Will we win the Premier League

[cdbearsfan]

The only good thing about this thread is that the OP didn't say "Premiership".

[paul_e]

That's 9 defenders in their box with 7 of them effectively marking 3 players, with one keeping an eye on Digne. You can get pictures like that for a few other goals we've scored as well because teams seem to have decided that the way to stop us is this really low block defence. Shooting from the edge f the box is our response to that change and means there's going to have to be a bit of a rethink.

Would be worth getting Youri in space at the edge of the box as much as possible - not only is he probably the one you'd want trying to ping it from 25 yards, he's also the one that you'd fancy to have the awareness to slip it through to Malen / Rogers / Watkins if they try to deal with the hit-it-early strategy by charging out to block the shot.

We do quite a lot, he's there in the image I've linked and he had at least 4 chances to get a shot away in the game himself (a couple he took on and couple he didn't), McGinn, Onana and Barkley take up that position a lot as well (and have a few goals between them to show for it).


The next 'step' is to try to create a gap between the defence and midfield (so around the penalty spot) and get someone drifting into that space, so if the midfield do push out to block the shot we can try to find someone in there. If we start doing that teams are going to have to start defending higher and we can get back to the sort of goals we were scoring a lot of in the season before last. Being able to do all 3 (i.e create chances at the edge of the box, the penalty spot or the 6 yard box) gives us the versatility to adapt to how teams try to defend against us.

[algy]

I mean, I would rather like us to start scoring a few more normal goals, or indeed just goals in general (Unai's commented on this too). Goal of the season will be fun though.

no one will complain about more goals but since the spell at the start where we couldn't score our goalscoring record has been fine.

Sure, but let's be real here - we're really going to go the whole of the rest of the season, competitive, with over half of our goals being awesome long shots? I just don't see it. We need to start getting back to opening teams a up a bit more somehow.

To repeat though, the goals we've scored aren't hit and hope, they're placed efforts from the edge of the box in the main. That, for me, is a lot more sustainable than people are suggesting but also it means that analyst teams from the rest of the league will be trying to work out how to nullify us and whatever they do it's going to leave space elsewhere.

Take sunday for example:



That's 9 defenders in their box with 7 of them effectively marking 3 players, with one keeping an eye on Digne. You can get pictures like that for a few other goals we've scored as well because teams seem to have decided that the way to stop us is this really low block defence. Shooting from the edge f the box is our response to that change and means there's going to have to be a bit of a rethink.

Agree totally with this.  Emery analyses things in minute detail and spends hours drilling in how to approach every match.  I'd bet the house on us having made a concious decision to start shooting from further out.  Someone (Emery?) has found a chink in other teams' armour, and we are exploiting that - along with the Buendia free kick.

[Garyth]

...

To repeat though, the goals we've scored aren't hit and hope, they're placed efforts from the edge of the box in the main. That, for me, is a lot more sustainable than people are suggesting but also it means that analyst teams from the rest of the league will be trying to work out how to nullify us and whatever they do it's going to leave space elsewhere.

Take sunday for example:



That's 9 defenders in their box with 7 of them effectively marking 3 players, with one keeping an eye on Digne. You can get pictures like that for a few other goals we've scored as well because teams seem to have decided that the way to stop us is this really low block defence. Shooting from the edge f the box is our response to that change and means there's going to have to be a bit of a rethink.

Agree totally with this.  Emery analyses things in minute detail and spends hours drilling in how to approach every match.  I'd bet the house on us having made a concious decision to start shooting from further out.  Someone (Emery?) has found a chink in other teams' armour, and we are exploiting that - along with the Buendia free kick.

Is it too crazy to think we're also shooting when it's more likely the keeper is unsighted (ie too many defenders in eye-line) ? I can't be arsed looking back at the goals, but feels like there's been a few where the keeper has had no chance and/or had to react late.

It seems to me we only shoot when conditions are right, anyway.

[London Villan]

We’ve definitely been shooting more from outside the box. Plenty blocked, but it’s a clear shift as we hardly ever did last season.

[Monty]

Obviously they're well placed shots, they went in! - but they're necessarily lower percentage than working a tap in from the six yard line, which we'll absolutely have to do if we're going to get that goals tally up. Yes, it's fine to work decent openings from the edge of the area, but relying on them is unsustainable. Obviously!

[Brazilian Villain]

Ok I confess it’s a bit bizarre but….. we have Arsenal to play twice over Xmas and who knows what will happen…. In Unai I trust

FFS, we might allude to it but you're not supposed to start a thread about it. It's the sort of thing visitors from other clubs will point at as evidence of our arrogance and delusion (when it inevitably goes tits up).

Can we please put this discussion in the CL thread until the eve of the Liverpool game?

Now, can we please merge it into the CL thread?

[paul_e]

Maybe leave it as is for a bit?

[Brazilian Villain]

Maybe leave it as is for a bit?

You will note that I posted just before Ollie scored the first. You're all very welcome.

[Tony Daleys Shorts]

Beat Arsenal on Saturday, and we absolutely can, and we’re firmly in the title race.

[PeterWithesShin]

We were 18th after 5 games, and yet here we are.

[TonyD]

Beat Arsenal on Saturday, and we absolutely can, and we’re firmly in the title race.

Indeed

[Olneythelonely]

Yes. We will.

[Smithy]

Beat Arsenal on Saturday, and we absolutely can, and we’re firmly in the title race.

Win on Sunday, and yes, we are - even if temporarily. We're already the form team, so beat the 'runaway leaders' and we're right in the mix. 

Personally, I'd reserve judgement on whether we're genuine contenders until we play Forest on the 3rd Jan - if we're still in the mix then, that's when I'll start to dream it's possible.  It's only a month away, but there is a LOT of football to be played, and 18 points up for grabs there, 12 of them available against teams with Champions League ambitions.

It's a pivotable month.

[garyellis]

No we won’t and we should not get distracted by the question