The Full Time Report — Ep.10: Arsenal Are Going to the Final

Episode 10 · Bumper Edition: 48-Hour Catch-Up (May 4–6, 2026) Host: Tom · Runtime: 17 min 8 sec · Published: 2026-05-06

Chapters & Timestamps

#	Chapter	Start
1	Cold Open	0:06
2	Welcome	0:17
3	Arsenal Reach the UCL Final	0:51
4	Arteta & Simeone Reaction	3:39
5	Premier League Midweek	4:55
6	Forest's Extraordinary Double Life	8:33
7	Transfer Desk	9:30
8	UCL Preview: PSG vs Bayern Munich	12:38
9	UEL Semi-Final Previews	13:48
10	Injury Board	14:37
11	Sign-Off	16:16

Full Transcript

[Cold Open]

Arsenal are going to the Champions League final.

Say it loud. Say it proud. For the first time in twenty years, Arsenal Football Club will play in a European Cup final.

[Welcome]

Hello and welcome to The Full Time Report — this is Episode 10, and yes, this one is a bumper edition.

We missed Episode 9 — a technical issue on our end — so today you're getting two full days of football packed into one. Tuesday and Wednesday's action, all in one go. Consider it a gift.

I'm Tom, and over the next eighteen or so minutes we have got a lot to get through: Arsenal's historic night at the Emirates, Chelsea's miserable run continues, Man City dropping more points, a full transfer desk including a confirmed Foden deal, and we preview tonight's PSG versus Bayern second leg.

Right. Let's start where everyone wants to start.

[Arsenal Reach the UCL Final]

Arsenal one, Atlético Madrid nil. Two-one on aggregate. The Gunners are in the Champions League final.

The Emirates was absolutely rocking on Tuesday night. Bukayo Saka, forty-four minutes — a rebound after a Trossard shot was saved by Oblak, and Saka was there, clinical as ever, to poke it home. Viktor Gyokeres with the assist in the build-up, by the way.

And that was it. Arsenal defended brilliantly for the rest of the night — another clean sheet, another massive result.

Let's put this in context. The last time Arsenal were in a Champions League final was 2006. Paris, against Barcelona. They lost two-one after playing more than an hour with ten men. A generation of Arsenal fans have never seen this before.

This is only the second time in the club's entire one-hundred-and-forty-year history that they've reached a European Cup final. The second time ever.

And the records just keep coming. Fourteen matches unbeaten in this Champions League campaign — that's a new club record, and apparently no team in UCL history has gone fourteen games unbeaten in a single campaign. Nine clean sheets. Six goals conceded across the whole run.

On top of that: thirty clean sheets for the season — ties the club record from the ninety-three, ninety-four season. And forty-one wins, which ties the total from the legendary nineteen-seventy, seventy-one Double-winning side. This team is genuinely writing itself into Arsenal history.

Saka, personally. What a player. That's him scoring in two Champions League semi-finals — making him only the fourth English player ever to do that, after Rooney, Lampard, and Kane. But he's the first to do it in back-to-back seasons. Absolutely outstanding.

And this is the bit that gets you — he played through an Achilles injury. Barely trained before the match. Scored the winner. And was taken off at fifty-eight minutes. That fitness concern is real and we'll come back to it in the injury board.

The Guardian's player ratings: Saka nine out of ten. Declan Rice, eight. Myles Lewis-Skelly, eight. Gyokeres, eight. Nobody in an Arsenal shirt rated below six. On the Atlético side, Robin Le Normand got a four — he had a rough night.

There was a VAR moment, of course — there always is with Arsenal games these days. Riccardo Calafiori caught Griezmann in the box. Atlético were furious. But VAR upheld the decision because Atlético's Marc Pubill had fouled Gabriel in the same attacking phase just before — the prior foul took precedence. Legally correct. Atlético will moan, but the rules are the rules.

Good news on Odegaard and Havertz too: both were fit and in the squad. Odegaard came on at fifty-nine minutes and got thirty-six minutes under his belt. Havertz was an unused sub — Arteta chose not to rush them. Sensible.

[Arteta & Simeone Reaction]

Arteta afterwards was brilliant. He said: "One of the best nights of my career." And then he said, and this is the quote everyone is using — "Something magical was happening tonight."

He talked about what it means for the club: "After twenty years and a second time in our history, we are back in the Champions League final." You could hear the emotion.

Someone asked him about chasing the Double — the Premier League and the Champions League in the same season. Classic Arteta: "The high is not too high, the low is not too low. My job is to be quite stable." He is absolutely unflappable, that man.

Simeone was gracious in defeat, for Simeone. He said Calafiori's challenge on Griezmann was "a very clear penalty" — but then added, "I don't want to make excuses." He acknowledged Arsenal deserved it.

He also praised Arsenal's — quote — "incredible financial power" and what Arteta has built over the long term. Coming from Simeone, that actually means something.

Thierry Henry was on CBS Golazo and was visibly emotional. His former club, in a Champions League final. You can imagine how that felt for him. Pure joy.

So: Arsenal face the winner of tonight's PSG versus Bayern second leg. The final is in Budapest on May the thirtieth. And we'll preview that tie in a moment.

[Premier League Midweek]

Right — let's go to Monday's Premier League action.

Chelsea one, Nottingham Forest three. At Stamford Bridge. And that is now six consecutive Premier League defeats for Chelsea — equalling the club's worst run in the Premier League era.

The last time Chelsea lost six on the bounce in the league was November nineteen-ninety-three. Thirty-three years ago. This Chelsea side has matched that. Remarkable for all the wrong reasons.

Forest were brilliant. Taiwo Awoniyi scored twice — two and fifty-two minutes. Igor Jesus got the second from the spot in the fifteenth. And Vitor Pereira — that's Forest's manager, Vitor Pereira, not Nuno as you might have heard elsewhere — made eight changes to rest players for the Europa League semi-final. Eight. And still won comfortably.

João Pedro got a late overhead kick consolation for Chelsea — ninety-third minute. Cole Palmer had a penalty saved by Mats Sels in the first half. When it's going badly for you, it really goes badly.

Two injury concerns from that match: Jesse Derry, the eighteen-year-old on his full debut — took a head knock, was hospitalised, but is conscious and stable. And Morgan Gibbs-White was involved in a collision with the Chelsea goalkeeper — he's doubtful now for Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg. Big blow for Forest.

Chelsea's interim manager Callum McFarlane — and just to flag, that's Callum McFarlane, not Enzo Maresca — said afterwards he was "massively disappointed" but hearing positive signs from both Jesse and Rob Sanchez on the head injuries. And: "We believe. We see the lads every day and they are doing everything they can." It's a tough gig right now.

Chelsea are ninth in the table, forty-eight points, no European football next season. Forest are sixteenth, forty-two points, six clear of the drop. And somehow, someway, Forest are also in a European semi-final. We'll get to that.

Also on Monday: Everton three, Manchester City three at Goodison Park. And this one stings for City.

Jeremy Doku put City ahead in the forty-third. Then Everton did something remarkable in the second half — they scored three goals in just fourteen minutes. Barry sixty-eight, O'Brien seventy-three, Barry again eighty-one. Three-one to Everton.

City hit back — Haaland made it three-two on eighty-three, and then Doku grabbed a ninety-seventh minute equaliser to make it three-three. So City salvaged a point. But when you're chasing a title, a point at Goodison is not the plan.

Guardiola afterwards: "It was in our hands before this game, but now it's not. Prepare for Brentford. We will continue and see what happens." That's pretty much an admission that the title race is slipping away from them.

Title race table after matchday thirty-five: Arsenal seventy-six points from thirty-five games. Man City seventy-one from thirty-four — they have a game in hand, but it's a significant gap. Arsenal five points clear.

Arsenal's remaining fixtures: West Ham away, Burnley at home, Crystal Palace away. City have four left: Brentford, Palace — the game in hand — Bournemouth, and Villa.

Here's the maths: if Arsenal win all three, they are champions, regardless of what City do. Even if both teams win out from here, Arsenal take it on goal difference — by two points. The earliest Arsenal can clinch is the thirteenth of May, if City drop points to Brentford on May the ninth, and Arsenal beat West Ham on May the tenth. That's a week away. It's real.

City's big injury problems didn't help at Goodison either — Rodri, Ruben Dias, and Gvardiol are all out. Three massive players, huge defensive holes. City look vulnerable at the back right now.

[Forest's Extraordinary Double Life]

Now — Forest. Because they deserve their own moment here.

Nottingham Forest are sixteenth in the Premier League — fighting relegation. They are also in a European semi-final. Both of those things are true at the same time.

They lead Aston Villa one-nil from the first leg of the Europa League semi-final. The second leg is tomorrow night at Villa Park. If Forest get to the final and win it, they qualify for the Champions League regardless of where they finish in the Premier League.

Vitor Pereira — again, that's Forest's actual manager — said before the match on Thursday: "If we want to put our name in the history of this club, we need to get to the final and then win it." The ambition is real. And the run they're on is genuinely remarkable.

Villa made seven changes for the Premier League game to rest their legs. Unai Emery — four-time Europa League winner — is desperate to add a fifth. He said: "I want to write a new chapter here." That tie is very much alive.

[Transfer Desk]

Let me take you to the transfer desk now, because there's plenty.

The confirmed news first: Phil Foden has signed a new contract at Manchester City. Four years to June twenty-thirty, with a one-year option. David Ornstein broke it, Fabrizio Romano confirmed with a Here We Go. Foden stays. That's the only clean confirmed deal in this forty-eight-hour window.

Anthony Gordon to Bayern Munich: still very much alive. Bayern have presented a concrete five-year contract offer and Gordon is apparently open to the move. The stumbling block remains the fee — Newcastle want around seventy-seven million, Bayern have a budget ceiling. Barcelona are lurking but trail Bayern due to their financial constraints.

Now, I want to be transparent here: this is via Sky Germany and Goal dot com — Tier Two sources. There's no Fabrizio Romano or Ornstein confirmation yet. Worth tracking, not worth treating as done.

Tino Livramento to Arsenal — this one dropped in the last forty-eight hours. Arsenal have held positive preliminary talks with Livramento's representatives, and the player is reportedly convinced about joining as cover for Ben White. Newcastle don't want to sell. Asking price is above sixty million pounds.

But I have to flag — this comes from Football Transfers dot com as an exclusive, and there's no Tier One or Tier Two corroboration yet. Treat this as a rumour at this stage. One to watch.

Chelsea's manager situation: still no appointment. The board are waiting until the end of the season. Xabi Alonso remains the frontrunner, with Andoni Iraola and Marco Silva also firmly in the picture. Xavi Hernandez has been added to the longlist according to The Independent, but there's been no contact made. Cesc Fabregas has dropped off the latest reports.

Sandro Tonali — there's been a shift here. Earlier reports had him wanting to return to Italy. Now Romano is saying Tonali actually wants to stay in England. He's on Manchester United's midfield shortlist — a list apparently with a hundred-and-fifty million pound budget attached. Arsenal and City are also tracking him. Newcastle are holding firm at a hundred million plus.

John Stones: confirmed he's leaving City when his contract expires this summer. Juventus have made initial contact for a free transfer. The Barcelona link? Appears to have been a false trail — that was confusion with the Bernardo Silva story.

Jack Grealish wants out of City this summer — permanently, if Guardiola stays. He's open to a loan if a permanent move can't be arranged. City are asking fifty million. One year left on his deal. It feels like a relationship that's run its course.

Curtis Jones and Inter Milan — that framework is still in place. Loan with a forty million euro option. Jones is fully open to it according to Romano. Liverpool are blocking it. Jones has twelve months left and there are no renewal talks happening. Standoff.

And one more: Rasmus Højlund to Napoli — that one is done. Confirmed by Napoli's sporting director. Around sixty-four million from Manchester United. Højlund is gone.

Mohamed Salah to Fenerbahce remains frozen. Two meetings happened around May the first but nothing has moved since. Low reliability on the latest reports. We'll keep watching.

[UCL Preview: PSG vs Bayern Munich]

Right — tonight's big one. PSG versus Bayern Munich, Champions League semi-final second leg.

PSG lead five-four on aggregate from the first leg. The second leg is at the Allianz Arena tonight — kick off is seven PM UTC.

Luis Enrique was admirably cautious before the match. He said: "We have a one-goal advantage, but that represents nothing in football." He called Bayern — and I love this — "undoubtedly the strongest team we have ever faced." He compared the tie to Nadal versus Federer. The rivalry, the back and forth, the unpredictability.

Hakimi is out for PSG — that's a big miss down the right side. Bayern for their part have only Gnabry injured, though Kimmich and Olise are both suspended. So both teams are missing key players.

Vincent Kompany wants a "memorable moment" for the fans. He said they've been preparing for penalties for three months. Which tells you everything about how he views this tie — he thinks it could go all the way. I wouldn't bet against it.

Whoever wins tonight, they face Arsenal in Budapest on May the thirtieth. Arsenal won't mind who comes out the other side — they've been the best team in Europe all season. Bring it on.

[UEL Semi-Final Previews]

And quickly — let's flag Thursday's Europa League second legs too.

Aston Villa host Nottingham Forest at Villa Park. Forest lead one-nil from the first leg. Emery is under the cosh — his side are massive favourites domestically but Forest just beat a resting Chelsea side with eight changes and looked comfortable doing it.

Gibbs-White is the big fitness doubt after Monday's collision. That's a huge potential absence for Forest. Villa meanwhile made seven changes in the PL to keep legs fresh for this.

The other tie: Freiburg versus Braga, with Braga leading two-one from the first leg. Less glamour, but genuinely open. Braga need to protect that lead away from home.

Both ties on Thursday, both kicking off at seven PM UTC. We'll have the full reactions on Episode Eleven.

[Injury Board]

Injury board time — let's run through the key ones.

Starting with Arsenal, because the whole country is suddenly very interested in their squad. Bukayo Saka played through an Achilles problem against Atlético. He was subbed off at fifty-eight minutes. Barely trained in the days before the match. Real concern ahead of West Ham on May the tenth.

Martin Odegaard is fit — got thirty-six minutes on Tuesday. Kai Havertz fit — unused sub, which is good news because it means Arteta has him fresh. Jurrien Timber is still out with an ankle problem. Mikel Merino still out with his foot. So two first-team absentees but the core is looking healthier than it has done for a while.

Man City: Rodri out with groin, Ruben Dias out with hamstring, Josko Gvardiol out with a calf issue. Three defensive starters unavailable. That explains the three goals at Goodison. It's a significant problem for their final three games.

Liverpool have ten — ten — players injured. Worst injury crisis in the Premier League right now. Salah has a muscle injury, no return date. Alisson out, Isak with a knock, Ekitike is post-surgery. It's carnage on Merseyside. That explains the fourth-place table position.

Chelsea: six out including Robert Sanchez — who took a head knock against Forest — and Jesse Derry who was hospitalised after Monday's game but is conscious and stable, which is the important thing. Pedro Neto, Garnacho, Estevao, and Jamie Gittens also out.

And at Newcastle: Tino Livramento has a thigh injury, which is worth knowing given those Arsenal links. Lewis Miley out for the season. Fabian Schar with an ankle, Emil Krafth with his knee.

[Sign-Off]

And that's your bumper Episode Ten in the bag.

Look, I want to end where we started: Arsenal are going to a Champions League final. Twenty years. Two days ago it was just a hope. Now it's a fixture — Budapest, May thirtieth.

And there's still the Premier League title to play for. West Ham away in four days. Win that, and Arsenal are on the brink. This is the most extraordinary run of form this club has been on in decades.

Episode Eleven is coming Thursday evening — PSG-Bayern result, both UEL second legs, and whatever else the football gods throw at us between now and then.

If you've enjoyed the show, tell a mate. Share it around. That's genuinely the best thing you can do for us.

I'm Tom. That's The Full Time Report. We'll see you on the other side.

Sources

Music & Audio Notes

Theme music: Generated for this episode via fal.ai MiniMax Music v2.6 (model: fal-ai/minimax-music/v2.6), instrumental mode. Duration: 148 seconds. Saved to assets/music/theme.mp3 within this run's task directory.

Usage in this episode:

Intro: First 6 seconds of the theme track, with a 1200ms fade-out, plays before Tom's cold open.
Background music (BGM): The same theme track runs at –26 dB throughout the episode, looping as needed, with a 1200ms fade-in and 1500ms fade-out. It sits well below the voice track and does not compete with the narration.
Outro: First 8 seconds of the theme track, with a 2500ms fade-out, plays after Tom's sign-off.

Music character: Upbeat, confident British sports podcast theme. Driving rhythm, light electric guitar, punchy brass stabs, subtle stadium ambience, approximately 120 BPM, no vocals, no lyrics, no human voice.

Voice: MiniMax TTS via fal.ai (fal-ai/minimax/speech-2.8-turbo), system voice English_FriendlyPerson, speed 1.05, pitch 0. All audio normalised to –18 LUFS.

Licensing note: The theme music was generated by AI (fal.ai / MiniMax Music v2.6) specifically for this episode. No third-party music rights apply. The voice synthesis uses MiniMax's pre-built system voice library via fal.ai.