April 30 Weekend gamethread

SocrManiac

SocrManiac

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I disagree that Drinkwater's loss against Everton isn't significant. Two major keys to the squad's success this year are the Huth/Morgan and Kanté/Drinkwater pairings. In the midfield it's not as simple as "You go, I'll hold." It's borne of understanding and not easily replaced in a week. I don't think they have another guy in the squad with the engine required to do it for a full ninety, nor two guys with the talent to split the duty. Something has to change.
 
Cellar-Door

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Torn on the current match. A Man City win would all but lock up top 6 for West Ham. On the other hand a loss cracks open the door for top 4.
 
DLew On Roids

DLew On Roids

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If Spurs win tomorrow I bet Vardy scores four against Everton and the sticks his dick in the trophy while drinking a can of lager on the presentation stand.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Incidentally, I thought it was funny when Arlo White asked Dixon today whether if he were a Leicester City supporter he would take the point. Dixon responded by turning the question around with an inside nod to the fact that White is from Leicester. I think White has done a fantastic job this year and you'd never know his insides have been churning for the last few weeks. The only reason anyone apparently knows he's a Leicester supporter is because he mentioned it a long time ago when calling Sounders games well before he had any expectation of a premier league gig.

I really hope NBC never loses the premier league contract. They are really doing it well.
 
SocrManiac

SocrManiac

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Juxtaposed with what Fox is doing with their TV rights, it makes NBC's contribution all the more important. The commentary from Fox has been dreadful, even accounting Johnson getting the axe.
 
teddykgb

teddykgb

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DeMichelis for Fernandinho is even more of a white flag than the starting XI was. Really uncomfortable with how City are treating the top 4 race
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

DennyDoyle'sBoil

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teddykgb said:
DeMichelis for Fernandinho is even more of a white flag than the starting XI was. Really uncomfortable with how City are treating the top 4 race
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Commentators made an interesting point that if you start this game you're happy to have the start but also made aware you're the B team.

Looks like City may need to beat Arsenal to hold off United. That could be a good game.
 
Cellar-Door

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
Commentators made an interesting point that if you start this game you're happy to have the start but also made aware you're the B team.

Looks like City may need to beat Arsenal to hold off United. That could be a good game.
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If Arsenal win that match there's a real chance that the winner of United at West Ham in the last match at Upton Park will take 4th over City.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Cellar-Door said:
If Arsenal win that match there's a real chance that the winner of United at West Ham in the last match at Upton Park will take 4th over City.
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But then that winner wouldn't even make into the CL if City win it, right?

If City don't go through in CL, I think they will play the A team against Swansea and win (which would freeze out West Ham at a minimum).

Meantime, even if City drop out of the top four and win the CL, it looks like Arsenal are locked into the CL with a win against Villa (and would probably have beaten City anyway if City drop).
 
Cellar-Door

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
But then that winner wouldn't even make into the CL if City win it, right?

If City don't go through in CL, I think they will play the A team against Swansea and win (which would freeze out West Ham at a minimum).

Meantime, even if City drop out of the top four and win the CL, it looks like Arsenal are locked into the CL with a win against Villa (and would probably have beaten City anyway if City drop).
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West ham has a game in hand if they win out they finish on 68. If City lose to Arsenal they top out at 67.
 
mikeford

mikeford

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
But then that winner wouldn't even make into the CL if City win it, right?.
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I believe they eliminated that rule after Chelsea knocked out Sp*rs by winning the Champions League. I'm pretty sure England would just get a 5th CL spot. Perhaps 3rd gets punted into the CL playoffs as a result? Not sure.
 
SoxFanInCali

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mikeford said:
I believe they eliminated that rule after Chelsea knocked out Sp*rs by winning the Champions League. I'm pretty sure England would just get a 5th CL spot. Perhaps 3rd gets punted into the CL playoffs as a result? Not sure.
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No country can get more than 5 spots in the Champions League, and both the CL winner and Europa League winner get spots, so if City finish 5th and win the CL and Liverpool win the Europa League, 4th place gets bumped out and sent to the EL.
 
Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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City have to prioritize Wednesday but they are playing with fire. They haven't beaten Arsenal in a while. And Swansea have won four straight at home so that last game is no gimme either.
 
SocrManiac

SocrManiac

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DennyDoyle'sBoil said:
LVG on Huth pulling Fellaini's hair: only allowed in "sex masochism".
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LVG might want to deflect as much away from that as possible. No rational person is going to look at that video and not see Fellaini's elbow in motion before Huth grabs the mic. Huth should get a game and Fellaini should sit the rest of the year and the FA Cup.
 
teddykgb

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City aren't going to win the CL. It's been a nice run and there's plenty to play for but putting all of our eggs in that basket like was done today is suicide. Now City need a result they're not going to get against Arsenal. Arsenal have had the better of them recently and this City team hasn't beaten anyone of note in the league, it has no right to expect anything different now with everything on the line.
 
coremiller

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City rested some key players, but that's no excuse for the absolutely dreadful performance. On talent alone City's B team is just as good as Southampton, probably better. Guys like Sterling, Nasri, Delph, Zabaleta, etc. are hardly slouches. They just got flat outworked. Southampton just cared more. That was embarrassing.
 
Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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coremiller said:
City rested some key players, but that's no excuse for the absolutely dreadful performance. On talent alone City's B team is just as good as Southampton, probably better. Guys like Sterling, Nasri, Delph, Zabaleta, etc. are hardly slouches. They just got flat outworked. Southampton just cared more. That was embarrassing.
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Yup, the first two goals were both really simple situations of a Southampton player simply beating a City played who couldn't be bothered to a dangerous spot on the field. The second goal in particularly was hilarious - Kolarov (I think) just jauntily jogging back while Mane makes up 20 yards on him and then streaks past, with Kolarov not even changing speed at all throughout the whole sequence. He had the look of somebody who knows he'll be playing elsewhere next year and couldn't give two shits whether City makes the CL or not.

That second Iheanacho goal was very nicely done. He has turned into quite the player. Pep likes three forwards with dribblers out wide so its going to be hard to find a place for him in the lineup whenever Aguero is fit. It would be a shame if he gets buried next year.
 
coremiller

coremiller

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Glad to see that plummeting into midtable hasn't made Chelsea any mellower or more likeable.
 
coremiller

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Chelsea have got this right tactically so far. The double pivot plus the low block negates the lack of pace of Chelsea's centerbacks and there's no room to play through the middle. It cedes the wings, but Chelsea are well placed to deal with crosses since Spurs don't have any aerial threat besides Kane. The big risk for them is that the fullbacks or wide midfielders get stuck defending wide one-on-one and get booked too much or give away dangerous free kicks. But Clattenberg's leniency so far has helped them there.
 
coremiller

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coremiller said:
Chelsea have got this right tactically so far. The double pivot plus the low block negates the lack of pace of Chelsea's centerbacks and there's no room to play through the middle. It cedes the wings, but Chelsea are well placed to deal with crosses since Spurs don't have any aerial threat besides Kane. The big risk for them is that the fullbacks or wide midfielders get stuck defending wide one-on-one and get booked too much or give away dangerous free kicks. But Clattenberg's leniency so far has helped them there.
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Nevermind. Spurs rolling now. Chelsea's back six trying to play out along the ground against the Spurs press is a recipe for disaster.
 
Cellar-Door

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Spurs again lucky with Clattenberg they should be down to 9. Also Dembele is done for the season.
 
Zomp

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I've never seen a team lose their cool while at the same time being up 2-0 in the biggest game of their season. Dembele will be done for the season after the FA sees that.
 
SocrManiac

SocrManiac

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Spurs and Leicester doing their best to finish the season with their reserves on the pitch.

It's going to be nervy as hell at the King Power next weekend, especially if both Huth and Drinkwater are watching.
 
DennyDoyle'sBoil

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Zomp said:
Dembele will be done for the season after the FA sees that.
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The lack of control shown by some players coming down the stretch convinces me that it's easy to say, "boy he's stupid," but it must just be harder than any of us who don't play top flight sports can know.

Drinkwater pointing in the ref's face yesterday after Vardy had literally just done exactly the same thing a week earlier (not to mention that Drinkwater was pretty lucky not to have taken a penalty), and now Dembele getting caught with an eye gouge with his team still in contention.

SocrManiac said:
It's going to be nervy as hell at the King Power next weekend, especially if both Huth and Drinkwater are watching.
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After today, I wouldn't be surprised to see Costa pass one into his own net to give Leicester the title if it comes to it.
 
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