The Title Race - 2023/24

[Roachy]

Dunno what all the fuss is about. Our job doesn't change, win our games and we win it. The other teams can win every game 5-0, doesn't matter as long as we do our job.

Just because these past fews didn't include any losses for the other challengers, you only have to go back another 7 days to see they can drop points at any time, as can we.

Anyway, we know our job.

Precisely, nothing's changed. If anything, last night should have focused the lads a tad more. I've said it before and I will repeat it now, and that is whoever drops points from here is more or less doomed.

 

[bobbyowenquiff]

It really is black and white with no permutations. Win all six and we retain our title but one slip up and we don't.

We've had helping hands at different points of the season with the most crucial being last week when both of our rivals lost. That's it. We can't keep hoping one or both of them slip up. We haven't really got into monster mode but can we for these last games?

It is a straight fight now with no team distracted by Europe. Whoever comes out on top deserves to be Champions.

 

[vmsuhail]

I dont like this schedule difference. going 4 points behind from 2 points ahead without playing, it removes the chance of Arse playing potentially 6 points behind in a certain game with so much extra pressure.

had this scheduling be the other way around we now could be 8 points ahead with 2 more games ahead of Arse which puts them under sick amount pressure to win their next.

either way we cannot make any mistakes in last 6 games, brutal run is needed next 5 PL games 4 will away from home. this is the acid test.
Brighton away, they have lots of injuries but a decent side.
Forest away, they fight for their lives to avoid Champo, we messed up this fixture last season getting only 1-1.
Wolves at home, hopefully a simple win, albeit they will be happy to sit back and frustrate us with counters unless we can score early.
Fulham away, strange side, seen them play very compact and very well vs better sides too but also sometimes naive, easy to give up chances etc.
Spurs away absolute bogey side, Son to score against the run of play with his first counter chance of the game. they need 4th for CL. our league record at their place is horrific.
WHU absolute rubbish last few weeks. if we get to this game needing a win to win the title, I will be very optimistic.

this is hard enough, not even sure how would we manage this if now we had two more games vs Bayern in CL. we are not as good as last season, scoring goals not happening from that many sources (Gundo, Mahrez), Haaland scoring about 60/65% of what he did last time etc.

would really love Arse or dippers lose one more game to give us a chance to also have an off game

If Spurs are still in with a chance to make Top 4 by the time we play them, then it means they've taken points off Arsenal and Liverpool.

 

[supercity88]

They had a run of games they were winning 3-0, 4-0, even 5-0 before losing at home to Villa. In February their results were 4-1 against Newcastle, 3-1 against Liverpool, 6-0 away against West ham, 5-0 away against Burnley. That continued into March. After all that, shows what a reputation we have as ogres that they came to the Etihad and played the way they did, when they could have reasonably come to win it and seized the league by the scruff of the neck.
Not troubled about what happened last night. Tottenham is an interesting game, and the only one where they might feasibly drop points, in my view. Tottenham themselves have something serious to fight for. Chelsea had absolutely nothing after their washout of a season. I expect Arsenal'll probably beat them, and if they do, fair play to them. Arsenal have been a good team this season, probably the best of the three.
But we're no longer at the point where we should be worrying about the other two, and where they might drop points. We know what needs to be done.

The issue I still feel they have is that they are expending too much effort on games that are won. They had the 3pts in the bag last night yet Odegaard and Rice played the whole game and every tackle, block and chance was greeted with high 5s and chest bumps. The game was won lads, pass it around and see it out and rest for the next one.

They're wasting energy on games that are already done. It might not cost them, but I find it odd why they're not looking to control things more.

 

[supercity88]

In fairness, we'd have 'pissed the league' by now as we are, had two or three moments of luck gone our way instead of against us.

People forget how good we have actually been this season when swooning over Arsenal. A wee period of erratic games we absolutely dominated but didn't come away with all 3 points left us chasing instead of running away with it. But the truth is, I can't think of any more than 3 games we actually played bad in.

It's been odd this season in that we've been pretty good and deserving of more points. The late deflected goal at Arsenal, although we were toothless. The late equaliser against Chelsea away. The late equalisers against Spurs and Palace. Even the fairly late goal at home against the dippers. In the majority of those games we were the better side and deserved all three points.

Every season we have results we wouldn't expect, but usually it's through a poor performance. Brentford at home, Everton at home last year for example.

This time around we've been unlucky in quite a few games. Just need that to change now and to get the job done.

 

[Blue Maverick]

The issue I still feel they have is that they are expending too much effort on games that are won. They had the 3pts in the bag last night yet Odegaard and Rice played the whole game and every tackle, block and chance was greeted with high 5s and chest bumps. The game was won lads, pass it around and see it out and rest for the next one.

They're wasting energy on games that are already done. It might not cost them, but I find it odd why they're not looking to control things more.

They’ve 5 matches to go, they should be able to play a full 90 mins a game easily

 

[supercity88]

They’ve 5 matches to go, they should be able to play a full 90 mins a game easily

They've still got the fatigue of previous games in their legs. Certain players have played pretty much every minute this season and that will take its toll and their style of play relies on them being completely at it intensity wise. They weren't against Villa as fatigue hit them in the 2nd half and it cost them the game.

I'd still expect Pep to be bringing key players like Rodri and De Bruyne off if we were 3-0 up, even for 20mins rest.

 

[Edghill OG]

The scheduling is annoying. Arsenal will remain 2 games ahead of us pretty much till we play Fulham. Meaning we can't really put the pressure on them and overtake them Before they play.

They go to Spurs ahead as opposed to behind, quite a different mindset and the pressure isn't on as much. We saw the one time we were top of the table how it affected both teams, and we don't have the chance to do that to them again till their game at utd (unless they drop more points).

Which highlights just how significant that weekend they both lost really was.

As, had they won, we'd be going into our must win games in hand 7 points behind, and needing them to slip up as well as being perfect ourselves. As opposed to knowing that if we win, we go top.

Similarly, the pressure would have been completely off Arsenal as no matter what we did, we couldn't overtake them. That was a huge momentum swing. We just now need to ride it out, and with more favourable scheduling could really have used it to twist it right in!

Exactly my sentiments. A lot would fold, but over recent years we've held our nerve when others wouldn't have. Annoyingly for us it seems to bring the best out of the team when the games become 'must win' and there's no margin for error.

Be nice if we managed to keep some clean sheets and made our job a bit easier mind.

 

[MadchesterCity]

Bar Spurs, Arsenal will win their remaining games. We can’t afford a draw. Their goal difference isn’t catchable now. We have to win every game, including Spurs away.

Yup that's how I see it

 

[Lovebitesandeveryfing]

The issue I still feel they have is that they are expending too much effort on games that are won. They had the 3pts in the bag last night yet Odegaard and Rice played the whole game and every tackle, block and chance was greeted with high 5s and chest bumps. The game was won lads, pass it around and see it out and rest for the next one.

They're wasting energy on games that are already done. It might not cost them, but I find it odd why they're not looking to control things more.

We manage our games like that, because we go deep in all competitions. Every season, we run a marathon, not a sprint or even a 10,000 m. Furthermore, despite having a not very good season by our stratospheric standards, I note that we are still in two competitions. Liverpool aren't. Arsenal aren't. That's the difference.