21 Mar 2024 16:22:04
Hi Ed001. Hope all is going ok mate with your living arrangement upheavals? Just wondered what you think on the 10 game "shoot-out" for the Premier League title? The run-ins are all pretty similar really. Personally, I hope City and Arsenal both make it the Champs League semis and then have a grueling battle over 2 games - that can only bode well for us in the run in. Will be interesting to see how many points are needed - maybe 25? Just hope we can stay injury free for the last 2 months and have a 2nd Prem for JK . and the Europa League Cup of course! :-)
{Ed001's Note - do you not think losing now would be better for Arsenal and City? Dent their confidence?}
21 Mar 2024 16:46:15
It's a good point - but just think the extra games take their toll. Look at us against Man U - the games eventually catch up with you don't they? Just so want that Prem Title and am just looking for anything that gives us an edge!
21 Mar 2024 18:14:39
Best case scenario we win the treble and city and Arsenal get knocked out of the CL.
Worst case scenario we go out of Europa Arsenal win the league and city win back to back CL.
I’d happily sell my soul for Scenario 1.
22 Mar 2024 05:19:12
Games won’t take their toll on Arsenal this season. They were out the domestic cups so early that they’ll play a maximum of 53 games in any case. Though Arteta has had the luxury of choosing his best 11 for the vast majority of the season, something he hasn’t hesitated to do, a physical toll won’t impact Arsenal’s season unless they pick up injuries.
A loss in the Champions League and another likely trophy-less season, however, would probably ruin their title challenge. These are serious times for Arteta - he’s been in charge four and a half years, won almost nothing, and cannot continue to spend like Man City for much longer. He needs to win one of the two big prizes this season.
22 Mar 2024 07:14:51
Only 2 games I can see possiblity of city dropping points is arsenal+ spurs, rest they will win handy I think. arsenal will draw a blank in some game they would expect to win, also they have city, utd and spurs all away. we have tough run in of away games at end, west ham+everton (possibly) +fulham all away in a week. everton looks like it going to be that week. V hard to look beyond city unfortunately.
22 Mar 2024 09:25:35
LoweLFC, I disagree slightly here. The games will now come back to back to back for Arsenal and it could take it's toll on them physically mainly becos Arteta does NOT rotate almost at all. Saka plays 90 mins every game, Jesus can't stay fit, Nketiah never plays and Zinchenko is injury prone. And the likes of Elneny, Cedric, Reece Williams (all like Nketiah) never see the pitch either and Partey just came back from a long lay off. Same with Timber. That's a lot, mate.
For me and most importantly with that brutal schedule they have in their final 10 games (City, Spurs, Utd, Wolves, Brighton away with Chelsea and Villa at home), there are going to be some seriously trying times for them with the calendar they have coming up. We shall see how they handle it.
22 Mar 2024 10:09:28
Yeh Digger but if they DO drop points in them games they could be six points behind us. That happens we win the league.
22 Mar 2024 10:26:45
Olired - It’s certainly possible they hit a wall and don’t have the energy to pull themselves over. I just think that, for a top 6 club, 50-odd games can be considered a pretty standard season - should they make it to the CL final it won’t be their 63rd game of the season like it was for us.
(You’re right about Arteta - he doesn’t rotate and has been quite fortunate with injuries for two seasons. )
I just think a loss in the CL/ PL would be a lot more damaging to them than tiredness.
22 Mar 2024 10:35:43
Only results the squad can affect are our own.
Aim to win every game we have left is all we can do. If Arsenal do the same then it’s down to goal difference.
None of us predicted losing last Sunday and I think all 3 teams will drop points in the last 10 games. It’s just a case of us picking up more points than the other two.
22 Mar 2024 10:50:48
I think loosing would work for arsenal but not city mate. they would just be more motivated. arsenal are like a balloon waiting to be popped.
22 Mar 2024 12:32:13
Aye JK I agree, just need to focus on our own games - win every one and we win the league I think, to make life easier for us supporters they could smash a few teams as well and sort out any goal difference worries lol
That's the thing though Digger, we look at the games against Arsenal, Chelsea etc as potential banana skins for City but they can win those easy enough and then drop points to Wolves etc - hard to judge where a team drop points tbh this season or last, especially City, as they have a tendency to win those 'banana skin' type games but drop points then against teams we thought they'd smash
Definitely an interesting run in - more for neutrals than us lol, but I just really hope we can win all of our remaining matches - be great for Klopp to leave with another League title.
22 Mar 2024 16:59:24
"I just think a loss in the CL/ PL would be a lot more damaging to them than tiredness. "
Fullu agree, LoweLFC. That can also happen. Let me put it this way: There is a world where all of these scenarios happen and others where one of each of them happens. Either way, that schedule they have is brutal and trust me, it will be a hard ask, IMO.
As for us, we recognise the assignment. We win all our games, we win the title cos Arsenal ain't winning all 10 of their game. Not with that schedule, IMO. If it happens then, hats off to them. It's in our hands still, me thinks.
22 Mar 2024 21:49:51
Am I right in thinking it’s 20 years since Arsenal last won the league? It’s getting over the line that their issue which is a mental one rather than a physical one. Whilst it’s been 4 for us a number of players remain from then. I still think City will win it but in my view we should be happy with our season, as done really well with a lot of positives - nearly all signings have done well, some fantastic emerging talent that have hugely stepped up, with pick of the bunch in Bradley.
23 Mar 2024 10:25:36
HessleRedTom1980, I agree BUT we need to aim higher than this cos when the facts change, the objectives should change as well which they have cos Klopp himself said we were going for everything right after his departure announcement.
Let's give it our absolute best, aim to win every game from here on out and then well, hope for the best outcome, IMO.