The Pot Shot Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Jake is joined by Pot Shot's resident La Liga watcher José Pérez to learn about our latest arrival: Mikel Merino.

Thanks to José for joining us! You can find him on twitter @jcperez_, podcasting for Managing Madrid & writing on football-espana.net.

To join the Pot Shot FPL League, use code okct2a, or follow this link: https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/okct2a

Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode, tell your friends to listen if you like it, and leave us a review to let us know what you think! It really helps us out.

For tactical writing from the Pot Shot Crew, check out the Pot Shot Substack: potshotpod.substack.com

If you want to send us any questions, or keep up with all things Pot Shot, you can find us on Twitter & Instagram @potshotpod, as well as on Bluesky @potshotpod.bsky.social. Feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected])!

Follow the Pot Shot Crew on Twitter! (Not "X". We will never call it "X".)

Alex: @alexfrco

Jake: @JakeWFox

Lorcan: @Lxwrites1

Manas: @watmanAFC

Seb: @Eulenberg_

Towells: @alextowells

You can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. We'll never say "all" in case we're missing one somehow. If you want to know exactly what podcast platforms we can be found on, you can do so at https://podfollow.com/the-pot-shot-podcast/view

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Seb, Alex & Lorcan banish the demons from last season after Arsenal won at Villa Park.

To join the Pot Shot FPL League, use code okct2a, or follow this link: https://fantasy.premierleague.com/leagues/auto-join/okct2a

Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode, tell your friends to listen if you like it, and leave us a review to let us know what you think! It really helps us out.

For tactical writing from the Pot Shot Crew, check out the Pot Shot Substack: potshotpod.substack.com

If you want to send us any questions, or keep up with all things Pot Shot, you can find us on Twitter & Instagram @potshotpod, as well as on Bluesky @potshotpod.bsky.social. Feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected])!

Follow the Pot Shot Crew on Twitter! (Not "X". We will never call it "X".)

Alex: @alexfrco

Jake: @JakeWFox

Lorcan: @Lxwrites1

Manas: @watmanAFC

Seb: @Eulenberg_

Towells: @alextowells

You can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. We'll never say "all" in case we're missing one somehow. If you want to know exactly what podcast platforms we can be found on, you can do so at https://podfollow.com/the-pot-shot-podcast/view

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recently, Arsenal have been heavily linked to Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori. Towells and Lorcan go in-depth on the 22-year-old to establish what kind of player he is and how he could fit in at Arsenal.

This podcast comes with a companion article! You can read it on our Substack: https://potshotpod.substack.com/

Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode, tell your friends to listen if you like it, and leave us a review to let us know what you think! It really helps us out.

If you want to send us any questions, or keep up with all things Pot Shot, you can find us on Twitter & Instagram @potshotpod, as well as on Bluesky @potshotpod.bsky.social. Feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected])!

Follow the Pot Shot Crew on Twitter! (Not "X". We will never call it "X".)

Alex: @alexfrco

Jake: @JakeWFox

Lorcan: @Lxwrites1

Manas: @watmanAFC

Seb: @Eulenberg_

Towells: @alextowells

You can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. We'll never say "all" in case we're missing one somehow. If you want to know exactly what podcast platforms we can be found on, you can do so at https://podfollow.com/the-pot-shot-podcast/view

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a while since Alex Collings has been on the pod, so we sit down to discuss the three Premier League games Arsenal have played in that time: Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. In doing so, we discuss what it means to be "in control" of a game, and what Arsenal are doing this season to be just so gosh darn good at it.

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro: 00:00

Chelsea: 02:57

Our Rest Defense Is Pretty Good: 08:23

What do we mean when we say a team is "in control"? 12:08

Why did we struggle to control the Southampton game? 14:42

Gabriel Jesus Is Pretty Good: 18:09

Thoughts on Tomiyasu at LB: 21:44

Reiss Nelson! 33:11

Eddie Nketiah! 42:46

Jesus' goal drought: is it a problem? 48:05

Wolves Predictions: 52:08

Outro: 54:58

Towells' Twitter: https://twitter.com/alextowells

Collings' Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexfrco

Podcast Twitter: https://twitter.com/potshotpod

Feel free to send us a DM if you have any questions!

Here's Towells' new thing, 1000 Hours: A Football Manager Podcast, if that sounds interesting to you: https://podfollow.com/1000-hours-a-football-manager-podcast

Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode - you can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. I'll never say "all" in case we're missing one somehow. If you want to know exactly what podcast platforms we can be found on, you can do so at https://podfollow.com/the-pot-shot-podcast/view

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Alex Towells is joined by Ciaran (@xCiaran_) and Abdul (@Flaminiesta) to discuss the draw against Southampton & the win at home to PSV, in the absence of Alex Collings, who has a degree to do this week.

This podcast was recorded before Arsenal's 2-0 loss away to PSV, so we don't yet know we're destined to lose that game. You can tell.

Also there are some audio issues at times - we're aware of what the problem is, and will fix it for next week, but there's not much we can do about this week unfortunately.

Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode - you can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. I'll never say "all" in case we're missing one somehow. If you want to know exactly what podcast platforms we can be found on, you can do so at https://podfollow.com/the-pot-shot-podcast/view

We have a twitter account! Follow us @potshotpod to hear about all the latest episodes, and feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected]) if you have any questions!

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two Alexes, Towells (@alextowells) and Collings (@alexfrco), are joined by Ciaran (@xCiaran_) to discuss the Leeds game & our Europa League campaign, before discussing who we think have been Arsenal's best players after 10 Premier League games. We then talk about Cuco Martina for a couple minutes, for some reason.

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro: 00:00

The Leeds Game: 01:26

The Europa League campaign so far: 16:33

PSV Preview: 37:12

Arsenal's top performers from the season so far: 47:04

PSV & Southampton Score Predictions: 59:15

Outro: 1:05:20

Please subscribe to the pod to never miss an episode - you can find us on the vast majority of good podcast platforms. I'll never say "all" in case we're missing one somehow. If you want to know exactly what podcast platforms we can be found on, you can do so at https://podfollow.com/the-pot-shot-podcast/view

We have a twitter account! Follow us @potshotpod to hear about all the latest episodes, and feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected]) if you have any questions!

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two Alexes, Towells (@alextowells) and Collings (@alexfrco) are joined by Jon Mackenzie (@Jon_Mackenzie) to discuss the Liverpool game, before widening their scope to look at how Arsenal have fared in big games so far this season and what we can learn from their performances, then finishing off with a quick preview of the Leeds game. We answer your questions throughout the podcast, including "What are Arsenal's weaknesses?", "What does Arteta want from his defensive midfielder?", and "Would Leeds present more of a difficulty to Arsenal this weekend if Jesse Marsch was replaced as managerial lever puller by a hippo in a hat?".

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro: 00:00

Jon's general Arsenal thoughts: 02:06

The Liverpool Game: 03:38

What do Arsenal need from their defensive midfielder?: 15:54

Comparing the Liverpool game to the Spurs & United games: 22:34

How can other teams get at Arsenal?: 32:48

What's changed in the last year to make Arsenal better? Is it the signings or something else? 38:41

Which addition has had the biggest impact, William Saliba or Gabriel Jesus? 45:45

Has Martinelli made "the leap"? 48:05

What makes Arsenal's out of possession play so good? 51:06

How might Arsenal approach the Manchester City & Chelsea games? 55:37

Leeds: 1:00:44

Would Leeds present more of a difficulty to Arsenal this weekend if Jesse Marsch was replaced as managerial lever puller by a hippo in a hat?: 1:06:36

Leeds score predictions: 1:07:49

If Jon was a cooked potato dish, what would he be?: 1:08:44

Outro: 1:10:41

We are now on Apple Podcasts! iOS users, rejoice! You can find us as The Pot Shot Podcast. Please subscribe!

We have a twitter account! Follow us @potshotpod to hear about all the latest episodes, and feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected]) if you have any questions!

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

The record scratch sound effect used is from sfxbuzz.com, and is under a Creative Commons license.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two Alexes, Towells (@alextowells) and Collings (@alexfrco) look back on a Spurs game that was a lot less nervy than anyone expected, then quickly look at the Bodo/Glimt game before being joined by Danny (@calcio_danny) to chat about what an underperforming Liverpool side might have in store for us ahead of the weekend.

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro: 00:00

NLD review: 00:50

Bodo/Glimt preview: 27:58

Liverpool preview with Danny: 31:10

Outro: 59:30

Here's Danny (& Rhys from Episode 6)'s podcast, Pure Fitbaw: https://pod.link/PureFitbaw/episode/9c70655dfe4e23f32b2758e0a9fe21bf

We have a twitter account! Follow us @potshotpod to hear about all the latest episodes, and feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected]) if you have any questions!

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two Alexes, Towells (@alextowells) and Collings (@alexfrco) are joined by Rhys (@RTJenky) to give an in-depth preview of the Spurs game and answer some of your questions going into the match, before answering some of your... less on-topic questions.

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro: 00:00

What can we expect from Spurs? 02:52

Answering your NLD questions: 22:12

• Should we play pragmatically, or stick to our principles? 22:12
• How might Arteta try to shut down the Spurs front three? 30:41
• Should we start Tierney or Zinchenko? 34:52
• How might Arsenal improve their record against the Big 6 sides? 38:57

Answering your off-topic questions: 48:07

• Yeah, I'm not listing these.

Outro: 56:12

All the data mentioned in the episode was sourced from fbref.com unless stated otherwise.

The twitter thread from Jon Mackenzie about the Chelsea v Spurs game: https://twitter.com/Jon_Mackenzie/status/1559133983312683008

The tweet with Statsbomb numbers about the shots Spurs concede: https://twitter.com/jair1970/status/1571452891679932416

We have a twitter account! Follow us @potshotpod to hear about all the latest episodes, and feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected]) if you have any questions!

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The two Alexes, Towells (@alextowells) and Collings (@alexfrco) are joined by Abdul (@flaminiesta) to look back on the loss to Manchester United and win against Zurich, before looking ahead to the Brentford game this weekend.

TIMESTAMPS:

Intro: 00:00

United chat: 01:48

Zurich & squad depth: 30:14

Brentford Preview: 40:41

Outro: 51:34

We have a twitter account! Follow us @potshotpod to hear about all the latest episodes, and feel free to ping us a DM (or an email via [email protected]) if you have any questions!

All music included in the podcast is made by James Blake. He's on all sensible music platforms as JWBlake - you can find his Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3XQQbNzsMSiESzHz0qA4r8?si=koS6oXNfSL6SJn3oIR1cxA

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.