Of the 3 toughest games I consider outside City, Liverpool away for me is going to be the toughest (Toon, Chelsea being the other). There is an argument for Newcastle away being the tougher. Have they lost at home? I don't know but if so, can't be more than a game, two at most.

Newcastle have a far better structured defense so would be harder to breakdown perhaps but Liverpool has goal scorers. Out of form as a collective to some extent but they'll be up for us. We need a win. We can't draw. It's wins from here on in with City away being the exception, needed. I can't see it happening. It's what 7 on the trot?

I'm more thinking like soc. I don't think we are the favorites considering City's present form, the amount of games we have left and having to travel to City. Jesus back changes a lot, but not enough. Holding vs that Liverpool forward line is very worrying.

Lemme know if this link doesn't work in the UK. - Rog ...

Jesus and Saka are a given at Anfield, but would you start Martinelli over Trossard or visa versa?

My view is Trossard to start and Martinelli to run at them after an hour.

I’d probably go the opposite. I think Martinelli up against Trent, even though Trossard has scored a hat trick at Anfield already this season

I can see that.

I jokingly say, maybe Arsenal should have used the American way of building a stadium without really having to pay for it.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UcH5MxnsXBo

Well at least put a roof on the bloody things.

Great win again yesterday.

Still think we are conceding too many big chances against mediocre teams and at some point that may come back to bite us on the bum.

Leeds could have been 2 up early in the game and that would have been tough to come back from and win.

I think one of the issues is that Zinchenko is something of a double-edged sword, superb in the inverted role giving us that extra man in midfield but at the same time vacating the LB space leaving us wide open to counter-attacks down that side.

Maybe Tierney has to come in at LB in some games to give us better defensive stability, especially if Saliba remains out.

We’ve scored 17 goals in the 15 minutes after half time. City are also strong in this period with 15 goals. No one else in the league comes close

This seems to be more of a problem at home, because generally in our away games we very tight even when Zinchenko plays.

Definitely. Martinelli is almost the first name on the team sheet after his last outing against Trent and given his form. Jesus has to play to continue to build his momentum and Saka is a no brainer. Trossard can have a well earned rest. A lovely option to have on the bench.

One thing for sure, almost always we've gone into the big games against sides with big names playing well. Even the loss to Man Utd we played well. I don't think we played badly against City in the league. I can't say we played great but we didn't roll over.

I do think we failed to recognize how good Newcastle were. That said, I think we'll show up for Liverpool from the opening whistle.

I would have brought Tierney on after a hour. Maybe Areteta doesn't like to take both Zinchenko and Partey off?

I’d play Tierney at Anfield 100%. Liverpool can only play on the counter these days and they will be desperate for us to over commit. We won’t but feels like a game for Kieran.

I do agree on the zinchenko thing. A fine player but there’s not much between him and KT and if we were to lose him for 10 games or something I think,we wouldn’t see a drop off just that the team playing differently but equally as effectively

I’d love Newcastle to beat Man U today and go above them. Then for them to get fully dragged in to a top 4 scrap after their fans and sections of the media were thinking of the title race quite recently.

It’s a shame that Liverpool and Chelsea haven’t been better to at least top 4 standard because someone is going to sneak in that top 4 by default a little bit

Against City we were the better tee am in the first half but never got in the lead. City were far better than us second half - they really got their high press working (as they did v Liverpool yesterday) and we struggled against it.
I don’t think we should change the way we play when we play v City

The other thing about Zinny is that he has a tendency to want to have too many touches. Sometimes it opens up better options but sometimes it just slows things down too much. Yesterday there were numerous times when the easiest and quickest ball was the one out to Martinelli's feet but instead he turned back inside.

When teams park the bus you need to get the ball out to Martinelli and Saka as quickly as possible, stretching the play and giving them maximum time and space to get in behind.

Arsenal women came from behind to beat Man City women 2-1 and keep themselves in a 4 way title race.
Worth watching the winning goal if you can, a stunning strike.

Hopefully the men can do the same in a few weeks time

Sad to see Brendan Rodgers get sacked. He's a good manager. Sorta like Klopp, will have a great season, and the odd meltdown season. He'll always get a decent job in the league.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/64278178

How the hell did Willock not even get on target? Criminal.

Yet again I’m watching a Man U match where they are clearly second best but haven’t gone behind.

When Man U were being put in the title race I always thought there was a huge difference between them and us and City. Is and City dominate matches and play on the front foot pretty much relentlessly. Man U just don’t. For me that means they rely far more on small margins and fortune for their results

Let’s see what happens here but if the games they’ve played this season repeat themselves they’ll somehow squeeze out an undeserved win

Working sweet as a peach.

Willock makes amends.

To win at Newcastle is looking like a tough ask.

Quite. They’ve only lose to Liverpool at home and they had their gk sent off after 20 mins in that one

They've only lost once at home.

I wonder if Gary Neville still thinks Man U will finish 2nd and Arsenal 3rd. I hope Carragher keeps reminding him of this. We only need 12 more points to make sure Man U finish behind us….and only 8 more to ensure Spurs finish behind us and we secure Champions League football for next year

Brendan and Potter gone now! Carnage in the prem atm.

It’s crazy,Ash.

There’s a lot to be said for continuity and carefully calibrated succession plans. I’d like to think that MA stays for a long time and, along with Edu,continues with the overseeing of positive development at all levels of the club. But when the time comes…and he moves on…I hope there is a seamless transition

I’ll back you in hoping for that Andy! I think Arteta is going to be in high demand sooner than we think

Boehly reportedly in negotiations with Ted Lasso.

That's 3 Prem managers sacked in 2 weeks. But 2, Rodgers and Potter on same day.
Vieira sacked March 17.

I agree but please note there’s still many of our own fans (usually outside of the ground) who aren’t convinced by Arteta despite all he’s done and if we fail to win the title I reckon you will get our own fans calling for his head saying we bottled it.

Last season people wanted Arteta sacked after 2 games despite it being patiently obvious he’s a great manager.

We can laugh at Chelsea but we aren’t immune to this level of stupidity too we have just had something of a matinee now because somehow kroenke hit a home run selecting the last manager.

Happy to see Newcastle run all over Utd
Good that Willock played well, and got a well-deserved goal at that

Man U barely created a chance. Hugely over rated team. They are a team reliant on transitions and the pace of Rashford who went through an unsustainable purple patch. They play one of the deepest back lines in the league and their goal difference shows that they have been squeezing wins but when they’re off it they can get soundly beaten. They lack true technical quality and creativity as well. Far too many players who turn the ball over - rashford, Anthony, Bruno- all capable of brilliance but don’t control a game by keeping the ball.

I’ve watched enough of them to see they really are nowhere near the level of Arsenal and City

It was quite a battering. 4-0 would have been a better reflection. Willock could have had a hat-trick.

Edit: the XG was Newcastle (4.04) 2-0 (0.41) Man Utd.

Adrian Clarke makes a good point.

In recent years Arsenal have been labelled soft for our performances and results in big away games......

Man U's away record this year vs the top half teams and chelsea....

Arsenal lost 3-2
City lost 6-3
Newcastle lost 2-0
Spurs - not yet played
Brighton - not yet played
Brentford lost 4-0
Liverpool lost 7-0
Villa lost 3-1
Fulham won 2-1 (last minute winner)
Chelsea drew 1-1 (last minute equaliser)

That is atrocious and yet I'm seeing very little calling them out on this.

A while back when they went on a good run they were playing weaker teams and a huge proportion of those games at home, all the cup games were at home against weak or lower league teams - it hugely masked where they were as a team

Gary Neville has finally admitted he was wrong about Arsenal.

He doesn't get it though, he complains about getting grief from Arsenal fans for saying City will win the league, no Arsenal fan is giving anyone grief for having that opinion - many Arsenal fans still have that opinion. Arsenal fans give Neville grief for never seeing what was in front of his eyes with Arsenal, being overly biased to Man U over Arsenal and not then changing his opinion when all evidence points to him being wrong.
We had him saying:
he couldn't see the plan at Arsenal despite us getting rid of high wage low outut older players and buying young, prem ready players
he thought that if Arteta got 4th last year he should leave as there was no way Arteta could take Arsenal any higher than that
only last month he said Man U would be City's biggest title challenger and Arsenal would be 3rd

last season he predicted Man U to be 3rd - they were 6th, and picked Arsenal to be the biggest underachievers of the season.

The other thing we see is the constant shifting of the goal posts to make sure you've got something to fall back on and be right.

Gosh, I hope that doesn't bring us bad luck.

The media seems to think we 'should' win at Anfield If we were to iwn I'd start thinking a wee bit more title, not just yet, still Newcastle away and Chelsea at home, either can easily be a draw. Yeah...yeah we beat Chelsea away. So what of it? They have quality players, its a London derby. Enough said.

I'm nervous. Very nervous. I think Soton away could be dropped points for City.