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Learn English Through Football Podcast: 2024-25: Dark Arts
In this football language podcast we focus on the Manchester City v Arsenal match last weekend, and discuss the term ‘dark arts’. You can read the transcript for this podcast below, while you can also check out our glossary of footballing phrases here and visit our site to access all our previous posts and podcasts. If you have any suggestions or questions then you can contact us at admin@languagecaster.com.
The Dark Arts – Manchester City 2-2 Arsenal
DB: You’re listening to Languagecaster.com’s football language podcast. Hello everyone and welcome to the show for all those who love the beautiful game of football and who want to improve their English. My name is Damon and I’m based in a slightly cooler Japan – finally, autumn is just about here! I guess it is also a bit cooler in the UK too, where Damian, the other half of the Languagecaster team is based. I hear there is a lot of rain about too!
Today’s Show
We’ll be hearing from Damian later in the show as he takes a look at some upcoming games and our predictions table. Last week two of Damian’s five-a-side teammates gave their predictions. I wonder how they did.
And in just a minute, I’ll be talking about the Manchester City v Arsenal game last weekend, which was a really entertaining match for the neutral. We’ll focus on the phrase ‘dark arts’. But before that, here’s a message from one of our listeners.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Mongolian)
DB: Thank you for that message. Listener, do you know what language it was? We’ll have the answer if you don’t at the end of the show.
Dark Arts
DB: Right let’s kick off with a look at the Premier League Man City versus Arsenal match, which ended 2-2 after a late-late equaliser by Man City defender Stones in the dying seconds of additional time. It was a great match to watch if you were not a supporter of the two teams. There was a lot to enjoy, including great goals, battles between players, yellow cards, a sending off, and real needle between the two teams.
Needle
‘To needle someone‘ is to annoy them, to make them angry and if there is needle in a match, it means that the two sets of players are making each other irritated and angry. This usually results in lots of small fouls, or niggling fouls. These are not serious fouls, but maybe trips, pushes, catching an opponent slightly late, etc.
There was definitely needle in the match between the 2024 champions and the runners up. Manchester City players after the match accused the Arsenal players of using the dark arts and not wanting to play. Here is what John Stones, the scorer of Man City’s equaliser said:
John Stones’ talks about Arsenal
“I don’t know if Arsenal have mastered the dark arts of football. They have done it for a few years. You can call it clever, dirty, whichever way you want to put it. They break up the game and it upsets the rhythm for everyone. They use it for their advantage. We dealt with it well”
So, he accused Arsenal of being dirty, or playing unfairly. So, what kind of play is this? Well, time-wasting is one of the dark arts. If you are an opposing player or fan, you hate it when another team wastes time to stop your team from equalising or finding a winning goal.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Cantonese)
Wasting time
There are many ways to waste time. Keepers catching the ball and then falling to the floor and keeping the ball for a long time is one. Another is a player going down with cramp or a knock, an injury. It could be genuine, but if there is needle in the game, the opposing players think the ‘injured’ player is faking it. A player may take ages on a thrown in, kick the ball away when the other team wants to play a quick free kick. These are all ways to waste time.
In the match between Manchester City and Arsenal, Arsenal’s Trossard was sent off with a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after a foul was given against him.
Obstruction
Apart from time-wasting, many people also thought that Arsenal were obstructing Man City’s goalkeeper, Ederson, at corners. Obstruction is deliberately blocking a player, standing in their way or running in front of them rather than running towards the ball. Indeed, the Gunners took a 2-1 lead with a powerful header by Gabriel from a corner, while Ederson was on the floor surrounded by his defenders and Arsenal players. While obstruction may be a dark art, it is also part of the game and at corners, shirt pulling, pushing, blocking, are all common.
Fans and the Dark Arts
In the match we are looking at, Manchester City fans would think that Arsenal were using the dark arts, cheating, playing dirty. But Arsenal fans would think their team, down to ten men, were being clever, using all their skills and knowledge of the game to try to win.
Basically, many fans admire the dark arts, especially if a player on your team employs, or uses, these tactics. There are many fans who think players should try everything to try to win.
Glossary
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Greek)
We’ve talked about a lot of phrases and words used in football, and you can find out lots lots more by coming along to our football-language glossary. There are hundreds of posts explaining the language of football. Just click on ‘D’ to find ‘dark arts’, for example, or the letter that begins the word you want to find out about.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Hungarian)
DB: And now, here’s Damian with our predictions section. Take it away Damian!
Predictions
DF: Well, last week I asked a couple of my five-a-side teammates for their predictions and they beat both Damon and myself. They got perfect scores for the Women’s Super League Man City vs Arsenal game, 2-2, and another draw, 0-0 between Juventus and Napoli. They also got the result for the Man City v Arsenal Premier League clash, correctly predicting a draw. They went 1-1, but as we have already mentioned on the show it was a more exciting 2-2. Still, that was seven points. Well done to them. That leaves Damon still on top with 21 points but now the combined guests’ score is 18 the same as me.
This weekend
What about this week, well this weekend we’ve got La Liga, the Bundesliga and Premier League matches. Let’s start with the Premier League and Liverpool, who travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers. I can only see a Liverpool victory here. Liverpool seem to have a solid defence and are scoring freely, so a 2-0 away win. On the same day is an early kick off, as Newcastle host Manchester City. Even though City have lost their talisman, Rodri, for the season with an ACL injury, I still think the Champions will use the adrenalin from the last minute equaliser against Arsenal last week to drive them to a 3-1 win at St James’s.
The other Premier League match we have sees my team travel to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. Both teams have won 2, lost one and drawn 2, and i think they’ll be evenly matched here too. Last year was a 2-2 draw, and I think this time the match will end 1-1.
In the Bundesliga, there is a big game between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen. Bayern have had a perfect start to the season with four wins on the bounce, and I think home advantage will see them make that five: a 2-0 home win for me.
El derbi Madrileño
The last game we will look at this weekend is the Madrid derby, el derbi Madrileño, between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid. Obviously there is no love lost between these teams, and as it is a derby, there will be some needle too! Last year in this fixture Atlético ran out 3-1 winners, but I think this time, Real will return home with a point. I reckon 1-1.
Well, those are my predictions. Let’s see how I do!
Contact
DB: We’d love to hear from you if you have any comments about the show or questions about the language of football. You can get in touch via email at admin@languagecaster.com. You could also leave comments or questions on our football-language forum. Come along, take a look and join in the football language conversations. You can also find us on youtube, where you can find lots of our podcasts with transcripts included. We would really appreciate it if you give us a like, recommend us to a friend, or send us a message.
Stinger: You are listening to languagecaster.com (in Welsh).
Goodbye
DB: Cheers for that message, which was in Welsh. We also heard some stingers, messages, first in Mongolian, then Cantonese, Greek, and in Hungarian. Send us your ‘You are listening to Languagecaster.com’ with your name in your language and we will add it to our show.
Thanks everyone for listening today – we looked at the phrases dark arts, needle, niggling foul, time-wasting, and obstruction. Let us know if you hear these words, in any language, during this week’s football. Enjoy all the football this week and we’ll be back next week with some more football language. Ta-ra!