Arseblog Arsecast, The Arsenal Podcast

On this week's show, why has losing a game almost everyone expected us to lose caused such an outpouring of angst? We delve into the 3-1 defeat to Man City and the fan reaction, as well as Unai Emery's approach to the game, the formation, a relatively good first halfm and a dismal second, and how the defensive frailties that have caused so many problems this season played a part in the result. There's discussion of Stephan Lichtsteiner and Shkodran Mustafi, questions about Emery's performance and whether this is about right for us this season, Alex Iwobi and his role in the team, Dinos Mavropanos and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was recorded as the busy business of transfer deadline day was going on and ... well ... in truth it wasn't busy from an Arsenal point of view. Denis Suarez arrived, Emile Smith Rowe went out on loan, and that was basically it. I chat with James from Gunnerblog and The Man from East Lower about the business we did, their thoughts and expectations for Suarez, and where it leaves the squad. Is it good enough to finish in the top four? Will the arrival of Suarez see a more expansive Unai Emery? And have behind the scenes issues affected what we did in January? All that and much more, plus a bit of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm straight off a transatlantic flight and behind the mic to discuss the 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Manchester United. We chat about the game, the goals we conceded, the impact more defensive injuries had on the performance, and how those injuries might impact the rest of the season. As we're linked with more attacking loan signings with an option to buy, we're asked if it's odd that there are apparently no defenders on our transfer list with the window closing on Thursday, we try and make some sense of the transfer policy, there's some stuff on Stan Kroenke and the LA Rams, Ivan Perisic, goalkeepers and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because I'm away and without time to put an episode together myself, the podcast is a bit different today. With Manchester United in the FA Cup on Friday night, James chats to United fan Musa Okwonga about life after Mourinho and under Solskjaer, his admiration for Unai Emery, and Alexis Sanchez, before getting an Arsenal perspective from James Benge of Football London. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a goodly morning at last as we enjoy the 2-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday. Unai Emery changed things up and it paid dividends. We saw a strong defensive performance, a midfield diamond which worked really well, and we created lots of first half chances. We analyse the game, whether it's an approach we will continue in the weeks ahead, and if it's a result we can now build on. Then we answer listener questions and discuss the implications of the injury sustained by Hector Bellerin. We have options in the squad but who should replace him? There's FA Cup team selection, Calum Chambers Arsenal future and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After a week which has tested the patience of many, I'm joined by Philippe Auclair to discuss the Mesut Ozil situation and the revelation that Unai Emery has told him it would be best to leave the club. Is there a solution? We also chat about the Sven Mislintat departure rumours, the lack of investment in January, what way Emery might change things around for Chelsea, his performance overall this season to date, and lots more. There's some of the usual waffle too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Not exactly the cheeriest podcast of all time, but after the 1-0 defeat to West Ham, there's not much to be happy about. We discuss our recent form, Unai Emery's tactics and decision making, the back three, the lack of a consistent footballing philosophy, and the difficulties were facing in the weeks ahead as try and keep our domestic season alive. There's plenty on the Mesut Ozil situation too, one which demands a solution as soon as possible, but which clearly is unhealthy. Is it affecting the rest of the squad too? Plus why Emery needs transfer market backing beyond loan deals, a look at Mavropanos. and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Andrew Allen and Tim Stillman, and we react to the news that we can only loan players in January. Does it mean we have no money at all? Is it part of more long-term strategic transfer thinking at last? How much is down to the bad spending and bad selling we've been complicit in for the last few years? Should we throw rocks at Stan Kroenke? Will the new football people, Raul, Sven and Unai make decisive decisions about incomings and outgoings? We chat about all that, Aaron Ramsey's role in the team now that there's clarity over future, and lots more.Follow Tim @Stillberto and Andrew @AAllenSport Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show a look back on the 3-0 FA Cup win over Blackpool, the performances of our young players including double goal scorer Joe Willock, Eddie Nketiah and Ainsley-Maitland Niles. Why developing youngsters for the first team could pay dividends on the pitch and to our bank balance. Transfer gossip involving Denis Suarez from Barcelona, whether we'll buy a centre-half or wait until summer, before we get questions from listeners about Aaron Ramsey, the future for some of our veteran players, Unai Emery's involvement in any further incomings, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat to Christine Seddeon, Chairperson of the Blackpool Supporter's Trust, ahead of our FA Cup game against the League One side. She explains why the ground will be relatively empty despite a glamorous third round tie, the problems the fans have with the owner, why they've been boycotting games since 2015 and how teh visiting fans can help this weekend. There's also Arsenal chat with inspirational video maker Frimpon (@Frimponline), on the agenda the festive period, how things are going for Unai Emery, Aaron Ramsey's departure, the Mesut Ozil situation and lots more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the agenda: the 5-1 defeat to Liverpool and the calamitous defending from some players who just aren't up to it. We discuss the goals we conceded, the hapless nature of our defending, how badly we defending, what a load of rubbish we were at the back, and how we can't defend to save our lives. How much is on personnel and how much is on Unai Emery? Then there's the Mesut Ozil situation AGAIN, and why moving him on in January might well be the best thing for the club if we can make it happen, and we have listener questions about what we might do when transfer window opens, where the money might come from, we talk about how bad transfer business has been over the last few seasons, and lots more. If it sounds miserable, it is, but Happy New Year to everyone all the same! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A no frills between Christmas and New Year episode in which I chat with my Liverpool supporting brother, The Mugsmasher, about the upcoming game against them at Anfield. There are some brief thoughts from me about the 1-1 draw with Brighton too, but it's mostly about Saturday, their season so far, and it's a leisurely waffle to help the post-feasting digestion. James and I will have an Arsecast Extra after the Liverpool game. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We got back to winning ways with a 3-1 defeat of Burnley at the Emirates on Saturday. There's a lot of love for Sokratis after an excellent performance at the back, the return of Mesut Ozil, Aubameyang's goals, Iwobi's end product, and good character from this Arsenal side and manager, not to mention the hilarious bleating from the Burnley manager about the way the game was played. We then answer listener questions about Alexandre Lacazette's reaction to being subbed, how well our summer signings have done, the streak of bastardry that's in the team now, whether to rest Lucas Torriera for Brighton to ensure he'll be available for Liverpool, plus some festive fun at the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not an Arsecast Extra but James is with me to discuss the 2-0 defeat to Sp*rs in the Carabao Cup, the performance, the attacking and defensive issues, and the big issue which was the absence of Mesut Ozil from the squad for what were called 'tactical reasons'. It's clear something else is going on, we're not sure exactly what but it's not healthy and we tease it out as much as possible. There's also the winner of the t-shirt competition from a couple of weeks again from goodhonestpro.com, and a good dose of the usual, and some festive, waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The unbeaten run is over after 22 games with a 3-2 defeat to Southampton. We discuss the team selection, the performance, the manager's decisions and substitutions, attacking profligacy and defensive insecurity, plus the need to see how we respond to this setback and the dropped points. There's a call for the club to back Unai Emery in the transfer market as injuries mount at the back, plus listener questions about how to approach the Carabao Cup game against Sp*rs, our less than impressive first halves, our potential Europa League opposition, Bernd Leno's place in the team and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show there's a brief recap of the 1-0 win over Qarabag before I chat to Tayo Popoola and Clive Palmer about the Raheem Sterling incident last weekend, the reaction to it from sections of the media both positive and negative, how football can play a role in combating such abhorrent behaviour, the wider societal questions and much more. Then I'm joined by Josh James, co-author of Arsenal: The Complete Record, a fantastic new book which details Arsenal's history in informative and statistical fashion, about putting the book together, some of the great stories and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we look back at the 1-0 win over Huddersfield thanks to Lucas Torreira's late, great goal. There's plenty of chat about the Uruguayan as he continues to make his mark on the club, as well as Unai Emery's team selection, the half-time double change, the injuries and suspensions but ultimately three good points to cap off what has been a challenging week with three difficult Premier League fixtures in seven days. Then we answer listener questions about the centre of our defence, the potential inclusion of Laurent Koscielny for Thursday's Europa League games, the three bookings for diving on Saturday, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Torreira's role in the team, drunk Santas and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Goonerholic and the Man from East Lower to discuss what has been a good week for the Gunners. We go back to Sunday's win over Sp*rs, touch on the midweek draw with Man Utd, discuss the incredible impact Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has had since his arrival, Rob Holding's unfortunate injury, Unai Emery's tactical shifts and lots more. There's also the chance to win a t-shirt from goodhonestpro.com, the winner of the David Squires book, a good dose of the usual waffle and some nature right at the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's an especially goodly morning as the derby day triumph dominates today's episode. We enjoy the 4-2 routing of Sp*rs at the Emirates yesterday on what was a great day for Arsenal, the fans and Unai Emery. A red hot atmosphere inside the stadium, a team which showed real character and quality, and a manager whose decisions had a positive impact on the game. We chat about the collective and individual performances, the goals, why beating this particular iteration of Tottenham was so enjoyable, and discuss how Emery deserves great credit for helping us move above them in the table. There are lots of questions about Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil who was absent yesterday with a back ache, we look forward a bit to Man Utd on Wednesday, there's some Lucas Torreira love, we relive some favourite moments of the day and lots more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode James and I look back on the 3-0 win over FC Vorskla in the Europa League and focus on the promising performances of the young players. We chat about the potential of Emile Smith Rowe after his third goal of the season, why the Qarabag game gives us another chance to see them in action, and generally wax lyrical about the prospects coming through our academy. After that we focus on the North London derby this weekend, the potential team selection, the importance of the game for Unai Emery and answer some questions from listeners and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we get back to winning ways with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth, but we do continue to ride our luck at times. We discuss the change of formation, the yin and yang of our performance as a collective as well as some individuals, the goals we scored, the one we let in and what Unai Emery will have learned from this game ahead of the upcoming North London derby. Then we answer listener questions about Mesut Ozil being left on the bench yesterday, what kind of team we'd pick for the Europa League game on Thursday, which players we'd sell in January if we could, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat to Tim Stillman about the great start to the season for Arsenal Women and go behind the scenes a bit with Joe Montemurro's team before we chat about the January transfer window, Unai Emery opening the windows on his arrival at Arsenal, the dangers of spending too long out of the Champions League, the new executive team and more. Then it's a warm welcome back to David Squires whose brilliant cartoons keep us entertained every week in the Guardian, and you can win a copy of his new book too, before Andrei Arshavin returns to say goodbye following his retirement from football this week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's somewhat rambling Interlull episode, we discuss the excitement of the Nations League thingy, Granit Xhaka, Unai Emery's use of video, and Matteo Guendouzi's start to his Arsenal career before we answer listener questions about xG, give each player a rating out of 10 for the season so far, making substitutions via half-time votes, where we'd like to see transfers made if we make some in January, the future for Emi Martinez and lots more. The Gordon Ramsey video we referenced is here: https://twitter.com/Daniel_finton/status/1061778910466183168 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the Interlull but we still have a show for you, and today I chat to the BBC's David Ornstein about Reiss Nelson. David was in Germany to chat to the on-loan Arsenal youngster who is making a big impact in the Bundesliga, so we discuss his development, young players looking beyond the Premier League, whether he might come back in January and more, before we move on to other matters at Arsenal like the new executive set-up, the January transfer window, Danny Welbeck's future and beyond. There's also a bit of a rant from me at the start about the Richard Scudamore thing, and a wiffle of waffle.s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show the disappointing 1-1 draw with Wolves at home. We're used to bad first halves, but we got a bad second half too, and should we start to ask questions of Unai Emery for what is a consistent problem? We discuss team selection, the substitutions, riding our luck again – which includes the goal – and not for the first time this season we have an excellent performance from our goalkeeper to thank for getting something from the game. Then we have listener questions about Danny Welbeck's injury and contract, how many of today's team we think are players Emery views as long-term contributors, Torreira's shooting, Granit Xhaka and Shkodran Mustafi and we end with some positive WHOOP.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsenal qualified for the knockout stages of the Europa League with a 0-0 draw against Sporting, but the main focus is on the apparently serious injury sustained by Danny Welbeck. I'm joined by Tayo Popoola to discuss the game, the injury and how it will affect the England international's future, the door it might open for another young striker, the Europa League in general and how we should approach the final two games. There are more thoughts on Welbeck's contractual situation, a little bit of waffle and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this 500th episode of the podcast, I chat to Romain Molina, the author of a new book about Unai Emery. 'El Maestro' gives us a fascinating insight into the man and the manager, and Romain has spoken to Emery himself, as well as countless people who have worked with him throughout his career from his time as a player and throughout his managerial spells at Lorca Deportiva, Almeria, Valencia, Spartak Moscow, Sevilla, PSG and now Arsenal. There's also a chance for you to win a signed copy of the book, and a little trip back in time to the very first episode of the Arsecast back in October 2006. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week we're looking at the 1-1 draw against Liverpool and a performance which was a real positive under Unai Emery. The character to come from behind, Alexandre Lacazette's brilliant goal, the growing importance and influence of Lucas Torreira and why he sets an example for his teammates, hard work from a group of players who are responding to the demands of the manager, and all the other talking points from the game itself. Then we answer questions about Rob Holding and his place in the team, the role of full back in the modern game, Reiss Nelson's form on loan, Emery's touchline passion, a European Super League and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arsenal face Liverpool at the Emirates this weekend, in what is the biggest test for Unai Emery since the opening two game of the season. The Gunners have taken a fantastic 22 points from 24, but this is where we see if real progress is being made. Joining me, separately, to discuss are @DanielStorey85 and @Antonstotle, chatting the threat of Liverpool, how Arsenal might set up their side, player contracts, and lots more with a very minimal amount of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we record right after the 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. A tale of two penalties for the home side, some dodgy defending on Arsenal's part and we discuss Shkodran Mustafi, Granit Xhaka at left-back again, taking the lead then our inability to control the game, and what was a fairly ineffectual attacking performance. We then answer listener questions about Alex Iwobi on the right rather than the left, the continued use of Aubameyang on the left hand side, Mesut Ozil's reaction to be substituted, what we should do about the left back position and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat Lewis Ambrose about our 1-0 victory over Sporting in the Europa League, our 11th successive win thanks to Danny Welbeck's goal; the individual performances which caught the eye including Matteo Guendouzi and Rob Holding, as well as the increasing influence of Lucas Torreira; before Lewis gives us some insight into the excellent start Reiss Nelson has made to his loan spell with Hoffenheim.Then it's Rory Smith of the New York Times to discuss the reaction of some shareholders to the compulsory purchase of their shares by Stan Kroenke and KSE, how it has affected their relationship with Arsenal, as well the wider issues of football club ownership by the extremely wealthy and how we deal with moral quandaries that presents us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we record right after our 3-1 win over Leicester at the Emirates. An iffy first half was followed by an excellent second, Mesut Ozil and his captain's armband stole the show, and we scored yet another sublime goal to help us to our tenth successive win in all competitions. We discuss the game, team selection, another second half improvement, try to decide between the third goal tonight and Ramsey's against Fulham, Alex Iwobi, Unai Emery, and lots lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat with Clive Palmer about the work Unai Emery is doing, from creating a pathway for young players to make it to the first team, to changing the mentality of the players as he looks to build a platform on which to create his own style of play. What are the improvements we've seen so far? And the Spaniard's insistence that there's still plenty more to do is a real positive. Lots of that, some daft waffle, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Interlull Arsecast Extra we discuss Thierry Henry's appointment as Monaco coach, Laurent Koscielny's retirement from international football and his very honest comments about France, and Aaron Ramsey on his contract, before answering questions about the team that might face Leicester in a week's time, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's season so far, the chants at the Fulham game, a dream five a side team spanning five decades, plus terrible voice acting, great advice if you want to avoid getting killed by a stag, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Interlull Arsecast we discuss stats with Tim from 7amkickoff. Arsenal are over-performing when it comes to Expected Goals. What does that mean exactly? Tim delves into that, as well as some of the other interesting stats he's noticed at this early stage of the season, and some focus on a few particular first team players. After that I chat to Tim Stillman about Arsenal Women, the history of the team, the success we've had, the challenges faced by the women's game, and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we enjoy the 5-1 win over Fulham, two goals each for Lacazette and Aubameyang, a truly beautiful goal of the season contender from Aaron Ramsey, some tactical flexibility from Unai Emery as he goes 442 (something for the Sodastream generation to enjoy), and the fact we're now in the top four and ahead of Sp*rs. Then we answer questions about our summer transfer business, Lucas Torreira's quality and his song, our calls for best player of the season so far and biggest surprise, what does Emery do with Petr Cech when he's fit again, goal celebrations and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by the Man from East Lower to discuss the 3-0 win over Qarabag in the Europa League. Should we be concerned at the defensive issues, or is this still just part of the process? We chat about bringing a strong squad to Azerbaijan, Emile Smith Rowe's first Arsenal goal, Alex Iwobi, our current run of eight successive wins and more. Then I speak to Dan Hilton of the Barcelona Podcast about Raul Sanllehi, the new Head of Football, to get some background on him, his work at Barcelona and how he might use his connections to bolster Arsenal's ranks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's landmark 250th episode of the podcast, we look back at the 2-0 win over Watford, the seventh successive win in all competitions, and enjoy the fact we're winning game with such regularity. There are still things to discuss though, such as defensive vulnerability, balance in our front four, a solid Premier League debut for Bernd Leno, and two late goals which got us the points. Then we answer questions about the Aaron Ramsey situation, Alexandre Lacazette's honesty, Alex Iwobi pushing for a place in the side, Danny Welbeck's future, gigantic arachnids and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Philippe Auclair to get his thoughts on the early stages of the Unai Emery regime, the various conundrums the manager has got to contend with, Lacazette and Aubameyang, Ozil and Ramsey, and the club's contract wranglings which see players more and more often reach the final 12 months of their deals. There's a particular focus on Aaron Ramsey after yesterday's news about his situation, and more, as well as a good dollop of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we celebrate the first clean sheet of the season in the 2-0 win over Everton. Petr Cech was the man of the match, the front four contributed but raise questions, Lucas Torreira got his first start, and we're steadily racking up the wins after the difficult start to the season. Then we answer questions about why we're so slow to start games, Cech's improved form, Alex Iwobi knocking on the door, there's an invitation to Josh Kroenke, chat about leadership at the club, Arsenal tag-team wrestling and much more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Amy Lawrence to discuss the 4-2 over FC Vorskla and the Europa League in general. We also chat about the new boss, the players response to his methods, and where we are at this very early point in the season. Then there's some boardroom chat in the wake of the Ivan Gazidis announcement, where will KSE take the club from here, and Amy reveals some snippets from a very interesting conversation with Per Mertesacker for an article to be published in this Sunday's Observer. There's also a small amount of the usual waffle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show discussion of Saturday's 2-1, post-Interlull, win over Newcastle. After an unconvincing first half, the Gunners found their groove a bit in the second, but questions remain about what exactly we're trying to do and how we're trying to do it. Is that front four compatible? Should Lucas Torreira have started? Those questions and more answered, as well as listener questions about Unai Emery's pressing style, the potential departure of Ivan Gazidis, Europa League squad rotation and lots more besides. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I'm still away on holidays, but the Premier League waits for no man and the people need a podcast to welcome back football after the Internet. So, James from Gunnerblog is here to have a bit of waffle, as well as a chat with Tim Stillman about the upcoming game against Newcastle, the Arsenal Women and more, and there's a bit of waffle at the end too. Please note: there's no theme music for this one because I can't find the files, so a weird funky little thing breaks up the sections of the show. Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's Interlull show we have some connection issues between Spain and London, but we just about manage to discuss the international games, the Arsenal legends game at the weekend, Hector Bellerin's brave interview with The Times and, briefly, Santi Cazorla's fantastic interview with Sid Lowe in the Guardian. Then we answer questions about Alexandre Lacazette, Reiss Nelson's move to Germany, the way we judge players these days, and some other stuff too.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liam Brady is one of the greatest players ever to play for Arsenal, and as a young Irish lad, I enjoyed the fact he was such an important player for us – even if I never did see him play in the flesh while with at the club.We chat about his entire career, moving from Dublin to London at the age of 15, how he was scouted, making his way into the first team and establishing himself in the midfield, his decision to leave for Italy (it might have been elsewhere!), whether or not it was ever an option to come back, his time in management, then heading up the Arsenal academy for so many years, it's all in there.Note: This podcast first appeared on our Patreon page in July. If you'd like to join and become a member, it costs just €5 per month and you can sign up at patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we look back at the 3-2 win over Cardiff, the fine performance from Alexandre Lacazette, some good fouling from the Gunners, the ability to respond to setbacks in game, and the fact three points before the Interlull is always welcome. We also discuss two players who are very much in the spotlight now – Petr Cech and Granit Xhaka. How many more games can the keeper be allowed make fundamental mistakes in, and do the positive aspects of Xhaka's game outweigh his lapses which often prove costly? Plus listener questions about playing out from the back, substitutions, the relationship between Aubameyang and Lacazette, and there's also an amazing scientific discovery at the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I'm joined by Andrew Allen and Tim Stillman to discuss Mesut Ozil, his time at the club in general, his recent difficulties, and what the future might hold for him under Unai Emery's less indulgent regime. There's also chat about Reiss Nelson's potential move to Hoffenheim, following a trend of young English players going abroad, a look ahead to the Cardiff game, and a fair chunk of waffle involving the most hilarious story of the week – Jose Mourinho. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show we look back at our first win of the season, beating West Ham 3-1 on Saturday. Three points are obviously very welcome, but Unai Emery and his players accept there's a lot more to do – especially defensively. We review the game and discuss the absence of Mesut Ozil through illness. It feels like there's something more to the situation, so we discuss the German in some depth. Then we answer listener questions about the goalkeeping position, Hector Bellerin being pushed further forward to play as an attacker, the performances of Sokratis since he joined, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's show I chat with former Gunner Alan Smith as he celebrates the release of his new book 'Heads up - My life story'. We discuss how the book came to be, the fact he wrote it himself without a ghostwriter, his path into professional football, joining Arsenal from Leicester, his relationship with George Graham, scoring goals – important goals, moving into punditry, the challenges of that job, what's happening at Arsenal right now, and lots more.There's also some brief waffle about the West Ham game this weekend – and if you want to win a copy of Alan's book, check out the competition on arseblog.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's podcast we look back at the 3-2 defeat to Chelsea where despite some encouraging attacking signs, our defensive weaknesses cost us any chance to get something from the game. Should we be optimistic that Unai Emery can sort out what are basic errors, or be concerned that experienced players are still making these kind of mistakes? We analyse the goals conceded, the manager's changes, our indifferent second half, and everything else that went down at Stamford Bridge. Then we answer listener questions about making changes to the centre of our defence, what kind of a points tally we should expect from upcoming fixtures, Hector Bellerin's struggles for form, and lots more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.