***official arsenal v champions match thread***

[Nigels Tackle]

super sunday...

rags 1 l'pool 2

then....

arsenal 0 city 2

balo with them both

come on city!!!

[kinkylola]

big day ... i'll be glued to the telly!

[ozzyisgod]

Traveling down to heathrow so this thread im hoping will keep me informed! Pride in battle.

[ashton287]

Not carrying much hope for today. Arsenal seem to be one of Mancini's bogie teams and he doesn't know how to change these type of traditions.

Stoke, arse, Liverpool and Everton away are just shit games for us.

[mr_nool]

Not carrying much hope for today. Arsenal seem to be one of Mancini's bogie teams and he doesn't know how to change these type of traditions.

Stoke, arse, Liverpool and Everton away are just shit games for us.

Same here. I'm quite resigned, but deep inside I still hope that this will be some sort of magical Sunday where the rags lose, we win and the title race is back on ...

[Bear60]

Few cans and glued to TV all afternoon Cmon CITY and Scouse

[ruralblue]

Rags to lose two one.

City to batter arsenel on their own pitch. Five one. Tezez 1, edin 1 and balo to come on and bag the fastest hat trick of all time!

[Risby]

I'm pretty confident that the scousers will turn the rags over. If they show a bit of grit and control RVP for 90+ mins they will win.
As for us, the pace of their attacking line is the threat. It's how we cope with that will determine our result.
We are stronger, taller, and have more fight. Show no respect to them once that whistle blows and destroy them. That would be my game plan and team talk!

[Beefymcfc]

Not carrying much hope for today. Arsenal seem to be one of Mancini's bogie teams and he doesn't know how to change these type of traditions.

Stoke, arse, Liverpool and Everton away are just shit games for us.

Same here. I'm quite resigned, but deep inside I still hope that this will be some sort of magical Sunday where the rags lose, we win and the title race is back on ...

Stop being a pair of soft arses. The list below is Mancini's record against the Arse. You'll note that apart from when Boyata got send off in the first 3 minutes when we lost 3-0 all the other games are very, very close. Out of the 3 games at the Emirates in the league we've drawn 2 and lost 1. We've also beaten them there in the cup.

English Premier Su 23Sep 2012 Man City 1 - 1 Arsenal
English Premier Su 08Apr 2012 Arsenal 1 - 0 Man City
English Premier Su 18Dec 2011 Man City 1 - 0 Arsenal
Carling Cup Tu 29Nov 2011 Arsenal 0 - 1 Man City
Premier League We 05 Jan 2011 Arsenal 0 - 0 Man City
Premier League Su 24 Oct 2010 Man City 0 - 3 Arsenal
Premier League Sa 24 Apr 2010 Arsenal 0 - 0 Man City

I know we have the long standing record of not winning away to Arsenal since 1975 but we are in a very different position now where we are not going there being expected to lose. It's been splashed over every media outlet that we haven't won there in the league for so long and that we haven't scored a league goal there for 5 years but what they fail to say is that Wengers team have only scored 1 goal in the last 4 attempts on their own manor. For me, it should be Wenger who is worrying, not Mancini.

As for today, I don't know what to expect. We can still put a good side out but without the likes of Yaya and Sergio it makes it just that little bit harder. Not that we don't have adequate replacements but more because these 2 are the stalwarts of the team.

It's going to be an interesting game, of late these ones always are, and it will be made more interesting with the scoreline coming through from the Swamp. Will it change our perspective or will we carry on regardless?

[AG7]

I think news from Old Trafford will effect Mancini's team talk just before getting them out on pitch ... should they lose and there is a chance to reduce the points difference to 4, Mancini will ask them to be more adventurous and go for it, but should they win and the points difference stands at 10, he'll probably be cautious (as he always is) and tell them to get a draw at least.

7 pts diff or 9 pts is same to me, need 3 games to over turn, should it go to 10, it'll take 4 games to turn that around ... same if we win or draw and they lose as 4 or 6 pts difference means 2 games where they are required to drop points, while 7 means that requirements extends to a third game ... yes, I know a draw vs loss so each one point matters in the end. Should they lose and we draw, even that won't be such a bad thing so I'm not sure how aggressive Mancini will be as much as we all want him to be ... a draw is certainly better than an outright loss.

Here's to hoping that the two away teams thrash the home ones!

[Beefymcfc]

I think news from Old Trafford will effect Mancini's team talk just before getting them out on pitch ... should they lose and there is a chance to reduce the points difference to 4, Mancini will ask them to be more adventurous and go for it, but should they win and the points difference stands at 10, he'll probably be cautious (as he always is) and tell them to get a draw at least.

7 pts diff or 9 pts is same to me, need 3 games to over turn, should it go to 10, it'll take 4 games to turn that around ... same if we win or draw and they lose as 4 or 6 pts difference means 2 games where they are required to drop points, while 7 means that requirements extends to a third game ... yes, I know a draw vs loss so each one point matters in the end. Should they lose and we draw, even that won't be such a bad thing so I'm not sure how aggressive Mancini will be as much as we all want him to be ... a draw is certainly better than an outright loss.

Here's to hoping that the two away teams thrash the home ones!

What is quite astonishing is that even though they are scoring for fun the goal difference is only -4. It may seem nothing in the big scheme of things but as we seen last year Taggart put huge emphasis on GD, knowing that it could affect the outcome. It turned out he was right in the end and maybe that pressure will start to build again.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

It's my birthday today. Needless to say, I'm hoping for a nice little present from the fellas and have a strangely positive feeling about the game. 1-3.*

*Got an email from the club this morning wishing me a 'Happy Birthday'. Nice touch.

[Beefymcfc]

It's my birthday today. Needless to say, I'm hoping for a nice little present from the fellas and have a strangely positive feeling about the game. 1-3.*

*Got an email from the club this morning wishing me a 'Happy Birthday'. Nice touch.

Happy Birthday mate, let's all hope it's 'As good as it gets' ;-)

[clawbaggio]

For some season R M seems to be scared of Arse and gives them far too much respect. Plenty of teams have turned them over at home over the last few years. I just hope we go out with a positive attitude and not play for the usual 0 - 0.
PS - Whatever happened to the old football chant of "Attack Attack Attack Attack Attack"?

[Ted Hughes]

For some season R M seems to be scared of Arse and gives them far too much respect. Plenty of teams have turned them over at home over the last few years. I just hope we go out with a positive attitude and not play for the usual 0 - 0.
PS - Whatever happened to the old football chant of "Attack Attack Attack Attack Attack"?

I think Mancini plays Arsenal like he plays in the Champions League; he tries to do something special, outside our normal methods of playing, rather than just picking the strongest team with a simple plan & trusting the players.

He thinks he needs to win it personally, tactically, rather than us just being ourselves & being better.

I'm happy for us to keep it tight today. Then step it up as we go along. If we play as we can, we will hammer them whatever the tactics though. IF.

[Pretty Boy Lee]

Really want a performance today. Starting to dread how this one is gonna pan out, but hope I'm wrong,

[clawbaggio]

I think Mancini plays Arsenal like he plays in the Champions League; he tries to do something special, outside our normal methods of playing, rather than just picking the strongest team with a simple plan & trusting the players.

He thinks he needs to win it personally, tactically, rather than us just being ourselves & being better.

I'm happy for us to keep it tight today. Then step it up as we go along. If we play as we can, we will hammer them whatever the tactics though. IF.

I agree Ted. Just hope we try to play "a normal game" and not like total pussies

[carolina-blue]

We are due a really good away performance against the arse I can see It being 2day. Carlito hat trick would do nicely
Reliant Van Who .Tscchh

Come on U Blues

[Cit.revenge]

First lets hope rags drop some points today and injury of Van ragsi that will be perfect start of day,then we have all in our hands or legs just to play brave, we have better team even without Aguero and Yaya , only scare for me is if Garcia be pair up with Barry we will be slow at back and they can press us.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

It's my birthday today. Needless to say, I'm hoping for a nice little present from the fellas and have a strangely positive feeling about the game. 1-3.*

*Got an email from the club this morning wishing me a 'Happy Birthday'. Nice touch.

Happy Birthday mate, let's all hope it's 'As good as it gets' ;-)

Thanks Beefy ;-)