GWT: EPL - Matchweek 24

[bluesfan94]

What a fun matchweek coming up! It starts with Forest looking to get back to winning ways when it hosts Brighton. On Saturday, we also see title favorites Liverpool heading south to take on a Bournemouth side that just smoked Forest. We also get a West Midlands derby, with Wolves hosting a struggling Aston Villa side. On Sunday, the matchweek kicks off with a London derby, as Tottenham will look to put an end to its slump when they take on the Bees of Brentford. We get another London derby Monday, when Chelsea host West Ham. However, the marquee match of the weekend is on Sunday, when Arsenal take on a Man City that may have just found its form again, while Arsenal will be hoping and praying that the PGMOL avoids more farcical decisions to cost them points.

Home	Away	Time and Date (CT)	Venue
Nottingham Forest	Brighton & Hove Albion	Sat., Feb. 1, 6:30 AM	City Ground
Newcastle United	Fulham	Sat., Feb. 1, 9:00 AM	St. James's Park
Everton	Leicester City	Sat., Feb. 1, 9:00 AM	Goodison Park
Ipswich Town	Southampton	Sat., Feb. 1, 9:00 AM	Portman Road
Bournemouth	Liverpool	Sat., Feb. 1, 9:00 AM	Vitality Stadium
Wolverhampton Wanderers	Aston Villa	Sat., Feb. 1, 11:30 AM	Molineux Stadium
Manchester United	Crystal Palace	Sun., Feb. 2, 8:00 AM	Old Trafford
Brentford	Tottenham Hotspur	Sun., Feb. 2, 8:00 AM	Gtech Community Stadium
Arsenal	Manchester City	Sun., Feb. 2, 10:30 AM	The Emirates
Chelsea	West Ham United	Mon., Feb. 3, 2:00 PM	Stamford Bridge

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[Jussi]

Great... Another home game at the Theater Of Heartburn...

 

[Savant]

LFC @ Bournemouth could very well be the game of the season. Get your popcorn ready.

Slot is leaving nine starters at home for the PSV midweek game, so he is obviously taking this extremely seriously. This is one of (if not the) toughest games left on their schedule

 

[Brunkmeister]

This is probably the deciding MW regarding the title imo. Arsenal will need to be in the range of 3 points behind or it’s over.

 

[bluesfan94]

This is probably the deciding MW regarding the title imo. Arsenal will need to be in the range of 3 points behind or it’s over.

I wouldn't go that far only because the month of February is crazy for Liverpool. They have 7 matches in four weeks, including a Cup semi they need to win, away at Bournemouth, away at Everton, away at City, and home against Newcastle. There's a lot of room to drop points there.

 

[Brunkmeister]

I wouldn't go that far only because the month of February is crazy for Liverpool. They have 7 matches in four weeks, including a Cup semi they need to win, away at Bournemouth, away at Everton, away at City, and home against Newcastle. There's a lot of room to drop points there.

Yeah but that’s more or less required while Arsenal also would need to go on a roll. The psychological effect shouldn’t be underestimated here. If Liverpool doesn’t drop points away to this strong and in form Bournemouth when are they gonna do it? It would be a massive moral boost for them.

 

[Ponds]

I wouldn't go that far only because the month of February is crazy for Liverpool. They have 7 matches in four weeks, including a Cup semi they need to win, away at Bournemouth, away at Everton, away at City, and home against Newcastle. There's a lot of room to drop points there.

I agree, still a ways to go before we hear from the fat lady. Some big matches to be played for Liverpool, although I view the Bournemouth and Everton away fixtures to be much tougher than the match at the Etihad.

That said, I can't help but wonder if going to Goodison against a Dyche side would have been tougher than dealing with one lead by Moyes. Perhaps the Reds received a bit of good fortune there. I also wonder if having to play the majority of this pivotal string of games away will work in Liverpool's favor.

The Anfield crowd can be a huge advantage, but there seems to be an uneasiness that pokes through at times. Especially during the final stretch of last campaign. A lot of that definitely had to do with Klopp leaving, wanting him to go out with another league title, and the uncertainty of what a new manager would bring. Even so, the prospect of matching Manchester United and having a proper celebration has most Liverpool supporters salivating. It's close enough you can almost taste it, but until it's truly real... there might be a tiny, lingering fear it could slip away.

The bottom line, this is a tough run with very little respite. If Liverpool can make it through relatively unscathed, then I'd say the window for Arsenal will have shrunk massively.

 

[Savant]

I don’t think Liverpool HAVE to win the Carabao Cup semi final. Especially if LFC take 3 against Bournemouth, no one will care about that game. The team they are playing HAS to win.

But yeah, if they keep this same margin going into March, the math for everyone else gets very grim

 

[koyvoo]

I’d play the u23s in that 3rd rate cup tie if things get too congested. An easy sacrifice. It’s far from a must win.

 

[Jovavic]

I’d play the u23s in that 3rd rate cup tie if things get too congested. An easy sacrifice. It’s far from a must win.

Carabao Cup should have an Olympic like limit on the amount of older players you can use, otherwise everyone is u23

 

[Savant]

I’d play the u23s in that 3rd rate cup tie if things get too congested. An easy sacrifice. It’s far from a must win.

Yeah I mean the schedule is kind of lining up up that way. Slot is taking the B team to the Netherlands, so it stands to reason that he would bring one to Plymouth. I think we get the A Team vs Bournemouth and Tottenham (even if they aren't in first gear for 90 minutes). B Team for PSV and Plymouth. A Team back for Everton.

We know who 8 of the 11 of the A Team are now. The rest you can kind of do per matchup. Gomez trained today so he is back soon. They need to get Diogo and Jones back ASAP too, especially with no one coming in January, despite them needing another body or two.

Carabao Cup should have an Olympic like limit on the amount of older players you can use, otherwise everyone is u23

Carabao Cup just shouldn't have that ridiculous two legged Semifinal. Besides that its better than the FA Cup.; but the two legged semi is just so prohibitively bad.

I would make that as a change, and I would make the change that the lower seeded team can choose if they want home field advantage or not. Honestly think Carabao Cup has gotten a bit underrated and the FA Cup has gotten overrated. No team shows up drunk/hungover to the Carabao Cup final like City did in the FA Cup final last season

 

[bluesfan94]

I’d play the u23s in that 3rd rate cup tie if things get too congested. An easy sacrifice. It’s far from a must win.

On the one hand, yes, on the other hand, it's a semi-final.

 

[Savant]

On the one hand, yes, on the other hand, it's a semi-final.

No one wants to lose a semifinal, but after winning it last year it’s not essential. For Tottenham it’s essential. Hell if LFC win, I’d bet Ange gets sacked soon after. I don’t think they would play a B team like the one going to PSV, but they aren’t going to go balls to the walls for 90 minutes either. If you crowd sourced the LFC fans a choice of 3 points at Bournemouth or another Carabao Cup final. (Obviously they’d want both but) They are going to take the 3 points at Bournemouth it’s it’s one of the other.