This Week: Things are looking up

Hello my name’s Jack and welcome to the weekly round-up called This Week on Premier Skills English.

In This Week, we’ve got lots of interesting words and phrases to help you talk about football in English.

If you are listening to this podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify you can also visit the Premier Skills English website at britishcouncil.org/premierskillsenglish where you’ll be able to download the podcast.

This week, I’ve got three stories for you. I’m going to talk about Arsenal’s remarkable comeback, Brighton’s dominant performance and Manchester United’s disastrous trip to Liverpool.

The words and phrases from the stories that I’m going to talk about this week are: looking good, looking up and look like, take on, bring down, take apart, to take the initiative, cheeky and reflexes.

But before I get to this week’s stories, I want to give you the answer to last week’s football phrase. If you didn’t hear it last week, here’s one more chance to guess now.

Last week’s football phrase was *****. This is a list of players that every Premier League club needs to submit to the league from which the club manager can select a team. In the Premier League, clubs are limited to 25 players per *****.

Congratulations to Denis2000 from Belarus, Shikabala from Egypt, Vietnguyenngo form Vietnam, Hasan from Turkey, Cezario Abrantes from Brazil, Nilmar from Russia, Well done Nilmar, this was your first football phrase, Congratulations to Linas from Lithuania, Pouyasharifi from Belgium and Isshin from Japan. There were also some good guesses From Ryohei from Japan, Ketom from Indonesia, and Takeee from Japan. The word I was looking for was squad.

I was really happy to read your responses to the task last week. I enjoyed reading about some very talented footballers and listening to some talented musicians as well so thank you for your tasks.

There will be a new football phrase and task for you to complete after the stories and vocabulary.

Before I get to this week’s first story, Cezario has asked a question about a hamstring injury. You’re right Cezario, I’m not a doctor, but as I understand it, the hamstrings are actually tendons behind the knee that run up the back of the thigh. However, people also use the word to refer to a group of muscles in the same area and when someone talks about a hamstring injury, they mean damage to the muscles or tendons on the back of the thigh. I think that sports people frequently suffer from muscle damage caused by over extending the hamstring muscles. On the UK National Health Service website, there is advice about treating a hamstring injury that relates to muscle tears so I think that’s the most common type of hamstring injury.

Now it’s time for this week’s first story. When you listen, I’d like you to try to answer the following question:

Which super sub saved Arsenal?

Arsenal comeback maintains title lead

When Bournemouth scored the fastest goal in the Premier League this season, the second fastest goal ever in the history of the Premier League, after 9.1 seconds, things were not looking good for the Gunners.

Arsenal dominated possession and rained shots on the Bournemouth goal but couldn’t get through. And then things went further downhill when Joe Rothwell fired Bournemouth’s only corner of the match perfectly into the path of Marcos Senesi who scored with a header and the home side were two goals down.

In previous seasons, a 2 goal deficit would have seemed like a mountain to climb, but Arteta’s Arsenal never gave up.

After 62 minutes, Muarara Neto tried to punch the ball clear but it fell for Emile Smith Rowe who headed it down for Thomas Partey who punted it into the goal off Neto’s knee.

Moments after being brought on as a substitute, Reiss Nelson set up Ben White who equalised with a crisp strike which streaked past the keeper and things were looking up for Arsenal.

As the minutes ticked by, it looked like Arsenal were going to have to settle for a draw. Until, in the final seconds of the match, Odegaard fired in their 17th corner which was headed away from goal by Senesi but only as far as Nelson who controlled the ball with his chest before delivering a scorcher of a half-volley that made a corner of North London go wild.

Final score: Arsenal 3 - AFC Bournemouth 2

Before the story, I asked you:

Which super sub saved Arsenal?

The answer is: Reiss Nelson who was brought on in the 67th minute and contributed to the equaliser and then scored the last gasp winner.

The phrases from the story that I want to talk about are: looking good, things are looking up and look like.

We use the phrase looking good to say that we think that something is going to have a good result. There are lots of phrases with look that are based on the evidence that we can see or on how we judge things based on what we can see.
So if someone applies for a job and they have a really good interview, they might say, I don’t know if I’ve got the job, but it’s looking good. In the story, I said that things were not looking good for the Gunners after they conceded the fastest goal of the season. This meant that I didn’t think that the result would be good. I didn’t think that the match was going to end well for Arsenal.

However, when the situation changed, I said that things were looking up for Arsenal. If things are looking up, then their prospects, the way their future looks have improved. So if you have a run of bad luck, perhaps you lose your job and your car breaks down and you have to move out of your flat and then you get a new job, you might say that things are looking up. I think we only use the phrase when we think someone’s in a bad position or situation. When the situation starts to improve, you can say that things are looking up.

The third phrase from this story is to look like. We often use this phrasal verb to say that something is similar to another thing. So you can say my friend looks like Tom Cruise or perhaps you might see a cloud in the sky that looks like an animal. However, this wasn’t the way I used the phrase in the story. I said that it looked like Arsenal were going to settle for a draw. That meant I thought that it was likely, that it was probably going to happen. So you can use looks like to make predictions, based on what you can see. For example: It looks like it’s going to rain or it looks like he is going to sign for the club.

Now it’s time for this week’s second story. When you listen, I’d like you to try to answer the following question:

Who looked like they might score for West Ham?

West Ham overwhelmed at Brighton

West Ham United travelled to Brighton on Saturday to take on the Seagulls. High flying Fulham had beaten Brighton at home the week before but Brighton bounced back and West Ham never really looked much of a threat.

The first goal came when Bowen brought down Mitoma in the penalty area. Alexis Mac Allister stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty with conviction.

The Argentinean was responsible for the second goal when a cheeky back heel almost got the better of the West Ham defence but in the end was cut out for a corner. When the corner kick was played, Mac Allister headed the ball towards the goal where Joël Veltman deflected the ball into the net with his chest.

West Ham had moments when they looked dangerous, especially when Bowen got the ball, but they were second best all over the pitch and looked careless in possession.

After 69 minutes, Mitoma made the game safe when he stabbed home from a low cross from Pascal Groß.

In the closing minutes of the match, Danny Welbeck made it four with a fine goal struck from outside the area.

Final score: Brighton and Hove Albion 4 - West Ham United 0

Before the story, I asked you:

Who looked like they might score for West Ham?

The answer is: Well, nobody looked that great for West Ham, but Bowen looked the most dangerous.

The phrases and word from the story that I want to talk about are: to take on, to bring down and cheeky.

If you take something on, you try to do something. If you take a person on, you try to beat them in some sort of competition. I said that West Ham travelled to Brighton to take on the Seagulls. They tried to beat Brighton. You might also take on a challenge. For example, you might take on a marathon if you decide to train for a marathon.

If you bring someone down, you make them fall over. In football, if you bring someone down it’s almost always a foul. I suppose there are times when you could get to the ball first so bringing someone down might not always be a foul, but normally it is. We also use the term figuratively to say that someone caused an important or powerful person to lose their position or lose their power. So politicians are brought down by journalists who expose their bad behaviour.

The last word from this story that I want to talk about is cheeky. Cheeky is a fun word. It means disrespectful or rude, but in a funny way. So children are often cheeky if they try to make fun of their teacher. One of my sons is very cheeky and often tries to make fun of me ... he has no respect. I said that Mac Allister tried to score with a cheeky backheel. A backheel is a subtle shot that is often a bit sneaky. It’s a bit of a tricky shot and that’s what makes it cheeky. If Mac Alister had scored with that backheel, it would have been a bit like playing a trick on the goalkeeper. It’s normal in football to try to trick your opponent, to try to make them think you’re going one way to send them in the wrong direction, but for some reason, a backheel is seen as cheekier than other moves.

Now it’s time for this week’s third story. When you listen, I’d like you to try to answer the following question:

What was the score at half time?

Manchester United taken apart at Anfield

When Manchester United travelled to Liverpool on Sunday, fans of both sides were confident. Liverpool have been struggling this season and United were 10 points ahead in the league at the start of the match. Nobody could have predicted what was about to happen.

Even after kick off, Manchester United looked good and in the first 20 minutes, the visitors created golden opportunities for Anthony, Fernandes and Rashford, but United’s attackers didn’t manage to take advantage.

But then ... something happened.

It started with a perfectly timed through ball. Cody Gakpo set himself up beautifully before unleashing a powerful strike that started the scoring.

At half-time, United were only a goal down.

When play restarted, Liverpool took the initiative right away. Following a terrible series of defensive blunders that pin balled the ball around the area until Harvey Elliot found some space and crossed the ball for Nunez to head home.

Three minutes later, Mohamed Salah made a brilliant run on the counter, and held the ball long enough for Gakpo to catch up. A sweet cross set up Gakpo who chipped the keeper from the tightest of angles for a fine finish.

Salah scored his first following another lightning counter attack. Again, United’s defence failed to stop or control the ball. When a slightly lucky deflection off a United defender fell to Salah he took advantage and scored with a magnificent volley.

Darwin Nunez got his second with a well placed header and then Salah became Liverpool’s all time Premier League record goalscorer when another messy rebound fell to his feet. With incredible reflexes, he fired the ball past De Gea.

The seventh goal came when Firmino found a way through but was already past the goal. Somehow, he turned and fired the ball back. I would have called the goal the icing on the cake, but by this stage of the match, there was way more icing than cake.

Final score: Liverpool 7 - Manchester United 0

Before the story, I asked you:

What was the score at half time?

The answer is: 1-nil to Liverpool I said that United were a goal down. If a team is a goal down, the score might be 1-nil or 2-1 or 3-2, but without any other information, I think it means the team is losing 1-nil.

The phrases and word from the story that I want to talk about are: to take apart, to take the initiative and reflexes .

If you take someone apart in a sport of game, you defeat them really easily. The literal meaning of to take apart is to disassemble. So if you take something apart, you take all the screws out and separate all the pieces. In sports, it means to defeat someone’s defence and score points as easily as if you were able to disassemble their team or tactics.

To take the initiative means to act positively to achieve your goal when there’s an opportunity, without having to be told or directed. If you take the initiative, you normally act first. So it’s really important in most jobs. If you see a problem, if you try to fix it right away, that would be taking the initiative. If you first report the problem to your manager and wait to be asked to fix it, that’s not taking the initiative. I think that when people take the initiative, they often do more than they have been asked to do because they understand there’s a bigger objective. So in football, if a player sees an opportunity to set up a goal, even if it means breaking the tactics that they have practised, that is taking the initiative.

The last word I want to talk about today is reflexes. Reflexes are a person’s ability to react quickly. Some people have really fast reflexes. Normally, footballers, especially goalkeepers need to be able to react very quickly. If a goal keeper sees the ball streaking towards the goal, they need to be able to react to get their hands into the right place to block the shot. When the ball rebounded to Mohamed Salah’s feet, he struck the ball right away. He didn’t hesitate at all. I could barely track the ball as it was knocked about the area, but Salah’s reactions were so fast, he must have incredible reflexes.

OK, that's 9 words and phrases from the stories today. The words and phrases were: looking good, looking up and to look like, to take on, to bring down, to take apart, to take the initiative, cheeky and reflexes.

Listen to the stories one more time to hear the words and phrases in context.

Arsenal comeback maintains title lead

When Bournemouth scored the fastest goal in the Premier League this season, the second fastest goal ever in the history of the Premier League, after 9.1 seconds, things were not looking good for the Gunners.

Arsenal dominated possession and rained shots on the Bournemouth goal but couldn’t get through. And then things went further downhill when Joe Rothwell fired Bournemouth’s only corner of the match perfectly into the path of Marcos Senesi who scored with a header and the home side were two goals down.

In previous seasons, a 2 goal deficit would have seemed like a mountain to climb, but Arteta’s Arsenal never gave up.

After 62 minutes, Muarara Neto tried to punch the ball clear but it fell for Emile Smith Rowe who headed it down for Thomas Partey who punted it into the goal off Neto’s knee.

Moments after being brought on as a substitute, Reiss Nelson set up Ben White who equalised with a crisp strike which streaked past the keeper and things were looking up for Arsenal.

As the minutes ticked by, it looked like Arsenal were going to have to settle for a draw. Until, in the final seconds of the match, Odegaard fired in their 17th corner which was headed away from goal by Senesi but only as far as Nelson who controlled the ball with his chest before delivering a scorcher of a half-volley that made a corner of North London go wild.

Final score: Arsenal 3 - AFC Bournemouth 2

West Ham overwhelmed at Brighton

West Ham United travelled to Brighton on Saturday to take on the Seagulls. High flying Fulham had beaten Brighton at home the week before but Brighton bounced back and West Ham never really looked much of a threat.

The first goal came when Bowen brought down Mitoma in the penalty area. Alexis Mac Allister stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty with conviction.

The Argentinean was responsible for the second goal when a cheeky back heel almost got the better of the West Ham defence but in the end was cut out for a corner. When the corner kick was played, Mac Allister headed the ball towards the goal where Joël Veltman deflected the ball into the net with his chest.

West Ham had moments when they looked dangerous, especially when Bowen got the ball, but they were second best all over the pitch and looked careless in possession.

After 69 minutes, Mitoma made the game safe when he stabbed home from a low cross from Pascal Groß.

In the closing minutes of the match, Danny Welbeck made it four with a fine goal struck from outside the area.

Final score: Brighton and Hove Albion 4 - West Ham United 0

Manchester United taken apart at Anfield

When Manchester United travelled to Liverpool on Sunday, fans of both sides were confident. Liverpool have been struggling this season and United were 10 points ahead in the league at the start of the match. Nobody could have predicted what was about to happen.

Even after kick off, Manchester United looked good and in the first 20 minutes, the visitors created golden opportunities for Anthony, Fernandes and Rashford, but United’s attackers didn’t manage to take advantage.

But then ... something happened.

It started with a perfectly timed through ball. Cody Gakpo set himself up beautifully before unleashing a powerful strike that started the scoring.

At half-time, United were only a goal down.

When play restarted, Liverpool took the initiative right away. Following a terrible series of defensive blunders that pin balled the ball around the area until Harvey Elliot found some space and crossed the ball for Nunez to head home.

Three minutes later, Mohamed Salah made a brilliant run on the counter, and held the ball long enough for Gakpo to catch up. A sweet cross set up Gakpo who chipped the keeper from the tightest of angles for a fine finish.

Salah scored his first following another lightning counter attack. Again, United’s defence failed to stop or control the ball. When a slightly lucky deflection off a United defender fell to Salah he took advantage and scored with a magnificent volley.

Darwin Nunez got his second with a well placed header and then Salah became Liverpool’s all time Premier League record goalscorer when another messy rebound fell to his feet. With incredible reflexes, he fired the ball past De Gea.

The seventh goal came when Firmino found a way through but was already past the goal. Somehow, he turned and fired the ball back. I would have called the goal the icing on the cake, but by this stage of the match, there was way more icing than cake.

Final score: Liverpool 7 - Manchester United 0

Right, now it’s time for you to think about the language again.

Your challenge this week is to complete the gaps in the following sentences with the correct forms of the words and phrases that I’ve spoken about in this podcast. I have taken all of these sentences from news websites and edited them slightly.

Number 1. Lots of students were noticing a decline in wellness because of COVID so a group of students _________________ to try to introduce more wellness activities.

Number 2. Things are ___________ for the Toffees since the arrival of the former Burnley manager but they remain in the bottom three on goal difference.

Number 3. A group of young footballers are planning to ________ an epic Premier League challenge to visit all 20 club grounds in 24 hours to raise money for charity.

Number 4. One Sheffield United fan reflected on a momentous match 30 years ago: “They had all these players, like Teddy Sheringham and Darren Anderton... a lot of internationals, and we _______________.”

Number 5. The ex-Liverpool star who now works as a TV pundit made a _______ dig at his colleague who used to play for Manchester United.

Number 6. It __________ the retired commentator is coming back to the commentary box for one more match.

Number 7. Formula 1 drivers are thought to have __________ that are three times faster than the average person.

Number 8. When the manager was asked when the defender would be back from injury, he replied. It’s not ____________ at the moment. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Number 9. There was an appeal for a penalty when the midfielder made his way into the penalty area and was ____________ by a clumsy challenge.

Leave your answers to the language challenge in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website.

Your task this week is a bit different. In the last few weeks, I’ve asked you to share your ideas about people with talents and things that you have mastered, but today, I want you to share more humble stories. You see, this week, Manchester United were completely humiliated at Anfield and so that’s what I want you to share; times when you have been humiliated or at least very embarrassed or you could share a story about someone you know, perhaps you have a story about a friend. I’m hoping you have some funny stories that you can share.

Share your ideas in the comments section on the page for this podcast on Premier Skills English.

Now it’s time for this week's football phrase.

This week’s football phrase is to ****** *** * ****. There are two parts of this phrase. The first part means to be ok with something happening, even though it wasn’t what you really wanted. So if you’re trying to do something but you can’t quite do it, you may have to accept something that’s less than you had originally wanted. And the second part is what you call the result of a game when both sides score the same number of goals.

If you know the answer, be sure to leave it in a comment on the page for this podcast on Premier Skills English.

Before I finish, I am going to go through the answers to last week’s language challenge.

Number 1. The young couple enjoyed a trip to the theatre and then wrapped up the night with a romantic dinner at a local restaurant.

Number 2. Barcelona winger Raphinha picked up an injury by kicking a fridge in anger during a Europa League clash with Manchester United.

Number 3. A Wrexham fan is excited to watch Kings of Leon play at the Racecourse saying: "I love their songs so much. I hope Rob and Ryan come as well. That'll be the icing on the cake."

Number 4. City had the better of the chances in the opening 45 minutes, but were unable to break the deadlock.

Number 5. A new cultural exchange scheme has opened to provide young talent in the UK and India with the opportunity to travel and work.

Number 6. The effects of the extreme weather have left New Zealand scrambling to assemble their team; five players in all have not yet been able to join up.

Number 7. The young couple has been shut away in their hotel room due to the bad weather but took advantage of a break in the rain on Sunday to go for a walk in the gardens.

Number 8. United were left short of a striker when Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was terminated by mutual consent late last year.

Number 9. A couple of investment bankers have ditched their high-flying nine-to-fives to live on a narrowboat with their toddler and have plans to open a café on the canal.

And that’s all I have time for today. Before I finish, I just wanted to say that I hope you found this podcast useful, and I hope all of you stay fit and healthy and safe.

Bye for now and enjoy your football.