Arsenal v City Pre Match Thread

[Pigeonho]

Re: City v Arsenal Pre Match Thread

podolski - over 4 months
ox - 4 months
cazorla - 3 months
ramsey - 3+ months and counting
ozil - will end up being almost 2 months
walcott - pretty much the whole season
wilshere - over 3 months

where we've been VERY unlucky is the combination of almost all our injuries being very long term (3+ months) AND at the same time. none of this back in 2-3 weeks lark.

i don't disagree that city have had injuries to important players, however a very key point is that none of your injuries have occurred at the same time. i maybe wrong on that but i can't remember a spell where you've had a number of your main players out injured at the same time.

as fans, all we see is what we see. we don't know anything behind the scenes. we see walcott get injured in a similar way to nasri, yet nasri is back in 6 weeks and walcott is out for rest of the season and a part of next season as well.

we see players with calf strains come back in a few weeks, hamstring back in a few weeks.

yet when our players get hamstring and calf injuries they tend to be the worst possible grade and they end up being out for 3-4 months.

that maybe more of an indictment against our medical team, i don't know. we are supposed to have one of the best medical facilities and staff in the country but theres obviously something wrong somewhere.

The injuries don't excuse two almighty twattings off your rivals, though. We've not had a twatting, despite our many and sustained injuries. You have had 2 twattings and by and large, teams who are capable of being beaten so easily - twice - don't win the league. Arsenal were always going to fall away, as quite simply the squad isn't good enough. I'm just surprised it hasn't happened sooner.

Another twatting awaits, too.

3 twattings this season surely

I was thinking of the twatting we gave them, and the mighty walloping Chelsea handed out the other week... Am I missing one out?

 

[kupest]

The injuries don't excuse two almighty twattings off your rivals, though. We've not had a twatting, despite our many and sustained injuries. You have had 2 twattings and by and large, teams who are capable of being beaten so easily - twice - don't win the league. Arsenal were always going to fall away, as quite simply the squad isn't good enough. I'm just surprised it hasn't happened sooner.

Another twatting awaits, too.

3 twattings this season surely

I was thinking of the twatting we gave them, and the mighty walloping Chelsea handed out the other week... Am I missing one out?

Liverpool mate. 4 goals in the first 20 miniutes.

 

[Pigeonho]

3 twattings this season surely

I was thinking of the twatting we gave them, and the mighty walloping Chelsea handed out the other week... Am I missing one out?

Liverpool mate. 4 goals in the first 20 miniutes.

Oh yeah, derrr! There you go then, that's 3 twattings, one each off each of the PL title rivals. Add to that silly results here and there, (like we all have), and what you have is a squad not capable of winning the league, injuries or not.

I hope we hand out a spanking on Saturday, a nice, fast-paced 3 nil again like on Tuesday. I can see it happening, too.

 

[Eds]

Three points against the arse is crucial as we can afford to lose one game and still win on GD. However I think Chelsea and Liverpool expected us to either drop points against scum or will do against Arse. Having won on Tuesday and if we win on Saturday will put an enourmous amount of pressure on those two sides. Liverpool will have to beat us, a draw won't be good enough for them especially as they also have to play Chelsea. Hopefully Spurs can actually, for once, put in a decent shift and take something from their game on Saturday although I doubt it. Beat Arse and Southampton and then not lose to Liverpool and we can all start to believe even more.

 

[Puppet Master Silva]

If we win on Saturday everyone will absolutely shit themselves.

 

[Benarbia’s Backheel]

Liverpool and Chelsea hammered Arsenal, and in both matches both teams pressed high up the field and started quickly, pressuring them all over the pitch from the first whistle. Didn't give them time to make a pass, didn't let them settle, and both ended up scoring early goals - just like us against manure.

We're better at pressing than both of those teams, and with the confidence we have now, and the start we made against the rags, I think we need to just stay with the exact same team and tactics.

I think we've probably won the mental battle already through the midweek results, now we have to go for the jugular, and send out a message by trying our best to batter them on their own pitch.

I'd take a 1-0 win, but they're there for the taking if we play with the intensity that we're capable of.

CTID

 

[Pigeonho]

Liverpool and Chelsea hammered Arsenal, and in both matches both teams pressed high up the field and started quickly, pressuring them all over the pitch from the first whistle. Didn't give them time to make a pass, didn't let them settle, and both ended up scoring early goals - just like us against manure.

We're better at pressing than both of those teams, and with the confidence we have now, and the start we made against the rags, I think we need to just stay with the exact same team and tactics.

I think we've probably won the mental battle already through the midweek results, now we have to go for the jugular, and send out a message by trying our best to batter them on their own pitch.

I'd take a 1-0 win, but they're there for the taking if we play with the intensity that we're capable of.

CTID

All of this is 100% spot on.

 

[supercity88]

Arsenal have had a lot of injuries which is a part of football unfortunately. You can buy all the players in the world but if key players are injured you can't do much about it. Liverpool and Chelsea have managed to have the majority of their key players available all season - Suarez was banned but Sturridge was fit, Gerrard has been fit most of the season and they haven't suffered multiple injuries in a particular position. Walcott is key to Arsenal's chances because he adds pace, he is the one player I am particularly concerned about when City play Arsenal because for all their intricate passing he adds that speed and direction that is hard to defend against - similar to Messi for Barcelona but not quite as good!

Arsenal needed to buy another striker though - Giroud has scored fewer goals than Dzeko this season - and Dzeko is our third top scorer (all comps). I think Arsenal would have had to keep all of their players fit to overcome their lack of strikers, and that was going to require a lot of luck. Their history with injuries isn't good but lots of intricate passing is going to lead to lots of kicks from opposition! City have also suffered from injuries and our early season stutters away from home are largely due to missing Fernandinho and having to chop and change defenders. Our strong squad has meant we have managed without Aguero, Kompany, Silva, Nasri etc but we have still suffered because of injuries.

In terms of the game this Saturday, I normally always expect City to struggle at Arsenal because historically we always have done. This is one of the only times I feel we should win... and that is because of the lack of available options you have. If we press from the start and play with a high intensity we should be able to win the game, Arsenal have had tough tough fixtures and they have coincided with injuries to key players - Chelsea away, Liverpool away, Bayern home and away, Everton in the cup... takes a huge mental and physical toll on the players to step out and perform to a high level in all of those games. We are coming off the back of a comfortable win in the derby that should give us confidence, Arsenal are coming into the game off another disappointing result and at home the fans may turn on them if they struggle early on. If we don't win I really do think it is an opportunity missed because of the likely available lineups. Dzeko is in form which is crucial, Yaya, Silva, Nasri all looking good and defensively we seem quite solid and settled now too.

 

[PSmyth07]

You've had these injury prone players for a few years now, how have you not brought in extra reinforcements to cope?

Do you think Wilshere will go through a season without picking up injuries?

 

[without a dream]

Re: City v Arsenal Pre Match Thread

Liverpool are going to win every game in my opinion so this is must win or we are out of the title race.

Have you invested a massive amount of your own dosh with William Hill based on your opinion ... didn't think so!!

You could make a killing on that if it happened, you'd get huge odds.