Arsenal's 'determination' was the difference v. Aston Villa | The 2 Robbies Podcast | NBC Sports

so last season Aston Villa beat Arsenal on two occasions um some are suggesting one of those defeats might have cost that Arsenal title they lost by by two points but mean it's hard to put it on any game but certainly Villa had the measure of Arsenal so there's a lot of tension on this game unai hry former Arsenal manager who's got his team very well set up we saw him play against West Ham impr first day pretty impressive depth of squad I think we both felt this game was going to be a good test and and and and and a good chance to have a look good look at both these teams in a high class fixture I thought the first half was fascinating despite not getting goals and the second half I thought was the the exhibit why Arsenal will believe they can run Man City close to a title this reason and now they've grown Rob now they've grown you remember like maybe it's two or maybe it's two seasons ago three seasons ago those there was times when Arsenal got blown away by some teams and when things started to go wrong they went under a little bit there was no durability there to the my goodness I mean we saw that didn't we in bundles in the in the second half of the game just on that resilience cuz again I was I was thinking about it and listening last night does some of that resilience come through a bigger belief about the group now Rob or or is that like is that learned is that over time okay remember that I think they Harden I think players Harden over time young players Harden over time I mean they've got tremendous experience of going close to winning the Premier League title all of their Ambitions and dreams and they been knocked down once pretty badly a couple of seasons ago and last year really really close I think back to your maybe it is confidence like we we can we can go close we've made some good additions we're about to make I think another addition in Midfield possibly we're stronger now players that came last start of last season Dean rice and and Kai habits have found their best spots we feel we're better and and I just thought they and the Defenders Rob I mean you know some of those challenges and some of the reaction from them with CBA particularly made a challenge lateer on there was quite the determination there to to to to win to protect their leag when they got it and and uh wow I I thought it really really impressive and a strong not as a statement but a message to everybody else we can go to Villa Park on the opening day of the Season by the way for them at home first home game we know that place is big big atmosphere it's going to be difficult place that was a huge win I thought it was a huge win I think it was a win that will give them confidence belief in what they're doing I think the manager kind of they had to tough it out with Aston Villa they had to come through a few moments and and I want to get to one of those in particular um and and I think you're right I I I think the squad de to Squad people coming in the in the team competition of places is something that's going to be interest again I want I want to get your thoughts on that I'm going to go to the incident in uh the second half was it first half uh when David Dr pulls off one of the the saves of uh the season second half it was actually wasn't it it was the second half of Ole Watkins he'd missed the chance in the first half when chance second in the second half yeah Anon has a shot that's deflected goalkeeper David D is going back towards his goal jumps in the air it hits the ball and comes down Ole Watkins is right in the in a great spot thinks he's got his first Premier League goal of the Season heads it with power towards the goal whether it's too close or not to the goalkeeper is not the argument in what I'm saying the the reaction the ability of David Ry to go from his knees to propel himself to his left to get a strong hand and get it out of the way of the goal I'll tell you now we'll be Sav the season I'll tell you right now we'll be save the season mate and and just let me just finish on David ryer at one- nil up against wolves last week stran Lawson had a head up and six yards out the game's very different if it goes to 1-1 and wolves are back in it David dry last week picked up the PFA goalkeeper of the year and people were a little bit skeptical 16 uh clean sheets last year two already this season he's not a he's not a star of this team but he's he's becoming an important element of this Arsenal side yeah I agree I mean I I think that the save off of his knee would it to try and and it happen so quickly but the reaction from knowing the ball still in play yeah to kind of getting ready to face that and you know how bad a Miss if if you're if you're think right here boom and he's done his I mean he's just didn't get it wide enough cuz do you expect the goalkeeper to jump up like that so it's a brilliant save and I'll tell you what just quickly on on on Rya you know I I I I was of the thought of like is he that much better than Aon ramsdale is he that much better but I think I think he looked a little nervy at to start with his Arsenal kind of switching him into the side but maybe him like others are growing they're growing in confidence they're growing in experience they're trusted by the manager which is a massive Difference by the way you know when we were playing if you had a manager that trusted you and you knew that he liked you what he did it made a big difference so just quickly on that one cuz I know you want to move on but again isn't that got to be down to michelot he made a change he brought in David Ry when most of were going what's he doing yeah there's not much between him and ramale was and there wasn't but it looks like a decision that come right and we'll never know Rob if if if ramale is in goal he makes a lot of we are where we are had a big game just other people Rob just other things in the game and stuff like uran Timber was another player that we we pointed out in the show you know something different this is different like calori we know is a new signing we saw him later in the game I think he's going to be a fun player to watch in this team but Yuan timber for his first game in there really um as a starting player from a left back I thought he was good I thought he was really good he tied at the end he's super neat and tidy on the ball stronger and there was one moment who was it running it was it um some I think it was bayy running it very quickly or rers down that side and he defended pretty well in a difficult difficult situation so I think that is is an interesting thing to do and to mention and I'll go back to the captain Robin I know you know that the headlines will be trossard and maybe sacker involvement but the through ball from odard not it does not happen if Martin odard doesn't play that clever reverse ball the reverse ball and anybody out there who's listening or watching this will know that there was a great ball he made early to Sak who failed to score did he try and cross it or yeah P it back but but those little clever little balls in behind everything they everything cuz anybody can knock it around and try but those clever little boards that make it in behind and there's a little bit of Fortune towards the goal as Rogers put it into his path but that doesn't happen if that balls not played him behind so odard wow I I I like what he did and um yeah it was a it it was a impressive solid Victory not that this is going to be an issue because of what I saw but I want to I want to go to a place with you on Arsenal um in terms of trol came on for Martinelli Martinelli is not in his best form at the moment um but off his pace and off his threat but you know we've seen better Martinelli zenchenko had a face that you said was like a smack something or the other which is an English phase which I won't use but obviously unhappy yeah it looked a bit yeah um competition for plers is important in successful teams will people have to accept some of that moving forward chos actually didn't celebrate his goal and and was said and actually went out and said it was because he wants to be in the first team and he reacted in the right way managers okay with that is that something that will have to be managed does the group does the sexual group deal with that in in in the way I think the players in our day the group would have a laugh about it you know we'd all be miserable SC go miserable and take the make out of TR side like way scored right um the manager if if it if it does get a little bit more heated or or or more that we'll have to deal with it this is the highest level Rob in I expect to deal with it and by the way I don't think it's a problem right now it's not a problem no isn't a problem you got there's one thing you expect as a manager at a club like that and with those sort of players is that people are going to be happy unhappy it's been forever forever it the players get fed up when they're not playing but it does help when you're on a team that's got a good chance of winning the title and you could be there at the end of the season with a medal around your neck instead of a team that's in the bottom half of the league and you're still not in the side and they're rubbish and I can't get in the team while on knock on the door so I I thought if there's one way to protest I don't mind that you know and and then when you get the Shir you you've got to produce because you know the Press is on you that's what the manager is going to say and he can say I've done it now and he has got an argument by the way he scored more goals than than Mar last year it was more reliable it come up with big moments and I think we all Rob when we all do preseason and this is for all players you work your socks off in preseason you play the preseason games you know who's who's the manager thinking who's who's going to be who's you know who's started in that game which looks like a really important game go it wasn't me it was him so TR when he gets the first team sheet and now it's like I didn't make it after what I did last year I didn't make it I just wonder Rob if he and maybe this is the last thing before we move on with them is trustar GNA Force his way is he gonna Force his way in because he's simply a better option as a left forward now than than Martinelli yeah it's possible and form and goals and things will tell you whether he goes back to martinell gives him one more look and almost go okay and if it doesn't work we'll see chard and TR G one similar similar thing happened last season didn't it chard came in for for a period and started to play a little bit more more regular yeah and that's the way it's going to be I mean the left back spots interested with Timber Cal senchenko when you've got possession might play certain games but lot of football to play you're going to need a lot of players importantly stay on side right there's two two teams in this game by the way and and if it wasn't for there could be a very different outcome to this game o Watkins brilliant I mean he's the player that's going to going to early next week like frustrated cuz they were amazing chances it could have been a very very different game we liked Aston Villa Rob on on week one um we saw them again that's why it was so exciting exciting to see these match up because like wow Villa really really good and Arsenal so that's what makes him more impressive now there's one player Ro that that we both to be fair I've jumped on this guy as my underappreciated performer one to watch for sure for Aston Villa and we both picked him out early in fact we picked him out last year because he comes from my old Club Middlesboro all the great footballers where all the great footballers grow and become you know amazing players um Morgan Rogers now I'm going to pause because this is a this is an I feel strong this is a this is a big well his performance from last year and in this game and what we're seeing from this guy what we saw last week by the way what we saw it it's it's a little bit wow right draw draw drop a little bit we I saying today mess around in studio between games you know he he could be an incredible now I know Villa are doing great things but if you're the biggest biggest biggest clubs in in in in Europe watching him develop last year and watching him playing this game in the last week it's like wow that's special I heard another pundit on the radio who was it was it Jamie redn or was it somebody else lightened him a little bit to J Belling typ player exactly that's an incredible uh comparison Rogers anybody out there who didn't see this game or next time you watch Villa this guy is big he's got great he's got great engine good frame strong skillful makes great decisions on the ball when to release it when to dribble he He Turned Thomas parte 10 timesame 21 International yeah he's 22 now he is England I guarantee you he'll be in the England squad within the next months I mean if he's not in the next England squad and there's one there's one's coming up the coach was there what wasn't he Le Carley the the interim England the game so can you add to that I mean what a what a talent 19 years of age has got all the attrib 22 Morgan Rogers sorry $19 million right it's incredible business from the champion from the championship there's players out there which is which stands to Aston Villa's Recruitment and scouting Network and he's out there for everybody and astonvilla took took the Gamble and now we're seeing why they took the Gamble and this young man along with others um I think is a future and and under unai Amry Rob with with an with t t t played well there's a group of play there's a there's a nice mix of young players there who you know I know you're saying maybe to Liverpool if Aston Villa are ambitious they give him a big contract say years right you're part of of the future yeah so so Villa fans out there you know whether we've tilted towards Arsenal there maybe it was a big result for them but don't don't think that we don't think a lot of were excellent I thought it was an excellent game it was for for a large period of that game it was pretty tight I am you said after the game that he obviously he didn't like losing and just felt that liverp Arsenal's length of time together and understanding of what they were doing was a little bit more than theirs in that one in the end hi there I'm Rebecca Lo Studio host of NBC's coverage of the Premier League don't forget to hit subscribe to watch more videos all season long and if you you want even more Premier League content from original series to live matches head over to Peacock