, I've watched Newcastle run through, you know,

she could have got something in the S.I. had recently.

I mean, it played very well to get a point at PSG, not so long ago.

Didn't they away from home?

It should be, I mean, it should be Barça.

I think Newcastle can knock them out.

I think it's going to be, I think it's going to be Newcastle.

I guess they are ladies first.

I know what I think, and I know it's stupid.

And I know I do this every season.

I do some nonsense, and I look like a more on a few weeks later.

I think Tottenham, we're going to knock out Let's go Madrid out.

I just see, I just don't see it.

I think they could, I absolutely think they could, but I'm sorry, but I just watched Tottenham.

And unless they do something remarkable and actually play like some sort of football team,

I don't see how they beat Athletic go Madrid over two legs.

I just don't see it.

They're so bad and they, they look so horrifically

off it that I just, I don't see it.

There's, I suppose what it comes down to is like,

do you think the teams that they've been losing to are better than Athletic go Madrid?

And I think Crystal Power is just the way that it's not just that they've been losing.

It is how they've been losing.

They don't, they don't resemble a football team.

And Romero will be back.

Van the Ven will be available in that game.

So they're going to have their, their sort of sent about pair in available.

It's haven't had for a while, but

which should, should improve them.

But I still, I just look at the way they play in midfield and how awful they are and how open they are.

They don't, they're not playing like any sort of,

you know, remotely competent football team that, you know,

an athletic side with their experience.

As long as they don't do anything stupid, they should get through.

And you know, they should win those games, both games comfortably.

So no, I, I think you taught me around.

I'm going out, I'm going out, I just can't, I can't predict Tottenham winning the game

from a football at the moment.

I just can't.

There's just looks so far, so far away from being able to win a game of football that I'd be very, very surprised.

Did you say you've just changed your mind?

Are you going to have to change your mind?

You changed your mind.

So we're both saying Newcastle versus Athlete in the car.

I'm talking about history.

And Barcer Athlete, I'm saying Newcastle Athlete.

I would say, I would say Athlete will knock Newcastle out in the court finals.

I'll take Barcer over at Letty.

Okay.

And so in the other semi-finals, in the other game, sorry, Bowdoin versus Sporting.

Second leg would be of Sporting, wouldn't it?

Yes.

I'd pick Sporting.

I don't quite well in the Champions League.

Yeah.

I'll go Sporting for that as well as good a good a run as Bowdoa run again, Sporting for that.

And then Lavecook is an Arsenal.

I presume we're both, but it's an Arsenal to go through there.

So Arsenal versus Sporting in the quarters.

I would say Arsenal.

So semi-finals, I'm saying Athlete versus Arsenal.

Repeated the game early on the season in the league phase.

I would predict an Arsenal win there and you're saying Barcer versus Arsenal.

Repeated the 2006 final that we all want to forget about.

What would you say who wins that?

I would say Arsenal win.

I think they might win it quite well.

Okay.

So basically we both come to Arsenal versus Bayern Munich in the final.

Oh, God.

Arsenal win.

Arsenal.

God.

Arsenal win.

Okay.

It's going to really hurt if Arsenal don't win the Champions League.

Let's see how far off we are with those predictions come about two months down the line.

But yeah, it's just a quick thought before we move on because we've been doing this.

Would the Spanish teams be your preference for semi-finals?

I don't want to take everything before for granted, but let's say what over any any of the other options there.

Yeah.

Basically over Newcastle.

I wouldn't want to play.

I wouldn't want to play English team at all.

Yeah.

I wouldn't want to play Spurs.

I know, you know, Arsenal should beat Spurs.

You know, 80 on anger.

It's so fine.

They're two league games this season.

They should absolutely batter Spurs over two weeks.

But I just don't want to.

The thought of playing Spurs in the Champions League semi-finals.

Yeah.

I would much rather play anyone else.

Yeah.

I think we're going to have to be anyone.

I think it's not the case of always got to get the easiest team.

I don't like the Newcastle.

I wouldn't like the Newcastle.

That's a bad matchup for Arsenal.

That would terrify me, given what we've gone through against Newcastle in the last few seasons.

And how those games tend to pan out.

I think that would be a, I agree.

I think that would be a real horrible matchup for Arsenal.

I still think they'd come through it, but I just think it could be a horrible matchup.

For Arsenal, one we could absolutely do without when you slap bang in the middle of a title race.

Probably paying Newcastle around then as well.

Yeah, they got home game on the weekend of the London marathon.

So that's the end of April.

Yeah.

So that would be about then.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

All right.

Cool.

So we have both critics also going to win the Champions League.

Fantastic.

Just end the season there.

Don't go over playing the games.

Just end the give us trophy.

Give us a trophy.

Actually, right.

Should we answer some questions?

Let's do it.

In first of all, since thanks for answering my question last week about second favourite team,

I would admit that I have a special heart for Newcastle right now.

But I think that is just because I certainly love Ramsdale as a human.

New question.

What did you think, Jason Dixon at the weekend?

I've heard a lot of positive things about his performance.

I'm going to pass this one over to you, James, because I didn't sit there and watch the game.

Unfortunately, because I was away, obviously.

So what did you make of his Arsenal debut?

Nice.

Like solid after some early like real wobbles, which I'm going to kind of give us a.

Even coming from Stoke City.

How many pitches has Jayden Dixon played on like that?

And you're adapting to a team with their tails up that are really giving it a go and that are playing in a.

Physical manner and you've spent all this time training with an Arsenal team that they don't.

But after he settled in, I thought he looked very solid.

You can sort of.

It's a little bit long and challenging road to get there, but you can sort of see how a player with his skill set his ability to sort of.

Be more.

Infield as a defender or a beer fullback.

You can see how he fits like an Arsenal mold a long way to go.

And we know that like it.

If there's any positions in the squad where it's going to be hard to make a first teams, but you're on his defender.

But.

Good, good, good, good start.

Same with Miley Salmon.

I was going to say Sam and obviously made the mistake for the goal that was.

You know, you say you made a mistake.

You did make he under hit the parts, but fair play to the.

The master player had a long way to go there.

You beat my scary.

Took it on his finish was great as well.

So it wasn't like an absolute calamitous era for Miley Salmon and like that.

So what did you make of his or her performance?

I mean, it's awesome.

We're the first ever Premier League team.

To feel two 16 year olds in the same style.

It might not.

It was great.

That from Bill Edgar at the times that said.

Miley Salmon was the youngest player to ever touch the ball in an FA Cup fifth round time.

For a bounce.

I can't remember if it was six minutes or six seconds.

Six seconds.

Six seconds.

Because.

Because down one at a chance after three minutes, didn't it?

Yeah, exactly.

Yeah, most exactly.

So.

Youngest player to touch the ball in it.

Fifth round of the FA Cup.

Six seconds until Max Diamond did.

Sam and though to me looks really.

At home.

And I will.

I will completely forgive almost any miss.

And every Arsenal play was missplacing passes because.

That pitch was not Sunday was like Sunday league levels.

And no, no.

I'm not criticising Mansfield for that.

No shame in that it's a very expensive business running a football club.

They don't get to relay their pitch as often as Arsenal do.

So.

Tough.

Circumstances in there.

When you discover who's who's got a bit of toughness.

And I thought both young defenders looked.

Looks good.

Yeah, he's very confident.

Isn't he, Miley Salmon?

Very confident.

Did you see in the under 21's game, you know,

possibly how to play at home.

Like, you know,

right.

And then, you know,

you know,

you know,

I just thought,

I don't keep you up against Fu.

You know,

I start doing key.

It's,

you know,

against Redding in the second half of got absolutely taken out by the guys.

It's good to know that no matter how old you are,

what age you are.

If you still don't keep you up to you're going to get absolutely

twisted by someone who's going to really get pissed off.

It's it's pretty much the sort of last thing that unites everyone in football is.

If someone starts to keep you up so new.

Next challenge is not a yellow card.

You're allowed to take him out.

It'll be interesting to see how his development goes over the next couple years. Max has

got in touch and says, which player's situation was the biggest mismanagement by Arsenal last summer?

Is it in Chenko, Nelson, Heim, or Le Conga?

I do think in Chenko's was very well done. Yeah, I would say in Chenko's because I think

as much as he's, and I said all through the summer, I said, look, he's a very particular sort of

fallback now and you've got, there's only a certain number of teams that would want him, but

like there are enough of them, how you never kind of got to a position where you could sell him

for anything. And then you loaned him to the most messed up club in England, knowing that that

would go badly wrong. I thought that was not smartly done to be generous, but none of them were great,

but also none of them are, you know, it's hard to sell your Reese Nelson's.

Sandby's the one that screams for me. I'm looking at, I'm just looking at his numbers this season.

Now he's got four goals in 19 appearances for Hamburg. He's played 19 games for them. He's a good

player and it's, you know, it's the, and Arsenal never announced how much money they got for him.

They didn't announce how much money they got for him for a reason. They did not make much money

on Sandby La Congo and I get they were never going to make their money back or even close to it,

but they should have made more than they made on him. They basically gave away a good young

player who is now performing well in the Bundesliga and is still a young player. For me, that was the

one that's like, seriously, you can't make some sort of, get some sort of transfer fee for him.

So I'm not, he's the one that screams out for me. I think Arsenal got that one.

If you all would be the other one, I know that like the back end deal is quite nice. Like,

it's a record for a Porto or record for a defender at Porto and it kind of will get activated

because by all accounts he is the best player in the Portuguese league, I think, or up there with them.

But like, and I know to make sense, it was sort of really, if you're always looking to move on

because he knew what the situation was. He really wanted Porto as well. He really wanted Porto.

All of these things are true, but I think sometimes you also need to be able to find proposals

to put to Jakob Kivio who we were all talking about as phenomenal at this stage a year ago.

You know, he went and played in the brilliantly in the Bernabé. You need to kind of go out and

get those clubs that will make Jakob Kivio go, well, you know, that's a better team than Porto.

I'm surprised they never did that.

Yeah, well, I was asked to again this summer when it comes to selling a money in the

setting. I'm going to need to improve on what they've done of late. We've got one from Pete now.

He says, hi, Charles James, with the good form of noni. Do you think there's a chance we could see

him get some game time on the left? We've not seen it really since the start of the season. I'll

be more confident with him out there at the moment than Gabby or Leo. Interesting. Good goal,

my noni. Good goal. Lovely finish. Yeah, when we saw it quite a bit at the start of the season,

didn't we? But it has tailed off a little bit. The sort of the noni on the left experiment

for Martetta in the same time was soccer starting on the right. But I mean, it's an option.

I was like, like you said, at the start, you know, with even with Leo's injury, there's plenty

of options on that left hand side. You can play as they're there again, not seen that of late.

Martin, he's done very well in the Champions League this season, not so much in the Premier League,

obviously, didn't play well at the weekend. By all accounts, judging by the comments that I saw.

But yeah, Matt awake on the left. He's a can play there. Definitely can play there.

Yeah, but if he's happy as you're left back and he's a bit more up and down the left flank,

isn't he? I think that's not the best match. A few who's playing on the left and coming to those

number 10 positions. Then I like Madaway K on the left a bit more. So maybe not one for right now,

unless you play Lewis Kelly. The left left outside is interesting because they are struggling.

Both of them, Martin Elliott and Leo are clearly, clearly struggling for form at a moment in

output and goals. Can you just continue to go with that during the running? Or do you need to try

something a little bit different to try and get someone out there who is informed who can have

more of an impact in games that those two are having at the moment? The one I'm really intrigued by

is we've never seen it. No reason to believe he would do it. But I do sometimes wonder about

Victor Yoko, isn't there? Like it's a channel he likes to get into.

I would be lower down my list than playing Ezra there, but we still not even really seen

out there to go to Ezra at left wing all that often. I can't imagine that anywhere we see

Victor Yoko is playing on the left. Certainly, Ezra, I think that is absolutely an option,

especially if Havots comes back in and starts playing in that role or we get Ode to go back fit.

For me, we've got to see Ezra on the left hand side at times. I think it's mad, mad that we haven't

since Ashton Villa. I think certainly if Havots gets himself back fit and can stave it

and Ode to go out especially as well, then I think we have to start seeing that. The form of Leo

and Martinel is just not good enough to not try Ezra there and to see what you can get with him

over there during a running when you need goals and you need to be scoring and you need to be

in games. I think it's something you've got to try. Yes, absolutely. I think that's a really

nice balance as well of like Havots. If you sort of have Havots and Ode to go out at the 10

and Saka on the right wing, then you think what's missing from his team? Shooting.

So when you're playing that team, I'd love to see Ezra on the left and even a bit less with Havots

at the 10 and Yoko is up front, even then it would be something that's really worth looking at.

When it's been put to Arte to before that the cash thing has just meant he's given up on that.

He's been really insistent that that's not true. You know, he needs to prove that that's not true,

but he has really pushed back on that idea. I mean, he has, but

the evidence is right there. It's not being done since. I hope to half time not being done since

in four months. It's kind of hard to take up face value. What do you say about it? It's saying

it's not about him, but yeah, I'd be surprised with Madaway, just because again, like Ezra,

it's just something we're not really seeing, seeing at the moment. I still think he'll be more

used as coming on and giving Saka some some some rest that was from Pete. We've got one from

Abimit. I think those apologies. I've got that very badly wrong there. It said it's not a dig.

Over the last few seasons, our left side has not been consistent.

I don't take good. Our good and have contributed fairly well, but I believe there's room for

improvement. So my question to you, both, is if given chance, who do you think would be a better

upgrade to our squad? How about Skellier, Liao, Barcode, or all some options I can think of

would love to know if there's any chance we can see any such income in next season. It feels like

Groundhog Day, doesn't it? Every time a transfer will come as a round of us and we're going to

sign a left-winger. I absolutely do think they kind of do, to be honest. Again, I felt like that

last summer, but I don't think that's necessarily means they will in the summer. I would love

Kevart Skellier, but that's just absolutely not going to happen. Of course, it's not.

Liao, I mean, I don't know. I'm a big fan of what I see from Liao, but there is a reason why

no one has taken a pun on him up to this point, isn't there? Will that change come the summer?

Is he going to, would he be a mechanical tetatite left-winger? Probably not.

I like Barcode, I do like Barcode, he has got some sort of contract tours going on with PSG at

the moment, as near power, by all accounts. I don't know. I think when you see how injured Dembele has

been this year, you realise why it's quite unlikely that there'll ever be like a moment where

Barcode has like, you've got to let me go. I'm not playing. It won't be a first. There might

be other reasons, like you say, the contract talks, but I don't think he'll ever get to the stage

where PSG can't give in enough minutes to keep him happy. Anthony Gordon just feels far more

realistic to me than any other. I mean, as a player, we know Dembekella Teta likes and has liked for a

while, and whether you can get him out of Newcastle, I don't know whether that would be a player

that a lot of people agree with coming to Arsenal within the Arsenal fanbase. Again, probably not.

But he certainly feels to me a much more realistic potential option on the left-hand side than any of

those that are listed on the screen there. Yeah, I really like Gordon. I think we see a lot of the

flaws of players in the Premier League that we don't in other leagues because we don't watch them

day in, day out, even when we're paid professionally to watch football. There's only so much we can watch.

Leais had a bit of a comeback season, but unlike I would sort of balk at Newcastle's

£100 million prize tag for Anthony Gordon, but at least I know he can do it in the Premier League,

so he would be my choice. Yeah, I can't see anyway. I also don't pay £100 million for him, but

I'm going to go up time for one more before we wrap this one up. I'll go again. My kid's up from

school. Brian asked about strikers. He says, on the basis, the Gabriel Jesus will leave in a summer

who with in the Premier League outside of the top five, would you replace him with?

I like Brian. Bobby, strong physical, fast and a real handful would offer something different

PS if you could say hi to, I think, Kean, my newborn son, come on, you gunners. Happy, happy

well, birthday. Absolutely, absolutely. Actually is the birthday, and congratulations, Brian,

on the birth of your new son. I'm sure everyone watching, all the joining on the congratulations,

there. I hope everyone is well and settle in and well at their household. Just in time for,

I think you can take them to the trophy parades. Yes, absolutely, the month ahead.

Yeah. Well, don't talk about trophy parades, mate. I'm not allowed myself to think about that.

Anyone there who sort of springs to your mind springs to mind in terms of

there's not a lot I like. I don't really. I was looking at this before we did this question.

I thought, oh, I really don't know. I would probably say I'd rather take a punt on someone from

outside of England. If I'm my theory of who our tetamide pick would be Nick Fultamada and I

would not be going near that junior creepy for me just because he's so young that he becomes

quite moldable. But I just how much would he cost? So there's no one that I'm desperate for, but

in the interest of answering Brian's question, which I think he deserves junior creepy.

You know who I'm going to say? I'm going to say Danny Welbeck. Bring Welbe back. Bring

Welbe's back for a season and play in that sort of third choice strike or roll. I think he's got

loads to give still as he's showing in the Premier League this season and we score some goals.

And it'd be very, very cheap. You wouldn't have to spend much money on him that you would

can spend elsewhere in your in your transfer window. So bring Welbe's back for a season finale

before he calls timelies career. So there you go. Right, that is it for us this week. Everyone,

thank you for watching as usual. I'm for listening. Cheers, James. We'll be back next week before

another big week for for Arsenal. Yeah, I'll catch up you soon. See you soon. Bye bye. Bye, everyone. Bye bye.

Do you want your soccer analysis more direct than an Arsenal set piece? Join me, Max Rushden and

the Guardian's expert soccer journalist for the latest action and news from the Premier League

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