Arsenal 1 - 1 Manchester City: A Game of Two Halves

The real question is, in terms of accurately predicting the future, who's better, Professor X when hooked up to Ultimate cerebro, or ExtremistEnigma?

Do you not understand the meaning of the word 'potential'?

So you're asking me to acknowledge the supposed idea that we're out of the title race on the basis that a scenario that could see us knocked out of the running MIGHT happen and, yet, MIGHT not?

Until we're mathematically out and it's numerically impossible for us to win, we're still in the title race

As someone pointed out previously, Arsenal are in the title race as much Everton are. Mathematically, as of now, even Tottenham are in the title race.

I like your optimism, I really do, but it is as clear as a crystal that Arsenal are not in the title race. It will take a miracle, such as all of us, Chelsea, and Man City dropping points simultaneously against scrub teams. It is quite unrealistic.

Let's put it this way.

Arsenal need Man City to lose 3 of their remaining 8 games - 5 at home - (and drop point in another one for GD) while Arsenal win all their remaining 6 to overcome the favourites.

It's possible, but unrealistic and improbable.

I admire the optimism lex but sometimes its best to know when to give up.

Arsenal ain't in the race.

Tbf if Liverpool draw Chelsea and City at home (both very possible) and we win the two games that we play at the same time then we'll be 3 points off of the top.

That Everton bit was Raptor being the persistently pessimistic exaggerator he's sadly become this season. With the difference in fixtures they really don't have the same chance.

there are 18 points to play for. Nothing is guaranteed.

If we win the FA cup and finish in top 4, I would have taken that with a smile at the start of the season.

You guys remember this place after that 1st game?

Maybe we would have done alright if the fixtures were not as bad.

One player who has disappointed me this season is Giroud. Its not that he is bad, but he has yet to show up against a big team.

The ineptness of Giroud also highlights importance Walcott is to this Arsenal team. I personally think we have made progress from last year, so I cant really complain.

On Giroud

I think he's performed well for someone given the duties of a world class player with no backup. Frankly put, I love him, he works hard, he's good but let's not judge a fish on its ability to climb trees.

He's not the type to make darting runs or fancy tricks. He's the fulcrum to our attack and when the team plays around him, he flourishes. When he's poor it's usually the entire team is poor. That's why it's stupid to single him out. He hasn't scored against United, City, Chelsea this season. That's true but how many goals did we score against them? 4 in 6 games. That's pretty awful of the whole team.

He needs competition to play alongside him or oust him from the lineup when need be. But he's not as poor as the pessimists among us try and make him out to be,

You guys can go on dreaming but I know in reality the best we can achieve this season is the FA cup and 3rd in premier league.
The tittle dreamed died long time ago, you cant talk about when hammered by the main top 4 competitors (Chelsea, City, Liverpool) even United took 4 points off us. Let’s just focus on the FA Cup and finishing 3rd.

Oliver Giroud is the only reason why we are not topping the Table by 9 point and down by 9. Its a miracle we are in 4th place playing with 10men almost every game.

Giroud’s overall season rating if I’m honest, should be 3. I never thought we would get any worse strikers than Bendtner and Chamakh, but Giroud is the worse striker we have had as long as I remember.

I appreciate your fondness for hyperbole Raptor but I think most would agree that Olivier Giroud is not the only reason why we aren't topping the table, and that the sustained absence of key players such as Ramsey and Walcott might have more to do with it. Moreover, a player with 36 goals in two season, as well as around 20 assists, while not as high as we'd want it, has achieved considerably more than Bendtner and Chamakh.

Now I understand that raw statistical output isn't the best way to judge a player, but by all means it represents a decent return from a player who cost the club £10mil and has his fair share of limitations. It's perfectly reasonable to say he's not of the standard we're looking for, but at the same time it should be acknowledged that he's done well.

I know I was a bit harsh with my comments, But you cant deny he has been very poor and had he finished some of the great chances, we would not be in this situation. I know one player shouldn't take the blame for our poor form, but Giroud’s lack of ability cannot be ignored. He was a bad buy in the first place because he has no pace, and all around he doesn't even suit our play

I swear when Ramsey and Walcott were both out I knew our form would dip and subsequently shameless scapegoating would start.

When you lose half of your lineup the entire squad suffers. Get over it.

Ironically Giroud has the 4th highest amount of points won by his goals according to @KickArse

Giroud can be a decent player for WHU or Newcastle but for Arsenal not good enouph. Giroud has no ball control at all, doesnt make runs, misses regularly, and even his holdup play is pretty average. Compared to our great starting strikers in the past, Giroud is by far the worst we’ve had.

That goes back to what I said about having unrealistic expectations. He has his limits, no one is denying that but to say he's done nothing for us and isn't even good enough for the bench if/when we sign a world class striker is just false.

MJGunner wrote:That goes back to what I said about having unrealistic expectations. He has his limits, no one is denying that but to say he's done nothing for us and isn't even good enough for the bench if/when we sign a world class striker is just false.

+1

Negredo hasn't hit the net since January, imagine if he played for Arsenal