I’m clearly in the minority thinking Arsenal will still win the title. They need to get their groove back on pretty quickly though.
Title Race 22/23
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No, Gabriel scored that.
I think in this game, had Saka scored that we'd have been 3-1 up and we probably would have taken all points. That was a very costly miss and Bowen scored the equaliser only 2 minutes later. From there West Ham were pretty happy with the point and sat back.
But you're right that vs Liverpool and again today, we've had awful second halves. Against Liverpool we created better clear cut chances to put the game to bed. Today was harder to do that, I felt we lacked urgency or maybe the players are just bending to the pressure.
I am now very worried about Southampton as it kind of feels like we're limping towards the finish line. And thank you for your well wishes.
I wish I shared your optimism but I feel the pressure has gotten to the players, which was my worry due to our inexperience. At 2-0 up today I was thinking "let's kill them off with another couple of goals" but we did the opposite. Like at Anfield, we let them back in it. We didn't learn from last week and I think that'll be pretty costly.
Would definitely prefer Arsenal winning the league, but unfortunately I think it’s done.
City are just going to jog it home with a steady ship. Hard to see Arteta and the young team not crumble further, the pressure has broke them.
Hope I’m wrong and they find a grove to romp it home but unlikely. More interested in if this was a one-off campaign or they’ll be challenging again next season.
City are just going to jog it home with a steady ship. Hard to see Arteta and the young team not crumble further, the pressure has broke them.
Hope I’m wrong and they find a grove to romp it home but unlikely. More interested in if this was a one-off campaign or they’ll be challenging again next season.
To be fair, he also claimed Arsenal would finish 3rd behind United not that long ago, so he's a bit clueless.
City winning the title in the end was never an outlandish prediction.
I think the nature of the last two draws have severely dented Arsenal’s title hopes. Being 2-0 up against a very below par Liverpool and West Ham but not winning doesn’t signify that Arsenal have the mental capacity to cope.
City will smell blood and know that a win against Arsenal at The Etihad will probably see them crowned champions eventually.
City will smell blood and know that a win against Arsenal at The Etihad will probably see them crowned champions eventually.
Arsenal were never going to win the league this season. It was just a matter of when they would crumble.
I agree, I think the nature of the draws is most concerning. If we'd been in a fight from the start in both games then I probably wouldn't be as deflated, as this is the Premier League after all and there are no easy games. But to be in commanding positions and strolling, only to let the opposition back in is very worrying. IMO we became complacent after our goals and instead of killing off both games, turned to silly spoiler tactics (esp v Liverpool), stopped playing our game and disrespected our opponents. Shows we have probably gotten ahead of ourselves but I think we've now crashed back to earth. Problem is, our confidence and momentum is shot now.
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As much as I didn’t want Man City to win the league I can’t help but enjoy arsenal throwing it away after all the bullishness
Today was a bottlejob right out of the Crystanbul drawer.
I knew I could never rely on the Arse.
I knew I could never rely on the Arse.
Well, it does look like UAE will win PL again. Arsenal had a chance and they blew it.
Do we have an "Arsenal forum going into meltdown" sort of thread?
Hopefully Arsenal and Madrid this season but it is tight now.
In the long run it would take a combination of obscene wealth and good club managment / admistiration to match them. Right now the only clubs with that sort of money - us and Chelsea - are run poorly.
While I understand that Chelsea is loaded currently but I am not sure how long that will last. ManUtd is a different beast, just their revenues are enough as long as they remain in the Champions League.
New Owner at ManUtd or Liverpool can change things.
While Kroenkes have not shown much intention to splash money but maybe that was before 2018. Once they have had full ownership they have spent and KSE is loaded and I think their spending phase on Rams may be over and they may now focus on Arsenal (Atleast that is what I hope).
The more likely situation is Gardiola gets bored in a year or two and just moves on and there is no long run. City are a well oiled machine because of him, remove him out of the equation they don't win half the titles they won over past few years even with the same team.
They will definitely decline post Pep. But at the same time if they continue to be well run and are able to spend the way they do they will remain one of the top teams IMO. Maybe a blip for a year or two but I don’t think they’ll slip unless they also see an administrative nosedive.
what's pep's next move after city?
Their Arsenal FAM TV is their equivalent of RAWK. There is a thread for it. Their forum is tame and reasonable/understandable in comparison.
I don't think we are going into meltdown, on the whole. Of course, we're catching heat for that as a fanbase. Apparently we should be furious at our team for "bottling it".
Anyway, Arsenal-Mania is always three steps away from descending into civil war at the best of times (hence why I mainly hang out here). There are still Wenger In/Out arguments going on.
It all depends. If he gets it all this year then maybe he’s had enough. A treble and all those leagues and cups in various league will catapult him to being the undisputed greatest mgr of all. I really wanted Arsenal to stop that but I fear it’s a done deal. I guess everyone who pulled for City to beat Arsenal out must be happy now giving Pep all the glory.
I could see him taking a huge pay cheque to work in Saudi Arabia for a year, if he leaves City without winning the Champions League would any of the big European teams want him or will they see it as too much of an expensive gamble as they want to win the Champions League and he hasnt been able to do it after inheriting a decent squad and having a virtually unlimited bugdet to improve them further?
Do you genuinely think any top club would view hiring Pep as an expensive gamble?
You can't believe that really?Pep coming to manage Ronaldo's club would be the stuff of legend.
Not really
No way mate. Most players and managers go to Asia only when they're pretty done in Europe. Sure some purely for the money but Pep is not that type imo. Maybe he'll try PSG next.
I actually think Dortmund would be a more interesting choice for Pep. He usually does well with their former players (Gundogain, Lewandowski, etc...) ie players with good technical levels. In a way, it would be his return to his root: A manager who nurtures young talents and elevates their levels, just like how he debuted at Barcelona. The current Guardiola (A cheque-book manager) does not have that same special magic he used to show at Barcelona.
City will win it. I do not want that, but I feel we could challenge them next year potentially so still optimistic.
Without the power of hindsight, which manager back then would push away Ronaldinho (And later Ibrahimovic) for a young Messi? Would any other manager dare to start Busquet (Back then still an up and coming young player) in the Champions League Final against the Champion (Manchester United)?Magic
Sheer bloody luck more like
Pep got too much complacency at Bayern and Manchester City. This turned him to the sheer cheque-book manager we see today. The old Pep at Barcelona was different.
By right as Man Utd fan, we should hope Arsenal win it. But I just can't stand Arteta antics and some arrogant Arsenal fans.
I think it will be very close fight. But City and Pep have solid experience on title run in. This will be the crucial factor. If u point a gun on my head and ask me to pick one, it will be Man City for the title all day.
I think it will be very close fight. But City and Pep have solid experience on title run in. This will be the crucial factor. If u point a gun on my head and ask me to pick one, it will be Man City for the title all day.
Even more impressive is how much he got out of Pedro and Villa.
Messi wont renew at PSG, he can still bring the special magic to Dortmund.
Ha! Easy to be the "greatest" with unlimited resources.
Pep is no doubt a great manager but imo he was incredibly lucky with Barca. I'm not playing down his achievement or talent but he simply got a fantastic generation with the likes of Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Busquet. They're made for his football but he's not the one who made them. La Masia did that. His magic imo was only to combine and elevate their accumulate performance to the highest level.
Watching his football over the years since his days in Barca imo the most important thing for his football to work is to have a midfield better, at least a level above their opponents. That's how his football is. He's been trying to recreate such midfield at Bayern and City but despite among the best they simply couldn't be a couple levels above the top ones like his midfield in that prime Barca.
This year he's become more pragmatic with Haaland, a player imo he definitely wouldn't sign in his days at Barca. But that is only because of the pressure to win the CL at City I think. If he leaves City imo he'll want to continue his quest to recreate his prime football. The so called tiki taka. Imo it's like a personal challenge for him. He could have retired after Barca if not for that imo.
Anyway I don't think Dortmund would have a midfield that could be among the best in Europe let alone couple levels above the top ones. And they definitely wouldn't have the money for that. PSG would. Imo it's as simple as that.
Every man and his dog knew that Messi was gonna be a superstar. He was one of Europe's best players by the time Pep got the job.
It’s mad that if arsenal don’t win the league and we come 3rd then we’ve had a better season than them. I think any player would choose a 3rd place finish and a trophy over 2nd place and no trophy.
In honesty I would be happy with 3rd and the League Cup as that gets us back in the Champions League and gets rid of the the trophy drought meaning Erik wont be under any pressure to win a trophy in his 2nd season.
People really believed there was a title race?
It’s done.
This will be a third title in a row for City. Pep breaking all the records.
The only teams that have won the title in his time were Liverpool and Chelsea, and look how drained Klopp is.
The only teams that have won the title in his time were Liverpool and Chelsea, and look how drained Klopp is.