PL: Manchester City vs Arsenal, February 3rd, 16:30 Sky Sports

[A_G]

We played a lot better in patches and we created more chances the past two seasons. There’s no pretending going on

Yeah, that was when Özil could actually be bothered and Alexis was still here.

 

[OnlyOne]

How can he do that? One of them is injured every game. Hopefully Mavro and Kosc next week

Yeah true I was thinking lets get Kos and Mavro going but we have Sokratis coming back. Jenkinson has to start in front of Litch as well.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

3 points off 4th with the hardest game until the end of the season out the way....

Knew I could count on you.

 

[ptrcopp]

That’s because we’re still spending the same

I have loved the spending analysis, but right now we are slipping closer and closer to Everton.

Yes, they are outspending us, but that’s an embarrassment in itself

 

[Top Quality]

Having to always look for positives...:

- Guendouzi looks like a fantastic talent playing like he does at 19, really hope he can grow into the player he looks like he has the potential to be.
- Torreira with more energy this game, more like the player he was a month or two ago, still a great signing, really happy to have him here.

But..., we still missed Xhaka in midfield to keep possession and even more importantly, a lot of defenders (most of them currently not at the club, haha) to keep City at bay. Licht is not good enough, Mustafi not reliable. And I know it's difficult for the forwards to play well when there is very little service, but I can't remember Auba doing anything at all, and Laca was also not very productive. (Still think they're great, just would hope for more in a big game like this.) Can't really say disappointing, but was hoping for more nonetheless...

Suarez..., did he do anything apart from losing the ball a couple of times? Won't judge him on the last 20 against City in a lost game, but not the best start.

 

[lamby22]

I do like a move to 4-4-2 if we can actually make it work. Guendouzi looks made for that set up. Xhaka probably can't play it though. Would like to see Özil tried up top as a second striker with either Laca or Auba in order to let one of the two rest and/or give the bench some firepower.

It's a pity we don't have the pacy wingers needed to play it properly just now. I'd love us to adopt it for next season and get the players in that would fit it perfectly.

 

[A_G]

Knew I could count on you.

It was meek surrender in that 2nd half but this game isn't going to define the season. Plenty of reason to be optimistic for a CL place considering the fixtures that Chelsea still have.

 

[squallman]

And they were valid "excuses" then and it still is now.

Why even bother turning up then? Other teams can get a result against City at home but its for some reason impossible for us to do so?

 

[OnlyOne]

It’s the injuries mate. Sokratis and Bellerin have been rocks this year as was Holding when fit.

Those are three defenders who were playing on fire.

Yeah true, I was just thinking about how a team like Newcastle kept them to 1, it's the cohesion of the defence, we haven't had a consistent defence at all this season.

 

[say yes]

What Emery tried to do in the first-half was spot on. Unfortunately the quality just isn’t there and second-half they killed us.

Oh well. Hard not to be disappointed when Arsenal lose but we were never getting anything out of this one. They’ve got 60m Mahrez sitting on the bench while Iwobi is edging towards 200 appearances for us ffs.

Hope Liverpool smash these financially doped ****s to the title.

 

[Rex Stone]

3 points off 4th with the hardest game until the end of the season out the way....

Exactly. Chelsea have got a marish run in and they’re also sh*t.

6 pointer vs Utd at home, our fate is well in our hands.

 

[blaze_of_glory]

It's a pity we don't have the pacy wingers needed to play it properly just now. I'd love us to adopt it for next season and get the players in that would fit it perfectly.

Yeah, like someone said in the match thread, Perisic would have been a big boost to playing this way.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

The Huddersfield game is must win before playing Southampton and Bournemouth at home we need good run before playing these c**ts without stadium

 

[HBL]

Yeah true I was thinking lets get Kos and Mavro going but we have Sokratis coming back. Jenkinson has to start in front of Litch as well.

Hopefully AMN is back, Lich and Jenkinson are both rubbish. Not sure who I’d play left back, Kola is brilliant at attacking but his stamina is equivalent to a chain smoker. Monreal is solid but has his limitations. Think I’d go:

Kola - Kosc - Mavropanos - AMN

 

[tap-in]

From the moment I saw Lichtsteiner was starting, I lost interest. It was always going to be difficult to get something out of this game but making it easier for City was a poor decision by Emery. I understand we couldn't add defenders in Jan but we really must address this issue in the summer. LB, CB, RB and get rid of Lichtsteiner, Mustafi and Monreal or Kola if we get a starting LB.

Anyway, we expected to lose, lets move on.

 

[ptrcopp]

We had a strategy and it worked quite well in the first half. But with 4-5 starters out against possibly the best team in the world its not that easy.

If the strategy was defend with 11 players and hope they don’t score, then 1) it’s a **** strategy and 2) it was never going to work

 

[Manberg]

Torreira didn't have a good game, they were skipping past him with ease.

 

[Sniper Mik]

Not that bothered about the 2nd half. It was clear we ran out of legs. Yes we could have pushed forward in numbers but there would have been zero recovery runs. City would have cut through us like piss in the snow and scored another 4 or 5. Chelsea winning 5-0 already shifted the GD in their favor by a lot. That's the reality we're dealing with right now, like it or not.

 

[MaraDon]

Look at all the 0's and 1's:

Shots on target is not chances created

and What wenger has to do with it?

Bringing Wenger last 2 seasons with us and compare that to the lack of ambition our current manager is showing is dumb really.

We should be playing attacking football.
Big teams do that, your identity is what makes you attractive.
When you choose to play a LB as a winger and you sandwich your midfield with your defense it tells volumes about the trust that you have on your players.

We have the personel to play a more risky game.
we have the personel to change our tactics in HT.
we choose to start Iwobi and Kola as our offensive treaths.
When we have Ramsey Suarez and Özil on the bench.

 

[Jae]

Is the team that we played worse than Newcastle? Worse teams than us have gotten results against City.

Yet all I hear are excuses.

Silly logic mate.