Will we win the league this season? No

[coolcity]

Before the season or even around Christmas most Arsenal fans would have been happy if offered their current league position and a highly likely CL semi vs Atletico. They have a very good chance to reach the CL final, unbeaten at that, which would be more than a decent achievement.

It's the recency bias (3 losses from the last 4 games) that makes things look bad for them. But we had such a period recently as well (around Forest, W Ham and Real games) and many weren't happy with Pep and the team.

I'm optimistic, because I think this City team are highly talented and Pep is far from finished. But a bad result next Sunday (it's football) and negativity may come to the fore again.

5:1 City :)

It's not just the 3 losses, you can go back 6 or 7 games and the Spurs 4-1 win aside (which given how bad Spurs are this season is hardly an achievement anyway), they've just about scraped past everybody they have played. In fact you can point to many matches where they have only just come out on top despite the press talking about them all season like they're the best in Europe. They haven't had a difficult tie (for a perceived top club) in the CL either.

It's not like they have had a difficult job to do. Look at the league table, we're supposed to be a side in transition yet we're the only team to come anywhere close. Of the so-called top 6 clubs United are 15 points behind, Liverpool 18, Chelsea a very distant 22 and Spurs, well what can you say? So it's not been a tough season for them in the greater scheme of things, I just don't think they're that good.

 

[Bill Walker]

Personally I don't think that we will win it because I don't think that we have been good enough all season! If we do then great, I just think that it is funny as fuck that we are on for another Domestic Treble after not playing well all season!

We will win it Ysabel. The stars have aligned.
Arse have blown it.
Again.

:)

 

[coolcity]

A draw on Sunday is not a disaster. It will swing the pendulum back to Arsenal, but not by very much imo. Whether they have a CL semi will likely make a difference to the outcome in those circumstances.

Totally agree. Even if they win, while it will likely be enough, given their recent form - and I'm going back 6 or 7 matches, not just 3 - i can easily see them losing a couple more.

Not only that but if they get knocked out of the CL, either tomorrow or in the semis, it could knock their confidence too. In fact with only the PL left to play for in that scenario the nerves will kick in again and that could really do for them, possibly more so if they lose in the semis. Either way, they have one and possibly three more matches to play which won't help. It's not just about Sunday.

 

[christened at st marks]

 

[coolcity]

Arsenal winning tomorrow is huge in the title race. Two games against Atletico Madrid in the middle of premier leagues will be brutal. Actually willing a Arsenal win tomorrow.

Absolutely agree. The CL semis means two more matches, more pressure on them because if they go out at the semis then they know they only have the PL left out of their potential quad, so the pressure will really be on. Also the risk of injuries, fatigue and having to work out how best to manage the two competitions, which hasn't been Arteta's strong point. Even a semi final win could mean players' minds are elsewhere.

 

[man on the moon]

Yes ! Do I win a prize?

 

[blue_danube]

I agree

Michael Vaughn the England cricket captain when asked was it Australia's mental strength that led to them dominating Ashes series said that it's a lot easier to exhibit mental strength when you've got McGrath, Warne, Hayden, Ponting et al all at the top of their game wreaking havoc

I think the same is true of City. We've got the best striker in the world, the best midfielder and the best keeper. Those guys and other top class experienced players in our squad imbue the rest of the squad with a sense of confidence more by the way they play than anything else.

Arsenal simply don't have that level of talent in their team and so while it's easy for the media to go with the bottlers narrative as it makes for a better story, the problem is more likely to lie in their lack of comparable quality

It does make a better story but it's also partly true.

It seems to happen at the crucial moments, so that's certainly got an element of being unable to handle the pressure.

It's probably a bit of both. Their style of play, scraping wins and being obsessed with getting corners as a main source of goals isn't sustainable at this level. You may even scrape a title doing that if the teams around you aren't particularly special but I don't think there's a long term future in approaching games like that.

Even if Arsenal win it this year, which is possible, they won't win it next year playing that way if/when we improve and it wouldn't take a massive improvement either.

 

[alexmcity]

It's not just the 3 losses, you can go back 6 or 7 games and the Spurs 4-1 win aside (which given how bad Spurs are this season is hardly an achievement anyway), they've just about scraped past everybody they have played. In fact you can point to many matches where they have only just come out on top despite the press talking about them all season like they're the best in Europe. They haven't had a difficult tie (for a perceived top club) in the CL either.

It's not like they have had a difficult job to do. Look at the league table, we're supposed to be a side in transition yet we're the only team to come anywhere close. Of the so-called top 6 clubs United are 15 points behind, Liverpool 18, Chelsea a very distant 22 and Spurs, well what can you say? So it's not been a tough season for them in the greater scheme of things, I just don't think they're that good.

I prefer to focus on our strengths rather than Arsenal's weaknesses. It's like some fans don't think much of our team and want to be assured that Arsenal are nothing special.

Currently, they don't play like a really top team, but even if they did, I'd still believe we can play better than them and win. Indeed, I think this City team can play stunning football (and not just for one half). Pep's cooking something special.

 

[Tb1981]

I only just noticed that if we get to fa cup final we will have two games in hand at that point
Not ideal really
Also Arsenal would play Newcastle, athletico, Fulham, athletico, West Ham
We beat them Sunday it’s game on. But still a long way to go for both teams
Also cup wins and losses will play a huge mental part

 

[pauls]

I only just noticed that if we get to fa cup final we will have two games in hand at that point
Not ideal really
Also Arsenal would play Newcastle, athletico, Fulham, athletico, West Ham
We beat them Sunday it’s game on. But still a long way to go for both teams
Also cup wins and losses will play a huge mental part

The Athletico game will be funny, who can shithouse who, hopefully Sporting will take it out of their hands.Tough set of fixtures that ,particularly as their corner goals have dried up, still their thoroughbred Gyokeres might come good!

 

[mdj0520]

Anybody who even remotely thinks Arteta would give a scintilla of thought to doing that is mentally ill.

Also, a massive part of their problem every season is getting way too wound up and getting too emotional. Arteta getting them more wound up is only going to hurt them.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Yes ! Do I win a prize?

Do you want a chufty badge, or something?

 

[James2401125]

Hopefully arsenal win tonight after extra time and penalties.
More games in Europe will make them suffer down the line

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Hopefully arsenal win tonight after extra time and penalties.
More games in Europe will make them suffer down the line

Indeed. It's becoming more evident each game that Arsenal players don't have the squad harmony and belief in themselves to put teams to bed like they did earlier in the season. And Legohead doesn't have the mental fortitude and experience to galvanize them into believing they can fend us off to win the league. You only have to watch his body language on the touchline to see he's far too emotionally animated to have any calming influence in the dressing room.

Reminds me of that ten green bottles song.

11 red bottlers, in the Arsenal.
11 red bottlers, in the Arsenal.
And if one red bottler doubts himself and all.
There'll be 11 red bottles,
who'll win nada, fuck all.

Meanwhile the big blue juggernaut is gathering pace. I've said enough; )

 

[rodrizontal]

A draw on Sunday is not a disaster. It will swing the pendulum back to Arsenal, but not by very much imo. Whether they have a CL semi will likely make a difference to the outcome in those circumstances.

Nah, Sunday is a must win in my opinion. A win on Sunday means we could be top of the League after Burnley. Imagine the pressure on Arsenal if that happens.

 

[Alfie Budd]

Hopefully arsenal win tonight after extra time and penalties.
More games in Europe will make them suffer down the line

Arsenal v Sporting tonight is a win-win situation for us in my opinion.

If Arsenal go out, all the paranoia and soul searching there gets ramped up another few notches ahead of the weekend. And if they go through as expected, two gruelling games against Atleti are the last thing I'd want to deal with in the heat of a title race.

I'm confident that the CL winners are coming from the opposite half of the draw however it all ultimately pans out.

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

If we don't, that fan with the bottle on Sunday has a lot to answer for.

 

[Damanino]

the FA semis PL fixture is Burnley-City for us, but they didnt postpone that but moved it earlier to be next midweek, so we will see after that both Arse and us on same number of games temporarily. hope its 70 points each with us on better GD. then they host Newcastle while we play Soton, how great that would be to have a game in hand (Palace) and them only drawing to Newcastle somehow.

we can really put the pressure on now by beating them and Burnley annd make a 9 points gap to zero with 5 games to go for each.

 

[Nevizade]

the FA semis PL fixture is Burnley-City for us, but they didnt postpone that but moved it earlier to be next midweek, so we will see after that both Arse and us on same number of games temporarily. hope its 70 points each with us on better GD. then they host Newcastle while we play Soton, how great that would be to have a game in hand (Palace) and them only drawing to Newcastle somehow.

we can really put the pressure on now by beating them and Burnley annd make a 9 points gap to zero with 5 games to go for each.

Camden Town would certainly be lively that night if we get through to the final.

 

[citymad]

Personally I don't think that we will win it because I don't think that we have been good enough all season! If we do then great, I just think that it is funny as fuck that we are on for another Domestic Treble after not playing well all season!

It doesn't matter whether we've been good enough ALL season, it's about the here and now and our current form is very good. The only thing I would say is our run in has some tough fixtures (arn't they all) Going into the last game against Villa with all to play for will be unbearable for the fans but the same could be said for arsenal vs palace. It'll be a question of who holds their nerve the best.