There's 21 points left to play for and a 4th place finish our last remaining reward for the season. All other competitions have been a bust. A draw for Everton and that other team today means our game-in-hand has become crucial to exploit. Our remaining fixtures are: Norwich Everton Fulham (away) Manchester United QPR (away) Wigan Newcastle (away) United are 15 points up on City right now (sorry for mentioning it) and have 24-points left to play for. If they manage to beat City on Monday they'll move 18 points clear with seven games left to play. I reckon when we meet them on the 28th they'll be in a position to mathematically win the league, as our luck would have it. Could make for a massive fixture. If they manage enough points and City drop some more, they could've won the season just before coming to the Grove, although I don't expect the intensity of the game to drop significantly as a result. Four of those remaining fixtures are against bottom-half teams and obviously QPR and Wigan are in the thick of the relegation zone so they will be clawing and scratching for points (QPR could be cooked by then however). Our games against Newcastle and Fulham are away from home. I don't see easy points anywhere in the remaining schedule. Our upcoming game against Everton could also be crucial. We're four points clear of them at the moment but their schedule looks a touch easier. Our main rivals have only mustered four points out of their last ten. The injury to Bale is major as it's literally been months since they've won a match without him scoring a goal. They have a difficult schedule ahead having to travel to Basel on Thursday then back to London to face Chelsea on Sunday, followed by a visit from City next week. They also have to make the trek to Stoke next month for some rugby with possible Europa League play mixed in there somewhere should they advance. St-Totteringham's Day isn't out of the picture yet.
Come on you Goooooooooooooooooooooonersssss! Three late goals against NC vault The Arsenal over London scum and into third place. Chelsea's mid-week game comes at Fulham on Wednesday but they have another game to play in the meantime.
As expected Wigan are going to come at us with everything they have. Norwich are up against playing-for-nothing West Brom and Newcastle against already-relegated QPR so both teams are expected to pick up points. Wigan must win for any hope of getting out of 18th. Arsenal will be without Giroud (ban).
Chelsea's win today virtually guarantees them a place in the top four. The goal differential between them and ***** is too big a gap.
Robles, Kone, Alcaraz, McCarthy, Maloney, Gomez, McManaman, McArthur, Boyce, Espinoza, Scharner Subs: Al Habsi, Caldwell, Watson, Di Santo, Henriquez, Fyvie, Golobart Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Rosicky, Arteta, Ramsey, Cazorla, Walcott, Podolski Subs: Fabianski, Vermaelen, Jenkinson, Monreal, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gervinho
Shame that we had to be the ones to put down Wigan. Fun team with a good manager. They won't be the same without him. Totally in our hands, now. A win at SJP and we're through to at least a Champions League playoff. Newcastle have nothing to play for but they will want to end the season at home in good fashion so I expect a competitive game. If Chelsea drop points to Everton they'll go through anyway so the best result for us would be a win and losses for Chelsea and *****.
