Man City Face Their First REAL Test in Manchester Derby

0:00This podcast is part of the Sports Social Podcast Network. Hello and welcome to News Round with me, Scarlett. It is a busy night of football tonight. There is Champions League action even though it's a Thursday, which feels really strange. The first thing we're going to do is go through the results there and the fixtures that are underway. As we speak, Man United are wrapping up a four-nil victory over Sabah on their return to the competition. I'm going to share my screen so you can see Goal Scorers, Mateus Cunja, Bruno Fernandez, Benjamin Cesco, Latira Martineds. It's the usual Suspense plus Martineds. Is that enough of a thrashing against the Azerbaijanis Champions?

1:00Look, that was always going to be a bit of a walk over it. It's a really odd Champions League fixture. I feel like you don't often have that where you end up. That sounds like a Euro Perconference fixture. I think Arsenal had it last season with Kyrat Elmatti. Look, I think it's good if the Champions League is a broad church. We don't need to re-disegate the league phase conversation or whether it's a good idea. But it's not a very glamorous return for Man United to the Champions League really. Are the results in the competition? Fenerbahce, one-all Roma, PSV, one-all, Shakhtar, Bayern Munich of four-nil after against Bodeg, that actually... Bodeg, you know, away from home, is a slightly different beast than facing them at the Allianz as Bayern are. We'll have a look at the Goal Scorers there, Missyala, Kane, Alfonso Davis, a goal from Michael Alise. So again, that's the usual suspects. Bayern looked very strong this year as they did last year.

2:04It'll be really interesting to see what they've changed and how they've changed in order to go the distance in the Champions League. Komo, on their debut in the competition against Leipzig, four-one. I mean, that is really impressive. I know they're at home, but like as far as I'm concerned, I would not have been able to call that fixture in terms of who I thought was the clear favourite. It didn't feel certainly like Komo worth four-one win at favourites. So I think for them to win so resoundingly on their return to the competition certainly makes you think, okay, they've got a chance for top-a playoffs and it would be a lovely away trip. I know United are visiting Komo on a match week in the Champions League. And overall, what SES Fabricass is doing there, who SES Fabricass is. I never would want to wish the end of Michael Alise had his tenure as an Arsenal, but if, and God forbid, if his tenure ever came to an end, I've got to say,

3:13SES Fabricass is the man who I would want to come in and replace him. Other results in the Champions League starting to trickle in. We've just, I've just told you about the Man United result. Slavia Prague, two-o'-longs. Lones were very impressive last season, second in Leaghan. Slavia Prague Arsenal absolutely thrashed their place last season in Leipzig. Well, and as we speak, as we speak, Lones have got what I imagine will be a late winner, at winner, Agui Lá. So that's that on the Champions League, match week one over, big takeaways, Arsenal fantastic, Man City cruising in Porto, two goals from Holland, who always has fantastic early season. Liverpool showing some fight, United back winning in the Champions League, who would have thought Barcelona absolutely unstoppable.

4:17It'll be really interesting, be really exciting to see what happens this season. I don't think there's been any major shocks thus far. I do think it's, you know, somewhat shocking that Koma have racked up that score as early in their Champions League campaign as they are. But overall, I think a satisfying match day for the Champions, for the Premier League teams, Liverpool coming from a goal down, will do their confidence the world of good, or they're by all accounts, they're blue, hot and cold in that game. Other news to bring you, and this is exciting for Arsenal. I'm probably not so exciting for the rest of the league. Mick and I'll tell you close to finalising a new contract with Arsenal. Guys, is that the biggest signing of the summer quite possibly for Arsenal? I think Mick and Al Teter, what he has done for this club since 2020 when he came in 2019, actually. It's intangible and it's also very obvious, you know.

5:22I don't think Mick Al Teter is a rocket scientist, and I certainly don't think he was a rocket scientist when he joined the club. I think he's someone who's been very open to the lessons that he can learn, to how he can improve. He's not just a printout of Pep Guaio, that he is very much his own man, his own entity as a manager. And what he's done for Arsenal, the success he's brought to the club, who Arsenal are today compared to who they were then. I'm going to get up, Mick Al Teter's first, what was his first 11th Arsenal, here we go, Arsenal 1 or Bournemouth. I'm just finding a lineup for you. Here we go. This is Artheter's first lineup for Arsenal. I think it just puts into contact how much the club has changed since he's been there.

6:22So it was a one-all draw away at Bournemouth, which, you know, isn't the worst result in the world. Lacazette led the line of Bamiang off the left, who arguably is still the best striker we've had during Mick Al Teter's time at the club. I mean, that's not a bad front three, but just certainly not a Mick Al Teter front three. Reese Nelson on the right, Jacques, you know, actually somebody who I think was a very early character in Arsenal's rebuild. Lucas Tarrera, who, you know, I actually can see parallels between him and Martin Dupamendi. Saka, the Chiosaka left back, number 77, a centre-back pairing of Socrata and David Louise. And Ainsie made a analysis, he's been in the headlines recently for Everton at Right Back and Burn Leonard. So look, there are some seeds of something in that lineup. I think seeing the Chiosaka at left back is amusing, charming, gives you a warm fuzzy feeling in your stomach because you know now who he is for this club.

7:22But, you know, I think it was you and I am a who gave the Chiosaka his debut. I do believe that the Chiosaka's trajectory is so intrinsically linked with Mick Al Teter's. And you can totally thank Mick Al Teter for a lot of the development of Chiosaka, a lot of the development of the Chiosaka's, you know, an elite player and a really top quality. That's not the word I'm looking for, but a really great human being. I think we all know that Saka is a really kind man now. And the fact that Saka is a man looking at him standing over the corners on the weekend against Chelsea, I think just tells you, you know, I'm also more in the thick of the winning now. They're in the good times right now. And we've got to enjoy it. We've got to enjoy the sunshine because Mick Al Teter brought us into the light and he changed the mentality of the team. And we know anybody watching knows how difficult that is to do.

8:25Unai Emery clearly a talented coach, clearly an intelligent coach, but did not have the communication skills, the gravitas to pull those players together. I want to come on to the actual details of the contract because I think one point that I would like to make. You know, is this point is related to this line here. Just showing my screen, well play sources indicate that those discussions move forward recently. So I think that kind of puts into context last season. I know that our Teter was reticent to discuss it during last season, but it really did feel like last season was a moment that a Rubicon, and had to cross and our Teter had to cross in order to be able to continue. And so I run it because of how good we've been. We we were all of these things all along, you know, reason why we've asked up in so good lately is in large part down to Kai Havats and and

9:32you know, Marznow de Gard, who are you know very early parts of this or Marznow de Gard in particular and early part of this are Teter project. But I don't I truly believe and I mentioned this fabric as earlier. There is a genuine doubt as to whether Mick and Artetta would still be here if we had quote, bottle-deleague last season. So I think that's a really interesting one to think about. And I'm so glad to see that he is signing a new deal. I do think being an elite manager is really, really draining. I think thankfully, you know, this is still Artetta's first managerial job. Hopefully he's got gas in the tank, but you can see it. The level of quote, intensity, you have to have to succeed. There will be, there will be a day that comes where he gets tired and he wants to do something else. And I think we can't begrudge him that. And I can't believe I'm saying that.

10:32So moving on, I want to look ahead to the Premier League fixtures this weekend. We've got this and one more before the international break. I mean, honestly, a three-week international break. The less said about that, the better. So Liverpool, early kickoff on Saturday, not early kickoff, sorry. Liverpool, three o'clock on Saturday. This is really something that I think is a bit of a shame. I mean, Liverpool are home against the Flammer and absolute disseratement, so it shouldn't affect them too much. But Wednesday night to Saturday, I know they weren't traveling. I just think that's a bit crap. I think if you play on Wednesday, you've got to play Sunday. Otherwise, it's just like playing in the Europa League and you get absolutely no recovery. Palace against Ipswich, you would think Palace would be favourites there. They got their first win of the season against Fulham on the weekend. Ipswich, I'm not sure I would call them impressive travelers. But they look spirited and they look up

11:32for the fight of staying in this. The Bournemouth, the Brentford, is the battle. The first battle of the smart teams in the division. You've back Bournemouth there, but you wouldn't, you wouldn't overlook Brentford in that contest. But I think Bournemouth will win. Two draw against Newcastle on the weekend. They probably should have won that game. It's kind of hard not to think of Bournemouth as the Bournemouth of Adonio Raiola. We don't quite know who they are on the Marco Rosa, but we know Brentford are on the Keith Adreus and that is hard to beat, impressive, physical, strong. Moving on, Midland Starby, Villevus is forest. Again, I would expect Aslan Villev to win that game despite their portfolio, they're still yet to win. They have one point on the board this season. But I haven't seen enough of Forest to comment on them, you know, accurately this season, but Villev Park, they'll be up for it. I mean, I think Villev will get it together at some point soon.

12:36Chelsea against the Tigers, God, how I'd love for the Lions to be mauled by the Tigers. Unfortunately, I don't quite see it away from home. Spurs hosting Everton late afternoon kickoff, that's a really good chance for Spurs to get points on the board. I don't see them as good travelers under David Moise. That may be entirely wrong and it may just be a hunch, but I just think if there is a chance to go and get three points, it's in a kind of away again that Everton aren't particularly up for. And then Arsenal traveled to Sunderland in the late kickoff that evening. That is going to be really tough. I think Sunderland, the away game, came ended Arsenal's winning streak in November where they just suddenly got it all together off the back of the Liverpool defeat and just looked unstoppable and going to Sunderland. That was a real, you know, wow, we're in a bear pit. And it will be a bear pit again under the lights.

13:37It's not easy. I do think at some point you've got to believe that the stats will catch up to Sunderland. Is this season going to be the season? They haven't played in Europe this week. Arsenal have their rested. We'll see. I think it's going to be really tough. I would be really thrilled with a win. I know we go away to Brighton next, so it doesn't get much easier. And Brighton kind of hate Arsenal. Anyway, moving on, Coventry host Brighton, that would be a great moment for Coventry to get their first points, actually. I don't back them to do it. I think Brighton at decently season, as they always do. And then, of course, the game, the one that we've all been waiting for, the Manchester Derby, which I think will be a really good litmus test for both sides. City of one, their first three games, and obviously they won in Europe this week, 2-0. Harland, of course, naturally, because it's the early season is in good form. I still look at Manchester City, and I think, how can you possibly account

14:39for the departure of Roderick, despite the players that you've brought in? And United, I mean, a win, a draw and a loss, mid-table form. So for them, it will be a really huge moment to try and assert themselves as challenges, as European threats. They've won in Champions League this week. Rounding off the fixtures leads against Newcastle. That will be lively on Monday night under the lights. And that is me for Newsround. Guys, tune in to EPL Index on Monday evening. Me and I will be live with a gold difference. Thank you very much and good night.