[soft music]
[journalist] There is so much at stake in this final run-in.
Boss, just come forward about 4 paces.
-There? -Yeah, that's perfect.
[journalist] Mikel Arteta has been named
Premier League Manager of the Month for March.
Thank you so much, guys, thank you.
[journalist] And considering they were rock bottom in mid-September,
having lost the first 3 matches, look where they are now.
There's an argument to be made, I think,
that Arteta should be manager of the season right now.
[journalist] Being the best manager of the month,
tell us about the sense of pride it gives you.
Obviously, it gives me a sense of pride because I know how difficult it is
to do it in this league.
But especially to our supporters,
because the way they have transformed the team,
they deserve a lot of credit.
[journalist] Beware of the curse of it, Mikel.
[laugher]
What is what?
The curse of the Manager of the Month.
What is the curse?
You lose the next game, basically, a curse.
Ah, okay.
Fine, thank you.
[hip-hop music]
When you love what you do, that is called passion.
We have to believe, we have to have energy.
[shouts]
Show these people how much you care.
[cheers]
Let's go for it.
[crowd chanting]
[soft music]
[Arteta] Goal scorer!
Morning. Enjoy it?
[narrator] 12 Arsenal players have been on international duty
representing their respective countries.
[O'Driscoll] Do you have Nicola Sturgeon's number?
No.
Has he got the president's number?
-Rob? Rob, you got Boris Johnson's? -No.
[narrator] They've returned from places like Ghana and Brazil,
and are now back at London Colney for the final 10 games of the season.
-You all right, mate? -[Ben] How are you?
Good, good, good.
-How's the calf? -Better.
Feels brand new, mate. He feels fully rested.
Watch out Palace, on Monday.
[Arteta] Nice to have you back, guys.
I think in general, it's been really positive
for some performances that you had.
For the rest, refocus, okay?
Now we're going to be 7 weeks together,
refocusing what we have to do from here to the end of the season,
and what we have to talk every single day,
what we're going to train every single day,
what we're going to do in every single match
is the same that we've been doing, okay?
I just want to send you a message,
and when everybody goes home today,
we are all aligned with what we want to do.
We're going to talk about this, who we are and what our identity is.
And I want you to focus and talk in that dressing room
and every single day in training only about this.
This is a team, look at the reaction.
We cannot lose that, this is one of our biggest parts in our identity.
The way we win matches, the way we live together,
the way we act, the way we want to improve is because we have that synergy,
that cohesion between you guys.
Because this is why we play football, guys,
to smile and have enjoyment here.
Be careful.
[laughs]
Be very careful because we need to be... Remember what I said about discipline.
[laughs]
Okay, Granit? So don't take it personally,
because you only got a yellow,
so I think it's good because you could have been sent off in this game.
You know, so don't cry so much after the game when that happens, okay?
Let's go.
[tense music]
[narrator] Mikel and his team have a great chance to cement their position
in the top 4,
with their next 3 games coming against teams in the bottom half of the table.
The first is against 12th placed Crystal Palace.
[podcaster] I think it's a straight dog fight for that 4th spot.
At the moment, Arsenal, they're favourites,
they've got it, it's theirs to chuck away.
[tense music continues]
[whistle]
[commentator] Big, big night here for Arsenal.
Smith-Rowe, now Lacazette, prods it back in.
Just too strong for Emile Smith-Rowe.
[commentator 2] Arsenal not at the races at the moment.
[crowd shouts]
[commentator 3] Bump of a challenge, weren't it?
[commentator] He gets his head to it, Mateta!
[crowd cheering]
[commentator 2] Arsenal won't make Champions League football
if they play like this.
Here's Joachim Andersen now, whips the ball looking for Ayew,
finds Ayew, into the penalty area, must score, does score!
Palace are 2 nil up.
Quality ball by Andersen from the back. And where was the Arsenal defence?
[whistle]
[commentator] It's fair to say Mikel Arteta's team
have been quite clearly second best.
[Ben] Fuck me.
[Granit] Come on, you guys, fucking shit 45 minutes, man!
We can't come and play like this here.
We knew what we had to do.
Fuck me, the first action, they have the throw in, put the fucking ball away!
[Arteta] We don't win any fucking duels, guys.
You are getting pushed around on first ball, on second ball,
on third ball.
What happened there is fucking unacceptable.
Done, we cannot change it now, it's too late.
We could have changed it, now we fucking binned it
and I want to reset everybody like he hasn't played in the second half.
We haven't played the first 45 minutes.
We have to go out there now, start to change the chips,
and we go out there and we believe that we change it.
Laca, you believe you can score 2 or 3 goals in the second half.
B, Emile, let's fucking go, guys.
-Let's go. -[clapping and shouting]
[tense music]
[whistle]
[commentator] They have plenty of work to do to rectify the situation.
It's good running from Saka.
Trying to fend off Kouyaté.
Arsenal fans thought that might have been a penalty.
Lacazette. Oh, here's Smith-Rowe.
[commentator 2] Here's Partey, a little bit of space, central midfield.
He arcs the ball out to the left-hand side
and signals to the bench he's unhappy.
-[O'Driscoll] Thomas. -[Stuivenberg] Thomas?
[commentator] I think he's pulled something in his groin area
or top of his right thigh.
[suspenseful music]
Can they get across it from Nketiah?
It's headed on inside the box,
and Tyrick Mitchell lumps the clearance away and Zaha's picked it up,
and Partey's all over the place.
He gave it away, he's only barely walking
and Zaha tears at the Arsenal defence,
back comes Gabriel to try and challenge him,
Zaha's gone down. He's given the penalty.
[suspenseful music]
[crowd screaming]
That looks quite serious.
[commentator 2] Arsenal's Champions League aspirations
have been well and truly dented.
When you have a difficult moment
and today with your face and get a slap
because we deserved it, guys.
We deserve to be slapped on the face because of the performance that we had.
So now put your head down and start to think what you are going to do tomorrow
and start to help each other, and let's go,
because Saturday, we have another one,
and in a few days, we're gonna have another one and another one.
So we still have another nine opportunities.
[podcaster] We played really badly and it's a bad result.
I remember Arsène Wenger used to say all the time about confidence,
you go up in the stairs, you come down in the elevator.
Any heavy defeat can sit with you as a player.
[soft music]
[Arteta] Football is up and downs,
and when you are up, be careful, because very quickly you are down.
You don't have any margin for errors at the moment
so it's having to push the players
to understand the importance of every match
without adding too much pressure that they can be struggling to...
to cope with.
[narrator] The next day, Mikel is in early for his weekly meeting
with the club's football leadership team.
-[Venkatesham] Morning, Tim. -Morning.
[Gaspar] You all right?
-Morning, long time no see. -[Gaspar] Yeah.
Morning.
How were the boys after?
Yeah, they were... they were touched, last night.
[Venkatesham] Yeah.
So it was more a case of leave them alone
and ask them to be close and be together now, you know.
[Venkatesham] Yep.
More than, getting another...
[Mertesacker] Was it quiet?
Half-time wasn't quiet, to be fair.
They were trying to react and they were trying to put the first half away
and they wanted to have a go in the second half
but afterwards, they were down, they were down.
[Garlick] Gary, do you want to start with where we are fitness-wise?
So unfortunately for the first time in a good while,
we have a few issues now,
which is always the potential for this to happen.
Unfortunately, Thomas,
a relatively innocuous pass across the pitch
but felt his rec fem straight away.
I suspect that he's going to be several weeks, I'm afraid.
The big issue obviously is Kieran Tierney.
Erm, in the Wolves game, he had a hyperextension injury,
finished the game, didn't mention it and then played the next 5 games
with no problems whatsoever, but he then walked out of the shower
on Thursday after training,
turned a corner and bent his knee and felt the knee collapse.
But I'm afraid that we will not see him for Arsenal again this season.
I'll be very careful how we manage this now, erm...
[Venkatesham] Okay. You'll keep us updated on...?
Yeah of course, I'll keep you on the group
and I'll let you guys know if anything changes.
[melancholic music]
-Is it your meniscus? -Cartilage.
-[Granit] Your season's over? -Season's over, yeah. Defo.
[melancholic music continues]
[Arteta] Okay, guys.
Just looking at that, that's painful.
We let ourselves down big time yesterday.
And you should be hurting.
What happened yesterday is a fucking big lesson
and I don't want to go through that again.
But my trust is intact now more than before.
Why? Because you have given me the reasons to trust you.
And now it's about how you trust yourselves.
How we go to the next game, how we go to the next training session,
how we go home.
On Saturday, you're going to play at the Emirates full stadium.
They're going to be full behind you.
We have to give them what we want, guys, eh?
And we have to show them that we're going to have a different spirit,
different commitment and we're going to play with balls out there, guys.
Balls out. If you are on that pitch, full focus, full commitment
and you have to do your job.
If not, you cannot and you don't deserve to be on that pitch.
Are we clear?
We have a challenge, guys, it's a beautiful challenge, let's go for it.
Let's fucking go for it. Let's go.
[upbeat music]
[narrator] With injuries to several regular players,
it's a chance for some in the squad to step up and prove themselves.
[Mohamed] Robinho.
-Good, bro? -How are you, bro?
-Feeling good? -Yeah.
-Training today? -Yeah. Good, man, really good.
I think every player has a role and that role
within a season changes.
Sometimes you have to be in the side-lines or in the bench
and be extremely supportive and be ready to contribute whether it's 5 minutes
or 10 minutes or don't contribute at all, just with your energy,
with your body language, being very supportive with the team.
Inside, Eddie. Inside, bravo.
[Eddie] It's probably the hardest thing in football, I think,
for a player.
You work so hard every day to be out there on the pitch on the weekend.
And obviously that's the aim of everyone to be on the pitch
but at the end of the day, only 11 can start, you know.
[Arteta] Right come here, Gabi, Cedric, Mo. Mo, come as well.
Pépé come here, Rob.
[Rob] I'm not the one making the decisions, the manager is.
What he decides,
I'm happy with, support the team if I'm playing or not.
-Ultimate team player. -[producer] You are.
If you got 11 of me, you'd be all right.
[laughing]
Bravo. Again, Mo!
[Mohamed] I'm not happy, I don't play but I...
I keep this angry, I put it in the training because...
You know, like I give everything to make,
you know, the coach make me to play but if he don't play, okay, it's fine,
but I still, yeah... I still not happy to don't play.
Really good, boys.
[whistle]
Very good.
[Arteta] It's true that we have very important injuries, key players as well,
but again, you can cry, find excuses
or try to do the opposite thing.
We need to be stronger
and try to maintain the spirit and the belief of the players
as high as possible.
How are you, Sambi?
Enjoy your food, Nuno.
[Eddie] You've changed.
-You've changed a lot since you come, no? -You've changed quick, huh?
-This guy before was smiling, smiling. -Yeah, he was so happy.
I was playing.
So what, my friend?
You think you are the fucking only one not playing, my friend, huh?
Stop feeling sorry for yourself and fucking wake up, yeah man.
[tense music]
[podcaster] Arteta's biggest challenge is how to make this one loss in isolation
and not a defining moment for the season.
[podcaster 2] Arsenal were humbled by Crystal Palace,
and they've got a point to prove.
[suspenseful music]
[narrator] A home match against Brighton,
who have failed to score in their last 3 games,
presents the perfect opportunity
for Mikel's side to bounce back from the Palace defeat.
[music continues]
[Arteta] Stand up, guys, please. Come together.
Come, come.
Edison invented the lightbulb.
Today I want to see a team
that is connected, because a bulb by himself is nothing.
I want to see a team that is connected with each other and that shines.
And you want to transmit to him light and energy and passion
and how you play football,
and you too the same.
And each of us play the game connected.
Because what happens when we play connected, guys?
What is the next thing that happens?
That we connect with 60,000 people that creates more energy
because at the end is electricity,
that through heat creates light and life,
because if not, it would be fucking dark,
if this guy wouldn't have the idea to do that.
And I want you to play like this today because as good as we are,
it depends on one thing.
What makes us special is our attitude
and today I want you to play with that attitude, go out there,
fucking turn the light on and play football. Let's go.
-[shouting and clapping] -[bell ringing]
[crowd cheering]
[commentator] A must-win game, this for Arsenal.
[commentator 2] Yeah absolutely, after the result against Crystal Palace,
they'll want to get straight back on it.
[whistle]
[suspenseful music]
[commentator 3] Now, chance for Welbeck to get through the middle
and Ramsdale has to come swiftly off his line and thump it out of play.
Lokonga has it again, turns away from Mac Allister,
up to Gabriel, who's got Danny Welbeck breathing down his neck and Pascal Gross,
and just passes it straight out of play.
[commentator 2] Well, it's not a great start by Arsenal,
some worrying signs there, there really are.
[commentator 3] They've got the ball down the right-hand side now Brighton,
pulls it back, it's going to be... Trossard!
[crowd cheering]
Brighton lead!
And Arsenal's chase for the top 4 takes a big, big blow.
[narrator] Arsenal continue to struggle at the start of the second half.
[commentator] Can he pull it back for a teammate?
What a goal!
Oh, yes! And Arsenal's destiny, maybe it's not in their own hands.
[tense music]
[narrator] Martin Odegaard manages to score in the last minute of normal time.
[commentator] Another drive from Odegaard, it's in.
They have got a goal back.
[narrator] Before substitute Eddie Nketiah
has a chance to level in the dying seconds.
[crowd shouting]
[commentator] What a save by Sánchez.
[narrator] But it's all too late.
[whistle]
[commentator] Brighton & Hove Albion condemn Arsenal
to back-to-back defeats.
[tense music continues]
[Aaron] Talk about fucking basics
and a throw-in goes into the box and we fucking concede.
Ah!
Basics.
[player] Fuck!
[Arteta] I have too many emotions. Look at me please when I talk.
I have many too emotions and feelings
so I'm not going to find the right words to give you now,
so I prefer to speak to you on Monday.
It's great that you didn't give up, guys,
but we have to start to play from the first minute,
because now it's two games for the first half, guys,
we weren't there, we didn't exist,
we were nowhere near the team that we have to be.
[melancholic music]
[fan] It's the players, they have to blame themselves,
to look at themselves and understand they need a lot of bottle.
If you're trying to get top four, you need to find something deep down
and actually get it.
Performances like that won't get you top 4
and we're not going to move anywhere, same old Arsenal.
[melancholic music continues]
[fan 2] If that team there turns up how they did today at Chelsea
and Tottenham, no chance at all.
[narrator] For the first time in 4 months,
Arsenal slump to 2 consecutive league defeats,
and are overtaken by local rivals, Tottenham Hotspur.
[soft music]
[Arteta] After defeats, obviously the energy drops, belief drops,
you question yourself and you have a period of 24-48 hours,
I would say, where you have to digest those losses.
But then you have to somehow get out there and try to build again
the confidence, the momentum,
the energy and the right level of preparation to...
to go into the next match, because that one is gone.
[hubbub]
[Arteta] Okay.
Right guys, after the game, I didn't want to talk to you.
I was sure that I was going to say something that I was going to regret
but I tell you today, it was a fucking disaster.
I look in your eyes and I tell you it was a fucking disaster,
it was nowhere near the level that we have to play.
Some of you, attitude.
I'm not talking about making mistakes, yeah, or courage to play.
After losing 2 games at this club against Crystal Palace and Brighton,
it has to be a fucking funeral.
A funeral.
You know why you didn't win?
Because there is something missing, something missing inside you.
When you go out there something is missing, so how do we change it?
We change it in training.
Every ball, and every action has to be at your best,
that's the way we change it.
Because believe me, I'm not going to change anything, eh?
I'm not going to change it.
I will change a player or 2 or 3 or 4 or 11
but I'm not going to change anything that we do
because that's what it's taken all the way here
and that's what it's going to take us to the next level.
But we have to do better because you can do it better.
So hopefully you leave that room understanding that it's not good enough,
that we have to play a completely different level and listen,
I'm not demanding anybody to go here,
dribble 3 players and put the ball in the top corner, eh?
I think. I'm just saying do the basics right, okay?
Anything from your side?
Anything that you need?
If you need to go for a drink, you need to go to watch a football game together,
whatever, tell me.
For me, it's not a problem, but I want to see you enjoy.
I see you there in the first half
and I am saying: "What the fuck am I doing?"
I want to go inside. I don't feel the team.
I don't feel it.
Let's go.
[suspenseful music]
[narrator] In Arsenal's next game, away at Southampton,
academy graduate Eddie Nketiah is given his first league start,
but struggles to make an impact.
[commentator] Nketiah's got to do better there.
The youngster will be disappointed
that he's not been able to get himself involved.
[narrator] Arsenal lose 1-nil.
[commentator] Elyounoussi, Bednarek.
[crowd shouting]
[narrator] Another defeat sees Mikel's team drop to 6th in the table.
Behind Manchester United.
Since the international break,
they've suffered 3 losses in a row and only managed to score 1 goal.
[radio host] Go to Sam who's an Arsenal fan. Sam, good evening.
[Sam] I just don't think Eddie Nketiah's good enough
for Arsenal for the next level that they want to get to.
[radio host] Would Arsenal fans be disappointed to see him leave?
Do you think they want to keep him at the club?
[man] They'll understand that if Arsenal want to get back
to where they want to get to, they're gonna have to move on from him
or certainly if they want to keep him as backup,
they're going to have to get someone else in above him.
[Ian Wright] People don't realise.
Being a striker, it's tough, you know, especially with Arsenal.
The responsibility of the game is on you.
But if you go into a game thinking,
"Oh my gosh, I have to score because that's my job,"
you're putting yourself under too much pressure.
I think Eddie... He's what, 23 now? And you know, kinda on his shoulders
to shoot Arsenal back into the Champions League
and winning the Premier League,
it's a lot of pressure, that's why he's gonna need help.
[soft music]
[podcaster] Hello, listeners and welcome back.
Delighted to announce we're joined in the studio
with Arsenal footballer Eddie Nketiah.
[Eddie] Good to be here, man.
[podcaster 2] Arsenal fans, when you hear the noise,
it's always like, "We need a new number 9,
"Auba's gone."
Are you sort of sitting there thinking: "You know what, I can be a solution,
"if you give me the minutes"?
[Eddie] That's my biggest frustration.
I can't remember a time I've ever had 3 games in a row to actually play.
How can you judge someone? Give someone an opportunity, you know?
If I start 3, 4 games, I don't score, that's on me but I start one game,
I'm starting okay but we haven't scored and I'm off at 59 minute, like,
what am I meant to do?
You know, I'm coming on 8, 7 minutes to come and save the day.
Yeah, it's difficult, bro.
That's what you want as a player, an opportunity of 5, 6 games in a row.
You don't really feel like you're going to get that opportunity, so...
that's probably the hardest thing.
[journalist] Eddie Nketiah has spoken today about
being frustrated at his lack of opportunities.
And he's right to be upset and this is what we want from the players
that they haven't had the minutes, and especially Eddie
because if there is a player in that dressing room that deserves more chances,
er, that was for sure Eddie.
Can Arsenal qualify for the Champions League without scoring regularly?
Our strikers needs to score goals, our attacking players need to create.
We need clean sheets, so it's a combination of everything,
it's not just a single player has to do a job.
With Eddie, I said many times, as well how much I rate him,
that the fact that we had big plans for him in this club for the future
and this is where we are today and we have to accept that...
that reality.
[soft music]
[Arteta] When you are not selected, you take it personally.
When I was a player, I was annoyed
and I would... [groans]
...go home and I wasn't happy at all.
And it's just, we are here because we want to play
and the best moment of the week
is the Saturday or the Sunday,
when you go there and the whistle goes and you start to compete.
That's why you are a football player.
[Arteta] Great ball, Mo.
[Mohamed] Some of the young players, they don't play,
they get frustrated.
He's not happy but I keep saying to him
just focus on your job, you're going to get your chance for sure.
[hubbub]
[Granit] You are young, you are naïve. You want to do
more than... than maybe you can.
And with age, with experience, with a lot of games,
you start to learn.
No one wants to sit outside and watch them without helping.
But this is part of football.
In the end, you have to be very strong mentally.
Eddie?
[Arteta] Eddie is someone that wants to be the best.
He wants to be the number 9 of this football club,
and when he's not playing,
he shows you in training with his level in training,
with his anger in training
that a lot of times, you are wrong.
Ready?
I'm going to try to win the ball, eh?
1, 2, 3, now here diagonal. Bravo, Eddie, top.
[narrator] Arsenal's next game is against Chelsea,
the club who signed Eddie when he was just 9 years old,
but dropped him from their academy a few years later.
[Eddie] As a 13-year-old boy, you know, it was tough to take.
I think it came a little bit as a surprise.
Having that experience kind of motivated me more to...
to succeed, I think, and dealing with adversity at such a young age,
I think it built me up to be a lot stronger, you know.
[Arteta] Eddie!
1, 2, 3, here.
Bravo.
[whistle]
Every time.
Perfect.
[narrator] After impressing in training,
Eddie has a chance to start successive league games
for the first time this season.
Assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg
talks him through recent performances
to prepare him for the next match.
So, what was it that we discussed there that you...
you know,
took into the Southampton game?
Yeah, just tried to be more alert, not switch off as much, yeah.
The fact that obviously it was my first start so can only get better.
Yeah. True, it was your first start in the Premier League
so there was still a lot to gain.
It's not easy, I understand that.
Also, from where you're coming from, you know, the not playing a lot of games
and now, you have to play in the highest level...
But you are able to, but if you are in the box for me,
you cannot be like this.
You understand? In the box.
At any time that we are in the crossing position,
I want to see you alive and ready to go and to attack the ball.
Need to keep this one going, huh?
-Yeah. -Yeah?
Don't focus too much on scoring goals, it will come.
The moment is there, you take it, it's...
it's part of your nature, don't worry about it.
Focus on, you know, the process
and if you keep doing that then all the trust that more goals will come,
no problem at all.
-Thank you. -Yeah, stay fit.
Yeah. Have a good evening.
[soft music]
[narrator] Bukayo Saka is another academy graduate,
and the club's top scorer this season.
Thank you.
[narrator] But back in the summer, there was concern for Bukayo
when he was racially abused after missing a penalty at the European Championships.
[Bukayo] After the Euros,
there was a kid that sent me a letter with his pocket money
and he was just talking about how sad he was for me and stuff,
and he said that he would love to have played football with me in the park
and have ice-cream with me and stuff.
Never expected anything like that, especially for a young kid to give me
his pocket money, that must mean a lot 'cause I know when I was a kid,
you know, that money, it means everything.
We just thought it would be nice if we go to the Emirates and go and surprise him.
You want an ice-cream, Teddy?
[woman gasps]
[laughs]
Chocolate or strawberry?
-Er, strawberry. -Strawberry.
[producer] Why did you write the letter?
Er, because people were being racist to Saka,
bullying him.
[Bukayo] Is there a football anywhere around? Surely there's a football!
Teddy wants to show me his skills.
No, honestly, Teddy, thank you a lot for your letter.
I was upset and it made me happy.
One day you're going to be on this pitch with me, yeah?
Yeah.
It's nice, no?
This is nice.
[shouts]
[laughs]
Good penalty, Teddy.
It's a young Ben White we got.
Boom! Yes, Teddy.
Do you think we're going to get top 4 this season?
Er, probably.
-Yeah? -Yeah.
-Do you believe in us? -Yeah.
That's nice, that's nice.
[tense music]
[podcaster] We all thought the real chance for fourth
would all be next season.
In fact, it was this season and turns out we weren't ready for it.
[podcaster 2] You can't lose 3 in a row in the Premier League
to Palace, Brighton, Southampton,
in April, scoring one goal,
if you want to be taken seriously as a team that's on the up.
[tense music continues]
[narrator] Arsenal are desperate for a win and Mikel is taking a gamble.
Along with Eddie Nketiah maintaining his place,
Rob Holding makes only his third league start in nearly 8 months
and Mohamed Elneny makes only his second start this season.
Tonight, they face London rivals, Chelsea,
the current holders of the Champions League
and the Club World Cup.
Our squad is very limited.
Selling Aubameyang and not replacing his goals... Right now we're struggling.
Do I trust Eddie Nketiah up front with the 3 centre-backs?
It is what it is, man.
But he's here to prove us wrong so why not, man.
I want you to feel something.
So after the game against Southampton I looked at you in the eye.
I know when you are suffering
and I know when you are having a tough moment.
And I feel for you, so I want you to feel that moment when you are disappointed,
when you feel "Fucking hell, I let the team down",
or we didn't find a way to do it and how it feels.
And after that, guys, I want you to feel now, in 2 hours,
how you're going to feel when we win this match.
If we're going to have that feeling,
there is one thing that I guarantee that you have to go on that pitch,
and it's you have to give absolutely your best, you have to finish that game
that you can go in the fucking bin because you are throwing up,
you are fucked.
So, you have to suffer.
-[bell ringing] -I want you to go out there, guys,
and fucking fight and if Nuno, you make a mistake
or you make a mistake,
everybody in the fucking bench is going to be with you, let's go!
[shouting and clapping]
[suspenseful music]
[crowd chanting]
[commentator] Well, this certainly feels like Arsenal's most important game
at Chelsea for several years.
[whistle]
Forward by Mason Mount, Alonso!
[inaudible dialogue]
Arsenal take it back, away by Tavares, Eddie Nketiah is chasing it,
Christensen should get there first,
but that's a poor back pass.
Eddie Nketiah is on to it.
And Eddie Nketiah puts Arsenal in front,
at Stamford Bridge.
[crowd cheers]
His first Premier League goal for more than 12 months
and what a time, what a place to get it.
[narrator] Eddie Nketiah gives Arsenal a dream start
but Chelsea reply instantly.
[commentator] Werner.
[crowd shouts]
Oh, the deflection has taken it away
from Ramsdale.
And Chelsea are level.
Arsenal are pressing again, Chelsea in retreat.
Saka, Odegaard, Emile Smith-Rowe!
Oh, stunning!
[narrator] Arsenal fight back through Emile Smith-Rowe and retake the lead.
But again, can't keep it more than 5 minutes.
[tense music]
[whistle]
[commentator] Half time and what a half.
Nothing between them but so much to enjoy.
It is Chelsea 2, Arsenal 2.
[hubbub]
Okay, what happened in the first half is your level of desire, rhythm, passion,
commitment is here, you know.
But we have to go from here when we don't have the ball
to a little bit here when we have it.
Because if not, we are playing at the same pace and we cannot play
at the same pace.
Maintain the same level of commitment, aggression, communication and engagement
and with the ball, a little bit more "pausa". Okay, guys.
[shouting and clapping]
[crowd chanting]
[commentator] Here we go again then, more of the same please.
[whistle]
[suspenseful music]
Tavares putting in Nketiah, Silva's across,
Nketiah's there!
His second of the night. And Arsenal are ahead again.
[shouts]
Played in by Cedric, and Saka's gone over.
-Was he being held there? -[whistle]
It's a penalty.
[tense music]
[crowd chanting]
Bukayo Saka who so suffered
in the aftermath of his penalty miss at Wembley last summer,
with this to win it for Arsenal.
[suspenseful music]
[shouting]
And Bukayo Saka wins it.
A fabulous night for Arsenal, they won't forget this one in a hurry
and their Champions League dream
is very much alive.
[whistle]
[cheers]
Young and brave, and tonight, brilliant. Exactly as Arteta would have wanted it.
[Alexandre] [in French] Oui ! Oui !
[player] Let's go!
[Alexandre] [in French] Oui !
[Alexandre] Well done, everyone!
[in French] Oui, Leno ! Oui, Pépé !
[Shad Forsythe] Fuck yeah, lads! Fuck yeah!
[hubbub]
[clapping and cheering]
[Arteta] Boys, boys, stand up please, come together.
[coach] B, come here.
[hubbub]
I've been repeating you what I feel about you guys, and especially when you lose,
especially when you lose because I know you.
In life, to good people good things happens.
Eddie Nketiah, what you've done all this season
and everything that you have to be eating with my decisions,
at the end of the day look what happens.
And in this moments, the London Derby, we had the chance and look what happened.
Elneny, Rob, everybody, it's fucking a pleasure just to be a coach,
to experience people like you and how you look after each other,
how you look after the team.
That's an example of a professional player,
someone who cares about their team.
And when that happens, I repeat myself, good things happen.
Enjoy the moment but now, guys, it's Manchester United, yeah?
We've done great, we had the game in hand, we have taken it all the way,
deserve to be happy, guys, enjoy together the wins,
but Manchester United has to win as well.
[clapping and cheering]
[joyful music]
[chanting] We've got super Mik Arteta!
[fan] Come to Stamford Bridge after 3 losses,
we came, we saw, and we conquered.
[podcaster] Eddie actually taking that first chance that he had,
I think at that point I kind of, you know,
remarked "Fuck me, Eddie's turned into Ian Wright," you know.
[laughing]
[Ian Wright] Very pleased for Eddie,
'cause it's very difficult to come into a side,
who are not playing well, you're the striker coming on,
you're not creating chances,
and people are saying "Ah, he's not doing enough."
I think it's starting to happen for him.
Because he's got the energy, he's got the vibrancy,
he's got the potential.
I'm very, very pleased for him
because he's been so much more patient than I ever would have been.
[joyful music]
Eddie, what a game he had.
[man] Yeah, yeah, that was a great game.
How tenacious he was, the...
the hunger he had that we're just starving of a striker
that can just do a bit of dog work and look what he got,
he went and got himself two goals.
[fan] For me, Smith-Rowe,
that finish against Chelsea, wow.
How can he just pass it into the net like that?
Do you how much technical brilliance you need to have?
Mendy had no chance.
No chance.
[joyful music continues]
[Emile] I remember I scored last season against them.
We had no fans so it wasn't...
it wasn't ideal but this time it was good, man.
No better feeling and obviously, Bukayo as well, scoring a penalty.
Good for his confidence as well, you know.
No fear at all, man.
Such strong mentality from him.
We're good friends, man, and obviously we grew up together
through the academy and stuff so...
Yeah, we always talk about it, like, coming all the way through
and getting an opportunity to play together for the first team.
Like, that was always the dream for all of us, you know.
We just want to perform
and the main thing is making everyone happy for the club
and all the fans and stuff,
so yeah, we try not to have any fear when we step onto the pitch
and it's even better when we're at home
and all the fans are shouting our names and stuff.
So sick, man.
[upbeat music]
-You're not taking this home, are you? -[Kieran] Mate, they want me to.
How the fuck am I getting that into hand luggage man?
Oh, to Scotland?
He's probably going on fucking Jet2 or EasyJet, mate.
[narrator] The victory against Chelsea has breathed new life
back into Arsenal's hunt for Champions League football.
[Granit] Last season was very difficult for us
without Europa League, Champions League.
The most important thing is to keep working, to stay together
and at the end, let's see where we are in the table.
Good morning, guys. The funeral is over, okay?
Now you can live your life.
I just give everything in that Chelsea game,
I enjoy a lot when I play against the big teams.
You just focus on your game and you focus
how you're going to beat them and, er, that's it, yeah.
[narrator] Mo is currently observing Ramadan,
and so is fasting during daylight hours.
Teach me, Ramadan Mubarak?
-Mubarak. -Mubarak. There we go.
[narrator] Nutritionist Laura is doing regular body scans
to ensure Mo is fit to play.
[Laura] Nice and still.
6 minutes.
[Laura] The DEXA scan is an X-ray machine
and we utilise it to check on a player's body composition
to make sure that they're not losing too much muscle.
What time did you wake up this morning?
Like 4:45.
[Laura] Okay.
What have you had so far?
I eat before I sleep.
Like, I ate like 11 o'clock.
[Laura] Okay, so you haven't eaten this morning?
No.
Okay, all right.
[narrator] Arsenal now face fellow Champions League contenders
Manchester United.
[Laura] All right. Let's have a look.
So, lean mass is up a little bit.
Body fat is down slightly.
It's good.
[narrator] It's a huge game and with Thomas Partey out,
Mo Elneny will once again be called upon.
I think that we're going to reach
our goal.
I promise, if you see our training,
if you see how Mikel prepares and you see the players,
how hungry they are and everyone fighting for his position,
I never see someone give everything, work really hard
and they don't get reward. Never.
[tense music]
[crowd chanting]
[fan] United always turn up against us, they always turn up.
[fan 2] It does not matter how we get the job done,
but you have to get the job done
because at this stage of the season, it's so vital, these points.
Effectively, win at Manchester United, done and dusted,
completely out of the equation.
[narrator] If Arsenal beat Manchester United,
they will make it almost impossible for their old rivals to make top 4.
However, standing in their way is the game's all-time top scorer,
Cristiano Ronaldo.
[Cédric] Come on, come on, come on. Let's go.
Come on, come on everyone ready, everyone ready, from the start.
Okay, stand up, guys.
Ready.
Get together.
The other day I asked you one thing, have the feeling before the match,
how it feels when you go there,
you play at Stamford Bridge and you win.
I want feelings, I want you to go out there, guys,
to win the match and to impose ourselves in front of our people, okay?
Fucking enjoy.
[cheering and clapping]
[hip-hop music]
[hubbub]
[crowd cheering]
[hip-hop music continues]
[commentator] This used to be the fiercest of rivalries
and these are now two sides in the scrap for the top 4 to earn the right
to return to Europe's top table.
[whistle]
[suspenseful music]
[commentator 2] Saka's illegally fouled.
Ronaldo.
And Arsenal are much quicker, much hungrier.
It's Saka, lovely strike, it's a great save,
the rebound is put in
by Tavares.
[commentator 3] And Manchester United have conceded
inside 3 minutes at the Emirates Stadium.
[commentator 4] Tavares following in for his first Arsenal goal.
[commentator 5] Xhaka to Elneny, Elneny plays it forward to Odegaard,
they might test them here.
Elneny gets it back, now Nketiah's inside the area.
Stopped by David de Gea. It's a magnificent chance.
So easy for Elneny and Xhaka to get on the ball and start the play.
Arsenal just have got a sense of blood here.
Saka, moving forward at pace for Arsenal.
[commentator 4] Here's Odegaard looking for Saka, he goes down.
[shouting]
It's a penalty.
[whistle]
[suspenseful music]
[shouting]
[commentator 3] Drives it into the corner.
And Arsenal have a 2-goal lead.
[commentator 5] Matic wins it into the area,
and it's tapped in at the far post by Ronaldo.
[crowd shouts]
[whistle]
There is the half time whistle.
Arsenal have got to be incredibly careful here.
2-nil up in the game and now they've found themselves 2-1
and giving up chances.
[suspenseful music]
[whistle]
[narrator] The second half starts with the same frenetic energy.
And Manchester United are given
the perfect opportunity to level the score.
[commentator] Did it come off a hand, that? I think it did, it's a penalty.
[whistle]
[tense music]
-Hits the post! -[cheering]
[commentator 2] Elneny wins it, plays it square to Xhaka who shoots.
What a goal from Xhaka.
25 yards out!
[victorious music]
[screaming]
[whistle]
[commentator] And there goes the final whistle.
3 points then going Arsenal's way.
[cheering]
[Mohamed] Well done.
Well done, boys.
Yes, lads, yes!
[cheering]
[Arteta] Guys, I think we are all so proud of you, the amount of energy,
belief that you put, how you suffer in difficult moments,
it was fucking incredible.
My heart is going to stop at some stage with you, guys,
but I'm so proud to coach you, to be with you as I've always said.
Elneny, if somebody here doesn't have energy, you put the energy.
That's why we're going to need every fucking one.
So today, make sure you fucking enjoy it tonight,
if you want to and then, guys,
it's West Ham and it's the next one.
We are in the fucking race and we're going to have a real go
so we're going to need you, everybody,
and everybody means every single person
pulling and adding and pushing this boat as quick as possible, okay?
[clapping and cheering]
[hubbub]
[Gaspar] Well done.
Can you see this end to the season coming down to a straight shoot out
in the North London derby for a top 4 finish?
Of course that head to head game is going to be really, really important.
Is that something you'd relish?
This is why we are here to play big matches, erm,
that can define big moments and that's the beauty of this game.
-Ciao. -[in Spanish] Ciao, mi amor.
We have a huge ambition to play Champions League next season.
We have 4 games, guys, 4 games to go.
We don't lose here, we find a way and we win!
It all comes down to us v. Tottenham.
[commentator] It's as big a London derby that I can remember.
The prize is the future.
[commentator 2] And there is the red, and Arsenal are down to 10 men.
A lot happened in the last few months,
to be in the position that we are in,
so let's go for it.
[tense music]
[Arteta] When you want to achieve something, you have to suffer.
At the minute it's all them, and we have to flick the switch.
-Guys, we have to turn this around. -[clapping and cheering]
[tense music]