THE DUGOUT | LUKE KEMPNER

Jacob is joined by Alex Moneypenny of Different Knock — one of the sharpest analytical minds in Arsenal content — for a deep, nervy, genuinely fascinating pre-Southampton session. They're both a bit frazzled, deeply hopeful, and very honest about the anxiety of going for a treble. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — Alex goes SPICY on FA Cup. Jacob wants to see a special player start. 😤 Look Around You — Chelsea mutiny, Enzo Fernandez publicly agitating to leave, Rodri heading to Madrid, Spurs signing their life away to De Zerbe. Before the anxiety sets in, Jacob and Alex take a therapeutic tour of everyone else's disasters 🏆 The Treble Anxiety — a brilliant, honest conversation about what it feels like to be going for a treble and somehow still wanting the season to be over. Why does the best Arsenal season in a generation feel so relentless? ⚽ The Bournemouth Problem — two away trips before a 12.30 kickoff at home against a very good team. Alex has a run-in spreadsheet. He doesn't love what he sees. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Rice, Saka & England — a genuinely fascinating tangent about the World Cup build-up, Tuchel's bizarre selections, and why it's strange that for the first time in decades Arsenal players are undeniably England's best two 🔮 The Bournemouth XI — is this the game where Arteta finally settles on the lineup that wins the trophies? Check out more of Alex at: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheDifferentKnock If you want more of THE AOP ad free with bonus bits: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArsenalOpinion Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Johnny are on the eve of Southampton in the FA Cup — and with back-to-back cup games before the big league run-in begins, the vibe has genuinely shifted. This one is buzzy, optimistic and full of things to look forward to. Here’s what’s inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — Johnny makes a passionate case for two players the fanbase seems to have forgotten about, while Pete highlights a teenager who nobody’s talking about for this weekend but absolutely should be 🏆 How Seriously Are We Taking The FA Cup? — a proper debate about how much to rotate, what winning it would mean in the context of this season, and whether ending up with just an FA Cup is too embarrassing to contemplate ⚽ Miles Lewis-Skelly Must Start — both fullback options are out, the under-21s were electric, and this is his moment to remind everyone what he’s about. But Pete wants solidity, not fireworks 😤 Man United Sniffing Around Miles — the conversation about whether Arsenal could ever be talked into selling, what the fee would need to be, and why the answer is probably more complicated than most fans want to admit 🔮 Predictions — Johnny and Pete have their say on the scoreline. Don’t miss it before kick-off Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArsenalOpinion Le Grove: https://www.le-grove.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Jacob are back with the season now locked and loaded — Southampton in the FA Cup, Sporting Lisbon, Bournemouth, and then the Etihad. Six weeks that could define everything. This one sets the table beautifully. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — a small but potentially significant Martin Odegaard story catches Jacob's eye and raises a big question about Arsenal's direction next season ⚽ Viktor Gyokeres Hat-Trick — Should We Care? — four goals, four shots. The Jockstraps are back. But Pete and Jacob ask the question that nobody wants to sit with: why does he get so few shots in the first place? 😂 De Zerbi to Spurs — the most combustible manager in European football, a five-year contract, eight games to save a relegation, and players who have already mentally booked their flights out of N17. Pete and Jacob absolutely relish every last second of it 💸 The Summer Transfer Links — a Brazilian winger from Zenit Arsenal have apparently been linked to, and Goretzka at 31. The lads are not excited 🎨 Bootleg Football Advertising — a surprisingly joyful tangent about the greatest football ads ever made, from Joga Bonito to Ian Wright in the Parklife ad Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArsenalOpinion Le Grove: https://www.le-grove.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Jacob are locked in — six weeks, three competitions, a potential treble on one end and existential questions on the other. The season is here. This one sets the stage beautifully. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — one that will have every Arsenal fan dreaming about the next two months, and one about the summer that paints the picture of a squad at a genuine crossroads 📰 The International Break Fallout — ten Arsenal players back early. Dark arts or just the most knackered squad in the Premier League? Pete and Jacob push back hard on the media narrative 😤 The Ben White Pile-On — the media want an explanation, Jacob and Pete have some choice words for the journalists demanding one ⭐ Myles Lewis-Skelly & Ethan — electric performances in the under-21s have the lads excited, but there's a sobering conversation to be had about what it actually takes to break into this Arsenal side — and whether Man United might end up doing Arsenal a favour by accident 🌟 Max Dowman Is Coming — with Noni's knee brace still fresh in the memory, is the 16-year-old about to get the run of games none of us expected? Subscribe at Patreon or Le Grove for ad-free episodes and support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Johnny are in fine spirits on a sunny Sunday — clocks forward, spring in the air, and the transfer rumour mill starting to spin. This one has a bit of everything: football philosophy, summer window talk, and a full-throated defence of one man who doesn't get nearly enough credit. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — Johnny raises the alarm about the injury situation heading into the run-in and asks whether Max Dowman is about to become an emergency starter, while Pete delivers a passionate take about Arsenal's place in world football that'll make you sit up straight 🏆 Arsenal Are Setting The Global Standard — Ecuador's national coach is using Arsenal set pieces on his training board. Pete makes the case that Nicolas Jova deserves way more flowers than he's getting, and that Arsenal are now the team everyone else is trying to copy ⚽ The Ajax Comparison — Johnny gets philosophical about the kind of team Arteta is building, drawing comparisons to the great Ajax sides of the 90s and what it takes to blend technical quality with physical dominance 🎰 The Injury Dice Roll — international breaks are a casino and the lads don't love the odds right now. With Noni leaving with a brace on his leg, who actually comes back fit? 💸 Ibrahim Diaz Scouted — a Real Madrid bench warmer is being linked with Arsenal for around £29m. Does he raise the ceiling or just the floor? Pete and Johnny watch the clips live and give their verdict 🧤 David Raya Is The Best In The World — Spain's number two has said it, Barcelona's keeper has said it, and Pete is furious that the Spain manager is still not playing him. An open invitation to Luis de la Fuente to come on the pod and explain himself Subscribe at patreon.com/theArsenalOpinion for ad-free episodes and support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Jacob are in good spirits heading into the international break — the Carabao Cup hangover is gone, the fixtures look winnable, and the Captain is coming back. This one is part title race optimism, part brutal summer honesty, and part gleeful Spurs schadenfreude. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob makes the full-throated case for Odegaard's return, while Pete delivers a take about Saka and the World Cup that's so spicy he can barely make eye contact saying it ⚽ Big Vik Hat-Trick — the Jockstraps are back. Pete interrogates what it means, what it doesn't mean, and whether we're all just riding an international break sugar rush 😬 The Big Earners Problem — an honest look at Arsenal's bloated wage bill and the players collecting serious money without delivering serious football. Can the club afford to rebuild with these contracts on the books? 🏥 Noni's Injury & The Saka Mileage Question — Madüeke limped out of the England game in a brace. If it's serious, the GCSEs are cancelled and Max Dowman boots up. Plus — is Saka's body simply paying the price for years of overuse? 🤣 Spurs Are Going Down — Pete maps out their remaining fixtures game by game and genuinely cannot find a way out for them. This section will make you very happy 📉 Liverpool's Collapse & Mo Salah's Exit — from champions to chaos in 12 months. Pete and Jacob on the fall of a dynasty, and whether Salah belongs in the conversation with Thierry Henry Subscribe at patreon.com/theArsenalOpinion for ad-free episodes and support the show. Get the bestest Arsenal newsletter of all time at Le-Grove.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pete and Jacob are back on a Friday night, the cup final fully filed away, to get their teeth into the big conversations of the international break — from spicy summer transfer rumours to broken VAR systems and what Arsenal actually need to take the next step. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — Jacob comes in with a summer transfer take that will divide the fanbase: if you had to sell one of your darlings, which one is it? And Pete reveals which big name he thinks could be heading for the exit this summer — and it's not who you'd expect 💸 The Summer Sales Problem — the hard truth about Arsenal's ability to generate big fees. Which players are realistically moveable, which aren't, and how do you fund a major window without selling something you love? 😬 Myles Lewis-Skelly to Man United? — the rumours are out there. How do you feel about it? And what would it actually take for Arsenal to even consider it? 🏃 The Trent Conversation — probably not happening, but what would it mean if it did? And what does it tell us about what this squad is actually missing? 🟥 VAR is Broken — the Premier League's own panel admitted the Havertz penalty against Everton should have been given, but also that VAR was right not to intervene. Pete and Jacob can't believe it, and they have a very good point 🤐 Arteta's Secret Weapon — one decision the manager made at the start of this season that nobody is talking about, but which might have been worth more points than any single player Subscribe at patreon.com/theArsenalOpinion for ad-free episodes and support the show. Get the bestest Arsenal newsletter of all time at Le-Grove.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jacob is joined by comedian, impressionist and fellow Arsenal obsessive Luke Kempner for a post-Wembley therapy session. The cup final hangover is real, the debrief is forensic, and as ever with Luke on the pod, there's plenty of laugh-through-the-pain energy alongside the serious football takes. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — Luke arrives with a truly unhinged goalkeeper opinion that will divide the room, while Jacob zooms out to ask the bigger question about what Sunday actually means for the run-in 🧤 The Kepa Debate — was the goalkeeper decision the reason we lost, or are we giving it too much oxygen? Luke draws on his musical theatre background for a genuinely brilliant analogy that you won't hear anywhere else 😬 Saka, Havertz & The Fatigue Question — Thomas Tuchel was reportedly sat next to journalists at Wembley saying our players looked absolutely cooked. Is this an injury story, a confidence story, or something more worrying? 🔵 What Went Wrong Tactically — the selection, the shape, the moments where it felt like Arsenal four years ago with no ideas. A proper forensic look at why Sunday felt so flat 💊 The Odegaard Wildcard — with Zubimendi's form dipping and the Etihad coming up, could the captain's return be exactly the missing piece? 🔮 Heart & Head for the Rest of the Season — Luke gives his honest assessment of what he thinks Arsenal can and can't win from here, and why he's still — just about — a believer Subscribe at patreon.com/theArsenalOpinion for ad-free episodes and support the show. Get the bestest Arsenal newsletter of all time at Le-Grove.co.uk Also, check out Luke's new Arsenal podcast: https://www.stak.london/shows-details/the-thing-about-arsenal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is a later On The Whistle podcast from the Cup Final episode. The boys discuss coping mechanisms, the issues with the game, the culture stuff with Kepa, and our lack of attacking output and bravery. A tough one to digest, but an important show regardless. If you want to be a member and get these shows when they happen, take a look here. Audio: https://www.patreon.com/c/TheArsenalOpinion Newsletter: https://www.le-grove.co.uk/p/does-it-even-matter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Arsenal Opinion | Before the Whistle — Carabao Cup Final Pete, Johnny and Jacob are on the eve of Arsenal's first cup final in a very long time — and the nerves, the arguments, the copium and the genuine belief are all present and correct. It's Arsenal vs Man City at Wembley, and everything is on the line. Here's what's inside: 🔥 Hottest of Takes — one of the lads comes in with the ultimate insurance policy if Sunday goes wrong, another thinks this game could mean far more than just a cup, and Pete has a proper moment about Mikel Arteta that every Arsenal fan needs to hear 🏆 Does The League Cup Even Matter? — Jacob comes clean: he doesn't care about this competition. But he absolutely cares about beating Pep. Pete and Johnny make the case that winning this could be the blow that sends City into total freefall 🤝 The Andrea Berta Debate — is Arsenal's sporting director fishing for a new contract? And were his big-money signings actually the right call? A genuinely heated three-way argument with no clean resolution 👶 Jacob's Secret Weapon — he's turned down Wembley, turned down the pub, and is staying home with his newborn. She's won every game she's watched. No pressure. 🎯 Predictions — all three have their say on how Sunday plays out. Tune in to find out who's backing what If you become a member you get 38 of these for Premier League games as part of the deal! Plus extra exclusive content, ad-free everything, and access to an outrageous Discord. Subscribe at patreon.com/theArsenalOpinion for ad-free episodes and support the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices