Alan Shearer offered an insight into the production that goes into Match of the Day on Saturday nights when there is a late kick off in the Premier League, following the Arsenal vs Wolves drama
Gary Lineker
Gary Lineker reminisced about his time on Match of the Day with Alan Shearer
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Gary Lineker has empathised with Alan Shearer after his old Match of the Day colleague had to deal with a hectic show on Saturday night. Shearer was on the programme that Lineker used to present as a pundit alongside Danny Murphy.
They had to deal with several changes in the running order due to the late goals in Arsenal's dramatic 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Gunners led midway through the second half after a Bukayo Saka corner ricocheted off the far post and into the net off the back of Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.
Substitute striker Tolu Arokodare then flicked in a 90th-minute equaliser for the visitors. Arsenal, though, retook the lead four minutes later when Yerson Mosquera headed another ball in from Saka past his goalkeeper.
Teeing up Shearer to talk about what happened, Lineker opened Monday's episode of the Rest is Football podcast by saying: "Alan, I saw you doing Match of the Day last night, just the four games, but there's plenty to talk about."
Shearer responded: "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.
"Then, all of a sudden, it was shoved right up the running order, and we were scrambling around to get some analysis.
Alan Shearer has hammered Newcastle United following their dreadful performance against Sunderland.
Alan Shearer lifted the curtain on what happens behind the scenes at Match of the Day
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"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.
"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 night's show was fronted by the experienced Mark Chapman, and in response to Shearer's comments, Lineker said: "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.
Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy on Match of the Day
Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy had to work together on Match of the Day this week
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"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 asked Alan, who was editing the show. Lineker and Shearer both replied by saying Rich, referring to Richard Hughes, with the former referring to the editor as "safe hands".
Shearer concluded by adding: "Then we like the [Enzo] Maresca bit 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 were only four games."