GWT: Champions League - Round of 16
- Thread starter bluesfan94
- Start date
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
Guess we'll find out soon then if they've looked off just because they haven't been as healthy, or if the motivation to finally win one fueled them to a level they can't recreate. Like with so many things, I wouldn't be surprised either way, but my guts says it's more the latter than the former.
- Oct 3, 2013
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Bayern without away fans for the fixture too. Arsenal have had a habit of playing teams at the most opportune times and it’s obviously continued here. Don’t see Arsenal getting KO’ed here
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
cgf
FireBednarsSuccessor
Sorta, but I've watched Bayern enough to know that they're not just a mess because of their injuries and that the cohesion / camaraderie isn't great right now.
Whether because of their structural issues, individual grievances...like Kimmich's frustration over having to play FB, the oldies bitterness over Nagelsmann trying to transition away from them, Sane's funk that he's been in since the Austria red, Tel's frustration with his lack of PT, etc...or just TT's people skills.
Whereas I've watched only 1 of City's EPL matches this season...maybe 2 if I'm forgetting one from the start of the season...and a few of their CL matches. So I have little idea if all they need to click back to the level they were at all of last season, is this international break after which everyone will be healthy again.
...or if they just went all out last year to play at a level they can't sustain.
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Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Also, meant to say this the other day and forgot.
It is extremely funny to me that ~ten years ago Madrid began firmly replacing Pepe with Varane because Varane was young blood and Pepe was beginning to look washed
And here today, Varane looks a helluva lot more washed than Pepe does.
It is extremely funny to me that ~ten years ago Madrid began firmly replacing Pepe with Varane because Varane was young blood and Pepe was beginning to look washed
And here today, Varane looks a helluva lot more washed than Pepe does.
gary69
Registered User
The one thing I hope doesn't happen with this draw, that would be terrible.
gary69
Registered User
Isn't Marquinhos already back in the team, I suppose he is going to be back being starter soon.
What's the situation with Skriniar and Kimpembe, will neither of them make it back before end of the season? Feels like Kimbembe has been injured for ever now.
Power Man
Grrrr
robertmac43
Forever 43!
- Mar 31, 2015
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Bijelo
Registered User
robertmac43
Forever 43!
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Kimpembe has come back twice from injury to get injured again.
He's out for the year.
Skriniar is coming back soon.
Marquinhos is coming back too but I'm not sure how much Enrique trusts him.
Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
The word arguably is doing some heavy lifting there. 2016-17 Alexis 100% walks into the current Arsenal lineup over Trossard/Havertz/Jesus/Martinelli and would very possibly be the team's best attacker over Saka. Ozil wasn't as dominant that season as he was the season previous but was still very very good, and would also be make the current Arsenal lineup without any doubt.
Everyone else? Not touching the current starting lineup with a ten foot pole, except maybe Bellerin who was amazing that season before he fell off seemingly as quickly as he broke out.
It gets lost in the demolition by Bayern (a team who were honestly unlucky to not go all the way that year), but 16-17 Arsenal were very solid. 75 points in the league, which is the highest point total a 5th place side has had in recent years and also would be good enough for 3rd or 4th most seasons.
2016-17 was in general a weird PL season. Spurs finished with one of the highest second place point totals ever, Chelsea broke the record for wins in a season and consecutive wins (both subsequently broken). The bar for top four was 76 points, and so 5th place Arsenal had a total which would normally get UCL. Second place Spurs had more goals for and fewer goals against than title winner Chelsea. 5 players hit 20 goals, when two years later 22 would be enough for a Golden Boot. Crazier perhaps than anything, and accounting for the fairly top heavy table, is that the gap between 7th and 8th was 15 points. 8th was closer to 18th than to 7th, and 8th and 20th were closer together than 8th and 6th.
Everyone else? Not touching the current starting lineup with a ten foot pole, except maybe Bellerin who was amazing that season before he fell off seemingly as quickly as he broke out.
It gets lost in the demolition by Bayern (a team who were honestly unlucky to not go all the way that year), but 16-17 Arsenal were very solid. 75 points in the league, which is the highest point total a 5th place side has had in recent years and also would be good enough for 3rd or 4th most seasons.
2016-17 was in general a weird PL season. Spurs finished with one of the highest second place point totals ever, Chelsea broke the record for wins in a season and consecutive wins (both subsequently broken). The bar for top four was 76 points, and so 5th place Arsenal had a total which would normally get UCL. Second place Spurs had more goals for and fewer goals against than title winner Chelsea. 5 players hit 20 goals, when two years later 22 would be enough for a Golden Boot. Crazier perhaps than anything, and accounting for the fairly top heavy table, is that the gap between 7th and 8th was 15 points. 8th was closer to 18th than to 7th, and 8th and 20th were closer together than 8th and 6th.
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Power Man
Grrrr
Bijelo
Registered User
You lying. Winner of Real-City meet winner of Arsenal-Barca in semi.
Alexis of that season unquestionably replaces any forward on the team, even Saka right now IMO.
Ozil is the greater player at the respective point of his career than Odegaard is right now. However I think his style just isn't quite right for how a team like Arsenal play at the moment. Odegaard's pressing and work rate are so much better than Ozil, I think that makes up for the difference in offensive flair and playmaking.
Also, while not in the starting 11 due to injury, Carzola even then would be an amazing addition to this Arsenal. Having him partnered with Rice I think would be an awesome pairing.
Bellerin was indeed great, but he is a classic Fullback, and I think would struggle with what is asked of the Fullbacks on this Gunners team, kind of like Tierney did.
- Oct 3, 2013
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This is the best time to be playing Bayern. Just like it was the best time to play LFC at Emirates in the league, and the best time to play City without KDB and Rodri. Arsenal have had a knack for playing teams at the right time this season. Very lucky, but kudos for beating the teams when they are on the schedule
KJS14
Registered User
- Jun 13, 2013
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As many have said, Alexis walks into the team easily. One of Ozil/Xhaka could be in the team, but that depends on how you want to set up tactically.
The one nobody has mentioned yet is Koscielny. Saliba and Gabriel probably keep him out, and I don't remember 2016-17 Koscielny specifically, but he was a damn good player for us. We've been playing with 4 CBs across the backline, so I think he could fit in somewhere.
The one nobody has mentioned yet is Koscielny. Saliba and Gabriel probably keep him out, and I don't remember 2016-17 Koscielny specifically, but he was a damn good player for us. We've been playing with 4 CBs across the backline, so I think he could fit in somewhere.
