Apologies - haven’t been around for a while - travelling! Not seen a replay.

No TG - didn’t do the boat.

In truth, I haven’t been to Fulham for a few years. It’s always quite a special away day. Non-threatening and civilised opposition at a historic ground in one of the most affluent areas in the world. The (above ground) tube ride into Putney Bridge is the polar opposite of the train ride into Villa a couple of weeks ago. In terms of levelling up, it just ain’t going to happen - ever.

Away supporters pub was massive and comfortable with no queues, plenty of space and very relaxed. Wall to wall TVs. Shots on demand. Tempting to drop anchor.

The walk to the ground is truly relaxed and stress-free, going through a Church graveyard, a well keep park and a Thames-side promenade. Best arrival route in the business.

Ground now has a grand new stand which isn’t fully open, but it’s a tight and quintessentially English ground. Away stand is a sort of permanent temporary stand with bouncy walkways and uneven steps. Bit odd but doesn’t feel out of place. Sight lines aren’t great. It was as always a ‘stander’ - involving but becoming less of an attraction to old forkers like me.

One thing came back to me, and you can see it from the photo I posted - I did many years low down behind the goal at the Clock End. I’d forgotten what a *%^@ view it is but at least you had replays. We were Row 6 on Sunday - Row 8 at Highbury. No live feed in the ground and no replays. And all made far worse by the black kit - you just couldn’t see our players at the other end. Three first half goals at the far end - or so I’m informed. In fairness, I was witness to the ball of the game - if not the season - by Saliba sweeping it out to our left to open up the whole field for Xhaka. Genius.

Despite the lack of visibility and sparse visual involvement, the overriding sense of the game was a complete lack of jeopardy. It was too easy. Pinch-yerself easy. They were never in it. No threat. We mullered them. Start to finish. Makes you wonder if we may actually be an excellent - exceptional - team who can dismiss close rivals with ease.

Back along the beautiful walk, couple of celebratories at ‘tpub and off to a fine dinner. Smiling all the way.

How much better does it get?

Apologies - haven’t been around for a while - travelling! Not seen a replay.

No TG - didn’t do the boat.

In truth, I haven’t been to Fulham for a few years. It’s always quite a special away day. Non-threatening and civilised opposition at a historic ground in one of the most affluent areas in the world. The (above ground) tube ride into Putney Bridge is the polar opposite of the train ride into Villa a couple of weeks ago. In terms of levelling up, it just ain’t going to happen - ever.

Away supporters pub was massive and comfortable with no queues, plenty of space and very relaxed. Wall to wall TVs. Shots on demand. Tempting to drop anchor.

The walk to the ground is truly relaxed and stress-free, going through a Church graveyard, a well keep park and a Thames-side promenade. Best arrival route in the business.

Ground now has a grand new stand which isn’t fully open, but it’s a tight and quintessentially English ground. Away stand is a sort of permanent temporary stand with bouncy walkways and uneven steps. Bit odd but doesn’t feel out of place. Sight lines aren’t great. It was as always a ‘stander’ - involving but becoming less of an attraction to old forkers like me.

One thing came back to me, and you can see it from the photo I posted - I did many years low down behind the goal at the Clock End. I’d forgotten what a *%^@ view it is but at least you had replays. We were Row 6 on Sunday - Row 8 at Highbury. No live feed in the ground and no replays. And all made far worse by the black kit - you just couldn’t see our players at the other end. Three first half goals at the far end - or so I’m informed. In fairness, I was witness to the ball of the game - if not the season - by Saliba sweeping it out to our left to open up the whole field for Xhaka. Genius.

Despite the lack of visibility and sparse visual involvement, the overriding sense of the game was a complete lack of jeopardy. It was too easy. Pinch-yerself easy. They were never in it. No threat. We mullered them. Start to finish. Makes you wonder if we may actually be an excellent - exceptional - team who can dismiss close rivals with ease.

Back along the beautiful walk, couple of celebratories at ‘tpub and off to a fine dinner. Smiling all the way.

How much better does it get?

Do you honestly think it will make the blindest bit of difference ? I don’t.

They have 300 million quids worth of players on their bench tonight. Take a look it’s ridiculous. They can rotate, I think it’s just as likely they win everything.

It’s going to come down to how we play last week in April. We do well that week we win the title. Simple as. What they do in europe won’t come into it.

I honestly do think it will matter mentally because the CL is their first priority by some distance. No matter how good your squad that is a factor. It's hard for them not to be slightly less intense in the league.

For us, the slightly thinner squad (albeit it is looking great just at the moment) so the risk of overplaying some players is there, this is offset by the fact that (judging from the intensity of our performances) the league is absolutely the priority in the player's mind. The Europa isn't really a mental distraction.

Honestly I don’t see it mattering. Foden plays one game they rest him for the next, likewise Walker, like mahrez. They are mostly all fresh. Are we expecting 5 of their players to all get injured. No chance

It’s on us I’m afraid. Get a point v city then dismantle Chelsea on the Saturday and we’re on a home stretch.

There are certain players Pep can’t afford to rest when they are in CL and Prem run in. Rodri, De Bruyne, Haaland don’t get a rest, any small bit of fatigue is welcome for them. Also more games is more chance of a freak injury. Imagine Coty lost Haaland for the last 3 months of the season just as we had to do without our main striker for 3 months.

I’d love to see it and hear it but it’s just wishful thinking in my opinion.

They can’t rest 3 players, we can barely rest 1 of our 11 without a large drop off that’s the difference.

But the original point was whether it is better to have City in the champions league or not. You thought it made no difference to our chances in the league if they went through or not tonight. I’m saying it has to have some bearing even if it’s small because they can afford to rotate their squad so well. Surely it has to be better for us that they don’t just have 11 league games to concentrate on? It has to make a small difference at least

But the original point was whether it is better to have City in the champions league or not. You thought it made no difference to our chances in the league if they went through or not tonight. I’m saying it has to have some bearing even if it’s small because they can afford to rotate their squad so well. Surely it has to be better for us that they don’t just have 11 league games to concentrate on? It has to make a small difference at least

I’d love to see it and hear it but it’s just wishful thinking in my opinion.

They can’t rest 3 players, we can barely rest 1 of our 11 without a large drop off that’s the difference.

You’re talking about a minor difference

Exactly. Its on a knife edge so even one post-Euro bananaskin might be the difference.

.

Just seems wishful thinking and micro analysis from our fans that they are trotting out online. The fitness or fatigue of a very minor amount of city players won’t affect it. It’s a complete face off and we are just as likely to go as far in europe as them and our core players are playing far more minutes than them. I’d probably suggest city must be desperate for us to proceed further in Europa.

If we beat palace this weekend what will determine it is what transpires last week in April. That will be it.

I would say the pressure of the run-in and the difficulty of the games we have, especially away from home, will be far more of an issue than fatigue among the City players, many of whom have played far fewer games as a result of rotation anyway.

Yes this is precisely it. Our prolonged European interest is far more of a problem than city because we can’t bring in 100 million pound wingers and midfielders if we need to rest someone. I think we will beat sporting tomorrow but a quarter final will likely bring in opposition much harder to rotate the squad for.

Need to beat city and Chelsea that week. Until we have played that fixture at the eitihad I can’t see how anyone could really call us favourites.

Never have liked the notion of Arsenal picking and choosing competitions. We are not big enough to forego the chance of any trophy - they all matter to us in a way they probably don't to Real, City or Bayern. Winning gives the team energy, losing is a disappointment that can be dangerously infectious.

Never have liked the notion of Arsenal picking and choosing competitions. We are not big enough to forego the chance of any trophy - they all matter to us in a way they probably don't to Real, City or Bayern. Winning gives the team energy, losing is a disappointment that can be dangerously infectious.

I know what you mean but do you think if we had gone far in the fa cup and league cup we would be in as strong a position as we are now in the league. When we went out of the fa cup I looked at it as a blessing. We have had an undistracted and focussed league campaign this season. We don’t have a squad for 4 competitions let’s face it, certainly not before recent incomings

Is it a bit of a myth that City have so much more depth than us? You could debate the immediate quality of some replacement players but the overall depth of numbers isn’t any better.

If we take the City team last night - against our best 11
Ederson - Ramsdale
Stones - White
Dias - Saliba
Akanji - Gabriel
Ake - Zinchenko
Rodri - Partey
Gundogan - Xhaka
De Bruyne - Ødegaard
Bernardo - Saka
Grealish - Martinelli
Haaland - Jesus

Pretty well matched. Then match up the 2nd 11’s
Ortega - Turner
Walker - Tomiyasu
Laporte - Holding
??? - Kiwior
Lewis - Tierney
Phillips - Jorginho
Palmer - Vieira
Foden - Trossard
Mahrez - Smith-Rowe
??? - Nelson
Alvarez - Nketiah

They have 3 forward players who can come in and be very good quality but I don’t see that same depth of quality in defence or central midfield.

This is why I think an injury here or there could affect them, they haven’t had to deal with any lengthy injury so far at all. So all the more reason to increase the chance of those injuries happening by hoping they play more games

Saw someone mention online that Arteta never talks about other teams or other managers. Compare that to the amount of times he’s been mentioned or Arsenal talked about by others. I get that sometimes a question will be put directly about another club but you can choose to deflect that and not discuss that team.

Arteta has constantly professed the mantra that we talk about ourselves and the things we can control. Looks like he sticks to that himself.

Remember last year when Conte was so smug telling him not to moan so much as though he was the master patronisingly schooling his student….Arteta didn’t react, he didn’t retort this year when we outclassed Spurs twice.

Pep’s interviews get more odd by the day, he has a strange over the top sarcasm to his interviews which in my view displays his insecurities about the press and in general people not giving him enough credit for what he’s done with City.

Not happening for Vieira at Palace at the moment. We’ve got them at the weekend….

They are down to their 3rd choice keeper. We should have far too much for them.

City didn't exactly blitz them. These are just the type of games that will cost us the title if we go with an attitude of 'we just have to turn up'