The Run-In thread

[Mac76]

I thought it might be worth having a thread dedicated to the overall run-in.

We now have an international break, during which we can only hope no-one important gets injured.

After that there’s ten games:

Leeds (H)
Liverpool (A)
West Ham (A)
Southampton (H)
Man Citeh (A)
Chelsea (H)
Newcastle (A)
Brighton (H)
Notts Forest (A)
Wolves (H)

Man Citeh’s are:

Liverpool (H)
Southampton (A)
Leicester (H)
Brighton (A) – Date TBC
Arsenal (H)
Fulham (A)
West Ham (H)
Leeds (H)
Everton (A)
Brentford (A) - date TBC
Chelsea (H)

I don’t think we’ll get more than 1 point from Liverpool and Citeh plus Newcastle will be very tricky. Plus there’s some other tricky games, I think Chelsea will be a real challenge by the time they play us.

So we really need Citeh to drop points - hopefully Liverpool could do us a favour but as it's at Citeh I'm not sure they will

Both of us are playing relegation-threatened sides so I'm not srue how that will work out

Citeh do have additional FAC and CL fixtures, but also a much deeper squad full of serial winners and a cyborg striker (who I’m sure is not really injured, they‘re just pulling a fast one with Norway)

if they go deep into both those competitions we have to hope Pep decides the CL is the biggest thing and saves some core players for it

we need to hold up our lead as long as possible to help that take effect, i.e. Pep gives up

If there's any way we could just get a point at Citeh it would be massive -as i said elsewhere, if they beat us in three games this season then we have to say they're better than us and deserve it

[Marc Overmars]

I’m just going to assume City will win all their games. We need to take care of ourselves.

[Letters]

I can't see City dropping many points.
Liverpool might do us a favour, after that they should be winning most of those.
Absolutely can't lose at the Ethiad, but fear we will.

[Mac76]

That's what I keep running up against whenever I think we could do it - we played really well against Fulham and Palace, but have stiffer tests to come and I just think Liverpool and Citeh will be too strong for us, plus we have some injuries now and may get more

One thing i don't subscribe to is that this is our best chance - i think our team's mentality can only get stronger and with CL football plus a 1st/2nd place in the PL we wil be able to strenghen in the summer

[mandela8]

I’m just going to assume City will win all their games. We need to take care of ourselves.

If that's the case arsenal have to win all but the City game.

I think City are favorites, man. Call me negative but their tough games are mostly at home. Arsenal's are away. Lose at City, which is the most likely result, then even drawing another game would allow City to takeover on goal difference.

That said, 10 games is a huge chunk of a season and there'll be unexpected points dropped by both teams.

[Letters]

One thing i don't subscribe to is that this is our best chance - i think our team's mentality can only get stronger and with CL football plus a 1st/2nd place in the PL we wil be able to strenghen in the summer

You’re right about strengthening, but other clubs will too.
City aren’t going away. Utd are looking to be on an upward curve. Chelsea and Liverpool will surely be better next year and Newcastle look likely to spend big this summer. That’s why I think it’s now or never.

[mandela8]

You’re right about strengthening, but other clubs will too.
City aren’t going away. Utd are looking to be on an upward curve. Chelsea and Liverpool will surely be better next year and Newcastle look likely to spend big this summer. That’s why I think it’s now or never.

Arsenal have a bit of an edge here in that the way the squad has been built around youth means it should naturally mature/improve over time. That's "the process". I think we've seen it this season. If we see a better Ramsdale, Gabriel, Saliba, White, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli et al, then supplement that with a marquee signing or two Arsenal could strengthen more with less.

Not often I'm optimistic about arsenal, so that's about the best you get.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Man City have to win every game really, don't think anything else will do them.

I don't think you can go from winning 3 maximum in a row win the league all season to then winning what would be 14 in a row.

[Marc Overmars]

If that's the case arsenal have to win all but the City game.

I think City are favorites, man. Call me negative but their tough games are mostly at home. Arsenal's are away. Lose at City, which is the most likely result, then even drawing another game would allow City to takeover on goal difference.

That said, 10 games is a huge chunk of a season and there'll be unexpected points dropped by both teams.

There are only 2 games I think we may realistically lose. Liverpool is possibly 50/50 given their flaky form but City will certainly be expected to beat us. I’d have them as slight favourites too simply because of the history we’ve got in these games. We haven’t taken a point at Anfield or the Etihad since 2016 FFS.

As you say though, plenty of scope for both of us to drop some unexpected points along the way so it’s not as simple as we like to think.

I don’t think I’m ever getting over this if we don’t bring it home. Cannot tell you how gut wrenching it would be to miss out on the home straight having lead the way for practically the entire season so far.

[Letters]

I don’t think I’m ever getting over this if we don’t bring it home. Cannot tell you how gut wrenching it would be to miss out on the home straight having lead the way for practically the entire season so far.

David Pleat: I think in a way if Arsenal are to lose a Championship having
had such a lead at one time its somewhat poetic justice that they have got
the result on the last day even if their not to win it.

Brian Moore: They would see that as small consolation David


It’s going to be a weird one because we whatever happens we have massively exceeded expectations. But yeah, to miss out having come this far would be pretty gutting