Premier League 2023/24: Race for the Top

[LookingForEric]

My granny nan could win league with a huge bankroll and endless chances. If you play Roulette with Stan’s bankroll long enough anyone could do it with no accountability ever.

So in your opinion Sp**s, Villa, Chelsea, United and West Ham should all be in our position right now?

Because your “granny nan” could win the league with huge bankroll. All the clubs I mentioned have spent very near the same amount as Mikel has in the same amount of years, some even more.

 

[Farzad Stoned]

Hmm I think a more justifiable; "I told you so" would be if we were sitting like 4th/5th with 62/63 points.

We're 2nd on 71 points with only 6 games to go, which is still a good achievement in my book.

I don't know why opinion is swinging so wildly on the back of one result, I find it quite bemusing but tbf you've always been consistent in your Arteta dislike lol and I'm talking more AM in general.

Because we also had a somewhat poor Bayern result over the weakest Munich side i can remember. He has lost in Europas, leagues, and FA cups since his first win.

Only CL can save this, otherwise it is a 3 straight collapse and a dozen or major comps without winning. And it doesn’t make it better that Unai the more decorated manager knocked us out of Europa with a team with a fraction of our budget and took 4 points off us.

Nothing he has done is remarkable or great as it is constantly sold on here

 

[Farzad Stoned]

So in your opinion Sp**s, Villa, Chelsea, United and West Ham should all be in our position right now?

Because your “granny nan” could win the league with huge bankroll. All the clubs I mentioned have spent very near the same amount as Mikel has in the same amount of years, some even more.

Yes; if you keep financing at elite levels and get chance after chance you can one off something. Sp.rs and the LA Clippers aside they are truly snakebitten. But we are Arsenal the freaking glamour club of London. By the way Chelsea were Champions of Europe 3 years ago

 

[King87]

Still can't understand why we always collapse at this exact stage of every season, arsenal couldn't handled the pressure and expectations after being favourites for about a week, had to drop points the very next game it was in our hands and worse all opposition fans predicted as much.

I'd go hire more psychologists and less players at this stage tbf, it's got to be a mental thing.

 

[avenellroad]

Still can't understand why we always collapse at this exact stage of every season, arsenal couldn't handled the pressure and expectations after being favourites for about a week, had to drop points the very next game it was in our hands and worse all opposition fans predicted as much.

I'd go hire more psychologists and less players at this stage tbf, it's got to be a mental thing.

We have been having the same problem for over 16/17 years. There’s something deeply ingrained in the club.

I have a theory that the fanbase inside the stadium has something to do with it. Make the players nervous with the groaning whenever something doesn’t come off which takes a hit on the players confidence. The longer a game stays 0-0, the team always succumbs to some stupidity leading to a goal. I’ve seen this script a billion times when it comes to Arsenal.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

Still can't understand why we always collapse at this exact stage of every season, arsenal couldn't handled the pressure and expectations after being favourites for about a week, had to drop points the very next game it was in our hands and worse all opposition fans predicted as much.

I'd go hire more psychologists and less players at this stage tbf, it's got to be a mental thing.

We have been having the same problem for over 16/17 years. There’s something deeply ingrained in the club.

I have a theory that the fanbase inside the stadium has something to do with it. Make the players nervous with the groaning whenever something doesn’t come off which takes a hit on the players confidence. The longer a game stays 0-0, the team always succumbs to some stupidity leading to a goal. I’ve seen this script a billion times when it comes to Arsenal.

It's the bloody stadium. It's cursed & it lacks the menacing aura Highbury had.

We never should've left our home for this modern day idol of excess.

 

[Sammy1887]

I predicted 3rd at the start of the season. We will most likely finish there.

No chance this Team gets 6 points from the Sp**s and United games.

 

[Sapient Hawk]

I predicted 3rd at the start of the season. We will most likely finish there.

No chance this Team gets 6 points from the Sp**s and United games.

Even if we did, I don't foresee City dropping a point from here.

 

[SA Gunner]

Still can't understand why we always collapse at this exact stage of every season, arsenal couldn't handled the pressure and expectations after being favourites for about a week, had to drop points the very next game it was in our hands and worse all opposition fans predicted as much.

I'd go hire more psychologists and less players at this stage tbf, it's got to be a mental thing.

Collapse?

There are still six games to play for and we've had our first bad half of 2024. That's the first in probably 12 games.

Do you understand the level of mental strength needed to perform at this level? To be as consistent as we've been?

If there is any team that has shown the consistency in performances that's needed to win the league, its Arsenal. We've been by far the most reliable team in this run in.

One loss doesnt change that fact, what changes this is a string of poor performances and losses.

 

[Bradpiff]

Again, the schedule might be too much. The players already looked gassed in the 2nd half yesterday and we play in Munich on wednesday lol.

And villa played Thursday??

 

[NZgunner]

City's next game isn't until 25 April, away to Brighton - we will have played away to Wolves and home to Chelsea before that game is played, and we should be four points ahead if we want City to feel any pressure at all.

I think the real pressure is now on Arteta to show that he's learned something and can motivate the team to at least finish strongly. In the final ten games in each of the last two seasons we've only gained 15 points from the available 30, missing out on champions league qualification in 21/22 and the big prize in 22/23. The team fell apart mentally and Arteta couldn't do anything about it - this season has to be different even if we do come up short.

 

[Iwobeast]

And villa played Thursday??

That's not the issue. It looks like half our team is carrying something, and a lot of bench players are not match fit. Martinelli doesn't look his usual self, Saka is playing through pain, White, Gabriel, Ode, Rice they all don't look super fit.

Also some of our key players played full 90 during IB, don't think Villa had that problem.

 

[Macho]

And villa played Thursday??

Have a couple big injuries of their own too.

 

[dka1]

Collapse?

There are still six games to play for and we've had our first bad half of 2024. That's the fist in probably 12 games.

Do you understand the level of mental strength needed to perform at this level? To be as consistent as we've been?

If there is any team that has shown the consistency in performances that's needed to win the league, its Arsenal. We've been by far the most reliable team in this run in.

One loss doesnt change that fact, what changes this is a string of poor performances and losses.

Yeah exactly. I don't really think we looked nervous against Villa even, the 1st half we were our usual selves it's just the finishing that let us down.

2nd half we did huff and puff a bit but that seemed more like we were gassed.

I think we'll just have to see how we get on in the last 6 EPL games. If, for argument's sake, we won all of the games and still lost the PL then at the least I wouldn't say that's bottling it, that's a loss that happens sometimes but we reacted well.

We still have games and we go again!

 

[SA Gunner]

And villa played Thursday??

The energy levels played a role, but you have to credit Villa tactics as well.

Have a look at this video, to understand what Villa did so well. In short, Emery looked at Porto and created a similar system against us.

 

[dka1]

The energy levels played a role, but you have to credit Villa tactics as well.

Have a look at this video, to understand what Villa did so well. In short, Emery looked at Porto and created a similar system against us.

Really really good video and helped to explain what caused issues for us in the 2nd half rather than saying; hurr durr, it was the line up.

 

[Tom Mix]

It's the bloody stadium. It's cursed & it lacks the menacing aura Highbury had.

We never should've left our home for this modern day idol of excess.

If we hadn't left Highbury, much as I loved it, we'd probably still have Mustafi in the team.

 

[SA Gunner]

Really really good video and helped to explain what caused issues for us in the 2nd half rather than saying; hurr durr, it was the line up.

Tactically, Arteta is getting our game management options right at the moment, this is important.

With fitness and variety in our squad available, we still have a very good chance this season. We must force both Liverpool and City to be perfect in this run in.

 

[lomekian]

Also, just like the game at Villa Park, we fluffed our finishing and their finishing was top drawer. If the first half we finish anything like we have been recently, we kill the game after 30 mins.

Ultimately, we've all known for a while that we lack elite finishers in this squad compared to the teams we are competing with. Not helped by Martinelli getting injured when he finally found his deadly touch from last year.

I'm not just talking strikers - we just don;t have many in the squad who can reliably exceed their xG, and even fewer that are such xG monsters that they can miss a few and still score a lot. On top of that, we have fewer than average threats from distance at the elite level.

Whether it is a striker, a wide man or a CM, we all agree, and have done all year, that we need 1 or 2 more who can steal us points when we aren't at our best. We've only been outplayed away at Fulham and away at Porto, but have dropped points in several games we should have won.

That's the thing that takes us to the next level. TImber's return may solve the left back isssue. The ESR/Vieira death-match will likely elevate one to be a contributer in attacking midfield, but bar better quality depth, its goals from outside good team play that we need more of, because no matter how well Arteta sets up the team, makes us suffocating etc, other teams can score from nowhere, so being 'the better team' only guarantees you so much.

CF of course is a ***** of a market at the moment, so we may look wide instead (NICO WILLIAMS COME ON DOWN?), and either a 6 who can really allow Rice to be action man without consequences or an 8 who can go in both directions but carries goal threat, would make a big difference.

We are kind of where we all hoped we would be at the start of the year - below dreamland, above general expectations

Its just that last bit of quality we need. We have some truly special kids coming up, but realistically 2-3 years from being significant contributors beyond the bench, so we need a bit more special this summer.

 

[teamsoutheast]

.... Interesting that before yesterday, Everton had the 4th best defensive record in the league. 5th is still quite impressive considering where they are in the league. If only they could score goals....