Nice article from David Walsh on Unai's impact

[Luis Anaconda]

City and Liverpool have had two of the best starts to a season in the history of English football and we are only 7 and 8 points back so the league is still very much on. Under Wenger we were usually out of it by now. And we're one of three teams within 2 points of each other battling for 3rd. And we're on a pace for 81 points, last year we finished with 63. That with a new manager, new style of play and relatively little net investment.

Hard to understand how anyone can't see this as a huge step forward at this point.

Comparative positions for this date over the past five seasons
2017/18 5th 17 points from the leaders but only one point off 4th and 2 off third
2016/17 1st (level on points)
2015/16 1st (1 point clear)
2014/15 6th 13 from leaders 2 from fourth and third
2013/14 1st (five points clear)

Only two of those seasons back up your claim and three tell a very different story at this stage

[Herbert Augustus Chapman]

Comparative positions for this date over the past three seasons
2017/18 5th 17 points from the leaders but only one point off 4th and 2 off third
2016/17 1st (level on points)
2015/16 1st (1 point clear)
2014/15 6th 13 from leaders 2 from fourth and third
2013/14 1st (five points clear)

Only two of those seasons back up your claim and three tell a very different story at this stage

Must you always go googling out the facts and spoiling the party l?

[WES]

Comparative positions for this date over the past three seasons
2017/18 5th 17 points from the leaders but only one point off 4th and 2 off third
2016/17 1st (level on points)
2015/16 1st (1 point clear)
2014/15 6th 13 from leaders 2 from fourth and third
2013/14 1st (five points clear)

Only two of those seasons back up your claim and three tell a very different story at this stage

You sad c*nt...

And had one of those seasons been different it would have been 3 of 5 so that would have qualified for 'usually' - small margins

[Luis Anaconda]

You sad c*nt...

And had one of those seasons been different it would have been 3 of 5 so that would have qualified for 'usually' - small margins

You said usually "out of it" - since you believe that being within 8 points still gives a chance this season, they would have to be quite different. I was actually quite surprised we were top so late in the season when Chelsea won quite comfortably

[SWv2]

You said usually "out of it" - since you believe that being within 8 points still gives a chance this season, they would have to be quite different. I was actually quite surprised we were top so late in the season when Chelsea won quite comfortably

I am quite surprised we were top at this stage in any of the seasons you have listed never mind 60% of them.

[WES]

I am quite surprised we were top at this stage in any of the seasons you have listed never mind 60% of them.

Yeah me too - although perhaps the collapses did tend to happen Jan/Feb or so. Also, I seem to recall so many absolute hammerings by the other top 4/5 clubs that even if we were top or very close I never really felt like we had a chance.

[SWv2]

Yeah me too - although perhaps the collapses did tend to happen Jan/Feb or so. Also, I seem to recall so many absolute hammerings by the other top 4/5 clubs that even if we were top or very close I never really felt like we had a chance.

Just for the record I don’t think we are really in any title race this season. We have had a magnificent run since the Chelsea game but inevitably will hit a patch at some point, one that I would not expect City or Liverpool to have, possibly Chelsea neither.

Interesting few weeks ahead. Couple of injuries just happening to stretch resources throughout the team, lots of games to play, Ozil gone missing to be sold in January, two remaining central defenders out this weekend so I guess we play a three of Lichsteiner, Koscielny and Monreal which probably was not in the script and who at best could be a risk, Torreira one game from a ban, Spurs in the Cup and Liverpool in the League.

[Sir C]

Just for the record I don’t think we are really in any title race this season. We have had a magnificent run since the Chelsea game but inevitably will hit a patch at some point, one that I would not expect City or Liverpool to have, possibly Chelsea neither.

Interesting few weeks ahead. Couple of injuries just happening to stretch resources throughout the team, lots of games to play, Ozil gone missing to be sold in January, two remaining central defenders out this weekend so I guess we play a three of Lichsteiner, Koscielny and Monreal which probably was not in the script and who at best could be a risk, Torreira one game from a ban, Spurs in the Cup and Liverpool in the League.

If we sell Ozil and Ramsey, we have just about precisely hold on let me count it all up here we are: zero creativity in our squad.

[WES]

Just for the record I don’t think we are really in any title race this season. We have had a magnificent run since the Chelsea game but inevitably will hit a patch at some point, one that I would not expect City or Liverpool to have, possibly Chelsea neither.

Interesting few weeks ahead. Couple of injuries just happening to stretch resources throughout the team, lots of games to play, Ozil gone missing to be sold in January, two remaining central defenders out this weekend so I guess we play a three of Lichsteiner, Koscielny and Monreal which probably was not in the script and who at best could be a risk, Torreira one game from a ban, Spurs in the Cup and Liverpool in the League.

All true - but after watching us against Liverpool, Spurs, ManU and even Chelsea away I no longer fear any team.

I could see us winning our next few league games and beating Liverpool at Anfield. It's not *that* unreasonable anymore given our winning streak and second half performances.

[IUFG]

Just for the record I don’t think we are really in any title race this season. We have had a magnificent run since the Chelsea game but inevitably will hit a patch at some point, one that I would not expect City or Liverpool to have, possibly Chelsea neither.

Interesting few weeks ahead. Couple of injuries just happening to stretch resources throughout the team, lots of games to play, Ozil gone missing to be sold in January, two remaining central defenders out this weekend so I guess we play a three of Lichsteiner, Koscielny and Monreal which probably was not in the script and who at best could be a risk, Torreira one game from a ban, Spurs in the Cup and Liverpool in the League.

AC Milan?

Fenerbahce ?