Whatever happens for the remainder of the season, I hope it's remembered for a cracking run in. There are some really tasty games coming up over the next few weeks.
They aren't toffees, DL! Watch out for Sunderland's new emblem when you play them on the same day, by the way: please log in to view this image Snazzy!
so JT, cech, Mikel, Lampard, oscar, Ivanovic, torres have been demoted to reserves now then? (am not even adding Ramires & Hazard who came in and couldn't change the score) yes it is not the strongest chelsea side .. but "reserves" !!? comn man
You have no evidence for this. I would love Stoke to be relegated, but it just isn't likely. They don't give up many goals, and as much as we wish it they are going to be difficult to beat at home.
ARSENAL: WBA A - 3 pts Norwich H - 3pts Fulham A - 3pts Man Utd H - 0pts QPR A - 3pts Wigan H - 3pts Newcastle A - 1pt Total - 16pts SPURS : Everton H - 1pt Chelsea A - 1pt Man City H - 0pt Wigan A - 3pt Southampton H - 3pts Stoke A - 3pt Sunderland H - 3pts total - 14pts CHELSEA: Sunderland H -3pts Spurs H - 1pt Liverpool A - 1pt Swansea H - 1pts Man Utd A - 0pts Villa A - 3pt Everton H - 1pt Total - 10pts Which would give a final standing of : Arsenal - 16 pts - 71 overall Spurs - 14 pts - 71 overall Chelsea - 10 pts - 65 overall Dont get me wrong Arsenal and Tottenham could both have big slip ups but for me Chelsea have the hardest fixture list and I think they will miss out. Despite having a talented squad and some very good players.
Arsenal into 4th .. for now. Lot's of permutations to how this might look depending on tomorrow's results. Shaping up to be one of the most exciting run ins for years
What the Donald Duck are you on about? Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Cole, Mikel, Ramires, Mata, Hazard, Oscar and Ba is our strongest XI. 5 of those played at Southampton. You make zero sense at all.
But yet we do better against the "harder" teams The big games take care of themselves, how we do will depends on results like today and last week.
In the league there's only one form guide, United will probably usually get a win, Spurs likely to win with Bale, but without they are just like the rest of the teams in the top 10, can win or lose on any given day no matter who they play.
If the result in your remaining games goes the same way as the first encounters then you will get 12pts from the last 6 games. Spurs will pick up 7pts, and Arsenal will pick up 11pts. This sort of shows that everyone's run in is more or less the same, with Spurs just losing out due to having played one game more. For me, I think Arsenal have the easiest run in, because it has the most chance of improvement on the reverse fixtures. Chelsea next and Spurs the hardest. Arsenal have home games against QPR and Norwich in their efforts to improve on first half results. Spurs have to go and win at Stoke and Wigan after losing to them at WHL. Chelsea have to go to Liverpool and Swansea to improve on draws at home, or Fulham at the Bridge (their best chance), or get something at United.
I see your point but why would we fear United or Liverpool away when we've been to United and battered them (from 2-0 down and only De Gea wonder save at 2-3) and won at Spurs and Arsenal? Quantitative data is too simplistic to assess the run in, it doesn't take into consideration form, opposition motivation etc. Generally speaking we have struggled at home to sides that put everyone behind the ball and away to sides where Benitez inexplicably decides to field weakened teams. Mata, Hazard and Oscar in particular will get far more freedom and time on the ball at Anfield and OT than they would get in the reverse fixtures and we know Benitez won't go there and field a weakened team. I'm relatively happy with the fixtures we have left. United will have nothing to play for and even if we do poorly against them and Liverpool there is always that home game with Spurs to fall back on. Anybody writing Chelsea off on the basis we have "harder" games is being ridiculously myopic because take out the Clattenburg show which is redundant as far as I'm concerned and we have lost 1 big game from 6 against the sides around us, winning 4 of those.
I think 2nd place is possible, but we'd need to drop Giroud, and we need to try Podolski through the middle. I can't see us winning every remaining game with Giroud as a CF. Even our perennial whipping boys Gervinho and Ramsey are outplaying him at the moment.
I'd rather we not aggravate his injury and only play him when 100% necessary. PS, getting 2nd depends more on City ****ing up than it does us. Its possible but highlty unliekly
It's very possible. They may have an easy-ish fixture list (after the next 2 tough games), but this is Citeh, a massive fallout is inevitable. As long as we win every remaining game (excluding Manure, but on current form i think we could give ManUre a good game) it puts pressure on Citeh to turn up each game, which they don't always do.
It's Citeh. Don't take anything for granted. They're like us and you (under Coco anyway) in that respect, you never know what performance you're going to get. You could have the team that destroyed Chateau Nouveau, or the team that crumbled against Everton.
Everton have been City's bogey team recently. Wouldn't use City's performance against Everton as a barometer of where they could finish.
Giving a strictly neutral, 15 points clear kind of perspective on this, I think Arsenal are favourites for third. 3 reasons: 1. Easier run in (on paper at least). 2. No other games (EL and FA Cup) as a distraction. 3. Found some resolve in the past few weeks and look capable of grinding out results.
