Match Reaction vs Cardiff (away).

[Shaqiri Is Boss]

I'd much prefer them to go out of business.

[Syn]

Usually when Man Utd were in trouble of getting caught by us or Liverpool, they'd just exercise their financial advantage and sign a couple of big players. Should be interesting that they can't do that now - or, at least, even if they can, the title rivals will be doing the same.

[Grebbo]

Hopefully January will see Manure over pay for a load of shite like they did for Fellaini. If they're 5th/6th they'll spend big - no champs lge football would be a monumental disaster for them.

I think City are still the team to beat, they have the best squad. I'm just glad we've had a great start for a change.

[Ollie the Optimist]

I certainly won't believe we will win it. Long way to go, Brian. Marathon not a sprint. We'll take one game at a time. Etc. But the pundit's claim that we can't be taken seriously until we've played - and beaten - last season's top 3 isn't that unreasonable. Every time I've seen Arsenal win the title we've done well in those 6 pointers and we've only played one so far and lost it. Not a disaster but IMO we need to get results in the City and Chelsea games to be taken more seriously.

Saturday I thought we looked like a team who could seriously challenge - I think that might be the first time I've thought that. Concerns about our squad depth remain though. If Giroud, Rambo or Ozil get injured then it will hurt us and we don't have cookie cutter £50m replacements in the bench like Chelsea and City have acquired with their dirty money. There's also the mentality issue. That pressure in the last 10 games of a title run-in is different, especially if fixtures start piling up.

But anyway, at the start of the season the debate was about whether we could stay in the top 4 so I'm just enjoying the football we're playing and the results. Anything else would be a bonus.

i said this in the "believe" thread before i read your post. i know I'm repeating myself but feel its better to make the point to you here then in other thread.

Arsenal away wins this season - 5. scoring 13 conceding 3

Liverpool, city, chelsea away wins COMBINED - 5


but apparently stats like this don't count in favour of Arsenal because its universally known that the league is decided on whoever beats chelsea and city and as we haven't done that. no one can consider us title contenders.

seriously, when you see stats like that, it really does enforce the belief that we are ready and by far the best team right now. yes it could all unravel like previous years but right now it looks like it won't. i know everyone says we have a small squad and we won't cope with injuries and city/chelsea will be much better because of the size of their squads but look at those results. their fringe players don't give a shit, they don't play well away from home, they have a big squad but whats the point if they just don't perform? we might have a small squad who are one injury crisis away from imploding, however, we've had a huge injury crisis already this season and guess what. we are top. by four points.

[Xhaka Can’t]

But it wouldn't be as satisfying.

I mean I wouldn't complain if we won the league without beating them but the media would write it off as a nothing title.

Winning against the big boys is crucial going into the second half of the season.

Man, you want it ALL!!!

I like that.

[IBK]

We should be very grateful that the media is not all over us. Less pressure and we can do things our own way. Consistency rarely makes as much copy as spectacular results. This is a strange season where unfancied teams are taking points off the so called big boys. I'm more than happy to be bucking that trend, even if we drop points against the likes of Citeh and United.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

I've never been totally at ease with being backed by all the pundits, so I am perfectly happy for them to recycle their scripts about us falling short till we win the bloody thing. It would only be sweeter.

[Transplanted Gooner]

Why had everyone played 2-3 games more by that stage? 21 points from 15 games is really bad. No wonder we were crying about it all day.

I'm going to guess that we've had an extra interlull this season.

[Maestro]

I'm going to guess that we've had an extra interlull this season.

Always prior to the WC