The draft premier league draw is out. Arsenal seem to have a fairly easy fixture list to start with. However, the same cannot be said about the end of the season run-in.
I personally am not too happy with the draw from an Arsenal point of view. My worries are these –
16/17 UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Matchday 1
Sat 20 Bolton Wanderers (A)
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4/5 UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Matchday 4
Sat 8 Manchester United (H)
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25/26 UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Matchday 5
Sat 29 Chelsea (A)
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Sat 20 Liverpool (H)
Fri 26 Aston Villa (A)
Sun 28 Portsmouth (H)
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14/15 UEFA Champions League Quarter-Final – 2nd leg
Sat 18 Liverpool (A)
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5/6 UEFA Champions League Semi-Finals – 2nd leg
Sat 9 Chelsea (H)
Sat 16 Manchester United (A)
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The final half-dozen games of the season will read like this: Liverpool (a), Middlesbrough (h), Portsmouth (a), Chelsea (h), Manchester United (a), and Stoke (h).
…………………..
Now the reasons in words -
1. I believe Arsenal are good starters and not good finishers. This draw gives them a fairly easy start, opposed to a very tough run-in apart from the Stoke game.
2. Arsenal’s squad is always on the lighter side; hence the final stages do take their toll. In case Arsenal do reach the quarters of CL, they will be playing Pool right after it. And in the semis the second leg is followed by Chelsea and Man Utd. In case they do manage to keep the fight till there. That’s where it might end.
3. Almost all important EPL matches are preceded by CL matches.
4. We are playing Man Utd and Pool away later (much later) in the season, that’s not something I like. That is the time when ManU is traditionally strong.
5. Pool, Aston Villa and Portsmouth are not the kind of teams I would like to face in the busy December schedule. Why couldn’t they put someone like Stoke or Hull in there? J
Maybe having a fellow CL playing team against you after a CL match is a good idea, but then again based on the respective squad sizes, I am not too keen on it.
most games will be prosponed due to fixtures clashing anyways, the big 4 teams always get swapped about anyways
i dont think we should worry, and who says we will have a weak side this season, we might keep hleb and get nasri and toure along with maybie some more?!
also Eduardo back in julyish
You have to give a balanced view.
Yes, it sucks that we play Liverpool, United and Chelsea following CL games, but remember they also play us following the same games……
Re your points:
1: Everytime Arsenal have won the league in recent years, it’s been thanks to a fantastic finish
2: The squad isn’t light, it’s light on experience. That’s not the FA’s fault
3: The teams we face in these important games also have CL/UEFA cup games
4: We’ve won the league at both Anfield and Old Trafford, I’d be happy for a repeat of either. I’m more worried about facing Chelsea at home so late – would hate for them to win the title at AG before we do.
5: The “computer” isn’t designed to be nice. We have to face those teams at some point… we’ve got an easy run all the way to October, so we should build up a decent lead before worrying about hat. Momentum is good, and we’ve got a great chance to build it up early.
For the last few years Liverpool have had tough away games after Champions League games. Things like this seem to run in cycles.
As digger said, the Arsenal squad is light on experience and it’s very young. This isn’t the leagues fault, but Wengers. Buying a few older players, and maybe even involving Gilberto Silva a bit more might help this.
Also a lot of fixtures will be rearranged, PP, etc.
Your suggestion about CL teams playing each other the week of cL games seems good as Manchester and Liverpool are quite close by, as are Chelsea and Arsenal.
actually dis fixtures prove dt we are xpectin tougher matches in time 2 come but we ave no optn dan 2prove dan ever b4 2impove and not 2 rest on laurels 2ru God helpin us
I cannot understand one word of the last post… As for the Gooners, what will be will be… it’s the same for all the other CL sides as well – if the team plays well enough over the course of the season then we’ll win the league… simple as that…
hypernova – your first sentence made me laugh..cheers!