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00:00Get the most insightful analysis on everything football every week.
00:16My name is Ayomidi Shuzbo and this is The Nutman.
00:19Yes, we're getting set for an important week for Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
00:25Nefresto face Nottingham Forest in midweek before playing Manchester United at the weekend.
00:31Here's a preview of the game against Nottingham Forest.
00:34My name is Ayomidi Shuzbo and this is The Nutman on Guardian TV.
00:43Yes, the Premier League title race is getting hotter by the minute and Organ is here to discuss the latest rollout of it.
00:49And great to have you on the show.
00:51Thank you very much. Always my pleasure.
00:53Yeah, absolutely. And first, let's talk about City Spurs before we talk about the title race.
00:59Manchester City, two nil loss against Liverpool at the weekend.
01:02But Tottenham are coming to this game with a lot of gusto.
01:06They defeated Ipswich Town 4-1 and there's a record to be broken as well.
01:11They have defeated Manchester United three times this season, but no side has done it to both Manchester clubs.
01:18So that's a record for Andrzej Pustekoglu.
01:20Who is overseeing what I could call a revival of Spurs so far in the last couple of matches?
01:28Yes, it's like a wounded dog for Tottenham.
01:33I can see that when you suffered a long time and you have the opportunity to actually get something, you go all out for it.
01:43So defeating Ipswich 4-1, it's a beautiful game because many of the players that were injured are beginning to come in.
01:52And this style of play is beginning to set in place again.
01:56And of course, playing against Manchester City, who just lost against Liverpool, it's...
02:02Maybe they are the wounded lions.
02:04Yes, they are the wounded lions.
02:05But I feel that it might be denting the mentality and the mindset as we speak right now, because they've lost back to back.
02:17They just defeated them out of Champions League against Real Madrid.
02:21And again, now they are losing to Liverpool, who is the potential title winner, you know, as it stands.
02:28And we all know that when it comes to Premier League, Man City is one of those teams that actually put a forceful effect to whichever person who is trying to win the Premier League.
02:40And they lost against Liverpool.
02:43We felt like they would have been the only team, as it were, to just pull them down a little bit, take a point.
02:50But as it is...
02:51You know, as it stands now for City, it does look like the only thing they are fighting for is to qualify for the Champions League.
02:57Yeah.
02:57Now, we have teams like Newcastle United, like Bournemouth, like Chelsea breathing down their necks.
03:03But for Tottenham as well, bearing in mind that record, bearing in mind the fact that, you know, they are also trying to gather some steam for the Europa League campaign.
03:12Do you think that Spurs have a chance against Man City?
03:15Usually, they always defeat Man City, right?
03:18But in this time, when City know that, look, this is season defining, you think that Spurs have a chance?
03:25Yes, definitely.
03:27The game is going to be played in Spurs Stadium.
03:30And the only team that Manchester City has defeated in the top six ranking, that we could say the normal top six ranking of the Premier League, that they've defeated them anyway, is Chelsea.
03:41They've been defeated at Etihad by Tottenham already.
03:45Yes, 4-0.
03:464-0.
03:47That was incredible.
03:48And back then, we could say that Manchester City were still quite better.
03:53I feel that the players of Manchester City are running out of form for now.
03:59Watching the weekend game, you can see that the new signings are just trying to blend in.
04:05I know they are also missing Erling Haaland.
04:07Yes, definitely.
04:09Yeah, definitely, definitely.
04:11But we don't know what the game entails as it were, but everything boils down to 90 minutes.
04:2090 minutes is going to determine the game.
04:23Right, then let's flip it and talk about Arsenal, who have got an important week ahead.
04:29Firstly, they faced Nottingham Forest, who have been the surprise package of the season.
04:33And we're also talking about an Arsenal side that's quite weak.
04:37I mean, their options on front are all injured, most of them.
04:40The quality options, Bukhari Saka has not been available.
04:43Marsinelli is not around.
04:45Havertz is also out.
04:47You know, these are important players for them.
04:49And they will also face Manchester United at the weekend.
04:52Now, first against Nottingham Forest, how much of a chance are you giving them?
04:55Because Forest are looking like a serious team, although they lost to Newcastle United.
05:01But you can see the fighting spirit to come back from 4-1 down, or thereabouts, and they ended 4-3.
05:07They have goals in them, Arsenal do not at this point.
05:10You see, it's another definition of another wounded lion.
05:15They just lost a game during the weekend, and now they are playing against Arsenal,
05:20who is almost dead, because their attacking players are on injury.
05:27I think they only have three persons.
05:29And there was a red card too, in the weekend.
05:31Yeah, Marsinelli's killing.
05:33I don't think anyone can argue against that red card this time.
05:36No, not at all. It was a serious one.
05:39It's well deserved.
05:41And similar intent, to stop a counter-attack.
05:44Definitely, it's a red card.
05:47But, for the game, I believe Nottingham Forest is a more compact team compared to Arsenal, as we speak.
05:56The players are really, really put in it.
05:58Yes, like you said, they were down by goals, and they were gradually coming up.
06:04I believe that if about five or ten minutes more was added to that game, the game would have been 4-4.
06:11But let me ask you now, if, and it's a big if, if Arsenal somehow fail to pick up a result,
06:18I mean, three points against Nottingham Forest at the city ground,
06:21which makes it even more difficult.
06:23If they do not, should we call the title race over?
06:26Because now, as we speak, it's 11 points that Liverpool have as an advantage.
06:31That's the end. That is the end.
06:33I believe that Arsenal and Atleta have successfully...
06:39Let me say this, they are one of the teams that have successfully put their fans to always longing for next season.
06:50It's a suspense for the Arsenal team. It's a suspense for their fans.
06:56We specifically spoke about this concerning last season.
07:00Towards the end of last season, they experienced something like this,
07:03where players are going on injury, fatigue begins to set in place.
07:07But who do you have on your bench that you can bank on?
07:10And they had the summer transfer window, they had January, but they did not address the problem.
07:15Exactly. So I mentioned specifically that Atleta not signing a striker is actually an issue,
07:21because there will be times when you bank on the striker.
07:25I believe that by now, if there was a striker, if he's not on injury, in court, then now they should be.
07:30They play a beautiful game from the back, but the finish is the most important thing.
07:35And this is what has helped Liverpool so far.
07:38You see Salah scoring goals, you see Diaz scoring goals, even Nunes.
07:42Yes, he might lose so many chances, but when he comes in, he contributes to the game.
07:46And much later in the week, Manchester United will look to heap more misery on them, wouldn't they?
07:50Although Manchester United are not so much in a good place, as we speak.
07:55Yes, but it's a serious game.
07:59When those two teams meet, at Old Trafford, they're always looking forward to play for the pedigree.
08:08For the pride, for bragging rights and all that.
08:10Because that's the more important thing now.
08:12Both sides are more likely not to achieve their objectives.
08:15Although Man United, now the objective is to stay afloat and not get relegated.
08:20Yes, I feel that mathematically, it's not possible for Manchester United to be relegated.
08:26But I believe that they will not want to end the season at this position.
08:31They will want to go further.
08:33And if they want to go further, they are meeting Arsenal.
08:36Arsenal is part of the teams they are meeting.
08:38Then they definitely want to, you know, defeat or, you know...
08:43The situation on ground is, if Arsenal is able to defeat Nottingham Forest for the midweek game,
08:52definitely they will go all out to defeat Manchester United, no matter what happens.
08:57All right, finally, Ogan, your prediction.
09:00We have to leave now.
09:03For Arsenal against Nottingham Forest, I say it's going to be a tight fight, a serious one.
09:11But as you say, because of the resources Nottingham Forest have at the moment.
09:16So I go with Nottingham Forest against Arsenal.
09:19All right, thank you.
09:20Thank you very much, Ogan.
09:22And thank you for watching this edition of The Nutmeg.
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09:37Again, Ogan, thank you so much.
09:38It's always a pleasure.
09:40Always my pleasure.
09:41Thank you very much.
09:42And surely we'll see you in the next one.
09:44Bye for now.