Chelsea very subdued and maybe even scared. Didn't look like a team running away at the top. Well done Spurs but am sure Poch expected a much bigger test.
Premier League holiday fixtures (Mon 26 Dec - Wed 4 Jan)
- Thread starter top1whoisman
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This thread summed up in a nut shell, this is not a good result for us no matter how people try to dress it up. We have to take one week at a time and as it stands, the Top 4 stretched away from us. We've made points on fifth placed team in Arsenal. Liverpool game is seen as foregone conclusion, drop points anywhere in next 2-3 weeks and we'll still be around here. Also, why don't people understand that a bad result can mess up our momentum just like it may to Chelsea. We're irritated seeing us stuck at sixth, players must feel the same. One horrible result and it could easily go tits up for us like it did earlier in the season.
After 14 games we were 13 points behind the leaders and 9 points behind 3rd
6 games later we are 10 points behind the leaders and 3 points behind 3rd
That's the difference
Catching Chelsea is obviously difficult but not impossible and as for the rest they are easily within reach
Great result for the league. Getting tight up there...
For sure you know he will have them playing like animals v Leicester and Hull... then put on a much better show v Lpool. That will be hell of a game.. they are the only ones who will take the title off them, if anyone.
Spurs were decent though, tbf
Spurs were decent though, tbf
I just find the dismissive nature of posts completely discounting City, Spurs and Arsenal as title contenders funny. We're in a good run of form, but we were also stuttering and spluttering 6 games ago. Any of the top six could win it really but the advantage still lies massively with Chelsea.
I think that was back in the days where the PL was a 2-3 horse race at best. At the moment we need four teams to slip up, and for Chelsea to have an absolute calamity and go into full meltdown mode. A combination of all of these looks very unlikely.
Number 21 is on its way.
I have no doubt.
I have no doubt.
Exactly. Vs. Watford and West Ham he should have been sent off, yet he scored winners.
It's a bit annoying that we've had this great run and haven't overtaken anyone. Everyone else has done enough to keep us at arm's length. You'd have thought we'd have at least moved up a place after 18 points from 18.
OK, I've got the following well placed
Chelsea - points on the board, motivated to bounce back from this
Liverpool - plenty of goals in the team, home fixtures vs rivals is in their favour
Tottenham - solid in all departments atm
Arsenal & City look a bit wobbly, Utd are in this group but in better form, still a few points behind though.
Utd NEED to beat Liverpool, so 3pts back isn't 6 back again even after a good spell. Utd games vs. Top 6 mainly away after the LFC game.
The underlying trend is still that the Top 6 only tend to lose to each other - this stops you from making 10pts up in the space of 3 weeks, really.
Liverpool's last 9 are highly favourable on paper, I'd rather they were (or had been) stopped, asap.
Chelsea & Liverpool are likely to play fewer games & be fresher for it, from here forward.
Chelsea - points on the board, motivated to bounce back from this
Liverpool - plenty of goals in the team, home fixtures vs rivals is in their favour
Tottenham - solid in all departments atm
Arsenal & City look a bit wobbly, Utd are in this group but in better form, still a few points behind though.
Utd NEED to beat Liverpool, so 3pts back isn't 6 back again even after a good spell. Utd games vs. Top 6 mainly away after the LFC game.
The underlying trend is still that the Top 6 only tend to lose to each other - this stops you from making 10pts up in the space of 3 weeks, really.
Liverpool's last 9 are highly favourable on paper, I'd rather they were (or had been) stopped, asap.
Chelsea & Liverpool are likely to play fewer games & be fresher for it, from here forward.
Fair enough, that's a more informative post than I've read on here. You think we can go all the way because our deeper squad depth but tell me who will we play in midfield if Carrick gets injured? (who imo has been our most important player on this run we are on and he is 35) We're staring at Fellaini or a past it Schweinsteiger. We also have Europa and Cup games to worry about so Jose will probably play Carrick in crucial cup games.
People will read my posts over the last few pages and think I'm ultra pessimist but I'm only seeing things week by week basis. Yes, we have improved a lot and winning games consistently. But, so are our rivals. Top 4 isn't conceding an inch so I don't see how teams in 1st and 2nd place dropping points is good for us, first we need to overtake teams in 3rd, 4th and 5th place before we even worry about them.
We've trimmed a deficit of 9 off 4th to 2! Position doesn't matter as much as the points for now.
And we're a lot further along the line in terms of playing style, not to mention Mkhy now back in the fold.
Easy-ish? Their next game is Leicester away which will be tough because the Foxes will be fighting for survival. They have quality in their squad and Chelsea will be reeling after this loss. Then after that within a few more weeks they have a brutal set of fixtures including Liverpool and Arsenal. Their defensive invincibility has been exposed after conceding 4 times in 2 games and their so-called brilliant attackers Costa and Hazard were totally anonymous today.
Conte has an uphill task in terms of winning the title now.
I think it is an open race, any of the six teams could win it. We have as much of a chance as anyone and I say we should take it with both hands.
Courtois on the second goal... Never gets criticised though.
the team that finishes above Chelsea will be Champions.
They have Leicester which isnt easy, but theyll have no Mahrez or that guy upfront. Then Hull, same day City play Spurs. Then Liverpool away and Arsenal home. Anfield is the hardest. Theyre still big faves for me
Yeah thought that was shite keeping as well.
A lot of people seem to be missing the points deficit has trimmed a fair chunk over the last month, if not the position.
Yes the latter is super important late on, but we'd have been hoping for near miracles to get into the top 4 having left so much of a gap with all those draws!
Nice change of scope in the cups now, but Liverpool is beyond huge.
Why is that cnut Phil McNulty doing a live Q&A on BBC Sport via Facebook live? Jesus, they're reporters, they think they are actual celebrities. Cringey shit.
I think that to be champions you have to finish above everybody not only Chelsea
Let's hope so!
A loss or a draw and I guarantee the optimism on show tonight will crash.
You're right, anything could happen but the advantage definitely lies with Chelsea and Liverpool, who have zero European commitments which I believe will also play a key role in the title race this season.
You're not - Spurs won all 3 of their games.
We need the teams to slip up, but we hardly require a collapse of them. It's still a tough one as we need to maintain a high level, but bettering other teams results by 5 points is nothing really.
For all the pessimists.
It's impossible for us to make up 3 points in 18 games
When the top 6 play each other they both get 3 points each no matter what the result.
For us to have a chance we have to win games - there's a surprise
Can 10 points be made up - are you having a laugh
It's impossible for us to make up 3 points in 18 games
When the top 6 play each other they both get 3 points each no matter what the result.
For us to have a chance we have to win games - there's a surprise
Can 10 points be made up - are you having a laugh
I don't quite understand this post
You're speaking to pessimists but your post kind of comes off as pessimistic itself. Care to elaborate? Genuinely confused.Agree with you completely on this, it's the glaring weakness in our squad. Personally I'd like to see Blind played there in less important games between now and the crunch period around March/April/May. He's the closest thing we have to a player who might carry out the role Carrick provides and if he could get some time and perform in games (say Reading and Hull in the cups, or even St. Etienne in Europe), we could have more confidence in playing him in the easier matches between those crunch games later in the season.
He isn't the most athletic but then nor is Carrick and Blind showed at CB he has the brain to make up for a lack of pace or size. He is our best passer after Carrick and plays the ball forward regularly and with accuracy. Carrick is what he is because he's 34 and as experienced as anyone in the league. It's going to be very hard to buy that experience for any money so when we have a player who's displayed some similar attributes, we should start investing time in him developing that nous.
Sarcasm doesn't always work on hereI don't quite understand this post
In a game where Kane looked irredeemably wank, Spurs looked much better than Chelsea, even though the latter have established such a lead in the table. Strange times.
Nah, I mean, should we beat them in the fixture coming up, we'll be right on their tails. We'll be right on everyone's tails.
Yeah, I'm sure we'll do them! I'm just still scarred from the close call in 2014
Over the course of a season all teams get lucky and unlucky!
I don't think anyone is saying it's impossible to make up 3 points (we'll need goal difference as well). It's just some of us are realistic that we won't win every game as the overly optimistic posters are predicting. Spurs will be favourites for example when we go to WHL, as they were tonight.
Have we dropped a single point since we beat them?
Good to read comments that are in the real world,
Some of the posters here really make me cringe when they believe Utd can win the title yet are in complete denial of Liverpools chances
Meanwhile Utd still haven't budged from 6th place in over a month during their best form and still can't overtake Tottenham.
Place will go into meltdown if Utd lose to Liverpool
The point I am making is Chelsea will most likely be the champions. Their worst position this season will be 2nd.
Will be hard to thrash them even with that brittle back 5
Don't worry, there bound to slip upYeah, I'm sure we'll do them! I'm just still scarred from the close call in 2014
btw, didn't Cahill or someone say that they wouldn't let it slip post match?
did Spurs play 3 at the back?
the place in the table is not relevent. The points difference is. Of course Liverpool have a chance to win the title as do the others.Some of the posters here really make me cringe when they believe Utd can win the title yet are in complete denial of Liverpools chances
Meanwhile Utd still haven't budged from 6th place in over a month during their best form and still can't overtake Tottenham.
Place will go into meltdown if Utd lose to Liverpool
We have not moved from 6th is we were adrift of teh leading pack. We are now touching distance from them.
Looking at the fixtures between Liverpool and City end of Feb, all are very winnable.
Yes: Dier, Alderweireld and Vertonghen.