Rival Watch

We should be aiming at Chelsea.

It's not likely that they'll drop enough points to make it possible but it's better to set the bar higher than merely trying to get away from United, Liverpool etc.

Sina wrote:10 tackles, 9 interceptions & 21 ball recoveries





UNREAL!

I hope we can get him here. I read somewhere there are plans to offer Arteta a new contract. Wenger must be crazy I'd ship Flamini and Arteta out and bring Morgan in.

Ramsey
Wilshere
Coquelin
Schneiderlin

Now that is some serious rotational Center play.

GoonerJay29 wrote:Screw it, we're gonna win the league. 14 game winning streak incoming.

Seriously, though, I can't see Chelsea screwing away enough points for us to get into the title picture at the last minute. Even if they did, we would have win all of our remaining games, in all likelihood, which isn't likely to happen.

At this point, we should focus on distancing ourselves from the chasing pack as much as possible and seeing if we can overtake City. Last season we finished 4th but only seven points off the title winners. If we finish 2nd and seven points off Chelsea, and win the FA Cup, that would be an improvement on last season.

If we just win the next 3.. which are all tough but winnable games, Newcastle (A), Lpool (H) and Burnley (A).. then Chelsea have a tough game against us at home, followed by a very busy week for them.. Like MJ said - its unlikely of course, but nothing to lose from aiming high.

This is just me being paranoid, but the risk that comes with aiming so high at this late stage is that the team suddenly starts playing under more pressure, simply because the stakes have become higher. For example, say if Chelsea and City play first and both lose; can this Arsenal team cope with the pressure of knowing that winning will close the gap? And if we buckle under the pressure and drop points where we shouldn't, suddenly we're back amongst the teams chasing 3rd and 4th and looking over our shoulders again.

So my mentality right now is very much "let's just see what happens". If we win our next three and the gap becomes four points along the way, then sure, I'll happily join the improbable title chase bandwagon.

Chelsea's next three:

Hull (A), Stoke (H), QPR (A) - Really can't see them dropping points. Hull is a potential banana skin, but Stoke aren't very good away to the top teams and QPR are all sorts of shit.

City's next three:

West Brom (H), Crytal Palace (A), Man Utd (A) - Much more potential for them to be dropping points with two difficult away games.

Lol Jay we're only like 6 pts and 1 pt ahead of Liverpool (with game in hand) and United respectively, so we're still in that top 4 scrape.

I am very much in agreement with what Jay said, although El has a very valid point. We aren't at a stage where we don't have to look over our shoulder. We are leading a pack who are hot on our heels, just as Burnley put City ahead of a pack now chasing 2 spot as well. I'll update the Rival Watch table after the game tonight and you'll see my point reflected there.

We just have to keep winning, one game at a time, without thinking of how others are doing meanwhile. The easiest way to not feel the pressure is to limit the focus to winning our own games. You feel the pressure only when you start looking around and see how others are doing.

It is still important, mind you, to keep their form, fixtures and points in the field of vision. Just not important that we focus on that.

When I say 'aim at Chelsea' I don't mean that we put ourselves under any real pressure trying to close the gap but that we look up rather than look back knowing that we have nothing to lose by giving it a try to finish as close to Chelsea as possible.

Is there a worry about Arsenal gaining momentum?

Jose Mourinho: "What momentum, 3-1 against Monaco?"



Man talkin' like he ain't even lost to Bradford at home

Arrogant slob he is. We should just laugh at the stuff he says tbh. I know he didn't bring it up, but the guy is literally obsessed with us and Wenger.

#Voyeur

Welcome to another edition of Sri's PL Rival Watch.
The buzz word this week is momentum, of course.

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CHELSEA 1st 64pts 35GD
Home (5) : Everton, Burnley, Southampton, Stoke City, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Sunderland
Away (5)  : Leicester City*, West Ham United, Hull City, Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion

*- Postponed

=> Jog along. Nothing new, except some misplaced talk of title race opening up and momentum. #Voyeur #Campaign
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MAN CITY 2nd 58 pts 32GD
Home (5)  : Newcastle, Leicester, West Bromwich, West Ham, Aston Villa, Queens Park Rangers, Southampton
Away (4) : Stoke City, Liverpool, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City

=> BAH GAWD IT WAS BURNLEY!
Point to note -> Relegation fodder can spring surprises and disrupt momentum further.
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MAN UTD 4th 56pts 24GD
Home (4) : Burnley, Sunderland, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal
Away (5)  : Swansea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, Crystal Palace, Hull City

=> Last home game against Arsenal would be a 6 pointer in all likelihood. One point separates us from the two Manchester clubs on either side.

You can't bank on Spuds to bring you a toilet roll in time. Of course they were incapable of getting something out of the game.
So they ended up giving the initiative, and a bit of momentum, to United before a crucial 6-pointer trip to Anfield.
Hope is that they drop points in some of their four big games - two home and two away.

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LIVERPOOL 5th 54pts 13GD
Home (4) : Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Burnley, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Crystal Palace
Away (5)  : Southampton, Swansea City, Arsenal, Hull, West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, Stoke City

=> What form they are in - and a well managed death run. Continue an upward climb and a fair shout to finish as high as third, if not second, if they keep it going. Still have a few big games though, but no non-league distractions any more. Only 4 games left at Anfield.
2 big away games could be a concern, but don't see them dropping the momentum.

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SOTON 6th 50pts 19GD
Home (4) : West Ham, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Hull, Tottenham, Aston Villa
Away (5)  : West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, Everton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Leicester,  Manchester City

=> Starting to lose momentum in the top four race, surely? Trail Liverpool by 4 points now.
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SCUM 7th 50pts 4GD
Home (4) : West Ham, Swansea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Hull City
Away (5)  : Liverpool, Queens Park Rangers,  Manchester United, Burnley, Newcastle United, Southampton, Stoke City, Everton

=> Still waiting for the DVD of being above us for 3 days - now they are 7 points behind. Meanwhile, just look at that GD

Momen...what?
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cant wait to see this post get updated again after next matchday

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:cant wait to see this post get updated again after next matchday

Hopefully Liverpool will be 3 points up in the table.

FRANTIC wrote:

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:cant wait to see this post get updated again after next matchday

Hopefully Liverpool will be 3 points up in the table.

A tie would be better no?

Na a tie will be good at the Emirates in the week after this one.

So, a decent weekend overall. Liverpool's loss means the gap between us and them is six points, so that gives us some leeway when we play them next week if we need it.

Could have been a better weekend had Chelsea dropped points, but thanks to McGregor they won 3-2. We're still seven points behind them having played a game more. It's probably best to end any talk of a late title charge now.

Post international break, we play Liverpool, United are home to Villa and City are away to Palace.

Welcome to another edition of Sri's PL Rival Watch.

It  has been a rather intense weekend.

_____________________________________________________________________
CHELSEA 1st 67pts 36GD
Home (5) : Everton, Burnley, Southampton, Stoke City, Manchester United, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Sunderland
Away (4)  : Leicester City*, West Ham United, Hull City, Queens Park Rangers, Arsenal, West Bromwich Albion

*- Postponed

=> Remy bagged the winner at the KC Stadium. Still have a game in hand, against Leicester. More or less wrapped up the title, despite having to host United and Liverpool and travelling to Emirates.
_____________________________________________________________________
MAN CITY 2nd 61 pts 34GD
Home (4)  : Newcastle, Leicester, West Bromwich, West Ham, Aston Villa, Queens Park Rangers, Southampton
Away (4) : Stoke City, Liverpool, Burnley, Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City

=> Comfortable 3-0 win against a pathetic WBA who got a reeeeaaaally early red. Maintain 2nd with a 1 point gap. Still to host Soton and travels to OT and WHL.
_____________________________________________________________________
MAN UTD 4th 59pts 25GD
Home (4) : Burnley, Sunderland, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City, West Bromwich Albion, Arsenal
Away (4)  : Swansea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Chelsea, Everton, Crystal Palace, Hull City

=> Last home game against Arsenal would be a 6 pointer in all likelihood. One point separates us from the two Manchester clubs on either side. It's not a comfortable position to be in.

Wins against Spurs and now at Anfield have put them in a relative position of strength. We are only too well aware of the psychological and momentum boosts such wins provide. Still have City and Arsenal at OT and a trip to the Bridge, but with this run they're putting together...

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LIVERPOOL 5th 54pts 12GD
Home (3) : Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Burnley, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Crystal Palace
Away (5)  : Southampton, Swansea City, Arsenal, Hull, West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, Stoke City

=> The streak has ended with a home loss to United.
Good news for them: Unlike the teams above them who have 3, they have only 2 big games left.
Bad news for them: Both big games are away, as are 5 of the remaining 8 fixtures.

FA Cup will have a more serious focus from them, especially since they have slipped a bit in the top 4 race today. It's not easy to catch up. That said, I am also feeling convinced that they'll end up knicking some points at the Emirates just to mix things up a bit more. Yay.

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SOTON 6th 53pts 21GD
Home (3) : West Ham, Liverpool, Crystal Palace, Burnley, Hull, Tottenham, Aston Villa
Away (5)  : West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, Everton, Stoke City, Sunderland, Leicester,  Manchester City

=> Liverpool's loss means that Soton are now 1 point behind them and breathing down their neck.

Like Liverpool, they have 5 away games left with one tough-ish home game to Spuds (6-pointer) and one game away at the Etihad being the two big ones. Could they overhaul Liverpool in the coming weeks?

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SCUM 7th 53pts 5GD
Home (3) : West Ham, Swansea, Leicester, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Hull City
Away (5)  : Liverpool, Queens Park Rangers,  Manchester United, Burnley, Newcastle United, Southampton, Stoke City, Everton

=> Still waiting for the DVD of being above us for 3 days - now they are 7 points behind. Meanwhile, just look at that GD

Leicester gave them a god run for their money in a 4-3 encounter at WHL. Leicester are 20th in the table.
This last part always cheers me up, no matter how intense the earlier games are.

Oh they're tied with Soton on points (did I mention their GD? ) and have 5 away games left, with one tough game at Soton (6-pointer) and hosting City at the WHL.

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The similarities in the fixtures remaining is startling, for the current top 4 teams, as well as the 5-7 positioned teams.

What does that mean? Expect a good deal of dropped points, heartbreaks, trolling and a gamut of emotion rollercoasters in the coming weeks.

Rest assured, I'll try to keep you posted along the way.

Sri is a beautiful poster

well the success during that death run had succeeded in fooling me that we might pip United for top 4. But my earlier expectations were that we will have a 'f*** up' somewhere during this run and that is what will leave us short at 5th at the end of the season trailing by 1-2 points. But that stupid f up came against Utd . Looking at the fixtures, the only possible way we will finish in top 4 is if we beat one of Arsenal or Chelsea.

Winning at Chelsea, should be almost impossible and winning at Emirates, will be too much for us, that too straight after losing to Utd at home. Except that last 2-0 win in 2011-12 season, which we were really lucky to get, I dont remember Livepool winning at Emirates at all. So I think it is too unrealistic that Utd needs to drop 5 points and then we have to make sure that we gain on those 5 points by winning those corresponding fixtures.

HEIL MEIN REDS wrote:well the success during that death run had succeeded in fooling me that we might pip United for top 4. But my earlier expectations were that we will have a 'f*** up' somewhere during this run and that is what will leave us short at 5th at the end of the season trailing by 1-2 points. But that stupid f up came against Utd . Looking at the fixtures, the only possible way we will finish in top 4 is if we beat one of Arsenal or Chelsea.

Winning at Chelsea, should be almost impossible and winning at Emirates, will be too much for us, that too straight after losing to Utd at home. Except that last 2-0 win in 2011-12 season, which we were really lucky to get, I dont remember Livepool winning at Emirates at all. So I think it is too unrealistic that Utd needs to drop 5 points and then we have to make sure that we gain on those 5 points by winning those corresponding fixtures.

testing times for the brotherhood aye ??

HMR trying really hard to tempt GL jinx powers.


Also, @MJ - habibi!

^no not at all that was a genuine post !

^Sure, I believe you

ffs create a thread for our match already ffs. Want to start discussing it and all the suspensions/injuries we have

We'll be officially out of top 4 if we lose against Arsenal imo. Must draw it some way.

It's like Tuesday. These scrubs are always late with the previews

















































































Just kidding Sam, RG and co. who chip in every now and then, love you guys ffs.