Match Day Thread Arsenal v City

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Arsenal have lost just one of their 19 previous Premier League home matches against Manchester City (W12, D6).
• City are looking to do a league double over Arsenal for the first time since 1975-76.
• The last seven league meetings have produced 27 goals - an average of 3.86 per game.

Arsenal

• The Gunners have lost four of their last five Premier League games for the first time since April 1995.
• However, they have won six of their last seven home matches.
• This is only the second time in Premier League history that Arsenal have been outside the top five in April. The other was in 2006.
• Arsenal have taken only five points out of a possible 24 in matches against teams currently in the top seven.
• Alexis Sanchez has been involved in an unrivalled 27 Premier League goals this season, scoring 18 and providing nine assists.

Manchester City

• City have gone seven league games without defeat, their longest streak under Pep Guardiola (W4, D3).
• They have won their last three away games without conceding - they have only managed four in a row on one occasion, in the old Division Two in 1903.
• Guardiola has suffered five league defeats as Manchester City boss this season - he's never lost six in a single league campaign as a manager.
• The Blues have won just four of their last 15 Premier League matches played on a Sunday (W4, D6, L5).
• City have conceded a league-low six goals from set pieces this season.

 

Keep track of the action, here, lads.

Lots of pundits are saying this one will be a draw, which would suit Spurs.

The BBC is a bit confused, because it claims that a draw is the most "probably" outcome, yet sets the draw at only 25%, with a home win at 45%, and a loss at 30%, so (in fact) a draw is the least probably outcome.

Still, it's going to be a fascinating encounter.

Wenger has been beleaguered with negative criticism, even from those who, in former times, have been among his staunchest supporters. He really needs a win, today. Ordinarily, a loss to the likes of City, would not have had any great significance for him, but not today. Another loss will mean another nail in a coffin that is already being lowered into its grave.

This is a massive game for Wenger.

I'm hoping for a draw, but I wouldn't be surprised to see City win it.

What do you lads think?

 

I'm predicting 29-28 either way. Andre Marriner to score the winner.

 

It should be a fascinating encounter.

Ordinarily, you lads would have been able to follow it on the Gooners' board, but since (a) Pixie has banned everyone, or (b) whoever wasn't banned has ****ed off somewhere else due to Pixie's **** (even that Welsh mod), the chances are that Pixie will be the only one on that board, today. There's no fun trying to have a party in the desert, lads.

So, I suggest that the best way to follow the action is right here.

New HIAG will be behind the bar serving drinks and bacon-butties.

 

Ordinarily I wouldn't give a ****. I am going to be very ordinary today.

I've rarely followed a game on the arsenal board tbh. I do, however, pop over there after a less than favourable result for them. But since A87 was so unceremoniously booted out, it's not been the same. However, our loss is Nigeria's gain.

 

Have you been over there recently?

It's like a morgue.

Pixie did to the Gooners' board what Skiddy did to the Chav board, and has turned it into a wasteland.

It's either that, or the board was populated by fair-weather plastics, and they've all done a runner because they are too afraid of the vicious piss-taking that they fear will be unleashed on them.

In any event, you are right. A87 was the life's blood of that board. Whether it was as a result of envy or a bruising of Pixie's ego, A87's removal from that board was merely the beginning of the end for it.

So might think that I, being a Yid, would rejoice in that; but I do not. A democracy relies on there being a strong opposition. I'd much rather there be a flourishing and thriving Gooner board, but I fear that those days have gone, never to return.

I really do wish the powers behind this site could have read the warning signs a lot sooner, having learned from the CFC board/Skiddy debacle, and ousted Pixie and the other Gooner clown-mod, but that's all too late, now.

Still, there is no reason why this board ought not be able to flourish, even if it does mean that Pixie is going to be the only Gooner posting here for a few years.

 

No thanks, it's bad enough with the vallium induced euphoria of drawing games on our board. Apparently we're battering teams and should be challenging Chelsea for the title in some parallel universe. After that, I doubt I could deal with the Arsenal board as well.

 

I hear you, brother!

Thing is, if you go on the Arsenal board and try to have a conversation, you'll end up talking to yourself - it's like an abandoned mental asylum.

It's like one of those found-footage movies. At the end of the season, brb will find a camera on the Gooners' board, and will hand it over to the police who will try to work out what happened to all the Gooners! The findings will be inconclusive, but it should make for a good watch, when the DVD is eventually released.

 

City will tonk us

Enough is enough

wengerout#

 

G4E, what are your feelings as to the desolation of your board?

It cannot be easy for you to have witnessed that?

Or would you rather keep your views on that subject to yourself? I would fully understand it, if you did.

 

I think Arsenal fans are jaded about the situation and want to know one way or another, it's ridiculous to drag it out.

This is mirrored in the Arsenal board as we are all fed up talking about it.

This season should be Wenger's last and he won't be going out on a high as we have been ****.
we are where we are in the table because the players aren't good enough - which is Wenger's fault as he doesn't seem to see this.

Spues have been very good this season and will finish second.
The problem they will face next season is that City and United will try to buy your beat players.

we won't have that problem as Ozil n Sanchez are already out the door.

if Wenger stays I can see every home game being toxic as he can't/won't do the major overhaul that we need

 

I'd like a draw, that would fit nice with our top 4 push.

If not a draw I hope City win, keep the gap from Arsenal.

Arsenal and Utd both have a tough job to get back in the top 4 imo. Especially when you look at the fixtures.

1-1 I'm going for. But looking at Arsenal of late I have a feeling they'll get smashed.

 

That is a fair and honest summary.


I take a different view on a couple of your points, but we're both entitled to our opinions.

 

13 minutes to kick-off!

Unlucky for one of the teams, for sure!

 

There's a lot to play for tbh. Which one will be going out in the last 16 of the CL next season.

And ofcourse another team waiting in the wings wondering whether they'll make it out of the group stages.

 

Agreed, Trebs.

I must say, however, that I cannot see City failing to make top 4. It's taken Pep a while, but he seems to be getting to grips with the pace of the Prem and with his own squad.

 

Excellent news for ArsenalFanTV Ty :

No rain is forecast in North London between 16:00 - 18:00 today.

 

What is going to be very interesting is how much unrest there is in the home crowd, if Arsenal do not score?

God forbid, they go a goal down!

 

KICK-OFF!

 

Arsenal and Man Utd have to be the least likely to get top 4 as it stands, anything can happen, but it'll be tough for them both.

Arsenal lose today and it's curtains.

Sane just scored
Turning into a quality player tbf^^^