Yup. Every three pointer is obviously extremely important, but we're not going to see how the title race is shaping up until New Years. Lot's of ass twitching ahead!
The Title Race 2017/18 | Done and dusted.
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And you are even stronger at the back.
I'm not sure about that, looks like a 3 horse race.
Chelsea are slowly coming back to their best. We have to keep on winning and let our rivals chase us. Next month is very cruicial. Last September/october took a great hit on our season. Can't afford another ordinary September.
I agree, I think it will be between United, City and Chelsea. However, we'll just have to wait and see how the table is shaping up come january.
We're currently 2 points ahead of City and Liverpool, 3 points ahead of Chelsea, 5 ahead of Spurs and 6 ahead of Arsenal.
Very good starting month for us.
Very good starting month for us.
This is a thread about the title race. Did you need to include those?
So far you'd obviously only see United, Chelsea, City and Liverpool having a chance this season. Think Liverpool's defence will cost them. United haven't really been tested yet though. City hard to judge for me.
Mostly down to the performances rather than the points.
Spurs look weak. Arsenal laughable.
Mostly down to the performances rather than the points.
Spurs look weak. Arsenal laughable.
I'll say it again, delighted Liverpool have the CL to play. I hope they go deep in it before losing. A Liverpool side without Afcon and midweek distractions is potentially very dangerous.
Brilliant results for United, City and Chelsea today. I'm not concerned about Liverpool. Once they start having three games in seven days, they'll crack. That brand of high-octane football is suicidal when competing on multiple fronts. It'll impact them negatively at some point.
Arsenal and Spurs have a lot of problems. United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea look certs for Top 4. Could change of course, but I'd love a season where our only worry is whether we finish 1st or not as opposed to looking up at 5 other clubs above us.
I see you have a point.
They will run out of steam by Christmas, and their defence is still utter wank.
Arsenal didn't get a single decent shot on target today and Karius still nearly fecked it up twice.
Gonna be a fun ride boys
Still can't believe we have this thread already. Three of the current top five teams couldn't muster a top four fight last season. There will be many changes over the coming months.
Need to see us against one of the so called top 5. Need to see how we respond under pressure but this PL, you have to start well otherwise the pressure can build. Also we'll see how we and others cope when CL starts......
We are in front and that's where need to stay. The pressure is on the teams behind us not us. It's better to lead from the front then chase another team. City will play Liverpool in the next matchday and Chelsea will play Arsenal the week after that. Let them drop points but we need to keep winning. I recall Chelsea not losing until November a couple of seasons ago with Mourinho and it's always been clear his teams hit the ground running very quickly. If we are still at the top around that time I don't think anyone will catch us.
Liverpool Arsenal-0 Arsenal
Fail
I reckon United will sweep everyone away this season but i'd love a Liverpool/United dogfight.
See Madrids route to the final in 2016.
I said "less likely" not "certainly".
3 games is obviously too early, but getting the feeling it's a Chelsea-United year. Liverpool will do a Liverpool before too long and I just don't have any faith in Pep being flexible enough to challenge.
It'll be interesting to see where we're at after 6 games.
It'll be interesting to see where we're at after 6 games.
Only on the strength of the squads as they stand, so many other factors, but...
1st
City: strongest on paper
2/3/4/5
United/Spurs: width issues
Chelsea: depth issues
Liverpool: defensive issues
Arsenal: problem child
1st
City: strongest on paper
2/3/4/5
United/Spurs: width issues
Chelsea: depth issues
Liverpool: defensive issues
Arsenal: problem child
Before accusations of knee-jerking come, please hear me out.
I predicted us to finish 3rd and I stand by that. Us drubbing Everton won't change my opinion.
We drew today because of two defensive lapses but the attack is still the main culprit.
Any one that watched that game without blinkers will say Stoke found it easy to defend against us for the vast majority of the game.
For me, the reason why I always felt we would come at best third is the attack. I'm not going to sit here saying City are amazing cause they're not but watch them. One of the reasons why they always put teams under pressure is because they have so many angles of attack (wide areas, left and right, through the middle and through the channels). Although they do suffer from poor decision making, our problem is two fold.
We have nowhere near that variety in attacking play and our main attacker(I'm talking about the person who sees the ball the most in attacking areas with space...Valencia), has very poor attacking instincts in my opinion.
As much as we've improved, I still feel Chelsea, Spurs and City have more balanced XI.
I predicted us to finish 3rd and I stand by that. Us drubbing Everton won't change my opinion.
We drew today because of two defensive lapses but the attack is still the main culprit.
Any one that watched that game without blinkers will say Stoke found it easy to defend against us for the vast majority of the game.
For me, the reason why I always felt we would come at best third is the attack. I'm not going to sit here saying City are amazing cause they're not but watch them. One of the reasons why they always put teams under pressure is because they have so many angles of attack (wide areas, left and right, through the middle and through the channels). Although they do suffer from poor decision making, our problem is two fold.
We have nowhere near that variety in attacking play and our main attacker(I'm talking about the person who sees the ball the most in attacking areas with space...Valencia), has very poor attacking instincts in my opinion.
As much as we've improved, I still feel Chelsea, Spurs and City have more balanced XI.
Chelsea are back and are strong as usual. It looks like it'll be a triple title race between us, Chelsea and City. Spurs are good but the Wembly crisis will prevent them from challenging imo. Liverpool crap defense can't let them challenge for anything higher than 4th and Arsenal, well, is Arsenal.
Let's see from us, Chelsea and City, who will fall earlier.
Let's see from us, Chelsea and City, who will fall earlier.
Still way too early to judge.
Liverpools defence is ropey but I think they will be in or around. Biggest reason I can see for them falling away is if games mount up as their squad is think compared to the other 3. I think Spurs will find their stride at Wembley eventually but it may be too little too late for them.
I'll be chuffed with 3rd to be honest as I think we will still draw quite a number of games.
No team in the league has the same variety in attacking position as City, neither Chelsea nor Spurs nor us so relax. Chelsea is compensating for this by making a consistent system that grinds results. We can do as them.
Yeah, thinking this. I can see Chelsea having some internal board problems during the season and Conte perhaps walking if the situation doesn't improve, but Chelsea are still more than good enough to compete. Spurs might manage to mount a decent challenge though...they're a very stable side and may do better than expected.
They'll come around 3rd or 4th place but higher than that, don't think so tbh.
I think the top 4 will be City, United, Chelsea and one of Liverpool or Spurs with Liverpool the most likely and the first 3 teams will be very close to it through the season. I'll edge City to win it, though.
I'll be very happy if we're able to secure 4th with some degree of comfort. We're still a ways off in terms of attacking strength, compared to both Chelsea and (especially) City, and probably Spurs too.
I think in spite of their opening day disaster, Chelsea are the ones to watch again.
Not only are Chelsea very efficient but their WBs play very high up and with Hazard, Willian and Morata, they can hurt teams in a different number of ways.
I'm not talking in terms of numbers, I'm talking in terms of how teams can mix up their attacking play against teams that pose different problems.
It seems like we only cause teams trouble if we are getting joy through the middle of the pitch.
I agree.
I also picked us 3rd. Don't think we've enough in attack.
This is why this result vs Stoke is disappointing to me.
Game against Pool will tell us a lot though. Might string a surprise.
It's not looking like the 2 horse race we were promised as Chelsea seem to have steadied the ship before too much damage was done
It'll be the toughest year to win it but we'll be right there imo
It'll be the toughest year to win it but we'll be right there imo
There was a poster(might have been you)who mentioned how Pep uses his wingers and instructs them to stay wide and how it can benefit one's attack.
I wish we had at least 1 winger who stayed wide consistently. Would open things up.
All of our players like to come inside and link up play in the middle. It congests things and then we rely on width from our full-backs who aren't the greatest in an attacking sense imo.
It is a long season and no team has massively impressed so far. Teams will drop points, but I can't help feel that Chelsea will win it again. The reason is the winning mentality at that club now under Conte. They failed against Burnley, but have bounced back very strongly. With Hazard soon back they should improve further.
Chelsea is excellent on the flanks but at the same time they were really poor attacking from the middle of the field through the previous season ( and I think they're still anyway ). They're building the attack based on their width, using their strength and ignoring their weakness and that what means creating a consistent system. We can do the same and concentrate on our strength creating from the midfield and using set pieces. We did this very well in the previous 3 games.
Number wise, we scored 12 goals in 4 matches, ranging 3 goals per game. If only the 2 goals we conceded weren't in the same match, meh...
Well the " angle's of attack " is the coach duty to be done . What angle's of attack did Leicester had when they won the title ? Chelsea and Spurs have their own limitations too similar to us .
I believe it will United and Chelsea fighting for the title closed followed by City. Can't see City or Spurs winning the title !!
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