Both games Arsenal have started like a train (a Japanese bullet train not a UK Northern rail) got 2 goals up and then just stopped. Not sure if they're thinking they've won the games and trying to control for 70+ mins, which is a bad mentality to have. Like I said last week, I'm not too worried if City win the league again cause all it does is prove that they're an unfair participant to the league. It starts to make the PL look bad that one team is just winning every year and eventually the PL will have to step in to protect the brand of the 'best' league in the world. If City win, it's just another title bought and paid for. If Arsenal win it could kick start them back to where they were in the early 2000s.
It's a good point, if city win again and again, people will lose interest. Obviously not the bred and butter fans, but all that international interest suddenly starts to wain. The fair weather fans might find something else to spend their £80 a month sky money on? The TV money drops, the prem goes pop.
You mentioned quality, not me. I said the league is competitive A 10yr old league can be very competitive but they're not going win the world cup are they! (least not until they're older anyway)
I’m not arguing any points btw. It’s just something that I don’t think is a right or wrong answer. Some will say a competitive league is the best because everyone has a chance even if the actual quality of teams is lower. some will say the previous 3/4 years was better because the quality of the teams at the top wa better - lfc and city getting high 90 points each etc. Just depends on what sedition of a quality league is I guess. Why the ‘best lesgue in world’ is always a bit cringe. If we say it’s the best because it’s the most competitive, then surely the fact city won it 4/5 years and never had 3 teams within touching distance of the title for however many years disproves that’s point?
With all the arsenal talk, everyone is sort of forgetting that. City are probably favourites for the 3 remaining trophies. Prem, fa cup and champ league. You’d think would win the first 2 given current form and the CL is a shootout, beat Madrid and final should be theirs
I wasn't arguing either, just answering. Ideally, you have a very competitive league full of high quality players. I think this season is probably as close as you'll get to that. Yes, the top sides aren't as good as they've been in recent years but the bottom sides are better too. You'll never get everyone being awesome.
not the favourites for the cl. Real are. give real two games at this lot and especially with one at home and it's a heavily favoured real. the fa cup draw is very favourable. the league? given what arsenal just didn't AGAIN then city will now be favourites despite having more games to navigate. arsenal have to not lose at the stolen stadium. that's imo thr worst possible place to be for a side with their mentality.
think of it like the mens 100m final at the Olympics. if you believe any of them are not juicers of course. 2 or 3 are miles ahead of the rest (are very probably doers or former dopers who are laughing at the rest) there's going to be a lad in Lane 8 just happy to get that far and a couple guys just hoping for a slip. it's not like all 8 will have an equal chance when the gun goes off the prem is the same. all we are seeing is a fairly slow time being run by the front 3 and the others are bunched up trying to avoid being last while two are fighting for bronze
in fact rationally it can argued that in these years the overall quality of the premiership was not good as now. The reason why the two top teams had so many points was not just because the top teams were so strong but also because the strength of the mid table and lower teams was lower. This season all the teams have become stronger so that nothing can be taken for granted and that even top 2 teams cannot take points for granted. This COULD explain the more sharing of the points.
I don't really think it does. city could still get mid 90s. arsenal could get 90s. its up to both of them the 3rd to 8th are all bang average clubs so they cannot get to 70 easily. they are all beatable busy the bottom clus as a result.
City destroyed them last year for about 170 minutes but had sterling missing sitters rather than Haaland smashing them in.
Could argue that. Then again could say Everton are on course for 33 points in 17th place. Pretty low. Leeds survived on 38 last season. Burnley on 39 year before. Are saints leciester forest everton West Ham Bournemouth better than equivalents last year? Or is it that they’re all as bad as each other so where as teams in 13-17 would beat the bottom 3, they aren’t as good this year so are losing to them?
I had a look at the 18/19 table after 30 games, and there wasn't a massive difference overall tbh. City had 74, same as Arsenal now, the bottom 3 had fewer points than today, but the middle pack weren't very far off where they are now. I'm not sufficiently motivated to look at other seasons.
If anyone wants a really good laugh, have a read of garths team of the week, especially his narcissistic ‘crooks of the matter’ section
No idea what you're on about, why I remember the last time someone walked towards me shouting and I too out of reflex elbowed them in the face, after all it's only natural to use your elbows when being confronted.
