Maybe as well knowing how ruthless they are with most other teams the head to head is where you have real autonomy to hurt them and get some space. Do you go for the win away at theirs? I understand how we approached it this season and we got what we set out for but do we need to maximise them dropping points next season?
PL 23/24
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To be fair we've picked up more points in the last 10 games and we've arguably had the much tougher run in. It's not the run in so much as they've been near perfect for the last 20 games. The only games they dropped points in were against us and Liverpool ffs.
I think going for the safety first approach at the Etihad was a decent bet that did leave the title in our hands. But maybe a win there was the blow we needed to give them, because City looked like they were happy to give us a point and back themselves to out do us in the games that followed.
Burnwinter Yeah, we dropped 11 points in short order in that stretch.
City had a similar run a few f weeks prior to that. Goes back to what I was saying yesterday. It's not so much how, who or when you drop points, you're going to have variation on that each season. All that matters is how many.
awooga83 I think this is the next bit of our development, at least I hope so. I know that we were contending with our history at Old Trafford on Sunday as well as what it would mean if we lost that game, but I think we saw that whilst we are an excellent team, we aren't quite the finished article yet. I find it very difficult to believe City wouldn't have put 3 or 4 past that United side. And I think that goes back to goon's oft made point about Arsenal playing with the swagger and authority of a genuinely great team.
Similarly, we were able to shut City down in both league games this season, but having the confidence to go and attack them in the way that Liverpool did in the second half of their most recent game (and of course coming out victorious) would be huge for this team. Whether we will ever get to that level I don't know, but it's where we need to get to imo.
City are obviously very very good. But I think it's worth keeping in mind that their performance yesterday merited a draw. Son spit the dummy.
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goon To be fair we've picked up more points in the last 10 games and we've arguably had the much tougher run in. It's not the run in so much as they've been near perfect for the last 20 games. The only games they dropped points in were against us and Liverpool ffs.
I think going for the safety first approach at the Etihad was a decent bet that did leave the title in our hands. But maybe a win there was the blow we needed to give them, because City looked like they were happy to give us a point and back themselves to out do us in the games that followed.
Safety first approach is definitely the way to go. Don't lose 6 pointers, and win all the easy games. We failed on the 2nd part. If we have gone h2h with City that day they would have tore us apart. They are a better team than us.
I remember posting City's record since December (GW14) and it's impressive as hell, in the thread where many were confident City will drop points in the remaining matches which I didn't understand why. They kept up with the pace without KDB for first half of the season, then kept up the pace without Haaland. When they are both back you know the game's up. I think many people viewed Liverpool as a threat and wanted them to draw at Anfield, but I was the minority that really wanted Liverpool to win and throw City off the boil.
I am still quite proud that despite such a tough run in, we are a routine home win against Villa from winning the title. We went through so many tough obstacles, disappointment obviously that we didn't achieve the home run but to finish 2 points behind them considering the stage we are at in December is commendable.
nothing is wrong with a draw at citeh, we took 4/6.
this is the sorta revelation liverpool had and followed it up with that damn near perfect season where they had the league wrapped up before the covid stoppage.
the seriousness you'll see next season will not be familiar to us. we're getting 100 pts next season. bet on it.
89 pts wouldn't be enough to win any of the top 5 leagues.
RocktheCasbah I get that thought, but it's going to be easier turning 0 points at home to Villa and Fulham into 1/3 than it is turning 1 at the Etihad into 3.
I'd bet it's more likely City take more points off us next year than Villa, Fulham, or whichever team has it's purple patch season next year.
A draw away at both of your nearest title rivals is an astounding feat and one we should be massively proud of. There's far more room to improve elsewhere before we need to consider that result being the difference maker.
Tam I think, for me anyway, it's less about turning the one point to three at City than having the genuine authority in your play - wherever you go. Of course, there will be times it doesn't always happen, but to go back to what I said earlier. I don't think this City side plays this Manchester United side and only comes away with a 1-0 win. I don't think this City side would go to Spurs, have them absolutely dead and done and then turn a 3-0 lead into a 3-2 squeakfest.
Ultimately, I'm super happy with where we are and hoping for more to come next season, but I'm also actually okay with us not winning the title this year as I think we all know that City are still the best team in the country. I'm proud of how close we've run them though, especially given the run we had to put together in 2024 to do so.
Tam Though I do also appreciate having the confidence in your defensive structure and play to and execute a game plan, like we did at City is authoritative in its own way....
Meatwad nothing is wrong with a draw at citeh, we took 4/6.
We murdered the Big Six all up. Saw the overall mini-league for the season and we're well out in front.
It's a brilliant change from the years we seemed to fuck up all these encounters, but also troubling as it'll be a difficult feat to repeat and meanwhile we need to start taking full points from more routine matches.
goon On the one hand that's a lot of mouthy pricks you can't trust. On the other I'm confident David Levy's a snake to deal with behind closed doors.
goon I saw Gloryglory during their Citeh match thread and majority are celebrating all their misses, hating on Kulusevski for trying too hard and is ""obviously a gooner"" and then once the final whistle they celebrated their loss.
Then Ange came out and said all those things about how pathetic that kind of mentality is inside and outside of the club, looks like all their supporters had a wake up call and were having an argument in the Ange thread they shouldnt be invested with a rival club but concentrating on their own progress etc etc. Hilarious stuff.
Spuds really is an outright loser club
Clrnc the Ange thread was a fun read. 
Burnwinter always thought your reaction to Contes outburst was off. Its patently clear Spurs is a mess from top to bottom.
QuincyAbeyie The guilt of celebrating their loss all came to reality for them after the Ange presser. They couldn't even justify their own behaviour and realised how small time it was.
"Winning banter at work over your own club progress to UCL...""
Qwiss Nah, my reaction to Conte's outburst was in no way off. For that matter you can't trust what he (or Mourinho) says about the climate at Spurs. Both of them are histrionics.
Conte's lack of professional integrity and loyalty to his players was what disgusted me. He had ten matches left to oversee, a couple of months. The man can do what he likes for his filthy Spurs money, he went in the door with eyes wide open, then stumbled out pretending he'd been blinded.
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Burnwinter can't believe Villa are the best performing of the top 4 clubs.
Big 6 league tbh is a little skewed this season as United and Chelsea are mid table clubs