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It's the Gary Neville podcast this

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Sunday evening. Welcome to the Emirates

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Stadium where Arsenal have just twisted

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up the title race, Gary, with

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in many ways an extraordinary game,

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extraordinary for several reasons. Maybe Liverpool

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were pale, certainly two or three

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of the goals were weird. What

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did you make of the whole thing? Yeah, I

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think that before the game we highlighted

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Saliba and Virgil van Dijk and I pointed out that

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they were the best defences in the league, they were

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the best two centre backs in the league. Virgil

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van Dijk's had a very difficult day here

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today, it's been so unlike him and you're

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right, the goals were obviously fundamental, fundamental in

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any game but the mistakes. The first goal,

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the way in which van Dijk got drawn

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into midfield and the gap between him and

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Canate became sort of huge. He

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got back in it with a mistake from Saliba,

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the other great centre half in the league this

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season and you couldn't believe

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it at half time that it was 1-1 because

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Arsenal were so dominant in that first half

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but then that second goal, the game was

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pretty even I would say around that point,

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just a hopeful ball over the top and

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when goalkeeper and centre back or defender converge

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on one another and

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it's not absolutely certain which one's going to

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take it, you always end up, or you

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can end up in a right mess and

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Liverpool did and from that moment on it

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became obviously Arsenal, Arsenal deserved it overall, Liverpool

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haven't played here today, anywhere

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near. And I said at the end,

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I don't like saying this because you can't say it

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about a Jurgen Klopp team or this Liverpool team for

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the last seven or eight, nine years, they always want

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to win, they're always desperate to win. But

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Arsenal, it just felt like today there was

1:31

more on the game for them, they couldn't

1:33

go eight points behind, it would

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have just completely demoralised them and I think

1:38

finished their season, been a hammer blow for them in

1:40

terms of being in the title race and the atmosphere

1:42

in here was intense, it was, I don't think it

1:44

was volatile, but it was intense before the game, they

1:46

were really up for it and Arsenal I think responded

1:48

today more than Liverpool did. Liverpool,

1:51

the more curious for me, I was at

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Anfield on Wednesday when this

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is only me speaking, you may have a different view, but it

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was as close to a complete performance. as

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perhaps you'll ever see and they were really

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really outstanding how

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do you account for that chalk and cheese? I mean

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two big differences, one Chelsea I

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mean Chelsea had been done at home by Wolves

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today well done to Wolves but they're awful and

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secondly obviously coming to Arsenal Arsenal

2:17

are completely different team than Chelsea and this day look

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you can lose here in any

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year in any season it's a stadium

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it's a big club you can always lose big matches

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they'll be disappointed that they haven't played here

2:30

today they'll be disappointed with the goals that

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they conceded yeah

2:34

just sometimes you can never describe that

2:36

edge in sport, in life where you just feel

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like you've got that extra little bit between your

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teeth you don't know what you

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put it down to, motivation, hunger, determination on

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a particular day because I don't think it's

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a case of Liverpool don't have hunger they

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always have hunger but they were off it

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today just by that few percent and you've

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relaxed that little bit and you haven't got

2:55

that intensity and you get done

2:57

and Arsenal have been I think about four of

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them today I think that the football was better

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as well I think the first half they played

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better Jorginho was outstanding but they've been out for

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an outrun and just more intensity and that'll be

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the disappointing thing for Jurgen Klopp because his teams

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are amongst the best in the world

3:12

and obviously that side of the

3:14

game at one point in the afternoon you

3:16

were ready to be concerned about Arsenal's lack

3:18

of firepower, the lack of the centre forward

3:21

is that an ongoing part of the agenda

3:23

or does that sort of disappear into the

3:25

background now where everything's okay, how do you

3:28

assess Arsenal alongside the other two in that

3:30

regard? No I think it'll still come back

3:32

and bite them I think ultimately there were

3:34

still examples today None

3:38

of them have got that instinct, Jesus to

3:40

be fair he's too busy everywhere

3:42

on the pitch and rather than

3:44

being in the six-yard box making those little

3:46

darting runs across defenders Havertz just hasn't got

3:48

it in him, he's just languid

3:51

he's quite sort of like you know he's sort of relaxed

3:53

and he just thinks go on, make that

3:55

little run across a defender that

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makes a defender move his position and

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sackers crossing the ball or Martinelli's crossing the

4:02

ball and you're thinking, oh, I'll make that

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run across Canarti, make it difficult for him.

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And he just hasn't got it in him, it's not

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what he is. So he ends up hanging back. Urdegar's

4:10

a little bit the same, but he's not sent a

4:12

forward Urdegar. He's been after players, I

4:14

sent a forward today, even though he drops in a little

4:17

bit. So then Ed and Katia obviously

4:19

is on the bench, he's not been trusted today

4:21

against Liverpool. So

4:23

they have got a problem there, Arsal. That

4:25

killer instinct that I think this

4:27

team had. They've got

4:29

pretty much everything else. I mean, they're

4:31

defending pretty well. I think in midfield,

4:34

Rice and Jorginho today were a real

4:36

force with Urdegar playing. They dominated Liverpool's

4:38

midfield, particularly in the first half. So

4:41

for me, they've got a lot of really

4:44

good things, Arsenal. And

4:46

then you just think of that last bit, it's the

4:48

hardest bit in football. But maybe

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I'm so privileged,

4:52

lucky to have played. For

4:54

20 years at Manchester United, where

4:56

I went from Hughes and Cantona to

4:59

Sol Shire, York, Cole, Sheringham, I then

5:01

moved on to Van Nistelroy, I then

5:03

moved on to Rooney, Tevez, Ronaldo, Van

5:07

Persie. I lived with killers for

5:09

like 20 years, where basically they were there.

5:12

They would be absolutely devastated at the end

5:14

of a game if we went

5:16

in and we'd won, and they hadn't scored. I

5:19

don't see anybody in the Arsenal dressing room being

5:21

absolutely devastated if they haven't scored a goal. I

5:23

think they'll all be delighted in that dressing room

5:25

today with winning the game. But

5:27

where's that Sulkar, that Alan Shearer that he used

5:30

to play with for England, or that Michael Owen,

5:32

or that Ian Wright, something

5:34

that just means that they have to score,

5:36

that mentality. And I do think it will

5:38

cost me. Look, it's been said so many

5:41

times by so many people. I highlighted it,

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I think, in September on this podcast, that

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they don't make the right runs and they've

5:48

got two beautiful wingers. Martin,

5:50

Elie and Saka, when they're on the form like they

5:52

were today, I said they're things of

5:54

beauty there. I

5:56

love watching them play, I really do honestly. They

5:59

make you happy watching. I'd hate to

6:01

play against them. I think the tussles between

6:03

Martinelli and Trent Alexander-Arnold at a fantastic Robertson

6:05

didn't play in the first half today against

6:07

Saka, but obviously in the second he did.

6:10

Every time I watch these four go against each other

6:13

it's a thrill to me because I love obviously the

6:15

idea of fullback and winger and the duels. We

6:18

didn't see Salah against Ninchenko today which is

6:20

I think another real battle in this game

6:22

because obviously Salah's not here, but I just

6:24

think to me that killer instinct is

6:27

missing and it just will

6:30

mean I think that it could just fall short

6:32

and I've got Arsenal for the title this season.

6:36

But I know that

6:39

they're going to cause them some pain. It's going

6:41

to cause them some pain because they do a lot of the

6:43

other things in the game very well. So

6:45

City play tomorrow. We've still

6:48

got obviously Arsenal to play City. We've got

6:50

Liverpool to play City once each. We've still

6:52

got a North London derby, a Manchester derby,

6:54

a Merseyside derby which are going to play

6:57

into it. Where are you at now

6:59

with the three of them? I

7:01

think Liverpool fans won't like this

7:03

and won't like the result today, but for the

7:05

neutral having three teams within two points if City

7:07

were to win tomorrow night and we're taking that

7:10

for granted is

7:12

a good position for the Premier League to be in. We

7:14

want a competitive Premier League and I said at

7:16

the end of the game I feel like the bell has rung for

7:18

the last lap. We're not in the home straight, not

7:21

by what would be probably about six

7:24

to eight weeks, but we're on

7:26

the last lap. Every game means

7:28

something now. These big games that you've just mentioned that

7:30

we've got coming back felt like to me today was

7:32

the start of the last lap, the start of the

7:34

running where it gets serious, where

7:37

you know full well that you've got to really

7:39

get yourself right. And Arsenal have not been perfect

7:41

all season. They've been nowhere near the form that

7:43

they were last season, so if they can just

7:45

start to hit a run now and hit their

7:47

best form and build momentum, then

7:49

they've got a chance. They've got a chance, but

7:51

they're in there with Liverpool. They're in there with

7:53

more than Liverpool. They're in there with Klopp. And

7:56

Liverpool have been defeated today. They've been poor, but

7:58

they'll be back. When

8:00

the next two or three games of you'll see

8:02

them out there are still gotta make sure they

8:04

live with the city and pat Yoyo to sake

8:06

you don't see Football Club Z taking on. she

8:08

manages. And as it was like when we

8:10

are Sir Alex Ferguson the change rooms or to the second

8:13

on applies in the dressing me to kill the manager on

8:15

the sub slides and that. Differentiates is

8:17

that game changers these managers if something

8:19

very very special that means that they

8:21

just know how to do it. And

8:24

yeah of agency offered Mcallister to try

8:26

to get off their into those are

8:28

higher echelons is doing well at today's

8:30

a big result for hims he couldn't

8:33

afford to be a voice behind your

8:35

service The top three up before our

8:37

game either. You're watching much noise you

8:39

know didn't see much of it's how

8:41

was I. Okay

8:44

I mean to be three, The local I think the

8:46

it's as an alpha. Not regular I have season

8:48

suit against the for conceding three it was

8:50

suitable. it was a lot more simply that

8:52

last half an hour. But the first off

8:54

I mean the my chances that West Tom

8:56

how are we watching the game in the

8:59

press room down below see the always what

9:01

to get first at these people coming over

9:03

and talk easiest to those oh look as

9:05

his yacht as a yes or another make

9:07

another making a couple assays to the still

9:09

element of i'm conceding chances and looking a

9:12

little bit scruffy. What?

9:14

Is it is he poured now is the

9:16

last lots of the season for months united

9:18

the got up to six place that play

9:20

as a fit your that mobile with thoughts

9:22

about all sees whereby the about injuries not

9:24

guy the complaints really anymore the got the

9:27

players the warm out there now that spine

9:29

today's a spine the area had Hogs Bills.

9:31

He. Wanted a non I was in you

9:33

goalkeeper he got Moss is it sensible

9:35

He's got customarily midfield. he's got Highland.from

9:37

that's a sore spot as a team

9:39

that he's played around the Odyssey but

9:42

brutal Fernandez rush but as others but

9:44

generally I think that now's a point

9:46

where by meme Roy were talking about

9:48

in the first part of the show

9:50

is it is a three month trial

9:52

for everybody because any also gonna come

9:54

in of the arid they've. They've.

9:56

obviously made the first big decision which is the

9:58

see else that's to be by a sporting

10:00

director, that's going to be followed by the recruitment team

10:03

and then at the end of the season there will

10:05

be a decision made on obviously the playing staff and

10:07

the coaching staff and I think that everybody at this

10:09

moment in time will be, I think that's

10:11

a good thing as well because I think it brings a real sort

10:13

of what would be edge and that tension

10:15

and that feeling of yeah we've got to deliver now

10:17

and I think the only thing I would say is

10:20

Brereton Hargoe, I think at a brilliant season last season

10:22

that I would hope that he can have his players

10:24

fit because he hasn't got his players fit

10:26

then you're struggling a little bit but he seems

10:28

to have that at the moment with Luke Shaw

10:30

coming back at left back is important as well.

10:32

And Villa next week at Villa Park, that's a

10:34

good game. Yeah, the next two weeks we've got

10:36

Villa obviously, they're away at Villa and then they're

10:38

away at Luton the week after. Both really difficult

10:40

games because Luton are just upsetting the apple cart

10:43

a little bit, they're just noising people up, the

10:45

old fashioned sort of Wimbledon way knocking it forward

10:47

and getting in behind it and physically yesterday I

10:49

was at Solford yesterday watching the

10:51

game against Rexton but I was watching sort

10:53

of the scores come through and seeing Luton

10:55

come back from Tounal down up to 4-2

10:57

and then obviously Newcastle come back but yeah

10:59

they're doing really good things and Villa, I

11:02

mean I watched the first half

11:04

an hour of the Villa game last night when

11:06

they scored three or four and they were

11:08

breathtaking and they've had a brilliant season so

11:10

these are two really difficult games from Manchester

11:12

United against two teams that are playing well

11:14

at opposite ends of the table. Sure

11:17

and just to finish on Luton because

11:19

they have caught a few ice this

11:21

week, they scored four against Brighton, four

11:23

and only drew against Newcastle and that

11:25

bottom section, you mentioned seeing

11:27

Villa against Sheffield United, the

11:30

supposition before the season was I think that Luton

11:32

would disappear and the others had a bit of

11:34

a chance, actually it appears that Sheffield

11:36

United and Burnley might be the ones that disappear,

11:39

how are you reading that? Yeah I'm reading it

11:41

like that, I'm reading that Sheffield United and Burnley

11:43

are almost gone, I say this every year around

11:45

this time and all of a sudden somebody does

11:47

something but you would think Luton

11:49

would be gone but the

11:51

play in that type of football and

11:54

that aggressive night, they just got something

11:56

Luton and it would be such

11:58

an incredible achievement for them. with the

12:00

budget that they've got, where they've come from. You

12:03

know, for them to stay in this league is

12:05

monumental and would mean that Rob Edwards would, in

12:07

my opinion, be manager of the season. You know,

12:09

like I say, it would be absolutely incredible. And

12:11

I think we're going to see some really exciting

12:13

games in this last three months of

12:15

the season from Luton because they're just upsetting

12:17

it a little bit. They're just sort of getting

12:20

in amongst people. And I like that. I like

12:22

a team that's aggressive. I always think that the

12:24

Premier League, for all the beautiful football that we

12:26

see, for all the split centre backs, for all

12:28

the fantastic skill, I love to see a stoke.

12:30

I love to see a Wimbledon. I love to

12:32

see a team that comes up

12:34

and just plays it the old-fashioned way. We

12:36

need that team in this league just to

12:39

maintain its sort of style, that

12:41

essence of what we are. We've

12:43

all been peps in the last five, six

12:45

years. We've all been clocked. We're all possession

12:47

and pressing. And I love that as well.

12:49

It's fantastic. Well done. But I love the

12:51

idea of direct play and physical play. And

12:53

that being sort of intertwined

12:56

into this league because it's part of what English football

12:58

has been for 20, 30, 40 years. It's

13:01

difficult now with Desso pitches because it used to

13:03

be that the mud and the sort of bobbles

13:05

would help those teams, but not anymore. No,

13:08

it's a great narrative, obviously at the top, as

13:10

we've seen today, Arsenal and Liverpool

13:12

and Manchester City tomorrow, and also, as you

13:14

say, with Luton doing so well down at

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the bottom. Thank you, Gary.

13:18

Thanks, Peter. Smashing weekend of football.

13:20

See you next week.