Think the past couple of months have been, er, sticky for Spurs? You ain’t seen nothing yet.

The night before the final day in May 2006, Spurs just needed to beat West Ham to pip Arsenal to the fourth and final Champions League place – but then, they s****ed themselves because of a dodgy lasagne. 

Marcus, Pete, Vish and Jim reinvestigate one of the most dramatic plot twists to any Premier League season ever!

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It is true that Manchester United and Arsenal had contrasting seasons in terms of their league position and trophy aspirations. While Arsenal led the Premier League for a significant portion of the campaign, they were unable to maintain their form and secure the title. On the other hand, Manchester United may not have reached Arsenal’s level in the league, but they have the opportunity to finish the season with two trophies.

The decision to prioritise the league over cup competitions was a calculated risk for Arsenal, but it ultimately did not yield the desired outcome. While some Arsenal fans may feel disappointed by the lack of silverware, others take pride in the team’s progress throughout the season.

Fans of both clubs have been engaged in debates about which team had the better campaign. Manchester United supporters point to their potential trophy haul as evidence of a successful season, while Arsenal fans highlight their team’s improvement and league performance.

Rio Ferdinand, a former Manchester United player, has expressed his opinion on the matter, stating why he believes United’s season is superior to Arsenal’s.

Speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel, Ferdinand said: “Have Man United had a better season than Arsenal? If you were just laying it down and saying if you’re a player, do you want to finish fourth and win a trophy, whatever trophy that is, or third and win a trophy and qualify for the Champions League, or second, no trophy but be involved in the title race?

Arsenal is continuing its tradition of honouring fans who tragically passed away during the season at the end of their campaign. As one of the most popular clubs in the world with a large and devoted fanbase, Arsenal values the strong connection it has with its supporters.

In a heartfelt gesture, the club has announced that it will pay tribute to fans who have lost their lives during the course of the season. Prior to their final home game of the campaign, Arsenal will display the names of these dedicated supporters on a cannon, symbolizing their lasting impact and remembrance within the club.

This initiative aims to bring the fans even closer to the organisation and acknowledges the significant role they play in the success and spirit of Arsenal Football Club. It is a poignant reminder of the enduring bond between the club and its loyal supporters, as they come together to honor those who have passed away.

The club announced through its website:

“This season, we have been contacted by the loved ones of significantly more supporters than previous years – many of whom will have featured as obituaries in the matchday programme. 

Arsenal is actively searching for midfield reinforcements as they aim to strengthen their squad for the upcoming season under Mikel Arteta. Recognizing the midfield as an area requiring improvement, the Gunners have set their sights on players who can make a significant impact.

While Declan Rice has been identified as a target, Arsenal’s ambitions extend beyond just one player. The club has also been linked with the likes of Mason Mount and Moises Caicedo, and they have now added Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot to their list.

According to Fichajes.net, Arteta is interested in working with Rabiot, who is set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The Frenchman is expected to leave Juventus and is open to discussions with potential suitors, potentially including Arsenal.

Whether or not Arsenal will meet Rabiot’s demands remains to be seen, but he has become one of their primary targets as they seek to strengthen their midfield ahead of the new season.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Tony Cascarino has put forward the suggestion that Mason Mount could be an ideal signing for Arsenal to replace Granit Xhaka, who is set to leave the club in the summer, as Chelsea and the player are reportedly struggling to reach an agreement on a new contract.

Despite Chelsea’s significant investments in the transfer market in recent seasons, they are apparently unable to meet Mount’s demands. Cascarino expressed his surprise and frustration at this situation and was subsequently asked about the club he believes would be a good fit for the midfielder, to which he suggested Arsenal.

He said via Talk Sport:

“I look at Arsenal as probably the best fit for him, because I think he can do the Xhaka role really well.

“Mason will always get goals, he’s got a great eye for the goal, he’s a good finisher and he will always chip in. He’s very capable of getting ten-plus goals a season, and I think he’d fit well in this Arsenal team.” 

Former professional footballer Gabby Agbonlahor has advised Arsenal against taking shortcuts as they aim to rebuild their team and become a strong force in the Premier League once again.

Arsenal showcased their potential in the league this season, coming close to defeating Manchester City and challenging for the title. Mikel Arteta’s side will be eager to maintain this level of performance in the upcoming campaign and have been linked with high-profile signings such as Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice.

Both midfielders are highly regarded in the Premier League and would require a significant financial investment from Arsenal. However, there have been reports suggesting that Arsenal might opt for a more cost-effective option in Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.

Agbonlahor believes that signing Lavia would be a shortcut for Arsenal and may not yield the desired results. Instead, he suggests that the club should focus on making substantial investments in top-quality players to ensure long-term success rather than opting for cheaper alternatives.

He tells Football Insider:

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is planning a squad overhaul at the end of the season, with several players set to be offloaded to make way for new additions.

One player who is likely to leave the club is Granit Xhaka, who has been with Arsenal for a significant period of time. Xhaka is expected to make a move to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, signalling the end of his tenure at the Emirates Stadium.

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is another player who could be on his way out of Arsenal. Despite being a product of the club’s academy, Maitland-Niles has spent the last two seasons on loan at AS Roma and Southampton. Following Southampton’s relegation this season, Maitland-Niles is now considered a free agent and is available to find a new club.

Although Arsenal has the option to trigger a one-year extension on Maitland-Niles’ contract, Football Insider reports they have decided against doing so. This means the player will be able to pursue opportunities elsewhere as a free agent.

By parting ways with Xhaka and Maitland-Niles, Arsenal aims to make room for new signings and bring in players who will enhance the squad’s quality and professionalism under Arteta’s leadership.

Arsenal director Edu Gaspar has rejected the notion that the Gunners “bottled” the Premier League title despite occupying the top spot for a significant portion of the season.

At the start of the campaign, Mikel Arteta’s team aimed to secure a top-four finish. However, as they consistently held the leading position in the league standings, aspirations within the club shifted towards winning the title.

While Arsenal’s fans had high hopes and expectations, the team ultimately fell short of claiming the championship. Some supporters have expressed their disappointment, attributing the failure to “bottling” the title.

Edu, however, disagrees with this assessment telling ESPN Brasil:

“Saying Arsenal ‘bottled’ is a word I wouldn’t use, we created our own frustration. Nobody expected us to fight for the title. You being frustrated about not winning the title is a change of mind. It could even be considered, let’s say, positive, considering times ago. In the past, we celebrated the fourth place, the third. Today, we are frustrated with the second.”

Arsenal has identified West Ham United’s Declan Rice as their primary transfer target for the upcoming season as they seek to strengthen their squad in the next transfer window.

Arsenal has shown significant progress in the current campaign, establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the league. The team’s performances have highlighted the managerial abilities of Mikel Arteta, and the club is eager to provide him with the right players to further improve their squad.

Declan Rice is seen as a key target for Arsenal, and they aim to make him their marquee signing once the current season concludes. However, they face stiff competition from other clubs, including Chelsea and Real Madrid.

Football London has been closely monitoring the developments surrounding Rice’s career in recent weeks, and while it is not yet a done deal, the report suggests that Rice has rejected offers from Chelsea and Madrid. Furthermore, he has allegedly given his word to Arsenal, indicating a strong inclination towards joining the Gunners.

It is worth noting that transfer negotiations can be complex, and until official announcements are made, there is always a degree of uncertainty. However, the indications suggest that Arsenal is strongly pursuing Rice’s signature and is confident in their chances of securing the midfielder’s services.

It appears that Arsenal’s pursuit of Galatasaray’s Sacha Boey is facing competition from Brighton & Hove Albion. The French right-back has caught the attention of Arsenal, who see him as a potential first-choice option in that position.

Initially, Arsenal made an offer of around £14 million for Boey, but Galatasaray rejected the bid. This rejection has reportedly sparked a bidding war, with Brighton now entering the fray by submitting a £16 million offer, surpassing Arsenal’s initial bid, as reported by the Sun.

Galatasaray is said to be holding out for a fee of £20 million for the talented defender. With Brighton now seemingly leading the race, Arsenal will need to improve their offer significantly if they want to secure Boey’s services.

The situation remains fluid, and it remains to be seen whether Arsenal will come back with an improved bid to compete with Brighton and meet Galatasaray’s valuation for Sacha Boey.

Just Arsenal Opinion

Arsenal has received positive news regarding the future of Reiss Nelson, as the young attacker is now expected to commit to a new long-term contract with the club.

Nelson had a limited role in the previous season, but his performances and contributions convinced Arsenal to reconsider their initial decision to let him leave in the summer.

Initially, the club offered him a short-term deal, but Nelson declined the offer and garnered interest from AC Milan and other clubs across Europe.

However, according to The Daily Mail, the player has now had a change of heart and is prepared to sign a new long-term contract, indicating his desire to continue his career at the Emirates.

This development will be seen as a significant boost for Arsenal, as they aim to retain their key players while also attracting new talent to the club.

West Ham are in a European final! Sheffield Wednesday gave us one of the most dramatic nights of the season! And José Mourinho’s Roma… yeah, well they drew 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen and had one shot to progress to the final of the Europa League. Vintage.

Marcus, Vish, David and Jim chew on all of that with their Bobby Dazzlers (more on that, too) and discuss why Frank Lampard’s Chelsea will definitely halt Manchester City’s march to the title on Sunday. Plus, an unlikely gripe with construction sites in Birmingham and Vish’s even more unlikely obsession with Cesare Maldini. If you’re listening, Cesare…

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Dotun and Andy are joined by Miguel Delaney to discuss perhaps THE best single performance by an English team in Europe we’ve ever seen and what has brought us to this moment.

We also speculate about the future for Real Madrid and whether this should really signal for a changing of the guard, both on the pitch and in the dugout. And would you rather be Inter - with a Champions League final to look forward to but sat on a ticking financial time bomb - or AC Milan - with a squad full of young talent - right now?

Plus, we have a message for Barcelona: don’t do ring-a-ring-a-roses to celebrate a title win at your most hated rival’s stadium!

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You know what is far from perfect though? DJ Grealo’s set in the metaverse! That’s right, Pete went in there and he brings news.

Pete, Vish and Jim munch on that, how Man City’s continued march to European silverware has left us feeling, and one of the best 45 minutes of football we’ve ever seen, which left even Don Carlo and his eyebrows completely powerless.

We also discuss the real treble: Vish and his friends losing three phones on a night out in Bath in the noughties and retrieving all three within 24 hours.

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With Borussia Dortmund and Bayern locked in an epic title race, Andy had to head over to Dortmund to share the roar of the Yellow Wall for a crucial showdown with Borussia Mönchengladbach. He speaks to former Dortmund player Patrick Owomoyela about that fabled atmosphere and meets some very unusual Dortmund fans who have come all the way from… Dumbarton?!

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Close to 10 years to the day since Sir Alex Ferguson’s final game as manager of Manchester United, we had to look back at the defining game of his career. Or really, the defining two minutes of it.

Marcus Speller, Luke No-friends-at-the-pub Moore and Vithushan Wee Nipper Ehantharajah reminisce about Manchester United’s extraordinary turnaround against Bayern Munich and Ferguson’s role in it all. From the snooker with Jonathan Greening, to distracting a - erm - restless Roy Keane, and *that* iconic post-match interview. The Football Ramble, bloody hell.

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Leicester City are falling deeper into the mire and inexplicably Jonny Evans - the oldest man in the world - is the only one being asked to drag them out of it. 

Pete, Vish and Jim react to last night’s damaging defeat to Liverpool, while after Howard Webb’s appearance on Sky Pete reveals some exclusive audio of what video assistant referees and their on-pitch colleagues are REALLY saying to each other.

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It might be the fourth time we’ve said this, but Arsenal’s title dreams are surely, FINALLY over. Can someone tell Jim?

Pete, Jim, Vish and Andy hop aboard Jordan Pickford’s bouncy castle to react to that, Southampton and Rishi Sunak finally levelling down, and the chaos at Elland Road that definitely had Big Sam rubbing his hands but probably also biting through Patrick Bamford’s violin strings one by one. And it sounds like Mauricio Pochettino is destined for Chelsea – but Andy isn’t convinced by ‘Argentinian Alan Curbishley’…

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Marcus Speller returns! Open those gates to the weekend and run free. David Moyes is ready to cut some shapes, that’s for sure.

That troubling news aside, Marcus, Jim, Andy and Vish also chew the fat over new not-so-cunning Bond villain Sam Allardyce and his no doubt affectionate reunion with Newcastle’s away fans. Plus, Arsenal face a tough test (aka angry Roberto De Zerbi), the play-offs are here, and Neil Warnock’s launching an escape room!

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Nicky Bandini joins us from Milan to relive a truly once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere at San Siro.

How did Inter take control of this tie so decisively? We discuss 37-year-old (yes, 37-year-old!) Edin Džeko’s performance and ask where it went wrong for Milan.

After a week of celebrations, we also take in the significance of Napoli’s title win. Does it really matter if this is just a glorious one-off? Plus, one of the games in the season in Ligue 1 - followed by one its biggest bombshells. You’ll be glad to hear Hatem Ben Arfa got involved, of course.

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