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Football LXX - Chihuahuas Rising


Zoë Sumra

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Well, that was fun. :) Personally I'm hoping for a Madrid derby semi final, but, hey.



This EPL weekend is going to be interesting enough to leave me hiding under a table. I long for mid table mediocrity for Fulham... and don't know whether I long for a draw at Anfield. Hm. I'm firmly in the Anyone But Chelsea camp for the title, though.


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If you're in the anyone but Chelsea camp it seems like you'd want anything but a draw at Anfield. I hope both teams really show up with their best (especially Liverpool). I think(/hope) Liverpool will win. Are we gonna have to start calling Liverpool favourites for the title if they win? Only 5 games left, this is so exciting/nerve racking.


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Still don't think Liverpool are favourites. They have a fairly tough fixture even after City. Chelsea being the main one, but three away games, two fighting to survive and one against Newcastle. While losing against the latter three might not be a big risk given Pool's form, drawing against them surely is, and losing points this close to the end with such tight margins is going to be fairly final for the title chase.



Not to mention their winning streak gotta come to a close at some point....



Heart is going to be on overdrive on sunday night. They've won every single match I didn't watch live. So I will most definitely will not be watching the game live and hope my superstition pays off :P


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Still don't think Liverpool are favourites. They have a fairly tough fixture even after City. Chelsea being the main one, but three away games, two fighting to survive and one against Newcastle.

Newcastle have seven defeats (and no draws) in their last ten games, and four defeats in their last five. Right now, a game against Newcastle is as close to a 'gimme' as you'll get, and I'd expect that to be true right up to the end of the season. They've nothing to play for. Also, Palace should be safe by the time 'Pool play them, not fighting to survive.

Also, of course, Liverpool have two fewer matches to play than City, which should help.

I can see an argument that Chelsea's run-in is perhaps easier (though there's not much in it, to my mind), but if Liverpool don't win it, I don't think citing the fixture list will hold much water.

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I must now eat crow for my comments about Atletico "not being up there with Real and Barca".


They have had a great run this season and I didn't think they'd be able to keep it up.


It would be great if they could win either Primera or Champions' League or both ;)


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I must now eat crow for my comments about Atletico "not being up there with Real and Barca".

They have had a great run this season and I didn't think they'd be able to keep it up.

It would be great if they could win either Primera or Champions' League or both ;)

Simeone's done an outstanding job, no doubt about it.

He's surely got to be pinched by a team with more cash this summer. PSG maybe?

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I feel like gloating because I said Athleti were gonna give Barca a run for their money from the start but then again, I also thought PSG were gonna handily beat Chelsea. I've fallen in love with Athleti in the few games I've seen with them this season, bit like what happened last year with Dortmund. I hope they win it.


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Simeone's done an outstanding job, no doubt about it.

He's surely got to be pinched by a team with more cash this summer. PSG maybe?

It is fairly certain that this Atletico side will be stripped in the summer.

I'd be shocked if they managed to keep their squad intact, and very surprised if they sold only 2-3 players.

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Newcastle have seven defeats (and no draws) in their last ten games, and four defeats in their last five. Right now, a game against Newcastle is as close to a 'gimme' as you'll get, and I'd expect that to be true right up to the end of the season. They've nothing to play for. Also, Palace should be safe by the time 'Pool play them, not fighting to survive.

Also, of course, Liverpool have two fewer matches to play than City, which should help.

I can see an argument that Chelsea's run-in is perhaps easier (though there's not much in it, to my mind), but if Liverpool don't win it, I don't think citing the fixture list will hold much water.

You are right. But I think I am more worried about draws than losing. And at this stage draws are as good as losing (in terms of the league). And I believe those teams are certainly capable of grinding out a draw unless Liverpool are at the top of their game (they are all away matches).

Also, I am feeling very superstitious and don't want to jinx anything. (I blame Alex and the Cricket thread :P)

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You are right. But I think I am more worried about draws than losing. And at this stage draws are as good as losing (in terms of the league). And I believe those teams are certainly capable of grinding out a draw unless Liverpool are at the top of their game (they are all away matches).

Also, I am feeling very superstitious and don't want to jinx anything. (I blame Alex and the Cricket thread :P)

I did have a spectacularly bad run...

If anyone is going to jinx it though, my money is on the entire Kop singing "We're going to win the league" recently...

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It's a good thing we're not superstitious like you :P

Ahahaha Liverpool fans not superstitious? Do me a favour...

ETA: And as I don't think this has been posted here yet, some light reading for Liverpool fans. There's no evidence to support it, but I'm going to assume that Soylent Brown was the author. Paragraph 1:

General Rodgers looked down at the massacre that lay behind him. He drank in the fresh smell of blood that was still lingering in the air and cast his eyes upon the bloodied ruins of a once proud city laid at his feet. It was the latest scalp in his quest to restore his kingdom’s reputation to where it belonged, feared by all, and the strongest in the land. He almost felt sorry for the ruins that he had left in his wake, but almost wasn’t enough to stop his desire for more or a slight smile to cross his face. Rodgers needed more, his eyes were firmly set on his end goal. Desires had turned into a need, even an expectation that he would achieve. Rodger’s goals and targets became more bold with every passing day. Expectations grew with every victory that now passed before his eyes. So long had it been since General Rodgers tasted defeat he had forgotten what it felt like. In its place was a burning need, a need to succeed. His warriors were the same, they needed victory, it had become an unquenchable thirst. Every time they drank in victory they became thirstier for more. Rodger’s army was led by his Captain, Captain Courageous, a fierce fighter whose age seemed to have no bounds. Captain Courageous was the life blood of the army. Even at the lowest of times the Captain was a destroyer of souls. Captain Courageous had ensured that this army never completely fell away. He had endured the trenches dragging his comrades back into the fight picking up the odd victory here and there but now was the chance to shine. No longer did the Captain have to drag his army along for the ride, no longer did he have to inspire his army to keep pushing on. The time for that had passed. Finally after years of battling to persuade his comrades to not lose hope and to keep battling on, no now was the time that the Captain knew he could go into every fight knowing that those around him had his back as he had theirs. This army had become a machine, a machine unified and strong, marching on with self-belief and vision that had been instilled by the General and exemplified by his ever loyal Captain. Fear was no longer a thought in the minds of this army. Victory was expected with each and every battle. General Rodger’s young army had destroyed some of the most feared armies in the land. Their confidence grew with each and every battle that ensued. Soldiers were now feared warriors. There had been many that were written off and considered to not be worthy of such an army. Many that were written off to be lost along the way but those soldiers proved themselves to be feared warriors.

LOL

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The Liverpool/City game is obviously going to be very important but it's worth noting that Chelsea have the best big-game league form this season. Amongst games involving the top four teams (ie 6 matches for each team).



Arsenal have obviously been crap (we beat Liverpool 2-0 at home, home draws with Chelsea and City but then big away losses to all three). 1-2-3 with an awful goal difference.


City have beaten Arsenal and Liverpool at home, but they drew with Arsenal away and have lost both times to Chelsea. 2-1-2 so far.


Liverpool have beaten Arsenal at home, but then lost to Chelsea, City and Arsenal away for a 1-0-3.


In comparison, Chelsea have smashed it. They've won both times against City, once at home to Liverpool, once at home to Arsenal and drew away with Arsenal for a 4-1-0.



It mystifies me how Chelsea have not run away with it with that sort of big-game performance but clearly they've had more surprise losses to the lesser teams. I think it also tells Liverpool that Chelsea is the much more dangerous fixture. And if Liverpool want to win the league they'll need to improve on that 1-0-3 record, although admittedly most of those games were away.


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