I don't think Spurs can or will play defensive football, Ange religiously stick to his plan. Arteta just needs to look at how Newcastle decimated their high line and void where the full backs are. Son is a big danger and he always seems to score against us, but we should do well against teams who attack with willful abandon as long as we don't get drawn in to a basketball style match with them.
People forget how all over them we were in the first 20 minutes at home, they couldn't play out from the back as we were nicking the ball all over the pitch. No reason why we shouldn't play the same team that put Chelsea to the sword, it is the best team right now.
Partey adds the element of quicker passing from deep which will be crucial to get Ødegaard in space.
Udogie is out for the season so Saka can have fun up against Ben Davies or whoever plays left back
Havertz plays up top because things are just better connected with him and he makes intelligent runs behind to stretch Spur's back 2 - and his physicality could rattle Romero
Trossard is simply in better form than Martinelli
Tomiyasu for a bit more 1v1 defensive work against spurs wingers as they rely on them for the supply

Hurry back Timber

I certainly hope they play attacking football. It suits us.

For all the hand wringing over a tough defeat or debates over player burn out it is easy to forget what a gargantuan job Arteta and Edu have done over the past 4 years. There is so much to be admired over having a plan, and sticking to it despite all the criticism that comes your way. The plan was good, even if it hadn't worked out this way - because so much could have gone wrong, the idea and the plan were good - then you need a few things to fall your way. You need to be right! When we started the squad overhaul I said for us to back at the top in 5 years (ie: winning the biggest trophies) would take us getting at least 75-80% of all decisions spot on - mostly on recruitment but more than that as well. I don't think we're far off that.

Whatever happens this season it has been another step in the right direction. Next year we can hopefully reinforce certain areas of the squad and look to kick on again in the league and europe - and with a bit more luck on the cup draws look to go further than we have in those as well.

Most importantly Arteta's contract runs out in summer 2025 - the same time as Pep's. Kronke's need to sit down and tie him down for another 3-4 years asap

Spurs have to win, or they fall too far behind Villa for comfort and they have a brutal run-in.

That should play into our hands. The key again will be whether we can be clinical.

I'm confident we will win at WHL

Haaland injured. Shame that.

Nothing trivial, I hope.

Fabio Vieira has been such a strange one for us, barely featured, barely trusted but just when you think there is no hope he does something that just sparks interest again. Even in that little cameo yesterday he hit a crisp right foot shot from the edge of the box that was so close to going in to the top corner. It made me raise an eye brow at the technique off the weaker foot. I think his pure ball striking is one of the best in the squad - he needs to learn how to impact and impose himself in games. Plenty of players with his slighter frame have done so successfully in this league

Hey Rich, I think when he first came he was physically unable to cope with the league. He's slightly built and was easily muscled. Just like a lot of other small but skillful players, he toughened up, learned how to cope. Santi learned it, Fernandes of Man Utd did. He's a good player. He just needed time to adjust.

A few ifs but if Man Utd drop points tonight and that may happen going by the present score line. They drop points at Palace, (I assume they'll beat Burnley at home). Newcastle goes ahead of them fairly comfortably, there may not much reason to play when they host us. They'll be out of the Europa league possibly and their hope is to beat City in the FA cup final. They may rest a few players for the Cup final. Ten Hag may see the cup as his last hope to keep his job. A lot of ifs. That game worries me more than the Spurs game and the Spurs game worries me to no end.

Everton have done us a huge favor. Hoping they win obviously, it would essentially knock Liverpool out assuming we don't drop points in 2 or more games and they win the rest.

It doesn't seem like it but Saliba has been on our books since 2019. It was quite possible we could have lost his services during that time because we didn't seem to show much faith in him.

At the time I recall asking what did Arteta see that he didn't like? He was touted before he came, every loan spell. I was told 'there must have been something'. Obviously happy as peaches he's with us but frankly, I still think we almost bottled it when it came to him unnecessarily.

Why do I feel a wee bit badly for Klopp? I'm an old softie I guess.

Fair play to Everton. Terrible football team who can't pass the ball and have a knob of a manager but they did a number on Liverpool. The last time they won a Goodison Derby, Arteta scored the winner.

Thank god it's all falling apart for Liverpool, the Klopp love in would have been unbearable.

For all Aussies and Kiwis. Anzac Day : Lest we forget. Thanks to all those who made it possible for us to have a life of freedom.

Indeed. And you could see Sky building up for it. It's funny seeing Carragher upset and Rooney subtlety laughing at him.

And thankfully the results are matching the performances for them. Sky keep churning out the ‘most points won from losing positions’ stat for Liverpool like it was a solid footing for a title challenge when in fact it’s the opposite. Just like constant last minute winners, you can’t keep going back to the well.
Need a slip from City now

Looking forward to all the Liverpool bottling talk tomorrow, they were 5 points clear, had the chance to put us 8 points back, now lost back to back games v palace and Everton and dumped out of the fa cup by a terrible Man U side, and dumped out of the Europa league which they were favourites for with a 3-0 home defeat. I can’t see many injured players in their squad currently either

Both my grandfathers were there Gaz. With respect any gratitude:

Klopp did some moaning in the post-match about his options in defence and decided to throw in that Saliba and Gabriel have played together a lot this season. As if that’s the only reason we’re above them so far. To your points they’ve been riding their luck just to be where they are at this point.

Good that Pool has slipped again
Come on BHA

I guess the good news for Man Utd fans is they won 3-2. The bad news is that they were down 2-0 to Sheffield United...at home. Surely we can score 2 goals at OT.

Now that they've won, now I am hoping they have 6th place sewed up before they play us and the only thing to look forward to is the FA cup final and they see our game as a nuisance. Palace beating Newcastle has helped them considerably.

Just looking at any thing I can hold on to. Nerve racking. This old feeling from the invincible era has creeped back in. Title race, every game puts you on edge.

City's game at Brighton tonight is the a larger than usual banana skin possibility on their schedule. My only worry is they drop points and we don't win at Sperz making it moot.

The frustration is that in a one off we are better than literally any club in the league. We have not lost to City in 3 matches (CS, twice league). Completely different than last season. The Charity Shield game told me the players were tired of losing to them. It told me they saw City as peers not a better club.

But I'm not going tempt fate by gloating

Surely Liverpool are out of the race now. No ways City will get less than 13 points in their last 6.

If we can beat the Spuds, surely City will start to feel a bit of pressure?

Brighton are still very short-handed. I'm afraid we are going to have to rely on Spurs. Hopefully they will still be in a tight race with Villa for 4th when they play City.

https://x.com/skysportspl/status/178325 ... -j6VVZXEoA

This is pretty incredible from Carragher. I know he’s a die hard Liverpool fan but the guy is not fit to be a pundit on Liverpool or their rivals, he cannot be objective.

His narrative now Liverpool have lost 2 in a row is “Liverpool have over achieved this season, Man City are on a different level, I’m finding it hard to be too critical of them and this team/season should be seen as a fantastic building block for the next couple of seasons”

Where was this sense of perspective for us last season? We had far more mitigating circumstances as well, we’d never been in that position, we’re a much younger and less experienced team than Liverpool and barely anyone said we’d even finish top 4. Carragher himself after we drew v Liverpool and West Ham in the run in last year called us arrogant and cocky.

Liverpool have 1 clean sheet in their last 13 games. Arsenal have 8 in the same time.

Whether we win the title or not Arteta has been pretty much spot on in his assessment of how to improve our team, he’s made our defence hugely better (the best in the country) without diminishing the attacking goals scored.

Liverpool may have been winning games 3-1, 4-1 and coming from 1-0 down to do so but if you dug deeper there were chances for the opposition, and Liverpool were scoring some individual goals to rescue them. For a while I thought it wasn’t sustainable and it would catch up with them but I was starting to doubt it. Has there been any talk that Liverpool have been playing/winning on emotion? Come back wins, Klopp’s last season….that was what was labelled at us last year.

Now my next hope is the small signs that City haven’t been their ruthless best recently. They definitely deserved to lose the Fa Cup semi to Chelsea, knocked out of Europe by Real Madrid. Similar to Liverpool they’re winning games 4-1, 4-2…coming from behind. I don’t think what their doing is built on sand anywhere near as much as Liverpool but that’s the hope I cling to for their final 6 games

Years ago when we bought van Persie I said he had the potential to be transformational. At that time eredivisie games we being shown regularly on the spanish football channel on Spanish tv in America for some strange reason. He played on the wing then and I just liked seeing him. Was teased about it, specifically Bernard (RIP) but he'd tease me if I said 1+1=2...lol

I feel somewhat similar about Timber. He was fantastic in the charity shield game. His highlight reel was good. But I caught some of the Ajax games as well and he was fantastic. I think he will transform our defense. If he plays left back he can cut in on the right. He's faster than any fullback we presently have and other than Zinchenko who is really a midfielder, he's better on the ball than the traditional full backs we have including Ben White.

Tierney seems like he's on his way out. I can see why we sent him out on loan but truth is we could have used him at times. For me, he's too one dimensional. He's a pretty good defender but his only move is to go left and cross. That is what a traditional LB does but these days a LB has to have more winger skills. Tomiyasu goes forward better than Tierney I think.

If we buy a very good LB, I think Timber will eventually beat out Ben White at RB. Anyway, a Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, White back four will be even tougher to beat and I think we can raise the defensive standards even higher next season.

Brighton have injuries but they are still a well coached team and they can still cause problems. A draw is not out of the question. The big question is can we win at WHL? We need to score first. It will open up their back.

Hi Gaz,

Just been reading my Dad's cousin's book. Clive Roantree D.F.C., from Canberra, who came over to the UK in WW2 to fly Lancaster bombers. The book details his experiences, and it's a moving read at times. Lots of his mates/fellow fliers never went home again.

Respect

He was an Everton fan as a youngster, and even after signing for Liverpool, he used to turn up to training in an Everton kit, as the story goes. Believe me (I live in Liverpool) he is not liked by the Evertonians.

Sorry everyone, no idea what happened there!

Rog, can you delete all the ones indicated please? The usual delete option isn't there on any of them. I think there's an issue with the edit function. (There's another big bonus in it for you).

Cheers

Delete.

Ridiculous isn't it. I mean, what does Rog actually do with all that money he gets paid??

What must Declan Rice be thinking, he just looks genuinely happy to be playing in this team and at this level, he’s been totally vindicated in making the move and believing in his ability to perform at the highest level. It’s rare for a player to come in to a new team and immediately settle as he has and more than that almost instantly become a leader in the team. He’s been better than I thought he would be.

Also great to see White’s agent or whatever coming out into the media with a polite statement to the effect of “you have no idea what’s going on in the guys life so *%^@ off”.

Is it just Klopp or is it the new thing to compare misfortune with other teams fortune? Klopp moaning about his central pairing and decides to mention Saliba and Gabriel as if that’s the only reason why we’re currently ahead of Liverpool. Fans have always done it but now opposition managers too.

Need Brighton to do us a favour tonight, I can’t see city dropping points from their other fixtures. Spurs doing us a favour 2nd to last game of the season ? No chance they’ll throw it.

This season has been mental.

Yes these were men who were unbelievably brave. My grandfather was a light horse man in WWI. He never spoke of the war and nor did 2 uncles who were in New Guinea in WW2. There is a great cricket story relating to Keith Miller who was a pilot in WW2. At a cricket function , I believe around the time of Steve Waugh, one of the then current players said to him of course you played at a time where you wouldn’t have known pressure. Keith turned to him and said words to the effect: when your flying a mission over Europe and you’ve got a meschersmit up your arse that’s f… pressure.

Not if CL qualification is still on the line.

Am I right that CL qualification will still be top 4 only?