Arsenal 4-1 Palace Player Ratings and Match Reaction

[Letters]

I got a little bit of heat on here the other day for saying this but whatever happens it's been a successful season, yes I want and am desperate for us to win the thing but if we don't then we would have exceeded expectations regardless.

I agree with this, we have massively over-performed from where any of us thought we would be this season. I mean, we have the same points now that we finished on last year. I also agree it's about 50/50 whether we win it. We've been brilliant so far, but we have 3 tough away games which will make our break our title ambitions. Two of them are Liverpool and City where we have horrible records.
So in some ways I won't blame them if they don't finish the job and there has been clear progress this year, not just in results but in the mentality, the ability to fight back when we go behind, the late goals which show a never give up attitude. We've been much better dealing with setbacks too.
So, overall, whatever happens we have exceeded pre-season expectations.


But...it'll be desperately disappointing if we don't finish the job, having come this far. If we don't win it this year then I'm not sure we ever will. "Ever" is a long time of course, but it does feel like our best chance for a long time and I can't see a better chance coming along any time soon. City aren't going other way, other teams are rebuilding.

[HCZ_Reborn]

Yeah it's no longer a dream, we are knee deep in a Title challenge now. I still believe it's 50/50 for the simple reason that we have 3 extremely tough away games to navigate and a couple of relatively tough home games where we are capable of dropping points in. At the end of the day we can only do what we do and concentrate on ourselves and not worry about City.

I don't regard us as hot favourites either for the simple reason we have not been in this position for a very long time and most if not all of the squad with the exception of Zinchenko & Jesus have not been in this position in PL. City have the experience of being in this position and chasing down their rivals so it's not new terrority to them.

I got a little bit of heat on here the other day for saying this but whatever happens it's been a successful season, yes I want and am desperate for us to win the thing but if we don't then we would have exceeded expectations regardless.

The most important thing is not so much about this season, but more about building this squad to the level where we challenge like this over the forthcoming seasons.

Given it feels like it’s exceptionally unlikely that we will finish lower than 2nd, by the goals we set ourselves at the beginning of the season it’s unquestionably been successful.

[selassie]

I agree with this, we have massively over-performed from where any of us thought we would be this season. I mean, we have the same points now that we finished on last year. I also agree it's about 50/50 whether we win it. We've been brilliant so far, but we have 3 tough away games which will make our break our title ambitions. Two of them are Liverpool and City where we have horrible records.
So in some ways I won't blame them if they don't finish the job and there has been clear progress this year, not just in results but in the mentality, the ability to fight back when we go behind, the late goals which show a never give up attitude. We've been much better dealing with setbacks too.
So, overall, whatever happens we have exceeded pre-season expectations.


But...it'll be desperately disappointing if we don't finish the job, having come this far. If we don't win it this year then I'm not sure we ever will. "Ever" is a long time of course, but it does feel like our best chance for a long time and I can't see a better chance coming along any time soon. City aren't going other way, other teams are rebuilding.

Aye, the mentality shift, the never give up attitude, that has been one of the most pleasing things to me. The standards seem to be high now, "Winning is everything", that mentality seems to be from the top down and it's why I believe we will be doing all we can to not only trying to win it this season but restarting next season in the same vein.

The team have exceeded my expectations, I thought we would be in a battle for 4th place similar to last season.

P.S. I agree it would be disappointing not to win it this season simply because we have performed really well pretty much all season and have been top of the table pretty much all season. COYG!!!

[Mac76]

people talk about the Liverpool game being important but for me we need to get something at Citeh - while we froze in the home tie and the FAC game was a weakened squad, I still think that if we lose three times against our rivals for the title we don't really deserve to win it IMO

[IBK]

Yeah it's no longer a dream, we are knee deep in a Title challenge now. I still believe it's 50/50 for the simple reason that we have 3 extremely tough away games to navigate and a couple of relatively tough home games where we are capable of dropping points in. At the end of the day we can only do what we do and concentrate on ourselves and not worry about City.

I don't regard us as hot favourites either for the simple reason we have not been in this position for a very long time and most if not all of the squad with the exception of Zinchenko & Jesus have not been in this position in PL. City have the experience of being in this position and chasing down their rivals so it's not new terrority to them.

I got a little bit of heat on here the other day for saying this but whatever happens it's been a successful season, yes I want and am desperate for us to win the thing but if we don't then we would have exceeded expectations regardless.

The most important thing is not so much about this season, but more about building this squad to the level where we challenge like this over the forthcoming seasons.

I agree, but at the same time I can't help but be worried about this opportunity to win the league being a bit of a one off given the weaknesses of Liverpool and the Chavs and the early indifferent form of a resurgent Manure this season - not to mention Newcasle and their oil billions. If we don't win this time, any progression next season will be tempered by this. Stakes are pretty high

[21_GOONER_SALUTE]

Pretty much agree with this, though I think Brighton at home is going to be very tricky, could have a case to put that game at number 3, Newcastle 4 and Chelsea 5.


Chelsea look a better team now than earlier on in the season but they struggle defensively, even more so without Silva. Despite that if they click going forward they are going to cause us a lot of problems IMO.

Yup, agree with your ranking.

[mandela8]

How arsenal respond Murdyk's goal against them will be massive.

[Chippy]

How arsenal respond Murdyk's goal against them will be massive.

Just score more goals than those chav wankers!