Premier League 2017/18

[DonAK]

City don't really look as good as they were at the start of the season but still end up winning.

That's what champions do. Win when they don't play too well. Last season City were losing games when they were dominating the opposition

 

[utility73]

City is just at a similar point where Barcelona was, most teams have realized by now that you only have a slight chance of stealing some points if you park the bus and park it real good.

Still City’s morale is impressive, they do not give up and just keep grinding down their opponents. West Ham parked the bus with extreme discipline and without any flaws for around 55 mins but in the end just went out of juice under the constant pressure of City in second half.

Citys big weak point is their CBs now with Stones injured. Otamendi is always a defensive liability and Mangala is just horribly slow.

 

[Vilarrubi]

City is just at a similar point where Barcelona was, most teams realized that you only have a slight chance of stealing some points if you park the bus and park it real good.

Still City’s morale is impressive they do not give up and just keep grinding down their opponents. West Ham parked the bus with extreme discipline and without any flaws for around 55 mins but in the end just went out of juice under the constant pressure of City in second half.

Citys big weak point are their CBs now with Stones injured. Otamendi is always a defensive liability and Mangala is just horribly slow.

Exactly.

People are thinking city are playing worse (especially some closet Utd fans) they’ve just beaten teams who park the bus for the whole game.. instead of the usual 4-0 5-0. Doesn’t mean they’re playing any worse, they are adapting and still winning.

P.s Kompany was just rested today because of yellow cards.. he’ll play against Utd.

 

[utility73]

P.s Kompany was just rested today because of yellow cards.. he’ll play against Utd.

Yeah I always forget about Kompany because I am not used to him playing more than two games without getting seriously injured

 

[JamDav1982]

Otamendi has improved massively on the ball and is the one playing the role Pique used to with Puyol and Masch then did with Pique in that he has to go and try to win the ball early.

He might be their most improved player this season after Sterling.

They miss Stones at the back as well though.

 

[Jenks]

They haven’t. The last few games the teams they’ve played have come to defend and only defend.[...]

Yet they're now conceding a goal every game. Mangala is still an accident waiting to happen, and he'll be first choice if Kompany gets injured.

 

[DonAK]

They look weaker in the air last few games. Man Utd could exploit that with Lukaku and Ibrahimovic if they start both.

 

[Total-Football]

They look weaker in the air last few games. Man Utd could exploit that with Lukaku and Ibrahimovic if they start both.

lukaku and ibra wont even see the ball the next game .. If you have a 25 % possession against the likes of shaka and ramsy then what are the chances of getting the ball to lukako versus a pep team .. And we are not even talking about fast strikes here. i predict a 3-0 or 3-1.

 

[barcafan161]

They look weaker in the air last few games. Man Utd could exploit that with Lukaku and Ibrahimovic if they start both.

They don't look weaker to me. Teams are just playing so defensive there is simply no room for them to do much. When teams just play with 11 men behind the ball there isn't much you can do. It's why Pep brought on Jesus at HT..when teams play like this they have no choice but to bring on more forwards.

 

[JerseyAddict]

They don't look weaker to me. Teams are just playing so defensive there is simply no room for them to do much. When teams just play with 11 men behind the ball there isn't much you can do. It's why Pep brought on Jesus at HT..when teams play like this they have no choice but to bring on more forwards.

This.
WH played 5-4-1 entire 2nd half with that one being 1m in front of that 4. 5-5-0 battleship in front of the goal.
I can imagine Mourinho playing 6-4-0 praying for 1 counter and De Gea clearing 18-20 shots on target.

 

[Falcao]

lukaku and ibra wont even see the ball the next game .. If you have a 25 % possession against the likes of shaka and ramsy then what are the chances of getting the ball to lukako versus a pep team .. And we are not even talking about fast strikes here. i predict a 3-0 or 3-1.

That's because United were 2-0 up after 10 minutes and so were happy to sit in their shape and play counterattack. Arsenal threw the kitchen sink and there was a lot of hectic, rushed play which made it entertaining for the neutral but there's no doubt that United were deserved winners. De Gea was superb (as usual) but for all the talk of Arsenal's 33 shots most of his saves were standard ones for any keeper and you could actually argue that Cech made the best save of the game against Lingard.

Having said that the difference with and without Pogba is like night and day so the game against City could have a different complexion.

 

[utility73]

United played really well the first 15 minutes and defended decently the last 20+ minutes. For the period in between it was only for De Gea's top form combined with sheer luck (that is Arsenals incompetence in converting their lots of big chances) that they did not concede 4-5 goals.

 

[Jenks]

"I learned to attack a bit differently," said Guardiola.

"Normally we don't play with two strikers and two wingers. Maybe to attack this kind of defence it is much better."

 

[utility73]

West Ham with near identical performance as against City. Only Chelsea was not able to create the same kind of pressure and high quality chances as City did.

 

[Trickykid]

Salah! Shiieet, son!