Arsenal

[Marty]

I don't think they'll win the title, however I'm not as certain of a Gooner collapse in the second half of the season as I was a few weeks ago.

There are 2 things that I'm holding on to.

1. They still concede a fair few goals. They haven't kept a home clean sheet this season, despite winning all their games. In fact, in 5 home games they've conceded 7 goals which is pretty poor for a team with a title challenge in mind, so their defence is definitely attackable.

2. This is in part credit to their blistering start to games which usually has them 1/2 goals up within the first 20-25 minutes of a game, but they haven't faced many situations where they've chased games yet. The only two games I can think of are Fulham which they won in the last minute, and United which they lost. I still believe that when injuries and fatigue builds up as the season goes on there's a chance they wont routinely be able to have these fast starts to games, so it'll be interesting how they react when they are up against it.

Thank fuck we're (just about) keeping pace.

Depends how you define collapse I suppose.

I don't see Arse collapsing to the point where they find themselves in real danger of dropping out of top four. They're looking too good for that and Liverpool and United especially have too many glaring weaknesses.

But I still think City will end up running away with the title (they'll win by 10 points minimum) and we have a very good chance of overtaking them in the second half of the season.

 

[Harrier]

Well atleast now when any Gooner on the planet calls Kane a diver we can laugh our heads off as they have Gabriel Jesus who throws himself to the floor every time someone goes near him.

They have had a good start to the season no doubt, let’s see if it continues which I doubt.

I thought Gabriel Jesus throwing himself around was embarrassing! I hate it when Richi and Emerson do it too. Seems prevalent with the Brazilian players.

GJ must have been milking the elbow in the face big time, and judging by the reaction of the players around him I thought he’d been knocked clean out.

I was so surprised to see him carry on once he had ‘come round’!

It’s cheating, plain and simple!

 

[Tucker]

I thought Gabriel Jesus throwing himself around was embarrassing! I hate it when Richi and Emerson do it too. Seems prevalent with the Brazilian players.

GJ must have been milking the elbow in the face big time, and judging by the reaction of the players around him I thought he’d been knocked clean out.

I was so surprised to see him carry on once he had ‘come round’!

It’s cheating, plain and simple!

That particular moment was embarrassing.

 

[ronspurs]

They’ll bottle it come May as the always have in the past decade

Will be even sweeter considering how they are gassing up a title challenge

 

[Marty]

They’ll bottle it come May as the always have in the past decade

Will be even sweeter considering how they are gassing up a title challenge

What does bottling it mean to you?

Because I don't think they'll finish outside top four, but also don't think they have a serious chance of finishing above City. Finishing 10-15 points behind City but still inside the top four won't constitute bottling it IMO, they'll have to really collapse and miss out on CL to have properly bottled it for me.

 

[Danny1]

I thought Gabriel Jesus throwing himself around was embarrassing! I hate it when Richi and Emerson do it too. Seems prevalent with the Brazilian players.

GJ must have been milking the elbow in the face big time, and judging by the reaction of the players around him I thought he’d been knocked clean out.

I was so surprised to see him carry on once he had ‘come round’!

It’s cheating, plain and simple!

Yeah I agree, that really was embarrassing. He was laying on the ground like he had been completely knocked out. It seems to be an Arsenal thing where they feign injury before & during games. Arteta is constantly giving the bollocks about players being injured and then by some miraculous event they pop up in the starting lineup as usual.

 

[djhotspur]

What does bottling it mean to you?

Because I don't think they'll finish outside top four, but also don't think they have a serious chance of finishing above City. Finishing 10-15 points behind City but still inside the top four won't constitute bottling it IMO, they'll have to really collapse and miss out on CL to have properly bottled it for me.

Agreed, losing the title to city is not a collapse at all.
I can’t see them finish outside the top 4 bar some really bad luck with injuries. I can see them investing in Jan to keep them fresh too.

 

[jurgen]

Yeah I agree, that really was embarrassing. He was laying on the ground like he had been completely knocked out. It seems to be an Arsenal thing where they feign injury before & during games. Arteta is constantly giving the bollocks about players being injured and then by some miraculous event they pop up in the starting lineup as usual.

That's what passes for mind games with people who use light bulbs as motivational tools

 

[Joshua shepherd]

4 of their next 5 games are away, after that it's the world cup. Let's see where they are then, my guess is still in the top 4 but looking over their shoulder. Plenty of football to be played and the only game they've won which they wouldn't expect to win was yesterday and even then they were at home against a collapsing Liverpool.

 

[Timberwolf]

Think they look pretty nailed for top 4. They almost got it last year without Saliba or Jesus, and those are now 2 of their best players. Can't see them missing out this season after the start they've had.

They obviously won't win the league but wouldn't be surprised if they came anywhere from 2nd-4th. They're bound to have a wobble at some point - they've always been a bit of an 'all or nothing' team under Arteta and are still young so a few injuries or bad results could rock them - but they don't look half as fragile as last season.

Think top 4 could be really tight scrap this season. Chelsea and United are both improving under their new managers, while Liverpool are bound to get their shit together sooner or later. It's really important that we've scraped so many wins without playing our best.

 

[djhotspur]

Actually, one thing i will praise them about is that they stuck with Arteta. Cause that builds stability.

Arteta could have, and would have been by other clubs, fired at least on 3 occasions. But he wasnt. That told the players who was the boss and that they can't act out to get him laid off.

It's why some in here should be careful what you wish for. I haven't seen many say they want Conte out but I do get the sense some wish we had a different coach.

Another coach will need time to rip it all up and start again.

With Conte we are on the right path. Stop comparing our playing style to their's. Arsenal have been boring for a good chunk of Arteta's period and its only fully clicked with him being given the players he wants.

Give Conte time. More players and then more players. Go all in, dont half ass it and then have another era of upheaval.

We will be rewarded if we show patience and trust.

Agreed. arteta has bad 4 seasons and 100s of millions to get his squad

I don’t think we can truly judge conte until next season if we back him for 2 more seasons the squad will look much more his.

We can’t judge him until we have the right wing backs (Udogie will help) and the right CMs to play both formations.

Moura, Gil, will go in the summer and hopefully the right forward will be brought in, plus the right CM who is more dangerous and creative going forward.

I hope Emerson goes and maybe Doherty too and the right wing back brought in.

I hope we get in a ball playing keeper who can help us play out from the back if that’s the plan which it seems to be.

We need 2 ball playing CBs at least, lenglet might be one and another to cover for Dier and Romero. I think Sanchez needs to be moved on to fund it as he doesn’t suit the way we play now.

 

[Trix]

4 of their next 5 games are away, after that it's the world cup. Let's see where they are then, my guess is still in the top 4 but looking over their shoulder. Plenty of football to be played and the only game they've won which they wouldn't expect to win was yesterday and even then they were at home against a collapsing Liverpool.

Yeah, but then who are they not expected to win against? City, and then maybe Chelsea and us? They are playing well and picking up points they wouldn't have in previous seasons. There are still big questions regarding their squad depth, and how they'll do if they sustain any injuries to key players, but I think we need to accept they might finish above us this season.

If that happens, so be it, and as long as we keep progressing and Conte keeps getting backed that's what matters in the bigger picture. Far too many fans got caught up in the latter part of last season and a proactive transfer window and got a bit ahead of themselves as to where we are imo.

I keep saying it but listen to what Conte keeps saying in his press conferences. It's the truth how he sees things and he thinks we are still very much a work in progress.

 

[Joshua shepherd]

Yeah, but then who are they not expected to win against? City, and then maybe Chelsea and us? They are playing well and picking up points they wouldn't have in previous seasons. There are still big questions regarding their squad depth, and how they'll do if they sustain any injuries to key players, but I think we need to accept they might finish above us this season.

If that happens, so be it, and as long as we keep progressing and Conte keeps getting backed that's what matters in the bigger picture. Far too many fans got caught up in the latter part of last season and a proactive transfer window and got a bit ahead of themselves as to where we are imo.

I keep saying it but listen to what Conte keeps saying in his press conferences. It's the truth how he sees things and he thinks we are still very much a work in progress.

IMO, they wouldn't be expected to win against City, Chelsea, Liverpool (home and away for all 3), Spurs away, Newcastle away, United away, Wolves away and West Ham away. Something like that. Obviously that's just a list of teams I've pulled together and has no real meaning, but for me they are the hardest games. Maybe Palace away as well tbf in which case they've won two they wouldn't be expected to win.

We are absolutely a work in progress, look how far we've come in a year. We've made so many good improvements to our team/squad which is great and allows us to compete at the top level but we also have a lot of improvements left to make.

We just need to hope Conte is here to navigate us through a few more transfer windows and we might finally see his team rather than just his influence on the team.

 

[Spurslove]

yepp, me too. Am so close to the stadium I can hear when they score. last weekend was insufferably awful.

My God man, my heart goes out to you. Not quite so bad for me, I live near The Angel, so about a mile or so away from the death-star (I call it The Haemorrhoids Stadium).

But I was born and raised in Highbury New Park, probably about as far from the stadium as you are now (ish).

 

[fishhhandaricecake]

Actually, one thing i will praise them about is that they stuck with Arteta. Cause that builds stability.

Arteta could have, and would have been by other clubs, fired at least on 3 occasions. But he wasnt. That told the players who was the boss and that they can't act out to get him laid off.

It's why some in here should be careful what you wish for. I haven't seen many say they want Conte out but I do get the sense some wish we had a different coach.

Another coach will need time to rip it all up and start again.

With Conte we are on the right path. Stop comparing our playing style to their's. Arsenal have been boring for a good chunk of Arteta's period and its only fully clicked with him being given the players he wants.

Give Conte time. More players and then more players. Go all in, dont half ass it and then have another era of upheaval.

We will be rewarded if we show patience and trust.

Bang on mate and what are those magic two words Conte keeps using...
1. Time
2. Patience

 

[TheChosenOne]

I thought Gabriel Jesus throwing himself around was embarrassing! I hate it when Richi and Emerson do it too. Seems prevalent with the Brazilian players.

GJ must have been milking the elbow in the face big time, and judging by the reaction of the players around him I thought he’d been knocked clean out.

I was so surprised to see him carry on once he had ‘come round’!

It’s cheating, plain and simple!

(My opinion) It was the same scenario with Tierney last week when he played for Scotland v Ireland, went down in a "hustle tussle" in the penalty area but he must have overcooked the head injury bit and he was subbed out because of it. That one with Jesus - the ball bounced off the Arsenal player and took him out like a landmine would have - looking for the foul.

I have watched a lot of Arsenal games this season and there is a definite trend with their players going in for 50/50's and pretending to be hurt to break up play/momentum. Especially when the are under the cosh in passages of play., allowing coaching and drinks to be taken.
They are also using substitutions to waste extra time with their new favourite pastime : "hugs" the player leaving the field will hug the players he passes, then a super big hug to the incoming player.

Rant/conspiracy theory over.

 

[hughy]

Depends how you define collapse I suppose.

I don't see Arse collapsing to the point where they find themselves in real danger of dropping out of top four. They're looking too good for that and Liverpool and United especially have too many glaring weaknesses.

But I still think City will end up running away with the title (they'll win by 10 points minimum) and we have a very good chance of overtaking them in the second half of the season.

I think the issue for me is the longer they stay in a title race the less likely they are to be particularly concerned with the Europa League when it gets to the knock-out stages, meaning they'll probably save their best 11 for the League. If they had a realistic chance of dropping out of the top 4 I could have seen them going all out for the Europa League as a priority, but if they're more than likely going to get CL football next season then they might as well go full tilt for the title and finish 2nd/3rd at worst.

I agree that City will ultimately win the title, but Arsenal, on current form, look near guaranteed to finish top 4.

 

[spursfan77]

Just had a look at the "easier fixtures" debate. There is no doubting that in the first 11 games, our away fixtures are more difficult:

Arsenal - Palace, Bournemouth, Man Utd, Brentford, Leeds & Southampton.
Tottenham - Chelsea, Forest, West Ham, Arsenal, Brighton & Man Utd.

This just backs up that it is so early in the season still and we have no idea how they will get on away at Chelsea, West ham & Brighton that are all very difficult games.

Well, we know Chelsea will roll over for them but apart from that you're right.

 

[Serpico]

Incoming-Arsenal win and cry’s of winning the PL.. Sometime it’s not how you are playing -it’s how the planets aline. Arsenal are no better than last season. Injury free they've become consistent and this against teams that have dipped in form, picking up 3 points. Liverpool concede goals and Arsenal like scoring.

To clarify-I thought they were a very good team last season and believed they would do well. Injuries held them back and other stuff. They continuing on that level and staying injury free. Add to that teams not playing well , the lucky Arsenal are having it all the own way. I don’t feel they are as good as the table suggests. Post WC let’s see what happens.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Think they look pretty nailed for top 4. They almost got it last year without Saliba or Jesus, and those are now 2 of their best players. Can't see them missing out this season after the start they've had.

They obviously won't win the league but wouldn't be surprised if they came anywhere from 2nd-4th. They're bound to have a wobble at some point - they've always been a bit of an 'all or nothing' team under Arteta and are still young so a few injuries or bad results could rock them - but they don't look half as fragile as last season.

Think top 4 could be really tight scrap this season. Chelsea and United are both improving under their new managers, while Liverpool are bound to get their shit together sooner or later. It's really important that we've scraped so many wins without playing our best.

100% on all the above. I'd love them to collapse, but right now they look the best bet for the top 4 outside of City, who let's face it, are on another level.

They certainly look better than us on current form. As you say, it's likely they'll wobble at some point, and injuries are always an unknown quantity, but they look annoyingly effective at the moment. It's a young team too