Expectations - 2023/2024 Season: Page 31 - The Arsenal discussion community: One More in the Tolly

Expectations - 2023/2024 Season

Burnwinter

Sicario2 - Tier 1 You're wrong about that, but even if you weren't, you'd have to believe Arteta and our players would agree with you to turn their attention mostly to the Champions League.

Consider the margins. If after a hypothetical loss at the Etihad, City were to even draw one match and we were to win our corresponding fixture, we'd edge back ahead of them again in the race, and staying ahead of them would be in our hands.

Any deemphasising the league will be much further off. These are just the fachts mate.

banduan

Sicario2 - Tier 1 It’s actually going to be relatively ok for me.

1) we are not expected to win despite going for the title - a draw would seem ok result

not really what wrecks me. It's the nervy chess match that inevitably goes on whenever we play them, until one team scores.

Qwiss

[unknown] we dropped points to West Ham and Fulham and fell behind but since then we've clawed our way back to top. Thats because City and Liverpool are capable of losing games. The title race is on a knife edge and it wont be decided with 9 games to go thats for sure.

Burnwinter

Qwiss Screw your eyes up and imagine Arteta looking a massive two points up the table to City in early April, heaving a Basque sigh and announcing to the match review room "Well boys, we can forget the league for this year".

Coombs

Burnwinter Basque sigh

Ah yes, that tell-tale voiceless pharyngeal fricative sigh.
It's not over 'til it's over. It may be useful for us fans to hedge, for personal emotional reasons, but I certainly wouldn't expect Arteta or the team to do so.

Burnwinter

Coombs Ah yes, that tell-tale voiceless pharyngeal fricative sigh.

Record one or it didn't happen. 😆

Burnwinter

Coombs Yeah that was my point too, that no particular outcome versus City is going to "free us up to focus on Europe" or whatever.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

This is huge as it means both us and Liverpool will 2 games on City. We beat City and win those two games then we are 10 points ahead of them in mid - April.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

That means Spurs have a free week ahead of our game. It also means they play City game week 37 now instead.

Clrnc

Appreciate all your fixture updates @Sicario2 - Tier 1

Qwiss

Clrnc yes helpful for fantasy too. Glad I saved my free hit last week.

Panda

We are playing every midweek in April. April was our downfall last season. Let's see if we can overcome it this. Gonna be tough.

IBL

Time to utilise the full squad. With Partey, Timber, Tommi and Zinchenko back we have something of a chance. I hope we don't burn out our main players, losing Saka or Rice or Gabi/Saliba would be disastrous.

Dragan

Famous last words, but we look in better shape than this period last time around. Our style of play with higher control should be less demanding physically as well. With most of the squad fit a few injuries wouldn't be a disaster as long as they are not concentrated in the same position.
It all depends on how Arteta utilises the squad. If he manages the rotation properly - couple of changes in the "easier" matches and early subs to key players we should be fine.

Sicario2 - Tier 1

Dragan

Agreed and to be honest all these breaks ie the one after the fa cup in Dubai and the now for half our players is invaluable.

Mentally and physically, touch wood, this is the best possible shape to be in going into these crunch last weeks.

I’m not too bothered about playing 3 days a week. The adrenaline and hopefully momentum from winning will keep these guys going. Winning makes you less tired that’s for sure :-)

For example, look at Man Utd 1999, their players always said that it was easier playing every 3 days whilst winning than taking long breaks inbetween games and over thinking the situation.

Last season once we were out of Europe we had sometimes 7-10 days to prepare but it worked the other way as we had more time to feel the pressure

Coombs

I think we've found a winning team/system for the run in and I'd like to see as few changes to the formula as possible. Cycle George, Kiwior, and whoever has fitness issues, but otherwise, they should run themselves into the ground to win. They can rest when they retire.

goon

Coombs

Yup. This is the one stage of the season you don't rotate.

There's are certain positions you can make changes, maybe even to suit the opposition. Full backs, CF, the third centre mid. The integral parts need to start every game, that means Saliba, Gabriel, Rice, Ode, Saka and Martinelli.

Claudius

goon this is the same thing that City do. They rotate heavily throughout the season until we get to the final countdown. And then they settle around the key guys. How they ran KDB into the ground last season. I would still like a formula for spelling Saka and Martinelli at the ends of games though given how much work both put in. Someone needs to step up

goon

Ode too given how much pressing he does. Maybe start trusting ESR to finish games.

I still don't get how KDB played with a hamstring injury.

Coombs

goon marvels of modern medicine

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