Gary Lineker has expressed sympathy for Alan Shearer following a chaotic Match of the Day broadcast on Saturday night. Shearer appeared on the programme that Lineker formerly hosted, serving as a pundit alongside Danny Murphy, and that pair had to navigate numerous alterations to the running order owing to late drama in Arsenal's thrilling 2-1 victory against rock-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Gunners took the lead midway through the second half when a Bukayo Saka corner deflected off the post and rebounded into the goal via Wolves 'keeper Sam Johnstone. Substitute centre-forward, Tolu Arokodare, then nodded home a 90th-minute leveller for the away side. Arsenal, however, regained their advantage four minutes afterwards when Yerson Mosquera headed another delivery from Saka beyond his own goalkeeper.
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Setting up Shearer to discuss those events, Lineker began Monday's instalment of the Rest is Football podcast by remarking: "Alan, I saw you doing Match of the Day last night, just the four games, but there's plenty to talk about." Shearer replied: "Yeah, did Match of the Day yesterday with Danny Murphy.
"With five minutes to go on that late game, Arsenal were last on Match of the Day in the running order. We were on at 10.20, and then at 10 o'clock it was frantic because the goals had gone in and they'd won. For one minute, they were leading, and top [of the running order], and the analysis was like; 'Oh my God', because there was hardly any analysis because it was last, we didn't have to do a lot.
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"Then, all of a sudden, it was shoved right up the running order, and we were scrambling around to get some analysis. Danny had some crossing analysis where they got 30 crosses in or something like that. So he very kindly gave me that because I really wasn't doing any analysis on that game, because that was going to be Danny's.
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"But, because then the running order changed so much like that, they were on second, and he was doing the Liverpool game, so he was then thinking, well, he can't do Liverpool and then Arsenal, so it was bonkers! Yeah, bonkers day at Match of the Day."
Saturday evening's programme was presented by Mark Chapman and, responding to Shearer's remarks, Lineker commented: "Yeah, I know what that's like. Those late kick-offs on Saturdays, because they're often a big game, and you think maybe it'll lead the show.
"And then you're thinking; 'Actually, it quite suits us if it's a bit boring, editorially, because it gives you time to do a proper edit of the game'. It's a bit like one of those midweek ones, where it's mental."
Micah Richards then enquired who was editing the programme. Lineker and Shearer both responded by saying Rich, referring to Richard Hughes, with the former describing the editor as 'safe hands'.
Shearer wrapped up by saying: "Then we like the [Enzo] Maresca bits, as well, where Maresca came out in his press conference and came out with this cryptic clue, which we had to go big into that, as well. So, yeah, there was loads to talk about, even though there was only four games."