On the Whistle: Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal - "This team would be worthy champions"

Hello guys, full-time at Old Trafford, Manchester United 0-0, Arsenal 1-1. Arsenal take it to the final day, their 27th league win of the season. And it will go to that final day, whatever happens now. A big week, a big week coming up for Arsenal and a weird week because we're going to have to be Liverpool fans tomorrow night, then we're going to have to be Spurs fans on Tuesday. But as Arsenal fans, we're very happy right now. Bit of an unconventional setup here today. I'm on the road at the moment, I'm in Belgium. I'm about to do a podcast with Andrew for Arseblog, hence this particular setup. But I'm a very happy man, a very relieved man. I didn't enjoy that game. I found it, I don't think it was a good game for the neutral. I don't think Arsenal played particularly well. I don't think it matters. What is the mark of champions? It's being able to win when you're not at your best. I think Arsenal have done that over the past few weeks. And I really have to take my hat off to the team. You know, when you think about losing at Saston Villa, going out against Bayern, the way they've bounced back from that, you know, Wolves, Chelsea, Spurs winning a North London derby, Bournemouth winning here at Old Trafford. It has been a fantastic run. And I think my sort of little resolution to myself is that when this season is over, I'm going to do everything I can to not look back at one game or a couple of games where it went wrong. Because to be honest, everybody's human, right? Everybody drops points apart from one team. And I couldn't really have asked for more than what Arsenal produced, particularly in the second half of this season. You know, all the things we wanted, to peak at the right time, to gel in the second half of the season, to find our form in front of goal. For the most part, we've done it. And, you know, I think the team deserve huge, huge credit. I don't really know what more we could ask of them. You know, this team would be worthy champions. And I've said all season long, they look like a team who could win something. Frankly, they're a team who deserve to win something, who in other years, in other eras, would absolutely win something. And it could really still be their year. You know, Manchester City set a standard of perfection, and they'll have to maintain that standard in what remains of the Premier League season. Any drop points, I think Arsenal will pounce. I think that, you know, Arsenal sense that they have momentum here, that they can take City all the way. They have taken them all the way. Ah, let's talk about the game a little bit. Leandro Trossard gets the goal. I mean, I think I was asked on the Ask Cast a couple of weeks ago, who do you think might have it in them to score a title-winning goal, a goal that goes down in memory? I think it would be Trossard. And frankly, any player who scores a winner at Old Trafford has scored a goal that's going to live long in my memory. He has such a knack of popping up in the right place at the right time. When he scored that goal, Gary Neville said on commentary, he makes the run any good winger makes. And I was like, well, then why aren't more wingers doing it? You know, why aren't more players delivering the kind of numbers that he is? I think he's been excellent. And I'm pleased to say that Gabriel Martinelli, when he came on, I think showed some of his best form for a little while. So that was really promising and encouraging. The United side desperately lacked quality. And as soon as I saw that starting lineup, I felt pretty good about our chances. You know, no Rashford, no Fernandes, no Martinez. And like I said, I don't think we're at our best. I think a United team with maybe a Rashford or Fernandes in it might have punished us today, but they just didn't have that. They just didn't have that. And the moments they did play through us, they couldn't hurt us. And the one time Garnaccio was really driving into the box, going at Saliba. Wow, what a tackle he produced, you know, backpedaling, stepped in at the right time, won the ball cleanly, beautifully. What's the difference between Arsenal last year and Arsenal this year? He's a massive part of it. Having him available makes such a difference. I didn't think we were at our best. I think we were a bit surprised by how United changed their shape and maybe it took us time to adjust to that. It felt like there were moments where we were looking for space, expecting there to be space, and it wasn't there. So odds are, you know, United have played the same way all season and pretty poorly in terms of organisation all season. And Ten Hag finally changes things in the penultimate game of the season to play Arsenal. I don't think there was any officiating for Ten Hag to complain about afterwards. We'll probably just talk about that offside goal from October again, I would imagine, September either. Yeah, I think that this was a performance that was a bit sloppy, but actually, the longer the game went, the less it looked like United might score, I think. As much as we were nervous, I think the boys at the back were really calm, really composed. Saliba manned the match. Gabriel, very good. Hoyland barely had a kick. David Rye, I think, deserves credit for coming out and some important claims, especially in stoppage time, which just take the heat out of the game. Let's all take a moment as well to marvel at Casemiro. I mean, I say Ten Hag changed it today. Well, the one thing he didn't change was Casemiro at centre back. And that was the one thing I was hoping he wouldn't change. So I was delighted by that. He completely failed to get out, moving at his top speed of about eight miles an hour. And that gave us our goal. We threatened on set pieces. Maybe could have nixed another that way. Like I said, Martinelli had some moments, so Nanna produced a good save from him. But we got the win, and that was what it was all about. At this stage of the season, that really is all that matters. So I'm thrilled. I'm really thrilled. So what now? Well, tomorrow night, Villa host Liverpool. We kind of need. We need Liverpool to get something there, because if they do, it keeps Spurs' hopes of finishing in the top four alive. And I think that would provide their fans with a bit of a dilemma and the team with some real motivation ahead of the visit of Man City on Tuesday. Look, I mean, if City lose or draw that game, then Arsenal know a win on the final day will all but guarantee them the title. If City get a draw, they've got a huge... Oh no, it's not that big a goal difference. Oh, goal difference is 58 to 61. So, yeah, City have had to block goals in the last few weeks. Great for you to see me realise that in real time. So if City draw, they'd have to beat Arsenal's result by three clear goals, essentially, to take the title. If City lose, Arsenal just need a win of any description. And City dropping a couple of points at Spurs is plausible. I'm not saying that I think it's going to happen. I'd say I'm optimistic at best, but there's a chance. And actually, what I really wanted was to get to that final day and have it feel like an occasion and have the nerves, the build up, the involvement to show that we are right up there with this City team, that we've delivered a season, frankly, almost every bit as good as theirs, and that we would be worthy winners. And I think it would be a real celebration of 20 years of the Invincibles, those players back at the stadium, but also what this group have achieved. And I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be back in the UK for that. And it should be a really good weekend. I'm going to leave it there. I'm going to go off and do an arsecast now, but listen, I hope you haven't chewed your fingernails away too much. We're still fighting. We're still in it. And I'm buzzing about that. I'm buzzing. City are City, right? We all know what they are. We all know how difficult it is to beat them and all the reasons that it's difficult. But we've come as close this year as anybody has for some time. And I think we can be very proud of the team's performance and look back on the season without too many regrets. It's been an extraordinary run of results, particularly since New Year in Dubai. So, yeah, couldn't ask for much more. I'm going to leave it there. And I'll chat to you all. Who knows? Maybe I'll chat to you. Maybe we'll get the right result. Might be worth dipping back in to YouTube for that. Right, speak soon. Take care. Bye bye. I will like and subscribe and all those things, you know the drill.