Will we win the league this season?

City Raider said:
Just 2 points off the team everyone is calling the best in Europe. I think they have been pretty much playing at their best and we’re not really firing yet. Only one team can significantly improve and it ain’t them.
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That’s very true.

You could understand Arsenal’s team and fans starting to feel very nervous. They’ve been playing at their best level and they were a lucky last minute OG from being second in the league tonight - to a team who were written off in August!
 
It's gonna be a tough ask because Arsenal are stronger than they have been in recent seasons, and have a bit of strength in depth now ..... Aston Villa are scoring goals and winning games ..... but we are hanging in there.

At this moment in time, YES, i'm seeing a genuine team spirit and willingness to work for each other from City , so i believe that we stand a very good chance of winning the title ..... but, it has to be said, that supporters of both Arsenal and Villa will fancy their own clubs chances too.
 
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Marvin. said:
How seriously should we take Aston Villa?

Villa are on a club record winning run of 8 games. It includes results such as:

Villa 2-1 Arsenal, Brighton 3-4 Villa, Villa 4-0 Bournemouth, Leeds 1-2 Villa.

Chelsea were looking strong a fortnight ago or so and blew up. But Villa's run is impressive. How seriously should we take them? Are they on the threshold of a new force in English football, or just on a crest of a wave.

The BBC have an article on them after their win in Basle: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/cy078djkzjkt and that is what sparked my thought. I am up early today to catch a train to London.

They are at West Ham on Sunday. I hope they crash. The last thing we need is another team coming in to crash the party, although it would make it very interesting.
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Personally I don't think they are. They will need to prioritize the League or Europa League. Emery is a master of the Europa League he has won it 4 times (and got Arsenal to the final).

He is a very good, experienced manager who knows how to win in Europe. Villa haven't won a trophy for 30 years, so I honestly think that he will prioritize the EL over the league as its much more achievable.

Either way their current run is really impressive, especially considering they lost the first 3 league games without scoring!

I'm glad we have already played them away.
 
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Palace, tarquins, villa, newcastle, Brighton and Brentford aways all out of the road..... Building lovely.

Couldn't see it myself a few weeks ago but IF you get Rodri back, IF Haaland, doku, foden stay fit and as Ruben said a couple of years ago "we get BIG" after Christmas as usual.... Who's going to stop us??

I also remember being completely bereft at how shit we were during the treble season around this time LOL
 
I was doubtful at the start of the season. I’d seen nothing of the players we’d bought and the team seemed very young. And we lost 2 of our first 3 games. But since then we have improved considerably. The careless errors are still there but the effects of Pep’s coaching are showing. If the lads can maintain their improvement and if fatigue doesn’t have its effect we have a good chance. Involvement in the later stages of other competitions might complicate matters as might the form of other teams, notably Villa but I’m a lot more hopeful than in August. And today’s performance hasn’t done any harm.
 
Gorbachev said:
The mid-table is better, but there is a serious lack of quality at the top end, and that goes for around Europe too.

Look at the top European teams of 5 years ago let alone 10 and they would all walk the current CL.

La liga in particular is the worst I have seen it probably since the days of Juande Ramos at Real Madrid and the back end of of Rijkaard, and even those teams walk all over the current Madrid and Barca teams.

Serie A is a joke. Mctominay is the best player.

Bayern team is good but isn't a patch on the 2020 let alone Heynckes and Peps Bayern

Paris are a standout to be fair.

Peps 4 in a row team, centurions, Klopps Liverpool, Conte and Jose's 2014 Chelsea and Pellegrini's 2014 and Mancini's 2012 team would walk this current PL.
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I think there is a lack of top class Managers at the moment. Klop and Anchelotti leaving club management has effected the CL quality IMO!

Apart from City and PSG, I don't think any of the other 'historically top' European teams have manager who has won the Champions League? (I could well be wrong, BTW)
 
Ysabel 123 said:
I think there is a lack of top class Managers at the moment. Klop and Anchelotti leaving club management has effected the CL quality IMO!

Apart from City and PSG, I don't think any of the other 'historically top' European teams have manager who has won the Champions League? (I could well be wrong, BTW)
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This is not to argue your point but Benfica have won the European cup twice (so are they a historically top club?) and have a champions League winner as manager....albeit one that has watched the game pass him by.
 
Cherki is making me believe but im still going no

I didn't know this but someone said Palace have only won twice at home, and genuinely not sure how that game ended 3-0, they had so many opportunities but "that's what winners do"

Arsenal have defensive strength in depth but they've had a pretty rough go if it with their defence

Gabriel missing was a blow, the Saliba went out, then Mosquera, then Calafiori got suspended, White just went off vs Wolves (after being injured at the start of the season)

They lost to a (very VERY good) Villa without their best XI CB pairing to a last minute (literally) goal

We're having injuries issues at CM but its not quite the same. Rodri is a bit of an unknown, when he does come back what player are we getting and for how long. And yea Kovacic has been out all season but is he a starter if fit?

Just praying nothing happens to Nico G who looks like he's exhausted already or our midfield will be in shambles

Were losing Marmoush/RAN for a month and our squad looks desperately spread thin

Feel their injuries/suspensions are isolated incidents as opposed to injury proneness. Plus most of their defence will be returning over the next couple games whereas im sure were bound to pick up some more "knocks" and our squad doesnt look like it'll cope as well

It'll come down to their defence/lack of attack vs our attack/lack of defence

January can play a huge impact, Nico needs a partner
 
alexmcity said:
In 22/23, we were 7 pts off Arsenal after 16 games: 43 vs 36.

Now we are 2 pts off: 36 vs 34.

Doesn't mean much, but it's interesting this team is not far off the Treble winners after the first 16 games: 36 vs 34 pts. IIRC, we had fewer injuries in 22/23.
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You are right about 22/23. We have just 2 points fewer after 16 games this season - 34 points this season and 36 points back then.

Also, I agree with your points earlier about our defensive record. If it is shit now (as many are suggesting) it was as shit at this stage in 22/23 as it is this season - 16 goals conceded in both seasons :))

22-23 16 Games.jpg
 
It’s a shame we pissed around at the beginning of the season because those two losses wouldn’t happen now I don’t think.

We are certainly looking like we will be thereabouts now which is good.

Still think we are a player short in midfield if the Rodri situation doesn’t get better.
 
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