Premier Lg EPL Matchday 23 - On Optus Sport

[SM]

What did I say a few weeks ago? The PL these days is just watching 9 months of football only to see how City wins the title this year.

 

[glenferry23]

Still a game in hand but this is quite the blow to Arsenal, this was a must not lose match. And with this form wobble there’s no certainty that match in hand will be capitalised on anyway.

 

[jod23]

Still a game in hand but this is quite the blow to Arsenal, this was a must not lose match. And with this form wobble there’s no certainty that match in hand will be capitalised on anyway.

And you still have to go to the Etihad right?

 

[SM]

Worst bit about this performance from Arsenal is City have been pretty poor away from home this season. It's the game at the Etihad that should have been the bigger worry so this is pretty much title race done.

 

[charcoalchicken]

That’s the title gone in a week *

 

[glenferry23]

And you still have to go to the Etihad right?

Yes. Essentially a worst case scenario result for Arsenal tonight.

 

[moomba]

What did I say a few weeks ago? The PL these days is just watching 9 months of football only to see how City wins the title this year.

We've not won anything yet.

 

[boncer34]

Bye

 

[moomba]

Great result for us. But much tighter than the score suggests.

More than anything, this is a big mental test for Arsenal. Their first dip of the year, and they need to find a way to get through it.

It was such a tough test for us, and as a group I thought Arsenal showed a lot of courage. Few individual mistakes though that really cost Arsenal, and that will be something Arteta will look at.

Just saw 36% possession today, lots of hoofball. Very different City side today.

 

[SM]

We've not won anything yet.

OK lol.

 

[hawkman]

RIP Arsenal title challenge - November 2022-February 2023

Cause of death - An undrawn line

 

[QuietB]

Great result for us. But much tighter than the score suggests.

More than anything, this is a big mental test for Arsenal. Their first dip of the year, and they need to find a way to get through it.

It was such a tough test for us, and as a group I thought Arsenal showed a lot of courage. Few individual mistakes though that really cost Arsenal, and that will be something Arteta will look at.

Just saw 36% possession today, lots of hoofball. Very different City side today.

Those few individual mistakes were dire. With the pressure City apply Arsenal simply were not sharp enough - they are not there yet.

 

[moomba]

Those few individual mistakes were dire. With the pressure City apply Arsenal simply were not sharp enough - they are not there yet.

It may turn out that way, but they're not far off it.

Their overall performance was very impressive.

Controversial maybe, cause he's done a great job there but you want Zinchenko as a fringe/sub player in a title winning team?

 

[SM]

Thought Zinchenko was one of Arsenals best this morning.

 

[moomba]

OK lol.

A month or so ago our arrogance was going to hand a league title to Arsenal according to you. Things change quickly in football.

We'd be foolish to think we've won anything yet, Arsenal win their game in hand and they're 3 points clear in top spot.

 

[Zidane98]

Shithouse call on the pen for Arse, just seen it. That's a collision, not a foul.


Think the offside also helped out the ref on the other pen call. Haaland pulled back Gabriel first who reacted by pulling Halland back in return. I bet that wouldn't have been overturned if there was no offside.


To me, a VAR panel of 5 is needed to make decisions more reliable. If 4 out of 5 vote for the decision to be reversed, it is reversed. Simple, effective way of enforcing the clear & obvious component of the VAR system.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Well done agent Jorginho.
Joins the gunners and they get 1/9 points.

 

[kreglze]

Probably why so many Arsenal fans were reluctant to say they were in a title race, this young team have a mistake or two in them.

City walk this in now, the worst thing that happened to Arsenal was these charges against Man City, it just fired them up.

Just need to make sure we don't drop out of the top 4. Starts against Villa this week.

 

[And_ROOS]

Probably why so many Arsenal fans were reluctant to say they were in a title race, this young team have a mistake or two in them.

City walk this in now, the worst thing that happened to Arsenal was these charges against Man City, it just fired them up.

Just need to make sure we don't drop out of the top 4. Starts against Villa this week.

Watched a video about how managers want an "us against the rest" mentality to galvanize the team, and how managers try to create it with varying results, but that when it catches, its lightning in a bottle.

But the issue for Arsenal is depth. Was at the start of the season, was at the midway point of the season. The second Jesus got injured and we had to rely on Nketiah we were ****ed. He can score goals, but can't contribute in build up the way Jesus does.
Its no coincidence that once Jesus got injured, career best seasons from Xhaka and Martinelli have completely fallen off a cliff.

If Jesus comes back at all this season, maybe we get something out of it. But while we have to rely on a fox in the box striker, we are always going to struggle.

 

[SM]

A month or so ago our arrogance was going to hand a league title to Arsenal according to you. Things change quickly in football.

We'd be foolish to think we've won anything yet, Arsenal win their game in hand and they're 3 points clear in top spot.

Think you missed a few key words in those comments, nothing's changed, I've always maintained City were going to win the title. Saying that IF Arsenal won it THEN City would be pretty embarrassed to have provided them two key assets in Zinchenko and Jesus is not really the same thing.

 

[SM]

Watched a video about how managers want an "us against the rest" mentality to galvanize the team, and how managers try to create it with varying results, but that when it catches, its lightning in a bottle.

But the issue for Arsenal is depth. Was at the start of the season, was at the midway point of the season. The second Jesus got injured and we had to rely on Nketiah we were ****ed. He can score goals, but can't contribute in build up the way Jesus does.
Its no coincidence that once Jesus got injured, career best seasons from Xhaka and Martinelli have completely fallen off a cliff.

If Jesus comes back at all this season, maybe we get something out of it. But while we have to rely on a fox in the box striker, we are always going to struggle.

Isn't Jesus due back in 2-3 weeks?

 

[apollo_creed]

Gee Manchester United only 5 points off the top now…

 

[UnitedWarrior93]

Gee Manchester United only 5 points off the top now…

And we’ve already played Arsenal and City twice.

In all seriousness, we aren’t in the picture, don’t have the squad for it.

 

[And_ROOS]

Isn't Jesus due back in 2-3 weeks?

I can only hope, but I have seen over the last 15 years that 2-3 weeks in Arsenal medical talk can be anywhere between 1 day and 14 months.

 

[kreglze]

Watched a video about how managers want an "us against the rest" mentality to galvanize the team, and how managers try to create it with varying results, but that when it catches, its lightning in a bottle.

But the issue for Arsenal is depth. Was at the start of the season, was at the midway point of the season. The second Jesus got injured and we had to rely on Nketiah we were ****ed. He can score goals, but can't contribute in build up the way Jesus does.
Its no coincidence that once Jesus got injured, career best seasons from Xhaka and Martinelli have completely fallen off a cliff.

If Jesus comes back at all this season, maybe we get something out of it. But while we have to rely on a fox in the box striker, we are always going to struggle.

Jesus is a massive loss, and I think this run shows Nketiah probably doesn't have what it takes to be a top level striker, still think he can do a job off the bench however. The Balogun/Jesus/Nketiah quandary is easier to answer.