Manchester City (h) - Instant Reaction

Thanks for the pod guys! I have to say at the end of the first half I felt so proud of the team and how they played I couldn't stop smiling, knowing that the game could shift at any point. I honestly believe this group of players (with a few additions) could be a truly great team. For that I must give props to Arteta. I'm just looking forward to watching them play again. 😁

As always love the perspective fellas, and who knew spicy Clive is my favorite Clive!??! This is definitely the most excited I've been with an Arsenal team in a long time. Keep up the good work, COYG.

I've now watched this game 3 times. There's no way, these 2 teams were refereed in the same way. If Gabriel got booked for wat he was supposed to of done to the penalty spot, then God help us. Then again Mike Reily is in charge of them, so we shouldn't really be surprised. I dispise him, he is and always has been 100% incompetent.

Thanks for the podcast guys! Gutted for the result. I find myself questioning what the purpose of the PGMOL is. Rather than trying to make the standard of refereeing better, they seem to be more interested in deflecting blame from the officials and providing PR after the decisions.

Brilliant podcast as always. Happy new year to all of you. Can't wait to see how far this team can go

Thanks again boys. Like you said, sucks that instead of talking about how they outplayed the best team in the world, officiating was again a topic of discussion. My issue with the penalty, how can this behavior be enabled that you earn a pen by diving. Contact was made, Bernardo took a step, then clearly after the contact, flailed. How do you see that on vAr and give the pen?

Clive brilliant as always. Nailed it with the Gabriel 2nd Yellow

I,m enjoying this season .I,m enjoying this group of players . I,m enjoying this podcast . I,m enjoying the PROCESS.

Clive. Nailed it. He couldn't get that second yellow out quick enough. They should have a responsibility to keep 11 v 11. Unless it's reckless dangerous or preventing a goal scoring opportunity. They never do. And consistency. Is it to much to ask for.

wow, don't think i've ever heard Clive so angry.( or passionate ?)....loved it :)..and his point was absolutely valid ( about referee's putting their obligation to maintaining a real and fair contest in a game above everything else)

Clive is brilliant in this one. So spot on. Ref was terrible at managing the game.

And I loved sweary, angry Clive too on the pod!

Excellent pod. I was at the game and the atmosphere was terrific, the team played at a really high level, and small margins meant a defeat rather than a victory. On reflection, Gabriel has to learn from his sending off. We have to understand the overall environment on any given day, and yesterday it was clear the referee was not going to give us anything and was waiting to punish us. We shouldn’t give him the opportunity. That said, we were very hard done by and I was so proud of this team. I don’t dislike Xhaka and thought he played well, but he was a clear upgrade opportunity in yesterday’s starting line up IMO

On the refereeing, as a football club, i agree with both points. I want the players and coaches to highlight what Paul and Clive mention - terrible inconsistent refereeing. Bring this up on the pitch and off the pitch in press conferences. Put pressure on the ref. But behind closed doors, on the training pitch, the conversation between coaches and players have to focus on what Elliot mentioned - how to not put ourselves at the mercy of these refereeing moments.

Brilliant pod guys! Cathartic

Ah Geoff it’s great to see you here! If I can help out wirh any setup or anything else let me know. Email or DM on twitter always easiest since this messaging system isn’t the best. Happy new year!

Thought I’d join and support the best most entertaining podcast content on the www. Don’t tell anyone I said that 😂. Keep up the good work Gents, loving it.

Clive going in hard on this one, can’t disagree with any of delicious vitriol. This match was so hard to swallow but as long as we dust ourselves off and don’t let this get to us, we’re going places.

Great pod. About time we asserted ourselves as a club particularly through Mikel. He is consistently Mr Nice Guy when it comes to refs in post-match interviews. Pep, Klopp and the other big club managers don't let them get away with that and it's time Mikel started acting the same way.

Clive is one of those guys that when he gets pissed you’d better listen!!!! He’s right!!! Sending off is one of the most consequential calls in sport.

Both are from positions where I think it’s hard to ask him not to shoot. Maybe less so on the second one

Who gives me the therapy though? Lol All kidding aside I agree. This was a statement even despite the bad luck

Martinelli’s 2 near post misses should’ve been cutbacks to Ødegaard who was wide open, I have a much bigger issue with that than with the open goal miss on his weak foot

Nice one guys. You are amazing therapists. I’d add - this performance against probably the best team in the world and the stark impression it leaves of our potential is going to help our recruitment drive 10x. Who can doubt the direction we are now headed. Arteta is the man and given the wallet we should now be able to persuade the world’s best to join our journey.

The guy dove. What do you want him to do? Stand off and give him a shot? Hes not fast enough to cover that.

Can't wait to listen. We gave a proper game. Another shit London side would have been pulling up lame hamstrings for 20 minutes at the end

Milton

Love it fellas, fire up Clive!!

I got it covered 😂

Amen! Glad we have good heated and healthy conversations

I actually said just that about screening Mahrez - I have. I Xhaka agenda - just felt this game pushes him to the edge of his agility

Ps also love the fact we have this passion but also dialogue about it after too, great stuff guys 🙏👏❤️

‘MANAGE THE FUCKING GAME!’ Yes Clive!

82 F = 28 C. Opposite numbers makes it easier to get an approximate temp.

The effect of being by the pool 😂 🏊‍♀️

Can't say anything negative about Xhaka to Paul. For if 'we lose as a team and win as a team' then to improve the team we have to change the entire squad? Can't comment on any single players?

Best instant reaction for the last 2 seasons. Hearing some raw and unchecked emotions surprisingly not from Elliot is what keeps me in balance x

Not for the first time Xhaka’s biggest contributions are unseen. He spent most of the game doing a brilliant job screening Bernardo Silva and blocking the lane in to Mahrez. It won’t have come up on tv but his defensive/off the ball were hugely important. As much as we focus on things he can’t do, any replacement will need to do all off the ball work that he is great at.

Before all these big games we say we will be happy with a good and competitive performance rather than getting walked over as we’re prone to do. We did more than that today and played as well as we ever have under Arteta and should be happy, as hard as it is.

Cai

Needed this after a great performance but tough to take result. Well done guys! 👍 Don’t think I’ve heard Clive this pissed before 😂

yeah, it's pure revisionism to suggest the "ref burgled us". we played well and football can be a bit random from time to time. Xhaka needs to get way more focus.

Bingo - well said - I feel the referees are almost like groupies. We have to earn that from them

I think the referee consistency did and does always change with the flow of the game. Like Saka's yellow for descent was the ref trying to regain control of the game and was more to try and calm things down. So think refereeing consistency depends on gamestate too. Not saying its right, but yellow cards vary over the 90 minutes.

Jake Walker

I needed this therapy session.

We destroyed them but didn’t get any 50/50 decisions. Rodri continued to foul at will and never received a booking so he’d be on his toes . I don’t believe the ref cheated, that’s just ridiculous but this let it flow business suits a team like city who live on the margins in every challenge they make .

Referee was absolutely star struck with City.

This one hurt when they scored that winner! Can't help but feel that the big decisions sadly were our own fault - the red and the pen. Gabriel lost it and xhaka held onto the shirt for far too long and it was never gonna not be a pen. All I wanted pre game was to be in the game after 20 mins then at half time I thought we would get all 3 points. Football games can be a roller coaster of emotions and today had everything sadly!

When you see the run time for an instant reaction pod is… 1 HOUR TWENTY MINUTES! Oh yes, gutted about the result but looking forward to this therapy-despite the result I think we all know this is the way for our team and club. Promising start to 2022

If the EPL continues to do nothing about the level of officiating competence that is undermine the game, they are simply irresponsible. This was a stunning display of incompetence.

The team was amazing ….not a walk over like previous years ….can really see the change being built

Me to. We were brilliant. The refs must be getting direction to make the games as much of a spectacle as possible.

Proud and gutted. We need to keep our cool when the ref/VAR inevitably finds a way to influence the game/f*** us over. Looking forward to the pod.

Till when can you keep condoning Xhaka cannot understand him. So naive for such an exp player. When will we get get rid of him. Then to see him wear the arm band is horrible. Sure city got all the 50-50 decisions, but u cannot believe the incredible stupidity of Xhaka in the era of VAR. Extremely dissapointed but fair play to everyone else. They easily out the best performance under Arteta. Partey, saka and Martenelli absolute beasts.

So proud of the boys tonight.

If VAR / refs isn't stock falling I'm gonna lose my mind lads! Loved our football, hate the result.