Sky Sports Premier League Podcast
Arsenal edge Watford; the race for the top 4 and is Ole's honeymoon over?
15 Apr 2019
Chapter 1: How significant was Arsenal's victory against Watford?
Arsenal have won at Watford and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's score of the only goal is waiting to speak to us live from Vicarage Road. Congratulations, Pierre. Just how significant a victory does that feel for Arsenal tonight, away from home?
Good evening and thanks. Yeah, it feels good tonight because we know that away is always difficult for us, but today the team did a great job and everybody fought to have these three points and tonight we are really happy.
Did you speak before the game, Pierre, about how hard you would have to fight, how competitive this game was going to be against Watford?
Yeah, we knew that it would be a tough game and I think everybody knows what's the goal, what's the target for us this season to get the top four and we knew that this game is really important to stay in the competition for the top four and everybody fought today and we did a great job.
Pierre, looking at your goal again, when did you feel you had a real chance of making the block when it went back to the goalkeeper?
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Chapter 2: What are Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's thoughts on his goal?
Because we saw the face you pulled chasing that ball. You always felt confident you could get there.
Yeah, sure. I was confident. It's a long time I want to score a goal like this. And tonight it went through.
Chapter 3: How does Arsenal aim to secure a top-four finish this season?
So, yeah, I was confident because normally keepers, they don't really know if you are coming back to them. And, yeah, tonight it was a good goal. For me, I like it. So, that's it.
Pierre, you've scored 18 goals now in the Premier League. Do you fancy your chances of catching Mo Salah and Sergio Aguero?
Yeah, why not? Why not? You know, I feel confident and the race is going on. And I know it's a tough battle, but I'm confident and I will carry on.
Why do strikers like scoring goals like you scored tonight, Pierre? I thought everyone wanted to score like Mo Salah did yesterday.
Yeah, OK. It was a great goal from Mo Salah. Unbelievable goal, but I like sometimes... OK, it's not maybe an easy goal, but it was maybe easier than Mo.
Pierre, you've got a great goalscoring record since you came to Arsenal last January. How are you finding playing in the Premier League for the first time?
No, I feel good.
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Chapter 4: What challenges does Ole Gunnar Solskjaer face at Manchester United?
You know it's tough to play in the Premier League and as we can see tonight it was a tough game. You have to fight every game. But I feel well, I feel good and I'm feeling well in the team. Since I'm here I'm really, really happy that I'm working good.
Pierre, you played on your own tonight as a single striker. Do you prefer that or do you prefer playing up front with a partner like Lacazette?
Everybody knows that I like to play with Laka because we have a great partnership, but sometimes one plays and the other stays on the bench. It's like that, you have to fight for the team. I think you know that I like to play with two strikers, but I don't want to say it because the coach will be a bit upset.
You just have to say it!
Well, listen, you had to hang on a little bit in that second half, Pierre, but how much confidence will this give the team now? Because you've got some really big away games to come between now and the end of the season.
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Chapter 5: How did Watford respond to their loss against Arsenal?
Yeah, I think these three points give us a lot of confidence because now we know that we can win games away. And we have two more games at home, but most of the games we will play away. So that's great tonight to win three points and to go home with this victory.
Pierre, thank you very much. Congratulations again tonight, 18, for the season.
Thank you.
He's chasing them hard, isn't he?
Chapter 6: What are the implications of the red card for Watford's performance?
It does seem, I think you get the same answer when we ask both of them, they do like to play together, but how effective was he tonight?
He was. I think on the goal, we'll talk about the goalkeeper's mistake, we'll look at it shortly, but I think he was really brave. People may think I was just blocking a shot. Sometimes you sort of dangle an ankle out there, a keeper's coming through, he's absolutely trying to blast, he's going to follow through as well. A lot of strikers actually think...
I know people might say, well, get a little touch, it goes in, but I think he was quite brave there. And when I mentioned to him about going back to January... I think I've heard this before, that people say he's gone under the radar in some way. Because he's come here like a superstar, really, in some ways, you know, coming from Borussia Dortmund.
And I think the fact that he's not one of the first names on the team, he doesn't seem to play every single game, he picks one or the other, really. He doesn't feel like he's at the forefront of your mind constantly, that he's the man for Arsenal. But for me... I mean, I still can't believe, I mean, I like you and I, Emery, I think he's doing a brilliant job.
I still can't believe he hasn't played the two of them in away games.
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Chapter 7: How do Arsenal and Spurs compare in the race for the top four?
And you might say, oh, it's to help his defence and be more solid. Even against a 10-man Wofford, he didn't look solid. I still feel as if they need to score two or three goals away from home. And that, for me, he said how much he enjoys playing with them. And I don't think the passengers, when they play together, because they give a huge threat for them goal-scoring-wise.
So I'd still like to see that.
He seemed very happy with the goal, the manner of it as well, Gary.
Yeah, because I think, to be fair, strikers get asked to press nowadays a lot, maybe they always have, but certainly nowadays, the front point of the attack, and they do a lot of it without actually achieving anything from it. And tonight, he got his rewards for his pressing and for his closing down.
And, you know, Jamie mentioned it at half-time, you know, Jan-Matt picks the ball up over here and... Before he turns about to stick his back there a second, I mean, you just think there, forget about clearing it up the pitch, I actually think he could even take it in there and dribble, because he's capable of that, yeah, Matt?
And you always were told as a full-back or a defender, the goalkeeper is the last resort. Your first pass is your strikers, your second pass is your central midfield players, your next pass is your winger, your next pass is your centre-back, your last pass is your goalkeeper.
And I actually think he's got so many options... But are you saying that this is an example of modern full-back play, or he's just doing something wrong, he's making a bad decision?
I don't know. I mean, look, to be fair, Ben should deal with it, and he'll know that. I mean, he's an experienced goalkeeper. But you have to give credit to Aubameyang. He's so sharp and so quick, and it's the speed and the acceleration that catches Ben Foster out.
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Chapter 8: What factors will determine the outcome of the Premier League season?
There is no doubt about that. He thinks he's got... I mean, what is there? From there... He could go with his right foot. He could. I mean, he's obviously his left foot, and he tries to switch it on to his left, and he thinks he's probably 15 yards away from him. He thinks I've got loads of time.
But the problem is, these lads now, their acceleration, the speed that they can make up, they can do... They are sprinters and there's no doubt about it. Look at that. The speed of him is incredible. Jamie mentioned the intent and the sort of... His face there. Yeah. And he wants that ball badly. Badly. And he gets his rewards for it. And that's why he's delighted with the goal.
Because he probably does that 100 times a season and probably gets one moment like that and that's what makes it all worthwhile.
Great celebration as well. Let's hear from the Watford keeper on that. Ben Foster now with Patrick Davison.
Ben, was that a really good Watford performance, actually, spoilt by a great... Go on, go on. I wasn't going to say it. A crazy minute was going to be my next words. Yeah, I'm gutted for the lads. You know, they were brilliant. Like you say, we went down to 10 men as well. And I thought we were the better team. You know, we were the ones really pushing for it.
And, you know, to be fair, I think Arsenal were just sort of happy to hit us on the counter-attack. Yeah, we're absolutely gutted in there. You know, I've said I'm sorry to the lads and sorry to the fans. And, yeah, I don't know. I think I should have just croised him, to be honest with you. But it's not really my style. Look, you've had a great season, but just tell us what happened.
What did you see? What were you thinking? I think, so Daryl's played the ball back to me. I've tried to just drag it onto my left and then hit it out wide. And before I know it, he's bloody on me. God, he's fast. No, fair play to him. He's absolutely rapid. I was walking off the pitch there speaking to Ben Leno and he said, it's not your fault, he's too quick. And I think, I totally agree.
I think it's a good goal to be honest with you. It looked like you just had no idea he was that close. Yeah, to be fair, I've got to do it a bit quicker. I think, you know, with hindsight, you've got players like Aubameyang, you've got to just get rid as quick as you can. You know he's going to be on you. It's not the time to mess about, just sort of shell it, even if it goes into Rosehead.
Is it the sort of thing that maybe there's more of a chance of happening because of modern goalkeeping? Maybe, I don't know, two seasons, five seasons ago, you launch it, but now you've got to play out. I'm definitely not a modern goalie. I'm happy to put it in row Z. They can't score from row Z. No, I don't know. I just thought I probably had a little bit more time than I did.
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