Jesus has started most games since he's been back from Covid.
EPL Title Race 20/21
- Thread starter horsechoker
- Start date
3 of them have been ticked off now. We've got Everton (A), Arsenal (A), West Ham (H), Utd (H), Fulham (A) and Wolves (H) in the next six PL fixtures. If we can maintain the current gap, I might start entertaining the idea that we could actually win the thing. Not before then, though. Us older blues still have "typical City" ingrained in our brains.
We need to believe that we can catch these guys. Potentially its 8 points we need to try to claw back so we have to be very consistent going forward and the game against them is a must win.
I like this. What's life without hope?
I can accept it's unlikely but if we can get the gap to 6 points before our game against City, I'll have some hope.
Would need to be 5 really.
I can't see anyone stopping City, they are the only team not dropping points, and winning convincingly too.
Top 4 is a must if we want to attract better players, 2nd would be great.
Top 4 is a must if we want to attract better players, 2nd would be great.
The problem is that City have just played two teams with any shot of taking points off them and had no trouble beating both. If they get through the next 3 matches without dropping points, its definitely over. Best we can hope for is the pressure of their winning streak gets to them and they blunder a few matches. We also need to win which, well... nevermind.
They’ve still got to play Leicester, Manchester United and Chelsea. They’ve been a bit of a juggernaut recently, however they aren’t unbeatable.
I think its done. You guys are just winning easily now, and without De Bruyne. I fancy you to land the CL too
On their current form it seems they have the league in the bag, the only team capable of challenging is Liverpool but at this point they should consider starting a rebuild.
16 consecutive wins in all comps.
Trust me I understand how you feel but something in me tells me that Cancelo, Zinchenko, Stones et al can be got at. I think their greatest resource is the way they work as a unit - a well oiled machine - but which team can be brave enough to expose how dodgy they can be? I feel it takes one bad result for them to fold again. Now that Liverpool are practically out of the picture, I wish we could just try and make this out year. They will be stronger next year!
That is true. It's entirely plausible that we eventually drop points. However, United and Leicester would need to go on a run of 13 wins out their next 14/15 games to stand a chance.
Yep, exactly this. We've pretty much gone on this winning run with an XI of Ederson, Cancelo, Stones, Dias, Zinchenko, Rodri, Gundogan, Bernardo, Foden, Sterling, Jesus. In the 11 games since we last dropped points in the league, the Sheffield United match is the only time we've made more than two changes from that line-up (except for De Bruyne's presence before he got injured, which was usually in place of Jesus who had COVID back then).
It's so important that Pep trusts this XI when the Champions League comes around. They've proven they can do it vs Spurs, Liverpool and Chelsea. Obviously Bayern and Atletico etc are a big step up from that, but they've earned a chance, and it's a lot more likely to work than randomly going 3ATB with Gundogan false 9 or something.
We thought the same when Spurs and Lyon knocked them out too.
Very true but just feels different this time
I hope you are right but you just never know. The two away games next week at Everton and Arsenal are crucial.
what annoys me the most about city is the fact that they don't concede goals, in 2021 the conceded 2 league goals only !!! how did the become so resolute defensively?
Both Leicester and United proved last season they can go on a run of 12 straight wins. But with the pressure of the title nerves , it simply won't happen.
City can lose 4 or 5 games and still win it.
Far as I'm concerned the title is conceded and im looking behind us to ensure that we can get a comfortable top 4 finish, hopefully in 2nd place.
I realise that this is a defeatist attitude and I'm usually an optimist, but when you see your rival winning so easily there's no reason to have any hope.
How can they lose??
We've had an 8 point lead over City before...
There is no hope. Don't kid yourself. They are a better team with more consistent performances.
How many times have we won 5 in a row under Ole? We would need to go on an incredible run to catch them. I can't see it.
How many times have we won 5 in a row under Ole? We would need to go on an incredible run to catch them. I can't see it.
They basically stopped pressing with a high line and Pep isn’t as stubborn with his ways now. He accepts they needed to change style.
It’s a race for 2nd unfortunately, it has been for a few weeks.
Obviously barring a catastrophe from City, and catastrophes do happen, but I’m doubtful.
Obviously barring a catastrophe from City, and catastrophes do happen, but I’m doubtful.
Unfortunately it is a one horse race and they are the best team in the league currently but after watching a few of their recent games my god I find their matches boring to watch as a spectacle.
I am not sure whether it is the style of play with all the passing sideways, backwards and possession for possession sake etc and as much as it pains me to say when the dippers were winning last season the brand of football was easy on the eye, or they are currently so good there does not feel in most games there is any jeopardy in they may concede or lose.
I am not sure whether it is the style of play with all the passing sideways, backwards and possession for possession sake etc and as much as it pains me to say when the dippers were winning last season the brand of football was easy on the eye, or they are currently so good there does not feel in most games there is any jeopardy in they may concede or lose.
I don't think you will have a problem finishing in the top four at all. I think it is United, City and then after that I honestly haven't got a clue. It would be great fun though if the likes of Everton and Aston Villa did it with Liverpool, Chelsea and Spurs missing out.
Title is done and dusted and when City beat PSG to Messi this summer the title will be done and dusted for a few more years.
And I think that was with only 6 matches left.
Agreed. It would be fantastic to see Leicester get there too. Rodgers would deserve it for the (underrated) job that he's done there. If Everton could join them then mores the better, although the cream generally rises to the top so I suspect we'll see a top four of City, United, Liverpool & Chelsea
Nah it wont. Messi will be 34. Yes he is still a top player, but he is not what he was. Age catches up with every player.
United will claw back the deficit.
Maybe I'm just biased but United won 2-3 games they maybe didn't deserve that much so these results don't seem so surprising.
I wonder of an aging Messi might be City's "Asprilla" moment.
Let's hope so.
Although we need to beef our own lineup up a bit for starters.
But most likely we need Pep to go.
Kinda funny that after all the punditry and narrative about ‘closest league in years’. “Title is anyone’s” city are gonna win the title by the end of February 
The League was a lot more competitive when we lost that Lead. You also have to factor in how every team want's to beat Utd. You only have to look at the Everton home game (which cost us the league that year) If Everton go 2 down to City in their upcoming game do you really see them busting a gut to try to get back in it. We were 4-2 up in the Everton game of 11/12 & they kept playing as if their PL survival depended on it.
And us and city were a lot closer in terms of quality.
That will be simply because they can't, not because they won't want to. The kind of football City play with the way they control games makes it difficult for teams to come back against them, basically they have a great coach and the team is extremely well drilled.
City won’t allow them back into the game because they keep the ball. We invite teams onto us so we can counter, those tactics give teams confidence even at 2-0 down. City will make a them chase the ball & slowly lose confidence. We never ever do that.