Other games (2024/25)

[Beren]

43 minutes ago, TRon said:

 

It is a bit unfair to dump on Arsenal considering City just blow everyone else out of the water by hoovering up the best players across the world. Not sure Arsenal's form has even fallen off that much, just City are winning just about every game like they seem to in the run in every season.

 

Agree. Their form has fallen off but they are 12 points better off than last year's total with two games to go. It's been a big year for them, they are just living in an era of an absolute juggernaut in Man City.

[Cronky]

3 minutes ago, joeyt said:

 

Their form has definitely fallen off

 

Arsenal play a bit of a knife-edge game, demanding a lot of confidence and precision. Their attacks have an air of improvisation about them, and they need to be at their peak to bring it off. It's felt like that little bit of pressure has derailed them.

 

City can be not at their peak, but it's still difficult to score against them, or even get the ball off them.

 

I'm exaggerating to make a point, but I can see the same thing happening unless City are brought into line by FFP.

[The College Dropout]

Their play is very structured. Not ‘off the cuff’ at all. 
 

Their form second half of the season has been patchy. If they get 87 points you can’t criticise them too much. That is a big total.  Considering they got 50 points in the first 19 games any less than 85 points total is a big drop.  

[Froggy]

Arsenal have done really well IMO. It's a bit mad to hear a lot of people criticise them. They've pushed City almost all of the way.

 

Their team is really young as well:

 

Ramsdale (25)

White (25)

Saliba (22)

Gabriel (25)

Zinchenko (26)

Partey (29)

Xhaka (30)

Odegaard (24)

Saka (21)

Martinelli (21)

Jesus (26)

 

Got to be one of the youngest in the league.

[Rich]

They've played almost a quarter of the season with Nketiah as their striker and surely their little dip can be directly attributed to Saliba getting injured as much as anything else? Zinchenko was obviously a miss against West Ham and yesterday, too.

 

I don't like the way they go on and I really don't like the way Arteta goes on, but they've been fantastic. Easily the best side I've seen at SJP this season, City included.

[Kid Icarus]

All about context isn't it? If Arsenal had had a late push and were behind Man City throughout, it's a remarkable season where they've pushed them all the way, similar to Liverpool's 97 point season. 

 

Totally different story and feel about it when you're 8 points clear with 10 games to go and end up 7 points behind 8 games later.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Kid Icarus

[Kid Icarus]

Same with Leicester 2 years on the spin and us this year if we don't tie it up. It's only natural to feel disappointed when a precedent has been set for so long 

[gbandit]

Howay Leicester, sort yourselves out tonight

[Shadow Puppets]

I'm a massive Leicester fan today like! Putting positive thoughts into the atmosphere in the hope of a shock result!

[Yorkie]

If Liverpool draw then we only need one more win, goal difference notwithstanding. Doesn't seem that unlikely. Howay the Foxes. 

[Froggy]

[Rich]

Today, I feel foxy.

[Conjo]

Today, I feel blue.

[Slim]

 

[54]

Today I hope Liverpool walk alone.

[sempuki]

46 minutes ago, gbandit said:

Howay Leicester, sort yourselves out tonight

They will be out of the bottom 3 if they win so hopefully that's incentive enough. Their defence is shocking though so they'll need to score a few.

[joeyt]

Even a draw would be a huge help

[Novocastrian]

2 hours ago, TRon said:

 

It is a bit unfair to dump on Arsenal considering City just blow everyone else out of the water by hoovering up the best players across the world. Not sure Arsenal's form has even fallen off that much, just City are winning just about every game like they seem to in the run in every season.

Are City really ‘hoovering up the best players across the world’? They’ve got a great squad and have strength in depth but there’s plenty of great players to go around and lots of other teams have spent a lot of money. Are we ignoring the ‘Pep effect’ here?

[GeordieDazzler]

Didn’t Wout Faes score two own goals then assist the third in the reverse fixture

[NE27]

38 minutes ago, Rich said:

Today, I feel foxy.

 

 

[The College Dropout]

Arsenal have the same problem as us.

 

A really good XI, but when they lose 1 or 2 key players. The drop-off is huge. They coped with the Jesus injury well, playing Trossard up top. They needed a Leicester season where pretty much their entire XI needed to be in-form and injury free for the entire season and that hasn't happened. They've ended up playing their 4th & 5th choice starting CB who are nowhere near it. Tierney, Jorginho & Vieira are not near it. Then Xhaka & Partey lost form.

 

That Sporting game cost them big time. Lost Saliba and Tomiyasu and they've never recovered from that.

 

The extra UEL games didn't do anything for Partey's legs who seems to suffer serious stamina issues. Not "in-game" but through a season.

[54]

If Liverpool draw today, we only need 4 points right?

[Danh1]

Just now, 54 said:

If Liverpool draw today, we only need 4 points right?

3

 

EDIT: 4 aye.

 

 

Edited May 15, 2023 by Danh1

[Manxst]

3 hours ago, TRon said:

 

It is a bit unfair to dump on Arsenal considering City just blow everyone else out of the water by hoovering up the best players across the world. 

And yet Arsenal have the most players out on loan out of all clubs in the world according to football research undertaken by CIES Football Observatory from March, with 25 players, whereas Man City ‘only’ have 20 out on loan. (Brighton have 21, and there are 8 premier league clubs in the top 20). 

[Shadow Puppets]

24 minutes ago, 54 said:

If Liverpool draw today, we only need 4 points right?

3 MIGHT be enough, but 4 would seal it.