It's still a red card though, as most of you seem to agree. Nevertheless, I have been defending Mertesacker this season because I do feel he has come in for some unfair stick, but what he did today was unacceptable from a seasoned professional. Utterly careless and displayed no intelligence whatsoever. I believe he'll be out for 3 games now? Probably a good thing, as Gabriel is a lot faster and sharper and won't get caught out so easily with balls in behind. Either way, I think that's our title hopes in pieces now. It's City's to lose as far as I'm concerned. This Arsenal team has shown time and time again that they are incapable of handling pressure. I feel this will only change once Wenger leaves. Which I hope is soon. I can't put up with him staying until 2019 (assuming the rumours of his contract being extended for 2 years is true).
It's ours to lose, provided none of you believe that Leicester can maintain their league-winning form. We are the only side that has made £ity look like clowns.
I thought the three game ban was only for violent conduct? Re Leicester, their best three games are, L'pool (h) City & Arsenal (a) if they come out of those three with good haul of points, we will all have to take them very seriously!.
Nothing like a defeatist Arsenal fan to finish off an already superb weekend The title has 'been City's to lose' since more or less the 2nd week of the season. And yet, despite insane spending they still remain utterly reliant on 2-3 players to make them look like a unit resembling champions. I've seen nothing from them this season to suggest that you can't retake the initiative. Look, every big team has a bogey side from among the relegation candidates who they just can't beat. Ours is Newcastle, yours is Chelsea I agree with the above; February is shaping up to be a crucial month in deciding the title race. Leicester have an intense examination of their credentials over the next 3 games, not to mention that the top 4 all play eachother at least once. Anything is possible in this league. We also forget that City are still competing on all 4 fronts, which is going to stretch them towards the business end of things. Anyway I'd better stop comforting a Wanderer before they throw me off this forum
I get what you're saying, but today was the day that I have probably lost complete faith in this Arsenal team. I'm trying to say this as respectfully as I can, but Chelsea are not a good team. They are mediocre. Their players have been mediocre all season and that has been reflected in their league position. Despite all this, they are still getting one over us when they are at their lowest, and had won once in their previous 5 matches. Getting 0 points home & away against those bunch of jokers is farcical to put it lightly. And why? Just because the name 'Chelsea' causes agitation and uneasiness that disperses throughout the team. The crux of the matter is that none of the players we have can keep a cool head nor do they have the mental fortitude to win the games they are meant to which would demonstrate the growth and the progression of Arsenal. It appears that no matter which personnel we bring into the team, we have the same deficiencies every year. I guarantee you we will go on a run, but somewhere towards the end, we will have a hiccup that will mean we lose the title and finish 3rd or 4th. It is the same cycle of predictability, the same cycle of mediocrity and it will never change until Wenger decides to call it a day.
Yes, yes, yes! Please explain this to Pixie, and get him to stop acting like an arsehole. Someone once said to him - another Gooner, it was - that his continual defending of Wenger was like the re-arranging of deckchairs on the Titanic. I have never forgotten that, because it resonated with me. One day, Pixie will understand that that was the best "owning" of him, and other Wenger-apologists, that has ever been uttered.
I get all of this but, and I still can't believe I'm defending Arsenal to an Arsenal fan but... My question was more what have you seen from City that makes you so sure that they are nailed on to win it? They've showed just as little backbone as you have this season - relying on another Aguero bail-out against West Ham being the latest in a long list of examples. As we've seen first hand many times over this month, Leicester really aren't that special. They're basically a pub side with 2 or 3 particularly gifted players and a manager who, to his credit, really knows how to get the best out of the hand that he's been dealt. Their sustained presence at the top of the league is more down to 'because no-one else is;' than their own quality. It really is wide open still. I'll ask you a point blank question then, and hopefully the answer can be copied and pasted in an HIAG tagline... Who, in your opinion, is more likely to in the league this season; Arsenal or Spurs?
As it stands? You'd have to say Spurs. And I actually can't believe I'm saying this because I never would have thought it. A fit, young team, difficult to beat, a plethora of attacking options, generally sound defensively and playing much better football than our pathetic excuse of a team. This may all change when the fixture list gets more congested or when we get some of our players back from injury, but as it stands, you look a much more complete outfit than Arsenal at the moment. Objectively, you won't find many disagreeing with what I've said at all.
@Hoddle Is A God I'm sure you can find room in your tagline section for this welcome addition ^ Apart from "plethora of attacking options" he's pretty much spot on
Way too early to write Arsenal off-just because they lost to Chelsea It's between them and City. Aguero and Silva are back to their best and they will normally score more than concede. They have to play Arsenal, Leicester and Spurs at home and their home record is good-better than away. Leicester- I agree should not be in the race- I'd say 1 gifted player-Mahrez- Vardy is an overrated one trick pony, having a very good season. If he was that good, why only now at the age of 29? It's all down to the system they play. And finally in Arsenal's favour , they soon will have no European football to distract them.
I don't think you can we will definitely be worse off. But the reality is that he is too dogmatic in his approach and is very inflexible. He dismisses legitimate criticisms of his performance as a manager from journalists or pundits, just because he's been in the job for 20 years and feels as if he knows better than everyone. Even in the last two years where we've broken the trophy drought, he has still made irrational decisions which have then hindered the team later on in the season. And loads of people, even the average fan, prophesied it happening. It's the same **** every season. It's nice winning the FA Cup and all, but winning it again to make up for our poor league form (like last year) won't make us blind to our shortcomings when it comes to trying to win the pinnacle of trophies (league title).
