By Sammy The Snake
This is probably the shortest blog ever!
Just wanted to share with you the fixture list for the rest of the season for all contenders. I leave it to you to imagine possible outcomes for each team. I’m starting to develop OCD with all the calculations in my head!
Happy TOTL!
The Anniversary Files February to March
Books on Arsenal at a discount
I just don’t think you can do this. Football isn’t predictable (That’s why it’s worth watching). How many people would have had Chelsea to draw a blank at home to WHU, then go away and beat MC?
Just hope Arsenal continue with CONSISTENCY. If the other two do likewise, we’ll still be top at the end of the season.
Looking ahead like this is for optimists. As a confirmed pessimist it is just depressing.
I see devils in every game we have left. I can’t help myself.
Yet I go through overs fixtures and think,
Yeah they’ll piss that. Tough, but they’ll scrape a win there. That lot, they always throw the towel in against them, another 3 points.
You get the picture.
If I did a projection we’d end up out of the Champions League places !!!!
Typo on line 3. ‘Others fixtures’ is what I meant.
Thanks for posting this. It’s a nice little table that is good for quick reference. As I posted a couple of days ago, leagues are unpredictable by nature. The results for the top teams for games 23 and 24 are perfect examples of the unpredictability. Ironically, Arsenal’ results over the 2 matches were most consistent.
Man City blew Tottenham away 5-1 away from home then lost at home 0-1 to Chelsea. They failed to score when they most needed it so all the noise of 100+ goals counted for nothing.
Chelsea couldn’t score, despite being managed by the ‘greatest’ tactician in the history of the game, against a West Ham team that Man City have already score about 20 goals against this season. They then went ahead to beat City 1-0 and the media have now declared them favourites. One single game is all it takes really! Seriously, according to the moronic media, that is all it takes!
Arsenal drew 2-2 with Southampton, a very logical result in my opinion. We then beat Crystal Palace as expected. Our 2 results while not perfect (at least for us Gooners who wanted the whole 6 points) were normal and consistent. Consistency wins the league and that is all we need to continue to be.
As others have said, there will be surprise results between now and the end of the season. However, if you look at it purely on paper I hate to say it but I make Chelsea favourites after beating us the other night. Their run-in is the easiest of the three teams by far with Liverpool being their only away game remaining against the top 8 teams. 4 of our last 5 away games are against United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Everton so we’ll need to have a clear lead at the top going into those, while conversely Arsenal have a similar run of tough away games before that so could do with being in touching distance of the top going into the final half dozen games.
Why only 3 teams though? I still think Liverpool are in with a shout given that they have a similar run-in to Chelsea’s.
It was already a big task to put the 3 of them next to each other. 4 would be neigh impossible 😉
I don’t really think that playing lower placed teams will make it easier.
You could say there are 9 teams really safe for the moment.
But then you have 11 teams with a difference of 8 points. And to the last relegation spot of only 5 points difference (Aston Villa – West Ham). So all those low placed teams will have to put up a fight for survival in each game. Against the top teams they might try to do a parking the bus game and as we have seen it can work at times (Chelsea – West Ham).
I don’t think there are any easy games in it till one team or the other is certain of going down on the final day.
Chelsea do have the easier run in on paper but anything could happen. All i hope for is that we get our injured players back soon and that we are within touching distance (or still top!) come week 33/34. If so we have a real chance.
Things could be worse, we could have a decision like this to make!
http://www.spurs-web.com/app/cheering-arsenal-saturday/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cheering-arsenal-saturday
Chelsea have the ideal run-in with only one tough away game and a squad that has enough depth to deal with injuries. They should win the title but football is never that simple. Leeds thought they had the league sown up in 1971 but guess who stole it from them?
M18CTID your moniker is like a bird flu variant!! just stay away from crowds. LOL enjoy your footy and always sympathise with the ball – it gets kicked more than any player.
The media will talk about City and Chelsea title chances (in this order) but it is Arsenal’s to lose. I said it before – anything other than EPL title this year will be an underachievement for this Arsenal team. The title will be decided in the ‘less difficult’ games and not in the games against City or Chelsea.
Andrei
“Anything other than EPL title this year will be an underachievement for this Arsenal team”
How do you work that out? We finished behind City and Chelsea last season.
Since last season City have improved there squad to the tune of £100 Million, which is on top of a net spend(or loss if you like) of about £450 Million over the preceding 5 years.
I don’t know exactly what Chelsea spent in the summer but it was pretty significant. Whatever it was it was on top of a net spend(or loss if you like) of £500 Million over the last 10 years.
Coincidently, over that same period we’ve been paying off our £450 Million Stadium debt, which had, until last summer, restricted our net spend over the last 5year and 10 year periods to a big fat zero(or no loss at all if you like).
So unless you think that bringing in one Marque signing, one freebee and an untried youngster is enough to overturn our main rivals net spend(or loss) of a combined BILLION POUNDS then I fail to see how, under any circumstances what so ever, you can make that statement !!!
Arsenal 83 Man City 86 Chelsea 89
@jambug This is my assessment of this Arsenal team potential. I went on the record last season saying that Arsenal was on the verge of becoming really strong team – search the archives. This is EPL title caliber team and they have demonstrated it by staying ahead of the pack most of the season. It is up to them to finish the business.
Andrie
Well I admire your confidence but I still contend that if they fail to win the EPL that is far from under achievement.
Andrei,
I want to believe your assertion of having that much faith in this Arsenal team but my understanding of your brand of support just makes that impossible for me. None here is more optimistic about this current Arsenal team than Walter but I can’t recall him ever making that kind of categorical statement.
We hope the team makes it this season and we are backing them to go all the way but your “I already crowned them champions” kind of confidence is a groundwork that is being laid to enable you to attack the team when they fail to achieve your exalted goals.
Apologies for my scepticism but I just never get that sort of faith from ANYTHING I have read from you concerning this team.
week 30 – St Totteringham’s Day?
I’ll predict my winner on MatchDay 37 : ).
Offtopic: Arseblogger has written a brilliant piece today if you have not read it. It’s extremely balanced and you get what he is trying to say on every line. I wish there were more such articles.
http://arseblog.com/2014/02/midweek-media-waffle/
@Bootoomee You are right I often disagree with the mainstream opinion expressed on this site primarily related to financial and officiating topics. Also stated in the past that I’m not a hardcore Arsenal fan more of a follower (does it make me a plastic fan?) My #1 team will always be Shakhatar Donetsk having grown up in the area and having generations hardcore Shakhatar fans in the family. However I doesn’t preclude me from having faith in Arsenal and attempting objective (one hopes!) assessment of the team potential.
I do believe that Arsenal have the best and most balanced team in EPL at the moment. Granted City and Chelsea have formidable squads and are more than capable of winning EPL title. However both teams have not insignificant shortcomings and are not particularly deep especially City. More importantly both City and Chelsea are still in transition while Arsenal have enjoyed stability and years of progressive improvement.
Andrei,
Your faith is commendable. I meant no slight with my post and thanks for your measured response.
Andrei.
Well as the basic premise of this site is to expose the abysmal standard of refereeing in the PL, with special regard to it’s bias, and more pertinently it’s bias,(as shown by countless statistics produced by the site), towards Arsenal in particular.
As such it’s hardly surprising you are at odds with the prevailing views of a vast majority of the sites regulars.
As for your other contention regarding the finances. Could you point out the errors in my post above regarding finances. because I can assure you, give or take the odd Million they are pretty accurate.
Or are you saying Wenger and the board have actually got £500 Million stashed the in basement?
Or are you saying the Em’s didn’t actually cost £450 Million, give or take?
Or are you actually saying you think Wenger is such a genius that he should win it despite being at such a financial disadvantage?
As for your assertion that Chelsea and City are in transition where as Arsenal “have enjoyed stability…..” What tosh.
Compare a first 11 from 3 years ago to today and it will be vastly different.
You say you are not ‘hardcore’
You don’t say, your not even softcore !!
Anything can happen, and I think we should be fine. I’m quite hopeful actually, as long as the refs give us a fair shake.
Completely off topic, don’t know if anyone is also watching the Madrid derby, but Mourinho’s legacy of cheating seems to be firmly entrenched in the Madrid players. Diego Costa has been kicked 3 times with the ball miles away, twice by Arbeloa and once by Pepe. They are deliberate kicks, and they must have thought noone could see but it’s been caught on camera. It’s shocking. Don’t think I ever saw Madrid players like this till Mourinho went there. No wonder uefa declared this man an enemy of football.
Andrei
Think you shouldn’t have used the word underachievement, it undid any good that may have been in your whole comment. It’s a bit like saying if lyon don’t win the league ahead of PSG and Monaco it’ll be an underachievement. It’s a little ludicrous.
AL
It’s only this Country’s Media and brain dead fools that lap up there every word that can stand the man.
The rest of Europe can’t abide him.
I know jambug. Even in Spain where the press is so pro-Madrid they couldn’t stand him.
AL
Watching it now. SKY with there usual biased pro RM commentary.
Gunners have already overachieved this season, I sincerely hope they continue to over achieve till the last day of the season!
@AL If you don’t perform to your potential your underachieve in my book. This is my way of communication and I don’t see reason to change it. There is nothing offensive or particularly negative in my statement. If some over-sensitive Arsenal fans are unhappy it is their problem and they will have to deal with it. Your reference to Lyon is not very relevant as their team potential is not even close to match PSG or Monaco.
Yes,I stopped listening to their nonsense, the volume is way down 🙂
A teams potential is so subjective as to be virtually irrelevant. But even if in your opinion this teams potential is as enormous as you say how does coming 2nd or 3rd to City’s or Chelsea’s ‘potential’ equate to under achievement. Surely all it shows is that a) you over rated Arsenals potential or b) under rated City’s and Chelsea’s.
Either way to call finishing 2nd 3rd or even 4th as ‘under achievement’ is harsh in the extreme.
There is no logic to your reasoning.
Andrei,
The idea wasn’t to tell you not to use the word, but think it undermined some valid points you were making. That’s why I said “undid any good”. You made some good points, and personally use of that word and the transition reference stopped me from endorsing your comments. Not that you need my endorsements anyway 🙂
And you may replace lyon with Lille if you like, still wouldn’t be viewed as an underachievement if you ask me. Actually if we win it ahead of those two it’d be an over achievement in my view. Maybe that’s just a word I like to use, while you like underachievement. Can be expected, we are different people after all 🙂
@jambug Any opinion is subjective by definition. Even your assertion about no logic in my reasoning.
Surely spending £500 million and not winning the EPL is the epitome of under achievement.
But hey, maybe that’s just me !
We’ll have to agree to disagree.
@AL Fair enough. I did expect Arsenal to be real title contenders this season and would be disappointed if they didn’t win. I didn’t expect Arsenal to be the leading contender though as didn’t expect United to struggle so much under Moyes and I expected more from City especially after they signed Fernandinho. However I’m surprised by Chelsea progress though I still see them more as pretenders.
Education – Albert Einstein.
Education is not the learning of facts , but the training of the mind to think .
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree , it will live its whole life
believing that it is stupid.
Two things to remember in life. Take care of your thoughts when you are alone, and take care of your words when you are with people.
Buddha was asked , ” What have gained from meditation?”
He replied ,” Nothing !”
However he said ,”Let me tell you what I lost : anger,anxiety ,depression , insecurity ,fear of old age and death .”
When you try to control everything , you enjoy nothing.
Relax , breathe , let go and just live .
I think we’ll win the league. All we have to do is beat Chelsea and City. But on a serious note I believe we can win it because, we have players who think they can, we have a manager who think we can, and now we have fans who are behind the team…….
Victoria Concordia Crescit….It’ll get an all new meaning this season.
If football would be played by FIFA Football Manger or PES or what ever are the names of those games, yes Chelsea would be clear favorite. Comparing to our and Citeh schedule they have quite “easy run”. But there is catch, in Football managerial games Chav always beta WU home, and get only draw at Etihad, in real life its a bit different.
I have read yesterday Koscielny interview, and same moment I got mental image, I had whole projection in my head, Citeh and Chav have lead at their games, we need goal to go in front of them, Norwich has parked bus and we cant do a thing, somwhere in 75th minute, Casorla get free kick, Özil to take it. Ball screaming over the wall, hitting the bar. Ball is bouncing back in penalty area, it jumping around, no one able to shoot or kick it out, ball is falling in front of Lolo, he kick it hard. He don’t look at it, he just hit it as strong as he could. Silence, you hear ball making shhhhh sound rotating in the net.
Day after on Le Grove there is article, Wenger has to be sacked, as we could win league earlier and not to wait last game.
And you know what, if this dream don’t get true, I don’t care, I know it will next year.
Unlikely we’ll win the league. I don’t know why people believe either City or Chelsea are in transition. City are pretty much the finished article as are Chelsea. The former could probably do with one more solid defender and the latter need a top striker. But both can win the league without either. Much as I loathe Mourinho I think getting Matic was a masterstroke and may well be the key to them winning the league.
We’ve improved but I disagree with Andrei. I don’t think it’ll be an underachievement if we finish second or third, it’s about where we should finish. If we win the league I’d say it would be Wenger’s greatest achievement.
Why would I think that? Well if you consider our away matches we have a formidable task ahead. We’ve not beaten any top sides away from home this year and we really needed to beat Everton and Chelsea at the Emirates. We just can’t beat the best sides when we need to. The key matches for me were always the ties against City (0 pts so far), Manu (0pts so far), Chelsea (1 pt so far), Everton (1 pt so far), Liverpool (3 pts so far) and Southampton away (1 pt). So six points out of a possible eighteen. Not great. Some might include Spurs but I really didn’t rate them especially when AVB took over although their current manager might make them more of a threat.
This has been the pattern in recent years, our inability to win against the best teams at the most vital moments in a season. If Wenger can turn that around we could win the league.
Rupert even if I agree with your math, but don’t you think our 3 points vs WHU is more than Chelsea 1 vs them. Or there is some other math, I admit I have skip some some lessons now and than, but still I believe 3>1. Same count for us and Citeh vs Cardiff. And so on, at the end of season winner will be team who collected most points from 38 games, not the 6 games, not 8 games but 38.
Only thing I agree with you, getting only one point from home game vs Chelsea is bad thing, but not a bit worse than getting only one vs any other team.
@Rupert
You can’t discount the Spurs win but include results from two teams who are below them in the table in order to give more substance to the figures supporting your argument.
I’ve checked this out – and can confirm that we have not dropped a single point against a team in the bottom half of the League at the time we have played them (or prior to the commencement of that round of fixtures):
Villa N/A
WBA 10th
Man U 8th
Everton 5th
Man C 4th
Chelsea 3rd
Southampton 9th.
That is quite extraordinary consistency and gives us a little bit of leeway if/when we struggle against the higher teams, assuming we can maintain this record. For example, Man City lost to Cardiff and Sunderland, Chelsea lost to Stoke etc…
@Mick, that’s ok I’ll include the Spurs points which then makes it 9pts out of 21. I think we’ll rue not winning against Everton and Chelsea.
@Armin, of course 3pts is better than 1pt re the West Ham result. But one has to concede that that Wham vs Chelsea game was a freak result. I think Chelsea had over thirty shots and couldn’t score. Is that likely to be repeated again against weak opposition? I doubt it but I hope it is. Unfortunately we have four tough away games if you include Spurs, which I will do this time as Mick insisted I included them in my other analysis. Chelsea have one tough away game, Liverpool. Nothing is writ in stone in football of course and it’s all too easy to look at our fixtures and despair based on previous seasons results against some of those teams, but this is a better Arsenal team than any since about 2006 so we have the best chance in years.
@Rupert
If the Chelsea/WH draw was a freak then so was the Man U victory over Arsenal as RVP’s winning goal fortuitously came off his shoulder into the top corner. We all get the occasional unpredictable result, the key is consistency and that is where we have done best so far. Our superior points return against the lower clubs has more than compensated for the inferior record against the better teams (so far) resulting in us being top at the moment, who cares who we have got the points against. If we win the title without having beaten Chelsea, Man City or Man U are you going to complain?
@Mick
Yes he will !!!!!
@jambug
Hahahahahahaha, you may well be right.
There’s nothing such as a sure thing ? Well you’re wrong! Here’s the proof..
The personality test –
This is 100% accurate-amazing!!
In the middle of the table is a round food tray with five kinds of fruits on it.
They are:
A. Apple
B. Banana
C. Strawberry
D. Peach
E. Orange
Which fruit will you choose?
Please think VERY carefully and don’t rush into it. This is great, I was astounded at it’s accuracy!
Your choice reveals a lot about you!
Test results: Please SCROLL DOWN;
If you have chosen:
A. Apple: That means you are a person who loves to eat apples
B. Banana: That means you are a person who loves to eat bananas
C. Strawberry: That means you are a person who loves to eat strawberries
D.. Peach: That means you are a person who loves to eat peaches
E. Orange : That means you are a person who loves to eat oranges
Also I bet that right now you would like to find Me and Kick my ARSE!
Well, You won’t find me……because I am still hunting down the arsehole who sent this to me…
Aaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!! that Brickfields!(waving fist in a menacing fashion)
Brickfields,
Wont be so hard to find you cause im staying in OUG. Dammit man…
@ Micheal Ram – Was born and raised in Brickfields ,but am now a resident of ” Raintown “- the town of everlasting peace !
How’s the traffic these days ?
@ Ugandan Goon – It gives such great pride that I’m able to piss off so many all around the world !
ELEVATOR CONFUSION
Once again, I find myself in hot water….
Today I was beaten up by a woman! I was in the elevator when that busty lady got in. I was innocently staring at her boobs, when she said, “Would you please press one..?” So I did. I don’t remember much after that….
@Mick, if we win the title nobody should be complaining. I think comparing our loss to Manu with Chelsea’s draw against Wham is spurious. Manu are far better than Wham and in that game how many shots did we have on target compared to Chelsea’s against Wham? Based on our past performances against away at Manu a win for us would have been a freak result. We should have at least managed a draw but I maintain that we have a psychological problem with Manu, only beating them in unimportant games in recent years, and I’m desperately hoping we can deliver a good beating to them at the Ems, that would effectively end their season, at least in terms of finishing top three.