Top 4 Race 19/20 | duffer: "We [Chelsea] are getting 3rd. Despite what the lunatics in here think, Man United are not all that."

Guy Incognito

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Liverpool yes, City no.

We are 2 points behind them despite being the worst United side in the history of the premier league.
True but I can see City getting their act together unless they go deep in the CL. Then they may have a fight to clinch a top four place.
 

RedDevilRoshi

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Other than Liverpool, every other side have had an inconsistent start to the season.

City - Spurs & Norwich
Spurs - Newcastle
Utd - Wolves, Palace & Southampton
Chelsea - Leicester & Sheffield Utd
Arsenal - Watford
 

The White Pele

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We’ve started the season badly and we’re in the top 4 after 5 games. It goes to show that our competition have weaknesses too and we shouldn’t be too negative.

Our two wins have also come against sides that some people have tipped to finish above us.
 

charlenefan

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We’ve started the season badly and we’re in the top 4 after 5 games. It goes to show that our competition have weaknesses too and we shouldn’t be too negative.

Our two wins have also come against sides that some people have tipped to finish above us.
Given what the other sides around us have done thus far can we really say we've started badly or is it just the norm for our type of team?

Palace is the glaringly obvious horror result but then Spurs lost at home to Newcastle so they do happen
 

Sylar

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So from the supposed teams to break into top 6 and possibly challenge top 4 (given the troubles of arsenal, united and chelsea), they are:
Leicester, Wolves, Everton and West Ham.

Everton cant win away. Leicester did not look great but maybe the best of them? Wolves are going to struggle with Europa. And West ham is west ham.
 

Casanova85

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So from the supposed teams to break into top 6 and possibly challenge top 4 (given the troubles of arsenal, united and chelsea), they are:
Leicester, Wolves, Everton and West Ham.

Everton cant win away. Leicester did not look great but maybe the best of them? Wolves are going to struggle with Europa. And West ham is west ham.
Wolves? Wolves is in relegation form, mate.
 

Sylar

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Wolves? Wolves is in relegation form, mate.
No doubt but at same time only 5 points behind us. They will be very odd-even throughout the season but with added Europa it will ensure they dont make top 6.

Everton and Leicester dont have Europa right? So Leicester probably got best chance but reckon they will struggle too.
 

Treble

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Arsenal have huge defensive issues as amplified by Watford today. Chelsea also have some defensive issues but they play well and are probably favourites for 4th, provided that the other 3 places are for Liverpool, City and Spurs. But United look solid, 4th is gettable. It's a bit early for predictions though. There have been several highly surprising results already.
 

Matst1

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Keep in mind that we can be 8th if you disregard the goal difference.
But we don't disregard the goal difference, do we? Its been a longstanding rule in the EPL that goals scored/concede count to where you stand in the table, or are you new to this football thing? Sick of all these negative comments, let the guy have his joy, ffs. WE ARE FOURTH
 

Bestietom

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I think if we can stay with the pack until the next window and we bring in a midfielder and a forward, we can get into the top 4 this season. If we fade away by some distance, then we can only depend on winning Europa League.
 

Judge Red

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We won’t be finishing in the top four this season but it would be a walk in the park if our players showed any kind of commitment to the cause. Same as last year.

There isn’t a big four or a big six. The league currently has a big two and a load of shit buried beneath it.
 
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Alabaster Codify7

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Five games in, my opinions have changed regarding the champions and Wolves. Wolves have really disappointed so far.

1 - Scum
2 - City Scum
3 - Spurs
4 - Arsenal or Chelsea
5 - Arsenal or Chelsea
6 - United
 

AgentP

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I think Chelsea will take the 4th place. They are scoring for fun and looks like they are going to go on a good run. We seem to struggling for goals and Arsenal are just being Arsenal.
 
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I think Chelsea will take the 4th place. They are scoring for fun and looks like they are going to go on a good run. We seem to struggling for goals and Arsenal are just being Arsenal.
Both aren't good defensively, you can't win every game by 2,3 goals. Keeping a clean sheet is important.
 

ThatsGreat

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I want to see how an Arsenal defense of Tierney Holding Chambers Bellerin do before I comment on our chances for top four
 

filibuster

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I want to see how an Arsenal defense of Tierney Holding Chambers Bellerin do before I comment on our chances for top four
If you drop Luiz, you'll have a problem. He really sucks to have around if not in a good mood. He only came because he has respect for Emery, if he gets dropped he'll lose respect for the shirt I'm afraid.
 

antihenry

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Chelsea aren't going to finish in the top four, the side has too many problems and relies on youngsters too much to be consistent. There'll be ups and downs through most of the season.

United has good enough squad to finish 3rd/4th. They're not fun to watch at the moment but they're solid and deep enough to last the distance. I have a feeling Arsenal will miss out, unless Spurs fall apart, which I don't rule out, either, because I think this Tottenham side is, at best, a season away from crumbling. Too many false dawns and near wins for them in the recent years, it's a familiar recipe for an impending crisis. But I still think overall they have a better team than Gooners, so i's a coin toss, really.
 

ThatsGreat

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If you drop Luiz, you'll have a problem. He really sucks to have around if not in a good mood. He only came because he has respect for Emery, if he gets dropped he'll lose respect for the shirt I'm afraid.
If we don't drop Luiz we have a bigger problem, he's given away two penalties in 4 matches. Like Auba said its almost as if Arsenal are playing against themselves. If there was no opposition then our defenders would kick the ball into the net to make life more difficult for themselves.
 

Seaman

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Before the season started i predicted

City
Liverpool
Spurs
Arsenal
Chelsea
United

5 games in I have changed my mind 5 times. Then I just remembered the season is 5 games. Its amazing how every round we go to one extreme to the other. Arsenal played well vs spurs while Chelsea and untied were poor previous round and this round Arsenal was beyond terrible. Chelsea great and United got a big win. I expect there will be very little between these 3 as all 3 has flaws. Im just going with Arsenal cause they have 2 very good strikers and so far missing 3 starting defenders
 

Scroto Baggins

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Liverpool - City


Every other team has key flaws, we have Lingard and Rashford as two of our main sources of goals. Arsenal have a defense with Luiz in it. Who should probably be driven onto the pitch in a tiny clown car. And a midfield with Xhaka, who should be driving said clown car. Chelsea are relying on youth being consistent, they will go through a down period and the doubts will set in. Spurs have players who will take a year to settle and get up to speed with the pace of the league in GLC and Ndombele. Could still lose Eriksen come Christmas.

If I had to choose the least shite out of the remainder I guess I would go Spurs a little ahead of the rest. Then us, Chelsea, Arse all pretty equal.
 

Bilbo

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People are going to change their minds every single match-day depending on those sets of results. If we are looking at this over a season I still think United have a much better defence than Chelsea or Arsenal and over a full season this will be the decisive factor. I'm pretty confident of United finishing either third or fourth.
 

Drawfull

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I still think we will finish third relatively comfortably, maybe even one place higher. Outside of Liverpool and City as others have noted, the teams predicted to hamper our top four hopes have been pretty much as inconsistent as us, and our lost points have been unlucky for the most part.

We do need to score more goals, but I think it will come. Or hope it will, anyway. Reckon if we're still in there after the Liverpool game and we find a couple of canny reinforcements in January we'll be home free.
 

Valencia's Left Foot

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What a bunch of self-loathing negative fans up in this thread. We have every bit as good of a chance of ending up top 4 as Arsenal or Chelsea. They have all kinds of problems, same as us. I like our starting lineup better than Arsenal or Chelsea, but admit that we do not posses the depth that they do, especially in attack and midfield.
 

AshRK

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If we are around 3rd or 4th come January then I think we will finish in top 4. It is very important to not play catch up this soon. We need to keep on grinding those 3 points and keep moving forward. I fully expect us to sign one or two players this January but it is very important we are in Top 4 then and are not behind 6 or more points to the 4th placed side.
 

charlenefan

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Liverpool - City


Every other team has key flaws, we have Lingard and Rashford as two of our main sources of goals. Arsenal have a defense with Luiz in it. Who should probably be driven onto the pitch in a tiny clown car. And a midfield with Xhaka, who should be driving said clown car. Chelsea are relying on youth being consistent, they will go through a down period and the doubts will set in. Spurs have players who will take a year to settle and get up to speed with the pace of the league in GLC and Ndombele. Could still lose Eriksen come Christmas.

If I had to choose the least shite out of the remainder I guess I would go Spurs a little ahead of the rest. Then us, Chelsea, Arse all pretty equal.
You spelt Martial wrong ;)
 

charlenefan

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I know Chelsea and Spurs had tough games over the weekend but it's a joke just how bad the teams outside of City and Liverpool are

If us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs dont sort out our 2019 form soon it's not completely unreasonable to see all 4 miss out on Top 4 this season
 

amolbhatia50k

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I know Chelsea and Spurs had tough games over the weekend but it's a joke just how bad the teams outside of City and Liverpool are

If us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs dont sort out our 2019 form soon it's not completely unreasonable to see all 4 miss out on Top 4 this season
No wonder those two are hitting 100 points or thereabouts. They'd have hardly any fearing going to OT, Emirates or Stamford Bridge given the state of our teams.
 

shabz

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I know Chelsea and Spurs had tough games over the weekend but it's a joke just how bad the teams outside of City and Liverpool are

If us, Chelsea, Arsenal and Spurs dont sort out our 2019 form soon it's not completely unreasonable to see all 4 miss out on Top 4 this season
The difference is that Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal are actually playing decent football. Going forward they are able to cause issues regularly, United have no attacking prowess at all. United wont be anywhere near the top 4 and probably not even a European place.
 

charlenefan

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The difference is that Chelsea, Spurs and Arsenal are actually playing decent football. Going forward they are able to cause issues regularly, United have no attacking prowess at all. United wont be anywhere near the top 4 and probably not even a European place.
There's no difference, everyone of the clubs I mentioned has their own issues which will ultimately see all 4 sides finish roughly around the same place as one another. Spurs dont play good football at all, have a squad that has gone stale and a manager who has done likewise. They seem to be finishing 3rd in most people's predictions by default rather than anything else. Arsenal dont play good football either, they have strikers that take the chances they create but in midfield and defence they're poor. Chelsea yeah ok this season thus far they've played some nice stuff but they dont have the quality to put the finish touches to it and defensively they're also a mess