Arsenal have smashed their transfer record for the third time in two years, bringing in Nicolas Pepe from Lille. It's a signing that seemed impossible just a week ago, but here he is. Joining me to talk about Pepe the player is Matt Spiro, and we discuss his arrival, the kind of player he is, and more, as well as William Saliba, Laurent Koscielny and Matteo Guendouzi. Then I'm joined by Clive Palmer to delve into the Pepe deal, what it says about us as a club, the message it sends, the impact he'll have on the squad and the way we plays, and loads more besides, including a defensive discussion.

Follow Matt @mattspiro and Clive @clivepafc

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Our pre-season fixtures are finished, next up it's the opening game of the new campaign against Newcastle. James and I reflect on the Barcelona game and pre-season as a whole, as well as gauging our readiness as the Premier League looms. There's been excitement in the transfer market, and from young players, but there are question marks hanging over certain areas of the team, in particular the defence. Will we be able to find answers before the transfer window closes on Thursday? Then we have lots of listener questions about our centre-half situation, what kind of a season we can expect from Mesut Ozil, loaning or keeping young players, our line-up for Sunday and loads more besides. 

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As is tradition, it's time for the first of our season preview podcasts with Ken Early of Second Captains. We chat about subscriptions, the new rules coming into the Premier League this season – in particular VAR and wonder about the impact it will have on things. Then there's discussion of each of the top five, including Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal, before Ken reminds me we forgot Sp*rs. There's loads here, including worries about Arsenal's defence – all before we heard about the David Luiz news, so we'll cover that on the next show.

Follow Ken @kenearlys and visit secondcaptains.com

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Arsenal added to their backline at last, but left it late, bringing in David Luiz from Chelsea and Kieran Tierney from Celtic just before the close of the transfer window. I'm joined by Andrew Allen and Tayo Popoola to chat about the signings, and the transfer window as a whole, before we get a Celtic point of view on the new left back. Kevin Graham is a Celtic fan who has watched Tierney establish himself in the team, so we get some insight into what kind of a player he is, and what he can bring to the club. Then there's a chat with James about our deadline day business, the departure of Alex Iwobi to Everton, and Eddie Nketiah's loan move to Leeds. It's a bumper episode, enjoy.

Follow: @AAllenSport - @DJTayo & @anorthernprose of @ACSOMPOD

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The brand new Premier League season has kicked off and Arsenal beat Newcastle away from home and kept a clean sheet in the process. We chat about the game itself, the team selection, Aubameyang's goal, Maitland-Niles contribution to it, and the importance of chipping away at that difficult away record we've had over the last couple of seasons. We discuss the debutantes, the changes Unai Emery made during the game and what they might tell us about his approach this season, and reflect on what was a positive start to the new campaign. Then we have questions about the Mesut Ozil/Sead Kolasinac situation, the young players who played yesterday, how soon we might see David Luiz in defence, who might depart before the European transfer windows close, and lots more.

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On this week's show I'm joined by Amy Lawrence to chat about the summer business that Arsenal did, and how it's got people excited again. We discuss the way the club is being run, the improved decision making – highlighted by the way the Eddie Nketiah loan deal was sorted out. Then there's young players, Unai Emery's approach this season, the impact Edu might have on Arsenal's identity, and lots more, including a look ahead to the Burnley game and some Holy God FM.

Follow Amy @AmyLawrence71

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On this week's show James and I reflect on the 2-1 win over Burnley at the Emirates on Saturday. The two strikers got the goals, but there was a lot to like about our performance, in particular the home debut of Dani Ceballos, and his midfield partners Joe Willock and Matteo Guendouzi. We also chat about the home debuts for David Luiz and Nicolas Pepe, and what they might bring to the team over the course of this season, before we answer questions about playing out from the back, Emery's philosophy, what kind of a team we might pick for Liverpool on Saturday, our top four rivals, VAR and lots more.

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On this week's show I chat to David Ornstein about his interview this week with Josh Kroenke. What did he make of the new public face of KSE's Arsenal ownership? Will this increased openness and willingness to communicate continue? What are the benefits for the club and for fans? We speak about all that, plus the summer business we did in the transfer market, the changing of the executive structures with Edu's arrival, the budget we operated under and lots more. Then, ahead of the Liverpool game on Saturday, I'm joined in studio by the Mugsmasher for some pre-Anfield waffle.

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On this week's show James and I disagree in a big way about the way Arsenal approached the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool. He saw logic in the game plan, I felt we just put ourselves under too much pressure allowing the full backs the time and space down the wings. We chat about the tactics, the team selection, the way the game could have gone with better finishing from Arsenal, Unai Emery's chameleon rearing its head again, as well David Luiz and his part in the defeat, plus the positives we definitely did agree on. Then we answer questions about our team for the derby against Sp*rs, Mesut Ozil's absence in a big away game again, Nacho Monreal's potential departure and lots more.

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On this week's show I'm joined by Tim Stillman, Lewis Ambrose and Andrew Allen to discuss the week that was, including: The tactical discussion around the Liverpool game and whether we're still looking to understand Unai Emery; Lucas Torreira; the midfield in general, and who exactly is going to be key this season; Granit Xhaka's fallen out of favour with many, but does he still have a role to play; and we look ahead to the North London derby and wonder if Sunday is when the manager will deploy the front three everyone wants to see. There's also some chat around Nacho Monreal's probable departure and a bit on the captaincy too.

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James is on holidays this week, so to pore over the 2-2 draw in the North London derby I'm joined by Tayo Popoola. We chat about the first half mistakes which gifted them two goals, not least the penalty conceded by Granit Xhaka. There's some discussion about him, his role in the team and the frequency of those errors which raise questions about the coach's decisions too, as well a lot on our comeback, the goals of Lacazette and Aubameyang, how Ceballos helped change the dynamic, and a fantastic performance from Matteo Guendouzi. Then we answer listener questions about Henrikh Mkhitaryan's departure, young players like Nelson and Willock, what the future holds for Mesut Ozil and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Sokratis and the centre of our defence, and loads more. 

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Like most women's teams, Arsenal have had their fare share of stories to tell when it comes to anterior cruciate ligament injuries. On the one hand, Jordan Nobbs made her long awaited return from an ACL injury during August, coming on as a second half substitute before scoring in a 6-0 victory over Spurs. Tim and Pippa caught up with Jordan exclusively for the podcast just after that game.

On the flipside, Danielle Carter ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament for the second time in 14 months during the Emirates Cup game against Bayern Munich. The game was her first start since her last ACL injury and it's a difficult one to take for her, mentally as well as physically.

Female footballers are somewhere between 4-6 times more likely to rupture their ACL than their male counterparts. Tim and Pippa spoke to knee surgeon Pete Gallacher, who has performed plenty of ACL reconstructions, about what the injury is, what the surgery and recovery entails and why women are so much more susceptible to it.

We also have reaction to the Champions League draw with Fiorentina and Tim and Pippa pick out their players to watch for the season ahead and we have a cameo appearance from Danielle van de Donk. All that on this month's episode of the Arsenal Women Arsecast.

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I'm away on holiday this week, so no regular Arsecast, but instead here's one that originally appeared on our Patreon feed. It's part of a series called The Players, and in this episode I chat to Philippe Auclair about Robert Pires, his career at Arsenal, favourite goals and moments, and much more. Enjoy.

Sign up to become a Patreon member at patreon.com/arseblog

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We're back after holidays, and on this week's Interlull heavy show we discuss Per Mertesacker whose new book comes out this week, touching on his job as Academy manager, his playing career, and how he's trying to shape the next generation of young Arsenal talent. There's a round-up of the scant Arsenal news, including injury worries for Granit Xhaka, the departure of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, and how Europa League and Carabao Cup could be very useful for us this month. We then answer listener questions about young English players, Nacho Monreal's legacy, Lucas Torreira and how he fits into the team under Unai Emery, Ceballos or Ozil for the Watford game, Arsene Wenger's upcoming biography and lots more including wasp picnics and slippery nuts. 

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On this week's show I'm joined Sid Lowe to discuss Dani Ceballos. Sid's interview with him in the Guardian this week was fantastic, and we tease a few things out such as the player's relationship with Zinedine Zidane, how this loan move is as much an opportunity for Arsenal as Ceballos, and the prospects of him staying beyond this season. After that I chat with the Man from East Lower about Granit Xhaka, the emergence of Joe Willock and the potential reshaping of our midfield, the soon to return Hector Bellerin and soon to debut Kieran Tierney, the front three, and more including some wistful memories of Freddie Ljungberg.

Follow Sid: @Sidlowe

Follow Jim: @eastlower

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On this week's show we pore over the 2-2 draw with Watford on Sunday, and what feels like a significant day for Unai Emery in his Arsenal career. Having been 2-0 up at the break, we were lucky not to lose, and the second half performance in particular raises serious questions about the manager and his team. Why do we allow so many shots? Why do we concede so many penalties? Is there enough accountability? Is there something in the culture at the club that accepts too many individual mistakes? We go into it in detail, from the goals we scored to the ones we conceded, what the result says about this team and its character, and what it means for Emery who is finding the tide of public opinion turning against him. All that, plus listener questions about the Europa League, Aubameyang's contract, Calum Chambers, Pepe's impact so far and lots more. 

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On this week's show I'm joined by Andrew Allen to break down the 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. We start with the positives. Joe Willock shows his talent once again; Bukayo Saka announces himself with a sensational performance; and Emi Martinez impresses in goal. The Europa League needs to be a showcase for this young talent. Then we discuss the fact we allowed 24 attempts on goal, wonder how Unai Emery is going to make this team more defensively stable, and look ahead to the Villa game at the weekend. All that and a little bit of waffle.

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On this week's show we discuss the 3-2 win over Aston Villa which saw ten man Arsenal twice come from behind to take three important Premier League points. Does the comeback paper over the cracks though? It was another worrying performance, particularly in the first half – can Unai Emery's team continue to play like this and expect to win games? We chat about the performance of Matteo Guendouzi, the reaction to Granit Xhaka and the implications for the captaincy decision, Pepe getting off the mark, Aubameyang's contribution and leadership skills, as well as listener questions about Mesut Ozil, the centre of our defence, the future of the manager and lots more.

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On this week's show I'm joined by James Benge of Football London to discuss Arsenal players voting for captain, is this Unai Emery being indecisive or cleverly inclusive in his decision making? We also chat about the midweek game against Forest, the returns of Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin and Kieran Tierney, as well as Lucas Torreira's best position and Granit Xhaka. Then we get a Man Utd perspective ahead of the trip to Old Trafford on Monday with Musa Okwonga, chatting Solksjaer, the Glazers, midfield woes and lots more besides.

Follow James: @jamesbenge

Follow Musa:@Okwonga & @stadio

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On this week's show we discuss the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford which, in isolation, isn't a bad result but in the context of this season and the needs of this team feels a bit bad. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goal again highlighted his importance to the team, and in Guendouzi, Saka, Leno and Chambers, there were positives. But Unai Emery's approach remains under the spotlight, the performance was insipid, and his brand of football is hard to connect with. We chat about all that, as well as answering listener questions about Nicolas Pepe's early struggles, Ozil's absence, the captaincy, how to reshape midfield and more.

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Here's a special bonus episode of the Arsecast, in which I chat to Amy Lawrence about her brand new book '89'. As you'll be well aware, it's about that famous night at Anfield, an oral history in which the players, the manager, staff and fans talk about what happened and what it all meant. We discuss the book itself, the achievement of winning the title against a team as good as Liverpool, how winning the title meant something of a new start for Arsenal but almost the end of a footballing era in the wake of Hillsborough and the state of the game in the 80s, and lots more. Enjoy.

Follow Amy on Twitter @amylawrence71 – and you can pick the book up from your local bookshop from tomorrow (October 3rd), on audio-book via Audible, or online via the usual outlets including Amazon.

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In this month's edition of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Pippa and Tim are joined by The Athletic's Women's Football Writer Kieran Theivam. Kieran recently met with Joe Montemurro's older brother Anthony and his childhood friend from Melbourne, Sticca. Pippa and Tim talk to Kieran about Joe, getting a sense of his childhood and his career path. Kieran was in Milan for The Best awards recently and there is some chat about Vivianne Miedema's omission from the FIFPRO World XI- we also hear from Viv herself on the vote and then there is some chat with Joe Montemurro in the wake of the recent 4-0 victory over Brighton.

Kieran's article for The Athletic is here (£)

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Arsenal's 4-0 win over Standard Liege was another enjoyable night of cup football, and James and discuss the game, the stand-out performances including two goal Gabriel Martinelli, Joe Willock and Kieran Tierney. We also chat about Hector Bellerin's return as captain, the impact the young players are having and try and figure out why they play with more panache and freedom than the 'first team', as well as listener questions about Shkodran Mustafi, Mesut Ozil's absence from the squad and what Unai Emery's post-match comments about the German tell us, some hashtag fun and lots more.

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Arsenal go into the Interlull in third place in the Premier League after a 1-0 win over Bournemouth yesterday. The three points and clean sheet are very welcome, but the discussion revolves around the result and a performance which saw us have just two shots on target at home. Why can't we seem to produce good football in league games verus the cup performances? Can we continue to play like this and hope to finish in the top four? And what were the positives on the day? We also answer listener questions about Nicolas Pepe, Dani Ceballos, our midfield and Granit Xhaka, the woes being endured by Sp*rs and Man Utd, opposition managers and lots more besides.

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A couple of weeks ago Ian Wright went to meet his old Arsenal teammate Dennis Bergkamp. It was the first time they'd seen each other in years, and on Wednesday you'll be able to watch the conversation they had on Ian's YouTube channel. In this podcast, Wrighty chats about his relationship with Dennis, what he thought of him as a player, what he brought to the club when he joined in 1995, and what he learned from him despite being an experienced pro at that point. We also chat about some of the young players making their breakthroughs at Arsenal right now, and in particular Ian's mentoring of Eddie Nketiah who is out on loan at Leeds.

Subscribe to Ian's YouTube channel here.

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On this week's show I'm joined by Madrid based journalist Alex Kirkland to talk about Unai Emery, his use of young players, how that tallies with young talent at his previous clubs, communication with the press and the fans, Arsenal's performances so far this season, the ever-green question of footballing identity, plus Dani Ceballos and Santi Cazorla. Then Tim Stillman chats to Arsenal defender Leah Williamson about her recent trip to Jakarta for the club's Coaching for Life programme, her international commitments, and lots more.

Follow Alex @alexkirkland

Follow Tim @Stillberto

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It's an Interlull episode, and there's very little Arsenal news around. However, we wouldn't leave you without a podcast, and this episode includes Nico Yennaris and chicken's feet, Arsene Wenger's upcoming autobiography and how much we're looking forward to reading it, an international round-up involving Arsenal players, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as player of the month and someone who deserves a new contract, Bellerin and Tierney, that Mustafi interview, dream jobs at Arsenal, buying a pint you don't want because you've been caught using a pub's toilets, and lots more.

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On this week's show I take questions from some Arsecast listeners and Arseblog Members on Patreon. We chat about signings that didn't happen, the January window, Freddie Ljungberg's readiness to be a head coach, Granit Xhaka's place in the midfield, why in 2019 it remains difficult for gay footballers to come out, and lots more. Plus some pre-call waffle about a funny book, a podcast anniversary and other stuff besides. 

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On this week's show it's another dismal away day and a 1-0 defeat to Sheffield United. We chat about the game, the indifferent Arsenal performance, an inability to create chances despite having lots of possession, and how this is just the continuation of a run of form that goes back to last season too. Then the second half of the show is basically questions about Unai Emery and the work he's doing: boiling down to the big one, is he the right man for the club, and is it time to make a change? It's long, not particularly cheery, but I think we've covered all the angles. 

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On this post Europa League show, James and I discuss the 3-2 win over Vitoria, and in particular substitute Nicolas Pepe whose two sensational free kicks salvaged a win from the jaws of defeat. We chat about how this might impact him and boost his confidence, especially ahead of the weekend game against Crystal Palace. Other positives include Gabriel Martinelli, fitness boosts for some of our important players, and more, before a long discussion about Mesut Ozil, Unai Emery and what now appears to be a personal PR war between the two. What can the club do about this situation which has been festering for over a year? Then we have questions about the young players, Lucas Torreira's role, Bellerin and Tierney, how fans are feeling about our football and the manager, and one horrendous potential candidate to take over from Emery. All this and lots more.

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Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace was disappointing, but the big story is the substitution of Granit Xhaka, the fan reaction to him and his reaction to the fans. Can we separate the footballer from the human being? What do we make of him having a pop back, even if his behaviour was wrong was it understandable that his emotion got the better of him? What next for him, in relation to playing and the captaincy, and is this just a symptom of a wider malaise? That, plus underwhelming football, more dropped points, increased pressure on Unai Emery, VAR costing Arsenal three points, as well as questions about social media likes, managerial candidates, unity and togetherness, season expectations and lots more. 

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On this week's show some reflections on what has been a difficult week on and off the pitch, and even among fans as we all get tarnished with an unfair brush after the Granit Xhaka incident and some other unsavoury behaviour. Then it's Liverpool 5-5 Arsenal, with Charles Watts, looking at the positives like Gabriel Martinelli, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and, of course, the return of Mesut Ozil. Will his display be enough for Unai Emery to start him against Wolves? All that, lots of the usual waffle and some Holy God FM.

NOTE: This podcast was recorded and uploaded before Granit Xhaka's statement which was released last night: https://arseblog.news/2019/10/xhaka-releases-statement-lets-get-back-to-a-place-of-mutual-respect/

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Given that Granit Xhaka's statement came out last night, it wasn't covered in Episode 550 of the Arsecast. So here's a bonus Arsecast Extra episode in which James and I unpick what the Arsenal captain said. Why was it released through his own social media channel and not an official club one? Should we read anything into the lack of mention of the manager, or the captaincy? Was it really an apology? Can Xhaka stay on as captain? And what has the response of the club been like? That and more in this extra Arsecast Extra.

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Another weekend, another disappointing result. The 1-1 draw heaps even more pressure on Unai Emery, and leaves Arsenal 6 points off the top four. We discuss the game, the manager's odd changes – in particular the absence of Nicolas Pepe. As you'd expect, Emery's future is up for discussion, so there are questions about him, when rather than if a change might be made, potential replacements such as Mikel Arteta and Freddie Ljungberg, the stories involving Jose Mourinho, and lots more.

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On this week's show I'm joined by Andrew Allen for a good chunk of Arsenal chat, looking back at the Vitoria game, another disappointing performance, Unai Emery's football and his future, the importance of a win this weekend and more. Then it's Leicester fan Joe Brewin to take a look at Brendan Rodgers, Jamie Vardy, and the threat they pose to the Gunners this weekend. Finally, some light relief as I chat to the creator of the fantastic Simpsons Arsenal Twitter account, how it got started, some favourite bits and episodes, and more extremely cromulent Simpsons related content.

Follow Andrew - @AAllenSport

Follow Joe - @JoeBrewinFFT

Follow SimpsonArsenal - @SimpsonsArsenal

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Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to Leicester was bad enough in its own right, but the tone of the club's briefing as they outlined their support for Unai Emery made things even worse. James and I look back briefly on a game we never really looked like winning, before discussing the David Ornstein piece in The Athletic, how it came across, what it says about the way the club think about fans, and how it has dented some of the trust and belief that had been built up by Raul Sanllehi this summer. What kind of response should we expect from him, Edu and the board? As well as that lots of questions about the head coach, changing managers, should we be put off because of what's happened at Man Utd, and lots more. 

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In this month's edition of the Arsenal Women Arsecast, Tim and Pippa talk to Dutch women's football journalist Annemarie Postma about the Gunners Dutch contingent. Annemarie has been covering the Netherlands team for some years now and is the author of two books on Oranje Leeuwinnen. Tim and Pippa chat with Annemarie about her experiences of talking to Danielle van de Donk, Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord, as well as the perception of them back home and their roles with the national team. The panel chat about departed Dutchies Dominique Bloodworth and Sari van Veenendaal too- both of whom left the club this summer.

Tim chats to Vivianne Miedema and Jill Roord exclusively for this episode and also talks to Leah Williamson about Vivianne Miedema as a teammate. It's a jam packed episode, so pass the Dutchie to the left hand side and get it in your lugholes!

Please note: There were some issues with the Vivianne Miedema audio, we've done our best to clean it up, but it's a bit wonky, sorry!

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On this week's show I try and avoid all the heavy stuff about the team, the manager and all the rest. It's been done to death and nobody needs to hear it all again. So, for this episode I chat with the co-host of the Stadio Podcast, Ryan Hunn, about lots of stuff, including his show, podcasts in general including some recommendations, music, VAR and its use in the Premier League, former players as managers, Thierry Henry's appointment at Monreal Impact, Ian Wright's finishing and lots more.

Follow Ryan @RyanHunn and @Stadio

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On this week's rambling Interlull episode, we serve up copious amounts of waffle and nonsense with some vaguely Arsenal related stuff in there. We start with the Arsenal Women beating Sp*rs 2-0, after that we chat internationals, Nicklas Bendtner, Santi Cazorla's tiny arms but surprisingly big feet, we get some incredible celeb insight in some current and former Gunners, we chat Lucas Torreira, the boardroom shenanigans, as well as Ian Wright's reality TV show exploits, kangaroo anuses, an Arsenal XI of the decade, number 1 records and loads more.

You can also win a signed Santi Cazorla football boot!

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On this week's show there's managerial change in North London but it's taken place at Sp*rs, who have made themselves even more unpalatable than ever by appointing Jose Mourinho. I'm joined by Philippe Auclair to discuss the firing of Pochettino and their embrace of evil, how it stacks up in the context of what's happening at Arsenal right now, Unai Emery's performance, the lack of fun around our games, and lots more. There's a good dollop of the usual waffle too, and some incredible singing from James as he reprises his Billboard Chart Number 1 from this week's Arsecast Extra.

Follow Philippe @PhilippeAuclair and vote for Arseblog the FSA Awards for Best Fan Media: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fsa-awards-2019

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On this week's show we recap the 2-2 draw with Southampton, touching on Unai Emery's tactics, formation changes and substitutions. We wonder why it is we should have been so afraid of a team struggling in the relegation zone, and also why did a last gasp equaliser feel so empty? Emery's future is an ongoing issue, but we turn some focus on the decision makers at the club and ask why are they allowing this to continue? We chat about potential replacements, including Allegri, Arteta, Ljungberg and Vieira, ponder the January transfer window, rate our faith in club officials and lots more in this bumper but quite depressing episode. If you stick with it all the way through, we thank you!

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In this episode we react to the news that Arsenal have sacked manager Unai Emery after 18 months in charge. It's a decision they were left with little choice over, form and performances have been poor, and we reflect on the Spaniard's Arsenal reign. What were the warning signs and the breaking points? Freddie Ljungberg has been named interim coach, what can we expect from him? Then we answer questions about potential long-term replacements, like Mikel Arteta, Patrick Vieira, Max Allegri, Brendan Rodgers and others, before talking about the people who have to make that decision. Is there faith in Raul Sanllehi and co, and what about the role of the owners KSE? All this and lots more.

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On this week's show we look back at the 2-2 draw against Norwich, Freddie Ljungberg's first game in charge of Arsenal. We reflect on the team selection, some surprising decisions, the substitutions, defensive issues which run deep, heroics from Bernd Leno, and the absence of Nicolas Pepe. After that we have listener questions about the way we use our two strikers, the search for a permanent replacement for Unai Emery, the visit of Josh Kroenke to the training ground, why we're so panicked all the time, the responsibilities of Raul Sanllehi and his football executive committee and loads more.

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On this bonus midweek episode of the podcast, I'm joined by the Guardian's Nick Ames to talk about the departure of Unai Emery, Josh Kroenke, how the spotlight is not shining very brightly on Raul Sanllehi as he takes control of the search for a new head coach, Freddie Ljungberg and his chances of getting the job, and why a new appointment might not happen as soon as people might like.

Follow Nick on Twitter @NickAmes82

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On this latest episode we discuss the 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton as Arsenal's search for a win now enters its third month. We chat a bit about the game, the team selection and performance, but then turn to play recruitment as a key factor of the club's recent decline. How much responsibility rests on the shoulders of Head of Football Raul Sanllehi? Could KSE do more? And what should be driving the decision making process when it comes to the executive level choosing a new manager and turning things around on the pitch. We have questions about the January transfer window, if there's anything fans can do to help, whether we need to be worried about the R word, best potential outcome for the season, and lots more. 

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At last, a win for Arsenal! James and I are here to bask in the warm glow of our 3-1 victory over West Ham on Monday night. There was good and bad, but we focus on the positives, the three goal haul in nine second half minutes, Freddie's bold selection decisions, Gabriel Martinelli's impact on his first Premier League start and, of course, the contribution of Nicolas Pepe with a superb goal and an assist to his name. Is this the breakthrough moment for him? How much should we read into this result ahead of what's to come? All that, plus listener questions about the Europa League game this week; the process of choosing a new full-time head coach, who that might be, and when the decision might be made; the relationship between a manager and the fans; and lots more besides.

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On this week's show I'm joined by the Man from East Lower and Andrew Allen to chat about the 2-2 draw with Standard Liege, the team selection, and progress to the knock-out stage of the Europa League. Are we looking after our young players well enough? How are we going to fare against Man City? And there's some discussion of where Arsenal are right now, and whether or not we need to reassess our place in the food chain at this moment in time. That, some waffle, and some words for a good friend.

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On this week's show the 3-0 defeat to Man City wasn't unexpected, but the obvious gulf between the two clubs is now even more obvious, and that's depressing. We chat a bit about the game, our defending and midfield deficiencies, Freddie's tough job and his calls for more from the hierarchy, and Mesut Ozil's substitution and reaction to it. Of course with pictures emerging of Arsenal executives leaving Mikel Arteta's house last night, we discuss his candidacy, what he might bring to the job if he gets it, the risks involved of appointing a rookie, but also why he might be the ideal man at this precise moment in time. There are listener questions about recruitment, the Europa League, Ozil and China and lots more besides.

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Mikel Arteta is almost Arsenal's new head coach, but not quite officially yet. However, I chat with James Benge as if it is, and we discuss the job in hand for the new man. What are his biggest challenges? What can such an inexperienced coach bring to a club in crisis? Where are the improvements he can make in the short term? And will he get the support from everyone that he's going to need? We delve into the appointment, chat Freddie's few weeks, boardroom issues, and more – plus some of the usual waffle.

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In this episode James and I discuss the 0-0 draw with Everton, Freddie's team selection and a couple of positives before the conversation inevitably turns to Mikel Arteta. The 37 year was appointed head coach (manager) last week, so we chat about that, what we can expect from him in the short-medium turn, what he can bring back to the club, excitement over a new era, and his impressive press conference performance. Then there are questions about the January transfer window, the left back situation, racism in the Premier League and, of course, the one topic everyone can't get enough of: Arteta's hair.

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