Welcome to Back Pages, bringing you everything you need to know about the biggest sports stories making the headlines in the morning's newspapers. I'm Dave Reade, you're joining me as sports broadcaster Henry Winter and the Sun's football reporter Jack Rosser. Welcome to you both.
We have to start with an incredible night for Arsenal, their supporters, Mikel Arteta and the whole team, really through to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Henry and Jack are with us, the Guardian there at Real Redemption. And let's start with the overall performance from Arsenal, Henry. Is this a defining night in Mikel Arteta's reign as Arsenal manager?
Yeah, I think it is. It's the time, it's the night where he joins the elite. I think you saw the way that Arsenal played. They were calm, they were controlled. Declan Rice embodied everything that was good about them. The resilience, the mental strength, the physical strength. I think he made four clearances, three blocks as well. He was outstanding from end to end.
And, you know, Saliba made a mistake, but alongside him, Kiwi Orr, I thought, was excellent standing in for Gabriel. But it was the organisation. And, look, Real Madrid will get absolutely slaughtered. If there's a Spanish version of this...
playing in Madrid at the moment, it will be absolutely brutal. And the knives will be out for Ancelotti and for some of their underachieving stars. But Arsenal stifled them. They just controlled it. They kept their discipline tactically and emotionally. And apart from Thomas Partey, who's out for the first leg against PSG. But it was an incredibly mature, intelligent away performance. And there were stars all over the pitch. But Declan Rice, Bakayo Saka missing that penalty and then showing the character when he went...
through one-on-one with Courtois to score and just basically kill the game off. You know, he was outstanding too. Yeah, let's talk more about Bukayo Saka then, Jack, because lots of the papers have the picture of him celebrating that goal. What about the resilience and the fortitude of the young man after the penalty? The tale of two dinks, really. The first one was the penalty. The second one was the incredible finish over one of the best goalkeepers around Thibaut Courtois. What about his night?
Yeah, he was absolutely fantastic across both legs. Obviously, there was a lot of speculation whether he'd be even ready to start the first leg and he was absolutely incredible in that game. And I think even before he scored tonight, you look at what he did in that leg and regardless of whether he missed that penalty or not, I think that outweighed that mistake in the penalty. And it's one of those things, isn't it? It looks like a surprise.
a slight miss hit when he's gone to do it. If that goes in, he's hailed as incredibly cool and what's the decision to make? But because it goes slightly wrong, then it's a foolish thing to do maybe. But to have the confidence to keep going, keep running in the Madrid defence, and again, like you said, going up against one of the most formidable goalkeepers for the last 10 years or so, especially at Real Madrid and in Europe, and to have the confidence to do that, having tried something
similar and failed is fantastic. And he just makes such a difference to this Arsenal team when he's in it. And I know they've not had Gabriel tonight, but they've had injury problems all season. And it feels like having him firing, having Odegaard back as well, you know, having lost him for a period of time across the Premier League season, everything sort of coming together at the right time for Arsenal and across the pitch. They were fantastic tonight, but I think Saka and Rice as well embody that.
Yeah, and look, you could pick out a number of players, but Henry, you mentioned Declan Rice there and it almost felt like a battle between him and Jude Bellingham in that midfield, the two England teammates, and they went head to head a couple of times. But Declan Rice, not just in this second leg, but the first leg has been incredible. What have you made of his performance over the two legs?
I mean, just outstanding in both. And, you know, as he said in his interview afterwards, he's now got sort of back-to-back Man of the Match awards. I mean, as you say, in the first leg, he was outstanding, those two incredible free kicks. But his all-round performance, his work rate out of possession as well is just sort of outstanding.
And he just seems to be getting better and better. I mean, he was good when he came through at West Ham and obviously won a European trophy. Nothing is elite as what Arsenal are going for here. And he's kicked on again under Mikel Arteta. I think Thomas Partey, when he's alongside him, or playing slightly deeper than him, again, he'll be missing for that first leg.
But he allows Declan Rice to storm forward. And, you know, you mentioned you, Bellingham. If you're Thomas Tuchel watching tonight and you look at Bakayosaka and you look at Lewis Skelly, you know, playing at left back, I mean, he's what, he's 18, 19. He's playing like a sort of,
28, 29-year-old with 300 games under his belt. Outstanding. But yeah, Declan Rice against Jude Bellingham. I mean, you know, Declan Rice bossed it and Jude Bellingham is one of the best players in the world. And there was a quite sort of neat moment when they actually had a tangle on the touchline, but you could see the respect from them when they actually sort of untangled. There was a sort of respectful nod and none of the theatrics that you might have got with one or two other players on the pitch.
Yeah, and we were expecting a Real Madrid stampede tonight from the start, really. All the talk before the game was talk of the remontada, the comeback. It almost felt like the mind games had started after the final whistle at the Emirates. It never quite materialised, Jack. And then we had a couple of bizarre incidents with the referee who gave penalties, one via VAR and then took one away via VAR. So...
I mean, it felt like a bit of bravery. It took so long, I think it was six minutes, to eventually rule out the penalty that he gave, Jack. What was your take on what we saw from the officials?
I spent part of this evening looking at car insurance claims and that was more enjoyable than sitting through the VAR check. It's so frustrating when it's such a... Things happen quickly in the moment, officials make mistakes, but it looks so clear and obvious that that Declan Rice one wasn't a penalty and I think he said...
Speaking on TV afterwards, he's a very honest player, which I think we all know he is. He's someone that will admit if it was a penalty and it just didn't look like it. I think, like you were saying about the atmosphere of
the Bernabeu, the expectation that they always come back, they always pull something off ridiculous there. They always just creep through. The leg before, they were playing awfully and so many things fell their way against Atletico Madrid and they snuck through. But Arsenal did so well to prevent that fast start. Madrid have been
nowhere near their best across both legs. It was on them to come out and show the confidence and show the pace and the threat and the danger and individual quality that they have. But Arsenal also had a big job in taking the sting out of it because it sounded incredibly loud before kick-off and then noticeably it just dropped off.
throughout the game at the Bernabeu and that was down to Arsenal defending incredibly, down to Declan Rice reading the game fantastically well and controlling the tempo. I think he even said again they could have controlled the game better in parts and it's almost hard to imagine that going to Real Madrid and controlling a game more impressively than they did tonight. I think to go out and do that shows not only the ability they've got but the temperament they've learned and
developed over the last few years to step up on nights like these and control their own destiny. But it really is a huge asset in competitions like this. And Henry, Jason Burt writes, Arsenal should fear no one, not if they play like this. Why not go on and finally win this thing? Are Arsenal, I mean, there's lots of talk about PSG and Barcelona as being the strongest two or the best two, but are Arsenal the best team left in it?
I mean, PSG, I mean, well, Villa gave him a bit of a scare. And if you run at them with pace and you've got ball carriers, which Arsenal do with, you know, as we saw tonight, their two goal scorers were Saka and Martinelli. And we're seeing it this season. There's so much sort of debate about the sort of, you know, the team.
and coaches sort of stifling expression in the Premier League. But actually, if you look in this tournament, in the Champions League, you're just seeing players like Saka, like Martinelli, like the fantastic PSG players. I would imagine that, I mean, obviously the English bookmakers will favour Arsenal, but you would imagine if you're looking at this passionately, the PSG should be the favourites.
for that semi-final. And then, I mean, Arsenal have got history in Paris against Barcelona and then, you know, from 2006. And if they could get Barcelona in the final, you know, it would be absolutely scripted in the stars. So, yeah, look, they've got PSG, a fantastic team. You look at that midfield and Arsenal missing Partey for the first game. But Saka will have more minutes under his belt. He'll be more ready for it. So, yeah, I mean, I
You went back against Arsenal at the moment, particularly with Declan Rice playing like this, particularly with Bakayos Saka firing like this. And it's, you know, they're an outstanding team at the moment. And the team is almost slightly stronger than the individuals. They seem to have this collectivity, this camaraderie, this tactical understanding. They're totally in tune with what Mikel Arteta asked for them to do in possession, out of possession. And, you know, we saw their set ball
set-piece threat in the first game. And we didn't really see it so much, but I'm sure we'll see it more with some of their corners attacking Marquinhos and company. But again, they're up against probably the second-best goalkeeper in the world, Donnarumma, who was outstanding, not in Courtois' league or probably Alisson's league, but again, he was outstanding last night against Villa.
Yeah, the other team actually threw then to the quarterfinals into Milan, drew 2-2 with Bayern Munich on the night but went through 4-3 and Bayern actually had Harry Kane and Eric Dier on the score sheet this evening. But Jack, would Bayern feel like it's an underachievement not to go through over two legs against Inter Milan?
I certainly think they will and a huge part of this competition for them was obviously that the final is in Munich at their stadium. You think there's probably a few Arsenal fans that are glad they won't have to face up to that if they do get there given their
their history against Bayern Munich and for Harry Kane it will be a disappointment as well. You know, it's no secret that he's faced a fair bit of criticism since moving to Bayern Munich. Obviously, he didn't win that trophy last season. Looks like they'll do it domestically fairly comfortably this season at least and he'll finally get that piece of silverware that he's been craving. But I think the expectation in Munich was that he would go there and help them win the Champions League and he's had a few high-profile figures
not be too happy with the work he's done at Bayern Munich. He missed a big chance in the first leg and that's going to be an issue for him because they've not got it done and it would have been so nice for them to get to the final in their own stadium. But Inter Milan will put up a fight. You'd expect it maybe to be Barcelona that go through, which is another big challenge, but Arsenal won't be looking that far ahead. They've got a fantastic team
team to face in PSG, but far more dangerous team than Real Madrid tonight, so they won't be thinking about that quite yet, that side of the draw. Let's turn our attention to a five-star performance from Newcastle United in the Premier League. They blew Crystal Palace away 5-0, particularly in that first half. It really makes Newcastle one of the favourites now to clinch Champions League football next season. Remember, top five clinches Champions League football for next season.
Henry, what about that performance from Newcastle United? Do you think that they're marching towards Champions League football then for next season? Yes, I mean, they're third now. They've gone ahead of Forest. I mean, you look at some of the players who are delivering for them. Obviously, they've got this sort of vaunted three-man midfield, but Harvey Barnes is playing so well on the left. He's keeping Anthony Gordon out. We know how good a player Anthony Gordon is.
And then you look at Murphy on the right. I mean, his first goal was extraordinary. And some people, I think, I was just looking on social media and some people saying, well, that's a cross, that's a cross shot. But if you've watched Murphy recently, and I was at St. James' Park on Sunday, he's so confident, he's in such form. And he's probably one of the best right wingers in form in the world at the moment. You certainly wouldn't have said that at the start of the season. So, yeah, absolutely, they're marching on. Jason Tindall's doing a really good job. Eddie Howe, again, congratulations.
We sort of wish Eddie the speediest of recoveries. But what's also been particularly impressive is that teams can have a dip after winning a trophy, as Newcastle did in the Carabao Cup final. But they've just been relentless. They're playing so well, you know, defensively, midfield. That midfield, you know, along with Liverpool, it's the best in the country. And yeah, absolutely. They're flying towards the Champions League.
Let's talk a bit more about Jacob Murphy, Jack, because he's having the best season, numbers-wise anyway, of his Premier League career. I think it's 19 goal involvements now. He's been at Newcastle, I think, eight years. Obviously, he has now won that trophy. He's seen off Miguel Almiron on that right-wing position. It feels like Newcastle are always looking for the new right-winger, but the answer's right there in their squad already. How amazing has his form been?
It's been incredible. I've just seen somebody writing on social media that if they paid 50 million for him at the start of the season, it would have looked like they got him at a snip the way he's been playing and scoring. And I think Henry's right. You sort of watch that goal from the tight angle back and the way he strikes it, he's definitely having a shot. And it takes some levels of confidence to do that from there when you've got players charging in in the middle. And I think it's a testament to Eddie Howe. Newcastle have obviously got
the richest owners in world football but haven't been able to spend as perhaps they would have liked to in the last couple of years and get that player that would have replaced Jacob Murphy. But Murphy, Harvey Barnes, Fabian Schaar also scoring, he's brought so much out of
players that maybe wouldn't have been in the team if they could have spent as freely as they wanted to. How has worked with largely what he's got for the last couple of seasons and got so much out of them. And again, you know, he's absent tonight. He'll be coming back fairly soon. Jason Tindall stepped up, but the two games they've had without him to score that many goals look that dangerous.
is another sign of just what he's put in place, the frameworks he's put in place, the mentality he's put in place and the goodwill he's got from the players that are going out there and doing it for him while he's absent. It's
It's a huge testament to the work he's done. They look so well placed for the Champions League. Considering some of the teams around there, you don't quite know how they're going to end the season. We don't know what's going to happen to Aston Villa after they've been knocked out of the Champions League. Chelsea look so far off being able to qualify for the Champions League at the moment, given their performance against Ipswich at the weekend. So it's a fantastic time at Newcastle.
And Henry, I'm hoping you saw Eberechi Eze's penalty. I feel a bit bad asking the question, but I wonder whose penalty was worse tonight, Saka or Eze? Those ones with the stuttered run-up, I mean, nine out of ten times you might score, but they look terrible when you miss.
Yeah, I'm not a fan of stuttered run-ups. Anyway, I actually think it's something that I've had the lawmakers should look at. But look, you're looking at two young, outstanding talents. And in a time where everyone needs entertaining, you go into matches and you see how much fans are being charged. The fact that you've got an entertainer like Bakayosaka, who's wholeheartedly giving everything for Arsenal, and Eberici, Eze, whether he's playing as a 10 or drifting in off of...
off the flank. I mean, Thomas Tuchel must be looking at that and thinking, well, how many sort of fantastic wide players I've got to call upon? And then you look at Harvey Barnes's performance earlier. So it wasn't Eberich's finest moment, but he's actually been in good form recently.
Massive night for Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League, second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday evening. Ange Postekoglu has revealed that they're going to be without Hung Min Son for the game, who's struggling with a foot injury. How big a blow is that for Ange to be without his captain against Frankfurt, Jack?
Yeah, it's really not a help. I think more in terms of the circumstances. Sons, obviously, you said the captain, a senior player, someone that can get teams through in difficult circumstances. It's going to be a fiery atmosphere in Frankfurt, challenging for some of Tottenham's younger players. But I think a year ago, two years ago, in terms of form on the pitch, it would have been
It would have been a much more significant blow. Son's just not quite been at the level we know he can be at this season. Whether he can get back there as well is a huge question for Tottenham. They extended his contract by a year earlier this season, but whether they will see that son again is a huge question they've got to deal with
He will be a loss, that sort of figure. He's a huge figure at the club. But Tottenham have shown when they do play well, when they do play on the front foot, they've got players like Kulishevski that can create problems. They've got Brennan Johnson, who has been doing well. Odebeer has come back in and looks a very good player. So they've got some depth in those positions, unlike other areas of the team where they've really struggled with injury this season.
Yeah, we saw the mirror there, back page in the bottom right, saying Ange is up for a scrap. I mean, look, Henry, the result against Eintracht Frankfurt is the be all and end all. But what did Tottenham need to show in order to get that result? Resilience. They need the manager to calm down a little bit. And this sort of passive aggressive stance in press conferences and actually more on television, you
You just think, well, why do you need to do that? You know, why sort of create this sort of tension or perception of tension? You know, he's already sort of almost picked a fight with the supporters. You know, just don't do that. Be positive, be on the front foot, and that will be reflected in your team. Tottenham Hotspur have got some good players
But I think the sort of manager with his utterances is actually sort of holding them back. We know there are bigger issues at Tottenham Hotspur than Ange Postakoglu. We've seen it when they've had better coaches than him in the past and actually not done well. There's a problem with the culture at the club. There's a problem, issues in the boardroom as well, the tension between the fans and Daniel Levy. So I don't see why Postakoglu has to keep sort of
pouring more fuel on the fire. So, yeah, if his team plays with a little bit more control than the manager, then they've got a chance. And we've got to talk about Manchester United as well as Tottenham in that Europa League quarterfinal against Lyon 2-2 from the first leg, Jack, and lots of scrutiny on the goalkeeper position. Ruben Amorim has kind of said, look, blame me if the goalkeeper situation goes wrong. He's been recalled, Andre Onana. In your view, is that the right decision from Ruben Amorim, Jack?
I think so, yeah. It's a difficult decision either way, really. I mean, the mistakes in the first leg were really poor and Arnaz made a few of them since he joined Manchester United from Inter Milan. But I think it was maybe too much of a risk not to bring him back in, not to have someone that across his career has been in these high-pressure situations. And really, Arnaz needs to just see it as a chance to go and prove people wrong if he's got the right mentality. That is how he will look at it. He made a mistake the way he spoke earlier.
before the first leg and then followed that up with a performance to really make himself look rather daft. But he's got a chance here to go and do something big for Manchester United in a huge game that
so much of their season hinges on whether they can go or so much of their future under Amarim hinges on whether they can go and win this tournament and qualify for European football next season. Given the money, it will bring in the players it will attract and how they can move forward under Amarim. And if Anana can stand up and show he's a goalkeeper that can survive at this level, then that's a big moment for him because I know Amarim was asked about it today, but it seems like there are so many more problems that Manchester United need to address today
squad-wise before it gets to the goalkeeper and Amarim doesn't really need Inanna causing more problems for him. Well, let's talk more about that then because Amarim was asked directly really whether he was thinking about signing a new goalkeeper in the summer, Henry, and he said they will evaluate all options like they do with every position when it gets to the summertime. So where on the list of priorities does goalkeeper sit for you, Henry? Probably third. I mean, they need a centre-forward.
I mean, they actually need six or seven players because at the moment, this squad is built for 4-2-3-1, 4-3-3. And you've got a manager who's coming mid-season. Obviously, he'll have more of an impact when he's got a pre-season under his belt and he'll be able to sort of coach the players the way he wants them in 3-4-2-1. But yeah, goalkeeper...
I still think they need another central midfielder. They need more pace in there. Obviously, Casemiro and Eriksen soon will be eased towards the exit. You've got Kobi Mane, who can play in there, also can play as a 10 as well. But basically, you've just got Manuel Ugarte. And, you know, we've been watching teams, whether Newcastle, whether Liverpool –
we've been talking about Declan Rice tonight, you know, Manchester United don't have a dominant midfielder. You know, the best midfielder associated with Manchester United is sitting in the television studio. Roy Keane, sort of a pining from afar. There are very few Roy Keanes around. But yeah, they need a central midfielder. And I'd say they probably do need a goalkeeper.
Although Ruben Amarin, who knows about goalkeepers, he played with Jan Oblak at Benfica. So he understands the importance of quality goalkeepers like him. He did make the point that Onana was important when Inter got to the Champions League final a couple of years ago. And he was in the running for the Yashin Trophy of the Ballon d'Or. So there's a good goalkeeper in Onana, but he just can't keep making these mistakes.
Yeah, it should be a big night for Manchester United and Tottenham as we head towards the Europa League quarter-final second legs. Jack Henry, thank you very much for your time here on Back Pages tonight.