Was just browsing the gooner board and saw this as a thread, complete with fixtures. Now I wasn't feeling too optimistic of our chances after the injury to Lennon, the lack of form from our strikers and the last two defeats - but after seeing our fixtures I may just go out and put a big fat bet on us not finishing top 4! * stolen from the Gooner thread so I am not accountable for any incorrect fixtures. I have highlighted the games I think the respective teams will/could struggle Arsenal: Reading H WBA A Norwich H Fulham A Man Utd H QPR A Wigan H Newcastle A Chelsea: Southampton A Sunderland H Spurs H Liverpool A Swansea H Man Utd A Villa A Everton H Spurs: Swansea A Everton H Chelsea A Man City H Wigan A Southampton H Stoke A Sunderland H Everton: Stoke H Spurs A QPR H Sunderland A Fluham A Liverpool A Wesy Ham H Chelsea A As you can see, it's not an easy run in and i'm far from confident in our squad depth to juggle these fixtures and the Europe....so heres hoping Europe is kind to us!
The thing is.... this is Spurs and even if we somehow managed to beat Everton, Chelsea (at the Bridge - yeh right) AND City..... you just know we will lose to Wigan (again)
Maximum number of points available... Man Utd: 101 Man City: 86 Chelsea: 82 Spurs: 78 Arsenal: 77 Everton: 75 Liverpool: 69 West Brom: 68 Swansea: 64 Fulham: 63 West Ham: 60 Stoke/Norwich: 58 Newcastle: 57 Sunderland/Southampton: 55 Wigan/Villa: 54 QPR/Reading: 47 So we're pretty much safe from relegation!
You can lay that on Betfair @2.20. Seems like a good punt. Bet high, lay low, and all that stuff. Forget Neverton. It's not going to happen. Us three? It really is too close to call, so sit back and enjoy the rest of the season's football, as hard as that might be.
I was going to comment, but I think I might choose to keep schtum, deja vous being more than apparent atm.
Most people had us down to beat Fulham at home, hardly anyone had us down to lose so I can't look at fixtures at this stage of the season and feel optimistic about defeating teams we should have no problems against, which is why it won't be a walk in the park for our rivals, as they will also lose games their fans expect them to win.
Thing is this season has been one where all the teams (even the Red Mancs) have had bad days at the office As I see it we'll probably end up as follows (being optimistic) Swansea A - 0 pts Everton H - 1 pt Chelsea A - 0 pts Man City H - 0 pts Wigan A - 1 pt Southampton H - 3 pts Stoke A - 1 pt Sunderland H - 3 pts that's 9 more points, and fingers crossed that will be enough to get us 5th and back in Europe next season (a tall task, in our form at present even Pool could overtake us), but CL not a frickin hope I'm afraid
Arsenal v Everton on 16th April appears to have been missed. Also Everton play Fulham at home, not away But I still don't fancy Everton's games, with trips to Spurs, Chelsea and Liverpool. I think you can rule them out as contenders. Too much to do. So it's 2 from 3, I think. With teams battling for points, trips to QPR, Villa, Soton and Sunderland will be as tricky as any fixtures. Swansea, Fulham, WBA, Stoke, Norwich may find it hard to raise their game so Arsenal look to have the best games on paper- but it's really down to who holds their nerve and form for the last 8 weeks. Spurs have points in the bag. Arsenal can't afford to slip up. Realistically, they need 20 points from 9 games to have a chance.
I'm not expecting us to finish top 4 but I'm not giving up hope. Arsenal are 4 points behind with a game in hand - the pressure is on them to deliver and catch up. This pressure hopefully will cause them to lose a few games. I would rather have the points in the bank than the game in hand at this stage. The goons have thrown a good run together recently but let's see how long it lasts - we have had our blip and are perfectly capable of beating City and Everton at home and were unfortunate not to beat both away. Let's not forget the Chavs inconsistencies if we beat them away it's a 6 point swing. I still think even City can be dragged into this battle they have been shocking away had we won last week we would have been 2 points behind them.
Look at form/momentum don't look at the table. Your next 5 games are very tricky but most are still winnable. If Chelsea fail to win their game in hand (yet again) then 3rd is still realistically open. I honestly think its down to what Arsenal do now because if they win their game in hand it's 1 point and I think over the next 8 games they'll accumulate more points given lack of Europe and a week to prepare for each fixture. Spurs really had to beat Fulham. Swansea now is a must win.
Away to QPR, but not Fulham and Newcastle. Arsenal will rip Newcastle (who will be on holiday anyway) apart on that big pitch.
What games were you watching? City dominated at home to you and wasted a host of chances. From what I hear Everton did as well. I agree that points in the bank are better than games in hand. Everton at home will not be easy for Arsenal by any means, if they can even get a draw that provides some respite for Chelsea and Spurs but in your case it could open up the possibility of 3rd/4th coming down to goal difference
