Who would Arsenal prefer to play in Champions League final? 🏆 | ESPN FC Extra Time

0:03 Welcome in to latest edition of extra time.

0:05 Thank you very much for all your questions.

0:07 Robo, your name was used in vain really yesterday.

0:10 We had a wedding invite and we were talking about the best wedding invitees

0:15 from the panel and you were down the bottom of the list I'm afraid.

0:18 Who had a wedding invite?

0:19 We had an ESPN FC We had a wedding wedding invite for us all to go.

0:24 It's in San Diego It was in San Diego.

0:26 We missed it because of ESPN's post.

0:29 And unfortunately, so Robo was down at the bottom of the list

0:32 with Gav and Naden as people you don't particularly want at your wedding.

0:35 What what what Really?

0:36 All of us were invited?

0:37 All of us were invited, yes.

0:39 Yeah exactly.

0:40 And Gav and Naden?

0:41 You seem very surprised there.

0:43 All of us everyone in the ESPN FC crew.

0:45 We did a power rankings of who would be

0:47 the best [music] people to go to a wedding.

0:50 Stevie obviously is near the top Frank Shaka the ambassador.

0:53 Unfortunately, your name kind of came up in a bit of a negative connotation.

0:57 Cuz Stevie said if they ever got divorced and had a party,

1:00 you'd be perfect for that.

1:01 Wow.

1:05 Why?

1:05 Just bring the misery.

1:06 I think that was it.

1:07 Just that divorce is there's happiness.

1:11 [laughter]

1:13 That's why they're doing it.

1:15 So apologies for that Robo, but there we are.

1:18 Well, listen.

1:20 I've just spent two nights

1:21 I'll accept it.

1:22 I mean uh Well, yeah I mean

1:26 [music]

1:26 I've been invited to lots of weddings and I get

1:27 on the top table and I'm I'm part of the entertainment Yeah,

1:30 but you're you're you're not very well.

1:32 [laughter] Yeah, but you're on a top table but you're an ornament.

1:38 [laughter] I've been invited to talk about weddings and fun.

1:39 I just We just said in the show I just said in the end of the show

1:42 if you missed the show I don't know if

1:43 you missed the show or saw the show whatever.

1:44 [music] Right, when we went to London for the FA

1:46 Cup semi-finals yes and I'm going again for the cup final.

1:50 Yeah, looking forward to it.

1:52 We're talking about [music] when the uh you know what of the party?

1:57 Hm?

1:58 The watch party?

1:59 No.

1:59 No no life of the party.

2:01 Ah yes yeah.

2:02 You know, you're you're slandering me about weddings.

2:05 Yes.

2:07 There's the boss the boss is boss.

2:08 There's you your lad.

2:09 There's other people and people couldn't Now don't say it

2:13 was because of me people got into bed at half eight.

2:18 [laughter]

2:18 All I wanted to do was sit and have a couple of beers and chill out.

2:22 I was with the most boring bunch of people.

2:27 Wow, what a hard hard life you have.

2:29 Craig Craig Craig let me tell you Dan said he went to bed at half past eight.

2:36 I went to his room at half past eight.

2:38 I know he was out on the town at 10 o'clock.

2:40 Definitely not Robo.

2:42 What was he What was he What was he doing with the old lady?

2:46 Was he in central London at 3:00 in the morning having a diet coke?

2:51 [laughter] By the way his lad who is a bit

2:52 of a wannabe He also went to the opera didn't he Dan?

2:54 I went to the West End yeah.

2:56 Yeah I went to the West End it was great the theater.

2:58 Went to the races sorry and dark.

2:59 Everything was great his lad his lad that lives in England Yes.

3:03 is like father like son Robo cuz he's also a bit of a lightweight Right.

3:08 when it comes to the uh like having a little bit of a night out.

3:12 Oh in first night he was Oh I'm so sorry Craig had such a hard time.

3:17 You don't have to come to Wembley.

3:18 I can go on my own.

3:19 Go on.

3:20 Okay.

3:20 I don't care.

3:22 [laughter] Do what you want.

3:23 Right, did the play I've got my I've got You're not even in my hotel so shut up.

3:26 Oh yeah, I'm in a nicer hotel.

3:27 I don't know how you got that.

3:29 Probably probably kissing backside again some some boss somewhere.

3:33 Wow.

3:34 Wow.

3:35 Right, let's do this.

3:37 Oh this is an easy This is This is an easy answer.

3:40 [music]

3:39 Did that play out pretty much as you expected it to Robo?

3:44 Absolutely.

3:45 I mean I think in the first half there

3:47 was only one shot on target that was the goal

3:49 then Arsenal defended quite well and in the end

3:52 Atleti didn't have enough quality to break them down.

3:54 It was a very disappointing game.

3:55 Great atmosphere and excitement for Arsenal supporters

3:59 but not for not for many other people.

4:01 Craig, your thoughts on Victor Gyokeres his performance tonight

4:04 off the ball he put in an immense work rate.

4:06 He did yeah.

4:08 He did yeah.

4:08 Missed his big chance but it didn't affect the the outcome.

4:11 So

4:14 [music]

4:12 yeah, work rate good runs are good.

4:16 I mean he's had a What would you say decent season?

4:20 No.

4:21 No.

4:21 If Arsenal win the Champions League and the Premier League talking about him.

4:25 Well, he's got to be part of that conversation.

4:28 No, you were taking players on individual merit.

4:31 Do you have any questions about Gyokeres I believe?

4:32 Yes.

4:33 Not about Arsenal.

4:34 Right okay.

4:35 Right.

4:37 Did anyone on the panel see either Arteta or Simeone

4:41 actually in their box at any point in the game?

4:43 Is it even helpful for players to have managers running up

4:45 and down the touchline trying to yell instructions over stadium noise?

4:51 I'll go ahead if if if

4:53 Yes.

4:53 If I may Dan, pass on that question to the box police.

4:57 Oh.

4:58 So Craig obviously said if in the old days

4:59 you would have kicked him Something would have I Well.

5:03 Any manager get coach getting that close when the player is

5:07 on that side would have been would have would have gone.

5:09 [music] But they do nothing about it.

5:13 They do nothing about it.

5:14 I believe honestly and I believe this is you get three chances.

5:20 Once you're outside three times or more whatever it is you got to set a bar.

5:26 You send them to the stand.

5:29 [music] Right?

5:28 And if you do it you know,

5:31 two or three games in a row you're banned from the sidelines.

5:35 It's not a big deal is it?

5:37 Well, it is annoying.

5:39 You know, as annoying [music] as both Simeone and Arteta can be

5:44 in the coaching boxes [music] when you add the amount of assistant

5:49 coaches [music] that come and talk to Arteta during the match

5:54 that I think takes the level of annoyance to a next level.

5:58 So

6:00 [music] if we're talking about who won in the battle of who was most

6:02 annoying inside or outside the coaching box I think Arsenal won as well.

6:07 Have you noticed since they haven't quite been as productive of late set pieces?

6:14 Yeah, the cutaways have uh The the little Yeah,

6:16 he doesn't show up near the touchline.

6:20 [music] is not popping up as often in the technical area.

6:22 He's sat there with these [music] uh you know head in his hands.

6:26 Robo, who would annoy you more on the sidelines Simeone or Arteta?

6:31 Well, easy answer.

6:32 [music] Uh well, I mean Arteta would annoy me more than anything else.

6:36 And but I'd ask the the panel as well.

6:38 If you had a manager that kept on screaming and shouting

6:41 and running up the touchline and waving his arms and saying all sorts

6:44 of whatever he's saying wouldn't you I know I would at the time

6:47 I did it to a couple of managers sit down and shut up.

6:50 Let us get on with the game.

6:51 You're giving us no information.

6:52 Sit down.

6:54 And then you have to they'd have the argument after the game with the coach.

6:57 But Arteta's giving no from what I can see

7:00 and I'm watching him closely he's giving no instruct He's

7:03 just waving his arms around running up and down

7:05 going from side to side trying to affect the referee.

7:07 It's a it's a load of old rubbish I love how

7:10 you went That's why you didn't invite Robo to a wedding.

7:12 Sit down and shut up.

7:13 Imagine first dance.

7:16 [laughter] Yeah, get out of the wedding room.

7:17 Get out.

7:19 Get out of here.

7:20 Go on now.

7:21 Oh this is going on.

7:25 [laughter] Is she a drunk or whatever?

7:27 Uh who would The panel the panel.

7:29 When have we ever When have we ever been called the panel?

7:31 I don't know.

7:32 The steam panel as well.

7:33 Yeah exactly.

7:34 Well, well better than saying a couple of muppets

7:36 in the studio isn't No I I I haven't heard that.

7:41 Why did Simeone sub off Alvarez and Griezmann?

7:44 We we touched on this and we Alvarez

7:45 obviously suggested to us that he'd done his ankle.

7:48 Griezmann can't [music] be happy.

7:50 Yeah, we know Alvarez was carrying an ankle

7:52 injury from last week's match against Arsenal.

7:55 I still [music] believe though that I'll take him with a bad

7:59 ankle over some of the other options including Alexander Sorloth.

8:04 Uh I believe that he can give you potentially a set piece goal that he

8:09 has that in him and taking shots from distance that maybe he can draw a foul

8:14 maybe he can see a pass maybe I think he gives you more even if he's

8:18 got a bad ankle than bringing some

8:21 of the other options that that that Simeone brought.

8:24 And what was really surprising is that he

8:26 brought those options on in the 66th 67th minute.

8:28 With still half an hour to go in the match and he made a decision you know what?

8:33 We're going we're going with Alex Baena and we're going

8:37 with Diego Almada and we're going with Alexander Sorloth and the guys

8:40 who are supposed to be the difference makers the guys

8:42 that see a different picture are now sitting on the bench.

8:44 The team [music] became They were already limited they became even more limited.

8:48 You'd like to think that Alvarez you'd like

8:51 to think that he literally [music] couldn't play on.

8:54 Yeah, cuz if he could play on to that point your season's on the line.

9:00 You're you're in the Champions League in La Liga you're not

9:03 going to you're not going to you're not in the championship race.

9:05 You're not going to you're not going

9:06 to lose your status in the Champions League.

9:09 So this is your season.

9:12 So I'm I'm I'd like to think and I hope he's not badly injured but if

9:16 you I'm not I'm not coming off unless

9:20 I can literally not get above walking pace.

9:22 If if it's just niggling away at me deal with it later.

9:26 But that yeah that that was that that was strange.

9:30 Uh why wasn't uh last man challenge on Gyokeres Ali a red?

9:34 Or is that only when Barcelona players do it?

9:37 Wow.

9:39 Uh it wasn't a red because it did not deny a clear goal scoring

9:44 opportunity given that there was a second

9:46 defender closing in from a central position.

9:48 And even had Gyokeres gotten away from Marcu

9:50 [music] Vidal the defender coming from the inside

9:53 had an angle and had a possibility to make a challenge on the ball.

9:57 And just as a added piece of analysis, [music] it it is Jovic.

10:03 Oh, dear.

10:03 You're leaning leaning into the shot again.

10:05 You have a nasty habit.

10:07 Yeah.

10:07 Get your haircut.

10:09 With his departure from Europe at the end [laughter]

10:12 With his departure from Europe at the end of the season,

10:14 how should Antoine Griezmann be remembered?

10:17 As an Atletico Madrid club legend.

10:20 I got I who had couple of [music]

10:23 years at Barcelona that were very sort of forgettable

10:26 and nondescript and filled [music] with some controversy

10:29 as to the videos that he filmed leading to that transfer,

10:33 but that aside, Atletico de Madrid legend.

10:39 [music] And in some degrees a La Liga legend.

10:40 Uh I think Antoine Griezmann elevated his profile and by elevating his profile,

10:45 he also elevated the profile of Atletico Madrid.

10:48 Uh a team that at the time was a lot

10:51 about Diego Godín and how hard can we kick people.

10:57 Antoine Griezmann gave this team a credible threat in the attack

11:00 [music] and one that could hurt other teams from many different positions,

11:05 play making positions, as a striker, wide areas.

11:08 In [music] his prime, Antoine Griezmann was one of the best players in La Liga.

11:13 Stylistically speaking, Robo,

11:15 who would [music] Arsenal want to face in the final?

11:20 Uh I I still think they'd want to play PSG rather than Bayern.

11:25 I know they beat Bayern earlier on in the season,

11:27 but I think they might be able to they defend deeply

11:30 and I think PSG at times likes to play on the counterattack.

11:34 [music] So, Arsenal would sit deep and PSG would probably keep

11:36 the ball and not be too positive with it at times.

11:39 They'd rely on their front players or their wide players to go past people.

11:41 Whereas, I think Bayern if Arsenal sit deep,

11:43 Bayern would dominate them, get crosses in the box, they'd play balls forward,

11:47 they'd get more opportunities and crosses into the box.

11:51 So, I think they'd prefer to play PSG rather than Bayern.

11:54 That's what I thought.

11:55 You Since you're so good with last names,

11:57 you want to have a go You want to have a go at that one?

11:59 No.

11:59 No.

12:00 Thank you.

12:01 Thank you for your question.

12:02 What's that one The name?

12:03 Yes.

12:04 Final question.

12:05 Craig, is Saka being special pretty much Arsenal's

12:08 only chance of winning the Champions League final?

12:11 [music] No.

12:16 No.

12:20 So, no?

12:21 I mean, if you're going to win the Champions

12:23 League final against one of these two teams,

12:26 you're going to have to A, defend really well,

12:30 B, be competitive in the middle of the park,

12:33 uh and C, be clinical in the final third.

12:36 So, yeah, a fit and in-form Saka is going to be a big

12:39 plus for that, but the chance that Jovic had tonight that he missed,

12:44 that's something that's probably going to have to go in in the final

12:46 cuz you're going to get punished at the other end.

12:48 So, it's there's more to it than just uh Bukayo Saka,

12:51 but it certainly certainly would help Arsenal's

12:54 chances obviously if he was playing well,

12:57 but if if Bukayo Saka turns up and plays

12:59 really well and the others have an average game,

13:00 they're they're not going to win it.

13:02 That's it.

13:03 Lovely.

13:03 Thank you very much.

13:04 You'll be back with us tomorrow, Robo?

13:08 No, I'm not back with you tomorrow.

13:09 No.

13:09 Couple of days off.

13:10 Got a wedding.

13:13 [laughter] He's not invited.

13:13 That's fair enough.

13:14 That's it.

13:15 ESPN FC returns turn up.

13:17 He was the Ali, have a nice time in Barcelona.

13:19 Well, yeah, hopefully well, late night.

13:22 Hopefully the a lot of boring people are not on the trip.

13:25 I won't.

13:26 Go to bed early.

13:27 I'll be drinking on my own.

13:28 Why would I?

13:30 Why would [music] you end up drinking on your own?

13:31 It's a head scratch.