Dissecting Emery's Arsenal

[Özim]

Maybe, maybe not. I’m sort of glad he didn’t. Man City are far smarter off the field than anyone else has been beforehand, which is an even bigger advantage. Rules don’t apply to them in any sense.

I'm not sure how smart they really are, they still haven't won the CL and Real won it 3 times in a row, this despite them spending a monumental amount, Chelsea did it, Man U won it, Liverpool won it but City haven't or indeed got anywhere near the final.

Yes they've won the league, but in reality with the money and squad they have it's not that hard, they've bought the right players of course but they can basically buy anyone they want so it's not that hard.

[Mac76]

I'm not sure how smart they really are, they still haven't won the CL and Real won it 3 times in a row, this despite them spending a monumental amount, Chelsea did it, Man U won it, Liverpool won it but City haven't or indeed got anywhere near the final.

Yes they've won the league, but in reality with the money and squad they have it's not that hard, they've bought the right players of course but they can basically buy anyone they want so it's not that hard.

yeah Pep needs to make the semis at the very least this year or it's a fail

[SMatthews]

I'm not sure how smart they really are, they still haven't won the CL and Real won it 3 times in a row, this despite them spending a monumental amount, Chelsea did it, Man U won it, Liverpool won it but City haven't or indeed got anywhere near the final.

Yes they've won the league, but in reality with the money and squad they have it's not that hard, they've bought the right players of course but they can basically buy anyone they want so it's not that hard.

Off the field, extremely smart. That’s what Chelsea didn’t and do not have. They have UEFA in their pocket. The rest will follow.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

True but saying that look how many they've conceded this season and you'll see their defence certainly matters as well.

That's about possession, technical superiority, midfield control and systematic fouling. Their defence comes down quite low in the list of factors imo.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

i actually thought Ozil wasn't too bad on Sunday, he was trying to find a way through, but my one criticism of Laca is that he doesn't make enough runs or at the very least lead the line a bit more, if he's going to be in the CF position - it doesn't make it any easier for Ozil to try to create something

I didn't think Ozil was bad neither actually and thought Emery taking him and Iwobi off was the wrong decision.....but I am in a minority.

I think Laca has lead the line well this season but he and Auba were a little bit statuesque in that game. It was not a good advert for the 2 up top campaign at all in the second half.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

There was a stat last season that was worked out that stated had City not had a goalkeeper the would have still come 4th.

I don't know how exactly it was worked out and whether it substituted an outfield player for the goalkeeper but however it was derived....the stat pretty much says it all about how superior they are.

The CB's are definitely the weakest, least significant or most interchangeable part of their team though. That's not to say it is weak in itself, but where they are really ahead is in midfield and attack.

[Özim]

That's about possession, technical superiority, midfield control and systematic fouling. Their defence comes down quite low in the list of factors imo.

Maybe, but if you look they've also spent huge fortunes on defenders and goalkeepers, they didn't do that for no reason.

[Özim]

There was a stat last season that was worked out that stated had City not had a goalkeeper the would have still come 4th.

I don't know how exactly it was worked out and whether it substituted an outfield player for the goalkeeper but however it was derived....the stat pretty much says it all about how superior they are.

The CB's are definitely the weakest, least significant or most interchangeable part of their team though. That's not to say it is weak in itself, but where they are really ahead is in midfield and attack.

I think stats like that are nonsense though to be fair as there's no way this can be proved, if they didn't have a keeper teams would play very differently against them and pepper their goal at every opportunity. They did have a keeper and he was a very good one at that and this in itself helped the defence and allowed the rest of the team to play safe in the knowledge that he would be there to save them if needed.

A great team is built from the back, yes they are very good going forward but defensively they're also very solid, they managed to blunt Liverpools attack which is probably the best in the PL.

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

Maybe, but if you look they've also spent huge fortunes on defenders and goalkeepers, they didn't do that for no reason.

Of course but my point is...their CB's aren't a class above above other top CB's in the league. Stones/Laporte are no better than Van Dijk, Alderweireld imo.

[Özim]

Of course but my point is...their CB's aren't a class above above other top CB's in the league. Stones/Laporte are no better than Van Dijk, Alderweireld imo.

Very true, but Van Dijk is probably the best CB in the PL and is top class, you don't have to have the very best, but you do need to have top quality CBs as they have.