Football Daily - Premier League Review with Rick Edwards

Episode Date: February 23, 2025

Is the title race done? Liverpool beat Man City to go 11 points clear. Rick Edwards is joined by Clinton Morrison and The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards. Also hear from Andy Robertson, Arne Slot and Pep Guardiola. The guys also discuss the battle for the top four and the survival scrap… and a mystery Malteser…02:25 Liverpool stretch lead at the top 07:00 Andy Robertson INTERVIEW 09:45 Mo Salah for Ballon d’Or? 15:25 Arne Slot INTERVIEW 19:15 ‘Set piece balance’ concept 20:45 Pep Guardiola INTERVIEW 28:25 Arsenal suffer ‘painful loss’ 34:05 Newcastle survive Forest comeback 43:55 Bournemouth red card debate 46:15 Survival battle looks done?BBC Sounds / 5 Live commentaries this week: Wed 26 Feb 2000 England v Spain in UEFA Women’s Nations League, Fri 28 Feb 2000 Aston Villa v Cardiff in FA Cup, Sat 1 Mar 1215 Crystal Palace v Millwall in FA Cup, Sat 1 Mar 1215 Preston v Burnley in FA Cup on BBC Sport website, Sat 1 Mar 1500 Bournemouth v Wolves in FA Cup, Sat 1 Mar 1745 Man City v Plymouth in FA Cup, Sun 2 Mar 1345 Newcastle v Brighton in FA Cup, Mon 3 Mar 1930 Nottingham Forest v Ipswich in FA Cup.

BBC Sounds music radio podcast. On the Football Daily podcast, the Premier League review with Rick Edwards. Listen on BBC Sounds. Hello and welcome to the Football Daily. It's the Premier League review with me Rick Edwards. Former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison is with me, but not in person. Clinton, what's going on? I thought we had a nice thing going on a Sunday night.

We come and we hang out in the studio. I miss you already. Yeah, I know. Sorry. I apologize. Next time we do one, I will be back with you in the studio. But I had time to go home today, so I'm at home in the warmth of my house. So much more comfortable. But I do miss you. I do miss you. OK, just to be clear, you could have started with that, but all right.

And we're also joined by a man who, unlike David Moyes, always has a good bottle of red to hand. The Telegraph's Luke Edwards. Hello. That is true, actually. I can't deny that. That's probably the most apt intro I've ever had in my long and undistinguished career.

It's the sort of first thing I think about with you, actually. And I think it's probably unfair, but I'm never- It is very unfair, yes. Yes, it is very unfair. Just before we came on, you were looking at yourself in the zoom vein, yeah, and saying that you looked very bald.

And yes, of course, to be clear, you are very bald. I am very bald, but I look particularly shiny. I don't know. There's something there's a bit of a problem. I need some makeup. It just looks there's a big reflection off the top of my head, which caught my eye. I really think if you start putting a sort anti shine on your bald paint the game's gone for a Notice I'm just saying these could go out on social media I need to dust my bald dome down you know for a fact that the only the only pictures are gonna be shown of Clinton

Nobody looks good. It's suits you. I don't I can't imagine you with hair. No It's just as well because I haven't had any since I was 25. Clinton, would you have taken up the invitation that David Moyes gave to Rio and Duncan Ferguson after his television interview where he said, Sir Alex is here, I've not got any good red, do you want a drink? Well, you know what? Sparkling water is an orange juice, I love an orange juice. I would have definitely taken up the invitation. And moaned about the standard of the wine as well. I would have just been happy to be invited.

You would have brought your own as well, turning up in a little carrier bag. Right David, I brought some. Let's look at some real football, they might as well. Liverpool have stretched their lead at the top of the Premier League to 11 points. Arsenal lost to West Ham yesterday, Liverpool beat Manchester City 2-0 at the ETA, first time they won there in a decade. So Arsenal have got 12 games left, Liverpool have got 11, Arsenal have got an 11 point deficit to call back. Look, it is feeling like it's done, isn't it, Glenson?

Yeah, it feels like it to me, and that was before Liverpool played today. I still thought, I watched a bit of the West Ham Arsenal game, they were flat, they didn't create anything. They were playing Moreno as a false number nine, just because he scored two goals against Leicester City, that's totally different to a West Ham team that was solid and played a bat five and were hard to beat. It was always going to be difficult. And that's not criticism on Moreno because he's doing a lot. Not his fault, he's not a striker.

Exactly. He's just done a job at Leicester, it's definitely not his fault. So yeah, disappointing from Arsenal, but Liverpool were the real deal. And everyone was like against Aston Villa and that, oh, they didn't look at the races. Well, they definitely looked at the races today. And you know what? The thing I like about Liverpool? Arna slot can change formation. He can play two number tens like he played with Jones and Sobhastlai today with Salah and Diaz starting as like two front member playing wide. It's just a tactical battle. All the players buy into it and I thought they were outstanding today and for really deserve to beat Man City. And for me the title is over anyway. I don't care what anyone wants to say even if Liverpool, and they could have a slip up, they could have one or two slip ups but I

just don't think Arsenal have enough firepower at the moment to win the Premier League. Let me sort of make a case for why it might not be over Luke. Try your best. Yeah I will. Newcastle midweek is a tough game. You can, and Newcastle are flying. We'll talk about the Newcastle Forest game, which is mad. Newcastle are flying at the moment. Or not like recently, but if you look across the last few months. 13 wins out of 16.

Right, there you go. That is a game that Liverpool, Anfield, maybe they're not going to look, but let's assume that they lose, okay? If they lose that Arsenal win their game in hand and also win another game, then suddenly it's five points and that feels eminently doable, doesn't it? It does, but I think this, I have like all good journalists, I'm a bit of a magpie and I have stolen this off somebody on social media today. Great.

But Arsenal need Liverpool to lose four out of their last 11 Premier League games. This team or this group of players with the odd, you know, incoming and outgoing has lost five out of its last 76, a run stretching back to April 2023. So it would be an implosion of monumental proportions. I thought there was going to be a pinch point when, you know, when the finishing line comes So it would be an implosion of monumental proportions. I thought there was going to be a pinch point when, you know, when the finishing line comes into sight and, you know, there's suddenly the pressure on, there's that expectation.

And I was, you know, I spent a lot of time on social media ignoring my family. And, you know, I was reading stuff, there's a little bit of negativity creeping in after that Aston Villa result. There's obviously the Plymouth FA Cup exit as well, the Everton draw, and you're sort of thinking, are they gonna stumble? Is it gonna get to them?

But they've answered those doubts sensationally really. They've been the best team since August, and they continue to look the best team now. I just can't see them thrown away. If, you know, when those, as I say, those little pinch points of pressure, if that was going to happen, it would happen. Everton, Aston Villa, Manchester City.

And they, yes, they dropped points, but crucially, they just didn't lose them. So they, you know, they still just kept that gap up. And they've been a really, really impressive side on what a job's on a slot's done. And they are the best team in the country by some distance, I think. And that's the thing, isn't it, Clinton? they just, even when they're not quite at it, they

just don't lose. No yeah, they don't lose and they've got terrific players. I always say like the spine of the team and a lot of people say it and I think Van Dijk and Alisson having them two in, fantastic. And then you've got a man like Salah, I don't care what anyone says, he'll go down as one of the best that we've ever seen in the Premier League. His numbers are unbelievable, like his numbers and goals and assists. And I think this season is probably one of the best seasons I've seen him play at top form.

The way he was running past Guardiola today, and Guardiola's no slouch, he just was confident, they couldn't live with him. I thought he'd probably be disappointed if he didn't come off with a couple more goals and a couple more goals and a couple more assists. Liverpool are relentless at the moment. I know what Luke said, they're probably the best team in the country at the moment by a country mark. I think they could even be up there with one of the best teams in Europe at the moment, the way they're playing. We're going to hear from Arnaud Slot and we'll hear from Pep Guardiola as well. First is

Andy Robertson. Yeah, it's a massive win for us. I thought we defended as a team, you know, superbly, and obviously we've got people at the top of the pitch that can cause a lot of problems, and thankfully they done that. Your fans were actually chanting towards the end of the game. I'm sure you heard, we're going to win the league.

I'm not asking you to say, of course, the right, but I mean, how sweet does that sound to you? Look, I've always said it, and I think the lads have always said that if we are allowing our fans to get carried away then we're doing something right and it's important that they enjoy it you know they have to get carried away but it's important that then the players don't get carried away and it's important to get that balance you know the away end was was going off and obviously whatever they sing they sing

and yeah you could see that they were enjoying themselves but it's important that we stay focused because they're still alive in games to go. Then of course we've got a nice lead but we have to keep winning games to make sure that that lead stays where it is and hopefully we can do that and then that chant becomes real instead of hypothetical just now and it's up to us to try and keep pushing in the change room to allow them to sing that at the end of the season. And can I just ask, you must have been asked several questions about Mo Salah over many, many seasons, but can you put into words, that's 50 goal involvements if you like the modern term, but 30 goals in itself, that's an astonishing number isn't it this season?

Yeah, I think his goal took a deflection so I won't give him that. No he's been he's been unbelievable you know even you know since the minute he came through this club he's been unbelievable but to this season he's you know he's took it to an even other level and and things like that so he's you know he's a pleasure to play with but I thought his work rate today was outstanding you know he knew he had to help Trent on that side at times, he knew he had to do his defensive jobs as well and that's probably what goes a bit unnoticed with him. Obviously everyone focuses on the goals and assists because that's the nice part of the job but I thought his work rate

was outstanding today. He's been fantastic for this football club, he's been so good and hopefully is for a long time to come but this season he's took it to a whole new level and I think he deserves all the credit he's getting and obviously another two and goal involvement today to help win us the game. Interestingly when he was talking to Sky after the game, Salah said, hopefully we keep calm because sometimes the pressure gets to us. Which I think is fairly honest and not the kind of thing you necessarily hear from players but he knows that Liverpool have been in very, very strong positions before and been reeled in. Now normally it would be by Manchester City who are a different, well,

were a very different animal to Arsenal but that must play on the mind slightly, Clinton. Yeah, I understand it and Salah was, I watched the interview, I heard the interview and I thought he was very clever when he was talking about Sobhastai. These youngsters here and us experienced players like we kind of know. But I think that was more with the youngsters, where the experienced players have to help the youngsters, the people that have been in this situation. The Van Dights, the Alissons, the Robertsons, even Trent's got a bit of experience, but he's still probably at a younger age, and the Salahs and all those kinds of... McAllister, who's won the World Cup, these are winners that have won things.

So yeah, he's just maybe trying to talk about helping the youngsters, but I know what he's talking about, but he... Look, when I see his interviews, I've never seen Mohamed Salah so focused on what he wants to achieve with Liverpool this season. His interviews are usually jokey, and he is still having a joke, but you can see mentally he's in the zone where he's thinking, we want to win the Premier League, we don't want to be throwing this away. We'll let the outside noises talk, but we know what we're doing inside. And I think it's a great mentality to have. If you're a youngster at Liverpool and you've got someone

like Mohamed Salah there, you're going to lean on that person all the time because he's brilliant. But is he signing his new contract? That's what I want to know. I wanted them to ask that Luke. Yeah, I did want to know that. I do want to know. I want to see him in the Premier League. That is the kind of elephant in the room. I mean, it is wonderful and brilliant. It is. And I want him to stay in the Premier League. Absolutely, totally agree with you, Clinton. But there is that weird thing going on in the background, isn't it? This could actually be his farewell tour at Liverpool. This could be the end of Mo Salah.

They were talking about this after the game and so on, Daniel Sturridge said, if we're not linking him to the Ballon d'Or, then it's getting out of hand. He's never been even in the top three, in spite of some of the- Is he not? No, in spite of like, you look at like 2017, 2018,

you would have thought he would have been a shoe in for top three, but no. And if he wants to sort of go down in terms of legacy on that level, on a kind of messy Ronaldo level, you have to win Ballon d'Ors and fundamentally you are not going to do that if you go to Saudi. You, you- No, I agree. Absolutely no chance. And I think that that is something that will be in his mind, Luke.

I think so, but why hasn't he signed it yet? Because these talks have been going on for a long time. My personal view is, much like you, Rick, it's too early for him to make that move. I can totally understand why that move would appear at some point and beyond financial reasons he's a Muslim and if we're going to play in the highest most high-profile Muslim league in the world he would be... Completely, it makes absolute sense. It makes a lot of sense and I can see why he would be the poster boy for the Saudi League as well but I think he's got so much more to give at the highest level and at the elite

level. I mean he is running the Premier League this season. He is the best player in the Premier League this season by at some distance. I think it will be a real shame if that came to an end over, look, it's not my money but what would we be talking about here? You know, he's obviously already wealthy. He can sign a very lucrative contract at Liverpool and that move to Saudi Arabia will still be there in 12 months 24 months time so I hope he does stay I'm sure there are lots of Premier League managers out there and players who are hoping he leaves because if he stays you would make Liverpool

again favourites to win the title we could be seeing the start of a new Empire you know this could be the return of Liverpool's dominance at the how far in front they've been in the rest of the Premier League this season. But to do that, they would need Mo Salah to stay because he's their best player, most important player, most productive player, their most consistent match winner. So I hope he doesn't go anywhere because I think he's too good to lose. But I think there will be a lot of relief across the rest of the Premier League if he did go. He's had 41 goal involvements now this season, 25 goals, 16 assists in the Premier League. So well on course to pass the Premier League record which is 47.

He's the only player to have been involved in 40 or more goals in two different seasons in the Premier League history. And it's February. It's February. And it's February. It's February. And it's February. Ridiculous. It just, it is ridiculous. And I kind of think maybe we've spoken about this before. I don't quite know why he isn't spoken about generally in the same terms as your messy

Ronaldo. He hasn't won as much as he. No, no. So they were serial trophy winners in their peak. Messi and Ronaldo, as other players have been, particularly if you played for Real Madrid. So that would probably be the only reason, but he's got that beautiful blend now of experience and that kind of that you then know how to manage a game he knows how to manage himself Clinton talked about him being the ideal professional there but he's got

that maturity but he's still got the athletic prowess so it's like he has his peak maybe he's coming and we're seeing this a little bit more with football now aren't we've seen players peak we used to be 28 29 it does seem to be moving up with modern sports science and diet, the fact that players look after themselves a lot better than they did in Clinton's day. Definitely. Although Clinton doesn't drink as he's told us. No, but still I would be, you would come back a bit overweight and then have to do it three seasons. Well there we go. There we go.

So I think Liverpool have got to do everything they can to time down. I mean, the numbers are ludicrous, remarkable, stunning. If they want this to be the first of many Premier League titles, I think they need to keep Mo Salah there because they'll be instantly weakened if he was to walk out the door in the summer. Well, let's get the Liverpool managers take then. Here's Arna Slot. To win at the At-the-At against a team that is so, so, so good with the ball and then

to come away with a 2-0 win, that is something to be happy about, but also not more than that. Who gets the credit for the very clever corner that gave you the advantage? Yeah, it's always like Wednesday we concede it from a set piece so it wouldn't be honest to then say it's your fault. No, it's a responsibility we all share but we do have someone that is trying to create work once and trying like every team has. But if it's positive it's nice to mention his name but if we don't score in the upcoming two or three weeks, people might point at him as well, which is not... which would not be fair, because we've been really close to scoring.

I always say, if you want to win a big game, like Villa away or like City away, you need to have a positive balance in your set pieces, which we didn't against Villa. That's why we had a draw over there, which we had today, which was a massive, massive, massive help for us to win this game. That's very, very honest. I've got to tell you. Now, 11 points clear. That is an absolute fact. 11 games to go. Crunch those numbers. What does that actually mean? Now, you have to add to that, that we have one game more than our competitors. So, yeah, what does it mean that we are in a very good position? That's clear. But we also know how hard we had to work last week against Wolves

and three days ago against Villa and and again today. So this in a normal league. And what I mean with normal is abroad from the UK. Yes. So the Netherlands, where I come from, then having this lead would be really comfortable. Now we always, this country in the last four or five years, except for the one time that Liverpool won the league, it's always been really tight till the end because so many teams can win from each other. We saw this yesterday with West Ham beating Arsenal,

we would have expected that and now we have to face Newcastle which was a very difficult opponent for us three months ago. So we're not getting carried away but we are very happy with the win today. Well I like the air of mystery around who came up with that set piece. It feels a bit like when you're trying to guess who the Stig was on Top Gear. So I'm just going to ask you straight out, Clinton, is it you? It isn't me. I'd love to take credit from it. I don't know if it, they saw Bournemouth do it earlier on in the season, scored a spectacular goal. But whoever, whoever did it, it was a fantastic goal. The way they worked it. You know what makes me laugh is, and I know

I'm defenders nowadays, they do zonal marking. You've got, it is, the best player in the Premier League, three, Salah, no one marking him and you know there's a set piece coming because they leave two players at the front and Virgil goes straight in so he wants to try and block Rico Lewis as well and Slobberstein does his job. It's a great little touch from Slobberstein. I know it takes a deflection but Mohamed Salah six yards out, it's well worked, it's good. And Liverpool don't score enough set pieces like that. No.

Like you see all these other have clubs that have set piece coaches and stuff. And now whoever that is at Liverpool, fair play to him. He deserves a round of applause because it was a well-worked goal and it gave them their advantage because I thought Man City were the better team in the first 10, 15 minutes. And that just settled Liverpool down and then Liverpool just grew into the game. And even though City dominated, Liverpool are always solid and good on the counter attack. Yeah, it was sort of the execution of it as well because the idea is nice but the execution needed to be absolutely perfect Luke and it was.

Yes, just slick isn't it? Imagine how good they would be if they'd mastered set pieces this season Liverpool. That's what they're finally thinking about in February. Yeah, finally got rounds scoring from set pieces. Yeah, no, it's a big part of the game and yeah, executed perfectly. I've never heard this term and now I've heard Slott use it a few times about your set piece balance, so you want it to be positive or neutral in a game. So if you can see the goal and don't score any, then it's negative. And it sort

of makes sense, but I'd never even, as a sort of concept, I'd never heard that before, Luke. That's football lexicon gone a little bit crazy, hasn't it? Yes. See, that is one of the things about my job. People are always coming up for new terms for something that already exists. Yeah. And I've got to an age now, I don't want to be that guy, but I'm going to be that guy who's kind of seen it all before and the little fads coming and yeah, so just run that by me again.

So if you concede from a set piece, if you score from a set piece and don't concede, that's positive. That's positive. Yeah, great. I could have told you that, yeah. Yeah. Or if you score one and concede one then it'd be neutral and that's fine. What is the point of this? Yeah and then it's effectively saying what you want to do is defend set pieces as well but also make sure that you're attacking ones. And be dangerous at the other end. Solid at one end and threatening at the other. Yes exactly. And who came up with that?

I don't know if it's Slots own term but Set Piece Balance. He's talked about it a couple of times. He's gone down in my estimation slightly. That's all I'm going to say on that. So City now trail Liverpool by 20 points. Here is Pep Guardiola. We were really good in many, many things. The wingers were brilliant. Savini and Doko was extraordinary, extraordinary. So how many times? One, one against two, two. And in that moment we need when they attract one or two, three players, bring the next step for attacking midfielders, for the people up front. And that make the next actions. And that is what

we miss. I know you've always been very gracious about Liverpool and the way in which they've challenged you throughout your time here at Manchester City. I mean they are now sort of setting the standard which you have set for many many seasons now. So do you sort of measure yourselves against the best team in the league now in terms of getting back to that standard? I wouldn't know what would happen if everyone was here. So I don't take out any credit for Liverpool.

Congratulations for this so far. I don't know if they were able to win the Premier League but it's the only team that can lose the Premier League. They had no injuries and that's why they could be a stable team. We could not do that. But it's what it is. So sometimes it happens in life that you cannot achieve what you want, but still we are there, still 12 games, I know how difficult it will be to qualify,

it has to be step by step, but in general I'm really, really pleased how the team plays really good. And can I just ask, you're clearly much more than a one-man team, but we know how important Erling Haaland is to your team How much have you missed him and is there a chance he could be back during the week? I'm far to say so far to say for the reason that the guys who played today gave everything If you tell me what to happen listen, I'm not a genius to know what would happen but of course with Erling we are better team and with Roderic we are a better team, and with Jon Snow and Akangy we are a better team. And for many reasons other players will be a better team, so we know that.

But during the season, that can happen. I'm not going to say because I don't know what would happen with Erling being on the pitch. Yeah, sounds to me like Pep has been watching a few Ange Postococcaloo post-match interviews and thought that's a good idea actually I should start talking about injuries a bit more I've never heard him. I've never heard him really like that before. That's quite that's quite telling isn't it? I mean that was a lot of a lot of injury excuses. Yeah And they are a better team with those players in but of course but They've also got, you know, the most,

well, one of the most expensively assembled squads in the country. They just spent 180 million pounds in January on reinforcing their squad. So, Crimea River. I know that's slightly facetious, but it's, yeah, you've got better players than most squads in the Premier League still,

and you were able to do something that no other Premier League club was able to do in Germany, which is spend, as I say, over 180 million on getting a load of players that most other clubs would have coveted in the Premier League. So I don't have a lot of sympathy for him, but that doesn't mean his point is not a valid one. You take Rodrien Haaland out there and stones. Clinton talks about the spine of the team a lot, but it just feels like this and it's been a bad week, isn't it? It's been a bad week for them out of the Champions League comfortably dispatched by Real Madrid, a team that they want, you know, whatever the result they went toe to toe with and were alongside Real Madrid, the best team in Europe and you'd have said that even 12 months ago when Manchester City were very unfortunate to go out of the Champions League. And then now Liverpool who they'd mastered and dominated in the Premier League you know sort of crushed them really crushed their spirit, relentless drives

to win the title year after year, four years in a row, it just feels like the Empire has fallen and it has felt like that for a long time now that isn't a surprise and Pet resorting to talking about injuries, I think that's indicative of where they are really. He's for the first time really looking for excuses to explain why their season has fallen apart and where it leaves Manchester City and this is an intriguing prospect. You could have Manchester City and Manchester United competing to save their season with an FA Cup win. Yeah. So, you know, it's not great for them.

I'm fascinated to see whether he's still got the hunger to stick around and rebuild that team because it is obviously now we can say it is a squad that needs rebuilding and rejuvenating. Yeah and he's clearly starting to do that now. He mentioned Savino and Doku being really good out wide for City. And on the one hand, I agree with him, Clinton, but Doku is a very frustrating player because he beat Trent almost at will every time that they were one on one and then did nothing with it. Yeah, his final ball was not good enough. Or he just sort of, he waits too long.

He invites Trent to get very close and then beats him rather than running straight at him. I don't, he's got, he's such a good player but he's not doing what you sort of feel he should be doing. Yeah, it's his end product. I think he was exciting and I understand what Pep's saying. He did cause Trent a lot of problems, but once he went past Trent, he's crossing and he hit the first man, so Kanata would be there.

He never like, once he got into those positions, got his head up and picked someone out or got a good finish away. I do think Doku's an exciting player, but sometimes if he doesn't know what he's going to do, it must be a nightmare for defenders because I don't think defenders will know what he's going to do. And what he does, and I've always been told this, see when you're going past people, what he does, he's still at 100 miles an hour when he's going to cross the ball. Then you just have to relax a bit, get your head up, and then you can pick the right parcel

ball. I do think he did miss Harlan though. Mamouchi's not a center forward. I think Mamouchi's better playing it as a deeper one. He wasn't in the box enough. They tried to play Phil Folden as a false number nine. When you're trying to put crosses in, but I do see something exciting with Doku, but that's, you're right, Rick.

I think what you said is spot on. It's just his end product today. Let him down. He was a threat. He caused Trent all kinds of problems. Savino is a threat on the other side as well, but it's just got to be their final delivery. But I think there's something you can build a team around for the future for sure, because they're two exciting wingers, but it's just end product with the both of them.

Someone mentioned to me after the game that Kevin De Bruyne played, and he did, didn't he? Yeah, he was taken off, wasn't he? He didn't look too happy when he came off. Again, it comes back to that age thing. Kevin De Bruyne is not the force of old, is he? And I guess, I guess to go back to what we're talking about with Salah, there is that balancing point, isn't there? That De Bruyne last season, you wouldn't have foreseen this drop off this year. It can suddenly happen. But I think

Pep has said that physically he's not able to basically do it anymore and you know, De Bruyne Revoled was the player you relied on for Manchester City to win those big games in the way that Mo Salah is the player that Liverpool can currently rely on to win them the big game. So he will also go down as one of the all time greats of the Premier League here. It's just that feeling with City as they just allowed it to all that group. And I understand why it happened, because you want to be loyal to your group of players.

They all just got that little bit old together, and it suddenly dropped off. There's also, they've won four Premier Leagues in a row, they've won the Champions League, that group has won everything. And they've just, yeah, they've just tipped over to the other side, and it does happen, it can happen very, very suddenly. But when you do it as a collective,

obviously there's gonna be damaging to league position and you're not gonna be able to achieve the things that you have done in previous years. Yeah, a bit of age, maybe a bit of motivation when you've won so much. You do wonder, don't you? And then on Arsenal then, Mikhail Arteta said it was a very painful loss,

losing one at home to West Ham. So they weren't at their, at their level really. Clearly a team is allowed an off day, but the difference between, uh, Liverpool being 11 points, maybe eight points ahead of Manchester City in previous years at this stage of season and Arsenal is you don't really believe that Arsenal could go on a 12 game winning streak, whereas you absolutely did believe that about. Yeah, when did Arsenal last have a really good day? I mean that would be what I question. Have they looked like a team in really good form this year, this calendar year? Probably not. They've shown flashes. They've had the odd decent game, the odd decent performance.

But they have they have looked second best now for several weeks and them losing on Saturday just completely eases the pressure on Liverpool. We talked about pinch points earlier where you're wondering whether it will get to Liverpool, but they saw Arsenal lose. So then for them, they're probably just thinking, well, okay, it's fine. We can get a draw at Man City and win. Obviously we'll go there and win, but they're playing with more freedom.

Arsenal have not been able to exert any sort of real pressure on Liverpool. So they feel that pinch. They've been too inconsistent. They've had their, I mean, you know, They've had their injury problems as well, of course they have, and playing without a proper striker has probably killed off their chances of mounting that late push. Arsenal have, I think they've been disappointing, and I think you're getting to the point now where,

and I think most Arsenal supporters would say this, yes, they're still in the Champions League. That competition's suddenly becoming very, very important to Michael Arteta, he's been there five years, they've won one FA Cup, this was the season they were supposed to kick on, this was supposed to be their year, they were the closest challenges to Manchester City.

They've dropped off as much, not as much as Manchester City, but they have also dropped off on where they were last season. That is a team going backwards, and I think that leads to some very awkward questions, I think, moving forward because Michael Arteta needs to win things and people were saying that in August. We shouldn't just forget that now and say, oh, he's done well, they're still second, he's still got a good team. We said in August they had to win something this season, well, the only trophy they can win now is the Champions League and looking at the teams that are left in it you wouldn't say Arsenal are one of the favourites to do that. Tough times for Arsenal and Luke

Spot on, Arsenal are not one of the favourites to win the Champions League, not without the strike, not having any strikers available at the moment. Right let's do a half-time teaser, this is, I think this is quite easy actually. Alexander Isak has reached 50 Premier League goals so he's now the leading Swedish scorer in Premier League history, but which Swede has he overtaken? Answer coming next. The Football Daily Podcast. On BBC Sounds. The Monday Night Club on the Football Daily. Join myself, Mark Chapman, Rory Smith and Chris Sutton to look back at the biggest stories from the weekend's football.

They've obviously had terrible trouble scoring goals, particularly in open play this season. He's worrying about if he's not going to score the goals, then others aren't going to score. I spoke to many strikers who felt like that. Chris Shearer, Larsen, Hartson, all felt like that if they didn't score, maybe it else would. Welcome back to the Premier League Review with me Rick Edwards, Clinton Morrison and Luke Edwards.

I asked you, Alexander Isak has reached 50 Premier League goals, now the leading Swedish scorer in Premier League history, but which Swede has he overtaken? And I do, I mean, I'll be disappointed if you don't both get this. I'd like you, I'm going to count you in. No, because... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, because... No, no, no, no, no, no. Wait, I'm trying to think.

This is how it's working, Clinton. This is how it's working. I'm going to count you in, I'm going to do one, two, three and you're both going to say your answers. I've got it, I've got it, I've got it. You must have. Yeah, but I'm going to guess, because I don't think this guy was in out and out, centre forward.

Okay, all right, okay, here we go. So after three... But he's made it look like this. Well, we've got to say it together. Yeah, you're going to say it together, okay? Right. Right, here we go. Ready?

One, two, three. Lund two three Lundberg there we go have a bit confident you made me nervous Luke I thought you were gonna say slatan I was like no don't say that please it's not him Lundberg exactly yeah Lundberg it's Lundberg that's why I said he was Swedish. Exactly. So yeah. Jornberg, it's Jornberg. That's why I said he's not a striker, he's a wanker. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jornberg. Yeah, Jornberg scored 48. Wow. I'll tell you what's harder, but maybe I think you might get, Clinton, next top Swedish scorer

in the Premier League. Oh, in the Premier League? I'm trying to think whether you might have overlapped with this guy at one of your clubs. It would have been close. Where was that? Crystal Palace or Birmingham? Birmingham. He's not a centre forward is he?

No. No, you guess. I wouldn't get it going. I don't know. Luke, any idea? Blunkvist? No, no, no. Scored a lot of free kicks.

I know his name. He played for Sunderland. Yes. Seb Larson. Seb Larson. I missed him. I missed him at Birmingham As soon as Luke said Sunday, I was like it's gotta be Seb Larson what yeah Deadpool specialist he was

Very good. Yeah Given that you're on and you are the northern football writer Luke It would be remiss not to talk about Newcastle. 4-3 win against Forest so I watched the first 15 minutes of this game and then thought I'll just go and do another couple of bits and then came back and so I left it a 1-0 and when I came back it was 4-1 to Newcastle. It's a nuts game. It was a very very odd game I mean brilliant fun first and foremost a lot of fun but it was one of those weird games now We I've talked a lot about Newcastle win consistency when when Newcastle are at their intense ferocious Unrelenting best they are brilliant. I mean they are a joy to behold really they can blow any team apart any team in the Premier League

They can blow apart and that's what happened today in the first half They were they've reaped the whirlwind or unleashed the whirlwind really. And Nottingham Forest just didn't really know what had hit them. It's four goals in just under 12 minutes, including one of the funniest penalties I've seen in a long time in which Sales ended up

with his backside in the goal after being chipped and getting his hands to the ball. So that way, and they were brilliant. And I was looking at the figure, Newcastle are back. This is wonderful. What a response to that Manchester City defeat last weekend. I think what a good team. What a great manager Eddie Howe is.

You know, this is all the conversations at half time. And then they were absolutely atrocious in the second half. Yeah. Terrible. They could string a pass together. And it was like, well, hold on, where's that team gone? Where have those guys gone?

I mean, they're wearing the same kits, but they just weren't the same team. And the fans started getting edgy. And honestly, if Nottingham Forest had scored their third goal a few minutes earlier, they would have gone on and got the fourth. Cause Newcastle had gone. Yeah.

And then it was that weird feeling where I think most Newcastle United supporters would agree with this They left the stadium a bit angry and a bit annoyed They're one for free, but I think the second half was so bad that that's the thing you remember Isn't it and you remember all the anxiety that they put you through as home supporters But the bottom line is, you know 13th win in 16 game brilliant result for them Now just three points behind Nottingham Forest in the league and I made this point But the bottom line is, you know, 13th win in 16 game, brilliant result for them. Now just three points behind Nottingham Forest in the league.

And I make this point, when you take the emotion out of it, and I thought Eddie Howe was brilliant after the game, the way he spoke, because he's always very considered and measured, and he did take all emotion out of it. That was a game they had to win really, to stay in that Champions League hunt, I think. Yes.

And if you had offered, having not signed a player to improve the first team in the summer, not signed a player to improve the first team in January, constrained by PSR, that sort of juddering sound of momentum halting really since the takeover, if you'd have said to Newcastle fans you would be fifth in the Premier League, level on points in Manchester City,

three points off third, and in a Carabao Cup final They wouldn't have just bitten your arm off. They'd have run away with it to make sure you couldn't give it back to them I mean they it is quietly a Really really successful or turning into a really really successful season and obviously win the Carabao Cup final very daunting for all the reasons We've said about Liverpool. They'll go into that as huge underdogs, but if they win that, it's the most successful season for Newcastle in 70 years. I want to talk about Lewis Miley actually, but got to ask you, Clinton, did you ever think one down the middle?

Did you ever Pinenka? No, no chance. I wasn't that confident with my penalties to be thinking and because I'm thinking to myself, so go to just stand still and saves it. You look like a mug. And exactly. And I want my goal bonus. So I don't want to not have my goal bonus. Rick, Rick, we saw one of Clinton's penalties. We saw one of Clinton's penalties for Coventry when he scuffed it into the bottom corner. Do you not remember the last time we did the podcast? Yeah, we did. I scuffed it. As long as it goes in.

You know that Luke. As long as it goes in. I was actually listening. I was on my way back. So I was listening to the Five Lives of Cometree and it was crazy because exactly how Luke summed it up, first half brilliant, second half it's like they took their foot off the pedal and on the front foot and stuff and then when it went to four three and they put three minutes of added time up, you were thinking, oh if Forrest just get one more chance, the Newcastle fans will be going home unhappy. I heard Eddie Howe's interview and he's like, yeah, I'm just happy we got the three points but the performance, I don't really want to be talking about it

because the second half was no winner. Nuno was livid because you see, you sort of routinely see now, don't you, sort of eight, nine, ten minutes. Yeah, it should have been more than three minutes. That's what they were saying. And it was three minutes went up and he went, I was right in front of me, went absolutely ballistic at the fourth official, refused to shake Eddie Howe's hand after the game. Not sure why. I mean, Eddie's, Eddie's not particularly antagonistic, I don't think, but there's just how angry he was at the three minutes came up and you

could see why. But yeah, just a lot of fun. Sometimes you can just come up. I can anyway, cause I'm, you know, I work in the media and I'm neutral, but I come away. I just loved it. It was every bonkers game. Bonkers. Lewis Miley hadn't played a game or started a game for quite a long time. So there's a real like buzz around him when he first made his first team debut. And then, yeah, hasn't been around for a while. I thought he was really good. I agree with you, I'll have to hold my hand up because when the team was announced and I saw Tonali on the bench and I saw young Miley starting, I was thinking, oh Eddie,

how you took a big gamble there. But I think young Miley by the sounds of things was outstanding and obviously he's got huge potential. I think obviously when he came in last season and that you've seen him slowly coming in playing when they were playing in the Champions League, getting opportunities and I thought this kid can play like he's a young boy. He always wants the ball, he's not frightened to take the ball. You know, sometimes as a youngster when you're going into a big team like Newcastle and you've got the fans, the fans would always back you, but you know, if you give a few passes

away, do you go hiding? He never goes hiding. So it was a big call from Eddie Alba. He's got a bright future, young Miley, because I thought he was outstanding. Because it's a difficult one, and Luke will tell you, because he's probably playing against someone who Newcastle didn't want to sell in Anderson today. So he's obviously playing against Anderson who Newcastle didn't want to sell. He's a terrific player as well. But I think they found his replacement in young Miley, that's for sure. He's 18 and last season he looked like a boy.

He looked really young. And it was like a kid was playing for them. But as soon as I saw him this season, even when he was on the substitutes bench, he's bulked up, he's grown into his body, he just looks like a man now and plays like a man and I think one of the reasons that Newcastle were willing to let Anderson go was because they knew they got Lewis Miley and I think at 18 he's physically imposing now and he's got the technique Everything I hear he's got the mentality and the people around him to make sure he stays grounded because that is another risk at a club like Newcastle or one club city the

Distractions are numerous shall we say for a young high-profile footballer in the city But he's I think he's pretty grounded And I think there's a quiet buzz that he could be. He could be real top top top player. We're talking playing for club and country. The race for the top four or potentially top five, which will probably get you champions league as well this season, um, is now you have to think the most exciting thing going on in, in, in the Premier League, because I think

you can make an argument, we were talking about this before we came on air, to go all the way down to Brentford who are in 11th and say, there's maybe a bit of a stretch, but certainly down to Fulham in 10th. Yeah, Fulham. They are all within reach of those spots. That's the most exciting bit now, because you think maybe relegation could be a struggle now for Ipswich and Leicester to catch Wolves and the title race. Well, we all think it's over apart from every Liverpool fan who ain't going to say it yet.

But to finish in, getting to European places is wide open and every team at the moment, like Brighton was slipping away and then they just won two or three on the bounce and now they're in contention. You've got Aston Villa in contention, Bournemouth, I know they had a bad result against Wolves going down to 10 men, but they're in contention. And for me it's really exciting, like as I said, Fulham. I think Fulham would be disappointed losing at home to Crystal Palace. They're the games where if you want to get into Europe you have to win, but as I say,

it's wide open and it's so exciting because come the end of the season, I still think we'll be thinking who's going to make it into those Champions League spots. Because you look at Chelsea at the moment. Who are you going for? Who are you going for? Who are you going to go for, Killing? So it'll be Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City. I still think Man City will finish in the top four. And I'm going to go... Newcastle and Forrest, I don't know how it is, but they'll be in the top five. I think Newcastle and Forrest will be in the top five. Top five as the current top five?

In any order. Yeah, the current top five. I just feel, unless Chelsea put a ridiculous, amazing run together. Chelsea are a horrible run. But then you know what? You can't rule out Villa and you can't rule out Forman because it's so hard. So I can't pick that. I can't pick that. That's what I'm thinking now, but if you ask me again in two or three weeks. That's your predictions.

I'm going to go. That's my prediction. Yeah, that's my prediction. I'm going to go Liverpool, Arsenal, City, Newcastle, Villa. Oh, so you don't think Forest, you think, I know Forest have worked hard this season, you're right, but they'll be devastated if they fall out the last hurdle. I worry. I would love Forest to get top four. Yeah, we all would. Rick, I want your prediction, mate. I want your prediction.

Come on. You can play this game. Well, I think I'm basically with you. I think Liverpool, Arsenal, probably City. You just think they probably will just string a few results together. After spending £180 million. Yeah, right. And then I think Newcastle.

I'm going to go Bournemouth. Oh, good shot. Yeah. Ooh, I like it. It is so hard, though. It's reallyouth. Oh, good shot. Oh, I like it. It is so hard though. It's really hard. It's really hard. I'm going to discount Fulham and Brighton.

I'm going to take those two out and all of the other eight, Villa, Chelsea, Bournemouth, Newcastle, City, Forest, Arsenal, Liverpool, I think have still got very, very good chances. I've seen Brighton and Fulham's fixtures and all the other teams fixtures, they're all playing each other as well. So that's how exciting it is. So it's quite good. It's going to go down to the wire. Proper excited.

Did you have a view, did you see the Bournemouth red card? So it was a yellow and then got the... I can see Rick, he's trying, his left foot, he his left foot, he touches the ball and I know what he's trying to do, but I think VAR intervened well because it was endangering a player because he was high up. I understand it. But he rolled over the ball though. He did, that's what I mean. I know what you're saying, but it can still injure an opponent. I get what you're saying, because when I first saw it I said, nah, that's not a red card.

And you know what? It's because they have the view of slowing it down. When we see it at speed we're like, no, never a red card. But when you slow it down and it goes, catches the top of the ball and then catches him, because Iriola was going mad. He thought VAR didn't work and he thought that it was never a red card. But I just said to Sabani, I think Sabani should not be making a tackle like that. It wasn't last ditch either, was it Rick? It was in the middle of the pitch. think Sabani should not be making a tackle like that. It wasn't last ditch either was it Rick? No, no, no. Nice to look just a darkly muttering VAR

under his breath. It's not been another great weekend for it is it? It hasn't been another great weekend for it. I think it did, it got the cool right on the Arsenal red card. Yes, it did. But it didn't get the one right for the Everton penalty when they told the referee to look at the wrong shirt pull. That was completely mad. We've all seen the right angle for it. He's thrown himself down like he has, but the fact is it's a really, really clear shirt pull. Yes. Or two, if you like. Yes. And they showed him the wrong one. To not look at the right angle is inexcusable, isn't it? This is where AI needs to come in. We might need to get AI officials,

because of this human error. There's human error involved in that process. That's not the technology. That's the people using it, clipping up things. I think we're all looking forward to hearing the release of the audio where at some point someone in there is going to go and if we checked all the angles and someone goes yep and then about 15 seconds afterwards someone goes oh hang on are we too late to okay no no Rose no Rose carry on carry on.

Okay, no Rose, no Rose, carry on, carry on. And then just breaking out in a cold sweat, just realising, aww, oh dear, I'm in the National League next week. Now the battle to avoid relegation, that does look pretty done now, doesn't it? I mean, Leicester's form is absolutely miserable, Lots has been said about it. Last six home games, six losses, not a goal scored. It's abject. Ipswich lost 4-1 at home to Tottenham. Southampton lost 4-0 to Brighton. Wolves with that really important win at Bournemouth. That just takes them out of the clutches of the relegation zone. Five points clear now of Ipswich and Leicester. It's very hard, isn't it, to see a way out

for Ipswich and Leicester and coming clearly Southampton. Yeah, very tough when you think that Ipswich have only won three games this season and the gap is five points with goal difference, it's effectively six. So yeah, it does look like that is all but done and dusted. They don't look capable of winning two games on the spin and they haven't looked like winning two games on the spin all season, which is what one of those are gonna have to do.

It's a shame and it's a worry for the Premier League, I think, because last season we had the three newly promoted teams instantly relegated and it looks like we're going to get that again. It's not like those clubs didn't spend money when they came up either. They did try and invest, they did try and strengthen their squads. But is that gap now between Premier League and Championship, is it growing wider and wider or is it just one of those strange quirks that it happens every now and again? Yeah, it is a concern and it's not great, really, in February, to be basically preparing to wave goodbye to three teams. We normally

expect that last weekend drama, or certainly go down to the last month of the season drama of who's going to escape, but I think Wolves have really picked up they always look like they had a far better squad than the three teams below them Everton have picked up Moys has done a great job so yeah I can't see those three teams getting out of it now. I mean Palace were sort of you know in a bit of danger a few weeks ago weren't they but they've now had four straight away wins, I think. Yeah, you're right. Yeah, right. They're definitely.

And Premier League players though, that's what they had, didn't they? They have quality Premier League players, though they might have their limitations, as a collective unit, but they have Premier League players. And those newly promoted teams just don't, unfortunately. They don't have it. I think Ipchich, they've spent a lot of money but haven't really brought in a Premier League experienced player so it was always going to be a gamble. Leicester haven't spent enough, Southampton not good enough and Luke's right, it doesn't look good with these teams that have just come up from the championship going straight back down.

It means the gap is growing. OK, that's your lot. Thanks very much, Clinton. Thanks Luke. The next episode of Football Daily will be the Monday night club with Mark Chapman, Chris Sun and Rory Smith. So here's a question for you and I trust you guys so I will go with whatever your verdict is. I've just moved the keyboard here in the studio and behind the keyboard is a Malteser. I do not know how long the Malteser has been there. What colour? What do you mean? What colour is it? Is it the chocolate

faded? It's a Malteser. Oh right, I see what you meant. I genuinely thought you didn't know what a Malteser was or you thought it was an M&M. I knew what you meant. Oh, okay, right. It is a classic, well, hang on. It's a sort of- It's faded. Yeah, no, not too faded actually. It's quite- Rick, I'm gonna tell you now, do not eat that. Okay, Clinton's saying don't eat it.

Luke? I'm saying definitely eat it. It's such a, it's so clear that those were the answers I was gonna get from you. I knew Clinton would have my back and I knew that Luke wouldn't. Do the sniff test, sniff it. Don't really have a sense of smell. I mean, it just sort of smells like a Malteser. I mean it's probably fine but I'll leave it to one side. Thank you, thank you Clinton for looking after me.

What does it take to go racing in the fastest cars in the world? Oscar Piastri. Your head's trying to get roofed one way, your body's trying to go another. Lance Stroll. It's very extreme in the sense on how close you're racing wheel to wheel. We've been given unprecedented access to two of the most famous names in Formula One, McLaren and Aston Martin.

I'm Landon Harris, racing driver for McLaren Formula One team. They opened the doors to their factories as the 2024 season reached its peak. They work to build a beautiful bit of machinery that I get to then go and have fun in. I'm Josh Hartnett. This is F1 back at base. Listen on BBC sounds. So I'm still looking at this Malteser. Eat it. Eat it. Rick, just go for it mate. Can

we go for it? Yes. Okay, we're going in. We're going in. Go on mate. Just make sure you text me tomorrow to tell me you're alright. Oh that is, that is old. That is old. That is old. That is old. But don't get it around it, that is old. Agent Clinton came in at the end. There was a lot of crunching going on there,

and I could tell, the more teasers, he has got a bit of crunch, but too much. I saw his face as he bit into it. Have some water, have a drink mate, wash it down. I'm getting the water down, don't you worry about that. Shouldn't have done that. Thanks fellas. Cheers.

Look forward to the next one. If you're alive.