***villa v the mighty blues official match thread***

[Beefymcfc]

Just brought myself around to watching motd.Still can't believe how that Villa side managed to score 3 goals in that game they were so so bad we gifted them the win.Freak result.

It's only a freak result if it happens once every blue moon. We've seen two in the first six games and we've only played three away games. Nothing freakish about our away form mate :(

And that's the issue, this isn't a freak result. How could it be when we've had 2 out of 3 like this?

Last season we lost 4 games away from home out of 19 whereas now we have lost 2 out of 3. There was lots of discussion with many recriminations thrown regarding manager and players last season with many churping up that things had to change. Well, nothings changed as yet and the players need a good kick up the arse. If it doesn't happen then we can kiss a title challenge goodbye.

[AG7]

Should go into the bollox ... where's Chinners?

City Still Title Favourites - Utd Drop To 7/1

Arsenal are now 4/1 to win the league for the first time in a decade after a battling win at Swansea.
After extending their lead at the top of the table to two points with a 2-1 win at Swansea, Arsenal are now 4/1 third-favourites behind Man City and Chelsea to lift the Premier League title at the end of the season.

Winger Serge Gnabry’s first senior goal and midfielder Aaron Ramsey’s eighth strike for the club in all competitions this term eventually proved too much for Michael Laudrup’s plucky Swans, who grabbed what turned out to be a consolation through Ben Davies’ volley with ten minutes to go.

United now 7/1 to top the pile after third loss in last four league games.

The Gunners have now overtaken champions Manchester United in the title betting, with David Moyes’ side all the way out to 7/1 to retain the crown they won by 11 points last season after going down 2-1 to West Brom at Old Trafford.

City also failed to take anything from their tie at Aston Villa, with Paul Lambert’s side coming from behind twice to claim a shock 3-2 victory, but Manuel Pellegrini’s men are still market leaders to regain the trophy they won in 2011/12.

City have still not managed an away league win so far in the campaign and dropped out of the top four after losing to the Midlands club.

Chelsea stay second-favourites at 3/1 following their score draw at White Hart Lane.

Jose Mourinho was unhappy with Fernando Torres’ sending off for allegedly elbowing defender Jan Vertonghen in Chelsea’s 1-1 draw at Tottenham, but that point moved the Blues up a place in the table to third – behind the north London pair – and they’re still well fancied to be top of the Premier League pile come May at 3/1.

After dropping points for just the second time this term Spurs are now 9/1 to win the league for the first time since their double-winning season over 50 years ago.

http://www.manchestercity-mad.co.uk/new ... ndex.shtml

[Beefymcfc]

I think the league won't start to take shape until Xmas. I put Arsenal down for coming out of the blocks firing but then starting to drop off. The rest look as I thought, scrapping it out to start and Spurs were the uncertainy. I think they'll drop back a little as well and expect us and Chelsea to start stringing games together. The worry is that the likes of Arsenal and Spurs keep firing and we fail to get those essential away points.

Time will tell but it at least keeps the league entertaining.

[Breks]

I'm not worried because over 38 games our quality will show through. These are merely teething problems for a team with a new system and some new players. We are scoring goals so thats a positive. People need to chill out. Come the end of the christmas and new year periond the real contenders will be known.

[chips]

I'm not worried because over 38 games our quality will show through. These are merely teething problems for a team with a new system and some new players. We are scoring goals so thats a positive. People need to chill out. Come the end of the christmas and new year periond the real contenders will be known.

Couldn't agree more. People going on about spuds and arse etc. but those teams dont have the squads to keep uo their current level of football for a whole season. We have the best squad in the premier league. Not worried one bit.

[city9_4eva]

does anyone not get nervous once they've made a score predictions? I cant bring myself to even say we will win. Because I hate it when it bites you in the arse!! 'I hope we win'! come on city!! Here's to you Vincent Kompany....

Hate to say I told you so blues!

[Hutch's Shoulder]

My early thoughts were that Arsenal and Spuds would not sustain a challenge, but the feel good factor from a good run can translate into a unstoppable momentum, as on our promotion to PL under Joe Royle. So I think we need to start taking them seriously.

[harveytravis]

If only I could shake off 40 years of 'typical city'.....

:0

I don't think this applies anymore. These days you never know which City you're gonna get.

Aren't we saying the same thing?

[Beefymcfc]

My early thoughts were that Arsenal and Spuds would not sustain a challenge, but the feel good factor from a good run can translate into a unstoppable momentum, as on our promotion to PL under Joe Royle. So I think we need to start taking them seriously.

Too true mate. Everybody is banging on about the squad depths but have they really looked? Arsenal have decent depth, not world class but decent back-up in all positions. Their weakness is their forward line with Giroud, Podolski and Bentner but they more than make up for it in the forward midfield role. If they can keep the likes of Ozil, Ramsay and Walcott fit then they can step up. We've not even seen the likes of Carzola, Arteta, the Ox play so far and as back up then there's plenty of quality.

Spurs too have decent back up and the amount of quality they have brought in on the back of the Bale sale can only make them a stronger outfit. Again, their forward line is where they may suffer but if you look at the attacking forwards then they can get away with just playing their star man.

It's not the squads that I think will let them down, it's other factors. It looks to me that Wenger wanted to get a great start and as Vinnie said, they are at a different level of fitness to us. Wenger wants to get those early points and it may come back to sting them later in the season. Spurs have plenty of new players that aren't accustomed to the speed of our league so I think they will go the same way aswell. The problem is if they don't lose that impitus and being at the top drives them on. Other teams will tire at the same time so it could even it up.

We need to be picking up points home and away, not just playing great football. It's not worth imagining us not picking up all 3 points against Everton (bogey team) and then having to go away to the Hammers to stay in the top half of the table. It just wouldn't be funny.

We're playing good football though and can only get better with time so we can take consolation that the only way is up. But let's not write other teams off as it's very easy to look at things with Blue Tinted glasses, believing they will fail when the truth is it could either way.

[phips]

I'm not worried because over 38 games our quality will show through. These are merely teething problems for a team with a new system and some new players. We are scoring goals so thats a positive. People need to chill out. Come the end of the christmas and new year periond the real contenders will be known.