Sunday's match will decide the Premier League title race
Sunday's game is unbelievably big. Man City have pegged back Arsenal and Pep Guaradiola's me are the team with the momentum and form. Whoever wins this game wins the Premier League. If Man City win it, then I think their momentum will carry them through. If Arsenal win it, then the gap would be too big. A draw for Arsenal would be a good result, because they've got the better goal difference as well.
Arsenal's loss to Bournemouth was huge last weekend. I mean, it's alright getting beaten, but in the manner, they were beaten as well, there was no fluke about it. Bournemouth were much better in every position. They were absolutely outstanding and brave in the way they played.
It's given City a chance, which Arsenal didn't want, but they've both got the chance to go and do it on Sunday. You always get the right to reply as a player, and Arsenal have got to reply now, but City are the in-form team.
For the first time last weekend, I had a doubt that Arsenal would win the League. The manner of the performance gave me the doubt, and I guess they will be thinking the same. Somehow, they've got to get back to doing what they were doing in the early part of the season when they were scoring goals and playing well and being mean at the back.
They have to be tough to play against, because Bournemouth found a way to beat them, and deservedly beat them and Man City beat them in the Carabao Cup Final, although they fielded slightly different teams.
What City have shown of late is what you expect with Pep's team. He's always been consistent around this time of year and this season is no different. They look full of confidence and belief. Some of their big players are starting to perform really, really well, which clearly is worrying for Arsenal.
David Moyes is manager of season candidate
David Moyes has to be in with a shout to win Premier League manager of the year ahead of the Merseyside derby on Sunday. The match will be unbelievable this weekend.
I think because of the size of Liverpool it is one of the biggest derbies in world football. Liverpool are a huge football club, as are Everton. But I mean, worldwide, Liverpool clearly are bigger than Everton. I think because of the history, because of what both teams have achieved in the past, yeah, it's one of the biggest derbies in the world, definitely.
Everton, without doubt, will fancy their chances, as will David Moyes. You can imagine the Everton players and fans looking at Liverpool coming to their new ground on Sunday. Everton are flying this season. David Moyes has done a wonderful job and they've got a chance of qualifying for Europe. They would take great pleasure in beating Liverpool.
They'll be full of confidence. It'll be a cracking atmosphere, as they always are both at Anfield and at Everton. Moyes' men will fancy their chances because they'll sense that Liverpool are in trouble and have been for a while, so they'll want to take the points.
You can imagine how loud the noise will be around Arne Slot if Liverpool lose on Sunday. I mean, Slot is under pressure anyway. They've had a really disappointing season. Clearly, he doesn't fancy Mo Salah anymore, because he didn't play him in Liverpool's two biggest games of the season in the Champions League. So you can imagine mentally what that does to Mo albeit he'll still want to go out on a high.
The noise will be really, really loud if Everton beat Liverpool.
I think, depending on how Everton end the season, and depending on how Brentford end the season, Moyes has to be in the running for the Premier League manager of the year. I mean, normally, whoever wins the league gets the Manager of the Year, but David Moyes and Keith Andrews, depending how they finish, will be in with a shout, absolutely.
Lisandro Martinez's sending off was undeserved
Man United were very poor on Monday but Leeds were brilliant and deserved to win. Many would be looking at the home game against Leeds thinking it'd be three points for Manchester United given the job that Michael Carrick has done but they've put themselves under pressure now. It's another huge game for United this weekend against Chelsea.
I didn't agree with the sending off of Lisandro Martinez. I get it if someone has clearly yanked someone's hair in an aggressive way, then I understand that they have to go. But I'm not sure that's what he did. The referee didn't give it and for the VAR official to send him to the screen because he felt he'd made a massive error, and violent conduct, is just wrong.
I mean, we have to be really careful in what direction the game is going if we're now viewing that as violent conduct. Someone has to look at the laws and have a look at that, because Howard Webb, I'm sure, will come back and say he pulled his hair, but there also has to be a degree of common sense. I didn't think it was a red card at all.
However, I don't think any Man United player played well enough, they didn't deserve anything out of the game anyway, even with 11 men so to blame the result on the sending off would be wrong. In fact, they probably got better when they went down to 10 men and put Leeds under more pressure.
It was a poor performance, but from a Leeds point of view, that would give them great encouragement that they're going to stay in the Premier League.
Newcastle have no chance of qualifying for Europe
Champions League hopes have completely gone for Newcastle after losing to Palace last weekend. Eddie Howe has got no chance of getting in any European competition. It was really disappointing because they had time off and should have been hurt after the derby defeat and come back angry.
Newcastle got the goal and then all of a sudden, they sat back and invited pressure and Palace brought on their three big-hitters and you could just see what was going to happen.
The disappointing thing is that we've gone from challenging for Champions League positions. I mean, I think we were sixth in January, then two points off Liverpool in February, so the difference from then to now is incredible. They've been miles off it. I don't expect a big improvement or see how they can qualify for Europe. They have got to get to the end of the season, regroup, look at what's gone wrong, and then try and fix it in the summer.
There has to be a big review to see what happens in the summer, in terms of what they can spend, who they want to sell, who they want to bring in. I guess whether Eddie wants to do that, or he feels he has enough energy to want to go again, he's the only one that can answer that.
With what's happened in recent seasons, we got to a point where we thought they were going to kick on. I know because of PSR, it's always difficult for the teams that want to challenge. In fact, you can challenge for a couple of years, and then, as we've seen with Aston Villa and Newcastle, the system is designed for you to not be able to sustain a long challenge in the top five or six.
That's the way the system is, unfortunately. I don't agree with it. Newcastle have to get back to being competitive, because for large parts of this season, they haven't been and to lose both derby games in the way they did, it's been a poor season.
Clearly players will want to leave, and they cannot be left in the same situation as they were last season with the Isak situation. Fresh faces are definitely needed to bring some more energy and momentum into the club, and how many, we'll have to wait and see, but I guess there'll be people to leave, and ones that'll want to come in, and we also need to see what's available in terms of finances.
Newcastle's finish to the season will decide Howe's future
What Eddie's achieved at Newcastle has been amazing and this season is the first time anyone's ever questioned him.
A lot depends on how Newcastle finish the season because if they carry on the way they are and limp over the finishing line, then the noise will get louder. I guess Eddie will have to decide what he wants to do, and I think that would be the right thing.
If Gordon wants out Newcastle must sell him
I don't know what Anthony Gordon's feelings are but I always say, if someone doesn't want to be here, then you have to get them out. I don't know whether he wants that or not, only he can tell us.
If someone doesn't want to be there, you're better off getting them out, and getting someone in who wants to be there and is 100% committed. I'm not saying Gordon isn't, I'm just saying only he can answer that, and if he doesn't, then he has to be sold.
Tottenham are going down without a fight
I have changed my opinion on Spurs being relegated, because I look at the other clubs in and around them and how they are. I look at West Ham, who are fighting and scrapping. I look at Leeds, who got a great result at Old Trafford. I look at Forest who are battling.
I don't see that with Tottenham. We were looking for the manager bounce in the first game and clearly that didn't happen against Sunderland. It looks as if Romero's going to be out for the rest of the season, which is a blow.
As we sit here now, Tottenham are the team that are going down because I don't see enough fight. I don't see enough attitude, I don't see enough desire to try and keep them in the Premier League, whereas the teams in and around them are showing exactly that.
I mean, their fans are already worried, but I guess they were looking for something different from De Zerbi because he'd had a couple of weeks to work with the players. If he didn't know, he's got a huge job on his hands, which I'm sure he did, he will now.
Confidence in football is a huge thing and so is attitude. Tottenham are under so much pressure that you're not seeing anywhere near the ability that some of the players have got, because of how big this situation is. I know they've got injuries, but everyone has injuries. They probably had more than most over the last couple of years, so that would be one thing you'd have to look at.
You've got to get out there, roll your sleeves up and fight and scrap. They don't give me confidence that they can do that, because if they can do it, then where's it been up until now?
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