Non-UCL 2/15 - 2/20 Game Thread - Starting with a clash at the top of the EPL

Time to Mo Vaughn

RIP Dernell
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Mar 24, 2008
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Arsenal and City play at 2:30 today on Peacock.

With a Man City win, they'll be tied on total points though Arsenal will still have a game in hand. There's a report from (@teamnewsandtix, who has apparently been quite reliable) that Partey did not arrive with the team today though Haaland has. If accurate, certainly a major blow for Arsenal though this is exactly why they picked up Jorginho.
 

OCST

Sunny von Bulow
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As someone whose drop-zone side has taken points off both of these recently, I think they're looking tired. They will be up for this, of course, but I think you're looking at too many times down this path for City, and not enough yet for Arsenal to be comfortable, now that the strain of being at the top of the table week-in-week-out is starting to show. Agree that Jorginho is a shrewd move. I'm on record as being a little more doubtful about Trossard, who had a bit of a head-case issue and also wasn't really a position of need, but he's contributed.

I think City take the chance to show the upstarts who they're dealing with.
 

Zososoxfan

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To me the biggest question is what galaxy will Pep's brain bring. If KDB is starting that's a sign that Pep may not overthink this one. Nevertheless, Pep is struggling to figure out how he wants to defend the wings, and MANC will actually need to defend today.
 

teddykgb

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He definitely had an injury. He may also be in the doghouse. The weird British “itk” rumors about him are really bad but it’s so hard to know how true they are.

City seemed to have found something last match but I think these are two good teams and the match will be decided on moments much like many City v Liverpool matches have been. There are versions of this where either team gets an early goal and Makes it stand up but City have been leaking goals and I don’t know if Dias can play 90 yet. Nonetheless I thought Arsenal would give us more trouble in possession in the last matchup so I’m most interested in seeing whether City dominate possession or whether Arsenal can get those wingers on the ball more running at our makeshift back line
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Not feeling great about this match with no Thomas Partey, no Gabriel Jesus, and the side generally pretty out of form. I'd take a point if it was offered.

Pep is playing Bernardo at LB I think. That should be interesting.
 

blueline

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I'm on record as being a little more doubtful about Trossard, who had a bit of a head-case issue and also wasn't really a position of need, but he's contributed.
Gotta disagree with this one. Arsenal don't have much proven wing depth outside of Saka and Martinelli. Smith-Rowe is the only other one, and injuries have kept him out all year. Trossard seems like an appropriate level squad player.
 

HowBoutDemSox

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Pep is playing Bernardo at LB I think. That should be interesting.
I’d guess it’s Ake at LB and Rodri and/or Bernardo dropping back more centrally into a CB role next to Dias, basically the same lineup he rolled out against Villa with Ake in for Laporte.

Of course, it’s Pep, so it may just as well be Haaland at LB and Bernardo at striker.
 

Time to Mo Vaughn

RIP Dernell
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Mar 24, 2008
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He definitely had an injury. He may also be in the doghouse. The weird British “itk” rumors about him are really bad but it’s so hard to know how true they are.

City seemed to have found something last match but I think these are two good teams and the match will be decided on moments much like many City v Liverpool matches have been. There are versions of this where either team gets an early goal and Makes it stand up but City have been leaking goals and I don’t know if Dias can play 90 yet. Nonetheless I thought Arsenal would give us more trouble in possession in the last matchup so I’m most interested in seeing whether City dominate possession or whether Arsenal can get those wingers on the ball more running at our makeshift back line
Odegaard starting from the outset should definitely be a major improvement in possession compared to Vieira starting.

One other interesting switch from Arsenal's standard EPL starting lineup in addition to Jorginho officially taking Partey's (who is not even on the bench as an available sub) place is that Tomiyasu is starting at RB over Ben White (who is on the bench). I'm a big fan of Tomiyasu and don't see a massive difference in him vs White, so I imagine it comes down more to a matchup that Arteta likes. Tomiyasu did play the full match against City in the FA Cup.
 

swiftaw

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I guarantee if he hadn’t been booked he would’ve been for that. It always annoys me that the threshold for a second yellow seems higher than the threshold for the first.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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I can see an argument that it was a foul, but not last man--seeing as how a couple of defenders were close enough to clear the ball off the line.
Definitely not last man but you go in that late and that awkwardly on a guy kicking a ball anywhere else on the pitch and its usually a yellow.

I'm not really complaining about it, just saying the referee was placed in an awkward situation.
 

swiftaw

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I really which they’d implement the rugby rule of only captains being allowed to approach the ref. There was a long article this week (can’t remember where) about the amount of abuse refs get at the amateur level and one of the reasons given was that they see the abuse refs get in the PL and emulate.
 

teddykgb

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NBC announcers have been rooting so hard for Arsenal for 90 minutes. Not even complaining about it Arsenal is a hell of a story and even without loyalties it’s the story to tell.

Really proud of City digging in and getting this done. We are still in fairly rough form but there was a lot that didn’t go City’s way in this match. I’m sure Arsenal fans will disagree but the penalty is one that you often see not called and then having a pen ruled out for offside in the build up is the kind of stuff that can be hard to overcome. Not saying it was biased just that not a whole lot went particularly well and this group in particular has had a bit of a habit of having things snowball on them
 

blueline

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NBC announcers have been rooting so hard for Arsenal for 90 minutes. Not even complaining about it Arsenal is a hell of a story and even without loyalties it’s the story to tell.

Really proud of City digging in and getting this done. We are still in fairly rough form but there was a lot that didn’t go City’s way in this match. I’m sure Arsenal fans will disagree but the penalty is one that you often see not called and then having a pen ruled out for offside in the build up is the kind of stuff that can be hard to overcome. Not saying it was biased just that not a whole lot went particularly well and this group in particular has had a bit of a habit of having things snowball on them
No one combines victimhood with smarm quite like you do.
 

fletcherpost

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Never thought Arsenal would drop 8 points from those last three matches. I figured they'd have a wobble here or there. Arteta doesn't seem to have too many options on the bench. City on the other hand...

You have to hand it to City. Got the job done. I hope Arsenal can get their form back. they've been a breath of fresh air this season.
 

lars10

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Pretty impressive here. I think there’s still room to get a ninth in from behind, though.
They’ve become what Chelsea were under Mourinho.. they all run to surround the ref at the hint of any call.. they need to make a rule that only captains can talk to the refs and anyone else gets booked for dissent.. this kinda thing needs to stop
 

the1andonly3003

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I can't decide which I dislike more - Grealish's stupid fucking hair, or his stupid too-tight shorts.
you sound like you also won't like Jamie Tartt

NBC announcers have been rooting so hard for Arsenal for 90 minutes. Not even complaining about it Arsenal is a hell of a story and even without loyalties it’s the story to tell.

Really proud of City digging in and getting this done. We are still in fairly rough form but there was a lot that didn’t go City’s way in this match. I’m sure Arsenal fans will disagree but the penalty is one that you often see not called and then having a pen ruled out for offside in the build up is the kind of stuff that can be hard to overcome. Not saying it was biased just that not a whole lot went particularly well and this group in particular has had a bit of a habit of having things snowball on them
I think Lee Dixon completely disappeared during large chunks of the match, especially after City woke up. He was probably sulking at Arsenal's performance and was unresponsive to Graeme and Peter's chatter.

In other news, this is how Soton lost Marsch? Inside Jesse Marsch’s failed move to Southampton - The Athletic
 

SocrManiac

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It doesn’t matter. They aren’t addressing the problem so it will continue. It’s a revenue stream at this point as they accumulate the fines.
 

SocrManiac

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Did Ramsdale get utterly clowned by Coutunho or was there a deflection? I haven’t seen a decent replay.