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It was a good night. City are likely winning this tie now. Germany didn't pull away from us, and we still have us, West Ham and Liverpool to play to swing things in our favour. While Germany's only "easy" game is Leverkusen's. Don't see Dortmund getting anything at Madrid tomorrow.

Just now, jacketspuds said:

Trossard has been a very good signing for Arsenal.

To think they settled for him after missing out on Mudryk

Just now, Mr_Dogg said:

Some high level football on show tonight in the CL.

Really shows how far we have to go yet

Seeing 2 teams with 90%+ passing accuracy, shows the level these teams are playing at. 

Should be a yellow for Haavertz

Running the show at the Bernabeu for the second season running

1 hour ago, Zatman said:

That season was Spurs and City first top 6 finishes in a long long time

Didn't they finish 5th twice under Martin Jol just a couple of seasons prior?

7 hours ago, Tayls said:

So 5th or 6th is where we will end up then after this weekends events. It’s the difference between playing in the champions league and playing in the europa league.. I’ll tell ya, I’ll be disappointed if we end up out the champs league places having spent so much of the season in them.  I think 4th is Spurs’ to lose now. They have a tough run of fixtures, sure, but they aren’t 4th because they are a terrible side. I reckon they’ll hold it. Roll on the end of the season, it’s starting to get a bit nervy now. 

6th? How do you figure? Worst case scenario we're 3 points behind 4th and 8 points (and far superior GD) ahead of 6th with games in hand played.

Also why are this weekend's events any more significant than last weekend's, or next's? Does your outlook on the future change on a game to game basis?

3 minutes ago, R.Bear said:

I'm no defeatist but It's far more likely that we finish about 6 points behind Spurs than ahead of them. I dont care what fixtures they have left. We scraped a draw at home to Brentford when 2-0 up. We're mentally fragile and have blown big games several times this season. As soon as we get close, if we do again, we'll blow it again. The only way we're getting CL football is if 5th place gets us it. Whatever will be will be on that front.

Wasn't this the second time all season we've dropped points from a winning position? We're literally the most resolute team in the league in this regard.

4 hours ago, TRO said:

So did you think we would get a draw against Brentford, before the game?....with Brentford in 15th place and struggling in the league......and us at home in 4th.

Did you think we would be cruising a 2-0 up, and capitulate in the manner that we did, to a team who didn't lay a glove on us up till then?

That's what many fans are discussing, without digressing to how well the season has gone as a whole....they are saying, how did that happen, is that a surprise.

The stadium is full to capacity, every game, with spirited fans, singing their heads off, me included.....Does that strike you as fickle or unappreciative fans?

Fans have a right to express themselves after a game....and that one did throw up some anomalies.....Fans reserve the right, to express themselves differently.

Many think the race for the champions league has passed, some think we have created a huge task for ourselves, some think nothing has changed.....who's right, I don't know.

On the evidence of the collapse, and other games, where we have done similar, I am not sure if we are actually ready for Champions league competition, anyway, with a WIP team...but that's just me.

I'm not talking about individual results. I was of course disappointed with the result in isolation. I was referring to those posts about how we've "bottled" top 4. Top 4 was never ours to bottle in the first place. No sane person had us finishing in the top 4 and also winning a European cup. That's a season beyond our wildest dreams. Yet the dream is still on. You wouldn't know it from the way some of our fans are going on.

He pretty much played just like that against us but didn't have De Bruyne and Haaland with him 

Okay but I could easily see them winning their last 8 games. 

5 minutes ago, picicata said:

Out interest, is the Europa League changing to the same format as the CL?

Asking for a Man Utd supporting friend

Yes, all 3 competitions will follow the same format. No dropping down competitions anymore either.

2 hours ago, VillanousOne said:

A City without a first choice defence who looked vulnerable, a draw would have been be a tough result also, but it was 'possible'.

Dias - Akanji - Gvardiol is 75% of their first choice defence and probably cost about £200m between them. 

A draw assumes we could have scored 4 goals on them, which is technically possible I guess but extremely unlikely. I don't think they have shipped 4 at any point under Pep, much less at the Etihad.

Thought he had Konsa on toast all game and played in Alvarez and Silva many times with those reverse through balls that Ollie used to also waste for us.

His shooting has always been hilariously bad though, except weirdly enough when he volleys it. He's scored some cracking volleys but when he has to cut inside and shoot it's almost always blocked or rolled tamely into the keeper's arms.

Forgot that Torres was rested too. The more I think about it, the more I think it was a masterstroke by Unai. We'll be as fresh a team as we can hope to be for the next 10 (hopefully 13) games. This is supposed to be the time of the year where the fixtures would take their toll on a team like ours, but we've essentially given some of our key players 2-3 week breaks, while also incentivising the fringe players to put a proper shift in. I expect to see the likes of Zaniolo, Duran and Lenglet more in Europe now, and be confident that we'll be getting good performances out of them.

I'd keep him in the lineup in place of Diaby and have Rogers out on the left when McGinn comes back. He was really good yesterday. Dangerous on the counter.

McGinn back raring to go. Leon and Youri rested. Dougie played about 90 combined minutes of football in 2 weeks. Zaniolo coming into some form. Ollie and JJ hopefully back for Brentford, with the former getting a much needed rest in the process. In a weird way, it's looking a lot more promising than before the break given how leggy our players were starting to look. 

I get the feeling Emery's squad and tactical management will help us over the line whereas Ange's lads are going to be gassed out in a few weeks.

VT is going to basically be this until at least Saturday

Jack Grealish when he takes a shot that isn't a volley

1 minute ago, bobzy said:

Yeah, absolutely no chance of reversing a ONE GOAL DIFFERENCE.

 

**** hell

This is what I see every time I read his posts

Just now, est1874 said:

The old El Ghazi trick

We're getting hammered gaffer, take me off

You mean the old over-imaginative Villa fans trick 

Just now, Villa87 said:

Sorry but tonight has been totally unacceptable. First half we put an absolute shift in, but you can’t play this team against Man City and expect anything other than an absolute battering. Goal difference has been so healthy this season too. 

Imagine we put that shift in with our main players and end up being completely gassed for the Brentford and Lille games, while still losing here today.