Will we win the league this season?

I was confident we would cut the lead at the top last weekend and I’m confident we will this weekend as well.
 
At first after Tuesday I felt like we've got no chance, but the gap is 5 points and (unless Haaland gets injured) we're going to get better. I'm impressed by Arsenal, they're strong in all departments. All departments except the experience of being ahead in a title-race with a Pep team just behind you, and winning it!

If we're within 6 points at the end of the transfer window we're winning it.
 
You’ve got to love the league this season, it’s just mad, anyone can seemingly beat anyone and some more interesting clubs featuring near the top of the table. The only
team that could yet make it boring is Arsenal as they look still the most complete and in control. The Villa game for them will tell us a lot
 
mattcity5 said:
At first after Tuesday I felt like we've got no chance, but the gap is 5 points and (unless Haaland gets injured) we're going to get better. I'm impressed by Arsenal, they're strong in all departments. All departments except the experience of being ahead in a title-race with a Pep team just behind you, and winning it!

If we're within 6 points at the end of the transfer window we're winning it.
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Why end of transfer window? Any idea who we can buy to stop conceding & being bullied by some teams? We already have brought in 11 players (inc2 keepers) since last January. Please don't say Rodri & Kovatic!
 
jprkas said:
Why end of transfer window? Any idea who we can buy to stop conceding & being bullied by some teams? We already have brought in 11 players (inc2 keepers) since last January. Please don't say Rodri & Kovatic!
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No reason. I just mean if we can stick close to Arsenal while we're still building, still gelling, then once it does we'll be good.

It's a big IF. But if we're still close by that point then there isn't much wrong with us, and we'll get even better on the run in. Then all it will take is a small dip from Arsenal...
 
If we can stay within 5 points of Arsenal going into February, I think we can make them wobble again.

At the moment they're so strong defensively but they've had two draws in the last four league games. Saw they're not immune to dropping points and a few draws are creeping in.

But in the end we still have plenty of work to do. We've been good enough to stay in touching distance but we won't reel them in playing the way we have been.

Let's see if our current squad can turn into monsters once we get a sniff of the title. We've still got some players who we part of our squads like that, and Pep
 
My position has always been that if we or anyone else needs to win the premier league it would require close to perfect results from us and arsenal flattering at some points.

There are two major reasons why they bottled the league in tje last few seasons :
1) Squad depth - Holding and Callum Chambers have been replaced by 40 million worth defenders in each position. They have multiple 60 million midfielders from Zubimendi to Eze to complement their 100 million number 6 in Rice
2) Mental fragility - I really wish they are looking back their shoulders all the time but the other teams are not up to it. We had a chance to get 1 point gap in the table and put some pressure but we lost to Newcastle.
Chelsea played a blinder against us and took two points from them and ended up getting shafted by Leeds yesterday

We need 2-3 teams giving them some scare every week before arteta and the team loses it but it’s not happening so far.
At some point like last year Liverpool - the gap may become this big that the mental fragility angle won’t matter .
Won’t want that, would we ?
 
Im not sure the answer for us is necessarily bringing in some new players, it's more how they are organised. Players like Dias and Gvardiol this season have looked like Burnley level defenders at times yet we know they are far better than that. We are set up to defend high up the pitch at times and have little defensive cover in front of the defence. Bringing in Wharton, Elliott and Camavinga etc won't help if we are playing them further away from the back 4.

I don't know why but we are inconsistent this season and still have too many players who just look goosed. I don't see this in other teams if I'm honest and I think sometimes we're trying to save players for later in the season but I just can't see us going for much this season based on what I've seen.

Pep needs to tighten up the defence - that's literally the first thing to do. If you don't concede then if you have Haaland, Foden, Doku, Cherki etc playing you're likely to score. I don't think it's too difficult - scoring is harder than defending!

We desperately need Rodri back and we need to sort the defence out. If we can do that then it's possible we can go on a long unbeaten run and pile pressure on Arsenal. If we are open at the back we won't win anything.
 
Scaring Europe to Death said:
City are top scorers but Arsenal are grinding out results and clean sheets.

Ferguson once claimed that goals win games, but defences win titles?

He was also a bully and a spiteful prick, but he was right with that one.
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The team with the best defence have failed to win the PL in 18 of the 33 PL seasons:

In 1993-94 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 4th.
In 1994-95 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 1995-96 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 5th.
In 1996-97 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 3rd, the team who won the league only had the 5th best defensive record and conceded 18 more goals than the best defensive team.
In 1997-98 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 1998-99 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd with just 17 goals conceded, the team who won the league conceded 20 more goals than them.
In 1999-00 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 4th, the team who won the league only had the 6th best defensive record.
In 2001-02 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 2006-07 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 2009-10 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 2010-11 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd, the team who won the league only had the 3rd best defensive record.
In 2012-13 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd, the team who won the league only had the 5th best defensive record.
In 2013-14 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 3rd.
In 2015-16 there were two teams with joint fewest goals concdeded and they finished 3rd and 5th.
In 2016-17 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd, the team who won the league only had the 3rd best defensive record.
In 2018-19 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 2023-24 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.
In 2024-25 the team with the fewest goals conceded finished 2nd.

In 2014-15, while the team with the best defensive record did win the league, the team with the second best defensive record finished 7th.
 
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It’s Arsenals to lose. If they blow it we may have a chance, especially if Rodri returns and maybe good midfielder in Jan transfer window.
 
Semper aggressus said:
I don’t think so unfortunately. Unless we get a top right back our defence still looks a bit suspect, though I’d like to see us with Stones and Gvardiol as regular centre backs and Ait-Nouri LB, then with a proper RB we’ll be decent there.

I still think we may be a bit inconsistent this season, plus Liverpool never get injuries and have added Wirtz to the side.
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Looks like Liverpool have already blown it. Ait-Nouri is a bad buy.
 
I think it will be tight. Arsenal seem more steely this year and don't seem to be making many mistakes. We look good in flashes, but also made to look poor at other times.

The quality in the PL now is incredible and it is so competitive. The reason why we aren't as dominant is that replacing Rodri, Dave, Kev etc. is nigh on impossible and other clubs have bought well too.

Pretty much all wins, whether home and away, will be hard fought for all teams. There are no easy games at all.
 
blue_danube said:
If we can stay within 5 points of Arsenal going into February, I think we can make them wobble again.

At the moment they're so strong defensively but they've had two draws in the last four league games. Saw they're not immune to dropping points and a few draws are creeping in.

But in the end we still have plenty of work to do. We've been good enough to stay in touching distance but we won't reel them in playing the way we have been.

Let's see if our current squad can turn into monsters once we get a sniff of the title. We've still got some players who we part of our squads like that, and Pep
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Their two draws were at Chelsea and Sunderland so hard to judge until we play at those grounds as literally anything could happen
 
jprkas said:
Why end of transfer window? Any idea who we can buy to stop conceding & being bullied by some teams? We already have brought in 11 players (inc2 keepers) since last January. Please don't say Rodri & Kovatic!
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Do you actually like your club??? I mean ALL of your comments are just pulling the clubs and players apart. Its like you have nothing good to say about your own team.
 
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