“How can you say that?”
In the middle of the show: presenter with an angry call
March 6, 2026 – 12:31 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
A comment about Arsenal has sparked a strong reaction on a radio show. A presenter spoke up herself during the broadcast.
Sports presenter Laura Woods called in the middle of a Talksport radio show and gave her opinion to former Premier League coach Alan Pardew. “Alan, I love you, but that’s the most disrespectful thing I’ve ever heard,” said the 38-year-old.
The discussion was sparked by a comment by Pardew against Woods’ favorite club. After Arsenal FC’s 1-0 win against Brighton & Hove Albion, he was unimpressed by the Londoners’ style of play. The 64-year-old explained: “When I look at them with my coaching head, they are very professional. They use every tool to get it over the line.”
Thanks to Manchester City’s win and 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, Arsenal are now seven points ahead of the competition in the Premier League. A possible title win would come with a caveat: “There will be an asterisk next to their name. It is a professional, functional game. They are good and strong, but there is nothing beautiful about it,” said Pardew.
This assessment brought Laura Woods to the fore. The presenter picked up the phone while the show was running and spoke up. She clearly contradicted Pardew. Woods defended Arsenal’s style of play. “How can you say that? Because we use free kicks, set pieces and corners? If Arsenal win the league, we fans don’t care how. Why should we care whether we are entertaining or not?”
However, the discussion about the Londoners’ style is not just limited to the media and fans. Brighton coach Fabian Hürzeler was also critical of Arsenal’s team’s performance after the defeat: “I think there was only one team that tried to play football today and that’s why I’m proud of how they did it,” he said, taking a swipe at the “Gunners” and at the same time praising his own players. He also emphasized: “I will never be a coach who tries to win in this way. I want to develop players. I want the players to continue to improve and continue to play football on the pitch.”
