Yeah, it’s really interesting that I think if you look at the two leading teams to compete for the league; City have been generally good early in games and had worse second halves while Arsenal have been the opposite. Think that has an impact on fitness and freshness though.

This is Tudor’s wiki page. Nice work to whoever added that last sentence.

The thing is, he’s right. They’re not a big club. They think they are because they’re in London and they “were the first team to do the double” (they weren’t, Preston North End were). But even since their double we’ve won 3 of them.

Yeah, I was able to take Merino’s bc we had Havertz back but losing him now too is huge. We don’t really have a ton of players who can challenge aerially in the attacking third. It’s also another way in which Cala being out has hurt as he’s an aerial target when he gets forward.

It can’t be both… Also it is one of the toughest tests; the only teams with better home records than Brentford are City, us, Villa, United and Sunderland. We’ve played all of those bar City and have 5 points…out of 12. City in their corresponding fixtures picked up…5 points…out of 15.

It was only 11 days ago that City dropped points at the team in 16th having been 2-0 up at half time.

City won 1-0. We drew 1-1. It’s hardly a huge difference in the scoreline. Ironically Chelsea may be the kingmakers here because both of us have to play them. City have to go to Stamford Bridge, we’ve obviously got them at home. Those games may yet decide a lot.

We’re 4 points clear with one of our hardest games out of the way. Yes, I think that’s one of our hardest games left. I’d say it’s probably harder than Chelsea at home, and no matter how much of a “new manager bounce” they may get, let’s not forget Spurs are shit. They’re 17th for a reason.

I’d like to remind everyone that while City won at the Gtech, it was by a single goal. Anyone who thought we’d wipe the floor with them was mistaken.

I said this would be our second toughest game left after the Etihad and so far, it’s living up to that billing.

Man who lives in Monaco to avoid taxes complains about immigrants not contributing to the exchequer…

Emma Hayes is such an interesting story. Grew up a Spurs fan, played for Arsenal’s academy, then as a manager built a dynasty at Chelsea.

I tried but it was always an uphill battle.

You should be allowed to sack your manager whenever, but you can’t add staff outside of a transfer window, so either you promote someone internally or do a player/manager or whatever. Let the kit-man do it for all I care.

I think if Afghanistan had gone Gurbaz instead of Nabi to start that second Super Over they probably get over the line. Also if they’d considered Rashid for their second super over instead of Azmatullah. But absolutely spectacular drama, right up until the last ball.

The way I look at this is either West Ham fans, who are abysmal to Rice and talk some absolute shite, are unhappy, or Spurs fans, who are Spurs fans, are. Either way, we win.

I mean…if this *is* what happens I think we can officially say we’ve completed football.

I’m so glad the footballing gods gave us Spurs, United and Chelsea all failing to win tonight because there’s absolutely no chance City don’t pick up 3 points tomorrow night.

Funnily enough the article only mentions MW 23, but City were 2 points behind and 4 goals ahead on GD at Christmas after MW 17. So in the last 8 matches, the gap has gone from 2 to 6 on points with a 9 goal swing on GD. But all the coverage at the weekend was about them “closing the gap”.

I saw something about Anelka today and it made me wistful. I genuinely think had he stayed at Arsenal and Wenger gotten to pair him and Henry (which was supposedly the plan) he’d be spoken about as an all-time great of the game, like Henry and Bergkamp.

First piece to correctly analyse the impact of the weekend results on the title picture.

Really hoping we can get a decent lead early and look to use a similar counter-attacking strategy to Sunderland to kill it off before it goes deep.

City aren’t falling away, but currently they need us to drop 7 points out of the remaining 39. Every game week that goes by that we pick up maximum points is another one that goes by without them closing the gap (no matter what the media say) We just need to keep chipping away at it.

They’ve closed the gap! (The truth is the +2 swing in GD has increased the gap marginally)

After watching them today…I can.

Now I know why they booed him. For the record is has zero against Arsenal this season, from 2 played.

We started the weekend 6 points clear +3 GD. We end it, 6 points clear +5 GD. If we improve our GD by +2 every matchweek, we’ll have a +19 GD going into the Etihad.

Our lead has increased by +2 on GD this weekend, but don’t let that distract you from Sky’s narrative for their £6.7bn product.

TITLE RACE IS ON!

Enjoy Europa League next season…

Said it at the time…Rodri was sent out to say that shit because Pep couldn’t. Still waiting on the FA to do something to Rodri about it but I won’t hold my breath.

Honestly don’t want them to. Why let them hold it over us that we only won it because they helped? Fuck em. Do it ourselves.

Except Arsenal. Imagine we win it by a single goal on goal difference?

This. Fuck em all. Saw nothing today to make me fear City. They were shite and got a lucky decision on the penalty.

Would rather do it without it tbh. Will feel better when we go to the Etihad, beat them, and do the job ourselves.

I’d rather do it that way. Then we can laugh at both of these shitty clubs. Beat them at the Etihad. Which we were on our way to doing last season had it not been for the stupidest red card ever given.

And we’re supposed to be the team that bottles it? It’s fine, we’ll just have to do it ourselves and beat them at the Etihad.

He buries this.

This is never a penalty. But they’ll get it.

Not a chance Szoboszlai scores a second and makes this game all about him…

Not Szoboszlai undoing all his good work by playing him onside there…

I’ve always loved them. Always.

Best decision you can make.

This is miles out. No way he scores this.

Not sure how that’s not a red card…

Liverpool have been much better this half. Maybe they should ask the league if they can kick towards the Kop every game. Even the away games (just hold them at Anfield instead).

That’s a superb block from Guehi.

Ekitike’s got to go right to Wirtz there instead of Salah. And then he misses an absolute sitter.

Ekitike has to hit the target there.

Huh…but I thought we were told with the Caicedo incident the other night that it doesn’t matter what you do on the follow through as long as you get the ball… …yet Van Dijk was right to be booked there according to Neville. Are they making this up as they go along?