The top four in the table increased their hold on their Champions League spots this weekend with wins, but some people are still discrediting Arsenal as serious challengers for top spot.
Chelsea continued their extremely impressive form by beating Fifth-placed Tottenham from a goal behind yesterday, piling further pressure on our side today, and we responded in tremendous fashion.
Despite making some changes to our first-team, with Mathieu Debuchy and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain coming into the starting XI, we kept up our impressive form with a comfortable (ish) victory over Bournemouth in order to stay within three points of the leaders.
Manchester United also failed to inspire themselves to win today, meaning we end the matchweek with a four and eight point safety net as we look to complete the primary aim of securing Champions League football.
Other teams like to joke that we are solely interested in this feat, but the reality is that we have finished fourth, third and second in consecutive years, and first is a realistic target.
We have scored an average of 2.4 goals per game this season, scoring 48 goals in our 20 competitive matches thus far, and with Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud sharing our striker role, there is no reason why that should change in the near future.
Yes, the Blue side of London are looking thoroughly impressive in their new formation, but their system will get found out, and we all know that Diego Costa is due an injury a red card in the near future right?
Both Liverpool and Manchester City have had their weaknesses exposed on more than occasion, with the Reds defence seemingly unknown to a clean sheet, and with Claudio Bravo not looking interest in trying to keep one!
We will be the ones there making Chelsea fight to win this season’s Premier League, and if they slip up, we will be there to pick up the pieces.
Do you agree that only us should be considered serious challengers to Chelsea for the title? Or do any of you actually believe that Liverpool can keep up their relentless goalscoring, despite the ominous prospect of playing without star-man Coutinho for the coming months?
Pat J
Arsenal is a title contender. No doubt about it. Compared to previous years, our squad is more balanced, almost all positions have 2/3 players of equivalent level (maybe apart Sanchez and Ozil who are top class players) and decisive players can slot in when needed. I was particularly impressed by Giroud yesterday, who played his new “super-sub” role perfectly. He even gave me the impression he was running fast!
But, we need to step up a bit in big matches. Our performance against Chelsea was brilliant, but disappointing against Tottenham and United. And out of EPL, it was also frustrating against PSG.
I think this is too early to say only Chelsea and us are fighting for the title. I agree Liverpool and City have weaknesses, but we lost against Liverpool and haven’t played City yet. I believe our game at City in december will be key: if we win, we will confirm our chances and might kill City’s in the same time…
Tottenham looked the part last year, City the same and so was Arsenal for a while. If there’s any lesson to be learned here is that it takes at least 35 games to have an idea where this heads to. And sometimes even 38. Now, anyone remember who were the favorites before the season started? because I tell you, Chelsea and Liverpool weren’t there. Was United, City and Arsenal. Look at the table today.
Spot on Budd. It is just too early to be discussing title challengers. We should keep on gaining points until April when the real contenders emerge. Write any team off at your peril. Like the UCL, the FA cup games will have effect on the form of some teams. We are glad to have a positive squad depth. I wonder how this team will be if players like Zhaka and Perez are fully integrated and the injured players return. I see us getting strong in all competition.
Chelsea are looking super strong since we embarrassed them, and I would never write of any team with Pep Guardiola in charge. This season is going to be exciting and will go down to the wire, but if we are still in contention in March I will be more than happy.
I reckon you’d have to say there are four obvious title challengers, some may include spu but I wouldn’t until I see them improve on the creativity. Injuries is what can hurt every title challenger. Che could lose Costa and Hazard, or certain players that then make it difficult for them to use 343. We know we have some players that we just wouldn’t cope without. Same with city and Liv. You just never know which teams are going to be really unlucky with this stuff, timing of it all is massive. We are a bit better prepared for the worst, but the team that wins it will be in my opinion the team with the kindest casualty record.
For me there is two ways of looking at our chances to win the PL this season;
1. We have a deeper squad and are getting draws where might have lost in previous season. All signings we are to be considered serious contenders.
2. Other than the Chelsea game back in September we have not played very well despite some decent results. If you want to win the PL title now is the time to get results against better teams, we failed to do that against Spurs, Man U and PSG, all games where we could argued to have been out played.
For me, I considered the games in November against Spurs, Man U and PSG our first real test. TBH we didn’t really pass those tests with flying colors. Not only didn’t we get the results (at least one win against any of those 3 would mark a champion IMO) we also didn’t play up to our potential or for 90 minutes.
At the moment I have seen too many signs of the Arsenal of old, always disappointing when it matters, to be thinking about winning the PL. We first need to get back to playing like champions game after game not sporadically.
For me Chelsea, Many City and Liverpool are our biggest threats and have better cards.
On paper we have the best squad in PL IMO but that needs to be translated into results and Wenger still gives me doubts as does the character of our squad. He still makes strange decisions, playing Ramsey out wide where he struggles, appearing to set us up to draw against Man U, not wanted to fix a struggling team before the 70th minute despite a talented bench etc.
It just doesn’t feel right to me (yet).
I think the table is probably a fair reflection of the strength so far, and the fact we aren’t favourites but in with a chance, may be a good thing.