Topic: Chasing the Title

[latortuga]

You can imagine what City fans were feeling at HT, only to have their hopeful little hearts dashed in the space of 5 or so 2nd half minutes.  We must truly be irritating the hell out them. 

For me this was just another one of those games this season that we'll look back on with fond memories and say that was why we won the league.

We got this.

[disgraced cake]

Huddersfield have no chance tomorrow, a point a draw, a goal, nothing.

Yeah, City will win fairly comfortably. I don't think they'll win 16 straight games but truth be told there's not many games I look at and think they;ll get beat/drop points. I think they'll probably win all their home games, and that includes the likes of Spurs, Chelsea and Arsenal.

We just have to keep doing what we're doing.

[Honzad]

I wouldn't think that either Huddersfield or Fulham have much of a chance. Huddersfield will need a miracle not to concede 3-4 and Fulham would need a kind of inspiration that has been sadly missing for them so far. I imagine it'll be another couple of weeks before we can open up any more of a gap.

[latortuga]

And they still lost. Anything less than a 3 or 4-0 City win would surprise me.

Agreed with you on the Arsenal win and agree again.  They'll actually try and go for it now that Wagner is gone and get obliterated, it's gonna be embarrassing.

[Stussy]

that game would have been several stakes in the heart of City. Gave them so much hope. And then we crushed that hope again.

[tornado]

The cynical me with the tin foil hat is thinking why are we going to Dubai of all places. Surely, the hotels are going to be bugged, food/drinks are going to be spiked, there will be honey traps all over....anything to put us in trouble down the road..

Ok going too far there, it's just a game.

[Caligula?]

The lads are bringing their own food.

[diegoLFC7]

They have a grim set of fixtures coming up. Two cup ties, Newcastle away, Arsenal, Chelsea, and a trip to Germany in the CL. They also play Everton away which can be a banana skin game for them.

[tornado]

They have a grim set of fixtures coming up. Two cup ties, Newcastle away, Arsenal, Chelsea, and a trip to Germany in the CL. They also play Everton away which can be a banana skin game for them.

League fixtures are tough but effectively only one cup tie, the other is just a practice session. Hopefully, they draw against Burnley and get a re-match.

[diegoLFC7]

League fixtures are tough but effectively only one cup tie, the other is just a practice session. Hopefully, they draw against Burnley and get a re-match.

Its still changes preparation and training sessions. They have a lot of fixtures compressed in a small amount of time, whereas we have time to recover and prepare mentally.

[harleydanger]

I'm assuming city win every league game for the rest of the season

[Caligula?]

I'm assuming city win every league game for the rest of the season

They still have Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and United to play. If they win every one of their remaining fixtures, then they'll probably deserve to be champions. I'll eat my hat if they do though.

[demain]

They have a grim set of fixtures coming up. Two cup ties, Newcastle away, Arsenal, Chelsea, and a trip to Germany in the CL. They also play Everton away which can be a banana skin game for them.

Erm...

[mrantarctica]

They still have Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and United to play. If they win every one of their remaining fixtures, then they'll probably deserve to be champions. I'll eat my hat if they do though.

I think they'll completely thrash Huddersfield, but I think Newcastle and Arsenal will be very difficult encounters for them. I can see Newcastle frustrating them for a draw.

We also play the day after in both instances, so the pressure might come on us a bit if they reduce the gap to 1 pt. On the other hand, knowing that they've dropped points might serve as an extra boost to go out and extend our lead just a bit further.

[It's Jimmy Corkhill]

City will almost certainly beat Huddersfield, but at half-time they'll have been thinking it could cut the gap to 1, not keep it at 4 with a game less.

They've still got to go and get three points today and the pressure is back on them. Praying for that new manager bounce.

[Gladbach73]

They have a grim set of fixtures coming up. Two cup ties, Newcastle away, Arsenal, Chelsea, and a trip to Germany in the CL. They also play Everton away which can be a banana skin game for them.

I don't think they will play the Ev on the scheduled date as it's the weekend of the league cup final, and let's face it, Burton aren't going to score ten without reply!

[Gladbach73]

Erm...

You mean the roll over and get their tummy tickled time?

[harleydanger]

They still have Arsenal, Chelsea, Spurs and United to play. If they win every one of their remaining fixtures, then they'll probably deserve to be champions. I'll eat my hat if they do though.

meh, it's more for my own mental health. We need 13 wins. Easy. Next week it'll be 12, and the week after 11.

[toe punt]

Mathematically we need 14 wins from 15 and as City are capable of winning all their games we have to assume that's the target for now.

If we keep winning we can only hope they drop some points to give us some lee way and we only need 12 or 13 wins.

[killer-heels]

To give City problems you need some sort of attacking threat in your side and that is why they got beat by Leicester and Palace and why Southampton couldnt convert periods of good play into more goals.

The problem with Huddersfield is they have virtually no attacking threat.

[Jm55]

And they still lost. Anything less than a 3 or 4-0 City win would surprise me.

In injury time. They also gave us a hard game.

I don’t think anyone sane is predicting anything other than a City win, but just that it isn’t totally beyond the realms that Huddersfield might produce a surprise, and if not Huddersfield, Newcastle next week maybe. Of course the likely outcome is City win both, but how anyone can have supported this club for any length of time and not at least entertain the idea that it might not go that way, is beyond me, you only have to go back a month. The last time City lost in 2 games nobody expected them to.

The thing with football these days, and I’m in no way suggesting you’re like this as I have no idea, but it’s just a trend I’ve noticed. With the wealth of stats and information available, people rely too heavily on it, as if the game is some kind of equation, usually so they can be proven right and tel people that they were proven right. You can’t account for football in stats always. A good example is Karius last season when people were saying his numbers make him out to be excellent, when a decent percentage of people just said they had a feeling he’d buckle, which he did. You can make an argument for concussion and maybe that played a part in that particular case, but you get my point.

Yesterday Palace trebled the amount of goals we’ve conceded in one match at Anfield all season and equalled the total number of goals we’ve conceded at Anfield this season. Although some predicted a tricky match yesterday (I wasn’t one of them,) I don’t think anyone would have predicted that.

Even the United sides under Ferguson always lost one or two bizarre matches.

[na fir dearg]

City will drop a couple of points, no way they are winning all their games from now till end of season, they will destroy Huddersfield though

[spider-neil]

City will drop a couple of points, no way they are winning all their games from now till end of season, they will destroy Huddersfield though

They are capable of doing that, though, unfortunately.

[Nick110581]

They are capable of doing that, though, unfortunately.

If they win 16 in a row it’s a league record.

[Jm55]

They are capable of doing that, though, unfortunately.

They’ve done it once mate.

By the same vein we’re capable of not dropping points to anyone outside the top 6. Which, if we also win our home games against Spurs and Chelsea, would be enough for the title.

I don’t think either will happen.

The other point to bear in mind is City haven’t done it at this stage of the season bedore. Far more pressure, and, more importantly, matches to play which makes it far harder.

[killer-heels]

They are capable of doing that, though, unfortunately.

They are not winning 16 in a row. They did it once in the first part of last season when all the stars (players fit, on form, no cup distractions, league taken back by their play) aligned.

That wont happen again. They can win a lot of games so this will definitely be tight. They are not winning all 16.

[FlashGordon]

If they win 16 in a row it’s a league record.

Didn't they win 18 on the bounce last year?

[Crosby Nick]

Didn't they win 18 on the bounce last year?

Maybe in all competitions. They drew with Everton early and drew with Palace at some point in Autumn so cant have won 18 in between that and losing to us.

[-Willo-]

Huddersfield caused us big issues to be honest, we scraped through it 1-0 and they had a very close offside goal disallowed

The problem with CIty is they get so many goals before the 15th minute, they don't allow the crap teams to have room to get into the game.

[Roger Federer]

Maybe in all competitions. They drew with Everton early and drew with Palace at some point in Autumn so cant have won 18 in between that and losing to us.

No, they set a new record last season in the league with 18 straight wins. As you say, they drew with Everton (game 2) won 18(!) then drew with Palace in game 21. We beat them in game 23. The amazing thing is that we are only two points behind where they were at the same stage (62 vs 60).

[Roger Federer]

If they win 16 in a row it’s a league record.

It would be 19 in a row if they win their last 16 as they have 3 wins since they last dropped points. Their record last year was 18. I highly doubt they are capable of another run like that. It wont happen two seasons in a row.

[ScubaSteve]

Huddersfield caused us big issues to be honest, we scraped through it 1-0 and they had a very close offside goal disallowed

The problem with CIty is they get so many goals before the 15th minute, they don't allow the crap teams to have room to get into the game.

Definitely, if Huddersfield can hold on for the first 15 mins then they have a chance. Who knows, having no manager might inspire them.

Think it’ll be at least 5-0 if they score in the first 15 mins

[Yorkykopite]

And they still lost.

They lost one and drew the other.

[Achilles Heel]

No, they set a new record last season in the league with 18 straight wins. As you say, they drew with Everton (game 2) won 18(!) then drew with Palace in game 21. We beat them in game 23. The amazing thing is that we are only two points behind where they were at the same stage (62 vs 60).

Last year City dropped another couple of points in the 26th game.  So, on 69 after 26 games.  If you win your next 3 you will equal that but probably a bit behind on goal difference.

Meanwhile, if we (City) win next 4 we'd be on 65 after 26 games.  Before the record breaking season last year that's only been bettered once by Chelsea in 04/05.

Lots of "ifs" there but if it continues it really is incredible with 2 teams going at such a pace in the same season. Before the 100 points, Chelsea had the record points tally for winning the PL with 95 points. Still a long way to go but a possibility 2 teams will equal or better that in the same season is insane.

[jillcwhomever]

What I will say is should we continue this form, then I do think Guardiola will begin to tamper with his line outs and that could well lead to them dropping points, that or they will concentrate on the Champion's League. They know they cannot win the title unless we begin to drop points, which is why they are so vocal on us all of a sudden. Klopp will ignore it and continue to focus the players mind on each game.

[FlashGordon]

What I will say is should we continue this form, then I do think Guardiola will begin to tamper with his line outs and that could well lead to them dropping points, that or they will concentrate on the Champion's League. They know they cannot win the title unless we begin to drop points, which is why they are so vocal on us all of a sudden. Klopp will ignore it and continue to focus the players mind on each game.

See know reason why he would do this as it's still 3 points for a win whatever the line up and the current first 12 or 13 aren't doing too bad at picking up 3 points 

[Scouser-Tommy]

I’ve just read on Sky Sports news that it will be the Everton away and United away games that will get moved if City progress in the league cup and FA cup, which they will.

Interesting games to fit into a busy schedule midweek at some point.

[Raid]

I’ve just read on Sky Sports news that it will be the Everton away and United away games that will get moved if City progress in the league cup and FA cup, which they will.

Interesting games to fit into a busy schedule midweek at some point.

I'd love to say it will be a different game under the lights but Everton and United fans want us no where near the title

[-Willo-]

I'd love to say it will be a different game under the lights but Everton and United fans want us no where near the title

Thankfully Utd arent that smalltime, theyre going for 4th too.

[Andar]

I’ve just read on Sky Sports news that it will be the Everton away and United away games that will get moved if City progress in the league cup and FA cup, which they will.

Interesting games to fit into a busy schedule midweek at some point.

Everton game will be worked against us. At least in February, they will have attempted to get something. It would have been a bit early in the season for them to be throwing it away (players and fans).

As we saw in 2014, it being played in April is a guaranteed win for City. The atmosphere was something else. I know it's usually not much anyway, but it was eerily quiet that day. Players fed off that atmosphere and duly lost.

Fully expecting the same sort of atmosphere when they meet this season, and the thing is they were at least a pretty decent outfit that season in 2014. They're not very good now, so imagine this lot playing in an half-arsed away? It should be a 4 or 5 goal win for City. Similar to how Spurs put up 6 there in December.

I've brushed that game off and see that as a guaranteed win for City. Genuinely think it would be one of the biggest shocks in recent history if it was anything other than that.