Every single person in the world, except Adebayor, has said that this weekends game against a “top four” (that’s in inverted comma’s because the last time I check the table Liverpool were 5th) is the first real test. Plenty of debate has taken place as to whether the sides we’ve faced so far are strong or not. Without going into it too much I do consider Man City, Portsmouth and Blackburn as strong sides.
I don’t care if it’s the first real test or not, it is highly likely that we’re going to get beaten sometime this season. Whether we lose now against Liverpool or lose next week against Manure the title is still going to be decided over the course of 38 games. Last season we had a brilliant record against the “big teams” but had absolutely nothing to show for it at the end of the season. So why should it matter now all of a sudden?
Let us also remember that this squad has suffered setbacks before. They’ve had to deal with painful defeats against arguably weaker opponents (a la Sheffield, Fulham last year). They’ve lost in a Cup Final. They’ve struggled with injuries. They’ve dealt with being criticized from almost every corner. They’ve dealt with big name players leaving. They’ve dealt with injury crises. Now tell me, how on earth is defeat to Liverpool going to be something that is going to overwhelm this squad and stop their title challenge?
All this make or break nonsense is nothing but Sky co. to hype up the fixture and cash in. It really isn’t that important.
Now United the week after is something to be hyped up. Its going to be a clash between the two best sides in the league at this moment, and hopefully another feisty encounter.
Gooner Blog 
good aarticle and its true when u say that it doesn’t matter 2 much if we loose 2moro
No – it IS important we win tomorrow. The team will really believe they have arrived and more importantly, the likes of ManU & Chelsea will feel pressured into winning every game. The pressure of chasing leaders who ‘can’t lose’ will make them crack. If we lose at Anfield, that pressure is gone and thrown fully onto us – & the next game is v ManU and we DON’T need that advantage given to them where we are in the must-win situation.
This is not Sky Hype. This is a crucial game for a young brilliant team that needs to feel invincible and creat a big enough advantage over the chasing pack in the run-up to the Xmas fixtures. To be 9pts ahead of Liverpool tomorrow night will kill them. To be 3pts ahead of them will re-energize them and kick us in the teeth.
So basically, re your ‘rant’, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
You are absolutely correct and if I could be botheredwriting an article for Sportingo I wouls pretty much say the same thing.
“They havent played anyone yet”
Im sorry but Blackburn, Portsmouth, Tottenham, Man City and West Ham, not forgetting Seville, are pretty decent tests for any premier League team!
Also, if we havent played anyone yet, who has Liverpool, Man U and Chelsea been playing? Appart from the Man Utd vs Chelsea match, the others have had just as easy a run in!
Man U: Reading, Portsmouth, City, Spurs, Sunderland, Everton, Chelsea, Birmingham, Wigan, Villa and Boro. 6 at home, 5 away.
Titter titter, a little jumpy aren’t we? Lose to Liverpool and you lose the lead, Liverpool close within three. Then you, including the Manure game, have only two home games, of which you have had plenty, for your next ten fixtures (PL or others) I believe. So, losing to Manure as well, would leave you lagging going into a nasty stretch far from your, often used, home comforts. Its only two games out of the 38, but if you’ll remember the 2004/05 season you first lost your “invincible” tag to Manure and then lost to Liverpool soon after. Your season faded from there.
Pathetic. Really just pathetic.
You wait until Liverpool are pushed out of the top four by virtue of playing on Sunday rather than Saturday (Chelsea’s win earlier today is what pushed them down to fifth) to question their top four status. And this in an article where you basically say that it’s not where you are now but where you are at the end of May that counts.
Make your mind up. Either Liverpool falling to fifth, below two teams over whom they have two games in hand and both of whom they could overtake with just one of those two extra games, is significant or it’s not.
Manchester United were out of the top four earlier this season. In fact, at one stage they were in the relegation zone. Did that mean they deserved writing off as no longer being a top four club? Chelsea were out of the top four until 5.00pm today. Did you write them off as also not being a top four club?
If Arsenal have a dip in form and temporarily fall to fifth then should pundits start questioning their top four status? Or should they wait until the end of the season to see what’s what when all’s been said and done?
Whilst I’m at it, I should point out to Goofle that Arsenal have so far played one league game outside of London. Let’s see how well they do outside their comfort, shall we?. Oh, and Liverpool have hosted Chelsea already, which you seem to have forgotten. By my count, that means that Chelsea have played two of the other big four, United have played one and Liverpool have played one. How many have Arsenal played yet? That’s right, none.
I have a lot of respect for Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal board, and the Arsenal players, who together have built a team and a stadium that most club’s would envy. I have some respect for Arsenal fans, because most of them are pretty knowledgeable, but none for the minority like yourselves who resort to petty and puerile behaviour in order to make themselves seem superior.
Your team is playing beautiful, attractive football and is winning games. Why don’t you enjoy and revel in that, rather than resorting to childish, playground-level antics that are little better than throwing of sticks and stones?
Well both ManU and ‘pool have played chelsea in their own back yards. ManU was aided by awful officiating in that game and pool were hindered. I personally think that the game will be close but the gunners should pull out a victory at Anfield. You can see that pool are really missing Agger in their defense. Hypia will be willing but probably not able to handle a front line of adebayor and walcott. And if the gunners to pull out a victory, I can already see the headlines of how we caught liverpool on a bad stretch and that the young lads still haven’t proven themselves. Not to overlook liverpool, but the ManU game will really highlight if this team is up to snuff or not
I have been a Liverpool supporter for the last forty years and have seen ups and downs from every team in the premier league and first division before that. So win lose or draw tomorrow, I hope it is a great game of football, end to end stuff. Of course I would like Liverpool to win, but in all honesty, I can’t see it happening. Arsenal at the moment are really on a roll and are playing some excellent football. We are struggling to put two passes together at the moment but all teams go through this. Maybe tomorrow we will all be on the same page and get it right. Who knows. Good luck to both teams and lets have a great game.
Just to give you another example of how it wouldn’t matter, United played us in the 4th or 5th game of the season. They’d had a brilliant start, but some critisized that they’ve only played easy home games. We had a horrid start and a win at Old Trafford would’ve supposedly energized us. It didn’t matter in the end did it?
Hi everybody,
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