Harry Syemou GIVES BOLD prediction for Arsenal in the Champions League final!

追加: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]They actually did it. They actually did it. Unbelievable. Arsenal are the Premier League champions. This is the social here on TalkSport 2 with me, Ollie Clinch, alongside jubilant Arsenal fan Harry Symeou. You can tell by his voice he's been celebrating for a very long time. You've done very well, by the way. We're we're almost all the way through the show and you you've held it together.

[00:00:20]Um just firstly, how are you how are you doing and and has it all sunk in yet?

[00:00:24]>> Oh, I'm absolutely buzzing. It it didn't sink in initially.

[00:00:28]I have to say when the final whistle went in that Bournemouth-Man City game, you know, everybody else was kind of really jubilant and stuff and I was sort of like, "What Have Have we won it then?" Like I had to keep checking the table to like make sure that we'd actually won it, but once I got in my car and I sort of started to get closer and closer to Emirates Stadium and there was just Arsenal fans everywhere. I've never seen anything like it. Um such a huge club, such a huge following, particularly obviously in the North London area, and it was just remarkable to see and the scenes were were heartwarming. It was brilliant. Everybody was so happy, but also, you know, like normally when you get like a massive crowd of people descending upon somewhere, you expect like there's always going to be a few idiots here and there. There was just none of that.

[00:01:15]Literally none of it. Like I remember at one stage I sort of was trying to get through a crowded area to get a little bit close to the stadium and I said to my son, "Let me pick you up cuz it's easier to get through the crowd." And as soon as like people saw you got a kid there, everyone just moved. That was amazing. Everyone was so happy and like it was just yeah, it was nice and you know, it it's it's one of those things when you've been waiting such a long time for something, initially you don't really know how to feel. You need a bit of time, but all the stuff we've seen since, you know, the players celebrating, um the scenes from the kind of drone shots outside Emirates Stadium, the the trophy being engraved, which was posted on social media today, now it feels like it's happened. Yeah, I've tried to avoid all that, to be honest.

[00:01:57]>> Yeah, well, listen, when the trophy gets lifted on Sunday as well, that's really going to hammer it home, I think. Seeing those actual images of Martin Odegaard lifting the trophy and and various others as well. But just yeah, what a what an amazing feeling. Did you see Ian Wright at the at the celebrations outside the Emirates? He was there popping champagne corks. Did you see him? I didn't see him personally.

[00:02:19]I saw some videos of him being there afterwards. But you couldn't once you got sort of into that area that surrounds Emirates Stadium, sort of from the arches where Tollington pub is and beyond, you could not move. Like it was honestly, you could not move.

[00:02:35]If you traveled 5 m, you'd have done well. Like it was that crowded, but you know, there were so many people that sort of just felt this need and this desire once that full-time whistle went to make their way down there and it was well worth it.

[00:02:48]>> Yeah, I'm genuinely glad that you you enjoyed all that. There's been a really interesting interview with Mikel Arteta since he was asked about his mental state during the title race.

[00:02:59]We won the league, but I'm the most proud is that how we've won it.

[00:03:05]Because we showed I think very important values not only in the sport, but in in life as well, which is perseverance, which is, you know, to be resilient, to be composed in moment when people are are doubting, to be vulnerable because I've asked that question to myself, am I good enough to lead this team, this club, this players to win a major trophy?

[00:03:29]Until you don't do it, you cannot validate yourself. So, and I thought about many ways, what is the best way to do it? We have to be people from outside and speakers to inspire them.

[00:03:41]Uh and then you have to find your own way.

[00:03:44]But the big lesson here is it's stay humble, stay curious, and focus on the point and what you want to achieve. And you give your very best, you give yourself a good chance and um and we're giving ourselves a very good chance for 3 years and this season we've done it. I think that's really interesting, especially because I think over the times that where you did come second, you have seen a shift in the way that Arteta has dealt with the press or even you know acted when he's been in in high-pressure press conferences etc. The way he's tried to block out the noise. I think he's been a lot calmer at times, too.

[00:04:24]And and it is interesting, isn't it, that he was the one there questioning whether even he could get it over the line.

[00:04:30]Absolutely, and I think he showed a vulnerable side to him that not many people believed was there.

[00:04:37]And I've always really defended him because now and again when you are in that environment, when you're in those press conferences or you're in the radio room as you've been many times waiting to interview him you do get little snippets of his personality.

[00:04:52]Maybe not during the interview itself, but when he comes in or when he's leaving or or sort of in and around the press conference, you do get those little snippets and and you can see that there's a human side and he's not this arrogant so-and-so that people have made him out to be.

[00:05:07]And and to hear him speak like that is great because I think a lot of people will watch that interview, listen to that interview and come away with a slightly different opinion of Mikel Arteta. And I've never felt that the one that people generally hold of him has been a fair one. So actually I'm glad that he said what he said and I hope that now that he's got over the line, he'll A get the respect he deserves and B the the perception of him will change.

[00:05:32]And that will mean that the the the media coverage around him should hopefully be a bit more favorable. Yeah, I mean there's less of a stick to beat him with, isn't there?

[00:05:40]>> Yeah, absolutely. That's that's the fact, really, isn't it? Cuz he he is now a champion. And and talking of which, of course it could get even better for you, Harry.

[00:05:47]I mean, what your voice is going to be like if you do win the Champions League.

[00:05:51]We're going to have to wait a week, I think, to get you on the radio. I think I'm going to have to take a month off if we win the Champions League. Um But but Scrap it all. Are you now feeling much more confident about that game because you are the Premier League champions?

[00:06:05]How much of an impact do you think that will make? 100%. Um yesterday when we was at the media day down at down at Colney um we got to speak to some of the players and and I asked Gabriel Jesus a question about how the pressure was impacting the group. Because I said it's very easy from people for for people from the outside to every time you drop points or don't perform go oh, it's the pressure.

[00:06:32]But realistically, how much of a factor was that? And he talked openly about what a big deal it was. And I think the reason that for Arsenal now this Champions League final looks very very different is because now they're Premier League champions if they come back from Budapest empty-handed but having given a really good account of themselves nobody's going to be beating them with a stick.

[00:06:55]People are going to be saying last year they made the semi-final they made the final this year, maybe they can go again next year and and go one better against a team that most would argue are probably the best attacking team in European football.

[00:07:08]So, the pressure being alleviated from them and that pressure valve being released a little bit makes the world of difference to me. It was never about tactics, player ability, or game plans.

[00:07:19]It was always about the mental side. And I dread to think what it would have been like going to Budapest had Arsenal lost the Premier League title on the final day.

[00:07:28]Now that the picture and the landscape is completely different, I think they've got a really good chance of winning it now. Mhm. I I think you're right about that that pressure valve not only being released, but also they go into this game as slight underdogs, at least slight underdogs. Uh because like you say of of of PSG being the current champions and and that attack is just so frightening. You saw that in the in the semi-final against Bayern Munich. I tell you what, mate, seriously, I think they do it, you know.

[00:07:53]>> Don't get my hopes up. I really do.

[00:07:54]You've got a ticket, so >> not. Yeah, I've got a ticket. Yeah, got a ticket. Come on, mate.

[00:07:58]>> Fantastic. Well, I hope you enjoy it and and get that result you want and we'll we'll check in with you about 4 months after if they do win it and see how you getting on. You're going to find me on the floor outside Emirates Stadium.

[00:08:07]>> Yeah.

[00:08:08]Again. [laughter] This is the social everyone talks about, too. Stay with us. Last of our three to watch is coming up next. It's the Championship playoff final.