Race for top 4 is pretty evenly poised as things stand. Today is massive because if we can manage to win I believe it pretty much drags City in the race for top 4 (I still think they'll finish 2nd irrespective of our result btw). All I want to see tomorrow is a good performance, something that will give me confidence we can make top 4 this year. Result matters more against WBA. Arsenal and Spurs play each other next Sunday so a win against WBA is an absolute must, having been dire for the past 3 months it's just typical Chelsea luck we play them as they're coming back into form. Arsenal and Spurs both have a tough next 2 months on paper so capitalising on them dropping points is essential, Arsenal's fate is out of our hands now but we can do ourselves as massive favour by beating Spurs in April. Barring a loss to beleaguered Middlesbrough, our game with Fulham will get moved back so it means we are already playing catchup, the importance of beating WBA cannot be stressed enough. If the home form picks up we will comfortably make top 4 irrespective of what they do. Unlike Arsenal and Spurs we have plenty of winnable games in March and April, our superior goal difference (thanks Villa) gives us an added advantage over the two North London clubs. Massive month for us coming up, just hope we can do it.
Our fate is in our own hands DL! Arsenal do seem to be having a poor run at the moment in spite of scraping through yesterday! I think if JT can re-establish himself , then this will be the key factor in our run in!
Got some tough games coming up though - Man United at OT, Spurs at the Bridge, Liverpool away. If we can get wins against Spurs (should do) and Liverpool then United isn't as crucial to us, but ideally we'd want all 9 points.
We should be beating Spurs but the other two are tough. United will have the title sewn up by the time we play them which is good for us.
You put too much importance on our record at Stamford Bridge. Just ask United, they took 1 of their usual 6 against us this season. Losing 2 of our best players last minute before our game doesn't reflect our ability to beat you with our best available, should you lose Mata and Cech, similar to us, before the kick off I'd say we'd be favourites. The favourites for each position are where they are now and I think City, in particular, are in temporary bad form so I expect them to pull away too and won't be at all surprised if you pull away in April too. 4th will be for us and Arsenal to battle out unless either of us turns into an unexpected run of form.
Spurs would never be favourites at Stamford Bridge no matter who we put out, we'll be favourites and rightly so as you'd expect with Spurs at WHL, we've done okay against the better teams at home, the Man U robbery doesn't count. Just because Spurs have a tough run in its not to say they won't pick up wins, I think it might come down to the last day again.
We wouldn't be favourites at WHL either, not nowadays YV. There is thin line between us at the moment and little things such as home and away advantage make all the difference
We wouldn't be favourites at WHL either, not nowadays YV. There is thin line between us at the moment and little things such as home and away advantage make all the difference
I love the way that Chavs and Gooners write us off all the time! It merely makes our victories taste all the sweeter, whereas for you guys, all you can say is, "yeah, well, that's what we expected." You'd be very foolish to write-off our chances of even a 2nd place finish, this season, the form that we've been in, with the way Lennon & Bale have been playing, with Holtby settling into the team already, and with the likes of Parker coming back to fitness. The fact that we are in 4th spot, with the injuries that have dogged us since the start of the season, and with Defoe and Adebayor hitting the skids with their form, shows you just how good our squad is. But I would accept that Chelsea are favourites to finish above us, as should be the Gunners.
I really doubt you will get second. City are much better than you. As are Chelsea (but Rafa is dragging us to your level!)
DL - I agree that we have a few tougher games over the next 3/4 weeks, but this is our last 4 games.... We also have Fulham (h) and Swansea (a) before these. Wigan v Tottenham Sat 27 Apr 15:00 Tottenham v Southampton Sat 4 May 15:00 Stoke v Tottenham Sun 12 May 15:00 Tottenham v Sunderland Sun 19 May 16:00 The next few weeks will be significant, but I would think you will need to be well clear going into May to be comfortable of finishing ahead of us.
My comments, above, were written before the final whistle. With £ity's win, I must concede that it'll be very difficult for us to finish 2nd, now. However, I do believe that we are, on current form, a better team than CFC, and I also believe that we have a much better manager. The CFC I have seen, in recent weeks, is quite frail, and I think you'll do well to finish in the top 4, this season.
