Since the start of the 2018/19 season City has 1 Premiership title while Liverpool has none.
GWT: PL Matchweek 5
- Thread starter YNWA14
- Start date
Since the start of the 2018/19 season City has 1 Premiership title while Liverpool has none.
- Oct 3, 2013
- 37,001
- 10,686
YNWA14
Onbreekbaar
- Dec 29, 2010
- 34,543
- 2,560
Especially can’t replace that remontada vs. Barcelona which felt like the real final. Still watch it back weekly.
It is to a degree, but he clearly wasn't referring to that and if for some he reason he was then it's in the wrong thread.
Burner Account
Registered User
- Feb 14, 2008
- 37,418
- 1,744
The only number that matters in the end is games won. The team that wins the most games wins the title.
bluesfan94
Registered User
Yeah, and at that point, the favorite could be someone different. But at this point in time, with City dropping points twice already, including to Norwich, Liverpool has to be seen as the favorites. They're up five points already.
It's not at all trolling. Liverpool fans are scared of any expectations. It's not crazy to say that having watched both teams play so far and given the results, as well as Laporte's injury and how City's defense has looked without him, Liverpool is currently the favorites. It doesn't mean they're going to win or that it'll be a major upset if Liverpool doesn't win.Pre-emptive narrative for later trolling.
More his incessant "Pukki Party" posters at this point...
And this was a true team performance today.
I feel sorry for City and their fans. As Guardiola pointed out earlier they can’t spend like some others can. So you end up not replacing a guy like Kompany.
Really hope City are allowed to spend 200-300m on some new defenders come next summer. Then we might see them in a CL semi-final in a couple of years with some luck.
Really hope City are allowed to spend 200-300m on some new defenders come next summer. Then we might see them in a CL semi-final in a couple of years with some luck.
Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Daniel Storey on the Totally Football Show predicted that Kompany will be sacked at Anderlecht and will come back to City as a free agent before the year is out. I think that's a very real possibility.
Live in the Now
Registered User
I feel like I'm the only one who isn't. I feel like we had a better team in the first place, first of all. They also had two players go down with major injuries in the first month of the season. There's going to be some knock-on effect from that and this game was one example.
Blender
Registered User
- Dec 2, 2009
- 51,426
- 45,314
Duchene2MacKinnon
In the hands of Genius
- Aug 8, 2006
- 45,300
- 9,465
bluesfan94
Registered User
YNWA14
Onbreekbaar
- Dec 29, 2010
- 34,543
- 2,560
What does it have to do with being scared of expectations? You and others were saying the same crap last season and City still won (and were rightly favourites, as was said by some of us). Liverpool have had some shaky games themselves this season and all it would take is one injury. It’s a long season and you don’t bet against a team that has put up 198 points over the last two seasons 5 games into this one. Can Liverpool win? Of course, but City are still the favourites right now.
- Oct 3, 2013
- 37,001
- 10,686
- Oct 3, 2013
- 37,001
- 10,686
I mean isn’t the only point of naming a favorite this absurdly early to use it against the team is they don’t win later? I am not afraid of expectations , just trying to be realistic.
Live in the Now
Registered User
No, in this case it's pointing out the obvious. That a team with Stones and Otamendi playing every game every week is going to have a hard time winning.
Liverpool are definitely the favorites but I wouldnt classify it as anymore than slight at this point. See how things shake up leading into their match with City in November.
I can't say I noticed much laughing at him in the first place, but maybe I wasn't looking carefully enough.
Six goals in five games is impressive. Five games isn't a large sample size, either.
You mean 'points'. (Admittedly the team that wins most games usually gains the most points, but not always).
Burner Account
Registered User
- Feb 14, 2008
- 37,418
- 1,744
I was curious about this myself last year so I looked at champions and runners up from every PL season.
Every single PL champion won the most games in the league. Even when you get a 15-16 Leicester or an 03-04 Arsenal that draws 10+ games, they still win the most games.
Wee Baby Seamus
Yo, Goober, where's the meat?
Just finished watching Wolves-Chelsea. Here are my thoughts:
- Tammy f***ing Abraham. Not all hat tricks are created equal, you can have a 3 goal match in which all 3 are easy chances (Diego Costa's at Swansea comes to mind). All three of his goals were absolutely stellar. On the first, the turn once he receives the ball and the way he twists his body to place it in the far corner is so impressive. The third was obviously brilliant as well.
- Chance creation altogether was really good. Scored 5, but honestly there could've been 2-3 more - Mount missed the one where he rounded Patricio, Rudiger had the close call in the first, Bats probably could've had one, and Azpi had a few great crosses that skimmed in front of goal.
- Batshuayi looked great in his cameo, super dangerous and unpredictable on the ball. His work for Mount's goal was terrific, and he created himself a few good chances.
- Kovacic continues to impress this season, as does Jorginho.
- Rumours of Azpilicueta's decline have been overstated. He was really really good today, especially going forward. His rocky start to the season, I think, has nothing to do with him declining as a player - it's exhaustion. The man has played a lot of f***ing football in the last few years. Having James back will be great so Dave can sit down for a second.
- I'm curious as to who wears the armband in Azpilicueta's absence - as of right now there's no official vice-captain. I'd personally give it either Rudiger or Jorginho, but I'm curious as to others thoughts.
- Mount is just so so so good. Impressed me quite a bit defensively today, and man his energy levels are so high. Great set plays today.
- Zouma's best game of the season so far.
- Fikayo Tomori looks great so far, and I'm happy he's getting minutes in the league and not just in the cup.
- System change was very smart on Lampard's part, and I thought his approach to the game + in-game management was really good today.
- Pleasantly surprised by Willian's performance.
- Adama Traore easily MOTM for Wolves, such a frustrating player but he was the only one who did anything for them for a huge chunk of the game.
And I think the important thing here is the implication of the words 'hard time'. Manchester City wants to be imposing itself on Europe as well as the EPL, and that's most easily done the more you're able to win games while leaving plenty of gas in the tank. The last couple of years they've benefitted from a lot of teams pretty much mentally accepting a respectable defeat before the game kicked off. But even with dominant units, there can come a tipping point where a weakness becomes so pronounced that more opponents begin to feel braver. Which can lead to a greater number of exacting games that can physically and mentally add up as a season wears on.
For all I know, Manchester City might take out their frustrations on Watford by tearing them to smithereens next week, but in the medium term it's hard to believe more opponents won't go after that CB pairing. Granted, as you pointed out, Fernandinho won't always be missing. With him back, maybe the soft centre is far less exposed, even in the face of increased aggression.
But this does feel like a significant result. Yes, I know Palace beat them on their own patch last year, but that didn't occur in a manner that flouted plausibility. Palace was able to play to their strengths and the cards fell their way (not least with Andros Townsend's remarkable goal). On the other hand, today Manchester City tripped over a version of Norwich City that was cobbled-together from whoever was healthy. That really shouldn't happen.
Which makes it all the funnier that it did.
Chimaera
same ol' Caps
I’m not afraid of expectations. I still think it’s way too early to name a favorite. Liverpool are ahead, and 5 points is a lot this early, but their fixture congestion and squad depth is going to be tested over the season yet again. I still think it’s hard to compete with Pep and their depth across the field, even if it’s being tested at the back. While their central defenders stink, and I don’t like their left back, it isn’t like they’re mugs. Pep spent real money on Stones. I also hesitate to say that they’re really going to be tested. Norwich has guts. They attack, and they played well against Liverpool. There isn’t another side barring Liverpool who will go after City like they did. No other manager will try and swashbuckle a point against City. They could put traffic cones and Ederson and probably do about the same for all the possession some teams will have.
It feels good to have the gap. But how could they be favorites when they pissed away a larger lead much further along in the season and this one a ball has barely been kicked.
It feels good to have the gap. But how could they be favorites when they pissed away a larger lead much further along in the season and this one a ball has barely been kicked.
