Will we win the league this season?

[MCFC1993]

Arsenal aren't going to fail to beat the Dippers, no chance. Dippers will try to attack and their powderpuff midfield will be overrun.The banana skin game is the match vs the Rags - we have form for messing that fixture up.

Also Leeds away is no gimme.

I have Arsenal getting 14 from the next 6 games and City 12.

I've got;

Arsenal: Bmth(A) win. Lvpl (H) win. Forest (A) win. Rags (H) draw. Leeds (A) draw. Sunderland (H) win.

City: Chelsea (H) win. Brighton (H) win. Rags (A) draw. Wolves (H) win. Spuds (A) draw. Lvpl (A) draw.

The week 1st -8th Feb is a really tricky one for City with Newcastle sandwiched in between Spuds and Dippers.

To be honest I had Arsenal drawing 1 away game and 1 home game, Liverpool or United and Forest or Leeds, I just hedged on it being Liverpool and Forest. Bournemouth also potentially tricky but you will win some of them. So 14 points, 2 draws in there, I just don't know where.

If I was being pessimistic I'd have us on 12 losing to Spurs and Liverpool but going optimistic and saying we beat Spurs. I'll say 15 points and we claw a point back.

Even in your scenario where we lose 2 points on you, 6 points after those tricky February games is acceptable.

 

[MCFC1993]

I look at it more broadly and ultimately we have tough away games based on league positions and Arsenal have those at home. Our away form hasn't been very good for a while - Real being the standout victory in about two years.

Something has to significantly change for us to think we can win the league ahead of Arsenal when we still have to go to the swamp, Chelsea and Anfield and Arsenal play their toughest games at home.

Works both ways, Arsenal essentially have harder home games and tricky away games.

Whereas we have easier home games but trickier harder away games.

For the next 6 weeks it's going to feel like they don't have a week off, whereas some of our home games should hopefully feel like we do.

They're without doubt favourites but the race hasn't really started yet.

 

[bridgeno1]

To be honest I had Arsenal drawing 1 away game and 1 home game, Liverpool or United and Forest or Leeds, I just hedged on it being Liverpool and Forest. Bournemouth also potentially tricky but you will win some of them. So 14 points, 2 draws in there, I just don't know where.

If I was being pessimistic I'd have us on 12 losing to Spurs and Liverpool but going optimistic and saying we beat Spurs. I'll say 15 points and we claw a point back.

Even in your scenario where we lose 2 points on you, 6 points after those tricky February games is acceptable.

Yeah I'd say if the gap is the same at the end of this run then that's a decent outcome as Arsenal still have to go to the Etihad and if it's a match that City know they have to win at that time then Pep can throw the kitchen sink at it. No way will Arsenal go to the Etihad to do anything other than keep it tight and try and sneak a goal on the counter or from a set piece.

 

[Danny Tiatto]

Arsenal aren't going to fail to beat the Dippers, no chance. Dippers will try to attack and their powderpuff midfield will be overrun.The banana skin game is the match vs the Rags - we have form for messing that fixture up.

Also Leeds away is no gimme.

I have Arsenal getting 14 from the next 6 games and City 12.

I've got;

Arsenal: Bmth(A) win. Lvpl (H) win. Forest (A) win. Rags (H) draw. Leeds (A) draw. Sunderland (H) win.

City: Chelsea (H) win. Brighton (H) win. Rags (A) draw. Wolves (H) win. Spuds (A) draw. Lvpl (A) draw.

The week 1st -8th Feb is a really tricky one for City with Newcastle sandwiched in between Spuds and Dippers.

The dippers have already beaten you this season and also defeated the likes of both Madrids, Villa & Inter Milan. They have been awful but have proven they still have the ability to get up for one off matches against other big teams.

It’s your arrogance that will come back to bite you as it always does. Completely writing off other teams in the premier league is just foolish. You’re not as good as you think you are and whilst favourites for these upcoming matches you can also drop points in any of them.

As a certain Norwegian striker once famously said…stay humble eh

 

[Stopstandthere]

I hope so and there is still half way to go.

 

[hampshireblue]

It really could go either way. To put it into context, at the start of this week the only difference between the 2 sides was the Martinelli equaliser at the Emirates. Without that we would have been top and after the latest games 2 points behind. It's on a knife edge but we do need to start getting Erling some decent service.

 

[Brightwell Bros.]

The only reasonable thing that any supporter can ask for is to still be in a title race by January.

 

[eastmanc]

A lot of Blues on this thread should be doing the pools because they already know what's going to happen. Teams lose games you don't expect them to. Look no further than some of the results City have had on our way to winning numerous titles like getting beat by Brentford at home in the treble winning season. You never know what's going to happen, keep the faith.

 

[Ivan Lentil]

Their last 7/8 fixtures of the season are very good. We need to catch up and go ahead of them in the next 2/3 months

Have you never seen a title run in before ? There’s no such thing as a good game in the run in.

Every time we’ve gone head to head for the title Arsenal have dropped points in supposedly easy games in the run in.

 

[Ivan Lentil]

I do get a little bit frustrated and irritated with this constant Arsenal are going to bottle it again claim. People are convincing themselves that Arsenal will bottle the title again this season because they have done in previous seasons.

Arsenal have a much better team and squad than last season. They have bought some good new players. The Christmas period has shown even with their injuries and the team not playing well, they are still winning games, and remain top of the table, 4 points clear of City. Once Arsenal get all their players back fit and playing, there isn’t a better squad or team in the PL at the moment in my opinion.

If people genuinely think Arsenal will bottle it this season like they have done in the past, fair, enough, but looking at their new signings, the squad, and the team, I can’t see it myself.

I think City will push Arsenal as far as they can, maybe all the way for the title, but I think Arsenal will win the title this season. And yes, I could be wrong about that.

Have they really got a much better team and squad or is that just media fed nonsense based on them having a decent start ?

The eye test suggests they don’t have a better team and more importantly the fact is that they have fewer points this season than at the same stage in other seasons when they’ve failed to win the title. So I don’t really see on what basis people are heralding them as a much more complete outfit.

Well I do, it’s cos they’ve spent heavily. But money spent doesn’t always equal improvement. Look at the dippers and the rags.

 

[Danny Tiatto]

I do get a little bit frustrated and irritated with this constant Arsenal are going to bottle it again claim. People are convincing themselves that Arsenal will bottle the title again this season because they have done in previous seasons.

Arsenal have a much better team and squad than last season. They have bought some good new players. The Christmas period has shown even with their injuries and the team not playing well, they are still winning games, and remain top of the table, 4 points clear of City. Once Arsenal get all their players back fit and playing, there isn’t a better squad or team in the PL at the moment in my opinion.

If people genuinely think Arsenal will bottle it this season like they have done in the past, fair, enough, but looking at their new signings, the squad, and the team, I can’t see it myself.

I think City will push Arsenal as far as they can, maybe all the way for the title, but I think Arsenal will win the title this season. And yes, I could be wrong about that.

Except what you have failed to realise is that title races come down to who has the strongest mentality not necessarily the most quality.

And there is nothing to suggest that arsenal have gotten over that mental hurdle that has prevented them from winning ZERO trophies in 5 years.

You really don’t realise the level of pressure arsenal will be under come the final run in to get over the line and the closer we are on their tail that is just going to amplify.

Our job is to keep them in sight and if we do we will reel them in.

 

[youngbob]

No idea if we're gonna do it, but after that Sunderland game I'm giving us more of a chance than I have at any point this season so far. Arsenal have to get back to their peak form of the autumn/winter period, while City have to hope that Rodri and potentially Semenyo can add to our improved form. Two contrasting styles of almost equal quality, two passionate managers, plus a showdown game at the Etihad still to come.

I would have been happy with 75-80 points and a cup run this year. Instead, we're right in the mix ahead of schedule. God I'm loving being in a title race again. I'm just gonna enjoy this one regardless of how it ends up. We've already won enough trophies for a lifetime and still being in the hunt for more after all this time is a massive bonus 99% of football fans never experience. What a time we've had the last 15 years, supporting this club.

 

[rodrizontal]

Arsenal aren't going to fail to beat the Dippers, no chance. Dippers will try to attack and their powderpuff midfield will be overrun.The banana skin game is the match vs the Rags - we have form for messing that fixture up.

Also Leeds away is no gimme.

I have Arsenal getting 14 from the next 6 games and City 12.

I've got;

Arsenal: Bmth(A) win. Lvpl (H) win. Forest (A) win. Rags (H) draw. Leeds (A) draw. Sunderland (H) win.

City: Chelsea (H) win. Brighton (H) win. Rags (A) draw. Wolves (H) win. Spuds (A) draw. Lvpl (A) draw.

The week 1st -8th Feb is a really tricky one for City with Newcastle sandwiched in between Spuds and Dippers.

Arsenal will drop points against Bournemouth.

 

[Mancity1980]

No idea if we're gonna do it, but after that Sunderland game I'm giving us more of a chance than I have at any point this season so far. Arsenal have to get back to their peak form of the autumn/winter period, while City have to hope that Rodri and potentially Semenyo can add to our improved form. Two contrasting styles of almost equal quality, two passionate managers, plus a showdown game at the Etihad still to come.

I would have been happy with 75-80 points and a cup run this year. Instead, we're right in the mix ahead of schedule. God I'm loving being in a title race again. I'm just gonna enjoy this one regardless of how it ends up. We've already won enough trophies for a lifetime and still being in the hunt for more after all this time is a massive bonus 99% of football fans never experience. What a time we've had the last 15 years, supporting this club.

Pal, I’ve enjoyed the last 45 years, I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

 

[youngbob]

Pal, I’ve enjoyed the last 45 years, I wouldn’t change any of it for the world.

I've enjoyed the 27 years I've been a blue (christ) but I'll admit to letting some of the title races get to me once the target was in sight. Not this year, though.

 

[Gorbachev]

Arsenal will drop points against Bournemouth.

Would love it to happen, even a draw, but Bournemouth's form is relegation level at the moment.

Not won a game in 10.

 

[jayblue]

Arsenal will drop points but we will drop more unfortunately so its a no from me.

 

[Swales]

I think we’ll romp it.

 

[bridgeno1]

The dippers have already beaten you this season and also defeated the likes of both Madrids, Villa & Inter Milan. They have been awful but have proven they still have the ability to get up for one off matches against other big teams.

It’s your arrogance that will come back to bite you as it always does. Completely writing off other teams in the premier league is just foolish. You’re not as good as you think you are and whilst favourites for these upcoming matches you can also drop points in any of them.

As a certain Norwegian striker once famously said…stay humble eh

My arrogance? You've spent the vast majority of your time on this thread saying Arsenal will bottle the league, as if there's no difference to the team's squad depth this time round! The evidence so far indicates they won't. They've won at Newcastle despite being 1-0 down at 83 minutes. Conceded an injury time equaliser to Wolves and then went up the other end and scored. Had some wobbles in recent games but held on. All with a horrendous injury list that is now alleviating meaning soon there will basically be a full squad to choose from. All games they wouldn't have done so in the last couple of seasons BTW as we had absolute crap to come in when a key man got injured.

I can't say for sure Arsenal will win the league but it would be dangerous from a City perspective to do anything other than focus on City's results and reel off win after win. If you go 7 points behind and expect Arsenal to bottle it this season then I think you'll be disappointed, not the least because you'll have to make up that many points yourself and this is a City team in transition that's lost one of the best playmakers the league has ever seen, and with some other historically key players coming to the end of their City careers, whilst bedding in the next generation. This ain't the Centurions hunting Arsenal down. The bookies aren't stupid.

 

[Blue Coop]

If Rodri stays fit then I think we will. I think we’re finding our rhythm and we’ll win out at home.. Which includes beating Arsenal. Away from home we’ll both drop points, but when that finish line gets close they’ll drop points in a handful of games which will be enough.

Either way, I think the squad we are assembling is exciting and young - we’ll challenge for years to come and I think we’ll win plenty of titles in the next couple.