Premier League 26/27: Defending Our Crown

[Legend14]

Yeah I think our most balanced MF will be Rice x Bruno G x Eze in terms of profiles. That being said, Ødegaard isn't just about the G+A, he is a cheat code at ball progression and has such a fantastic understanding with Saka on the RHS.

I think he looks busy, but doesn't progress the ball nearly as well as he did 3 seasons ago. Seems he is trying harder to do so though.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Yeah I think our most balanced MF will be Rice x Bruno G x Eze in terms of profiles. That being said, Ødegaard isn't just about the G+A, he is a cheat code at ball progression and has such a fantastic understanding with Saka on the RHS.

Eze has to do a lot more to be in these conversations imo.

 

[Gooner Zig]

Eze has to do a lot more to be in these conversations imo.

Maybe but Ødegaard didn't do much last season either. That AMF spot in our MF is wide open imo.

 

[Buhry]

Eze has to do a lot more to be in these conversations imo.

Eze was mostly **** last season outside of a few select games like the Tottenham games. I agree he has to do a lot more. Most of the time he is a passenger.

 

[Sulosky]

Yeah.. Our players didn't do sh*t and still we won the title

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Alot of players will have to step up Gyo Eze Noni Kai Ode even Saka last season they did enough but our defense and solid midfield won us so many points. However this season our defence is weak because of injures so the attacking players need to step up.

 

[Arsenist]

If we have Havertz x Saka x Ødegaard fit for most of the season the attack will be good enough.

 

[Arsenist]

Too much hubris in the thread.

We were barely edging Ws last year, and it wasn’t exactly goals galore was it.

 

[Gooner Zig]

View attachment 50523

Eh

Too much hubris in the thread.

We were barely edging Ws last year, and it wasn’t exactly goals galore was it.

Our main title rival is objectively weaker assuming Rodri leaves which he very well looks like doing. The replacements in Anderson, Bouaddi, and potentially Enzo are a huge downgrade from what they had in MF. It's not so much that we've strengthened (we have), it's that our rivals aren't all that.

Too many people think winning '1-0' is "edging it". The overwhelming majority of our 1-0's we were completely the dominant team and fully deserved to win and were unlucky not to score more goals. A lot of the tight games especially in 2026 I will put mostly down to the sheer pressure of trying to win the title after finishing 2nd x3 in a row.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Think we’ll win the league comfortably again. I just don’t feel like watching it if we play the same stale football we did last season.

 

[DanDare]

Assuming we don't get long injuries to most of our better front 5 players again and Arteta figures out how to compensate for Saliba being missing thinks we win the league again

This season might be we score more and concede more than last. No way we go on the insane defensive run of the first part of last season

Arsenal
Liverpool
Chelsea
City
Man United
Villa

 

[Arsenist]

Eh



Our main title rival is objectively weaker assuming Rodri leaves which he very well looks like doing. The replacements in Anderson, Bouaddi, and potentially Enzo are a huge downgrade from what they had in MF. It's not so much that we've strengthened (we have), it's that our rivals aren't all that.

Too many people think winning '1-0' is "edging it". The overwhelming majority of our 1-0's we were completely the dominant team and fully deserved to win and were unlucky not to score more goals. A lot of the tight games especially in 2026 I will put mostly down to the sheer pressure of trying to win the title after finishing 2nd x3 in a row.

We almost threw away the whole thing not once, but twice despite our dominance, which would have been inexcusable last year. It was too wobbly to blame bad luck for me.

How do you recommend we change our luck in terms of scoring with the current attack. I'm sure we'll be "unlucky" another year with Havertz bulldozing it wide the whole time, and Gyok getting outmuscled and flying off the ball by a CB weaker than himself.

It's time to take things into your own hands and make our own luck by adding quality.

 

[HollandGooner]

I still think if we do not sign a left winger we should play with the below players if fit;

Raya
Timber
Saliba
Gabriel
Calafiori
Rice
Bruno
Ødegaard
Saka
Gyok/Havertz
Eze

 

[JMB]

 

[grange]

Meh, I like you guys for 2nd actually. Tottenham at 6th is egregious.

 

[North5]

I still think if we do not sign a left winger we should play with the below players if fit;

Raya
Timber
Saliba
Gabriel
Calafiori
Rice
Bruno
Ødegaard
Saka
Gyok/Havertz
Eze

I think Tzolis will establish himself as the clear LW starter pretty quick tbh. He's a bit basic on the ball but seems to be a potential output machine and elite presser

 

[berric]

I think Tzolis will establish himself as the clear LW starter pretty quick tbh. He's a bit basic on the ball but seems to be a potential output machine and elite presser

Tzatziki Trossard has some Diogo Jota in him it feels like. Looks like a super clinical player - the opposite of Madueke.

 

[dashsnow17]

Tbf which club is actually happy with their business?

City could lose Rodri which is impossible to replace. Utd have signed some okay midfielders but nothing really special. Totnum have improved midfield but their attack is dire. Pool are still weak defensively. Chelsea have done their usual thing but no guarantee it will gel together and their keeper is bottom half PL level.

 

[Mraven]

Tbf which club is actually happy with their business?

City could lose Rodri which is impossible to replace. Utd have signed some okay midfielders but nothing really special. Totnum have improved midfield but their attack is dire. Pool are still weak defensively. Chelsea have done their usual thing but no guarantee it will gel together and their keeper is bottom half PL level.

City is the only threat. Maresca is quality even if a step down from Pep.

 

[Fallout]

If Maresca clicks with City right away then they will win it

If he doesn't, then we will win it

Unless the injury to Saliba exposes our team more than expected and we start leaking soft goals for half a season (I genuinely think it's a possibility)

In that case, City wins it lol