Quote from: QueenVera on Today at 08:01:34 AM

Quote from: Mame89 on December 18, 2023, 07:39:21 PM

For me, Man City is still the favorite to win the EPL title, because Man City is only 5 points behind Arsenal who are in first place and the EPL league is still very long, not even half a season yet. You need to look at last season, before the middle of the season, Man City was also behind by a fairly large difference in points with Arsenal, but entering the 30th EPL League match, Man City was slowly able to catch up with Asenal in points to reach the top of the standings. At the end of the season, Man City became champions. Here are the facts

Regarding KDB and Hallaand, I read news that it is possible that in mid-January they will be included in the squad again. But what I want to say is don't think that Man City is unable to catch Arsenal because they are now in fourth position. Learn from history, they have a strong mentality, especially as coach Pep Guardiola can return to first place at any time.

Manchester City might have been dominating the EPL since the arrival of Pep Guardiola, however im not quite sure if they'll still win the league again this season, if you notice their performance in the league currently you'll see they've declined and are now finding it tough winning against some mediocre teams in the league, therefore it made them drop points that’s why they're in the position they're currently, well i get your point and there's a possibility of history repeating itself but im not going to conclude yet till they get to the 30th week.

Since Kelvin Debruyne absence alot has happened and it felt like some part of the team became exposed, giving other teams a chance to predict Guardiola's strategy, but with his arrival by January, we'll begin to see a very tough and brilliant City that scores alot of goals, it's going to be a big boost for them cause Haaland and Debruyne understands eachother very well.

Last season scenario could be repeated, overtaking Arsenal at the end of the season then winning the trophy. But it's worth noting that, things have now changed, expecting that to happen would be a mistake for Pep. Because we know that Arsenal and Liverpool have developed, not to mention Aston Villa who are increasingly consistent, it is unlikely that City can retain the title if the top three clubs continue to be stable, especially if they lose points again in the second half of the season when facing them.

Arteta has certainly learned from his mistakes last season, we can see this from his moves to add depth to the squad this season. If he gets sick again at the end of the season, it means that Arsenal illness is very fatal, difficult to treat even if they recruit more expensive players. Talking about turning points in performance, Pep is more astute than any coach in the EPL except Unai Emery this season, City can recover quickly if De Bruyne, Stones and Halaand are available again in one lineup.

On the other hand, City achievements last season could be one of the factors in their declining performance this season, apart from injuries to their core players. It feels like Pep needs to motivate his players more to be hungry for a winning record, and avoid feeling complacent and being lulled by past success. We will all be waiting to see how the transfer window will be used by the teams competing to challenge for the title. Pep seems to need to join in the hunt for players there.