Viktor Turned Up Today! (Marty) | Slavia Prague 1-2 Arsenal

Big, big news. AFTV are coming to America for the Champions Tour, where we celebrate Arsenal winning the league and do some mega watch parties. We're coming to LA, we're coming to Las Vegas, to Dallas, to New York, and also to Toronto. You've got to check this out. This is going to be huge. Click the link in the description or scan the QR code on the screen to get more information. Cannot wait. Hi guys, welcome to AFTV. I've got Marty here with me. We've just beaten Slavia Prague. 2-1 away at Slavia Prague. Marty, let me know how you feel about that game. Look, do you know what? The first half, I really like how Arsenal came out of blocks. We went 2-0 up fairly quickly. Nani made a way, that goal, runs it down the right-hand side. And you think at the time the ball's going to get away from him. And he's not going to control it and it's not going to end up in the back of the net and it's just going to be a wasted chance. But he does fantastically well. And the goalkeeper, all he needs to do is keep his foot where his foot was and he saves it. He sticks it straight for the goalkeeper's legs. Thanks, Alex. And, you know, it was great. And, you know, I think he had a great performance up until about 60, 70 minutes and then he faded. And it was really good to see him put in a performance like that. And then talking about good performances as well, Viktor Gyökeres, he started absolutely fantastically and obviously got the goal. That was a great bit of give-and-go with Miguel Merino. Obviously, Odegaard and Rice puts the ball in. Miguel Merino lays it off to Gyökeres, his back. And then, you know, he lashes it into the post and in. But it's a great finish. And this is what this guy is capable of. And we saw some great patterns of play from him, getting in behind. And this is the Viktor Gyökeres that I think we've all wanted to see all season. Yeah. And he... He just found himself in some really good situations. Maybe slightly disappointed for him to get substituted when he did. And Arsenal take it to half-time. And you think that Slavia Prague, they're dead and buried. This game is done. And I remember saying it on the watch along when I was like, imagine being Slavia Prague at half-time. You know, Arsenal don't concede generally, let alone, you know, two goals. And you think, you know, you've got a mountain to climb. And Arsenal came out and they were really... It was lacklustre and they were really complacent. And Slavia Prague came out of the blocks and in the second half they were on a much better side. And they were unfortunate to come away without at least a point in that game, if I'm honest with you. If it wasn't for David Raya making an absolutely awesome one-handed save with his fingertips, he'd put it onto the post. And this is the difference with this guy. If he will put that onto the post and then other goalkeepers, it will bounce in. This is a reaction thing. It will bounce in off your head and go in the goal. These things happen. And David Raya finds a way to catch the ball. And if it wasn't for him, those points get divided up a bit more. Um, and... And, you know, Slavia Prague pushed, and at the end they pushed and pushed, and they really went for it. All Declan Rice, I'm not quite sure why Declan Rice was still on the pitch. You could see, for me, he was completely gassed. I know. And I don't say that in a bad way. He looked done after probably about 75 minutes. right. He put a lot into that game, and he puts a lot into every game. And that game... You know, against Liverpool at the weekend, he was phenomenal. And I don't know when you've got players like Myles Skelly and Bruno G sitting on the bench. This is a perfect, you need that bit of energy in that second half to liven things up and a bit of intensity. Why were they not brought on? You've got an introduction of sort of Max Dowman and stuff, which I'm not opposed to, but, you know, maybe to control that game and, you know, or Myles Skelly, to put your foot on the ball, to just control the game a bit more and see it out, if you're going to see it out in a professional manner. But ultimately, I'm not going to grumble, we got the points and this is Champions League football. We went away from home and we got a result. We're third in the table, we're two points off top and you cannot grumble with that. I mean, as you just said, you know, I was reading what Mikel Arteta said after the game. He said, obviously, the first half was very good, but the second half, we had to suffer. We came out, you know, as you said, nowhere to the standard. We started the first half, we had to suffer, and that's why we conceded a goal. As you said, Declan Rice played another 90 minutes. He had an incredible game against Liverpool, getting man of the match and an assist for the winning goal in that game. Does it make you a bit worried that Declan Rice now has done back-to-back 90s? It's very likely we're going to see him play against Hull City. In a Premier League game, which we know is very intense. Are you a bit worried that Mikel Arteta may be preferred to a sub of Nuno Tavares or Max Dowman instead of maybe bringing on a Bruno Guimarães or Myles Skelly? Yeah, like I said, 100% personally, I would have brought Bruno or Miles onto the pitch. I don't see why not. Obviously, he's got his reasons. And you need, against Hull on Saturday, you need Declan Rice. You need Declan Rice available all season. And generally, he is available. So, you know, you can't fault that. Is that why he was subbed off? Because we saw last season, not to make it an excuse just to play devil's advocate, but we saw last season. Many games, that Declan Rice was absolutely knackered and played the next game. Yeah, and he is just that he's one of those type of players that in some way just gets going for their next game. Is that why Arteta just trusted him for that 90 minutes? I mean, we saw it a few games recently where he didn't and he wasn't playing. Then he comes back in and he wasn't that good. And you've seen other players keeping him going. He does seem to be one of those players. It's always, always available. But as an Arsenal fan, you always have that fear in the back of your mind that if one of your best players, it's like if David Raya Broke down and missed games. You know, Declan Rice, the best midfielder currently in the world, right here, right now. You know, if he broke down and was out for a period of time, it's hard to replace him over those period of games consistently. And the, um... And, you know, when you're that good, you know, you're not always going to have that quality. But we have got a quality in that game. At the end of the game, does he bring on that calming feature, even though Slava, yeah, there was a time when he had his foot on the ball and he's saying, listen, just keep the ball, calm it down. And that's probably why you woke up. That's why he was on the pitch and you know what you're getting. But yeah, is that a concern? One, two, three. He always is going to be with a player like that. Yeah. Okay, just to circle back to Viktor Gyökeres today. He gets a goal and an assist. He gets a man of the match awarded by UEFA Champions League. Do you expect to see him start against Hull City? I mean, we know already Kai Havertz has been Mikel Arteta's starting guy, I think for some part, but maybe rightfully so. He scored against Liverpool as well. We didn't see him at all today. Would you? Who do you want to see start on the left? I would expect to see Kai Havertz start at the weekend. You know what you're getting from him, he's a physical player. Viktor Okafor is always an option. Does he need game time? Yes, he did. I was very impressed. With Viktor Okafor's performance today, as I said, he's a cup player. He just looked to have found his position in this Arsenal side, but found a way to play it and not be isolated. There's so many times we've seen him on the pitch, but he just seems isolated or he's not in the game. He had a fantastic performance today. You know, the game against Hull, I would imagine he'll start with... With Havertz, I'm not opposed to that. We've seen Havertz pop up in big games and score goals, and he plays an important role. I imagine they're going to be physical with us. Kai Havertz is a very physical player. And Okafor has had a run out tonight. So I would imagine that to be managed accordingly. But listen, with the Premier League, different from the Champions League, it's a game that we need to keep with three points clear at the top of the Premier League, and we need to keep that pressure on. Hull at home are a team that, no disrespect to Hull, Well, you know... They're a good side on their day, but you take Fulham versus Hull, Fulham all over them. This is a side that away from home and at our place, we need to be putting them to bed. And it should be, when you look at our fixture, it's a standard three points. You know, in the nicest possible respectful way, you can't go out there like in the second half when we thought, oh, we've won this game. If you think you're going to go out there against Hull, you could get found out pretty lively. It's as simple as that. You need to go out and win the game and you need to go and put them to bed. And however you do it, we need the points on the board. Okay, and finally, was there anybody else out there to me that you think has put word in to say they should start against Hull, more so the players that don't? I don't think they did enough. When you consider Calafiori, you know what he brings. I understand Calafiori and Capierco. We know Calafiori struggles to play two games a week. So I wouldn't expect him. Zubamendi, was he at the levels that maybe Rice and Miles or Rice and Bruno were going to bring you in that? Proven midfield, you know. For me, games against Hull, Bruno's a perfect combatant to throw into that mix and I would expect him to start or if not, Myles Ruskelly, because they're physical players. I don't think, listen, Zubimendi had a good game, but in the second half, when you expected him to put his foot on the ball and do what he does more, he didn't. He started... Trying to spray some balls around and stuff like that, which went a bit wrong. And those things can cost you. Listen, do I love Zubimendi as a football player? Yeah, I do. Do I love him at Arsenal Football Club? Do I want him to go anywhere? No, I don't. But in games like this, you know, did he take his opportunity? Yeah, listen. He gave a decent enough account of himself, but I think that will be a change made for the whole game. You know, like Odegaard will come in for Eze, etc. There are changes. I think we know how that team's going to be set out for that game. OK, well, you guys have heard what Marty has to say before you say think in the comments. Thank you very much, Marty. And that's it. Thank you. Big, big news. AFTV are coming to America for the Champions Tour, where we celebrate Arsenal winning the league and do some mega watch parties. We're coming to LA, we're coming to Las Vegas, to Dallas, to New York, and also to Toronto. You've got to check this out. This is going to be huge. Click the link in the description or scan the QR code on the screen to get more information. Cannot wait.