Champions League Games | Gameweek 1 | 19/20 Sept '23

[supercity88]

Indeed. I think it will be harder progressing this season than last, let alone winning it!

I think the one thing in our favour is that we're the most balanced side in Europe with everyone fit. Defensively we're solid and have more energy in the middle of the park now. Haaland is a threat whether he's scoring or not, because you can't take your eyes off him and that allows space for others. And most importantly, we've won it before so the pressure is off now.

Bayern don't look particularly good defensively. Real don't look great in an attacking sense. And PSG/Barca/Arsenal/Napoli are still a bit raw. You never know in the CL though, a well-drilled defensive side that plays on the counter tends to always go further than a side like Arsenal or Barca who have attacking flair but are vulnerable at the back.

 

[pride in battle]

Red Star have lost 2 of their last 3 league games to teams playing with 10 men! You are out of your mind if you seriously think they are a better team than PSV.

I'm not saying PSV are great or that Arsenal will win the CL (they won't) but I was responding to someone's comment about how based on round 1 nobody was near City's level and that was patently untrue based on what we saw yesterday and Tuesday night.

Stop getting giddy, that's your problem, just enjoy it and move on...

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

I think the one thing in our favour is that we're the most balanced side in Europe with everyone fit. Defensively we're solid and have more energy in the middle of the park now. Haaland is a threat whether he's scoring or not, because you can't take your eyes off him and that allows space for others. And most importantly, we've won it before so the pressure is off now.

Bayern don't look particularly good defensively. Real don't look great in an attacking sense. And PSG/Barca/Arsenal/Napoli are still a bit raw. You never know in the CL though, a well-drilled defensive side that plays on the counter tends to always go further than a side like Arsenal or Barca who have attacking flair but are vulnerable at the back.

Well said! Some fans are looking at the chances Haaland misses - I think we need to focus on those that are on target as well as the chances he creates. The knockout ties are always cagey and even the best drilled and most talented team can come undone with a whistling wanker who only flashes his cards to one team. And most of the teams we play in the PL are never gonna attack us - they will rely on the ref or one single mistake on our part. But it's still gonna be tough!

 

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

Red Star have lost 2 of their last 3 league games to teams playing with 10 men! You are out of your mind if you seriously think they are a better team than PSV.

I'm not saying PSV are great or that Arsenal will win the CL (they won't) but I was responding to someone's comment about how based on round 1 nobody was near City's level and that was patently untrue based on what we saw yesterday and Tuesday night.

Can we do it again next game, in the knockouts, play another game like the one last season against Madrid? We are more than capable but a football game has, I would say, a minimum of ten thousand variables, of which the man in the techy area and his team on the pitch have control of, perhaps, a few dozen. Red Star got a veritable statistical battering but 3-1 was scant reward for the dominance we showed. It does show other teams what we are capable of but some teams bring to the pitch certain 'arts' that have little to do with attacking skilful football - and they can get a result.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Based on the 1st round of matches Arsenal were streets ahead of how City played against Red Star. Of course we know that it is not the case in reality that Arsenal are a better team than City but I wanted to point out that based on your statement of looking at things after round 1 only that City were on a different level to anyone else then clearly you didn't watch the Arsenal game, plus PSV are a significantly better team than Red Star and were on a 26 game unbeaten run in all competitions.

That being said PSV made the error of being attacking and playing a high defensive line and the fact Kai Haavertz looked good shows how naieve PSV were but Arsenal would have beaten most teams last night.

Still think City are the most likely to win the CL though, with Real 2nd favourites. Didn't rate Bayern last night although they have the players to hurt any team

Your whole first paragraph is just re-wording what I said in my very first sentence. I know it's only 1 game. As for arsenal being more impressive than city, that's just false on every level. City had more than double the shots Arsenal had, double the shots on target, 17% more possession, it was a complete dismantling. PSV aren't "significantly better" than Red Star either. Both were in pot 3, Red Star actually 1 place higher in the coefficent rankings than psv. Theyre very much at a similar level but if you absolutely have to say one is better than the other, based on the only thing available to us to help determine that, Red Star are better than psv.

And for the record, you're correct, I didn't watch arsenal last night, I didn't have to, we smashed them 3 times last season and see them play most weeks. We know arsenal aren't even close to our level and arent a concern to us. There's only 2 teams that could possibly make that claim, Madrid and bayern. Both of whom we also battered last season and right now don't look any better.

 

[bridgeno1]

Your whole first paragraph is just re-wording what I said in my very first sentence. I know it's only 1 game. As for arsenal being more impressive than city, that's just false on every level. City had more than double the shots Arsenal had, double the shots on target, 17% more possession, it was a complete dismantling. PSV aren't "significantly better" than Red Star either. Both were in pot 3, Red Star actually 1 place higher in the coefficent rankings than psv. Theyre very much at a similar level but if you absolutely have to say one is better than the other, based on the only thing available to us to help determine that, Red Star are better than psv.

And for the record, you're correct, I didn't watch arsenal last night, I didn't have to, we smashed them 3 times last season and see them play most weeks. We know arsenal aren't even close to our level and arent a concern to us. There's only 2 teams that could possibly make that claim, Madrid and bayern. Both of whom we also battered last season and right now don't look any better.

By 'smashed them 3 times last season' I presume you meant 'narrowly defeated their B team in the FA Cup, won against the run of play at the Emirates by being super clinical in front of goal and then comprehensively beat a side that had Rob Holding at centre back at the Etihad?'

You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

City ARE better than Arsenal. Not everywhere, but in some key areas. Haaland for sure, Dias for sure. But most importantly Pep by a million miles. Doesn't mean teams won't try and get better and learn from it. Like I said elsewhere, you guys deservedly won the treble last season but just as easily could have won fuck all -Arsenal shat their pants in the league, the Rags could have nicked the FA Cup final and Edersen played a blinder in the CL final. It is about small details.

Enjoy it, you deserve it and lord knows you waited long enough for it. But also be humble enough to understand nothing can be taken for granted, you need to maintain and grow your levels because other teams will increase theirs

 

[ninjamonkey]

By 'smashed them 3 times last season' I presume you meant 'narrowly defeated their B team in the FA Cup, won against the run of play at the Emirates by being super clinical in front of goal and then comprehensively beat a side that had Rob Holding at centre back at the Etihad?'

You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

City ARE better than Arsenal. Not everywhere, but in some key areas. Haaland for sure, Dias for sure. But most importantly Pep by a million miles. Doesn't mean teams won't try and get better and learn from it. Like I said elsewhere, you guys deservedly won the treble last season but just as easily could have won fuck all -Arsenal shat their pants in the league, the Rags could have nicked the FA Cup final and Edersen played a blinder in the CL final. It is about small details.

Enjoy it, you deserve it and lord knows you waited long enough for it. But also be humble enough to understand nothing can be taken for granted, you need to maintain and grow your levels because other teams will increase theirs

That's some twist you've put on it. Sound like that Ty fella from aftv with spin like that. City also played a weakened side in the fa cup by the way and arsenal ended the game with their strongest 11 possible on the pitch and still lost. The scoreline was tight, but the game wasn't.

At the Emirates, we didn't win against the run of play, we deliberately set up in that manner in the first half and it went to plan perfectly as we strolled to a 3-1 win that could and should have been more and arsenals only goal came from a dodgy penalty.

Then at the etihad when it mattered most with the title on the line arsenal got absolutely smashed off the park and playing 1 player who isn't a regular starter altered the game very little. Saliba doesn't change a 4-1 drubbing into anything other than a defeat. No mention of city being forced to play the right footed centre back akanji at left back I see... But listen, if you want to pretend arsenal didn't get taught a lesson 3 times then fill your boots.

No, City are better in every department. Arsenals best players are generally the players we were happy to sell because they wasn't starting enough here. Arsenal have 1 player who might get into our strongest side in Saka and even then it's only a maybe, nobody else.

 

[bridgeno1]

That's some twist you've put on it. Sound like that Ty fella from aftv with spin like that. City also played a weakened side in the fa cup by the way and arsenal ended the game with their strongest 11 possible on the pitch and still lost. The scoreline was tight, but the game wasn't.

At the Emirates, we didn't win against the run of play, we deliberately set up in that manner in the first half and it went to plan perfectly as we strolled to a 3-1 win that could and should have been more and arsenals only goal came from a dodgy penalty.

Then at the etihad when it mattered most with the title on the line arsenal got absolutely smashed off the park and playing 1 player who isn't a regular starter altered the game very little. Saliba doesn't change a 4-1 drubbing into anything other than a defeat. No mention of city being forced to play the right footed centre back akanji at left back I see... But listen, if you want to pretend arsenal didn't get taught a lesson 3 times then fill your boots.

No, City are better in every department. Arsenals best players are generally the players we were happy to sell because they wasn't starting enough here. Arsenal have 1 player who might get into our strongest side in Saka and even then it's only a maybe, nobody else.

Ok, you must be right.

 

[kaz7]

Ok, you must be right.

He is right , we are better than you , get over it

 

[ninjamonkey]

Ok, you must be right.

Dispute any of it...