General Premier League Thread 2024-25

Man City v Arsenal today is the big game of the gameweek, but it only appeals in name and I don't think it will be an exciting game. As recent trends go, this game could well be dull as dishwater with both managers opting to kill the game and shut it down. Back to the 2005-2007 era Benitez & Mourinho type games 0-0 with not much excitement.

The last few meetings between these sides have seen both teams create not much of note, instead focusing on the defensive stuff and killing time etc. Last seasons games saw Arsenal win 1-0 from a late deflected shot in a game that saw a combined 0.86 xG from both clubs, and then in the return game, a 0-0, a small bit more respectable 1.68 combined xG, but over 1 of that was Man City. That game saw close to 30 fouls and multiple cards for time-wasting. It was clear what the tactics were.

Arsenal the masters at this now and have really evolved into a Atletico type team with antics, time wasting and delays - no more so than their keeper Raya & even attackers like Odegaard & Saka. It becomes hidden a bit when it's the big name players. Arsenal top the list of teams that delay re-starting the game after the ball goes dead.

And while they also top the list of delays when taking an attacking corner, this can be attributed towards allowing their 3 or 4 CBs come up to the opposition area, as set pieces is a large source of their opening goals. So there is some method and reasoning behind this.

Raya is taking massive delays when re-starting the game from a goal kick. Against Brighton, he took on average of 48.4 seconds to take each one - which is over 8 minutes of a delay! in the same game, Arsenal took an average of 26.6 seconds to take every throw-in they were awarded. It seems a lot, but it's not even the highest delay per set piece this season, it's the fourth highest. The highest was 31.3 seconds per throw-in, also by Arsenal against Aston Villa.

link to above stats

Arsenal are nowhere near the level of shithousery that Athletico have displayed over the last decade. Comparing the two teams like that is ridiculous.

Some people really are desperate to compare Arsenal to Athletico.

Arteta must be going sometime weight to get into these people heads. Imagine working so much time under researching goal kick times. 😂😂😂

If a player stamps on the ground next to an opponent they don't get sent off.

So who called that red card…

First, the ref said he got the ball and was playing on…before then coming back to show a card

VAR cannot intervene on a yellow…

So is it the 4th official or linesman….or the ref was told something in his ear!!

Oh Dear, Now I see this!!!

Fourth Official: Anthony Taylor
Surely he is not in the tick of controversy again!!😂

This is good analysis but you need to consider that the sample size is tiny and includes an away game at spurs holding onto a lead and 40 minutes with ten men against Brighton.

Would Tony Pulis's Stoke be a better comparison?!

Obviously that's tongue in cheek as Arsenal have the ability to actually play better attacking football and have the attackers to do it. But they are being told to not do it and mitigate all risks and play so conservatively instead.

Arsenal have created 0.96, 0.87, 1.91, 0.37, 0.52 xG from open play in their games this season. 15 teams have created more xG than Arsenal in the PL this season, which I would be worried about as an Arsenal fan.

Yep, and tbf today is Man City away so some degree of it has to be applied again anyways.

Hopefully another article like that one is around come January time roughly, when there is a bigger dataset, to see was this just circumstance driven or is it just more concrete in the set up changes from Arteta.

Man City time wasting already! 😜

Not the first time I've seen Arsenal being compared to Atletico on this thread recently. Absolutely nonsense comparison.

Not like Gundo to miss the target from there.

Big toed it into the net, straight and true

Calafiori absolutely mugged off for that goal.

It got old 12 years ago tbh

Rodri is a dose

Arsenal , if all else fails, injury Rodri for rest of season , and then we'll win the league 😔

Am sure he will definitely go off 😂 😂 😂 😂

That's an ACL injury surely, has all the signs of it.

Feel for him personally, but the league title might not be a forgone conculsion now.

Brilliant goal

City fast asleep on the FK. Far from amazing......eh, Gary ?

You'd wonder about football at times, Rodri down for 4 minutes and nobody on the City bench remotely ready for a substitution.

I didn't mean he was. Just that he's in the running for it.

the whole City team should be carded for surrounding and hounding the ref there.

Why are they letting them away with this?