⚽ Premier League 2023/2024 Discussion Thread ⚽

[QueenVera]

Indeed, with De Bruyne's injury, Manchester City's midfield situation seems to have lost its enthusiasm. We have to admit, De Bruyne is known as the creative brain in City's midfield. His absence could reduce attacking creativity and the ability to create goal opportunities. Without a player like De Bruyne, City may have difficulty organizing play and penetrating opposing defenses.

The importance of key players like Rodri, Haaland and De Bruyne in the Manchester City squad cannot be ignored. Guardiola must be able to rotate players intelligently and choose the right replacement. This involves understanding each player's specific role and ensuring that when key players are absent, there are strategies in place that can keep the team balanced.

yes indeed Although City having a good defense can help prevent conceding goals, losing the ability to score goals can be a problem. Therefore, finding a solution to remain effective in attack without key players is very important.

Manchester City squad has some key players that when they’re absent the team seems to face a decline in performance. KDB is one key player especially with his long eye sight for assisting the point striker Haaland. And if you notice, this season KDB has been out for over 3 months you see that Manchester City’s midfield isn’t looking too organized.

Another player of utmost importance is Rodri who has missed some matches which in those matches City have lost because of missing his defensive abilities; now with this key players in key positions, I think it’s a big task for Pep when it comes to team selection when one or two of these key players are inactive. For you to be champions you don’t need just defensive abilities but also high goal scoring abilities too is essential.

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[Adams0001]

Liverpool v Arsenal... What a match to watch!  

This match is going to be really crucial for taking the lead or maintaining it. Liverpool have to win if they want to push Arsenal down from the 1st position. As the match is at Anfield why not? Liverpool are one of the best teams in home matches in the Premier League this season. They have 7 wins and 1 draw. That draw was due to their lack of finishing skills against Manchester United. But I don't think they will be the same against Arsenal as well. I favour Liverpool for the win.  

In my opinion, Liverpool are the favorites to win the match because Arsenal can't beat Liverpool at Anfield, and they are playing well in the league, and Liverpool will not make mistakes and lose points against Arsenal because this is a good chance for them to top the table again because if Liverpool fail to defeat Arsenal this weekend, it will be difficult for them to complete with and if Liverpool comes to their stadium, they will win Liverpool Klopp needs to prepare for the match and defeat Arteta and top the Premier League table again, since I believe they may win the title this season.Manchester City are not in excellent shape, Liverpool need to play very well and close the gap in the standings, because Guardiola is a competent coach if he starts and wins games he won't stop thing season ends

[Stable090]

The decline in Haaland's performance is due to several causes and it is impossible for a quality player to have decline in performance without there being cause and I don't know what the cause is for sure

The reason for Haaland's decline in performance is just because of De Bruyne's absence. Last season, when de Bruyne was active in Manchester City, he did create most of the opportunities that Haaland was always having, and we all know de Bruyne to be a talented player, he is always creating opportunities for Haaland, and we all know that Haaland is good at positioning himself and scoring goals. But since de Bruyne has been absent since the beginning of the season, Haaland performance has also dropped, he has not been scoring the way he was scoring last season, and nobody is giving Haaland passes the way de Bruyne do.

[SeriouslyGiveaway]

I was surprised when I saw how City didn't have good squad depth. I used to think City had good quality reserve players. But it seems they can't match the quality of the first team. In fact, for a team that is aiming for the championship title, they need consistent play in every match. This means that the team must have good squad depth so that when key players are injured they can still perform consistently. But I also don't blame City because Kevin De Bruyne's injury was a complete disaster for the team because KDB barely played in half the season.

It has to be said that this season Mancity has lost quite a few key players who made history in the previous season like Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez. And Kevin De Bruyne are sidelined with long-term injuries, leaving Rodri to shoulder the entire midfield. Meanwhile, another quality midfielder, Kalvin Phillips, hasn't been favored by Pep.
Additionally, Mancity's defense is showing numerous issues, as evident in the recent game against Crystal Palace where they conceded and equalized very easily in the last 15 minutes. The current problem with Mancity is that they struggle to close out games; when the attack scores, the defense tends to falter. The lack of focus in defense and a squad not deep enough for Pep to make effective adjustments have caused Mancity to often stumble towards the end of matches, resulting in conceding undeserved goals.

[Godday]

Liverpool v Arsenal... What a match to watch! 
This match is going to be really crucial for taking the lead or maintaining it. Liverpool have to win if they want to push Arsenal down from the 1st position. As the match is at Anfield why not? Liverpool are one of the best teams in home matches in the Premier League this season. They have 7 wins and 1 draw. That draw was due to their lack of finishing skills against Manchester United. But I don't think they will be the same against Arsenal as well. I favour Liverpool for the win. 

Honestly, this is the match I am most looking forward to on Matchday this time. Liverpool vs Arsenal is the best match at this moment because they are in first and second place in the standings with only one point difference. There is a lot of pressure weighing on both teams in this match. If Liverpool win then they will return to first place with a difference of 2 points. But if Arsenal win then they will consolidate their position in first place with a difference of 4 points. I think Liverpool are very motivated to win the game because the draw they got in the last game was really bad because they should have won that game.

[QueenVera]

It has to be said that this season Mancity has lost quite a few key players who made history in the previous season like Gundogan, Riyad Mahrez. And Kevin De Bruyne are sidelined with long-term injuries, leaving Rodri to shoulder the entire midfield. Meanwhile, another quality midfielder, Kalvin Phillips, hasn't been favored by Pep.
Additionally, Mancity's defense is showing numerous issues, as evident in the recent game against Crystal Palace where they conceded and equalized very easily in the last 15 minutes. The current problem with Mancity is that they struggle to close out games; when the attack scores, the defense tends to falter. The lack of focus in defense and a squad not deep enough for Pep to make effective adjustments have caused Mancity to often stumble towards the end of matches, resulting in conceding undeserved goals.

Manchester City loss of players have made their stat to reduce drastically especially as they’re in a bid to defend their title, If you notice they’ve already lost more games than they did last season and they’re sitting 4th on the log. Yes, they still have some sidelined players but they are already used to some key players patterns and that’s one major setback for this team.

 They don’t have some quality sitting out on the bench and that’s one thing causing a setback for them because it’s making Pep Guardiola right to lack selections. Now this is where Pep Guardiola has to bring in his masterpiece to work and help this team get back on track because any further falter may result in them not going home with any trophy this season,and it would be very bad for a title defenders of three different trophies.

[Distraction]

Aston Villa will probably win their match today as it is a really easy one against Sheffield Utd. This means they will take the lead until the Liverpool - Arsenal match also. Of course most people are waiting for that match especially. Liverpool are technically the favoured side but we will see. I also feel myself closer to Liverpool in this match truthfully.

Arsenal just couldn't win a single match at Anfield in the Premier League for 11 years. Can you imagine? 

I think this series will continue and Liverpool won't lose this match too.

[shogun47]

Aston Villa will probably win their match today as it is a really easy one against Sheffield Utd. This means they will take the lead until the Liverpool - Arsenal match also. Of course most people are waiting for that match especially. Liverpool are technically the favoured side but we will see. I also feel myself closer to Liverpool in this match truthfully.

Arsenal just couldn't win a single match at Anfield in the Premier League for 11 years. Can you imagine? 

I think this series will continue and Liverpool won't lose this match too.

It's an astonishing game so far with Aston Villa having 83% ball possession and yet Sheffield's defense isn't collapsing. The passing accuracy is, 50%, so every second pass goes to Aston Villa But time is Sheffield's best hope here. It doesn't look like they could land any counter attack in Aston Villa's box. Still a very long time to go in this game, but I was expecting an early goal from Aston Villa given their home record, which is insanely strong.

[Sunderland]

huh Sheffield park the bus in front of the goalkeeper, there will be no goal in the 1st half.
Aston must slow down the game and lure Sheffield defenders to create a hole in their defense, if not then we will see 0-0 till the end of the match.

[CLS63]

It was obvious that Aston Villa were going to dominate this Sheffield Utd match. But I think still the number of goal attempts they have had so far is really low. They are having difficulties in finding the target as well. In this situation they are just making things more difficult for themselves. I think that Emery will warn his players about their performance at halftime. I'm expecting Aston Villa to win this match no matter what. This is the easiest fixture in the calendar for them. There is a chance of being the leader in the end. 

[Hyphen(-)]

Aston Villa will probably win their match today as it is a really easy one against Sheffield Utd. This means they will take the lead until the Liverpool - Arsenal match also. Of course most people are waiting for that match especially. Liverpool are technically the favoured side but we will see. I also feel myself closer to Liverpool in this match truthfully.

Arsenal just couldn't win a single match at Anfield in the Premier League for 11 years. Can you imagine? 

I think this series will continue and Liverpool won't lose this match too.

From Aston Villa's performance in the first half, they are supposed to win the match because they completely dominated the first half half due to their performance and the chances they are creating, but Sheffield United were out completely to defend, and from the look of things if Aston Villa keep playing like this, they will win the match but me as an Arsenal fan, I will want Sheffield United to win the match if possible.

Arsenal in the past 11 years did not win a single match at Anfield because Liverpool at Anfield is a team that is been motivated by their fans, that is why so many teams are finding it difficult to win them at Anfield; but this time, I think Arsenal can do something to brake this course of not winning at Anfield because Arsenal is on form and have good squad that can defeat Liverpool.

[Docnaster]

It was obvious that Aston Villa were going to dominate this Sheffield Utd match. But I think still the number of goal attempts they have had so far is really low. They are having difficulties in finding the target as well. In this situation they are just making things more difficult for themselves. I think that Emery will warn his players about their performance at halftime. I'm expecting Aston Villa to win this match no matter what. This is the easiest fixture in the calendar for them. There is a chance of being the leader in the end. 

Aston Villa has undoubtedly been the best team in the first half of the English Premier League game against Sheffield United tonight but the earlier the understand the best most important statistics of the the match is the final scoreline the earlier for them. They need to be more clinical and also try to create more chances to be able to able to break the deadlock.

Sheffield United is one team that are capable of pulling up surprising results and the fact that they've been able to absorb all the pressure that have been coming from Aston Villa tonight without conceding a goal makes it even more dangerous for the hosts. If for any reason Sheffield United scores first in the game, it'll be difficult for Aston Villa to come back in the game. I expect an Aston Villa win tonight.

[Juse14]

It was obvious that Aston Villa were going to dominate this Sheffield Utd match. But I think still the number of goal attempts they have had so far is really low. They are having difficulties in finding the target as well. In this situation they are just making things more difficult for themselves. I think that Emery will warn his players about their performance at halftime. I'm expecting Aston Villa to win this match no matter what. This is the easiest fixture in the calendar for them. There is a chance of being the leader in the end. 

Even though in this match, Aston Villa seemed superior to Sheffield United. However, due to the low number of goal attempts and the difficulty of achieving the target, this has become an obstacle for Aston Villa. In the first half, the results of the half did not seem satisfactory, which ultimately became a concern for their manager, and after the end of the first half, Emery probably immediately gave a warning so that his players could perform better and continue to improve their game.

Even though this is considered the easiest match for Astrton Villa, the challenge they face seems quite difficult. But even though it's like that, hopes of winning the match are still high, especially considering that this match is quite important. because this could be an opportunity for Aston Villa to get the win they need to improve their position.

[Issa56]

Arsenal in the past 11 years did not win a single match at Anfield because Liverpool at Anfield is a team that is been motivated by their fans, that is why so many teams are finding it difficult to win them at Anfield; but this time, I think Arsenal can do something to brake this course of not winning at Anfield because Arsenal is on form and have good squad that can defeat Liverpool.

You think Arsenal will be able to break the course this season because they are in form. Why is it that they couldn't break the course last season? They were also in form last season, but they failed to break it. I won't be surprised if Liverpool end up winning the match. We all agree that Arsenal is in form, but as we can see, Liverpool is also in form. I know the match will be difficult and it will be an interesting one, but I still have little confidence in Liverpool to win the match. Liverpool will want to take back their first position, and the only way that can be possible for now is to win their match against Arsenal, and they will do everything possible to achieve that.

[arimamib]

~

Manchester City squad has some key players that when they’re absent the team seems to face a decline in performance. KDB is one key player especially with his long eye sight for assisting the point striker Haaland. And if you notice, this season KDB has been out for over 3 months you see that Manchester City’s midfield isn’t looking too organized.

Another player of utmost importance is Rodri who has missed some matches which in those matches City have lost because of missing his defensive abilities; now with this key players in key positions, I think it’s a big task for Pep when it comes to team selection when one or two of these key players are inactive. For you to be champions you don’t need just defensive abilities but also high goal scoring abilities too is essential.

The absence of such influential players can indeed create challenges for the team. For Manchester City, Kevin de bruyne is the best player who has vision and playmaking abilities to create scoring opportunities for City. His absence for over three months has been noticeable in the team's midfield organization and its ability to generate goal-scoring chances. KDB's long-range passing and creativity are vital in unlocking defenses and connecting with strikers like Erling Haaland, making his presence crucial for City's offensive prowess. Rodri's importance is emphasized to balnce the tempo and transition in attacks and defenses. His absence has been linked to the team's losses that proves his significance in providing defensive stability and disrupting opponent attacks.

The absence of these players forces Pep to reevaluate his strategies and find suitable replacements, which can disrupt the team's rhythm and cohesion. The balance between a solid defense and an efficient attack is crucial for sustained success in any league. The dependency on key players in both defensive and offensive roles is the reason of the need for depth in the squad. This makes the team is able to maintain performance standards even in the absence of key individuals.

[makishart]

The decline in Haaland's performance is due to several causes and it is impossible for a quality player to have decline in performance without there being cause and I don't know what the cause is for sure

The reason for Haaland's decline in performance is just because of De Bruyne's absence. Last season, when de Bruyne was active in Manchester City, he did create most of the opportunities that Haaland was always having, and we all know de Bruyne to be a talented player, he is always creating opportunities for Haaland, and we all know that Haaland is good at positioning himself and scoring goals. But since de Bruyne has been absent since the beginning of the season, Haaland performance has also dropped, he has not been scoring the way he was scoring last season, and nobody is giving Haaland passes the way de Bruyne do.

Indeed, debruyne has been collecting lots of assists last season and missing him is greatly affecting the performance from city but it's not only that. City has lost also a player that was consistently scoring too. De bruyne was always consistently scoring a lot as attacking midfielders in any season and missing him was a disaster for manchester city. It feels like city lost its souls since de bruyne has always become the key player that was always organizing the attack from manchester city.
Losing him likes losing someone who who can distribute the idea that out of the box to its opponent. De bruyne has become the main partner of haaland since these guys have very strong chemistry right now.


Pep needs to find his replacement or they will be losing a lot. Manchester city is still able making its comeback again as long as pep will able to get the right partner for haaland that can perform as good as de bruyne.
This is why manchester city has been projecting some names to be recruited by manchester city to be a successor for him. I hope that all of plans will be going so well for pep guardiola.

[Queentoshi]

You think Arsenal will be able to break the course this season because they are in form. Why is it that they couldn't break the course last season? They were also in form last season, but they failed to break it. I won't be surprised if Liverpool end up winning the match. We all agree that Arsenal is in form, but as we can see, Liverpool is also in form. I know the match will be difficult and it will be an interesting one, but I still have little confidence in Liverpool to win the match. Liverpool will want to take back their first position, and the only way that can be possible for now is to win their match against Arsenal, and they will do everything possible to achieve that.

I watched a documentary of how the Arsenal coach Arteta, makes them train using sounds recorded from the Anfield whenever Liverpool plays a top team. To me it shows how smart that the arsenal coach is and how willing the distance he does not mind to go to make sure that his boys win the game. Arsenal players will be prepared mentally for the game because to their coach they already started playing the game even before the game starts. Aston Villa messed up today, they had full time to win Sheffield and could not deliver. They are not first position materials yet if they can win big teams, but not small teams meant to be easy.

[Godday]

The Aston Villa vs Sheffield United draw really surprised me. I almost couldn't believe it when Cameron Archer scored in the 87th minute and almost made Aston Villa lose against a team from the relegation zone. They were lucky to get a draw and get at least 1 point.
The Liverpool vs Arsenal match is very exciting to watch because whoever wins the match will lead the standings. And if there is a draw then Arsenal will lead with 40 points and Liverpool will be in second place with 39 points, the same as Aston Villa.

[Ojima-ojo]

The game Aston villa played against Sheffield united yesterday was a very disappointing one for me to be honest, i never did expect that Aston villa will find it difficult to beat Sheffield united, not to talk of the game ending in a draw, it was really a very shameful play for Aston villa even when they had the ball in most time of the game, they could not penetrate and score, I felt very bad when I learnt that they failed to win.

What actually made me feel this bad was that I had a small bet on Aston villa to score in the first half, which they couldn't, I lost the money, so, in the second half, I was still very confident that Aston villa will win the match, so I placed another bet on them to win, but at the end, the game ended in a 1:1 draw, does it mean that Aston villa underrated Sheffield united and failed to adequately prepare for this game?.
A very disappointing performance from them yesterday.

[Peanutswar]

The game Aston villa played against Sheffield united yesterday was a very disappointing one for me to be honest, i never did expect that Aston villa will find it difficult to beat Sheffield united, not to talk of the game ending in a draw, it was really a very shameful play for Aston villa even when they had the ball in most time of the game, they could not penetrate and score, I felt very bad when I learnt that they failed to win.

What actually made me feel this bad was that I had a small bet on Aston villa to score in the first half, which they couldn't, I lost the money, so, in the second half, I was still very confident that Aston villa will win the match, so I placed another bet on them to win, but at the end, the game ended in a 1:1 draw, does it mean that Aston villa underrated Sheffield united and failed to adequately prepare for this game?.
A very disappointing performance from them yesterday.

In this game Aston's record more capable of winning the game but the Sheff made a lot of substitutions and made their defense good even though they already a 2 yellow cards and took over half-time before the Sheff made a goal, and if this series Astons lose the game this will become now a game changer to the series, but still making it a tie is a good than losing the game. I guess Sheff makes too much confidence after they reach the 90' min but the Astons don't want to lose and make a last-minute goal.