4 Cup Finals

Clrnc

Fixtures remaining.

Leeds (H)
Spuds (A)
Newcastle (A)
Everton (H)

Basically if we win against Leeds and avoid defeat against Spuds, top is more or less sealed given that Spurs have to face Liverpool and most likely will lose. We will still have to at least win against Everton though if we don't win against Newcastle, as Spurs have 2 very winnable games remaining after NLD (Burnley home and Norwich away).

I don't think we will catch Chelsea, they have 4 very winnable games remaining.

KingslandBarge

I'm thinking it'll be 2 cup finals. Win our next two and expect Liverpool to win their next. Then its ovah.

Klaus

Really, really hope we can pull this off, but I think we're looking at another three straight losses if we keep playing like we did today. Even United was a good result pulled from a bland performance. You're allowed a couple of those, but you can't rely on them regularly to pick up points. We need to raise our level for the Leeds game. Maybe it's time to throw Pepé into the starting eleven.

Don Pacifico

One game at a time.

As said elsewhere, last time Spurs were expected to lose, they beat City. We also have the capacity to lose three games on the trot to mid-table opposition.

Clrnc

Liverpool is playing phenomenally well and has a superb record against Spurs, unlike Citeh.

KingslandBarge wrote:
I'm thinking it'll be 2 cup finals. Win our next two and expect Liverpool to win their next. Then its ovah.

Youre right, win the next 2 and that's it. Hope the players got the memo.

Sicario

To be fair it’s been about 16 cup finals since Jan.

As others said next weekend is pivotal.

Hopefully Liverpool can finish off Villarreal with little fuss so they can fully focus on Spurs. Good that they are playing on Tue instead of Wed.

Good thing is that Liverpool Spurs is a night game - atmosphere will be something else.

goon

Klaus wrote:
Really, really hope we can pull this off, but I think we're looking at another three straight losses if we keep playing like we did today. Even United was a good result pulled from a bland performance. You're allowed a couple of those, but you can't rely on them regularly to pick up points. We need to raise our level for the Leeds game. Maybe it's time to throw Pepé into the starting eleven.

The margins have been thin but we've been good for our wins We've finished on top in xG in each of our last 5 games including the two losses. I don't think we're going to see great football between now and the end of the season either, it's all about scraping through.

Got to pray that Tomi came off as a precaution as Arteta suggests because we desperately need him for added defensive solidarity.

Shady

We have more premier league wins than Chelsea this season 😆 mad

Coombs

Mad how badly Chelsea have performed.

Burnwinter

It's all about the next match.

Beat Leeds, and we go into the derby with Spurs thinking they need to beat us and Liverpool back to back to stay in the race.

Nothing can be guaranteed, but I do like the idea of pressure being heaped on them, think it would suit us, they're not an especially effective or coherent side.

flobaba

Coombs wrote:
Mad how badly Chelsea have performed.

Off field issues affecting player focus? Anyway, they are there for the taking if this keeps up.

goon

Probably pushed them over the edge, but I don't think they're all that great to begin with. I think they get a lot of unwarranted hype in the transfer market, they've spent near enough £800 million over the last 5 years and the large majority has resulted in underwhelming returns.

Asterix

Every game will be nerve wracking. We can beat nearly anyone, and also lose to anyone, on our day.

Burnwinter

Burnwinter wrote:
It's all about the next match.

Beat Leeds, and we go into the derby with Spurs thinking they need to beat us and Liverpool back to back to stay in the race.

Nothing can be guaranteed, but I do like the idea of pressure being heaped on them, think it would suit us, they're not an especially effective or coherent side.

Hmm, this doesn't work too well, because they're playing Pool the day before us. On the other hand if they do drop points there we'll have a huge boost and an opportunity to step a little further ahead at home to Leeds ... so could be even better all round.

Sicario

goon wrote:
Probably pushed them over the edge, but I don't think they're all that great to begin with. I think they get a lot of unwarranted hype in the transfer market, they've spent near enough £800 million over the last 5 years and the large majority has resulted in underwhelming returns.

The more I watch them the more it seems last years CL win was the greatest ‘new manager bounce’ of all time.

deardevil

goon wrote:
Probably pushed them over the edge, but I don't think they're all that great to begin with. I think they get a lot of unwarranted hype in the transfer market, they've spent near enough £800 million over the last 5 years and the large majority has resulted in underwhelming returns.

Football is a zero sum game. If a few specific clubs are picking up the absolute best players, then it doesn't matter how much the others spend because they'll be picking up lesser players.

It's why Klopp and Liverpool deserve so much credit, their net spend is low and they're hitting bull's-eye on almost every signing. It's impressive yet painful seeing a modern day Wenger at a rival. Yet, we're talking about only one title in 5 seasons so far.

Chelsea are no longer the biggest dog in town since the Arabs came into football and their results will falter accordingly.

Burnwinter

goon wrote:
Probably pushed them over the edge, but I don't think they're all that great to begin with. I think they get a lot of unwarranted hype in the transfer market, they've spent near enough £800 million over the last 5 years and the large majority has resulted in underwhelming returns.

You can happily waste a cycle of spending if there's nothing greater than the sum of its parts (or even equal) that emerges from it. Chelsea have smashed records signing strikers and are still trash, with a parcel of irritable star strikers to go with it.

It's a reason to be positive about the "project" at Arsenal, at least there is a relative sense of togetherness and purpose at our club. Could be a lot worse.

Don Pacifico

Asterix wrote:
Every game will be nerve wracking. We can beat nearly anyone, and also lose to anyone, on our day.

This is it for me. We're a knife-edge team in terms of the margins between winning and losing. Crazy that we've only had three draws this season.

jones

goon wrote:
Probably pushed them over the edge, but I don't think they're all that great to begin with. I think they get a lot of unwarranted hype in the transfer market, they've spent near enough £800 million over the last 5 years and the large majority has resulted in underwhelming returns.

Not sure if you're talking about elsewhere but here very few if anyone were amazed at their signings. 50m each for Chilwell and Werner, 60m for Pulisic, 80m for Kepa and 100m for a 28 year old Lukaku who they sold for 30m is eye wateringly bad business.

What people were praising and rightly so are their sales, the money they consistently get for trash or over the hill players like Abraham Matic Hazard Zouma Morata etc is so good it looks dodgy.

jones

Don Pacifico wrote:
Asterix wrote:
Every game will be nerve wracking. We can beat nearly anyone, and also lose to anyone, on our day.

This is it for me. We're a knife-edge team in terms of the margins between winning and losing. Crazy that we've only had three draws this season.

Hallmark of a ""controlball"" team. We're basically a fixed-gear team under Arteta, do decently when we have the lead but we're done as soon as we're behind. More wins than Chelsea but also as many losses Brighton and Palace. We have 20 wins but somehow have only a GD of +13, Chelsea who have performed "badly" with their star strikers Lukaku (angling for a move all season) and Werner (couldn't score to save his life) are at +39.