We have just as many top-quality players as you do, if not more. Ramsdale, Tierney, Odegaard, Partey and Saka are top quality. You have Son and Kane. Lots of the rest of both squads fall into: (1) level below top quality and/or not yet truly known or too early in prem career (Romero, White, Skipp, Bentancur, Tomiyasu, Kulusevski, Martinelli, Smith Rowe etc.) (2) middling category where they can overperform and underperform but will never be world beaters, or they can simply do well as part of a system (Gabriel, Xhaka, Hojberg, Reguilon, Pepe) (3) squad players not really consistently good enough to be anywhere near first XI (Moura, Holding, Emerson, Sanchez, Elneny, Nketiah) I'd agree you've got more in category (3) than us (which you're classing as your 2-5s). But I think we have a greater number of better players than you do too, hence why we're above you. We've been in your position for a while with quite a lot of sub-par players but we're now shifting them on (Bellerin, Luiz, Mari, Guendouzi etc) and have completely changed our transfer strategy at quite a great transfer budget cost. And it's starting to look like it's working to an extent. But I don't think any arsenal would be that surprised if we went on a run losing to Liverpool and villa and dragging us right back down to united and spurs in the table shortly. Pissed off and angry, yes, but not perhaps all that surprised.
The Arsenal game was scheduled for Jan 16th, three days before our trip to Leicester. In all likelihood, irrespective of our result in the NLD I don't think we'd have had the stamina to push Leicester all the way to the 96th minute and grab all 3 points. I also think we still would have lost to Chelsea, and it was seemingly that defeat and more importantly its manner that caused the appallingly low confidence performances against Soton and Wolves. Plus our apparent complete inability to actually build on positive results this season would also leave me thinking that a win in the NLD wouldn't have impacted us one iota and if I was a betting man, I'd have put a large sum of money on us then losing or drawing to Leicester and still losing to Soton and Wolves after Chelsea, which means we'd be worse off than we are now as we'd have the same amount of points but having played a game more.
Expect to hear the gnashing of teeth and noisy whataboutery emanating from West London alter this evening..... #ChavCorruption
Disagree. I think, regardless of the outcome tonight, Liverpool were always going to be fired up the game because they're in a title race. And Klopp will know to not let the excitement/emotions of another team's result get the better of them. It's imperative they stick to their gameplay. I'm sure Arteta would have anticipated a fully motivated and ready Liverpool team no matter what.
It’s a boost for them though. City have thrown away a huge lead and Liverpool must feel the momentum is with them. We’ve seen it before when big leads have been surrendered - the chasing team rushes through like an express train when the team in front wobbles. Sometimes chasing can be an advantage.
Yeah Liverpool beat Arsenal and they’re one point behind City and they still have to play them. Of course Liverpool would have been fired up anyway but this really opens the door for them.
You’d have to win all 3 games in hand and then still close a 10 point deficit on the two best teams in the country
Would you say "piece of cake" is any more or less easy than > a doddle > easy as pie > a snap > a cinch > a breeze > as ABC and if so, can it be done with your eyes shut? We should be told. It's late and I'm making less sense than usual. However if Brunel is also reading, I should mention something about the postponed game...
It's fourth in that list. Nb that disallowed game... You wrote somewhere you think it's a foregone conclusion you would have won, yes?
Does the Pope **** in the woods? Yep, it would have been as easy as cake. Don't ask me though. Presumably if your club thought it had a chance they wouldn't have asked for a postponement (which I don't blame you for by the way, I blame the PL for agreeing to it).
Cake's pretty hard though. Mixing everything properly, baking at the right temperature so it's light and not soggy. Getting the icing right. Tough nut to crack.
Oh, hey, if "sporting integrity" is so important how about you hand over those trophies and take your rightful place in League One?
