Basically, every one of the our games this season is a must win for the title race but I like to hype things up a bit hence the title.
Yesterday, Man City showed us why it’s not going to be easy. They were 3-0 up by half time against Leicester, replaced half of their first teamers including Haaland, Stones, Rodri, De Bruyne by first hour mark and managed a very comfortable win. They further improved their goal difference to 50, seven more than us having played equal games. With only 8 games left, we are not going to win on goal difference anymore, covering this 7 goal difference AND matching the high number of goals City scores, is almost impossible.
So, what do we need to do? We need to win, every game for the rest of this season. There are other permutations and combinations, but we aren’t in that territory as of now. If we beat West Ham today, we go 6 points up against City, with an extra game played and I’m sure chasing us every week along with Champions League football will cause trouble even for Pep.
Back to today’s game, Eddie is back in the mix but Saliba remains unavailable. William has been phenomenal this season for us, and we needed him at this juncture but looks like the back problem will haunt him for some more weeks. Holding has been decent enough as a cover, so it shouldn’t be a problem till it’s a Holding v Haaland.
West Ham are not really rocking under Moyes but they are a very tough team to beat. Moreover, we are visiting them, they are in a relegation battle and these sort of games comes with a chaos that can benefit any of the two teams on the pitch. We need to maintain our calmness and composure, do not allow them balls in dangerous areas and keep up the high octane pressing throughout.
I’m guessing we will see somewhat a similar playing XI we have been seeing. Ramsdale in the net, White, Holding, Gabriel, Zinchenko in back 4 with Partey and Xhaka along with Odegaard managing the midfield. Saka on the right, Martinelli at left with Jesus leading the line at the top. One thing I would personally like to see is Trossard playing the Odegaard/Xhaka position, rotating with Martinelli and Jesus, but I doubt we will get to know. Mikel is very strict in his team selection.
Good news is, this team should be enough for Moyes.
Whatever happens in the end, we must go to Etihad in winning confidence and with the point difference advantage we have on City. That is why winning today and the next ones are very important. Hopefully we get a 4-0 win but I would take a hard fought 1-0 today, considering Moyes.
I will go with a 0-2 prediction for the boys, just because Ramsdale is not getting his deserved clean sheets from last few games. Hopefully, we keep a clean sheet today, we score couple and it turns out to be a easy afternoon for the Moyes.
Short one today, see you during game.
#COYG
Here’s a thought will ESR make a comeback at Southampton and save Arteta’s blushes as before?
just when I thought the narratives surrounding the title race couldn’t get more ridiculous, I accidentally discovered an article from the Independent entitled “Why Arsenal losing the title race could be for the greater good”, which suggests that our potentially pending failure could finally embolden the typically toothless FFP to do their fucking job…seriously??? is Wenger writing under a pseudonym??
no one would have dared to have suggested such notion when Klopp’s Pool finished the season with 90+ points 3 times, yet only won a singular crown,…only poor old conspired against Arsenal could evoke such a ridiculous “kick in the dick” sentiment…it’s like we’re the second coming of LC, except that we’re most definitely not, as we have a storied history that places us well within the PL’s upper crust, unlike that one season wonder…so the very notion that we would take any solace from being some sort of Benthamite sacrificial lamb is some fucked up shit…once again another sign of the disrespect we’ve so rightly earned for our years of disingenuous finger pointing and self-inflicted mediocrity
such a notion
New Post.. or rather a rant..