THE ARSENAL OPINION - BY LE GROVE

LIVERPOOL (A) | ON THE WHISTLE | 30 MINS FREE 🔓

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Oh my word, Arsenal put on a masterful performance at a stadium that has been very abusive over the years! The big stories are all discussed in this one.

👑 King Kai the difference
🛡️ Outrageous defence shuts out Liverpool's sparkling attack
⚔️ Noni vs Barcola: you will NOT like what we have to say!
🏆 Ezri Konsa, signing of the summer
💪 Declan dominance
🔭 Premier League prospects!

Get full access to...

Matt and Pedro hit up a POWER 30 podcast to discuss some of the post-Fleetwood views on Max Dowman.

Hope you enjoy! x

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Pedro is joined by Jacob Hawley for an early week debrief, fuming at a Ballon d’Or ceremony that barely noticed Arsenal. The Hottest Takes ask what the snubs really say about this team, and why a side this good is not firing more shots.

🔥 Hottest Takes: The Ballon d’Or proves the system and Arteta are the real stars, plus why do Arsenal win so much with so few shots?
🏆 Harry Kane wins the Ballon d’Or, Saliba and Raya get snubbed, and the Premier League is penalised for being hard
🧩 Arteta has a type of full-ba...

Johnny is joined by Matt Kandela straight after Arsenal’s 2-0 win over Everton, and a happy Invincibles Day it was. The Hottest Takes go to Esri Konsa’s brilliant start and a Johnny prediction that came right, with Arsenal back on top of the league while Man City drop points.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Konsa making his fee look cheap, plus the City wobble Johnny called
🏔️ Back on top: how Arsenal bounced back from Brighton while City stumbled
🧱 Esri Konsa the tank and Gabriel back to bullying defenders and scoring
⚡ Noni Madueke’s confident display with Saka out for w...

NOTTINGHAM FOREST (A) | ON THE WHISTLE | 30 MINS FREE 🔓

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Pedro, Jacob and Matt Kandela react to a nervy win at Forest. Arsenal snuck a massive three points with just one shot on target, and we dissect the obvious: why are we so good defensively, but still a bit rough in attack?

🧱 Why the defence keeps delivering while the attack stutters
😬 Madueke and Eze issues
👻 Saka ghosting again
😶 Kai looking super bland
🪦 The summer folly bitin...

Pedro is joined by FK from Latte Firm for a Thursday Therapy crossover. The Hottest Takes go straight at the squad, with a worry about the Rice, Bruno Guimarães and Odegaard midfield three and a prediction that January could be Arsenal’s busiest window of exits ever.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Is the Rice, Bruno and Odegaard midfield too light on physicality? Plus Gyökeres and Zubimendi as January exit candidates
💸 The pain of losing players we love, and why no one has really hurt to see go since Arteta arrived
⚽ “Boring Arsenal” busted: 20 of 21 goals from open play...

LEEDS UNITED (H) | ON THE WHISTLE | 30 MINS FREE 🔓

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Pedro and Johnny Cochrane react to Arsenal's win over Leeds. It was not the 4-0 romp we predicted. Leeds were very good and made for a far more tense afternoon than we hoped, but a win is a win is a win.

⭐ Noni Madueke delivers a superstar performance
🎯 The forwards are not banging, so what is going on up top?
😶 Bukayo Saka has a "meh" outing
...

This episode gives everyone 30 minutes of free content. The full hour, with everything below, is for members only.

Pedro is joined by Johnny Cochrane and Matt Kandela to preview Saturday’s lunchtime kickoff, with the Hottest Takes landing on Jurrien Timber’s imminent return and a big moment for Christos Tzolis on the left wing. The trio also dig into the Victor Gyökeres vs Mikel Merino striker debate, debate whether Max Dowman finally gets a real run out, and dream big about what a post-City-verdict transfer market could bring to Arsenal.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Jurrien Timber’s...

Pedro is joined by Jacob Hawley as real football finally returns, with the Hottest Takes going straight to a bold prediction that Arsenal should make a move for Jude Bellingham next summer. The pair also pick apart Mikel Arteta's new £20-25m a year contract and debate what it would take for this era to be remembered as truly great.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Jude Bellingham to Arsenal floated as a genuine possibility, plus why Mikel Merino deserves the nine shirt over Viktor Gyökeres this weekend
💰 Arteta's blockbuster new deal broken down, and the case that no manager...

Pedro is joined by Matt Kandela for a big debrief as the longest international break of the season finally winds down, with Bukayo Saka's England exploits leading the headlines. The Hottest Takes celebrate Saka equalling David Beckham's England goal tally in far fewer appearances, plus a debate on whether Arteta might start deploying him all over the front line.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Saka's record-equalling form for England, and whether a winger overload with Max Dowman is coming
⚽ Viktor Gyökeres scoring for fun with Sweden, and why Arsenal may need him sharp with Havertz injured again
🩹 A worryin...

Johnny is joined by Jacob Hawley for a Tuesday special dominated by the Manchester City verdict fallout, plus Myles Lewis-Skelly's impressive England midfield audition. The Hottest Takes go straight to Bukayo Saka, with a bold prediction that this is going to be his best season yet.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Saka backed for 27 goal contributions this season, plus a full defence against the online slander
⚖️ Manchester City's 115 charges dissected, and why Arsenal are best placed to benefit from the fallout
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England's narrow loss to Spain analysed, and whether the gap can close with more Arsenal talent coming through
🌟 Myles Lewis-Sk...

Pete is joined by Matt Kandela for a Power 30 during the long international break, dissecting the online "conspiracy" against Bukayo Saka and everything going on in the wider Premier League. The Hottest Takes take aim at Bernardo Silva, with a proper deep dive into why he belongs in football's dirtiest player hall of fame.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Bernardo Silva named public enemy number one, and the case for a Saka hate campaign being coordinated
⚽ Viktor Gyökeres finds form for Sweden, and whether Arsenal should cash in come summer
🌟 Myles Lewis-Skelly and Max Dowman's rise for England d...

Pedro is joined by Jacob Hawley for a therapy session dominated by one huge topic, Arteta's new long-term contract and what it means for the club's future. The Hottest Takes go deep on Arteta's legacy, weighing what Arsenal would look like today without him against the risk of handing one man so much control.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Arteta's contract, his growing power over transfers, and the worry over what he leaves behind 👑 Cesc Fabregas as the anointed successor discussed in detail, plus why Como is the perfect proving ground ⚡ Bukayo Saka defended hard against a wave of "low quality"...

Pedro is joined by Matt Kandela for a Power 30 dissecting the mood swings of a wild weekend in the Premier League, from Spurs' bottom-of-the-table meltdown to Arsenal's own first defeat of the season against Brighton. The Hottest Takes go straight to Arteta's lost unpredictability, with a proper debate on whether the squad has become too easy to read.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Arsenal's predictable starting XI and why the Brighton defeat had our number from minute one
😅 Spurs and Man United's chaos dissected, plus who could end up the next big managerial name
🎯 A hard look at Arsenal's...

Johnny and Matt Kandela steam into a discussion about the worst performance in a very, very long time!

They discuss:

😬 Shoddy Bruno performance
📉 Flat Arsenal performance
🧤 Raya, worst in an Arsenal shirt?
🇬🇷 Tzolis away day stinker!
👻 Kai goes missing!
🏃 Gabby run ragged!

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Johnny is joined by Jacob Hawley for a feel-good Thursday session, dissecting the joy of Manchester United’s misery, the case for Mikel Merino as a future manager, and a proper debate on how much patience the club’s young players deserve. The Hottest Takes open with United’s Carabao Cup exit to Brighton, plus a look ahead to Sunday’s tricky trip to face the league’s form team.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Manchester United crowned the worst club to support, and why it never gets better than this
👔 Mikel Merino’s manager potential dissected, and the growing trend of m...

OH WHAT A GLORIOUS TIME TO BE AN ARSENAL FAN!

The boys go ALL IN on a mega Arsenal performance for the ages!

They tackle hot topics like:

🔥 The DISGUSTINGLY good Bruno cameo
⚡ Bukayo back on that output drive
🧤 Sensational David Raya!
😬 Granit legacy tarring
🟥 A ref out of control - and a manager who was having none of it!

is This a 30-minute sample of our On The Whistle Podcasts. If you want the whole show, live, without adverts, check the links below.

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Jacob Hawley is joined by Matt Kandela for the Tuesday debrief, dissecting a brilliant win over Chelsea and the Odegaard renaissance nobody saw coming. The Hottest Takes zero in on fixture congestion, with a warning that Arsenal can't afford to run their front four into the ground before Napoli.

🔥 Hottest Takes: the balancing act between minutes management and keeping the good stuff flowing
👑 Martin Odegaard's remarkable turnaround dissected, and whether it was fitness all along
⚡ Kai Havertz and the case for why he's the perfect Arteta striker, not a "pure goal scorer"
🛡️ Esri Konsa's home debut br...

Come on, that's what we LOVE to see!

Arsenal put down a powerful performance against title aspirants, Chelsea.

Here's what the boys talked about:

⚽ Sexy football is back
👑 Odegaard PURRS like it was 2023
🔥 King Kai SILENCES doubters
🥶 Cold Palmer flops... as usual
🇬🇷 Tzolis... he's actually good!

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*UPDATED WITH NEW AUDIO*

Johnny is joined by Matt Kandela, back from his summer break and sporting a self-bought predictions belt, for a bumper preview of Sunday's Chelsea clash. The Hottest Takes come in strong, with Matt making the case that Arsenal's front three is still better than the "JP Morgan" trio everyone's been hyping up.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Arsenal's front three vs Chelsea's, and why the hype might be premature
😡 A furious verdict on how the club handled the Myles Lewis-Skelly rumours and Martinelli's exit
🇩🇪 Ethan Nwaneri's Dortmund loan dissected, and the Champions League reuni...

Pedro and Jacob pick through the wreckage of a mixed transfer window, from a bittersweet Martinelli farewell to whether Arsenal missed the boat on genuine attacking upgrades. The Hottest Takes get properly spicy, with Jacob making the case Arsenal should have sold Gyokeres and kept Martinelli instead.

🔥 Hottest Takes: sell Jokeres, keep Martinelli, and why Arsenal misjudged their own forward line
💰 The Bruno Guimarães verdict, Esri Konsa praise, and why the window still earns a solid rating
🚫 Arsenal's failure to land a genuine "circuit breaker" winger picked apart in detail
🌍 Martinelli's Al-Hilal move dissected, th...

Pedro, Johnny and Jacob dissect a hard-fought 1-0 win at Villa Park, with a superb Saka display and Calafiori's growing influence on the left as the headline acts. The Hottest Takes cover Viktor Gyokeres mysterious disappearance from the bench and whether the transfer window has left Arteta short of what he actually wanted.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Gyokeres left rotting on the bench again, and what it says about Arteta's plans up front
🛡️ Arsenal's superstar defence dissected, zero shots on target conceded and why the club can win ugly
🌟 Bukayo Saka's fabulous display and new haircut, plus the case he...

Pedro sits down with Daily Mail Arsenal correspondent Issan Khan to talk through his new book, “22 Years: The Inside Story of Arsenal’s Title-Winning Season,” with a foreword by Jens Lehmann. Issan was named Sports Journalist of the Year at the 2023 Press Awards and Young Sports Journalist of the Year by the Sports Journalists’ Association, and was nominated for Football Journalist of the Year in 2024, so it’s a proper deep dive into life inside the press room, the power dynamics behind Arteta’s rise to full manager status, and the small moments that shaped a historic campaign.

🔥 Hottest...

Pedro and Jacob Hawley get into the chaos of the transfer market with five days left in the window, from the wild fees flying around the Premier League to where Arsenal's own business actually stands. The Hottest Takes flip on Julian Alvarez, and a proper data dive builds the case for why he could be a genuine difference-maker.

🔥 Hottest Takes: the case for Alvarez builds, with data comparing him to Gyokeres, Vinicius Jr and Europe's elite
💸 The Premier League's transfer madness dissected, from Man City's spending to the Morgan Rogers fee mess
🛑 The Atletico Madrid statement...

This episode gives everyone 30 minutes of free content. The full hour, with everything below, is for members only.

Pedro and Jacob Hawley break down the season's opening week, from why the vibes feel different this year to the Martinelli saga and Arsenal's messy search for a left-side answer. The Hottest Takes lead with a proper Ben White appreciation session and end up circling one big question: is Julian Alvarez actually the striker signing Arsenal need.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Ben White's return and why the right-side triangle is clicking again
🚪 The Martinelli exit dissected, the fee, the tr...

Early access for members.

Pedro is joined by Tim Payton of the Arsenal Supporters' Trust for the annual sit-down on all things finance, boardroom power and where the club goes from here. It's a proper deep dive into what winning the Premier League actually costs, and why that isn't stopping the losses.

🔥 Hottest Takes: why Champions League matters more than the league to Arteta and Odegaard
💰 Arsenal's finances laid bare, the wage bill, the losses, and why sales matter more than spending
🏟️ Safe standing, ticket prices and the fight for affordable access at the Emirate...

This is the first On The Whistle of the season and this is the first 30 minutes to give you a taste of membership!

We discussed:

⚡ Myles Lewis-Starter

👑 King Kai the Nine

🇬🇷 Tzolis | Greek god confirmation

🔥 The left side looking GREAT

✨ The whole team looking FRESH

Full podcast can be found at patreon.com/thearsenalopinion, Le-Grove.co.uk, or in the Apple Members podcast section.

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Learn more abo...

Johnny leads Pedro and Jacob Hawley through the pod's most legendary annual tradition, laying down their Premier League predictions before a ball's even kicked, with Matt Kandela phoning in his picks from abroad. The sharpest Hive Mind in Arsenal podcasting goes head to head with the hosts, locking in their own calls for a shot at bragging rights over the season.

🔮 Season predictions locked in, no takebacks
😅 Old predictions get dragged back up and mercilessly roasted
📊 Gradient spreadsheets and late-night AI number crunching enter the chat
🏆 The race to end back-to-back last place finishes
🎙️ Hosts...

Johnny is joined by Jacob Hawley for a Tuesday therapy session off the back of Community Shield glory, digging into the messy end of the transfer window and Arsenal's uncomfortable approach to shifting Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli. The Hottest Takes cover the club's selling strategy and a David Raya appreciation post that's hard to argue with.

🏆 Community Shield reflections and why Havertz, Saka and Odegaard together changes everything
🔥 Hottest Takes: the discomfort with how Arsenal are pushing Martinelli and Nwaneri out
🧤 David Raya named the best keeper in the world, and the case is made in d...

Come on... what a start to the season! First trophy, some big performances, and plenty to get excited about.

We discuss:

This was the start we all dreamed of... now for the league!

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Pedro is joined by Johnny Cochrane and Jacob Hawley for a Friday special ahead of the Community Shield, with two and a half weeks left in the window and plenty of frustration to get through. The Hottest Takes bring a big swing back on Ethan Nwaneri, plus a proper debate on where Arsenal's transfer business actually stands.

🔥 Hottest Takes: Johnny's back on the Ethan Nwaneri train
🎯 Odegaard's finishing under the microscope, and why the fanbase is split on him
🇹🇷 Victor Osimhen data deep dive, and whether he's Jokeres 2.0
🛡️ Jarell Quansah emerges as a surprise defensive target<...

Pedro is joined by Matt Kandela for a quickfire pre-season pod before Sunday's opener against Manchester City. The Hottest Takes come thick and fast this week, covering the Hale End dilemma, the fresh faces turning heads in preseason, and why the squad still isn't the finished article heading into the window's final stretch.

🔥 Hottest Takes: the Myles Lewis-Skelly transfer saga divides the room
💰 Digging into Arsenal's contract strategy and why players aren't getting poached
⚡ Marley Salmon and Julien impress in preseason, plus the Saliba succession plan talk
🎯 Odegaard's form, Bruno's debut, and the "eyes test" for j...

Pete is joined by Matt Kandela for the full preseason debrief. Two defeats on the bounce, an escalating Zubimendi exit saga, and a Timber injury scare all land in the same episode, and Pete's ITK instincts are working overtime before Community Shield weekend.

🔥 Hottest of Takes: Pete makes the case for why Arsenal's attack looks strangely toothless right now, and why there might only be one name left who can fix it

😬 Zubimendi's Exit: Chelsea and Javi Alonso circling, the London Stadium moment Arteta hasn't forgiven, and the João Pedro fantasy swap deal Pete can't l...

Pete and Johnny. Johnny's been to the British seaside. Pete's been to the gym. Vinicius is staying at Madrid. Arsenal are signing Ezri Konsa. Life goes on.

Here's what's inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Johnny makes the case that the Vinicius saga was never really about Vinicius — it was about the Martinelli question we've been avoiding all summer. Pete's take reframes the entire window: the system is still the star, and a tweet from a fan account called Josephine of Arsenal might actually be the most rational thing said about this whole saga

😅 Moving On From Vi...

The Arsenal Opinion | Thursday Therapy — Vini's Gone, Bruno's Here, What Happens Now

Pete and Johnny. It's Thursday. The Vinicius deal is dead. Pete needs a wellness check on Johnny. And there is a lot to get through.

Here's what's inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Johnny delivers a nuanced defence of Arsenal's pursuit: Vinicius wasn't choosing another club over Arsenal, he was choosing to stay put. That's a completely different thing. Pete's take is the hotter one — Arsenal might have dodged a bullet. The Özil parallels. The pressing demands. The cuckold behaviour. Pete is processing

😤 Vi...

Pete and Johnny. Bruno Guimaraes is nearly done. Johnny's in his yellow Arsenal shirt. Chelsea have signed Jordan Henderson and Danny Welbeck. The contrast could not be more beautiful.

Here's what's inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Johnny has changed his mind on Ethan Nwaneri after watching the Girona game and he's brave enough to say so out loud. Pete's take is about an academy kid who glided onto the pitch in the second half like a tall ghost from the mid-2000s — and nobody was talking about him

💸 Bruno Guimaraes — Nearly Done — Ornstein says it's happening...

This is a pretty focused show... we're gassed about Vini, and we talk ourselves into why it'll happen!

We talk about his defensive numbers

Why Arsenal are the bigger club in 2026

Why image rights are so important

What the secret ingredient to the players greatness is

How important the signing is to the future of Arsenal!

We hope you enjoy this early bird segment! x

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Johnny and Suburban Gooner Chris — Howard to his friends — sweating through a heatwave with a lot to get through. A crossover that covers everything from FIFA politics to the players who could define Arsenal's season.

Here's what's inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Chris opens with a Bruno vs Vinicius argument that will divide the room. Johnny has a counter. The reasoning on both sides is genuinely compelling

🌍 Infantino and FIFA — the lads go after the most powerful man in football, the decisions that have defined this World Cup, and why the governance of the game feels inc...

Jacob is joined by Simon Collings of The Sun — one of the most well-connected journalists covering Arsenal day to day. Pre-season is underway, Tzolis is in training, and the transfer room is absolutely nuts.

Here's what's inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Simon makes the case that Arsenal's quiet pre-season media blackout is actually a sign of confidence, not chaos. Jacob goes after the club's inability to sell players and asks whether Berta needs to get ruthless before he can get creative

📰 The Journalist's View — what it's actually like covering the transfer window in the social media...

Johnny and Jacob. Sunday evening. Suitably infused. An Ornstein bomb has just dropped and neither of them can stop talking about it. Arsenal are exploring a deal for Vinicius Junior. They needed to get on the mic immediately.

Here's what's inside:

🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob side-steps the Vinicius hysteria to make the case that Rodri's back surgery and Real Madrid links might quietly be the biggest story of the summer for Arsenal. Johnny's take is about what walking away from Morgan Rogers actually said about this club — and why it should make everyone more confident, not les...