Worth checking out our performance against the big 6 over the last 3 seasons

18-19 W2 D2 L8 F14 A25 P8
19-20 W1 D4 L7 F11 A26 P7
20-21 W1 D3 L8 F7 A32 P6

Goals for down each year, goals against up each year, points down each year, we should expect to lose by 3 or 4 goals today but can still hope to get a draw.

Perhaps we should be grateful that we play 5 of them in our first 10 matches where we are still bedding in the new players, on last years showing we would only expect 3 points from those matches.

Ignoring Brentford, from the remaining 4 corresponding matches, West Ham, Brighton, Leicester and Newcastle we got 5 points in 18-19, 7 points in 19-20 and 3 in 20-21 so lets take the average and hope to get 5 points and on Brentfords showing at Arsenal a point from them so a total of 9 points from the first 10 games would be par.

I know its not very scientific but apart from Brentford and Arsenal no-one has played yet so who is to say how anyone will do this year.

Let's reconvene in November to assess how we are doing.

You mean Arsenal will have pinched him that soon?!

OK Corporal Jones, sorry it's Private Frazer!

Edited by Slimey Toad (14 Aug 2021 11.19am)

I dont expect us to beat chelsea today. But I would like to see us give them a good game and not get completely battered.

Arteta is a spoofer and will be gone long before Vieira. I think his team selection today was a chance to show Parish that some players are not up to it. I expect to see Mateta and Ayew shipped out and another striker plus a wide player/ wing back brought in before this window closes.

Thought it looked more like Roy part 2. Gallagher should liven things up and Mitchell and Ayew need a reality check. It was obvious from the start with Zaha more central and Mateta rather than Benteke that there wouldn’t be crosses flying into the box. Containment was the name of PV’s strategy but setting up with a minority in midfield what we got was inevitable. Chelsea have seven players going forward when they have the ball and we couldn’t cope. Andersen’s inclusion would get Kouyate moving up to midfield.