GWT: English Premier League: 4/16 - 4/18/2016

[Live in the Now]

No doubt. It's the least we could do for Rafa.

 

[Chimaera]

To be fair, they're not that poor and will be up for it

 

[Plato]

Hopefully the usuals sit out.
I'd request Mignolet start though, although Bogdan may actually be worse.
Safe to say Rafa will get quite the ovation?
Don't recall his visit from his Chelsea tenure.

 

[Burner Account]

What a terrible stamp. I won't even call it a tackle.

Everton looking like they should have taken that John Stones money and ran.

 

[maclean]

If Utd pass Arsenal then Wenger's chair has to be shaky doesn't it?

 

[Ar-too]

What a terrible stamp. I won't even call it a tackle.

Everton looking like they should have taken that John Stones money and ran.

Seriously. Hard to believe the price tag was ever 30 million based on what we're seeing now.

 

[Jeffrey]

Everton seem destined to lose both Lukaku and Stone this summer.
I believe Barkley will stay.

 

[hatterson]

If Utd pass Arsenal then Wenger's chair has to be shaky doesn't it?

"Wenger should be fired" seems like something that's written every single year

Finish 3rd or 4th in the league, go out in the CL round of 16. That's been them for 6 straight years.

 

[maclean]

"Wenger should be fired" seems like something that's written every single year

Finish 3rd or 4th in the league, go out in the CL round of 16. That's been them for 6 straight years.

Yes, which is why 5th or 6th and not making the CL at all would be a different situation. Man U is only a point behind them currently, though with one more game played. West Ham is also only four points back.

 

[hatterson]

Oh yes, dropping to 5th or 6th would be really bad. I'm just making the point that it shouldn't take that for his seat to be hot.

In the last 6 years there's only a place or two in the league that have separated them from a team like Tottenham in the 'also ran' category.

The consistency is nice, and it's not a trivial thing to do to finish 3rd or 4th and make it out of the CL group stage repeatedly, but if you're Arsenal you should be demanding at least an occasional honest look at a title. It's been what, a decade? since they've been within 10 points of the title. That's not good enough, especially given the money they've spent bringing players in over that time.

 

[YNWA14]

Yes, which is why 5th or 6th and not making the CL at all would be a different situation. Man U is only a point behind them currently, though with one more game played. West Ham is also only four points back.

There's a better chance of Liverpool catching Arsenal than there is of either of those two, IMO. I think Arsenal are pretty safe...though they could definitely bottle it. The only really tough game they have left is against City. Otherwise they have West Brom, Sunderland, Norwich and Aston Villa...they'd really have to try hard to fall behind the teams chasing 4th. With current form in mind I'd guess the standings finish:

1 - Leicester
2 - Tottenham
3 - City
4 - Arsenal
5 - Liverpool
6 - United
7 - West Ham

 

[hatterson]

Yea, Arsenal's schedule is pretty easy..but they just drew with Crystal Palace (and easily could have lost) so who knows. They're in pretty poor form.

United has Leicester (possibly sans Vardy) and West Ham. They played Leicester tough earlier in the season and have had the advantage over West Ham this season, although West Ham will be wanting revenge for being knocked out of the FA cup and they'll be really hungry for a spot in Europe.

Liverpool has a fairly easy schedule (Chelsea is the only real threat), but may get distracted by the Europa and may drop points to a team like Swansea or Watford.

I could easily see a three way battle for the 4th spot going into the last week or two of the season.

 

[Theon]

I think the hardest matches for any team involves those in the relegation zone; Norwich, Sunderland, Newcastle. They have everything to play for. Sunderland and Newcastle turned up big time this week and I see them grinding out results in the next few weeks.

To me, the biggest challenges in the remaining fixtures for United are Norwich away and West Ham away. Norwich has already beaten us this season and will park the bus and try to get a dodgy goal. And the West Ham game will be the last match at the Boleyn Ground so I don't expect a win there either.

Best we can hope for is to go into a good run by getting into the FA Cup final and hope Tony Pulis and Allardyce do a job on Arsenal.

Btw, what happens if Liverpool win the Europa League AND finish fourth? Does #5 get a champions league spot?

 

[hatterson]

Btw, what happens if Liverpool win the Europa League AND finish fourth? Does #5 get a champions league spot?

Nope. Same as if City wins the UCL and finishes top 4.

*Only* the top 4 can qualify for the UCL via domestic performance. If a team earns a spot via domestic and via winning the Europa or UCL their spot isn't reassigned.

If somehow both City and Liverpool win their leagues, and both finish outside the top 4, only the top 3 would get bids to make a maximum of 5 total.

 

[Live in the Now]

Top four is out of the question for Liverpool now anyway with this result Arsenal is going to put up. Skrtel's adventures at Southampton were a killer for our chances.

 

[Plato]

Origi done for the season.

 

[Burner Account]

Origi done for the season.

Shame. He was in some very nice form.

 

[Power Man]

Haha Ranieri is awesome :

https://streamable.com/4wxj

 

[Alex Jones]

What a terrible stamp. I won't even call it a tackle.

Everton looking like they should have taken that John Stones money and ran.

Perhaps a cautionary tale for Leicester to take as much money as they can this summer and run

 

[Alex Jones]

Everton have an awful manager, zero organization.