Marc and Richard are back after a chaotic few weeks of fixtures, cup drama, and emotional whiplash, with Arsenal booking their place at Wembley and reasserting control at the top of the league.

This episode is less about individual games and more about how it feels to support this Arsenal side right now: the nerves, the scars, the mistrust of media narratives, and the slow realisation that this team might actually be different.

• Wembley confirmed Arsenal through to the final, despite a bizarre media reaction and some truly unhinged punditry. A long chat on why Chelsea’s “stay in the game” plan made no sense and why only Paul Merson seemed willing to say it out loud.

• PTSD vs reality Why the fear Arsenal fans feel often has more to do with history than what’s happening on the pitch. One opposition shot, no real danger, yet total emotional collapse anyway.

• The goalkeeper dilemma Should Raya play the final, even if Kepa has got Arsenal there? Why sentimentality doesn’t win trophies and why Arteta may be ruthless enough to make the call.

• The Man United wobble Honest reflections on the United defeat, the sense of nervousness in the team, and how close it felt to things slipping away at that moment.

• Arteta’s reset moment The press conference that mattered. “How do we want to live for the next four months?” Why this felt like a genuine line in the sand and not empty rhetoric.

• Ignoring the noise Why fan media now allows players and supporters to live inside a “circle of trust” and shut out clickbait punditry, even if some players probably still listen more than we’d like.

• Leeds away as a statement A proper reaction performance at a hostile ground, early control, and the feeling of a team that has learned how to manage pressure.

• Midfield evolution Zubimendi’s intelligence and aerial timing, Madueke’s best showing, and the quiet value of players taking responsibility after mistakes.

• Gyökeres under the microscope Less flopping, more fight. Signs of adaptation to life in the Premier League, and flashes of the striker Arsenal hope he can become.

• Hincapié, chaos and barnets Why he divides opinion, who he reminds Marc of, and how Arsenal’s left-back options all come with trade-offs.

• Youth, patience and Arteta’s long game A grounded discussion on Miles Lewis-Skelly, expectations, development curves, and why being “in and around” the squad at 19 is already a win.

• Injuries and depth concerns Losing Merino hurts more than expected. What it means for control, rotation, and who now needs to step up.

• Chelsea, Havertz and control Why Havertz matters even when he isn’t scoring, how he changes Arsenal’s ability to relieve pressure, and why his return felt important.

• Title race reality check City aren’t what they were. Pressure matters. Arsenal need to keep stacking wins and forcing everyone else to blink first.

There’s a long way to go, but Arsenal are still standing, still responding, and still in control of their own destiny. Sunderland next. Then the league run-in. Then Wembley.

As ever: cautious optimism, deep-rooted anxiety, and absolutely no help from the pundits.