Rival boss reckons Arsenal title challenge is ON! Really?

While it is true that a club’s own fans, with Arsenal no exception, can often see their beloved club and players with rose tinted glasses, especially during a game when we see fouls and bad decisions against us that may not really be there and think our own players are judged too harshly, the opposite can be true as well.

Some of the harshest critics of Arsenal Football Club, Arsene Wenger and individual players are often the Arsenal fans ourselves. So while the media may be praising the Gunners today for the fight, spirit and determination needed to keep pushing a strong Southampton side and grab a last minute winner, a lot of us Gooners think we should have secured the points much earlier.

And on a similar note, most have also given up on the Premier League title and given it to Chelsea already, or feel that only Man City can challenge Jose Mourinho’s team. The Man City boss has certainly not given up on his team’s title hopes and Manuel Pellegrini does not think that we should give up on Arsenal’s either, as a report in The Mirror shows.

The Chilean said, “You can’t be the champions in November or December. It is impossible to know who will be champions when we have 26-27 games more. If we continue to play this way we will fight for the title.

“Chelsea are playing well also but it is not just two teams. There are so many points to play for there could be three or four.

“Manchester United won the last four. Arsenal won again tonight.”

So our Premier League rivals are starting to take note and see us as a threat again. Even though we lost to Man United, Arsenal were the better team and even though we lost to Chelsea, it was far from the sort of drubbing we were getting from our rivals last season.

Then you factor in the form of Alexis Sanchez, the Ox, Cazorla and consider that Giroud will soon be joined by Walcott, Debuchy, Arteta and Ozil in the squad of fit players available to Arsene Wenger and you can see why Pellegrini thinks we could still have a say.

When we get to the new year and see how the table looks after our return trip to face Southampton, we should know a lot more about any lingering title hopes but for now, I am willing to accept the opinion of the Man City boss as he probably knows a bit more about football than me. What about you guys?

Tags Chelsea Man City Pellegrini

33 Comments

  1. I just want a win at stoke with no injuries plzzzzzzz…then we can rest some players on Tuesday….don’t even bother taking Sanchez welbek ramsey Carzola….that need to rest for real

  2. i disagree with pellegrini, we are miles behind chelsea.
    title race was all but over when united beat us at home.
    even if chelsea draw a few an lose a couple, we will lose against big boys as usual.
    fourth is our trophy now. third is equivalent to winnin champions league for gooners

    1. @muffdiver what a loser u are, i even doubt that you are Arsenal fan. Before the Southampton game you yapped and shouted to anyone who cold care to listen how we cannot win that game.Loser!!!. Fight Wenger NOT the team.Arsenal FISRT!!

      1. what i actually said was, without schneiderlin playin we have a shot at winning, with him playin we would lose- i was right he wasnt playin’, only when they went down to ten men did we score- so pretty much spot on.

        but hey i respect your opinion, i disagree with it, but respect it.

        1. We never had much hope for the title, just a fool’s hope like always. Praying is what have to do every time. There’s nothing shameful admitting defeat, it’s unbelievably delusional to say we are in the title race. Why?

          – Worst start of the season in what, 30-40 years? Or is it the worst ever?
          – From the last ~45 games or so against top 4 teams, we have won.. 4 or 5, can’t remember exactly. What does that tell you? Last time we won United in 2011, Chelsea in 2012, City in.. 2011?
          – We’ve had almost every starter injured already this season and it’s the beginning of December!
          – Diaby getting a new contract if he manages to play one game.. and where the f-ck is our defensive midfielder?

          Tell me how can a team be in the title race without winning the big clubs, giving contracts to players who play 1 game a season, neglects urgent needs of the team and never make changes during a match?

    2. I agree. Chelsea has given away 6 points in total this season, that is what we managed to give away in two games (manure and Swansea).

      At best we’ll be locked onto the greatest trophy of them all: 4th place.

  3. Pelligrini hasn’t been here long enough. Forgive him, he has only seen one Arsenal capitulation. He missed the other 9.

  4. i wonder, How our players get injured?, for the stoke game, monreal out, rosicky out, sanogo out, walcott out, Boss doubt… do not play a minute but they get injured…. this is a facking comedy now…. well, i wouldn´t so concerned if the stubborn one, AKA NOSTRADAMUS, does his job and buy a CB and Dm… but no…. this is soo sad.

    1. Well Montreal was injured washing Wenger’s car, Rosicky fell over while collecting Wenger’s drycleaning, Sanogo while mowing his lawn, Walcott while trying to catch Wenger’s cheetah and Koscielny is a genuine one.

      Hes working them too hard.

      1. Pretty sure Diaby got injured just when he heard what happened to Rosicky! But now he is fit, just in time to make his traditional season cameo and sign a new, lucrative £60 000/week contract.

        1. No worry, it will be a pay as you play package.
          It is common nowadays for any old or injury prone player.

  5. That’s just Pellegrini taking some pressure off of his team… It is realistically a two-team race and he knows that.

  6. Even when all these players the are fit and firing, we still need a CB and DM. And even if we get these, Chelsea will have to drop at least 10 points without us loosing a game in order to catch them. Not likely to happen Bob!

    Third place would be a welcomed improvement so we can avoid play offs.

  7. I can wait. To have debuchy bk…just so tha chambers can rotate between cb and right bk over this festive period

  8. title challenge is on while there are enough points to win…i’ve personally followed/watched 40 seasons…it ain’t over ’till it’s over ladies! keep your tissues in the bags pleaze!
    OT…
    1. Sanchez vs Ozil..who was the better buy? ( Sanchez for me..btw)
    2. Diaby being offered a new contract if he can prove his fitness??? I am HUGE supporter of that lad…but I think…time to say goodbye. The fitness only ever lasts…a sparrows fart perhaps?
    This was meant to be the year. Your thoughts?
    3. The attacking structiure – Ozil, Sanchez, Welbeck, Giroud, Ox, Theo, Santi – all fit and in form…who plays” and in what shape? Assume the back 4 are Debuchy, BFG, Boss, Gibbs and a Keeper. Shielding/Pivots are 2 of Arteta/Flamini/Jack/Rambo/Chambers….which 4 out of the first group would you play?

    alternatively..what would you best 11 be from our squad?

  9. Rival boss reckons Arsenal title challenge is ON! Really?
    NO ! that was meant to be a joke,oh come on admin…..well,pelleghrini aint a hypocrite like mourinho so,why not ??
    jokes apart,it is still possible.but the question is,can arsenal regain the form they had some 2 seasons back(going unbeaten for last 10 games of season to be in top 4) ?? if thats the case,title is still within grasps.though history shows arsenal have never been consistent as a defensive unit under wenger,barring george grahams defence which he inherited when he became the manager.but 3 clean-sheets in a row ?? signs are good……hmmm

  10. For me wenger has last chance to sign players we need in january window otherwise he should resign at the end of this season.. So Mr. wenger sign Van djik or schar for 8-10 million £, want hummels but i doubt wenger will sign him because he does not spend large money on centre back just look at after we lose vermaelen we had the chance to buy a top class defender but he refused to sign.. And at last sign youn but powerful holding midfielder william carvalho or kondogbia for 20-25 million £ then i think we will be a different team and strong team but again it depends upon wenger..

  11. Imagine this team after january shopping window:
    Martinez or ospina or wojiech Debuchy Van dijk or schar Koscienly gibbs carvalho or kondogbia Ramsey walcott ozil sanchez welbeck/giroud.. Now that’s a formidible line up if not great.. COYG!!

  12. Well if we are counting numbers, we still have 24 games left, what would help us very much is if chelsea drops some points in this festive season to get the lead in single digits and we need to bring in a DM and CB to plug our weak areas. Then and only then we stand a chance, otherwise all we can do is get as close as possible to the leading pack

  13. seems Like you don’t know stoke city…….wanna play soft ball with em?……hehehehehehe….. Be prepared to maim your thighs, backs, hips, ankles, knees and clavicles…. L()L {GOD HELP US tho}

  14. Really want Ramsey to score against those Neanderthals at Stoke tomorrow. Wenger has also said that Walcott will not be available for tomorrow or Gala on Tuesday. He hasn’t started a game in over ten months now, this is getting rediculous. Well I hope he’s available for Our Home clash with Newcastle next weekend.

  15. Bob….in as much as the EPL title will matimatical possible I for one I’m not given up….untill it’s becomes matimatical impossible then I will resign to my faith….Pel is very correct no league has never been won in Nov. – DEC .
    I rest my case.

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