You backed arsenal to win the league didn't you? It's all changed and it's citys to lose.
Title Race 22/23
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
City look in imperious form right now and are in that menacing form where they're blasting everyone in their wake.
I think it's over now. Arsenal have to beat City at the Etihad, but not only that they can't drop any more points. Don't see them not dropping more points now. The pressure will keep mounting.
I think it's over now. Arsenal have to beat City at the Etihad, but not only that they can't drop any more points. Don't see them not dropping more points now. The pressure will keep mounting.
Some things never change, like West Ham fecking with the title race.
They only need a draw if they win all their other games (not that I think they will).
Technically he's correct but no way they pull this back now
Who knew someone who has won multiple titles would know better about the pressures of the last hurdles of the title race.
Why not? Come on, lean into your armchair psychology cliche bag, we all have it!
Yeah fair enough, badly worded from me. What I meant is that I think they'll need to beat City because I can't see Arsenal being flawless in the run-in. Arsenal have to hope that game is just one of those wacky, form out the window type of games.
Its still far from over, Arsenal should be 7 points clear when they go to the Etihad albeit with 2 games more played. If/when they beat Southampton that still pumps huge pressure on City in that game. Points on the board are far better than potential points. Newcastles late wobble also falling in Arsenals favor. Its not nealry as done as people think.
Called it.
City will slip up somewhere, they wont be flawless, but as it stands even a draw at the Emptyhad probably isn’t enough for Assna.
Southampton
Chelsea
Newcastle
Brighton
Forest
Wolves
there'll definitely be a slip-up or 2 in there.
It's Newcastle and Brighton. There the two games where I won't be shocked if they drop points.
I think if Saliba can be back next game (and play against City) then we may have a half decent chance of putting a good enough run together. The downgrade to Holding in the first phase of our play is huge. But if Saliba is our for another 2-3 weeks, I think City chasing us down will be too much for the players to handle.
Points on the board are better, yes, but you’ve found yourself in this position multiple times before and won it from there. And Arse are under huge pressure now when they haven’t entered the stretch of crunch fixtures yet and already fecked up twice.
It’d probably take an injury to both KdB and Haaland to stop you from winning.
Fulham
West Ham
Leeds
Everton
Chelsea
Brentford
I don't see a slip-up unless Pep decides to focus on the CL. City at their current form should roll over all those teams. If they beat Arsenal title is their's.
Yeah Holding is a pretty poor backup. I would have thought White to RCB and Tomiyasu to RB, but I don't think he's having a good season either? Or injured?
City are the worst prospect to be chasing you down. 10 wins on the bounce, and they're well capable of winning every game remaining. Very hard for anyone to deal with that.
Arsenal more likely to slip up some more. City will win by 5+ points
I want Arsenal to win this, but I am afraid it is already gone. Being ahead 2-0 twice in a row, and allowing the opposition to draw is inexcusable at this point. Okay, it is hard at Liverpool, but allowing this to happen again at West Ham is too much.
Both Tomi and Saliba got injured vs Sporting in EL and Tomi is out for the season. Saliba we're not sure about.
Thats fair but I don't see us being perfect with Pep focusing so hard on the CL, he almost threw away 2 points yesterday thinking of Bayern in midweek, plus we've got a horrible trip to Brighton to be rescheduled. I do think we've got the nicer run in fixture wise but we've got so many more games to play (hopefully). Its very likely at a minimum we'll have 2 ties vs Real, with all respect to Sheffield United we should have an FA Cup Finals vs you guys (or Brighton) to squeeze in too.
Despite the league games not being the toughest, Brighton A, United Wembley, Real H & A, Bayern A, Arsenal H is a helluva tough few games in such a packed schedule.
There’s Brighton also. Fulham, Chelsea and Brentford are the only gimmes imo as they all have nothing left to play for. The rest are relegation strugglers and one of them can get a draw if they catch City on a bad day.
I was wrong. Arsenal will finish on 90 points afterall. That won't be enough unless they manage to make up the GD, which they won't
No I'd rather see City win it. But in the end I don't really care much either way
Can’t understand why people got upset over that, it was a very safe prediction. City beat Liverpool twice in the title run in, they know how to cope with the pressure.
Still obviously in Arsenal's hands, they'll likely be 7 points clear by the time they go to City in City's next PL game which may well give them a psychological edge as oppose to them being level on games and City only a point behind
City have been there and done it before I think that counts for an awful lot when there are only a handful of games left.
Pressure can do funny things to players. Saka for example…….
Pressure can do funny things to players. Saka for example…….
City now odds on 4/9
Arsenal going all spursy. That penalty miss looks like the Steven Gerrald slip moment.....
If Arsenal heroically draw with City the max number of points they can gain is 93. That doesn't even register a '2' on the Richter scale for Pep.
This has been one of the easier, more relaxed, PL campaigns for Pep over the last seven years.
It may be cliche but there is some truth in the idea that a team is only as strong as the weakest player. Arsenal’s problems in the last two games are a direct result of both Tomiyasu and Saliba being injured at the same time meaning Rob Holding has come in at centre back. Holding seems a nice guy but he’s not good enough at this level but more importantly when he plays Arsenal can’t play a high line because he’s so slow, which affects the whole team, stopping their high press being effective. Arteta gambled in letting Cedric leave on loan and brought in a new centre back in Kiwior who he doesn’t seem to trust. When your squad depth isn’t the strongest you do need to be lucky with injuries and suspensions.
You have to wonder who can stop this city team. 90+ points at a canter, strengthening nxt season with bellingham. Lets hope those FA charges come to fruition!
Their "Steven Gerrard slip" would be the moment Zinchenko let Arnold nutmegged him for that Liverpool's goal at Anfield.
Also the CL can't be a distraction for City when they already have the tie wrapped up in the first leg. Sure the semi-final will be a huge game but by then Arsenal might be second in the table.
But Arteta being such an unlikable manager means I can't have any sympathy for the gunners.
But Arteta being such an unlikable manager means I can't have any sympathy for the gunners.
That's a silly definition, given Salah missed the opportunity to equalize from an error, and Arsenal could have walked away with a loss, not accounting for the slip, and it is literally Anfield against a team that handed defeats to United and City on that turf
Arsenal have a difficult run in, they need to win at City. A draw won't be enough now after dropping points at West Ham.
Still hoping for Arsenal to do it. Hate to see City winning anything.
Still hoping for Arsenal to do it. Hate to see City winning anything.
If arsenal draw city then the maximum points city can reach is 92
This hits the nail on the head. Cedric isn’t great (he doesn’t even seem to be a nailed on starter for Fulham) but the gap between him and White is far less than Saliba and Holding. I don’t see the benefit in letting Cedric go, Holding’s presence has affected us both offensively and defensively.
He’s only really useful to us as a fifth defender to see a game out. Funnily enough, he actually excels at that role because within a limited remit (stand between Gabriel and Saliba and protect our box at all costs) he is very good.
Arse will probably get to 88 pts total. Lose to City, draw one of Brighton/Newcastle (more likely to be the latter), and draw to one of Chelsea/Wolves/Forest.
Was he the one that scored the header against Chelsea?
People are saying that Sakea penalty miss is the defining moment, I do not think it is. Anyone can miss a penalty. I would be more disappointed with conclusion of the first half at Anfield. With the possession you had , you had Liverpool on the rack. They could not handle the movement of the forward play and really Arsenal could have been 4-0 up.
In regards to the next week. Arsenal need to make sure they secure a straightforward victory over Southampton. When I say "straightforward" , I mean no injuries or suspensions. It would be good if Nketiah gets match sharp as he will be a good option.
The match against City. Well, you do not want to leave with regrets. Get through the first 30-40 minutes and work through the varying stages of the match, and try to build momentum as you progress.
I wish you well!
I was hopeful Holding might be enough but it's clear he isn't. And not having Zinchenko today further halted our ability to play our proper game.
But beyond our poor squad depth, I think what's happened two games in a row is that we looked to be cruising early on, then seemed to get complacent and took our foot off the gas. Some of the play today at 2-0 up looked like the players thought they were in a training session. We should have killed the game off with another goal or two, but we let them back in it. IMO Partey in particular was guilty of this for the play that led to their penalty, which came out of nowhere and turned the game. It's uncanny how similar this was to last week. Our failure to learn from last week will probably cost us the title.