Football Daily - FA Cup Review: Shocks, thrillers and hammerings

Episode Date: April 5, 2026

Former England goalkeepers Rob Green and David James — an FA Cup winner with Portsmouth in 2009 — are joined by journalist Luke Edwards to dissect a fantastic Cup quarter-final weekend.Arsenal were shocked by second-tier Southampton, Premier League relegation battlers West Ham and Leeds played out a thriller on Sunday afternoon, while Manchester City continued their confident run by humbling Liverpool at the Etihad to put Arne Slot under pressure.Chelsea did a professional job to put 7 past Port Vale, but a lot of the focus was on Enzo Fernandez’s off-the-pitch comments. Has Liam Rosenior got his approach to it all correct?Timecodes:02:46 West Ham v Leeds thriller 04:00 How special is this for Leeds? 08:22 Southampton stun Quadruple-chasing Arsenal 11:00 Southampton's perfect gameplan 12:30 When do players really start to believe within a Cupset?  14:52 Tonda Eckert's incredible story 17:30 How coaches with data backgrounds can convince players 19:40 Are Arsenal in a full-on slide? 22:00 What will it be like in the Arsenal dressing room now? 28:40 Have opponents worked Arteta out? Is there a blueprint to beat Arsenal? 30:00 How can you stop Erling Haaland? Is it possible? 33:10 Why City look 'ominous' again 34:40 Do City look stronger with James Trafford than Donnarumma?! 36:30 Are Liverpool lost under Arne Slot, and is there any way back? 44:40 Half-time teaser 46:40 A good week for Liam Rosenior? 50:40 Port Vale's memorable run

On the Football Daily podcast, FAA Cup Review. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello and welcome to the FAA Cup review. There were two thumpings, a thriller and a shock in amongst the quarterfinals, and our semi-finalists are confirmed. Manchester City, Chelsea, second-tier Southampton, and Premier League relegation battlers leads. So many stories in this round,

including a dramatic shootout win for Leeds on Sunday evening and Southampton's humbling of Premier League leaders. Arsenal. But there's so much more to get into. Even when Chelsea score seven at home, a player not involved, Enzo Fernandez makes the headline and Arnie Slot is under increasing pressure after a humbling for Liverpool at City and a small matter of PSG looming. And for City, what might this form mean to the Premier League title race? Joining me to a dissectus hall, FA Cup winning goalkeeper David James and the Telegraph's Northern Football Rights. Luke Edwards. Good evening, guys. How we doing?

Very well. David, before we start, I just wanted to say we represented five, eight of the teams in the quarterfinals, but only one win of the tournament between us, which is, of course, yourself with Portsmouth, and I've done a little digging. I just wanted to ask, where in the tournament did you think that within the cup that you're thinking, actually, this could be our year? Well, I think it's quite apt, actually, this round. We drew Manchester United, where we thought we were out, because it was Manchester United, Ronaldo, Rooney and everyone.

It was at Old Trafford, the only Premier League side that we played in the tournament. We had a bit of fortune, I think it's fair to say, during the game, with Rio being sent off. I think they had three keepers play that day, Manchester United. When we beat them, we then became the favourites because we were the only Premier League side left in, the two trips to Wembley and lifting the trophy, yeah. So effectively this round, but it's quite easy when there's only four teams.

left in to think that you might win it. You might have a chance. What's your best memory, Rob? You're not, you know, David was going to ask you back. I'm going to ask you, what was your best FAA Cup memory? You know what? I had so many bad FAA Cup memories in there. There was so few good ones that actually the furthest I got was the quarterfinal.

At Stoke, the kit man forgot half our kit. I saved a penalty and we still lost. So that was, yeah, as cups go, you kind of feel like when people prioritize the FAA carpool. the Premier League or whatever their priorities are. And you think, I just wish I'd have had one final, one walk out at Wembley at a final. I had playoff finals, obviously playing for England.

That one, go out for a semi-final or a final, just in the FA Cup or a league cup. Would have been magical. But it wasn't to be. And what a end to the quarterfinals. We've just had West Hamps scored twice in added time to send the game to extra time at two all against Leeds United. They then have two goals disallowed in extra time, and Leeds had two cleared off the line.

Then 20-year-old Finley Herrick comes on for his West Ham debut in the final stages of the penalty shootout and saves his first one, but it wasn't enough as Leeds go through on penalties in what was a proper classic cup ties. And it's been a remarkable season for Daniel Farke. He's facing something that, you know, he was facing the sack. before even taking over a game, and now they are, he's a game away from being the second man ever to take leads to an FA Cup final. Quite the story for Daniel Farkaloo.

Yeah, remarkable. About who's had the better season of the two-you-promoted sides now. You've got Sunderland, who've obviously done better in the league. They're beating their local rivals, Newcastle twice in the same season. A lot of joy there, a lot of happiness.

But leads are sort of flown under the radar a little bit. And if there's one huge setback of Sunderland season, and it was losing to Portvale in the FA Cup because they should have been in the quarter final. Now Leeds have had that absolutely, well, they won it once, threw it away and then had to win it again on penalties, basically, didn't they? They were tuning up going into injury time.

So, yeah, I think it's great, and it's great for a club like Leeds that it's got this progress in the Cup as well. They've still got a lot to fight for in the league. They're still not out of danger down at the bottom of the table. But this is what football's all about. I mean, again, talking about memories, the fans who watch them beat West Ham today in the quarter final

will always remember it. They'll remember it more than a midweek game against Burnley in the championship or indeed in the Premier League. And they've done it and they're going to Wembley and they, it's the first time for 36 years they've played in an FA Cup semi-final. It's certainly more than 30 years. It's a long, long time.

Well, that matters. 1987. When I had hair. Fine head of hair, actually. Blonde, curly, lovely. But yeah, it's great for them. And I think it's brilliant for leads that, again, that not only have they done well in the league,

and they've got a really realistic chance of staying up, they've now got this excitement and this joy of going to Wembley in the FA Cup. And Daniel Farkas brought them that, a manager who, as you said, Rob, start of the season, there was speculation about him losing his job. That intensified again in the autumn when they're on a miserable run, and then they went, I think they beat Chelsea, didn't they?

And that was the turnaround. So he's one of the managers of the season for me, Daniel. Parker and I hope if there's any team as a neutral, as any team I want to win the FA Cup this season, just because what it will mean for the city, it's Leeds United. Not if they get Southampton in the semis. You'll be wanting Southampton all the way just to just a knock, David James. Joe, Joe, you look at that and I touch on it there, that you're saying it was almost in the bag for Leeds.

It was a real roller coaster in that regard. Where would you feel West Ham are with that now in regards to their season? Where are Leeds? In regards to their season? They've both got this priority. While we say priority, is it a priority of staying in the Premier League? It is for West Ham now, obviously. But are you taking that FAA Cup memory of yours over survival?

Or are you thinking, no, just give me the Premier League? Rob, I mean, I lost three FAA Cup finals and you can't. I didn't want to mention those. I just wanted to stay on the focus on the positives, David. Well, Rob, to be fair, if I don't have won it, then I wouldn't even talk about it. Yeah. I disagree slightly with Luke. There are those midweek games, which for some fans are the best games in the world,

and they might not mean anything to most people. But the Cup does have that lure and that magnetism towards it, where you just, the moments are created. As a Luton Town supporter, you know, I'd go and watch Luton play in the FAA Cup. Millwall, interestingly, with their season they're having. It wasn't a good game. It wasn't a good day at all, but it's one of those memories that I have. Getting electrocuted as a kid when I was cutting grass to pay for my goalie gloves. This is always the wonderful battle about football itself.

You just mentioned Port Vale there. I think there's an ironic twist to Port Vale if they were to get relegate because the 600,000 would actually be worth more in a lower league, lower division than it would be in the league they're in at the moment. but the battle between the clubs needing the finances and the fans needing the memories. So if West Ham, I mean for West Ham it won't work well because obviously if they go down and get knocked out as they have done today, then it's a double whammy of negativity if you like. For Leeds, if they were somehow to get drawn back in and get relegated but end up playing in a cup final, there's a part where fans will remember the cup final definitely more than not getting to a cup final

and just surviving on the last day if that makes sense. So that's what the cup brings to it. And I don't know it's more than a cliche, isn't it? The cup is magical because it brings this to everyone. And it starts at the grassroots and says it goes all the way to the final. So for me as a player, I always remember the FA Cup games, maybe because I didn't win the league, maybe survival was down to a really bad season.

And when you look at it analytically, you go, if I'd have made a few more saves here, done a few of things better there, we'd have been mid-table. Actually, having said that, if you survive with a couple of games to go, it does feel good rather than finishing mid-table and you know that you're not going to get anything out of the season

with a month to go. Right, let's talk Southampton, the spirit of 76 for the Saints. They wore yellow kits yesterday, as they have done in all their FA Cup games commemorating that win over Manchester United 50 years ago and they did it again. Second tier beats top.

And Luke, they deserved it, didn't they? It was a fantastic win. Absolutely they did. I thought they were fantastic. And they were always dangerous. It's one of those ones when you look at the game beforehand, you think Arsenal, Southampton, you think even when the draw is made,

you think it's a nice kind draw for Arsenal, come back off the international break, potentially with the Carabelle Cup in their back pocket as well. But Southampton, I think that made it 15 games unbeaten. They've been absolutely flying in the championship. And they played like a team that was, if this makes sense, that were used to winning, that were, you know, they just had that invisible ingredient of belief,

and they showed Arsenal the right amount of respect, but they also went out there to try and hurt them, and I think they just caught Arsenal a little bit by surprise. I thought Arsenal were really poor, but I thought the Southampton game plan, the way they sort of invited them onto them and then punished them in transitions really, really quick, it's not a genius game plan.

It's one that, you know, lower league clubs or lesser clubs will always try and deploy against the supposedly superior teams, but they just did it brilliantly. And yeah, I thought they were absolutely worth the win. And it is funny, isn't it, when you're talking about David's FAA Cup experiences there. And there would be Southampton is a club that has never forgotten that 1976 triumph. That is, you know, they're kind of legends of the football club and Hall of Famers.

And, you know, 50 years on, you just wonder if there's a, you know, is their name on the cup? Are they going to repeat it? So I thought they were absolutely brilliant, but I wasn't, okay, David, don't be, don't be a dream killer. Okay, all right, we'll get on into it later. So Manchester City is still in the FA Cup. So, yeah, they're probably not going to win it. But it was a great day for them. And they took it really seriously as well,

even though they're going for a promotion in the championship. They showed the competition and they were brave and they had endeavor. And I was just really, really impressed them from start to finish. Go on there, David. They've beaten the best. They've beat an answer to Arsenal. Why not? Yeah, David.

Why not? I mean, I mean, I've got a lot of ambivalence towards it because I love the magic of the cup. and I love the underdog beating the top team. But it is Southampton and all my Portsmouth friends would hate me if I said anything too much about Southampton. Okay, now it comes out. Now we get the real reasons, Rob.

Okay. And when Portsmouth met Southampton in 2010 in the FAA Cup and we smashed him at their place. So that's good. But I think what we saw yesterday, it was interesting when you talk about it, Luke, there is this bit that if you try and, if you're the inferior team,

even if you like playing good football and you come up against the superior team who are better at it. You get these lower teams that think, oh yeah, we can do it and show everyone how good we are. And then they get beat. And then you think, why don't we do something different?

What I saw yesterday, which really impressed me, and the shades of the England-Japan game, what Southampton did, they didn't give Arsenal much time. Ironically, they let Dalman have the ball quite a lot. But they just harried them and harried them and harried them, forced them into mistakes.

The long ball over the top was always on. That was almost like a lower league culture, but that's become more O'Fay, hasn't it, this season anyway? So I just think that they knew what they were good at, and they did that perfectly. It looked planned, and it looked excellent. And for Arsenal, I mean, a lot of changes, but I think people have been saying about Arsenal,

especially in these cut runs, where they've made changes and won games, it's because they've got the strength in depth. I just think they came up against a tremendous, tremendously organised side with players playing out the top of the game and thoroughly deserved to win it. You touched on it there about the organisation and you talked about when you played at Old Trafford to win in that round of the FA Cup and it was it was kind of draw parallels

in some respects because you're there knowing that you're going to be the underdog. You're going to get a bit of a beating and at times be under pressure. Southampton, you have to give them credit sort of that 15 minute spell where they also brought on the subs and they felt like they did. changed the game, then they scored. They went again, Southampton. Is there moments, do you go back to during that game against Manchester United or any other time when you've been the underdog where you feel like there's a moment there you go, right, now the game is ours, this is it, or is it just a case of just ticking off the minutes, ticking off the moments? I used to do it in five minute cycles,

go right, okay, between now and five minutes, don't go one down, right, we're partway in. Is there moments in there in the game where you felt that you looked at and said, this is a, our time. Yeah, after Suleimontari scored the penalty. Apart from scoring the winner, yeah. No, no, Rob, I mean, one of my my favourite anecdotes is when Harry Rednapp came in at the changing room with the team sheet,

the Manchester United team sheet. And, you know, Harry, well, he's got this mannerism when he's a little bit stressed. And that mannerism was at its peak, as he was naming out this starting line up. And for two minutes, it was like, this is their best team. Literally their best team. Then two minutes later,

like, well, actually, they're paying us respect here because had Sir Alex Ferguson played a couple of youngsters, then we'd have thought you think you're going to win this, similar to what Southampton possibly had yesterday, but we got battered. Absolutely bad. I mean, we had goal line clearances, you know, blocks everything in order to stay in the game.

And it was just tried an NFL rugby punt down the field, which we took advantage of Niccoe Crancher knocking the ball inside for Barros to go around Cusack to give away the penalty. And that moment, it was like, Hang on a minute, we've got a chance.

When Preston, I was thinking, oh, no, we've got a replay. This game was like, hang on a minute, we might even get replay until that moment. And when Rio put the shirt on, I'm trying to think if you've ever seen Rio in goal in any of those England squads, because I can't remember him ever going in goal. Had Wazer gone in goal, I'd have thought, hang on a minute, this lad likes playing in goal. I was thinking, Rio, if you save this, I'm going to hate you. And he died the right way, got nowhere near it, but it wasn't until the goal went in, then you're defending the lead.

Then you think if we can hold on for the next five minutes, then we can actually get ourselves through. So I don't think there was any moment where we're thinking, okay, yeah, we'll get a spell because I don't think we did up until that penalty. Looking at Tondra Eckhart and the organisation that he's brought into that side, it's an incredible story for him that, you know, no one had really heard of him when he came to take over. He was put in his temporary charge.

I was at his first game, at Loftus Road. There was a lot of voices, a lot of names. being banded around by a lot of people, none of them were Tom Der Eckhart. And he was an analyst for the German national team at the Eurozone in 2012 and 2014. And he, well, obviously his analysis knows how to pick a part aside, pick apart the opposition, then put into practice.

It came into perfect fruition last night, Luke. It did. And he has got that really interesting background. I'm glad you touched on that, Rob, because he came from that analytical sort of sphere. So he had a pretty, I don't think he'd mind me saying, a pretty average playing career. I think he only played amateur football.

And then got involved with the analyst side of things was part of the 2012 World Cup, wasn't it? It was 2012 Euros and then the World Cup the following year. And then sort of came over to England. English football was the assistant manager of Barnsley. So he's come from a different strand. And I think we are seeing more and more of this in modern management, actually.

Kim Helberg at Middlesbrough is another one who, a very average playing career, but really focused on the coaching side of things from a really young age, and also that use of data and analytics. It's more coming into football, but it's all very well been good at analysing a game. You two are former players. You know this.

You could have a guy who can break down football, tacitly analyze the opposition, identify the weaknesses, but to be successful, you've got to have those people skills as well. You've got to be a leader of men. You've got to be a man-manager. You've got to be able to transmit your ideas on the training pitch.

So you can have the best football brain in the world and still not be a good manager. But he's obviously brought in working with younger players as well and that more holistic approach. He inherited a bit of a mess at Southampton. It didn't go well for Will still. But if you look at the most formed teams in the country, Southampton are that. And they have been doing this in the championship. We're under his leadership. And they've now done it on a bigger stage in front of a national and a goal.

global audience and certainly it looks like an inspired choice for them as manager. It does fascinate me whether we are going to get more managers coming through from this sort of school where they start in analytics, where they start in data and then go on to management. But he's obviously got the whole package and he's done a wonderful, wonderful job at Southampton. And they will be the team. I know they're just outside of the playoffs now, but they will be the team that everybody wants to avoid in the championship playoffs as well.

I think it's interesting to Luke there talking about analytics. I mean, probably the best exam. not in management, but in building teams, recruitment and all that stuff would be Michael Edwards, at Liverpool. Because I think there is some synergy here. He was our analyst at Portsmouth and sat down having a conversation with him. It was like, you know more about the game than a lot of the coaches. So that kind of understanding, if you're speaking to the right players, then they will get you straight away. And the young players nowadays, they should, if they don't already, have a proper understanding of what analytics is. but playing PlayStation's, things like that, it all comes up in the games they play if they're that type

or if they want to know how they're performing, then the data stream will give them that kind of information. So if you can, like Luke said, if you've got the ability to actually convey your thoughts in a right way and lead people by doing it, the people I think, the player should be receptive to that. With my thing, yeah, I mean, it was, as you know, Robin, there was an era where it was kind of,

you kicked the ball, he'll edit and then they'll try and score from that type of aspect to it where myself

in management and in coaching I've got much more into the analytical side of stuff. Players can't escape their data

which my favourite my favourite saying is players can't escape themselves and essentially data is describing what that player

will do. But you have to have people skills David, didn't you? As a manager you have to have people skills

you can't with that information is fine but you've got to be able to relate to the players you've got to be able to inspire them

You've got to be able to do all that side of stuff as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, no, I totally agree. But at the same time, it's not just him on his own. You have a team of people around you. And where you might be lacking in certain aspects, and that might be people's skills, then you get people around you who've got those skills,

just so the whole team works better. I think that's the key thing to it. But play it, I mean, kids nowadays, and I say to parents quite often, you know, if a 10-year-old kicks a ball straight, someone knows about it, because there will be people collecting this kind of information. So if you don't understand data, then your days of football are numbered.

Well, it was a wonderful evening for Southampton, a difficult one for Arsenal, and added to the Carabelle Cup final defeat, they have now lost back-to-back games for the first time this season. That sounds incredible. It sounds like a wonderful stat just to back them to say, what a great season they've had. But it's come at a really difficult time. And the quadruple has gone, the treble talk has now gone,

and it's now just the Premier League and the Champions League. I say just. That still would be a wonderful season. Now, Luke, is this beginning the start of a full slide off? This is the narrative that Arsenal fans have been trying to avoid, isn't it? It is. And I've stuck with them all season, Rob. I've said they're not going to buckle.

I've said that every test they've had, they've ticked off the boxes gradually. They've had setbacks before this season and bounced back from them really, really well. but this is the crunch time. This is the running. We've seen football clubs throw away big leagues at this time. Before in the season, there's been famous ones in the past. Off the top of my head, there was the Newcastle of Manchester United. Oh, I'm glad you said that.

I'm glad you said that. And whether they like it or not, Arsenal are the Newcastle in this race to an extent because they haven't won it for so long. They've got all that pressure of history. And they've had those, there'll be little nagging voices of doubt now. What I think they'll be. They've lost back-to-back games. Just little ones.

I think there'll just be little ones at the moment because the league position is still good. It is still very much in their hands. They have come back from adversity and disappointments already this season. But it's a really perilous moment for them. Really, really perilous because that's two bad results in a row. As you say, two trophies gone up in smoke. The quadruple dream has died.

And all of those people who, and I've said it from day one, there are a lot of people out there, for some reason, I'm not entirely sure what it is. I've never been able to quite put my finger on it. They want Mikhail Artetta and Arsenal to fail. They want them to fall flat on their faces. And those people will be dancing in glee at the moment in terms of what has happened. They've got to come out and they've got only they can answer those questions.

They are still in the dominant position in the league. It's still in their hands. The Premier League is there to be won. It can still be an incredible, remarkable season. But you've now, you're probably right, Rob, those little tiny voices, maybe they've got a little bit louder. And I think it'll be absolutely fascinating to these things. see how they respond in the league now.

David, I want to take you in the dressing room and put yourself in the position of being one of the players there. And it's a really interesting dynamic now of season defining defeats. They are season defining because they're not going for the quadruple. They are going for the double. Now, if you're in that dressing room and there's two fold here, you're one of the players who's part of the strongest 11, who will be playing from now on. and then you've got the players, maybe a Kepa, maybe a Norgaard,

who will have been playing in the Cups? And they've effectively ended their season with these defeats. Where are you picking the players up? Are you picking the players up who are the ones in the team or the ones that are part of the squad? And you're saying you've still got a part to play. And how do you pick them up? You know, it's a great question, Rob,

because, and Luke, I think you've heard this from me earlier on in the season. Artetta's problem was always going to be the big games because then you had to decide who you think is big enough to win those big games. And as we see with the Carabal Cup final, you know, that's the biggest of four games that Arsenal could have possibly faced this season. And the team wasn't good enough.

Yesterday wasn't the final, so therefore it wasn't necessarily the strongest side that he was going to put out anyway. But I think it all depends, and it's easy for us to say, I try to get the quadruple shouting as early as I could to try and put a bit more pressure on them. Because, I mean, if they're good enough, they'll do it.

So that's the way I see it. Why are you putting pressure on them, David? Why do you want to put pressure? See, you're one of those people I'm talking about. You're one of those people who wants Mikhail Artecetta and Arsenal to fall flat on their face, aren't you? I didn't say that. He's ticking the list off here.

We've gone southampton. We're now to Arsenal. That's too out to win. Yeah, exactly. He's going to take them all out one by one, isn't it? Right. He's played for so many clubs that anyone he hasn't played for he wants to fail. Yeah, well, I used to sport Arsenal for a couple of games.

Anyway, the point is, I think, and I think this is possible, and if the truth to be told, I think there's a part of people, and I include myself obviously in this, where you didn't do what they could do, you want to make sure that if they're good enough to do it, they do it under all, whatever the pressure is. So, you know, they're in a position where they were flying. And I think it was easy, Luke, and I think you vouched for this as well.

The Arsenal were playing that well. It was difficult to see where they could. wouldn't win a quadruple. I never said quadruple, David. I never said quadruple. No, no, no. I'm not saying you. I said league.

I said they'll win the league. I'm not saying you agreed with me in the sense that I thought they would win a quadruple, but there was a bit where you're going to argue they're going to lose it. And if you think about Liverpool, was it three years ago, three years ago where they were on for the quadruple themselves? Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Yeah.

The games fell in the wrong order for Liverpool because their successes came first. and then they had to play the last league game, which wasn't the one that they were in favourites to win. Obviously, you'd win that. Then they go to the Champions League, finally lose that as well. So it was kind of like the wrong order for them, whereas Arsenal, in a way,

it's kind of possibly gone in the right order, obviously depending how they get on in the Champions League. If they weren't thinking about a quadruple, and Michel Arsette said at the beginning of season, look, our main priority is winning the Premier League, if we can win something else as well, then we'll be more than happy. And they found themselves in a situation where all of a sudden,

We could win for here, but this isn't our priority. And it's not that they don't try and win them. Don't get me wrong, because I think that gets mistaken as well. But if they're, and I'm looking out in the garden in the moment, as the flowers are starting to bloom, if you're a king gardener, you're going to have to cut a few rose heads off just to make sure that this rose bush looks the best it can be.

And perhaps losing in the Carabar Cup final and being knocked out the FA Cup was more of Mikhail Artec, not intentionally, but the end picture... Lesser are two evil. Yes, absolutely. So I don't know if they're... And going back to Rob's question, because it seemed a long time ago,

the player's in there. If they've been sold the right story, then they're not in a bad position like some would say they are right now. And it was kind of like, okay, lads you went for it, didn't work. It didn't happen. Fine, but the bigger picture is.

Are you rewriting the story now? No, no, no. I think... To someone like David Reyer to say, sorry, it's nothing, nothing of your fault, but you now can't win the quadruple. Or are you turning to Kepper and saying, look, mate, you've got to pick yourself up here.

You've got to get yourself up here and get going to the rest of the boys. This is goalkeeper's union, by the way. You too. I'm just asking the question. I'm asking the question. Rob, Rob, did Mikhail Artea say to that Arsenal change room at the beginning of the season, we're going to win the quadruple? No.

Okay, and this is my point. I think there has to be a conversation. We're going to try and win every game. That's cliche. We all know that. But there comes a point where it's like we will try and win the games we can. In order to win a quadruper, which has never been done, we can see that as being the impossible.

But what we are looking to win is the Premier League. If we get a chance in Champions League, blah, blah, blah. So Kepa knew that he was going to be part of his side that was given a chance to do something. I think picking him up would be like, okay, we've gone for it. But, you know, the priority was always, you know, option A, the Premier League, option A will be the Champions League as well. So I don't think there'll be too much they'll have to do with the girls to picking up.

Arsenal used to losing anyway. So therefore it'll just be like this. No, no, no, no, in a positive sense. Well, I find crazy, both of you, is that we've praised Arsenal all this season is, as David said, springtime has arrived. You know, you can feel the sun on your face again. This still has the makings of Arsenal's best season

for a generation. Absolutely. But equally, if they, were to blow it from here and end up with no trophies in by the end of may they they go out the champions league they lose out in the premier league title that could well be the end of mikhail artetta as arsenal manager if they blew it from here but that's why we love it that's why football is so brilliant because you get these great moments there's pressure there's uncertainty there's they've got a shot an absolute glory generational glory to become the first team that wins the arsenal teams in the

Premier League. Here's a question for you then. And do the championship league double. Luke, you touched on Artetta and I think you're right. I think this is the end of the cycle for him. This is if they blow it. Yeah. Yeah.

But you watched how City went about them off the ball and then you watch how Southampton went about them off the ball as well. He didn't come up with an answer in either. Has he been found out? Is there a blueprint there? Possibly. but I'm always wary of saying anybody's being found out. I know what you're saying.

Teams will now try and do that to Arsenal. I think Arsenal probably are more a victim of trying to win all four, of going so deep into four different competitions. Even though they've got the best squad in the country, I believe. Maybe Man City would have an argument to say about that since they signed Semeno and Gehie in January. But I just think maybe going on all four, they've obviously got a few injury problems. the seriousness of those injuries we're not quite sure, of course.

It's a little bit of a controversy at the moment in terms of Saka and Rice. I don't think they've been found out. I would still, and I'm going to say, I'm sticking with Arsenal for the Premier League title. I am not going to waver. None are you going to bully me into giving up on them until the moment they can't win the Premier League.

I still think they'll win the Premier League and I still think this Lendomack. Hang on a minute. Look, look. I think they're going to win until the moment that they can't. They don't. Like I thought, Newcastle would sell Alexander ESAC

right up until the moment they did. I was just about to say, David, thank you very much for answering my questions and we'll move on. Luke, can you come find some please? So it was Southampton through to the semi-finals in the late game on Saturday, but the weekend started with a humbling for Arni Sots Liverpool at the Eti Had.

Pepo Diola was up in the stands, but it was no problems for City. An early Harlan Hattrick and another goal from January signing, Antoine Cimeno, with a missed penalty from Mosella, another missed penalty, plenty to get tuned to. And, well, let's start with, well,

the man who's back in the goals. He had a quiet spell, one in seven, but now 46 goals in 50 games for club and country this season. Not bad. 12th hat trick for City, the most of any player in Europe's big five leagues since he joined them in 2022.

Even better. Jamo, David, how do you deal with a player in formal? like that when he's in form. You're looking at someone the, when he gets a yard on a player, you look at Canate, when he got a stole, got ahead of him. There's so little, what did you do to try and stop the best? Well, yeah, it's funny because with Leeds today and someone like Tony,

you're banging a volume from 30 yards, and there's not a lot you can do sometimes. I think what's interesting about the game yesterday was in Holland in particular, three shots, three goals it sounds almost contradictory he had one of his best games because he didn't do a lot other than score goals and that is Erland at his best

interesting I mean it would be before the game I was covering the game myself and I was looking at Early Highland's numbers his numbers this season are nowhere near bad and it's not just the 22 goals in the Premier League more than anyone else whatever

it's just for him the amount of shots amount of goal conversion apart from that still a season that he had when he first arrived. He's doing what Early Harland actually normally does over this period of time, number of games. Also what he's doing this season, which is typical for Early Harland, he bangs in loads of goals at the beginning of the season.

Then he goes through a relatively dry spell. This was slightly longer than usual, it has to be said. But he's always going to, and again, it sounds cliched, but that type of player is always going to have these moments. I thought what was interesting commentary I said was the fact that for all the goals he scored in the FA Cup I think most of them come in three games the game yesterday obviously five against Luton

he likes it when he scores goals but he's just so difficult to play against because you want him to be the player that scores a hatchrook with 25 shots because then you know every time he gets it or he's always going to get it and then he's going to look to shoot just like I'll take the pen thanks one nil I'll head that one in two nil

oh thanks for the cup back 3-0 I can leave now thank you Erland for just ruining us it's he's ticking isn't he and it feels like city are ticking as well Luke and you look at how they won the Carabelle Cup final and I went down

pitch side after working at the game and there was a different buzz there was a different feel Pep was like beaming like he hadn't done before there was won over on his old apprentice And you're looking at it going, I know you've just backed Arsenal, but there is a little different bit of a different tick about this city all of a sudden. You saw them.

It's clever wrong. They got Bernaboud. They got Burnabout. All city teams get Burnabowed, don't they? On the way to being a great side. Yeah. And that was a team that just was shell shot by Rail Madrid. But now all of a sudden, there's a little tick isn't there?

Do you feel that there's a different feel to this now? Ominous is how I would describe it. Pep's body language is happiness, his joy off the caribus. about Cup final win. The way they blew Liverpool away and outclassed them, having done it to Arsenal, you know, a fortnight earlier. They've been there, done it. They are a winning machine, aren't they?

Trophy winning machine with the best manager in the business. I just think Arsenal just need to hold their nerve, though. Arsenal just, Arsenal will lose this rather than Manchester City win it. That is my perception of this title race. But they were brilliant, again, made Liverpool look like a poor team. Liverpool might be quite a poor team, but they certainly hammered home their advantage. Manchester City are brilliant, best manager of his generation.

They are definitely a threat, and they are playing almost with a... Freedom's the wrong word, but it's like now the Champions League gone. Now they're the underdogs in the title race. That has almost made them more dangerous because they're playing with a bit more expansion and without that huge pressure on them.

Well, I'd just like that. Rob, I'll go chuck one in for you. Chuck one in. Sorry, the idea was draw. It was a goalkeeping question. And I've just chucked in a goalkeeping pun. Do you not think Donnarumir is one of the best goalkeepers in the world? He's won the Golden Glover or the Les Yashin Award, whatever it was.

Do you not think City look stronger with young James Shraftingham? Well, I think he's had a wonderful few games. I think he had a really good evening with England, despite not winning. He had his moment. And Wembley is all about moments for Manchester City. in the Carabelle Cup final. And then yesterday, obviously, he had his moment again, FAA Cup, you know, is all about moments.

I think what Donnarumann does, and this is not to say that the Carabelle Cup final, isn't a big moment, but he grows in games and grows in those huge occasions. I don't think they played James Trafford in a Champions League final. I don't think that he would have gotten the nod, even now.

But in that, I think he could grow to be, whether he's there for it, I don't know. I don't know whether he looks at this season now, James Trafford. He's not staying, is he? He's not staying if he's not number one, because he should be number one somewhere. The only problem is, is he asked, they ask the money. The clubs can't afford to spend on the goalkeeper.

And me and David, no, you're bottom of the pack. You're bottom of the queue, aren't you? There's a goalkeeper in terms of transfers. A little violin playing here. Factually, it's correct. You know what? There was a time where we were sort of nearly on parisphemy, with left backs.

Yeah. The further away from the opponent's goal, the lessy, yeah. Left backs, right backs, goalkeepers. Is that what you say? Then Ashley Cole turned up. Yeah, okay. Yeah. Well, we move on to Liverpool.

It was just a year ago that they'd won the Merviside Derby and we're closing in on the title and now it looks like they look lost really during the games. And they've had real moments where moments of games where you feel like, something's clicked, something's there, and then you look at the Galatasarai game at home, they tried something new. They went into another formation, the 4-2-2-2. They've tried it when they went to a more resoluteness in there.

And Luke, it could change with a win in Paris, but that feels, just feels a mile away right now, doesn't it? It feels and looks beyond them at the moment, would be how I put it. Yeah, there's a lot of questions need to be answered at Liverpool, the team that won the transfer window. the team that smashed the British transfer record twice in one summer, and they've gone backwards.

And I know Arna Slot's getting a lot of heat. I know there's a lot of growing sort of criticism. There's a mounting, you know, a steadily mounting speculation that he might go in the summer, that he's lost the dressing room, that some of the star players have sort of fallen out with him. That's always come to the territory. Your Liverpool manager, and it's not been good enough. The season hasn't been good enough. They are now relying really on, much like they did in, was it, 2005 when they won the championship?

Champions League under Benitez when the league season hadn't gone well and they pulled off the miracle in Istanbul. They are moving into that territory again. The thing with Liverpool is you can never write them off in Europe because of the history and the aura that they have in that competition. But it does feel like a long shot. You're right, Rob. I can't see them beating PSG who were warming up nicely, who are resting in their domestic competition so that they're in peak physical condition to take on Liverpool in the Champions League. I can't see them beating them over two legs, but that is what it feels like their season rests on. But whilst on, I keep saying this, and I keep drawing it back to this, all the criticism

is of slot. But you also have to look at the players. The drop off in Van Dyck and Sala this season has been stark from both of them. That's two of your best players from last season's title, Trump of Triumph, two of the most consistent and important players under Yerg and club. They both fell off, their form at the same time. And it comes down to their recruitment. How many of those players?

and I'll throw this open to David as well. How many of the players they signed in the summer are an unqualified success? How many of them actually consistently had a positive impact on that Liverpool team? Because they spent a hell of a lot of money to not have. I think that Eckertike is the only one I would say that you can say is a hit at the moment. And they spent a lot of money, therefore, on misses. Is that fair enough, David? I think you don't buy bad players.

What happens is what do you do, going back to the gardening analogy. you can buy a prize-winning rosebush, but if you put it in the wrong place, then it's not going to flourish. I think there's a bit of synergy with what I was saying before with Artetta in this season and with Artetta over the period

that he's had with being the Arsenal manager. When Arnold Stolt was brought in, there was no way that they said, if you don't win the Premier League for the first two seasons, we're sacking you. They would have given him a time frame and within that two or three years, there would have been an expectation of success.

I know for the first season, he wasn't expected to win anything. So there's a part of me that says that, you know, with the guards to blaming on it, is he achieving what he was set out to achieve or asked to achieve in the first two seasons? I would argue, yes, irrespective of what they do this season. But the question then has to be, what we've seen this season, is this an indication of what's going to happen next season? Or is it going to be worse? And then goes in line with what you're saying, Luke, with regards to the players.

Is it the recruitment that's bad of the players when you yourself, have said that the senior players are letting them down because you're recruiting players normally to enhance the senior players not have it the opposite way around. So the question then is, what's happening with these players when they're brought in? What's happening with the players are already there?

And is this, it can be achieved this season with the Champions League victory, of course. Is it possible winning in Paris? Of course. They did it last year. Is it possible to go through? Well, as last year, you'd have to wait till the second leg,

irrespect of what happens in the first one. So there's still a lot to be done there. But I think going back to the point, if you're looking at a period of time, two or three years, is Arnold's lot on course at the moment for that, the outcome that everyone desired? Yes, he is. The question is, how far off this season is he over the first two seasons?

I mean, it sounds complicated, but it's not an easy answer. So you talk of the signings of players, and you don't really feel that it's something that you can argue really with. Is it fair to say that you wouldn't argue against the lack of fight? So Soboslai and Arnizot both have said that they haven't got the fighting spirit. It lacked it yesterday. I think Virgil Vandau came out and said they gave up yesterday. Now, Jamie, first question, because you've questioned a few things,

do you believe in fighting spirit? Do you think it's a thing within a game? Do you think that that's there as a side? Or do you think it's something else? Or how does it? And if you do, how does a man? or a side go about bringing it back into a side? Well, again, I mean, it's very topical at the moment, isn't it, about prioritising?

I don't, and just for clarity, I don't think a manager sits in a change room or with a group players at the beginning of the week, goes, we've got the league now, the FA Cup, the European Cup, whatever it is. I'm going to prioritize that we only win that one, so it doesn't matter what happened. It doesn't happen that way. I think the way that you set your stall out. So if we bring Arsenal back into it, if you're completely changing your side, pretty much against Southampton.

Then you are saying this is not the priority right now. I think what happened with Manchester City yesterday, for 30 minutes, Liverpool were well and truly in the game. Okay, they weren't forcing save after save out of James Trafford, but they were in the game. They had the chances, the Eckerti K, half-volley over the bar. There were some big chances for them. Mo Salah, big chances.

Then one mistake leads to a penalty. Then five minutes, less than five minutes later, it's two-nil. and then five minutes in at the second half, it's 3-0. You know this as a player, Rob. There's a time where you go fighting spirit. Come on, let's try and get ourselves back in this against a side who are obviously superior to us on the day, or is damage and limitation, whatever it is.

And when you say give up, you just get outplayed. And I think Man City outplayed Liverpool yesterday. They were far superior than Liverpool. Are Liverpool soft, David? Because one of the criticisms of the supporters this season is they are fragile, that when they fall behind, they don't come back. rather than a fighting spirit,

is there a softness, soft underbelly to them that there hasn't been in more successful seasons? I think it's just looking at the data, and forgive me, when I, and they're going to go about priorities, prioritising, there's a bit of 3-0 down in a cup game and you go, I don't think we're going to win this. What about before it was 3-0-down?

Yeah, and then the priority becomes somewhere else. I just wanted to clear that one up. I think the data would argue that when Liverpool go behind, they struggle, especially in the first half, where they've been losing at half time. I think there's only been two games this season, one in the Champions League, one in the Premier League, where they were losing at half time and they were able to turn the game round. It was Eintrack Frankfurt and the Champions League, or succeed the first goal, forgive me.

So that's been a trend this season. Absolutely. Now, as a manager, as a group of coaches, that's where you have to look into it, even the psychologist. You've got to look into it and go, why are we doing this? Because it's not happening now. It's been happening all the season. Is it the group of players?

Is it the, and again, it's difficult to argue about psychology. I know you brought this up, Luke. Everything from the beginning of the season, that could be sowing a seed for the rest of the season, perhaps. But they, I'm using lots of gardening analogies here. That could have been nipped in the bud, you would argue earlier on in the season. So yes, there is a side to it,

but it doesn't mean, and I'm being positive here, towards the point. It doesn't mean the season's ended yet because they still have these Champions League games to rectify something. Well, we'll have to apologize to everyone who lives in a flat and we'll talk about Chelsea's confidence-boasting, 7-0 win over Portvale. But guys, here's your half-time teaser. Portvale failed to reach the FAA Cup semi-finals, making it 25 years and counting since the third or fourth tier side reached that stage. Can you name the team who did so back in 2001.

The answer next, plus plenty more analysis. Teams, new rules. Re-race live on BBC Sounds. It's all right to the lights, and for the teleplot. On five live spots. On the Football Daily podcast, FAA Cup Review. Listen on BBC Sounds.

Welcome back to the FAC Cup review. Before the break, I asked you to name the last. last third or fourth tier side. So reach the FA Cup semi-final. Guys, I went for Chesterfield. I had a 50-50 shot and I blew it. Either of you go for Chesterfield as well? Well, you've absolutely ruined me

because I immediately thought I know this. It was Chesterfield. Brilliant. That's it. Moving on. Jamo, what's your guess? I can't guess anything, Stevenish. It's both wrong. And if I gave you a clue of Laurie Sanchez, you'd come back with the answer of. Thank you very much.

and they held Liverpool at Villa Park for 78 minutes in the semi-final as well. Well, it was off-pitch comments and actions that dominated the headlines for Chelsea this week, even though Liam Rusin's side did well to distract away from them by putting seven-pass league one port veil in the Saturday tea-time game. And David, there's been a lot of talk about Chelsea off the pitch. You can't do much more than put seven-past. a weaker opposition to really move on and try and move on with the next story,

can you? Well, it took two minutes, didn't it? It's to kind of calm the nerves down or calm a lot of the issues down. There was seven different goals scorers in the end as well, wasn't it? That's emphatic. That is any, as I say, two minutes into the game,

if there's any thought of a giant killing going on, then that was it done. And the players did exactly what you would want them to do, smash your opposition. And, Lou, there's been plenty already said about MDA, Fernandez being dropped for the two gains by Resinia for, in the manager's words, crossing the line with his recent comments about an uncertain future at Stamford Bridge. It's kind of how you deal with it, isn't it?

That's seemingly textbook from Resinia. Yeah, I'm impressed with that. It's strong. There'll be some who think it's maybe still not strong enough and that Fernandez shouldn't play again until he apologises. I doubt very much that's going to happen. But yeah, Liam Resignia's had a difficult spell as he was always going to, going into that job with the unbalanced squad they've got in terms of too many young players

and not enough experience. So, yeah, perfect result for him. It gives them an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to, a positive, much needed. And I like what he's done with Fernandez, but I think the wider issue here is that Chelsea may well have a problem in the summer. Some of their senior players are going to want out. Cuccarellas, you know, but has also voiced his displeasure. some of the things that have happened there this season. Fernandez seems to be fluttering

his eyelashes at Ria Madrid in the hope that they come in for him. And then there's a bit of noise, well, sort of constant noise, I suspect he's going to get louder in the summer about Col Palmer wanting out as well. And I think this is the problem Chelsea and Blue Co have is they've run it like a business. They've recruited all these players on long-term contracts. But it's a short career, Rob, isn't it? And Fernandez and Cochorella and Palmer, they might not see that they're going to win the big prizes at Chelsea so they might want out. So that's going to be another intriguing summer for Chelsea as well, because I think they do need to overhaul that squad,

but they wouldn't want to be losing their senior, most experienced players. But I think that's easily what could happen, judging by Fernandez's behavior. From within a dressing room, David, you're looking and a player comes out and says that, there's still games to go. There's a Champions League to qualify for, there's still an FAA cop to win for Chelsea, there's still plenty on the line. Where's your head if you're sat there and your teammate across the room is saying

I want out. I want done by now. I think it's difficult. I mean, obviously I can't speak from knowing their changing room. I think it depends on the club and Luke mentions it numerous times. A way that Chelsea do their thing. There's a question mark over whether

they're actually bringing in any kind of loyalties and therefore the sort of the transient nature of football in itself, and I say it, I suppose, mercenary in a way. You kind of expect players to be like that. I think it's more akin to teams at either end of the table where you're not expecting that kind of longevity. Do you know what I mean?

So I think if you're understanding during players criticizing, you just get on with your own thing. I mean, as I say, I think they answered themselves as a group of players properly yesterday in the way that they won the game, see what happens. I mean, Luke saying they, you know, winning big trophies. They're the World Club champions, Luke. The best team in the world.

Yeah. Emblazoned everywhere over Stanford Bridge. They've got that swagger, but they haven't got the actual achievements to back it up if they, in terms of what they're doing domestically. So they won the inaugural Club World Champions. Yes, well done. Yeah. A glorified pre-season tournament.

We should also... Luke, Donald Trump was there. We should also absolutely have a word. on Port Vale. It was a tough day, but a great achievement in what is a really difficult season. They had that memorable win over Sunderland, a first FA Cup quarter final in 72 years, and they've earned themselves more than £600,000, which in all honesty, will help them in league two with relegation likely. And it's been what is a really difficult time for them. But finances like that for a club like Port Vale is something that is.

And I don't want to use the term priceless because it does have an absolute cost to it. But it's a lifeblood for someone like Port Vow. Yeah. And can sort of change the path you're on as a football club, that sort of money at that level. And I thought about this quite a lot this weekend because I've, as regular listeners on this podcast, I know I'm a late in Orient fan. And there's been some really dark, depressing season. But the FA Cup just has that ability to make memories that last a lifetime, like absolute joy, you know, some of the highlights, the most euphoria you will ever feel as a fan of a lower league club come in the FA Cup.

And they've had a good run in the Carabelle Cup as well this season. So as miserable as their league form as being, I think it's certainly sugar-coated. It's certainly got a sweetness to it provided by the FA Cup as well. And the memories that they will have, as you say, beating Sutherland, beating Bristol City, and then going away from Stamford Bridge. And yes, they ended up taking a thumping and conceding seven goals. And the giant killing was never on, really, from the second minute. But those memories will just cushion that fall a little bit.

And actually, that is, again, when I keep saying it, is why the FA Cup really, really matters, because it's about the pyramid. And it's about those Port Vale fans having those memories. Chelsea won't remember for very long beating Port Vale 7-0. It'll be forgotten again probably the next time they lose. But for Fort Vale and their supporters, though this FA Cup run is absolutely magical, and it will make up, I'm sure, for the misery of the league season.

Thank you very much to David James and Luke Edwards, and we have plenty more to come this week. That's all for the FA Cup review. It's Champions League this week on BBC Radio 5 live and the Premier League returns at the weekend. Next up on the Football Daily Feed, it's the Monday night club. Welcome to the Wayne Rooney show. Wayne Rooney, Kay Kerr and me, Kelly Somers,

break down the biggest stories in the Premier League and beyond. He's gone in quite quick, but he hasn't caught him high. I just don't think it's the red card. Plus, we'll hear the funniest and most outrageous stories from Wayne's career. I was going into positions and doing things I shouldn't have really been doing, but you do it because you feel like you have to, and I helped us drive on and win the FA Club. The Wayne Rooney Show.

Watch your night player, listen on sounds.