Manchester City slip up to give Arsenal chance to move four clear

Manchester City failed to take their opportunities against a struggling Aston Villa side this evening, leaving Arsenal top of the table before they take to the field against Manchester United.

While our game is no gimme, given that we travel to Old Trafford for a Super Sunday clash with one of our long-time rivals, but with the fact that we have opened the new campaign with five straight wins and are playing with confidence, the chance to move four points clear of the current Premier League champions is one that we will hopefully achieve.

Man City couldn’t reclaimed top spot had they beaten Villa, but despite Erling Haaland scoring his tenth goal in only six league games since joining this summer, they were unable to hold out for the win with Leon Bailey finding the all-important equaliser.

Now we head into their city in search of our own victory as we take on Erik Ten Hag’s newly revitalised side, having won their last three outings themselves after a torrid start to their season, but their overall performances have been far from impressive, and I can’t help but feel like we should go into the game as favourites to claim bragging rights.

The fact that a draw will keep us on top at this stage will be solace should we settle for just the one point, but a win would make a statement of intent as we try to mount a title challenge as one of the underdogs going into the new campaign.

Patrick

Tags Man City

22 Comments

    1. Lots of awful decisions this season. The refs keep doing all they can to Favour Liverpool, Chelsea and ManU. It’s becoming too glaring.

    2. All the main contenders (except us) are benefitting from terrible decisions – almost as if refs are programmed to make sure some teams do well.

      I was surprised that Villa held the Manchester Oilers to a draw – and not only deserved it, but were allowed to have it.

      In that game another bad decision, this time in favour of the Oilers – an incorrect offside flag when Villa looked about to score. Although Coutinho did score, everyone stopped for the offside a moment beforehand so we can’t say it would have been a goal if play had continued but it was… high probability.

      1. Yeah it’s like there defo helping Chelsea who have been dreadful since last season. And Liverpool they’ve been poor I think with losing mane being a big part of it. But yeah it does look like refs are trying to help them out. I mean our ref vs villa was an absolute joke.

  1. Most fans here have been complaining that Arsenal won against a struggling Villa, that same struggling team held the champions to a draw. Appreciate every win, no easy fixture in EPL

  2. If we can take advantage of this opportunity to go 4 clear before the break will be a massive boost BUT we have failed to do so on many occasions and will not say we will out right win this game. Are we the better side going in, yes but Utd have signed a few players now and look abit more settled.

    Be a very difficult game and one I hope we can switch on from that start and grab all 3 points. A nice early goal would quieten Old Trafford very quickly.

    We are still top no matter the outcome but going in ahead 4 points at thisbdtage unbeaten winning all will lift the whole club.

    1. Great point was thinking the same. Maybe this year we can seize the opportunities when they present themselves.

      Beat utd while they haven’t found traction is big.

      Also going 4 points over City and spuds and widening the gap over Liverpool.
      Not to jynx us, but I’m delighting in telling my Liverpool supporting friends to “mind the gap.”

      Giddy if we can go 10 points over pool this early in the season.

    2. I agree the only way to win is just to score in open play. That leaves the refs at wits end on how to cheat deserving winners. There is no room to leave the decisions in the hands of refs and VAR

  3. But apparently we are only 1st because we have had a easy fixture list to start the season. Not like palace, fulham and now villa have taken pts off the best 2 teams in the league.

    1. Crystal Palace and Fullham took a point off Liverpool and Villa just took a point off City.
      You get it?

  4. Tbh I’m not expecting anything – just taking it as it comes.

    It’s hard to call this – 6 injuries is ludicrously bad luck at this stage (some of it due to Villa kicking us to bits on Weds, adding even more fuel to the fire on refereeing consistency).

    So we’ll be a new team/setup and Man Utd… God alone knows what version of them will turn up. The way they’ve been throwing money at their problems they might be starting half a team who’ve never played for them before.

  5. Great time to be a Gooner especially if your a generational fan that has spent a ton of money supporting our club through thick and thin. We’ve got our standards back. We’ve got our love back both ways. The players we ejected for nothing had no loyalty to us. But the players We’ve got now who replaced those regects won’t be sold for pennies because every one of them are playing for Arsenal and any team who fancies one of them will have to pay mega money to even get us to answer the phone. Our club will surprise many of the YT fans this season and do something special mark my words. I will repeat what I’ve said a few times on various platforms and that is I believe we’re on for a cup double and top 3 at the minimum. Call me a mug after the season finishes.

      1. Bless you mate, let’s ride this crest of the wave we’re on and support our club and if it falls apart and have to accept a top 4 finish there shouldn’t be any negative feelings about that. We’ll do it the Arsenal way like we’ve always done for over a 100 years.

  6. I have the feeling we will beat them. Our boys are full of self confidence. Odegaard, Martinelli, Jesus and especially Saliba are those generating the momentum. They’re not scared of any opponent and that gives confidence to the rest of the team.
    Last term, Odegaard was only confident when we played at the Emirates. But this term, he seems different especially with Jesus around him.

  7. Big opportunity tomorrow to build a little cushion between us and the rest. With that brings added pressure which we have not always been able to deal with and have failed to capitalize. If you take out the factor of Old Trafford then we would be perceived as favourites for the game, you just know all rival fans and pundits are waiting for us to slip up, so hopefully we massively disappoint them and beat United COYG! 💪🏽

  8. city, chelsea and liverfool are having a bad patch which is normal in football….ups and down

    champions league football is almost guranteed unless we self destruct

    we are one season ahead…..our core players have been formed and playing together for at least one or two season…..

    together with some luck we may win the title

  9. We have all pointed to today’s game as the first marker of how the team is being transformed to becoming more consistent. Beat or draw them today and play well will set us up nicely. No one can then say we have been lucky. ManU – even with the poor season last year, have splashed the cash. It depends if all the pieces fit together

  10. Well I am not afraid of Man utd but the officials in the field of play and VAR people, English officials are just something else, see what happen yesterday, westham, Everton and Villa were victim of bad officiating yesterday( even I call it daylight robbery), the whole world is waiting and supporting Man utd and everybody is against us including the officials, I am really afraid of the officials, if our team can kill early without any controversial or var checking goal ( 2 goals) in the first 30mins, then I will be glad ……
    I am nothing expecting much in the game but let’s give it to them and play freely in our own way and let’s see what will happen ……. COYG….

  11. I understand the feelings of those who post against the quality of the officials and VAR. I do think they have howlers across the board.
    I’m on holiday- hurray- so can’t see any football for a while to know if the refs are biased. I will be reading JA to keep up to speed with the game today. COYG

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