Manchester City

[Doc_Piptorious]

Arsenal are not getting the credit they deserve. We are Arsenal of the last few years now and they are us.

New names same looking table, Including Bluenoses at the bottom

They are really not. 50 points after 19 games is immense stuff.

Is only five points off of what we did in our first 19 games in the title winning season.

Think people have gotten a bit used to us and City racking up 50 or more points by the half way mark and are not seeing it as being a brilliant tally.

It is even more impressive when you consider they got 69 points from 38 games only last season.


Regardless of whether this season is a once off for them or a platform that sees them compete for a few seasons, they have done really well and are having a Liverpool/City of recent years level season.

[rudedog]

Time will tell with Arsenal, they are definitely benefiting from lack of serious competition so far this season.

If they drop a few points and Man City start putting a run of games together things can change fast - we will then see how good they actually are.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Time will tell with Arsenal, they are definitely benefiting from lack of serious competition so far this season.

If they drop a few points and Man City start putting a run of games together things can change fast - we will then see how good they actually are.

They have more competition that we had in our title winning season as there was nobody coming even close to chasing us down that season and we were not calling it a weak season with a lack of competition. We were all saying it was down to how good we were and that was true imo. Points won over a sustained period are a proper reflection of how good a team is.

City are doing pretty well this season so would regard them as very serious competion no matter how often people try to say City are playing badly or not doing well. At present City are on course to get 85 or so points this season so that is not exactly weak and the other teams in the top four are currently on course to finish on above 70 points each so no big drop off on last season there.

City having to play Arsenal twice will tell a lot but so far Arsenal have played a lot of teams that before the games people were saying that this is the game/team that starts their decline and Arsenal for the most part just kept going.

They are having an excellent season thus far. Will it finish as an excellent season for them? Who knows, but to date they have been excellent in terms of league form.

[red g]

Time will tell with Arsenal, they are definitely benefiting from lack of serious competition so far this season.

If they drop a few points and Man City start putting a run of games together things can change fast - we will then see how good they actually are.

Were City not our only serious competion for last few years?

Newcastle & United are stronger, the league in general is stronger imo, CHelsea/Liverpool are awful though

[Maxiedge]

I agree with Rudedog. It's been a pretty poor league this season. Liverpool/Chels/Spurs have been pretty awful. Much worse than last season. Then look at teams like West Ham, Wolves and Everton that in the past were tricky games, and look at where they are in the league.
Newcastle really aren't all that imo but has just shown how poor this season has been. There's a burnout and fresher sides are taking advantage.

[danperkins]

No weaker than the season we ran away with it to win the title or any of the seasons us and City finished on 90+ points and the rest were miles behind.


This season is looking like another season with the top two having big totals and the best of the rest being in the 70s.


Some teams are far worse this season. The likes of us, Chelsea and a few others becoming mid table quality or worse. The teams that declined this season have been replaced by improving teams like Newcastle, Man U, Brighton and so on.

This season is like the 2019/20 season. One team steaming away, another chasing hard and the rest making up the numbers but do not think the league is any weaker or strong in general.

valid points there although us and City have been putting in worldie performances for years. It's a weird season man, I just can't get my head around it. LFC & Chelsea who are usually considered bankers for top 4, Leic who are usually considered one of the favs for Europa have just gone to absolute ****, West Ham, Wolves & even Everton could usually have been considering potential banana skins, aren't anymore.

Arsenal & Newcastle's improvements aren't a surprise to me but what has surprised me is Arsenal sustaining it & just how hard Newcastle are to beat & how well organised they are defensively. Both have made big investments recently so it's starting to pay off. Arsenal have been really good no doubts but I just couldn't compare them performance wise to what us and City what doing, but certainly they do seem have a good spirit and young fresh legs (sounds creepy). People forget United finished 2nd two years ago and 3rd the season before that & they'll most likely be in and around there again. It'll be interesting to see if likes of Arsenal, Newcastle & Brighton in particular seems to be playing the same guys most weeks can keep this pace going. The work rate is relentless & I'm hoping that come the business end of the season, it starts to take its toll.

[frank the tank]

I think arsenal have been good. As mentioned 50 points is brilliant and they were ****ed over away at old Trafford too earlier on in the season. They should have won that game and were ****ed by the officials.

I think not having champions league footy helps them too though as well to be honest. I know they are in the europa but it isnt the same gig and essentially can be de-prioritised.

If we do miss out on cl next season (i think we might fonish 5th and win it this year though...... In Istanbul.....) then that might help our younger players develop better in the long term too

[danperkins]

I think arsenal have been good. As mentioned 50 points is brilliant and they were ****ed over away at old Trafford too earlier on in the season. They should have won that game and were ****ed by the officials.

I think not having champions league footy helps them too though as well to be honest. I know they are in the europa but it isnt the same gig and essentially can be de-prioritised.

If we do miss out on cl next season (i think we might fonish 5th and win it this year though...... In Istanbul.....) then that might help our younger players develop better in the long term too

It's exactly the reason they've been able to play their best weeks week in, week out in the league with little rotation.

[Maxiedge]

Heard it the other day that Liverpool and Chelsea have played a season and a half more than Arsenal in the last year or so.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Heard it the other day that Liverpool and Chelsea have played a season and a half more than Arsenal in the last year or so.

That's the price you have to pay if you want to go deep in a number of competitions.


From a supporter's pov it is a great complaint to have and probably from a player's pov also as it means a great chance of winning things.

[The_weatherman]

Heard it the other day that Liverpool and Chelsea have played a season and a half more than Arsenal in the last year or so.

That's the price you have to pay if you want to go deep in a number of competitions.


From a supporter's pov it is a great complaint to have and probably from a player's pov also as it means a great chance of winning things.

Our manager and recruitment staff should have been on top of this though and renewed the squad accordingly. I can forgive Klopp everything, but we really should have recruited better.

[Bender]

Strange
[ame]https://twitter.com/stoolfootball/status/1620031944661803008[/ame]

[Shaggy]

He's had a very poor season but it's still a big surprise. Clearly had a fall out I reckon.

[Bender]

One hell of a fallout

[Shaggy]

Guardiola called him 'Mr Cancelo' the other day