Premier League 2016/17 season

[CurryFlavoured]

Admittedly I was working for the City game, watched it now and they should have lost. The idea that they'll eventually capitulate is guesswork though. I don't expect them to continue as they have done the last 8 games, where they've barely conceded chances bar the City game (who probably have the best attack in the league). But Conte has worked with 5 at the back at Juve and Italy beforehand and never capitulated, why will it happen now. Where's the answer to 5 at the back that the other teams have missed, besides relying on Cahill OGing every game? Injuries and form will hurt them at some stage (like all teams) but they look very well structured, like all Conte teams.

 

[SYS]

Can't agree with that. The Chelsea defence were all over the place against City. They were extremely lucky with a number of missed City chances.

I know it's popular on here to big up other teams over us and get lots of likes. But our defence last season and this is one of the best in the league by a number of different stats, over a lot of games. You're just looking at Chelsea's last few games and even then your argument is very suspect. I believe they'll get found out with that system.

If we are going to challenge this season it will be because of our defense but there is a good point in the earlier post about our team structure compared to chelsea.

Chelsea attack with Hazard and Costa is the best in the league and they can be relied upon to make things happen on their own. We are not up there yet in terms of attack(LW) and our MF isnt top notch either with some blame attributed to injuries. Chelsea are playing lesser number of games as well which is allowing their team to maintain good intensity through out the game

 

[MaraDon]

chelsea and city are the scariest ones.
chelsea imo is our true contender.

 

[Makingtrax]

If we are going to challenge this season it will be because of our defense but there is a good point in the earlier post about our team structure compared to chelsea.

Chelsea attack with Hazard and Costa is the best in the league and they can be relied upon to make things happen on their own. We are not up there yet in terms of attack(LW) and our MF isnt top notch either with some blame attributed to injuries. Chelsea are playing lesser number of games as well which is allowing their team to maintain good intensity through out the game

Some good points.

It's our midfield that's below Chelsea standard now Santi's out. Just hoping Xhaka steps up mate.

 

[Hunta]

Compared to the points tally from the same games last season:

Chelsea +13pts
Arsenal +8pts
Liverpool +8pts
Man City +5pts
Tottenham -2pts
Man Utd -2pts

 

[RUS arsenal]

Admittedly I was working for the City game, watched it now and they should have lost. The idea that they'll eventually capitulate is guesswork though. I don't expect them to continue as they have done the last 8 games, where they've barely conceded chances bar the City game (who probably have the best attack in the league). But Conte has worked with 5 at the back at Juve and Italy beforehand and never capitulated, why will it happen now. Where's the answer to 5 at the back that the other teams have missed, besides relying on Cahill OGing every game? Injuries and form will hurt them at some stage (like all teams) but they look very well structured, like all Conte teams.

I doubt anybody thinks Chelsea will just capitulate, all I'm saying is that they won't steamroll the league. I think it will be tight at the top for a couple of more months at least.

 

[haha_arsenal]

I love it when we're underdog
let all attention goes to Chelsea or City, even Pool or Tottenham

 

[Furious]

City are not scary at all.

Their defence is shocking, Pep has been way out of his depth playing jokers like Kolarov and even Clichy as one of the 3 CB's. Far too offensive in his quest of show that he's some kind of a tactical genius.

The Hazard and Willian goals were ridiculously easy goals to give away.

Chelsea however do look indeed scary, and with their upcoming fixtures it'll be tough to catch them.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Chelsea are a scary proposition to me due to the lack of European fixtures they'll have to play - that alone gives them a significant advantage.

Defensively they aren't as good as they've been made out to be. Liverpool ruined them at Stamford Bridge, we ruined them at the Emirates and City despite losing the game, murdered their defence and should have scored at least 2 more goals before Chelsea got on the score sheet.

 

[Notorious Big]

Chelsea are a scary proposition to me due to the lack of European fixtures they'll have to play - that alone gives them a significant advantage.

Defensively they aren't as good as they've been made out to be. Liverpool ruined them at Stamford Bridge, we ruined them at the Emirates and City despite losing the game, murdered their defence and should have scored at least 2 more goals before Chelsea got on the score sheet.

Yep,City and Sp**s had a chances to finish them in some part of the matches.But apart from Swansea in September,neither small team was even close to beat them.They just don't drop points there.

 

[Trilly]

Yep small teams don't seem to phase them at all. Agree that their defense isn't elite but it's still probably the best in the league and we haven't even taken confidence into account.

Their dressing room must be buzzing, they've just beaten two of their title challengers in a row. Momentum is a powerful thing - makes teams better than they really are.

 

[RUS arsenal]

Yep,City and Sp**s had a chances to finish them in some part of the matches.But apart from Swansea in September,neither small team was even close to beat them.They just don't drop points there.

After looking closer at their results this season, their defensive 'solidness' is a bit of a myth. Let's break it down:

Top 4: They were found out in their matches against the top 4 and were just really lucky against City.

5th, 6th: They destroyed Man U but barely managed Sp**s while conceding a goal.

7th down: Here is where they flatter to deceive defensively. They have yet to play any teams in this bracket with good attack (West Brom, Bournemouth, Palace, etc). Those will be their bogey teams and their title chances rest on how they do against them as well as the rest of the games against the top teams.

Their attack is ruthless and with the individual brilliance of Costa and Hazard they are good at unlocking teams that park the bus (unlike us and City) but conversely they have trouble against teams that will come at them and play football (kind of teams City and us do better against).

They have West Brom, Bournemouth and Palace coming up in their next 3 out of 4 games where I think they will struggle massively. This is going to be a tough stretch of games for them. How many points they get here will go a long way to determining their true title credentials.

 

[Notorious Big]

After looking closer at their results this season, their defensive 'solidness' is a bit of a myth. Let's break it down:

Top 4: They were found out in their matches against the top 4 and were just really lucky against City.

5th, 6th: They destroyed Man U but barely managed Sp**s while conceding a goal.

7th down: Here is where they flatter to deceive defensively. They have yet to play any teams in this bracket with good attack (West Brom, Bournemouth, Palace, etc). Those will be their bogey teams and their title chances rest on how they do against them as well as the rest of the games against the top teams.

Their attack is ruthless and with the individual brilliance of Costa and Hazard they are good at unlocking teams that park the bus (unlike us and City) but conversely they have trouble against teams that will come at them and play football (kind of teams City and us do better against).

They have West Brom, Bournemouth and Palace coming up in their next 3 out of 4 games where I think they will struggle massively. This is going to be a tough stretch of games for them. How many points they get here will go a long way to determining their true title credentials.

I agree they were quite bad against top 6 teams,but still they managed to turn around matches against Sp**s and City.Even if they play bad in some stages of the game,they can win if they switch on to good defence and great counterattack.

That is great about Conte.They will score maybe one goal against small teams and after that they'll defend and try to score goals on counter attack.Something that City and Liverpool can't do and we saw that they paid price for that in some games.I hope you're right about these games that they have to play,but small teams didn't give them a lot of trouble at all this season.

 

[RUS arsenal]

I agree they were quite bad against top 6 teams,but still they managed to turn around matches against Sp**s and City.Even if they play bad in some stages of the game,they can win if they switch on to good defence and great counterattack.

That is great about Conte.They will score maybe one goal against small teams and after that they'll defend and try to score goals on counter attack.Something that City and Liverpool can't do and we saw that they paid price for that in some games.I hope you're right about these games that they have to play,but small teams didn't give them a lot of trouble at all this season.

That's my point though, they have only been solid defensively against toothless teams. They will concede against teams with any attacking threat. Question is how many they score themselves...

 

[Hunta]

Chelsea have won 8 in a row, don't care who you are, your surely dropping points soon with a streak like that ffs.

 

[A_G]

Chelsea's streak would already be over, if not for the miss of the season from KDB.

 

[redanddread]

City are not scary at all.

Their defence is shocking, Pep has been way out of his depth playing jokers like Kolarov and even Clichy as one of the 3 CB's. Far too offensive in his quest of show that he's some kind of a tactical genius.

The Hazard and Willian goals were ridiculously easy goals to give away.

Chelsea however do look indeed scary, and with their upcoming fixtures it'll be tough to catch them.

He will draft in better quality though & maybe in January. I don't think Pep's doing anything that he hasn't done before - he's just doing it with lesser quality.

 

[Makingtrax]

Chelsea's streak would already be over, if not for the miss of the season from KDB.

Worse than Ox's miss vs Barca

 

[celestis]

Did you watch the City/Chelsea game? Chelsea's defense got murdered by City.

The last few pages smack of the same reactive fervour of United/City were on their mini runs at the start of the season . No football genius but lead is going to interchange a few times more is my suspicion .

Our first goal I reckon is to finish the 2nd half of the season stronger than the first and get past the 4th round of the UCL.

 

[Rex Stone]

5 at the back always has an Achilles heel, a pacey false 9 type striker who can drop deep. No one knows who should be marking him and whether they should go out to him or not. We picked it apart with Pool when they played 5 at the back at the Emirates against us and we did them 4-1.

Drag the defenders around and overload the gaps that will always appear. A back 5 gives you a lot of space in certain areas of the pitch that a back 4 doesn't. Either in the channels alongside the CBs or in front of them. Honestly we have the perfect side with Alexis up front to pick it apart.

Also their left side of defence looks incredibly dodgy, City got so much joy out of attacking the gap between Cahill and Marcos Alonso, both looked clueless and were lucky City just wasted so many good chances.

I think they're getting away with it thanks to the work Kante does in midfield. With a back 5 you need a midfielder who can do the work of two guys. Really wish we'd gone after him instead of Mahrez and Vardy this summer.