Topic: Premier League Fixtures 2nd - 4th April

[Egyptian36]

Yeah, no chance are city losing a game now until the end of the season

Hopefully we manage to win all our remaining games but I think we can afford to lose one yet win the title.

[cptrios]

I didn't really expect either team to drop points at home today, but I maaaaaybe didn't think Villa would roll over quite this badly. Doesn't bode well for effort levels from the rest of the cheats' opposition this season.

[Egyptian36]

Has someone stuck superglue on the bottom of the Villa keeper's boots ?

He didn't spend all the money he got two seasons ago yet. I am surprised he played thought he will refuse to play against city again.

[Nick110581]

Yeah, no chance are city losing a game now until the end of the season

They dropped points at weekend by drawing.

People have short memories.

[Barneylfc∗]

They dropped points at weekend by drawing.

People have short memories.

What's that got to do with the games they have until the end of the season? Their opponents are all shite or will roll over like Villa have.

[Egyptian36]

[Nick110581]

What's that got to do with the games they have until the end of the season? Their opponents are all shite or will roll over like Villa have.

Villa haven’t rolled over though. Luis missed a chance to make it 2-2.

Didnt Palace draw with them after being 2-0 down ? 

Other teams have taken points off them so let’s see what happens.

[Legs]

City have to win every game.

They probably will as well.

[stockdam]

The only good thing about that was it was only 3 clear goals from City. Villa were woeful especially the 2nd half.

Over to us now to get three points.

[Stevo79]

Hard to be too annoyed with Villa, they completely rolled over at Anfield earlier in the season.

[Eeyore]

What's that got to do with the games they have until the end of the season? Their opponents are all shite or will roll over like Villa have.

Brighton and Spurs aren't shite. That is two tough away games. The likes of Palace, West Ham and Wolves are capable of causing them problems and Fulham away is never easy.

[Oldmanmick]

They probably will as well.

They've got Spurs away to play yet. Been something of a bogey side to City over the past couple of years.

[WorldChampions]

We've seen it before so hardly a shock. Can't expect anyone to do us a favour, they usually just bend over and take it.

We need to deal with our own shit, can't rely on anyone else.

[kiwiscouser]

Villa haven’t rolled over though. Luis missed a chance to make it 2-2.

Didnt Palace draw with them after being 2-0 down ? 

Other teams have taken points off them so let’s see what happens.

They do tend to drop points when least expected and against teams that they shouldn’t. Obviously they are normally very good during run ins but they will have to go a long stretch of winning every game with big cup ties as well.

All we can do is win our games and if we do just that, it doesn’t matter what any other side does.

[Knight]

Villa beat City earlier in the season. This myth that teams don't try against City is so bizarre.

[DonkeyWan]

Well, that was fucking shit.

[Eeyore]

They've got Spurs away to play yet. Been something of a bogey side to City over the past couple of years.

So have Palace.

[cptrios]

Villa beat City earlier in the season. This myth that teams don't try against City is so bizarre.

I don't think it's necessarily about consciously not trying. It's more that particularly in the last third or so of the season, the perceived inevitability of a City win has a major effect on the opposition's mentality. That's doubly true if they don't have all that much to play for. Even if they start off well, a City goal will quickly kill off the belief. Not all that different from all of us sitting in here just knowing that they're going to win the rest of their games.

[Legs]

They've got Spurs away to play yet. Been something of a bogey side to City over the past couple of years.

I know they are be handy if that fixture was soon we dont really want it last week of the season if Spurs already in top 5 (CL)

I hope im wrong their other bogey team Palace get something on Saturday.

[Crosby Nick]

All three of us should be winning all our home games from here. You can hold a bit more hope for away games but I definitely won’t be watching any games either Ciry or Arsenal play.

[Eeyore]

All three of us should be winning all our home games from here. You can hold a bit more hope for away games but I definitely won’t be watching any games either Ciry or Arsenal play.

City home to Wolves could be tricky if it is played between two legs versus Arsenal if they both make the CL semi finals.

[TSC]

Villa haven’t rolled over though. Luis missed a chance to make it 2-2.

Didnt Palace draw with them after being 2-0 down ? 

Other teams have taken points off them so let’s see what happens.

Relatively recent history shows city win out in the run-in.  Bonus for us at the mo is it’s in our hands.

[MH41]

Thankfully I made the decision to go for a run, after watching my daughter's match, and didn't watch any of tonight's action.
I noticed that Martinez didn't play once again v City?
 Is he on the take?

The only thing that eases my paranoia on this, is that if that is the case, he would be able to influence the result more if he was playing, rather than if he isn't.

[duvva 💅]

Relatively recent history shows city win out in the run-in.  Bonus for us at the mo is it’s in our hands.

This season they feel a little more vulnerable than before perhaps. Arsenal just as much a worry as them, more so in some ways with the extra point.

Although I saw something today that across the last 5 seasons no one has picked up more points than us in the run ins (not sure how many games are included)

[BigCDump]

Villa losing gives Spurs renewed hope for fourth. Hopefully Spurs will also be looking to get least get two points at home against Arsenal and City, if not more.

Utd still in the hunt for 5th if Villa keep slipping up, which obviously makes it slightly trickier for us on Sunday. But a quick 4-0 should settle any nerves.

[Egyptian36]

Thankfully I made the decision to go for a run, after watching my daughter's match, and didn't watch any of tonight's action.
I noticed that Martinez didn't play once again v City?
 Is he on the take?

The only thing that eases my paranoia on this, is that if that is the case, he would be able to influence the result more if he was playing, rather than if he isn't.

He felt ill an hour before the game. I guess Emery is more strict than Gerrard and he couldn't fake an injury like he did before.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

This season they feel a little more vulnerable than before perhaps. Arsenal just as much a worry as them, more so in some ways with the extra point.

Can't buy into this at all. City's demise is massively overblown. Won 10, drawn 3 since winning the World Club Cup. Those draws coming against us, Arsenal and Chelsea. They're not as good as they were in 18-19, but they're probably on a par or even slightly better than they were in 22-23.

I can only see them dropping points at Spurs and maybe Brighton at a push. Arsenal have those same two grounds to go to, plus Old Trafford, plus Villa at home who hopefully won't decide to play their reserves and have Watkins missing on that occasion. Wolves away and Chelsea at home aren't exactly cake walks either. They will drop more points than City, I'd lay a lot of money on that.

[MonsLibpool]

Can't buy into this at all. City's demise is massively overblown. Won 10, drawn 3 since winning the World Club Cup. Those draws coming against us, Arsenal and Chelsea. They're not as good as they were in 18-19, but they're probably on a par or even slightly better than they were in 22-23.

I can only see them dropping points at Spurs and maybe Brighton at a push. Arsenal have those same two grounds to go to, plus Old Trafford, plus Villa at home who hopefully won't decide to play their reserves and have Watkins missing on that occasion. They will drop more points than City.

They've really regressed but teams still roll over against them.

[LallanaInPyjamas]

They've really regressed but teams still roll over against them.

They're grinders. So are Arsenal to be fair. Both boring as fuck to watch, but that's what makes them effective, because they don't give up many chances, and they keep the ball at all costs. Likewise, that style has its limitations. I think it'll cost at least one of them in the CL QFs for example, because Bayern and Real have the firepower to blow them away on their day. Unfortunately not many teams in the PL do.

[MonsLibpool]

They're grinders. So are Arsenal to be fair. Both boring as fuck to watch, but that's what makes them effective, because they don't give up many chances, and they keep the ball at all costs. Likewise, that style has its limitations. I think it'll cost at least one of them in the CL QFs for example, because Bayern and Real have the firepower to blow them away on their day. Unfortunately not many teams in the PL do.

Villa still had a couple of good chances agaisnt City. They're just not that good and they lack pace pace throughout their spine which makes them vulnerable to counters against brave pacy teams like Villa, Palace, us... They slow the game down to limit transitions.

Arsenal's performances depend on how big they feel the game is. The bigger the game is in their mind, the worse they perform and the more they resort to their antics. In straightforward games, they are comfortable.

[duvva 💅]

Can't buy into this at all. City's demise is massively overblown. Won 10, drawn 3 since winning the World Club Cup. Those draws coming against us, Arsenal and Chelsea. They're not as good as they were in 18-19, but they're probably on a par or even slightly better than they were in 22-23.

I can only see them dropping points at Spurs and maybe Brighton at a push. Arsenal have those same two grounds to go to, plus Old Trafford, plus Villa at home who hopefully won't decide to play their reserves and have Watkins missing on that occasion. Wolves away and Chelsea at home aren't exactly cake walks either. They will drop more points than City, I'd lay a lot of money on that.

I haven’t said there’s been a demise, but they don’t seem as good as last season to me.

For a start Haaland is nowhere near the same level (been worked out a bit). Feels like they’ve had to scrap a lot more for results and either aren’t creating as many chances or not putting them away.  They certainly aren’t breaking teams down and battering them the way they were last season. Foden, and Rodri to a lesser degree, have kept them in the title race in my view. Foden’s goals have been the only thing that has ensured they haven’t slipped further behind. If they were to lose him for even a few of their more difficult games I think they’d be done.
Neither us or Arsenal seem quite so reliant on one player.

I don’t think there’s much in it between the 3 of us this year.

[Tokyoite]

I genuinely thought Villa would offer some resistance..

[duvva 💅]

I genuinely thought Villa would offer some resistance..

They did up until going behind just before half time. Second half didn’t turn up really, but not helped by missing several regulars

[Tokyoite]

They did up until going behind just before half time. Second half didn’t turn up really, but not helped by missing several regulars

Fair enough, guess Abu Dhabi were just too good for them. This was one of the games in which I thought they could drop points. It's the hope that kills you 

[Persephone]

Fair enough, guess Abu Dhabi were just too good for them. This was one of the games in which I thought they could drop points. It's the hope that kills you 

Unlike the run ins before, they are the ones that need to hope we drop points. As long as we take it 3pts at a time, the title is ours.

[the_red_pill]

Unlike the run ins before, they are the ones that need to hope we drop points. As long as we take it 3pts at a time, the title is ours.

Yep. We have been stronger than City in the run-in over the las 5 years- albeit marginally, but City's usually been in the driving seat which is why they win it in the end.
This time we are, and it would take a total collapse from us to lose it now.
Our fixtures also, are managable.

[Knight]

Yep. We have been stronger than City in the run-in over the las 5 years- albeit marginally, but City's usually been in the driving seat which is why they win it in the end.
This time we are, and it would take a total collapse from us to lose it now.
Our fixtures also, are managable.

It would not take a total collapse. It’d take a draw at Utd and Everton and City winning out. Both those scenarios are entirely possible.

[the_red_pill]

It would not take a total collapse. It’d take a draw at Utd and Everton and City winning out. Both those scenarios are entirely possible.

With the stakes this high, I'd take anything that has us ending in 2nd or 3rd as a total collapse.
That's why the autopsy refers to it as "bottling".

Way OTT, and unfair, BUT the amount of force it would take to dislodge a fervent, bl00dy-minded, no holds barred goal, vision and refusal to give in, would have to be extra ordinary at this point.
IF such a thing happens, we'll be jolted back down to 2nd or 3rd- and 3rd is quite a ways from 1st.

Still... game-by-game. We're not here to win the title.
We're here to win every game.

[Knight]

With the stakes this high, I'd take anything that has us ending in 2nd or 3rd as a total collapse.
That's why the autopsy refers to it as "bottling".

Way OTT, and unfair, BUT the amount of force it would take to dislodge a fervent, bl00dy-minded, no holds barred goal, vision and refusal to give in, would have to be extra ordinary at this point.
IF such a thing happens, we'll be jolted back down to 2nd or 3rd- and 3rd is quite a ways from 1st.

Still... game-by-game. We're not here to win the title.
We're here to win every game.

This doesn’t make any sense. The stakes don’t change the typical understanding of what a total collapse or bottling it actually is. If we were 6+ points ahead at this point, perhaps that’d qualify as a total collapse. But we’re currently 2nd, a point behind first and level on points with 3rd, albeit with a game in hand. We could finish 2nd or 3rd whilst performing to ‘par’ on the alternative PL table. Not likely, but we could. That wouldn’t be even close to a total collapse. It’d be the opposite in fact, a brilliant crack at the title foiled by a team who were even better (in arsenals case) or cheats (in city’s case). By your logic losing a tight CL final is a total collapse or bottling it because of how high the stakes are.

[FiSh77]

With the stakes this high, I'd take anything that has us ending in 2nd or 3rd as a total collapse.
That's why the autopsy refers to it as "bottling".

Way OTT, and unfair, BUT the amount of force it would take to dislodge a fervent, bl00dy-minded, no holds barred goal, vision and refusal to give in, would have to be extra ordinary at this point.
IF such a thing happens, we'll be jolted back down to 2nd or 3rd- and 3rd is quite a ways from 1st.

Still... game-by-game. We're not here to win the title.
We're here to win every game.

I do believe the term "bottled it" will be getting revised by some of the modern footie beauts if we fail to win it from here