Episode Transcript
[00:00:06] Speaker A: Hello and welcome once again to the day today. We've put our international kit away for at least a few weeks to dive into the latest Premier League action, which returned with a bang. So let's not mess around. Matt furnest joins me to look over the weekend's actions before we get into the quiz a little bit later on. Now, as a weekend of positive results for most of the top eight, and spurs will obviously be hoping to complete that with victory against Fulham tonight. But there's one team in particular in there that has caught our eye. But I don't think it will be any of surprise to any of you that Matt and I want to talk about. Unai Emery, Ollie Watkins and Aston Villa. And just what an incredible game that was against West Ham. And more importantly, an incredible performance.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: Yeah, another performance where Villa scored many goals. That's 23 goals this season. Only Newcastle have scored more.
Obviously, Newcastle scored four of those against Villa on the opening weekend. But I don't know. Could Aston Villa win the Premier League?
Seriously, could they actually win the Premier League? Is there a good enough side? And it feels like one of those seasons where someone different might win it. There's quite a few runners there.
They're two points off the top of the league after nine games. That'd be three points if spurs beat Fulham tonight. They're among that group of teams in consideration.
I feel like Villa are further along than spurs are in their projects in inverted commas. And if there is going to be a Shock winner, Villa and Newcastle, if you can say Newcastle, a Shock winner, are those two teams that are going to be really close now, I think, behind Arsenal and City and Liverpool, you would say, wouldn't you, as well? I've got some facts here to back up why Aston Villa could win the Premier League.
Very tongue in cheek in saying that, but why not? So we've got some facts here. So, twelve of the previous Premier League champions, across 38 game seasons have won 19 points or fewer from their opening nine games of a campaign like Villa have this season. The last were man city in 2021. Of those twelve sides, one of those twelve sides, sorry, was Leicester City. In 20, 15, 16, they won 16 points, which is three points fewer. The last Shock winner of the league in England, villa's League form in 2023 has been exceptional. Only Man City have won more points with 74. They've won more games, 24 than Aston Villa have. Aston Villa have 19 wins and 62 points. That point tally is exactly the same as Arsenal. From the same number of games, 31. Unai Emery.
We know that he is a top class manager. He's been there and done it before in other leagues. He's a Europa League specialist. He's won that competition many times. He's won it, what, three times at Sevilla. He won it with Villa Real in 2021 as well. He was runner up with Arsenal 20 18 19. He's won the league title in France with Paris Cent.
He has taken charge of 34 games. His next game will be a 35th in charge. As it stands, he's averaged exactly two points per game as Villa manager in the competition. Only eight previous managers have averaged two points a game or higher in spells at Premier League clubs and all eight of those to have managed 35 games or more and averaged two points a game or more in the Premier League have won the Premier League at those clubs. So we've got Jose Mourinho in both spells at Chelsea. Carlo Antalocci at Chelsea, roberto Mancini at Man City. Alex Bergson at Man United. Manuel Pellegrini at Man City. Antonio Conte at Chelsea, klopp at Liverpool and Pep Guardiela at Man City. So he's in amazing company, elite company, he's an elite group of managers and all of those have done it at clubs that were fancied to win the Premier League. And you got the Chelsea side, the great Chelsea sides when they had all the money you got the Man City sides when they had all the money you got. The Liverpool side, who were brilliant in that season, breaking all sorts of records with Klopp and Emery is matching that. Emery is up there and the job he has done at Villa is nothing short of exceptional. Like the incomings they've had over that period have been really astute. The recruitment has been fantastic. They've got some players that you wouldn't, I don't know, necessarily think of as kind of the peak of Premier League talents, et cetera, but they've built a really good side there. And that's all down to Unai Emery's coaching.
He's just a brilliant manager, brilliant coach, and it's really exciting as a neutral to see where a team like Villa could go from here. It's such a great time to be supporting Villa. I think every Villa fan is really excited.
They could go on a run and started brilliantly in the Europa League. They won the last game in the last minute, but they could go on and win that. They could easily finish in the top four this season. I think they will do it. I think they'll finish in the top four and get Champions League football next season. I really hope that they can sustain I mean, it's not a title challenge at the moment. I hope they can sustain that close proximity to the teams at the top and towards the end of the season be in a title race because there's some really good, young, exciting players there. I think Ollie Watkins is a great player, really exciting talent that's probably not talked about as one of the best English talents around at the moment. Douglas Louise is a phenomenal player. I really like him and I think that I know that City had him on their books and didn't get a work permit. He was on loan at Girona for a while. Villa stole in and got him from City and secured that work permit.
He is one of the best players in that position in the league.
And, yeah, really excited to see where Villa go from here.
[00:06:15] Speaker A: And you talk about Ollie Watkins there. I mean, you talk about him as a young British talent. Put it in context, he's been directly involved in 27 goals across 33 appearances for Villa in the Premier League. Since Una Emery took charge of the team, only two players have contributed more goals in that time or contributed more to goals. Won't surprise you. It's Mohammed Salah and erling, Harland again. You talk about him as an English, a top English talent, there's no doubt about it. And his performance for England in Midweek as well also showed a lot of promise as well. But that is elite company. We talk about Emery being an elite company as a manager. That is Ollie Watkins an elite company as a player. And as you say, they're just great fun to watch.
That Newcastle game at the start of the season, I think you roll back the podcast when we talked about those first couple of games, like, there was a concern, is this going to be the breakpoint? Is this going to be whatever?
Instead, they've sort of almost taken that on board and gone, okay, we're going to be fine from here on, lads. We're going to put in this challenge that, yeah, and it is the sustaining of that run as well. We're not talking about an eight game run here, we're not talking about a ten game run here, we're talking about 35 games where Villa have just become spectacular.
[00:07:21] Speaker B: And the next three games for next international break, luton at home, nottingham Forest away, Fulham at home. You would expect Villa to pick up nine points from that. And if they don't, then I guess, well, I would say that this is a good three game run to see if Villa are really, like, they can sustain this title challenge because they are games. We should expect those teams to expect them to beat those teams now, and then they return from the international break, an away game at Tottenham and I mean, they could be top of the league by the end of November. Exactly.
I think they're a really good side.
[00:08:05] Speaker A: And it's the challenge of the European as well. That's the other thing they've got to worry about. They've got a couple of games against Azad al Khar.
[00:08:11] Speaker B: Do they focus on that or do they kind of say, look, you know what, we can actually win this competition.
There's not just an outstanding team this season, there's a group of outstanding teams and they will take points off each other. If Villa can somehow win those battles, then, yeah, it's like that Leicester season you saw Arsenal, Tottenham, I think Chelsea were up there as well. There were a few group of teams and Arsenal were expected to win the league after they beat Leicester at the Emirates and it never really happened. And Tottenham, obviously, everyone says they threw it away. I think they drew it home to West Brom and then the Battle of the Bridge as well. They drew with Chelsea away after leading. It could be another one of those seasons and I really hope so, as someone who has no vested interest in who wins the Premier League, because I don't support Premier League Club.
It'd be great for football and great that Villa haven't spent the vast amount they have spent money. They're beating around a bush there that they've done it in the Leicester style. It's nothing like that, but it would be a phenomenal story considering the struggles they've had in recent years going down to championship. They took a few years to get back out of that and they've built themselves back up and, yeah, it'd be great to see.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: It would be. You have to think back to that time when Leicester won the league. That was probably when football peaked in recent years, I'll say that out loud, that was probably one of the most enjoyable seasons there's been in Premier League history. Just for storytelling.
[00:09:40] Speaker B: Shelley, at the end of the season, who will Villa have?
I don't know.
[00:09:45] Speaker A: Isn't Nigel Kennedy a Villa fan? Nigel Kennedy's. A Villa fan, isn't yeah, I believe he's a Villa fan. I'm going to have to check this in the break and find out what it is. If not, it could be Gio Campario could turn up the winner of a celebrity Master chef here in the UK.
Let's book that one in now, rather.
[00:10:04] Speaker B: Than the mics that are just like attached to the headset whilst cooking on the picture.
[00:10:11] Speaker A: That'd be great.
[00:10:12] Speaker B: That'd be great show.
[00:10:13] Speaker A: You could cook up a Bolty as well, obviously. That'd be great. As know, just Birmingham Bolty just to really enjoy into that one. Right then, we're going to head to a break. I'm going to find out if Nigel Kennedy is an Aston Villa panel along with Prince William. Prince William will be there as well, of course. He is a big, well known Aston Villa fan, along with, I think David Cameron is as well. But anyway, enough about those two people. We'll be back after the break with the rest of the weekend's Premier League action.
Thanks for tuning in to the Day today, wherever and however you do so. Really do appreciate each and every one of you joining us each Premier League match day. Make sure you are subscribed to us across the podcast platforms, where of course, you can leave a rating and review for the show as well, just to help us along in the algorithms there. Or more importantly, go out, tell a friend, get them to download and listen to the show as well, because you will get to learn such great info that Nigel Kennedy is indeed an Aston Villa fan. If you have not watched the video from the 1990 World Cup where he's playing for the squad before to g them up for a game, definitely worth going and digging that one out, along with, of course, following the sad passing of Bobby Robson this weekend, the old Carlsberg greatest pub team in the world, Advert. Definitely worth seeing that one as well. Right then, let's get into the Good, the Bad and the Quirky. We will be joined by a guest for the quiz in a little bit of time. Matt and I just wanted to get through the rest.
[00:11:40] Speaker B: Nigel Kennedy will be joining us for the quiz.
[00:11:43] Speaker A: Nigel Kennedy will be joining us and Pauline Quirk for the Pauline Quirk quiz.
Maybe not Prince William, he's probably a little bit too busy to join us.
Let's look at the good from the weekend's action and start with the current league leaders heading into tonight's game. Manchester City, lot of questions about Pep Guardiola's side as they came into the match against Brighton with back to back defeat. There was a good chance that the Seagulls might have turned them over and they actually got a little bit close to doing so. But City, in the end taking the two one victory in that one.
[00:12:13] Speaker B: Yeah, it's another game where City got obviously ahead quite early and they won their 21st consecutive match at the Etihad Stadium in all competitions and that sets a new record as a home winning run by a premier club in all competitions.
We all know their forms, formidable at the Etihad and they are a fantastic side. Brighton was a tricky game for them. We all know what Brighton can do, but we also know they can capitulate at times. And I did fear for them at two nil after Harland Has scored, but they did quite well. I mean, you were there belly. You saw in live action Jeremy Doku's display against James Milner, which, I mean, we've said this many times over the years, that it could be the end of James Milner's career, but he always recovers. It was just a bad afternoon for him. But you don't blame him against someone as quick and skillful as Doku.
[00:13:08] Speaker A: No and direct, and that's the biggest difference. As was you did feel how Brighton self in the first half. It was not going to end well for them. And also, if you've only seen the highlights of the game, what you haven't seen is three or four times doku getting down the wing and crossing balls into the box, which were either players not running onto or behind or players that overran they had so easily could have been free four, five nil at halftime in that game. But full credit to deserve. He changed it up and actually, in the end, Brighton were a little bit unlucky. I feel city really second half, just didn't quite get there. Was a great save by Steele from an Erling Harlan shot, actually. And just before Brighton actually scored their goal, julian Alvarez had a very similar situation to Declan Rice did in the game against Chelsea, where anywhere else he put the shot on at last minute, probably would have scored, but in that one he didn't. But brighton in the end. Yeah, Matoma, he's just signed that contract extension. I mean, obviously, I do wonder if it's like a Moises Casado contract extension in terms of we're just going to a release fee a little bit on this one because I do feel that teams are going to look at him. He was always a threat anytime he got on the ball for Brighton in that game. He really was a threat against that City defense that I think, obviously John Stone's come back in, he only played 70 OD. 60 OD, 70 OD minutes, because they're still obviously easing him back into football following his injury. I do worry a little bit about City's defensively. I do think that they are not as strong at the back as they possibly could be and as tight, but equally, you don't want your team to be as strong at the back because it will impact you going forward. And I just want one final point. Obviously, Jeremy Doku had a brilliant game in that game, was exceptional. The game changing moment for City was bringing Jack Grealish on and a lot of fans were saying that they wanted him to start taking on guys like Doku does. Grealish just took control of that game, just killed it down one side of the pitch. Anytime Grealish got the ball, he wasn't trying to beat the guy. Brighton were afraid of him and stood off him a bit and he just went, well, this is taking time out the game. And it's that frustration that I think fans coming to see it and they go, oh, we're going to go for it. And, yeah, greenish, just ripped control of that one, but, yeah, great. Still victory for City, really good. And also I got to see a very rare thing, an Erning Harlan goal from outside the box in the Premier League because only scored two of them.
[00:15:23] Speaker B: Incredibly furthest goal out for City and it was just outside the box.
[00:15:31] Speaker A: It's quite a treat. Not that the crowd reaction would have told you it was a goal from outside the box, because honestly, yeah, but.
[00:15:37] Speaker B: When you win every week, it must be really hard to get yourself up for games. I mean, only one games in a row, there's one at the Etihad.
Unless it's a huge game, it must be quite difficult.
You become quite numb to winning, don't you?
[00:15:54] Speaker A: Yeah, and I think there is a case of that. I think the game I went to last season, or season before last, that the ETI had was when they put five past Arsenal and that it had all the feeling of that. Within 20 minutes, this could be three, four, five nil, and it's like, well, should we go out into the towel instead?
[00:16:13] Speaker B: This game, isn't it? It's like you rubbish. Like we are reading and Watford and moaning all the time and there's like, what do you expect? You're winning, too.
Stop winning.
[00:16:25] Speaker A: What you really need is not to win away from home for over a year and then you know what football's like. All right, city fans give you that one anyway.
[00:16:33] Speaker B: Brighton as well.
[00:16:34] Speaker A: Just to talk about Brighton quickly. I mean, defensively, they have similar problems defensively as City does without clean sheet in their last 13 Premier League games, and having conceded 66 in 41 games under the Zervy, only two teams have shipped more since his first game in charge, bournemouth 72 and Leeds United 68.
[00:16:53] Speaker B: That's fun to watch. You don't know what you're going to get from Brighton. Yeah, I love watching Brighton as a neutral.
[00:17:00] Speaker A: It's what you want to watch. Another team who are obviously flying really well at the moment have started turning things around as well. Newcastle United, lots of goals for them. In particular, one player who seems to have carved out a little bit of a niche for himself off the bench.
[00:17:15] Speaker B: Yeah, I think, well, he started on Saturday, but he is an archetypal super sub the modern day Oligonoska, in my opinion. I've always loved Callum Wilson. I think that he ever since well, he was at Coventry, kind of one of those players I wanted Watford to sign. Then he went to Bournemouth and was always one of the best strikers in the championship. Then moved up to the Premier League and did really well. His goalscoring record is brilliant, really. Underrated striker Callum Wilson. He scored his 43rd Premier League goal for Newcastle this weekend. That equals the tally of Andrew Cole and Shanarami Obi. Only Alan Shearer and Peter Beardsley have now scored more goals for Newcastle in the Premier League. He's three off Beardsley's total. I don't think he's going to reach Alan Shearer's 148 total. He'd need another 105 to get to Shearer's tally, but since his Newcastle debut, just to show that, yeah, he might not play every week or spend all the time on the pitch, but his goal record is phenomenal. Only, Erling Harland, who scored every 79 minutes in the Premier League, has a better minutes per goal ratio than Wilson, who scored every 132 minutes of players to score 20 or more goals. Very dependable striker, Newcastle. Yeah, they're cooking under how.
[00:18:34] Speaker A: We all.
[00:18:35] Speaker B: Know how much money Newcastle have and they have invested that money wisely, but they still have players that are kind of homegrown talents that Howe has coached well. And I do think people need to appreciate the job Howe's done there. It's not the hardest job in the world, we know that, but I think that newcastle we've seen this season in numerous games, the route of PSG, where they had numerous first team players out in that match and still blew them away.
Really good side, Newcastle, as you would expect with that money, but maybe next season they could challenge for the title. I don't think they will this season.
Well, we said about Villa could, so you can't really rule out Newcastle, but yeah, it feels maybe a season too early. But they'll get top four again, I think.
[00:19:28] Speaker A: Yeah, and especially with the challenge of playing in the champions league this season as well. I think it does take a lot.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: Out of the legs of the underdogs in that competition.
They're a difficult team to play for any side across the world or across Europe even.
[00:19:44] Speaker A: Imagine what some of those continental sides, dare I say, are going to feel like going up to Newcastle on a cold Tuesday night in January and such.
[00:19:52] Speaker B: In knockout football like that. Yeah, I think they're going to be a real surprise to some teams.
[00:19:58] Speaker A: Exactly.
Finally for the good for this weekend, I think it's fair to talk about them because we've talked about them in a slightly negative sense a bit of the time this season. And that's Brentford who looked really good value for their victory against Bournemouth on.
[00:20:12] Speaker B: Saturday, excellent on Saturday.
Two brilliant goals as well of the three and Bueno's goal top corner, and then, yeah, the final goal, who I can't remember who scored it so brilliant.
[00:20:27] Speaker A: The other day would have been fine, but Buemo's goal just takes it out of you. Connor Roberts, wasn't it?
[00:20:31] Speaker B: No, he got sent off. He got sent off, that's right, yeah. They're 23 shots against Burnley Tenor on target. They never had more in a premier league game since Ivan Tony was ruled out with suspension.
And Bueno and Yo and Whisper have really taken up the manfield scoring goals. They've both scored yet again for Brentford this weekend since Tony's ban was announced. They've scored 13 goals in twelve premier league matches for Brentford. Bueno has got eight and Wish has got five. So, yeah, they're doing really well.
They'll stay up again this season. Brentford, they've been brilliant since coming up to the premier league, have been a great addition to the league. Thomas Frank's done a fantastic job there.
And yeah, we'll move on to the Bad and other teams a bit later on and you want to worry about them, but Brentford will be safe.
[00:21:22] Speaker A: Yeah, Brentford will be fine, supposedly is a good segue into the bad. International breaks are usually a time for change. We have seen some managers in the lower league lose their jobs. We have seen some managers insist on staying with a four two two formation and have two weeks to work closely with their team and still turn out four nil defeats away from home. Not talking about any league, one team in particular. There we are recording this podcast on a Monday morning. There are some reports out there right now that Iriola will become the first Premier League manager to lose their job. The Mail are reporting that it is pretty much a done deal that he will be leaving the Cherries.
This is literally happening. Breaking news. I'll get the yellow banner across the bottom of the table. Jim's out back. He'll be around. Jim White, that is out back in a minute just to come and tell us this news, but, yeah, no win in nine games, obviously, for the Cherry.
Iriola came in with a lot of expectation that he was going to set the mantle, that the team were going to play attractive, ticky tacker football. They were going to be this pressing team and brilliant. And all that happens is their former manager, who they sacked last season, comes back and nicks them with a nintieth Minute winner.
[00:22:28] Speaker B: And their former manager has done a brilliant job at a team that many consider to be in big trouble this season as well. I think Ali Tweedell wrote a really good piece on Bournemouth last week on our site, saying that, well, they have had one of the most difficult starts of the season. They've played some really good, like the underlying metrics suggested. They weren't as bad as the table suggested.
Under Ariella. They've played quite a high pressing game. They've had quite good success from those chances Saturday when they went one nil up against Wolves at home, you thought, Right, here we go. Like, this is the Bournemouth that we're going to see under Iriela, who did a brilliant job at Vaicano in La Liga over two seasons after getting promoted. Bayokano, obviously, are still doing well in La Liga without him.
And now Bournemouth are in big trouble. As you said, they've got three points next weekend, they play Burnley at home.
That is such a massive match for both teams. So you would either say, like, okay, we're going to give Ariello one more game, give him a chance. If they win, then, okay, let's start.
Our season starts now. If they lose, he's gone. You know, he's gone after that, it sounds like, yeah, as you say, they might pull the trigger earlier because they think, if we get someone in this week, get that new manager bounced, get that important win against Burnley, I don't know who would you get in now?
[00:23:59] Speaker A: This is the question.
Yeah, I mean, Bournemouth do obviously have new ownership there, which will be very keen to bring in a bigger name. It does feel a little bit out of sorts, like this was a project. We always got told when Iraiola came in it was a project at Bournemouth.
I can't see why you had pulled the trigger after nine games, other than for the fact this is the first time in their football league history that they have failed to win any of their opening nine games of the season. That might be the reason you pulled the trigger because you think where Bournemouth have come from and you think how they tumbled down through the leagues for years. This has been the worst start that they have ever had in their league history.
[00:24:36] Speaker B: A lot of people thought though, the Bournemouth, if they go down they'll never come back. They did, they did it in two seasons.
It's a really tough one because you would say that they definitely got someone lined up if they're going to make that change they would have done that in the international break and said like well, if we don't win this weekend, it's wolves, then we'll make that appointment. Then you feel for Iriala because with time you feel like he could get it right. It was a difficult job to take on and it was a big risk for him leaving somewhere where he was loved and he'd done really well and kind of Bournemouth. It was always going to be much more difficult to implement a playing style in such a short space of time. It was a huge gamble for both parties really, wasn't it?
It doesn't help they dropped eleven points from winning positions. No team have dropped more of those came on Saturday.
Yeah, it's not looking good. I'm not shocked if they get rid of him this week I wouldn't be shocked. I would like to think they'd give him another game at least because there are signs there that it could be improved and there are three other teams who are really struggling, which we'll come on to in a minute. It's not like they're cast adrift at the bottom.
There is still a chance that with a win, I mean I haven't got the Premier League table in front of me, I can pull that up. But with a mean they are suddenly out of the relegation zone if results go their way and they're not far away from Everton, Forest, Brentford et cetera.
[00:26:05] Speaker A: That was the question I was going to ask.
You've got to find three teams who are worse than you in a season to stay up in the Premier League, whatever league managers will be looking around. Are there three worst team yet? We've definitely got I think we compared, say, I don't want to write them off already and I'm not going golf.
[00:26:23] Speaker B: Sheffield United are down.
[00:26:25] Speaker A: Okay, wow. There you go. 23 October, ladies and gentlemen. Mark that one in the book. Sheffield United are down. Luton are doing better than expected. Good comeback against Forest to keep themselves in that one and get the two two draw. Full credit to them.
Burnley look a little lost at the moment again, I think companies liking that he played brilliant football to get promoted but as we said, the championship last season was a bad league just being able to play football, people were like.
[00:26:53] Speaker B: Oh my goodness, about this belly. I said like, they're in trouble. Burnley. If they play that way, they're too open in the championship. They were too open and they got away with it because everyone else was crap. And they won so many games late on last season because they could grind teams down with possession football. And they also had the tricks up their sleeve of having players at Ashley Barnes where you could pump the ball into the box and bully opposition defenses and cause problems like is there is yeah, there is a big golf between the Championship and the Premier League still, and you can grind out those results. And it's just you saw it in the FA Cup last year when they went to City and they tried to play that way and got absolutely torn apart. And I know they play teams like United and the League Cup and they lost those games. Well, they didn't get as torn apart as yeah, I mean, we've sort of moved into the next section where I'm looking at the three newly promoted clubs here and fair play to Luton. I say this every week as a Watford fan, but they come in, no one is expecting Luton to stay up, they have nothing to lose. And it's almost working as an advantage that every team and their fans expect to beat Luton. And it's not that easy, as we saw on Saturday at Forest. They have character, they have good players who will give you 110% every week and will never not fight to try and win a point or two. And they've been unlucky in a couple of games this season. They don't have the quality that the other teams have, and on paper, they don't have the quality to stay in the league. But over one season, over your first season, I think that you can kind of grind out those results. And at the moment, they're doing that because there are three teams worse than them.
They are still in big trouble with five points. And as a collective, the new promoted teams are not doing well.
And at this stage, I mean, if you look to extrapolate Luton's results over a season with five points from nine games, they'll end up getting 21 points, which is pretty disastrous total.
Then again, by the same token, you've got what Burnley would end up getting 17 points and Sheffield United would get four. I think Sheffield would pick up more of four, but I genuinely think that Derby County record could be under threat. Eleven points, because Sheffield United, even when they look like they could grind out a result, they'll conspire to lose a game.
And that magic 40 point total this season, it could genuinely be 25 points. I think it could be the lowest points total stay up.
[00:29:33] Speaker A: I was about to say, what is the lowest points total to stay up? He says that off the top of his head, someone knows that.
[00:29:41] Speaker B: I do have another fact that is good so the lowest combined points total by promoted clubs in a Premier League season stands at 72 in 95 96. And that was in a season where only two teams got promoted. So that's the points total. But two teams, I think we could get below that this season. If you look at the lowest combined points total of three promoted sides in Premier Leagues, and that is 85 points in 2007 eight, and that includes that awful Derby side. Alongside Sunderland and Birmingham, only three clubs have won one point after nine games of Premier League season, none have won zero. And all three of those have been relegated. Man City in 95 96, shepherd Wednesday in 99 2000 and Sheffield United, the last time out there in the Premier League in 2021 who were a dreadful side.
It just doesn't look good. And, yeah, I think all three will go down. I think of the Free Luton have the best chance purely because no one expects anything from them and they've got nothing to lose. The expectation levels are higher with Burnley. I don't think there's a massive amount of expectation at Sheffield United, but, yeah, it's not looking good for those sides and it could give an out for teams like Bournemouth, Everton Forest, who are struggling.
Yeah, they get away with it this season, but saying that the way Bournemouth has started, it could give one of those teams a chance.
[00:31:11] Speaker A: Of course, Matt had to mention the one year only two Premier League clubs got promoted and how the team that finished second in the championship that year didn't go up. Thanks for mentioning that.
And we were tuning up and we missed a penalty anyway. So, Matt, that neatly brings us on to the quirky what we got this week.
[00:31:29] Speaker B: So it's with the theme of goalkeepers facing penalties. David Raya this weekend faced his 7th penalty in the Premier League as a goalkeeper and he's not saved any of them.
So a lot of people there were murmurs in the Stamford Bridge crowd, I could hear them on the TV, where people going, do you know, if he can seize this, he'll be as bad as Roy Carroll.
And they were right. Roy Carroll also never saved seven of his penalties, but there are four goalkeepers who have faced more and never saved them. I'll give you those names. Craig Gordon's record 15 penalties faced, never saved one. I think players did miss penalties against him. We're not counting those, of course. Vito MINone, another ex Sunderland goalkeeper as well. Ten penalties faced, never saved. And the other two are David Marshall, who faced nine, and Joel Robles, who faced eight. So, Davarre, yeah, you could move up that ranking sooner or later, but just.
[00:32:24] Speaker A: Let you know, David Marshall is the player who didn't save any of them and no one missed. He is a perfect nine from nine conceded. Craig Gordon, I think his 13 were, actually, and two of them were misses because I once wrote a piece for the Alice.com.
[00:32:39] Speaker B: He's not claiming that Gordon can't wait. They can't say, oh, well, I put them off.
So Marshall and Gordon are Scottish. Something about that.
[00:32:48] Speaker A: There's a comment from the 1980s and 1990s to bring out there. But anyway, on we go.
[00:32:52] Speaker B: Anyway, I'm going to flip reverse it slightly for my quiz question. So, the Pauline Quirk Quiz this week, 20 different goalkeepers have saved at least five penalties in Premier League history. So your task aptly is to guess those penalty golden hours in a penalty shootout style quiz. So I want you to name the 20 goalkeepers who have saved at least five penalties in Premier League history. They saved, not stopped, the opposition from scoring. They have to have actively saved those penalties.
[00:33:25] Speaker A: This is going to be a belter, my word. We're going to have a little bit of a break.
[00:33:30] Speaker B: Goalkeepers that have played a lot.
[00:33:34] Speaker A: Exactly. Right then.
[00:33:35] Speaker B: How to make it easy for you, Billy?
[00:33:37] Speaker A: Well, there's a chance we've got a very special guest joining us after the break as we try and see if I can finally record a victory in the falling Quirk quits. We'll be back after this break.
Hello and welcome back to the Day today where we are deep into the Pauline Quirk quiz. Delighted to say we're joined for the third and final part of this week's podcast by David Seeker.
[00:34:09] Speaker B: David, you well, I'm indeed, yes. You both.
Yeah. We put a message out and said, does anyone fancy the easy task of being Graham Bell in the quiz? And Dave was like, Strike within a yes, yes, absolutely.
[00:34:23] Speaker C: Easy Task pressure is immensely on now.
[00:34:27] Speaker A: The thing is, we're trying something new now, bringing him in know, you know, like though, Tim Kruule Esque, this could be coming off the bench in a World Cup to make some saves here. Coming in Cole, it hasn't had a warm up of a orita belaga, is.
[00:34:40] Speaker B: All I can say. Well, we've been doing who will win first, Graham or Bournemouth? And Graham could win something before Bournemouth do this season.
[00:34:50] Speaker C: Come on, this is Graham and then Andonia is sacks. I'll assume that's connected somehow.
[00:34:58] Speaker A: My days have been numbered for quite a while anyway. Right, Matt, do you want to remind everybody of the question very quickly?
[00:35:04] Speaker B: Yes. So 20 different goalkeepers have saved more than five penalties in the Premier League.
Who are those goalkeepers? I need you to name them in a penalty shootout style quiz.
And Belly, I guess you'll probably take first this time, won't you? Because every time you let the guest.
[00:35:23] Speaker A: Take no, the guest has choice. This is part of our welcoming, part of the contract. Because they don't get paid, they do get the choice of whether they want to go first or second in the shootout. So, Dave, your choice.
[00:35:35] Speaker C: I will absolutely go with the different approach and allow Graham to go first, and that way if I lose, I.
[00:35:45] Speaker B: Can blame that he's gone against the metrics.
[00:35:48] Speaker A: He's gone against the metrics.
[00:35:50] Speaker B: Ricks not first kick. Who's your first guess?
[00:35:55] Speaker A: My first guest. I feel that this is an absolute given, it's Shay Given.
[00:36:01] Speaker B: Shay Given, he faced 66 penalties in Premier League history and he saved ten penalties. So, yes, he is in the list. He is one of the 20 good goalkeeper.
[00:36:14] Speaker A: Good goalkeeper. The original Jordan pickford with small arms, you could say.
[00:36:20] Speaker B: David, who is your first guess?
[00:36:23] Speaker C: Well, I did say as we were having a think about this during the break, that I've got a lot of names, but I couldn't actually say that I'm confident with any of them. So I will just play the percentages, go with someone who played an awful lot of games, I know did face an awful lot of penalties, and I'll say David James.
[00:36:40] Speaker B: Yes. Belly's, favorite goalkeeper, david James, he faced fewer penalties than Shay Given. In fact, he faced 63 in the Premier League, but he saved more than any other goalkeeper. He saved 13 penalties.
So, yeah, well done.
[00:36:55] Speaker A: Such an incredible hit rate. Actually, when you think about it.
[00:37:00] Speaker B: Maybe it's because of that computer game playing he did.
[00:37:04] Speaker C: Nintendo reactions.
[00:37:06] Speaker A: Yeah, just was all he was up every night just practicing that. Okay, for my next spot kick, I'm going to go down a similar approach. Long term Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson.
[00:37:22] Speaker B: Belly. Oh, Belly.
Paul Robinson faced 49 penalties in the Premier League and the heavy legs of goalkeeper only saved three. So you've missed your second spot kick.
Yeah, I think Paul Robinson from Neighbours saved as many penalties as Paul Robinson did in the Premier League. Dave, who's your second guess again?
[00:37:54] Speaker C: I'll go with longevity. I can't remember if he actually faced that many, but again, given he played for quite a while, I will go with Brad Friedle.
[00:38:03] Speaker B: Brad friedle.
[00:38:04] Speaker A: Good shout.
[00:38:05] Speaker B: He only faced 51 penalties in the Premier League, but he saved ten of them. So, yes, the American netminder saved ten of 51 face. Belly, you need to score this, I think. What is your next guess?
[00:38:19] Speaker A: I mean, the really good news is I didn't even have Brad Fried all down on my list, so that's gone well. As a result, I'm going to go in a peter Schmichel.
[00:38:30] Speaker B: Peter Schmichel.
Peter Schmichel, he faced 21 penalties.
[00:38:38] Speaker A: No, not a chance. Not a chance.
[00:38:41] Speaker B: And like Paul Robinson, he saved three.
This is not Ariana's fist pumping right now. He's thinking I'm safe.
Dave, third penalty.
[00:38:59] Speaker C: See, I did have Schmeichel on my list, but I was thinking he probably hasn't faced that many, but quite a lot of the ones I've got on my list probably won't have faced many because it allows me to mention it. It may well be wrong, but it allows me to mention the fact that he conceded a penalty to Mohammed Salah at the weekend. I will say, Jordan Pickford.
[00:39:19] Speaker B: Jordan Pickford.
[00:39:20] Speaker A: This is incredible.
[00:39:21] Speaker B: 30 penalties in the Premier League. If he had saved Mohammed Salah's penalty this weekend, you would have been correct. But unfortunately, he's only saved five penalties. Belly, you're still alive.
David's still in the lead. So I think that was a pity penalty, wasn't it, Dave?
[00:39:42] Speaker C: It was. Just so I could mention that Mohamed.
[00:39:44] Speaker A: Ala scored the Liverpool fan jumping straight in with that one.
[00:39:50] Speaker B: Yeah. Your next penalty is your fourth penalty. Belly, who are you picking?
[00:39:54] Speaker A: Literally, the player was Shimpad's dad. He's pulled them up. He's going to walk up, he's going to stride up, he's going to make an incredible decision. And I might regret this choice, but I feel it's.
[00:40:07] Speaker B: Right. David Seaman. David Seaman. Yes. The chuckling goalkeeper. 22 penalties faced in the Premier League. Not a lot, but his record was phenomenal. He saved seven of them.
[00:40:20] Speaker A: Wow.
[00:40:21] Speaker B: So, yes, he did. The mustache really low.
[00:40:25] Speaker A: 22 penalties away. As he saved all those penalties, 22 feels really low. I think I've made a mistake here. I've gone a lot of 90s. In the 90s, you didn't get as many penalties.
So I feel, yeah, I've made some very critical errors in my a lot.
[00:40:41] Speaker B: Of his career arsenal quite successful.
[00:40:44] Speaker A: Quite. Anyway, yeah, okay, we're happy. We're happy.
[00:40:47] Speaker B: We couldn't save a shot from the halfway line or a free kick from quite far out wide in a World Cup.
[00:40:55] Speaker A: Felt wider on the small screen at my school.
[00:40:57] Speaker B: I watched. Anyway, Dave, fourth kick.
[00:41:02] Speaker C: Yeah, we're getting into the I've no idea selections now. So I will go back to my tried and tested tactic of going with keepers who played a lot of games and played for teams who might concede quite a few penalties. And from the David Seaman era, I will go for his fairly regular England backup, nigel Martin.
[00:41:21] Speaker A: Always gone that way.
[00:41:22] Speaker B: Nigel Martin. Nigel Martin, like that longevity, only faced 24 penalties in the Premier League, more than Semen. Unfortunately for you, Dave, he only saved three of them. So the comeback is on. It is now two. All this is a sudden death penalty, the fifth penalty.
Belly, if you score this, you might have a chance to win your first ever prominent quirk quiz.
David, you've capitulated?
Yeah. He must have some good pressure.
Who are you picking? Can you handle the pressure? Don't do this to me. You've been teased here by Dave, but you might still lose, right? What is your fifth?
Oh, I'm so nervous.
[00:42:13] Speaker A: I've got friend of the show, Mark Bosnich.
[00:42:21] Speaker B: Mark Bosnich.
[00:42:23] Speaker A: The shock in his voice says, this.
[00:42:25] Speaker B: Is a no already.
Of all the keepers you could have said, I did not expect you to say Mark Bosnich. I can safely say he didn't save I'm trying to find him on the list.
[00:42:38] Speaker A: Did he not save a single Premier League penalty?
[00:42:41] Speaker B: Bosnich, where are you? Oh, no. I am absolutely wrong. I'm sorry. He saved six of 18. I completely just like I didn't think I saw Bosnich's name on there, but he did. Yeah, he saved six of 18. Mark Bosnich. The sun is slightly on my monitor here and it's on that thing and yeah. So, Limey Dave, you've got a score here of this quiz. Mark Bosnich, who are you going with?
[00:43:13] Speaker A: Dave, I'm so Ali Dear didn't save.
[00:43:20] Speaker B: Any penalties.
[00:43:26] Speaker C: Of the list I had, which I thought was fairly substantial in terms of numbers of keepers, there were only two left on it and I'm not even slightly sure about either one because I'm pretty sure neither one will have faced that many. But then I thought Nigel Martin had faced loads and evidently so.
[00:43:42] Speaker B: And I don't want to tease everyone.
[00:43:44] Speaker C: But I'm pretty sure this is wrong, but I remember him saving a lot of penalties. I've got the feeling a lot of them will have been in shootouts rather than in Premier League games, but I will go with Pete.
[00:44:01] Speaker A: That's a great shout. It's on my list. I just feel like.
[00:44:07] Speaker B: He'S got a face to well, pet check is here in my list. I can see him straight away, but unfortunately, David, he only saved five of 37. Graham Bell, you have won the quiz for the first time ever.
It's almost like we gave Dave some prep of, like, start really well and just like, make him think, oh, no, I've lost again, and then we'll just let him have this one.
[00:44:39] Speaker C: Sure it was all planned? Yeah, definitely. Let's go with that.
[00:44:43] Speaker B: It was a quiz that I thought was more luck than judgment in this one, because you just have to list goalkeepers. There's no real skill to it belly, so I'm taking it away from you. But well done. Well done.
[00:44:56] Speaker A: Can I give you my two other names I have on my list?
Ian Walker.
[00:45:01] Speaker B: Ian Walker.
[00:45:03] Speaker A: It's a tough one.
[00:45:04] Speaker B: He saved four of 36 and this.
[00:45:09] Speaker A: Would have been Neil Sullivan.
[00:45:11] Speaker B: Neil Sullivan, say five of 32. So you would have been wrong with both. Dave, did you have anyone else?
[00:45:16] Speaker C: My only other one was Pepe Reyna.
[00:45:18] Speaker B: Pepe Reyna.
[00:45:20] Speaker A: Some good shout.
[00:45:22] Speaker B: Four of 32. So he would have similar jack. I thought it was mostly sure, 20 goalkeepers here. David James saved the most with 13. The second highest penalty saved, he saved twelve of 50. Was Thomas Sorensen.
Lucas Fabianski saved eleven of 45, then three goalkeepers with ten. We had Shay Given, Brad Friedle and Mark Schwartzer.
Four goalkeepers saved nine. Ben Foster, UC Yascaline and Rob Green. And the Superlio Gomez saved two from the same player in one match.
I think he did that twice, actually. I think it was Darren Bent he saved two from. And Sadio Barrahino for Watford at West Brom, two on eight, which are Edward Vandesar and Simon Minulo. You did say schmeichel, but it was Castro schmeichel. He saved seven. So did Tim Howard. Joe Hart and David seaman and then you've got four goalkeepers who save six. You've got Mark Bosnich, you've got another Mark, who's the only goalkeeper to save a penalty from Matt Latizia in the Premier League. Mark, you've got Manuel Muno, who saved six of 14, really good record and obviously saved that penalty in the Championship plus and final for Watford against Leicester, which Troy Deani then went out there and scored. And the purple. And if any of you have got this one, I would have been very impressed. Ali Alhabzi, 22 in the Premier League. So that is your 20 goalkeepers. Well done, graham, you've won a quiz, you can have a smile on your face all day. And, yes, sorry, Bournemouth and Areola, you're a goneham.
[00:47:00] Speaker C: I blame the Areola curse.
[00:47:02] Speaker A: Yeah, well, all I can say is welcome to the last episode of the Day To Day podcast. I think we'll be back, don't worry about that. Well, play, dave, that was a tough one. There were certainly your names. Brad Friedo, I thought was an outstanding shout.
[00:47:16] Speaker B: Completely forgot about you. Got a few of the names on five.
[00:47:21] Speaker C: I also blamed Thomas Sorensen for me forgetting he ever existed. He should have been more memorable.
[00:47:25] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:47:27] Speaker B: I wouldn't have got sorensen, I don't think neither.
[00:47:31] Speaker A: I don't think Thomas Sorensen would have got thomas Sorensen? But maybe you could write it and let us know. If not Premier League goalkeeper.
Anyway. Right, thanks very much for joining us this week on The Day Today. We'll obviously be back next weekend after the latest round of Premier League football. Thanks for joining us, Dave, very briefly at the end of the show to join us for the quiz. And Matt, thank you very much as well for all the breakdown of the weekend's action. You can, of course, catch us on theanalyst.com where. Dave's, absolutely see brilliant writings across the site all the time, mainly the dive into how bad Leon are.
If only we had a French podcast, just we leon is terrible. I don't know where that came from. That wasn't french. We'll move on very quickly from that.
Not getting into that conversation. Anyway. Right then, we will see you all next week. Until then, take care of yourself and goodbye.
