The Title Race 2022/23

[BamberBridgeBlue]

I've just posted this in the Arsenal thread. It's not that I don't have faith in us going on a decent run of wins, but moreso - barring Arsenal going on a shit run between now and when we play them - that we're going to be playing even more catch-up than now due to rearranged fixtures:

Sounds like they made light work of Fulham yesterday. I think it's going to be a really tough ask for us now. Don't get me wrong, a 5 point gap when we still have to play them at home isn't insurmountable by any means but even if we match them point for point until that game, we could well be 11 points behind them come kick-off due to our involvement in the FA Cup. We're already playing one less game than them before the Arsenal fixture as a result of the West Ham home game being postponed and if we get past Burnley at the weekend it'll be 2 less as Brighton away will need to be rearranged too. I'd sooner have points in the bag than games in hand as the very real prospect of us being 11 points behind with 2 games in hand will give them added confidence. In those circumstances, they won't need to take too many risks against us and a draw will be a great result for them.

You ignore a number of factors. Winning a Premier League for the first time is difficult for any team, but Arsenal are particularly young. The jelly legs will kick in but that’s not saying they can’t overcome it. Also, there’s the dynamic of what teams they face might be playing for, relegation, Europe etc. Plenty of twists and turns yet.

 

[terraloon]

I've just posted this in the Arsenal thread. It's not that I don't have faith in us going on a decent run of wins, but moreso - barring Arsenal going on a shit run between now and when we play them - that we're going to be playing even more catch-up than now due to rearranged fixtures:

Sounds like they made light work of Fulham yesterday. I think it's going to be a really tough ask for us now. Don't get me wrong, a point gap when we still have to play them at home isn't insurmountable by any means but even if we match them point for point until that game, we could well be 11 points behind them come kick-off due to our involvement in the FA Cup. We're already playing one less game than them before the Arsenal fixture as a result of the West Ham home game being postponed and if we get past Burnley at the weekend it'll be 2 less as Brighton away will need to be rearranged too. I'd sooner have points in the bag than games in hand as the very real prospect of us being 11 points behind with 2 games in hand will give them added confidence. In those circumstances, they won't need to take too many risks against us and a draw will be a great result for them.

MC 18 it’s me in another thread !

Arsenal did indeed make light work of Fulham but the week before they struggled like hell against Bournemouth and indeed Sporting.

I watch every Arsenal game hoping they loose. Perhaps that says something about me but I detest their almost sense of entitlement something that we both have witnessed.

The difference between you and them is that you have been there and seen it all and the depth in quality as opposed to just numbers of your squad compared to them is a country mile apart. Their first 11 is very good but the back ups fail some distance short.
My bag of a fag packet cal are you will return to top spot by or upon you gaining 3 points from your game against Fulham at the end of April

 

[TinFoilHat]

Still Arsenals to lose.

I'm confident we'll beat them at home but I can still see us draw with someone we should be expected to beat.

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

If we need to win at Brentford I’d back us to do it. Have these last 5 or 6 years not proved anything to you regarding our ability to win titles?

Every time in the last ten years we've had to do the business on the last day we've done it. Every single one. We've made a bit of a meal of it at times — 2012, 2022! — but we've done it. Not worried about that final match.
But we've got to be within touching distance on that last day. I think we can do it, and as I've said elsewhere, Anfield and St James's Park away are both very thorny fixtures for Arsenal. But they do look good, and anyone who thinks they're just going to collapse is living in delusion land.
We'll see. Interesting season, anyway. Enjoying it…

 

[MCFC1993]

Still nowhere near over yet. It's a 1 game difference, we're just waiting for them to slip up in 1 game.

We have to assume that we're going into our game against them wanting to win, we've schooled them twice already this season.

If they only lose to us and win the rest then they finish on 96 points and we can't knock them for that.


We need to beat Liverpool and then that puts them under ridiculous pressure. They will be going into Anfield wanting to win, a draw (in their eyes) might not be enough. Anfield is a dangerous place to go when you need/want to win, as United found out. Same with St James' Park and Chelsea being a local rivalry would love to piss Arsenal off.

 

[Manc123]

Every time in the last ten years we've had to do the business on the last day we've done it. Every single one. We've made a bit of a meal of it at times — 2012, 2022! — but we've done it. Not worried about that final match.
But we've got to be within touching distance on that last day. I think we can do it, and as I've said elsewhere, Anfield and St James's Park away are both very thorny fixtures for Arsenal. But they do look good, and anyone who thinks they're just going to collapse is living in delusion land.
We'll see. Interesting season, anyway. Enjoying it…

I don't think anyone is thinking they will collapse. We literally need then to draw one game and we beat them at ours. Then all we have to do is match their results. I think they drop points at anfield and Newcastle. I also wouldn't rule out a shock drop against a Brighton or something.... I think there's many twists yet

 

[MCFC1993]

Big week anyway, we need Arsenal to knock Sporting out this week.

Looking at the fixtures, Arsenal drawing United in the quarter-final (or semi-final) would be absolutely ideal:

 

[Alfie Budd]

Big week anyway, we need Arsenal to knock Sporting out this week.

Looking at the fixtures, Arsenal drawing United in the quarter-final (or semi-final) would be absolutely ideal:
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I genuinely wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal go out to Sporting this week. And if I was in their shoes that would probably be my preferred option. There are echoes of 2012 when we went out of the Europa against the same opposition and none of us were too fussed as we could concentrate on the title race. One big difference to now was that the rags were also in the EL and went out at the same stage as us.
I’ve said earlier it in this thread but it can’t be stressed how important it is (should we get past Leipzig) that we get a kind draw in the CL - it potentially takes pressure off league games and hopefully allows a bit more squad rotation.

 

[Theengelbert]

Every time in the last ten years we've had to do the business on the last day we've done it. Every single one. We've made a bit of a meal of it at times — 2012, 2022! — but we've done it. Not worried about that final match.
But we've got to be within touching distance on that last day. I think we can do it, and as I've said elsewhere, Anfield and St James's Park away are both very thorny fixtures for Arsenal. But they do look good, and anyone who thinks they're just going to collapse is living in delusion land.
We'll see. Interesting season, anyway. Enjoying it…

I still think they may collapse.. I know people are saying they won’t based on recent results but it’s a whole different game when you get to the business end of the season. If we’re still within 5 points with 4 games to go i would still fancy us

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

50/50 now give or take. 5 points is fuck all, and neither the players nor Pep look like they've given up anything.

Says a lot about our form of recent years that a five point lead is what you need to be considered a coin toss coming into the final turn. (Still don't think we're in the "run-in" but we are coming up to it).

The only thing I care about now is not letting them off the hook. If we do lose the league I'd like to take it to the final game or two. Make them sweat and work for it. Let's see if they do have the bottle. If they do we shake their hand, see what other silverware we can pick up, and go again next season.