Match reaction v West Spam

[Letters]

We have four spaces for five teams - City, Liverpool, Tottenham, Villa and us.

How did Villa and Spurs get on in the week?
Neither are credible title contenders. They might score more than us but they both have worse goal differences. So clearly they concede a lot too. Conceding 4 goals at Brighton, being 2-0 up at Old Trafford and losing. They’re both doing well but they’re not credible competitors. They don’t have the squad in depth we do.
Again, I’m pretty sure you were declaring top 4 a doubt after a wobble last season. (Admittedly I can’t find the posts, maybe it was someone else, but you do have a habit of overreacting to results)

Title was for me unlikely when we failed to beat any of Newcastle, Villa or Liverpool and now it’s over with

Rubbish. We’ve beaten City at home. We’ve drawn at Anfield. If those two are contenders, and they are, then those results tell me we are too. But I agree there are warning signs and if we don’t sign a striker then I agree the title is unlikely. But either way I can’t see us finishing outside the Top 4 because I can’t take Spurs or Villa seriously. A “you score 2, we’ll score 3” approach, while entertaining, is not the way to sustain a title challenge. And you need a squad depth they just don’t have.

[Marc Overmars]

I have no concerns over the top 4, it’s only half way so there’s bound to be a few results in it that could swing the table either way. If it’s like this in April then we’ll see.

As for the title, we absolutely do not have enough in attack to win the league. Something needs to change drastically here for us to have a realistic chance.

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

I have no concerns over the top 4, it’s only half way so there’s bound to be a few results in it that could swing the table either way. If it’s like this in April then we’ll see.

As for the title, we absolutely do not have enough in attack to win the league. Something needs to change drastically here for us to have a realistic chance.

Yeah, pretty much agree with you and Letters on this.

We'll finish top 4 because we are better than the other sides and just underperforming.

I mean if Arteta hadn't sabotaged one of the best keepers in the league last season and we didn't have to deal with the liability that is Zinchencko...hands down we'd have the best defence in the league.

Our forwards, though they're extremely underperforming are still above average.

Put simply, a quality striker, Partey back, Timber and Tomiyasu recovering and the old Ramsdale between the post....we are better than every team bar Citeh.

[HCZ_Reborn]

How did Villa and Spurs get on in the week?
Neither are credible title contenders. They might score more than us but they both have worse goal differences. So clearly they concede a lot too. Conceding 4 goals at Brighton, being 2-0 up at Old Trafford and losing. They’re both doing well but they’re not credible competitors. They don’t have the squad in depth we do.
Again, I’m pretty sure you were declaring top 4 a doubt after a wobble last season. (Admittedly I can’t find the posts, maybe it was someone else, but you do have a habit of overreacting to results)


Rubbish. We’ve beaten City at home. We’ve drawn at Anfield. If those two are contenders, and they are, then those results tell me we are too. But I agree there are warning signs and if we don’t sign a striker then I agree the title is unlikely. But either way I can’t see us finishing outside the Top 4 because I can’t take Spurs or Villa seriously. A “you score 2, we’ll score 3” approach, while entertaining, is not the way to sustain a title challenge. And you need a squad depth they just don’t have.

How did we get on during the week? Our loss to West Ham means we’ve gone from first to fourth. The fact is the race for the top four is incredibly tight. And as I’ve said the other teams can do something we can’t and that is score goals. If we’d bought a striker instead of needlessly wasting money on Havertz and Rice (yeah he’s played well for us, but he lacks the directness of a Partey which helps the opposition with the deep block).
We’ve scored three goals in four games, the title was always unlikely given we’ve spent over 600 million largely in places where we didn’t need to spend money. Teams know how to play against us, so there’s no reason to think top 4 is anyway guaranteed.
For me it’s a dilemma, top 4 will allow us to spend in the summer. But top 4 also guarantees Arteta keeps his job when I think it’s time to move him on. As a lot of people noted that was a Wenger performance on Thursday and we don’t need years more of fruitless Tippity tappity because we don’t have the guts to move on.

[Letters]

How did we get on during the week? Our loss to West Ham means we’ve gone from first to fourth. The fact is the race for the top four is incredibly tight. And as I’ve said the other teams can do something we can’t and that is score goals.

And yet we are 2 points off Liverpool and have the exact same record in terms of wins losses and draws as City. The only other team above us are Villa who we have a game in hand over.

We’ve scored three goals in four games

Cherry picking a run in which we played Villa away - who must have the best home form in the league, certainly up there - and Liverpool away who are title contenders and where we got a creditable draw. Overall I agree we don’t score enough but that is mitigated somewhat by a good defensive record. Only Liverpool have conceded fewer.

Teams know how to play against us, so there’s no reason to think top 4 is anyway guaranteed.

If they know how to play against us then why do they keep losing to us? We have lost 3 games but so have City, one of those to us. The thing which makes me believe we’ll finish top 4 is I just haven’t seen 4 better sides than us. Liverpool and City may be, but it’s close. Villa and Spurs aren’t.
I’m not completely ruling out the title but I do think our blunt attack will ultimately cost us.
The West Ham performance was concerning, but there are fine lines in football. On another day we get the VAR call to say the ball went out, or one of our early chances goes in and it’s a comfortable win. Feelings change throughout the season, I refuse to overreact to single results. If we drop points today then the alarm bells will start ringing.

[HCZ_Reborn]

We can go back further if you like. 3 defeats in last 9 games, 13 goals scored. 7 of those goals coming in two games. We are struggling to score consistently.

As far as I am concerned, we have thrown away 11 points this season. Both Liverpool and City are used to going on winning runs….the nearest thing we’ve had approaching a winning run is winning four games in a row. All with the exception of one won with a one goal margin.

[Letters]

We can go back further if you like. 3 defeats in last 9 games, 13 goals scored. 7 of those goals coming in two games. We are struggling to score consistently.

As far as I am concerned, we have thrown away 11 points this season. Both Liverpool and City are used to going on winning runs….the nearest thing we’ve had approaching a winning run is winning four games in a row. All with the exception of one won with a one goal margin.

Sure. You can keep cherry picking. I’ll just look at the league table and see where we actually are.
And I’ll keep reminding you of how you’ve overreacted to bad results in previous seasons, and your early season doom-mongering which even you have since admitted was premature.

I don’t think we can win the title without a proper goalscorer, but there aren’t 4 better teams than us in this league.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Sure. You can keep cherry picking. I’ll just look at the league table and see where we actually are.
And I’ll keep reminding you of how you’ve overreacted to bad results in previous seasons, and your early season doom-mongering which even you have since admitted was premature.

I don’t think we can win the title without a proper goalscorer, but there aren’t 4 better teams than us in this league.

I’ll let you decide whether our 4th place is under threat

[Niall_Quinn]

Looking at the table now. From the chance to go 7 points clear of Villa to ending up below a city that hasn't turned up yet isn't a blip - in a game of narrow margins it's game over. There is now zero chance of a title, but that was almost certain when they went into the season without a striker.

[Marc Overmars]

I mean on current form we won’t be top 4 that’s for sure but I do think we’re a lot better than what we’ve shown in recent games.

Talk of the title is now a bit laughable though.