Arsenal Thread | 2025/26

[Lowtower]

Eh, the gold shirts?!! You actually think they were signed off on the basis of Arsenal winning the league?! :-)

Yes

Thats how much you lot wet yourselves

 

[TonyBookEnd]

Vieira and Keane above Rodri IMHO. Or at least level. And above anyone, untouchable on his own is Ngolo Kante who was a cheat code for having the equivalent of 12 players on the pitch.

And I know this is a City forum but LOL at having Fernandinho above Rice, Petit and Essien!

Keane and Vieira played a different sport to Rodri. They were fantastic in their era but football was played differently. They'd only play about 15 games a season nowadays

Kante is the biggest myth in football and shouldn't be in the conversation. He was great at what he did but so limited as an all round midfielder

 

[Andy TheCatalyst Morrison]

But were we?

In 22/23 I can understand it, I believe we were 8 points ahead, you had a game in hand and a game at The Etihad I believe.

In 23/24, we won 16 out the last 18 games, drawing 1 and losing 1. Is that seen as a bottle nowadays? It's actually a better end of season record than Liverpool had when they were chasing you and finished on 97 points.

In 24/25, we didn't spend much money at all. We were never top of the league, we were always well off it as well. So is that a different type of bottling?

This season, most people including you guys rightly pointed out that leads after 12 or 13 games mean very little as it could be from something simple such as a quirk in the fixture list, or short term form or whatever.

The narrative that you bottled it in 23/24 is ludicrous. But you absolutely did in 22/23 - 2-0 up in successive games (against Liverpool and West Ham?) and only getting 2 draws, and then to draw at home (with an injury time equaliser) against rock bottom Southampton was pretty much the final nail

 

[GunnerGer]

Yes

Thats how much you lot wet yourselves

Football shirts are designed ages in advance, they aren't just designed in the December on the basis of a league table that's only half way through. :-)

The narrative that you bottled it in 23/24 is ludicrous. But you absolutely did in 22/23 - 2-0 up in successive games (against Liverpool and West Ham?) and only getting 2 draws, and then to draw at home (with an injury time equaliser) against rock bottom Southampton was pretty much the final nail

I can accept that. We lost Saliba & Tomiyasu, Rob Holding was our next best option that couldn't even get an appearance at Palace the following season. We then lost 4-1 to City, & the arse fell out that season, including those games that you mention, i can accept that.

 

[Danny Tiatto]

So Rob Holding was the reason you let 2-0 leads slip in successive matches? The facts are champion teams will still find a way to get the job done.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

Keane and Vieira played a different sport to Rodri. They were fantastic in their era but football was played differently. They'd only play about 15 games a season nowadays

Kante is the biggest myth in football and shouldn't be in the conversation. He was great at what he did but so limited as an all round midfielder

Exactly my thoughts about Kante. Not forgotten him kicking Merlin from pillar to post at the King Power the year Leicester won the title.

 

[danielwood5]

Under Arsene, at times you played some the best football ever seen in the EPL. Maybe its the effect of agent Webb, but I don't remember, the diving, time wasting and thuggery being part of Arsene mantra.

When they had moved past Graham's defence allied with Wenger's attack into a team put together solely by Wenger, with players like Van Persie and Reyes, they were a right diving bunch of cheats.

 

[mrbelfry]

I think Arsenal are more than capable of winning the league but just going through a rough patch right now. The question is how long will it last? City definitely have a dodgy patch in us and we have some squad imbalances that will definitely be exposed if Nico G or Haaland pick up an injury soon.

 

[TinFoilHat]

I think Arsenal are more than capable of winning the league but just going through a rough patch right now. The question is how long will it last? City definitely have a dodgy patch in us and we have some squad imbalances that will definitely be exposed if Nico G or Haaland pick up an injury soon.

Our dodgy patch is usually October to December.

Arsenal's starts March to May

 

[citytill1die84]

Vieira and Keane above Rodri IMHO. Or at least level. And above anyone, untouchable on his own is Ngolo Kante who was a cheat code for having the equivalent of 12 players on the pitch.

And I know this is a City forum but LOL at having Fernandinho above Rice, Petit and Essien!

Fernandinho shits all over Declan Rice lol

 

[GunnerGer]

So Rob Holding was the reason you let 2-0 leads slip in successive matches? The facts are champion teams will still find a way to get the job done.

Im certainly not saying we win the league if Saliba stays fit, our arse could and probably would have still collapsed collectively.

But let's just say, it certainly didn't help, especially when he's giving away clumsy penalties like he did at Anfield. Although he didn't miss the penalty that would have put us 3-1 up at West Ham, or pass the ball straight to a Southampton player in the opening minutes.

 

[bridgeno1]

Fernandinho shits all over Declan Rice lol

Let's agree to disagree. This is a City forum, I'm an Arsenal fan, we are going to have our own biases. Heck it wasn't so long ago someone on here amazingly posted that Aguero was a better player than Henry so we are hardly going to have a neutral discussion on this!

 

[Phil1]

Let's agree to disagree. This is a City forum, I'm an Arsenal fan, we are going to have our own biases. Heck it wasn't so long ago someone on here amazingly posted that Aguero was a better player than Henry so we are hardly going to have a neutral discussion on this!

But it's not even close regarding Fernandinho and Rice. It's fucking batshit crazy you think otherwise when you look at what both brought to their teams. One played a major role in umpteen trophies whilst the other one, err, hasn't.
As for Aguero and Henry? Henry was a joy to watch, an absolute baller who deserves every plaudit he receives but they are so so different it's not a comparison that makes any sense. I'd have prime Aguero as my CF over pretty much anybody else in premier league history. Henry wasn't a CF.

 

[citytill1die84]

Let's agree to disagree. This is a City forum, I'm an Arsenal fan, we are going to have our own biases. Heck it wasn't so long ago someone on here amazingly posted that Aguero was a better player than Henry so we are hardly going to have a neutral discussion on this!

Heck, Amazingly? Lol it's certainly not odd to suggest Aguero was a better player. If it wasn't for injuries Aguero would have pushed Shearer's Premier League record for sure. Aguero has the best goals per minute ratio in Premier League history.

Henry 2 league titles, Aguero just the 5

Henry was my favourite none City player and played a completely different role to Aguero. Aguero better finisher, Henry better all round. Still I'd take Aguero.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

Let's agree to disagree. This is a City forum, I'm an Arsenal fan, we are going to have our own biases. Heck it wasn't so long ago someone on here amazingly posted that Aguero was a better player than Henry so we are hardly going to have a neutral discussion on this!

Stop being ridiculous. Rice is not in the same universe as Fernandinho. Fernandinho was a one man midfield, Plodder needs someone to hold his hand whether it be Partey, Merino or Zubamendi.
You are making yourself look like the village idiot now

 

[Phil1]

Stop being ridiculous. Rice is not in the same universe as Fernandinho

The thing is he could be eventually, he's got time on his side and we picked Fernandinho up late in his career.
To say this version of Rice is better than the City version of Fernandinho is, as I said previously, absolutely batshit crazy.

 

[goatfeeder100]

Oh the surface not the end of the world however

They drew playing against 10 men Chelsea for an hour even going behind

They lost with the last kick of the game against Villa

Context is important

Even the games they've won there's been a good few of them that have been won late on, Wolves being the latest.

Having to go balls to the wall multiple times to get wins this early in the season is a lot of emotional stress to put yourselves under. That's a big factor in them burning out in previous seasons and theyre doing the same thing this season. They don't look like they've learned any lessons from previous title bids that have flopped after the new year to me.

 

[bridgeno1]

Even the games they've won there's been a good few of them that have been won late on, Leeds being the latest.

Having to go balls to the wall multiple times to get wins this early in the season is a lot of emotional stress to put yourselves under. That's a big factor in them burning out in previous seasons and theyre doing the same thing this season. They don't look like they've learned any lessons from previous title bids that have flopped after the new year to me.

We beat Leeds 5-0

 

[goatfeeder100]

We beat Leeds 5-0

Meant Wolves my bad. Point stands.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

The thing is he could be eventually, he's got time on his side and we picked Fernandinho up late in his career.
To say this version of Rice is better than the City version of Fernandinho is, as I said previously, absolutely batshit crazy.

No it isn't. Rice is so wooden. Fernandinho was a real athlete with pace and plenty up top. As far away from Rice as you can get.
Use your eyes. Turn the volume down on the TV and just watch Plodder coughing and farting as he goes on another lung busting run into the middle of nowhere.