Weekend Football

[Orion1871]

Arsenal v City not much better than Reading v Burton. Both teams happy with a draw.

And then Arsenal score.

[WestYorksRoyal]

Arsenal v City not much better than Reading v Burton. Both teams happy with a draw.

And then Arsenal score.

Lucky goal. Only way anyone was going to score. City deserved it. Both teams deserved to lose but only 1 can.

[URZZZZ]

City have badly missed Rodri in recent games, 3 games and 3 losses without him

Very poor today

[Royal Rother]

Really poor game that.

Arsenal won’t care of course, and maybe that’s their blueprint to beat City. Not quite good enough to beat them at their own game, so change it up. Fair play, even if the entertainment we’ve come to expect is extinguished as a result.

[South Coast Royal]

Really poor game that.

Arsenal won’t care of course, and maybe that’s their blueprint to beat City. Not quite good enough to beat them at their own game, so change it up. Fair play, even if the entertainment we’ve come to expect is extinguished as a result.

Considering the billions of pounds of talent on display that was such a dull watch.
3 shots on target in the whole game and it served City right for just passing the ball amongst themselves and they were content to run the risk of a jammy goal to beat them.
Arsenal equally unambitious and it felt during the game that they would be happy to finish the season second or third as they didn't really have a go at a team which is very much a rival.

For the moment Spurs and Arsenal can dream but come next May I expect the winners to be either Liverpool or City with Liverpool now already having got 4 of their most difficult away games out of the way at Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton.
Now, oh joy we have an international break.

[LUX]

Do not like either club/ team, but on balance that is a good result for the Premiership.

[Ascotexgunner]

City have badly missed Rodri in recent games, 3 games and 3 losses without him

Very poor today

And De Bruyne......Haaland looks anon without them. Hardly noticed him.

[Franchise FC]

City have badly missed Rodri in recent games, 3 games and 3 losses without him

Very poor today

And De Bruyne......Haaland looks anon without them. Hardly noticed him.

Interesting, as we thought he was more involved today than a lot of games … just not in the oppo box

[Sanguine]

First time City have lost consecutive league games since December 2018 (Palace home, Leicester away). That time, they won 18 of their subsequent 19 matches, and pipped Liverpool to the title by a point.

[leon]

Really poor game that.

Arsenal won’t care of course, and maybe that’s their blueprint to beat City. Not quite good enough to beat them at their own game, so change it up. Fair play, even if the entertainment we’ve come to expect is extinguished as a result.

Considering the billions of pounds of talent on display that was such a dull watch.
3 shots on target in the whole game and it served City right for just passing the ball amongst themselves and they were content to run the risk of a jammy goal to beat them.
Arsenal equally unambitious and it felt during the game that they would be happy to finish the season second or third as they didn't really have a go at a team which is very much a rival.

For the moment Spurs and Arsenal can dream but come next May I expect the winners to be either Liverpool or City with Liverpool now already having got 4 of their most difficult away games out of the way at Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton.
Now, oh joy we have an international break.

Terrible game both sides cancelled each other out. Not getting the Liverpool confidence - they were poor against Brighton and not been sure about how them at all this season.

[Sutekh]

Really poor game that.

Arsenal won’t care of course, and maybe that’s their blueprint to beat City. Not quite good enough to beat them at their own game, so change it up. Fair play, even if the entertainment we’ve come to expect is extinguished as a result.

Considering the billions of pounds of talent on display that was such a dull watch.
3 shots on target in the whole game and it served City right for just passing the ball amongst themselves and they were content to run the risk of a jammy goal to beat them.
Arsenal equally unambitious and it felt during the game that they would be happy to finish the season second or third as they didn't really have a go at a team which is very much a rival.

For the moment Spurs and Arsenal can dream but come next May I expect the winners to be either Liverpool or City with Liverpool now already having got 4 of their most difficult away games out of the way at Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton.
Now, oh joy we have an international break.

Terrible game both sides cancelled each other out. Not getting the Liverpool confidence - they were poor against Brighton and not been sure about how them at all this season.

Can sort of understand the hope/confidence around Liverpool as they've shown great resilience in consistently recovering after conceding first unlike last season and both Szboszlai and Gravenberch look absolute class. The issues are still apparent though in that they're a defensive mess for an elite team - they really need to find the next van Dijk though Quansah looks to have something about him that might develop. They could also have been top now if the Spurs game hadn't have been such a monumental foul up.

Fully expect City to simply go on their next unbeaten run of 20 games+ and see normality being restored.

[6ft Kerplunk]

Really poor game that.

Arsenal won’t care of course, and maybe that’s their blueprint to beat City. Not quite good enough to beat them at their own game, so change it up. Fair play, even if the entertainment we’ve come to expect is extinguished as a result.

Considering the billions of pounds of talent on display that was such a dull watch.
3 shots on target in the whole game and it served City right for just passing the ball amongst themselves and they were content to run the risk of a jammy goal to beat them.
Arsenal equally unambitious and it felt during the game that they would be happy to finish the season second or third as they didn't really have a go at a team which is very much a rival.

For the moment Spurs and Arsenal can dream but come next May I expect the winners to be either Liverpool or City with Liverpool now already having got 4 of their most difficult away games out of the way at Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton.
Now, oh joy we have an international break.

Terrible game both sides cancelled each other out. Not getting the Liverpool confidence - they were poor against Brighton and not been sure about how them at all this season.

SCR is a Liverpool fan isn't he?

[NathStPaul]

Yes and he won't/can't accept any criticism of them. Plastic scouser.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Really poor game that.

Arsenal won’t care of course, and maybe that’s their blueprint to beat City. Not quite good enough to beat them at their own game, so change it up. Fair play, even if the entertainment we’ve come to expect is extinguished as a result.

Considering the billions of pounds of talent on display that was such a dull watch.
3 shots on target in the whole game and it served City right for just passing the ball amongst themselves and they were content to run the risk of a jammy goal to beat them.
Arsenal equally unambitious and it felt during the game that they would be happy to finish the season second or third as they didn't really have a go at a team which is very much a rival.

For the moment Spurs and Arsenal can dream but come next May I expect the winners to be either Liverpool or City with Liverpool now already having got 4 of their most difficult away games out of the way at Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton.
Now, oh joy we have an international break.

Terrible game both sides cancelled each other out. Not getting the Liverpool confidence - they were poor against Brighton and not been sure about how them at all this season.

Yeah I'm not sold on Liverpool either at the moment. Look better than last season but out of the 4 away games mentioned, they only managed a draw at Chelsea who have been struggling up until recently, lost at Spurs, drew with Brighton and albeit managed to turn over a Newcastle team who probably felt like they'd lost the game through how they played on the day. Liverpool do have a bit of a habit of going a goal down in games as well, which you can't afford to do consistently.

[South Coast Royal]

Considering the billions of pounds of talent on display that was such a dull watch.
3 shots on target in the whole game and it served City right for just passing the ball amongst themselves and they were content to run the risk of a jammy goal to beat them.
Arsenal equally unambitious and it felt during the game that they would be happy to finish the season second or third as they didn't really have a go at a team which is very much a rival.

For the moment Spurs and Arsenal can dream but come next May I expect the winners to be either Liverpool or City with Liverpool now already having got 4 of their most difficult away games out of the way at Chelsea, Newcastle, Spurs and Brighton.
Now, oh joy we have an international break.

Terrible game both sides cancelled each other out. Not getting the Liverpool confidence - they were poor against Brighton and not been sure about how them at all this season.

Yeah I'm not sold on Liverpool either at the moment. Look better than last season but out of the 4 away games mentioned, they only managed a draw at Chelsea who have been struggling up until recently, lost at Spurs, drew with Brighton and albeit managed to turn over a Newcastle team who probably felt like they'd lost the game through how they played on the day. Liverpool do have a bit of a habit of going a goal down in games as well, which you can't afford to do consistently.

My point was that they have played 4 of the most difficult away games the only loss where they were cheated out of at least a draw and yet are only 3 points off the top with the next run of games now being:-
Everton
Bournemouth
Luton
Brentford
Then what might prove to be a title decider v City.

I am biased but the other sides are just as fallible, e.g. City losing at Wolves and Arsenal and I don't count Spurs so yes I do feel that they are very much in the mix with less intense competition in Europe this season when the best players can be rested unlike Arsenal, City and Newcastle where they will generally have to put out their best side..

[South Coast Royal]

Yes and he won't/can't accept any criticism of them. Plastic scouser.

Hardly that and I have explained my dual football interest in the past so really don't want to go down that road again.
When you like a team you tend to see the positives and hope the negatives go away-I have never been averse to criticism of Liverpool.

BTW , for all the criticism of their defence I suspect that the full-back pairing would be considered as good as any in the division and Van Dijk , even now operating at about 80%, would still get in most teams and the keeper is second to none.

It is the greater emphasis on having a mainly attacking midfield that means goals will be conceded but IMHO Klopp has the confidence to believe that they have the ability to outscore any opposition which makes them and their games generally so entertaining to watch and neutrals want better entertainment than that bore of a game between Arsenal and City yesterday.

[YorkshireRoyal99]

Terrible game both sides cancelled each other out. Not getting the Liverpool confidence - they were poor against Brighton and not been sure about how them at all this season.

Yeah I'm not sold on Liverpool either at the moment. Look better than last season but out of the 4 away games mentioned, they only managed a draw at Chelsea who have been struggling up until recently, lost at Spurs, drew with Brighton and albeit managed to turn over a Newcastle team who probably felt like they'd lost the game through how they played on the day. Liverpool do have a bit of a habit of going a goal down in games as well, which you can't afford to do consistently.

My point was that they have played 4 of the most difficult away games the only loss where they were cheated out of at least a draw and yet are only 3 points off the top with the next run of games now being:-
Everton
Bournemouth
Luton
Brentford
Then what might prove to be a title decider v City.

I am biased but the other sides are just as fallible, e.g. City losing at Wolves and Arsenal and I don't count Spurs so yes I do feel that they are very much in the mix with less intense competition in Europe this season when the best players can be rested unlike Arsenal, City and Newcastle where they will generally have to put out their best side..

It's not just losses though, it's draws that are bad as well. Liverpool have a tendency to draw too many games, so yes even if Spurs "should" have been a point, it's still another 2 points dropped. A lot of people seem to see draws as "not a bad result", but in reality at the top of the table they are quite bad when most of the others sides around you are consistently winning. I'm not suggesting that they can't win it, I'm just not all that convinced that they will and City, whilst have had a bad run of results recently, don't tend to come on strong until mid-season where they go on a ridiculous winning run.

[Sanguine]

Well most of you are wrong on Liverpool. The Spurs game, and all that went on there, is their only league defeat in their last 19 games. They are three points off the top and have already played Chelsea, Spurs, Brighton and Newcastle away from home. Comments like 'well its the draws as well' fall into the bucket of isolating Liverpool as if the rest of the league doesn't exist. 'Oh, they drew at Brighton, can't win it'. Well, City lost at Wolves, Arsenal drew with Fulham.

Clearly the midfield is in a much better place than last season. They need to resolve the 6 role, and maybe Endo will grow into that in the coming weeks, Mac Allister a much bigger asset further up the field. And yes, central defence looks a problem, although one of those issues is Konate barely being fit for three weeks at a time.

I don't think they'll win the league - City will soon go on one of their runs and that will be that. But clearly Liverpool and Arsenal and Spurs have a bit about them this season. Would be good if one of them could run it close.

[Winston Biscuit]

Eden Hazard retires

[NathStPaul]

Eden Hazard retires. Great player in his prime.

Reckon he will get really fat now.