Which side will win the UEFA Champions League final between Manchester City and Inter Milan?

[MenInG]

The teams are meeting for the first time, the biggest club prize in world football is once again up for grabs, City are in sight of a treble and the venue is the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, stage for arguably the most memorable final of them all.

City have been banging on the door for some time now, but this is just their second final and they are yet to break their duck. Coach Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, is looking to join the elite group of three-time winners, having previously lifted the trophy in 2009 and 2011, and also become only the sixth man to win it with two clubs. Sandwiched between those two Barcelona triumphs was the most recent of Inter's three wins – then it was José Mourinho; is now the turn of Simone Inzaghi?

Possible starting line-ups

Man City: Ederson; Walker, Rúben Dias, Aké; Stones, Rodri; Bernardo Silva, De Bruyne, Gündoğan, Grealish; Haaland

Inter: Onana; Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Lautaro Martínez, Džeko

Form guide

Man City

Form (all competitions, most recent first): WLDWWW
Where they finished: Premier League champions, FA Cup winners

Inter

Form (all competitions, most recent first): WWWLWW
Where they finished: 3rd in Serie A, Coppa Italia winners

Expert predictions

Matthew Howarth, Man City reporter

Given the manner in which Guardiola's team dispatched Bayern and holders Real Madrid, it is no surprise they are regarded by many as favourites. There is something mesmerising about watching City overwhelm even the strongest of opponents with a potent combination of pinpoint passing accuracy, ferocious pressing and electric pace. Games of this magnitude are often settled by fine margins, but City have the bit between their teeth and if they play as well as they have been, a maiden Champions League title could well be theirs.


Vieri Capretta, Inter reporter

Back in the final after 13 years, but in a very different position – it feels like Inter have little to lose against this City side. Tactically, the Nerazzurri are solid at the back and fluid going forward, moving well as a team, with a physically demanding style of play that requires everyone to be at the top of their game. Inter defend as a block and attack as a unit. Inzaghi's side have shown themselves to be adept at adapting to their opponent, so we can expect them defend low and play on the break. Will it be enough?


European Cup final pedigree

Man City

European Cup final record: P1 W0 L1 F0 A1
Most recent appearance: 2021, Chelsea 1-0 Man City

Inter

European Cup final record: P5 W3 L2 F7 A5
Most recent appearance: 2010, Inter 2-0 Bayern

What the coaches say

Josep Guardiola, Man City coach: "When you reach the final of the Champions League, you have to celebrate. A final against an Italian team is not always the best gift, honestly. Inter are competitive. After this [semi-final] victory there will be a lot of compliments, but we have time to prepare mentally."

Simone Inzaghi, Inter coach: "For us it was a dream but we have always believed in it. I'm proud to be here. Nobody has given us anything, we deserve everything that we have achieved. And now the dream to play the final has come true. It has been an extraordinary path and winning a derby in the semi-final brought particular satisfaction."

https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsl...-final-preview-man-city-vs-inter-where-to-wa/

 

[Kianig89]

Man City 3-1 Inter

Debruyne to get MOM

 

[Sherazkhalid]

Is this even a question, don't see Inter winning this.

 

[KingKhanWC]

Anything can happen in a final, LFC beat one of the greatest club teams in history in 2005.

Inter have goals which will help but need to keep it tight for the first half.

If City play to 80% of their level, should be a comfortable 2-0 win.

 

[MenInG]

Add your vote to the poll please.

 

[Firebat]

I hope it's Inter but of course City are heavy heavy favourites. Who knows though, City were heavy favourites against Chelsea too

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

City to win.

I just hope its an entertaining final

and has more than one goal!!

 

[MenInG]

Inter, under former manager Jose Mourinho, knocked Pep Guardiola's Barcelona out in the semi-finals on the way to winning a treble of their own in 2010, but this will be the Italians' first meeting with City.

"This is the finish. The Champions League is an incredible competition," added Guardiola.

"It's absolutely a dream, yes. To achieve things you always have to have the correct proportion of obsession and desire.

"It's a positive word, willingness to try to do it, of course."

 

[Amjid Javed]

Only way this game is competitive is if inter score 1st, if city score 1st it will be a 3 or 4 nil massacre.

 

[Kianig89]

After some time two unevenly matched teams up against each other if going by recent memory the it was Liverpool v Real back in 2018 and Spurs v Liverpool in 2019 was a lopsided affair. City will cruise in unless they implode

 

[MenInG]

Team news
Man City v Inter Milan (20:00 BST)

Manchester City make two changes from the FA Cup final, one expected and one not so much.

Ederson replaces Stefan Ortega, who was their FA Cup keeper, but Kyle Walker drops to the bench with Nathan Ake taking his place.

Man City XI: Ederson, Ake, Dias, Akanji, Stones, Rodri, Silva, De Bruyne, Gundogan, Grealish, Haaland. Subs: Ortega, Carson, Walker, Phillips, Laporte, Alvarez, Gomez, Mahrez, Perrone, Foden, Palmer, Lewis.


Inter Milan are as expected with Edin Dzeko starting ahead of Romelu Lukaku up front.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Joaquin Correa and Milan Skriniar are on the bench after recovering from injury.

Inter XI: Onana, Darmian, Acerbi, Bastoni, Dumfries, Barella, Brozovic, Calhanoglu, Dimarco, Martinez, Dzeko. Subs: Handanovic, Cordaz, Gagliardini, De Vrij, Gosens, Correa, Bellanova, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, D'Ambrosio, Skriniar, Lukaku.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Positive start from inter, shoeing some attacking intent.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Only 24 mins, but so far inters tactics have been spot on

 

[MenInG]

Big blow

SUBSTITUTION
Man City 0-0 Inter Milan

No Kevin de Bruyne is not OK. He plays a cross and looks in pain again. He holds his hand up.

De Bruyne walks off looking devastated as his team-mates console him. Phil Foden takes his place.

 

[Amjid Javed]

HT 0-0 - Inter have stifled City well so far, can they nick a goal in 2nd half

 

[Amjid Javed]

Inter Milan 3-5-2 reminding me of how Brentford stiffled City in PL, pressing when they have to, 2 wing backs have been excellent. 1st goal will be huge here.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Been a poor game so far and City have been flat, playing with nerves

Convinced Inter will win this now, especially with KDB going off

 

[Azzurri]

Inter has been excellent. I am really impressed by Onana. His distribution has been spot on.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Been a poor game so far and City have been flat, playing with nerves

Convinced Inter will win this now, especially with KDB going off

City need to move ball quicker, inter are forcing them to get ball out wide, but both inter wing backs are coping well.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

City need to move ball quicker, inter are forcing them to get ball out wide, but both inter wing backs are coping well.

City have been nullified well and they have been so sloppy

I think Inter will score and see the game out

 

[Amjid Javed]

What a chance for martinez, will inter run that

 

[Amjid Javed]

City have been nullified well and they have been so sloppy

I think Inter will score and see the game out

Lukaku winner?

 

[Amjid Javed]

Rodri gives City the lead 1-0

 

[Amjid Javed]

Di Marco hits the bar, then lukaku blocks rebound

 

[Amjid Javed]

Lukaku misses a sitter

 

[Saj]

How did Lukaku miss that chance?

Looks like it's written in the stars for City.

 

[Saj]

City trying to see the game out now.

They look like a team hanging on.

 

[Amjid Javed]

How did Lukaku miss that chance?

Looks like it's written in the stars for City.

Lukaku misses those all the time! He's awful

 

[Amjid Javed]

What a save by ederson.

City win the treble

 

[SalimBhai]

What a save by ederson.

City win the treble

Good game

 

[Saj]

What a team.

Even when Man City aren't at their best, they battle it out and their leaders lead from the front.

Fantastic squad.

 

[Rajdeep]

City was not at their best today. Infact from the Brighton game, they are not in form. Lost against Brentford as well.

But glad they hold onto the nerves and won the Champions league..FINALLY.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Rodri the person Pep left out vs Chelsea 2 years ago, which costs them the final gets deserved winner today

 

[the Great Khan]

Inter were solid..made it difficult but I felt overall they were a little mediocre..its a controversial opinion I know because they played well but I just feel they weren't brave enough and eventually their tactics would fail..City were technically far superior and although were stifled you just felt if it stayed nil nil long enough they would win it in the end..I just felt inter left it late to be brave..perhaps it s more accurate to say a mediocre mindset..

 

[Firebat]

It was a poor final in actuality, but most finals are for large parts. Teams are usually too nervous to play their best, and City were very very nervous. Deserved winners in the end.

Hope Guardiola awards Lukaku an honourary winners medal too.

 

[Geordie Ahmed]

Buzzing for Pep, plus the added bonus of the red side of Manchester will be in tears

I actually thought City were quite poor and Inter had the better chances but that's football for you, Rodri's finish was superb and history won't remember who played well

 

[Mamoon]

The overconfidence and arrogance of the English press prior to the final was ridiculous.

They thought Inter would fold like a Premier League team and let City dominate them all over the park.

Inter had their tactics spot on and they were unlucky not to stretch the game to ET or penalties.

 

[Amjid Javed]

The overconfidence and arrogance of the English press prior to the final was ridiculous.

They thought Inter would fold like a Premier League team and let City dominate them all over the park.

Inter had their tactics spot on and they were unlucky not to stretch the game to ET or penalties.

Just goes to show that managers can produce certain tactics to stifle and combat City, Brentford did it 2 games in PL, will it work for every team? No.

Inzaghi showed how, certain clueless PL managers are who show zero tactics and just hope for best when playing city.

 

[Mamoon]

Just goes to show that managers can produce certain tactics to stifle and combat City, Brentford did it 2 games in PL, will it work for every team? No.

Inzaghi showed how, certain clueless PL managers are who show zero tactics and just hope for best when playing city.

You need players to execute those tactics.

Inter’s defense is much better than any PL side expect City’s.

Inzaghi is a good manager but you can’t compare him to Arteta. If Inzaghi was Arsenal manager there is no way Arsenal would have finished second and challenged for the title, he would have them scraping for 4th.

 

[Bilal Ahmad15]

Although almost everyone (including myself) had Manchester City winning

I actually think Inter Milan missed out, they had the chances to actually win this match.

 

[Amjid Javed]

You need players to execute those tactics.

Inter’s defense is much better than any PL side expect City’s.

Inzaghi is a good manager but you can’t compare him to Arteta. If Inzaghi was Arsenal manager there is no way Arsenal would have finished second and challenged for the title, he would have them scraping for 4th.

Just goes to show certain managers can't excute certain tactics, having spent a lot of money on a defence which hadn't improved either.

Your whole argument is always on weak "if" statements with zero facts or substance

 

[Mamoon]

Just goes to show certain managers can't excute certain tactics, having spent a lot of money on a defence which hadn't improved either.

Your whole argument is always on weak "if" statements with zero facts or substance

Arsenal had the most disciplined backline after Newcastle until Saliba got injured and everything fell apart. You are being completely disingenuous by suggesting that he has spent money without improving the defense.

Arteta inherited a backline of Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Sokratis/Holding, Tierney which he upgraded to Ramsdale, White/Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko.

Defensively Arsenal is a much better team now than they were few years back. The first XI has improved leaps and bounds and now the next step is to improve depth. You cannot be replying on the likes of Holding to fill in for Saliba or Gabriel in 2023-24.

Look at what the Arsenal first team looked like and the state of the team when Arteta took over in December 2019. The team was nowhere near challenging for the league.

Arteta took that team and turned them into title contenders in spite of spending less money than Pep since taking over as Arsenal manager, and Pep already had a world class team when Arteta left City for Arsenal.

It is obvious that you have a clear agenda against Arteta and you are incapable of appreciating the work he has done. You wanted him sacked 12 months back because not in your wildest dreams did you think that Arsenal would finish second and challenge for the title this season.

You can keep doubting Arteta but he will keep proving you and other detractors wrong. He is a brilliant manager and he is the only reason why Arsenal have challenged for the title this season.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Arsenal had the most disciplined backline after Newcastle until Saliba got injured and everything fell apart. You are being completely disingenuous by suggesting that he has spent money without improving the defense.

Arteta inherited a backline of Leno, Bellerin, Luiz, Sokratis/Holding, Tierney which he upgraded to Ramsdale, White/Tomiyasu, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko.

Defensively Arsenal is a much better team now than they were few years back. The first XI has improved leaps and bounds and now the next step is to improve depth. You cannot be replying on the likes of Holding to fill in for Saliba or Gabriel in 2023-24.

Look at what the Arsenal first team looked like and the state of the team when Arteta took over in December 2019. The team was nowhere near challenging for the league.

Arteta took that team and turned them into title contenders in spite of spending less money than Pep since taking over as Arsenal manager, and Pep already had a world class team when Arteta left City for Arsenal.

It is obvious that you have a clear agenda against Arteta and you are incapable of appreciating the work he has done. You wanted him sacked 12 months back because not in your wildest dreams did you think that Arsenal would finish second and challenge for the title this season.

You can keep doubting Arteta but he will keep proving you and other detractors wrong. He is a brilliant manager and he is the only reason why Arsenal have challenged for the title this season.

Arsenal conceded 51 goals in PL in Emerys one full season.

With so called inferior defenders "that Arteta inherited" let's just deal with facts and stats since then in PL

19/20 - 48 goals
20/21 - 39 goals
21/22 - 48 goals
22/23 - 43 goals

So facts are Arsenal best season defensively was 20/21 in PL since Arteta took over, so the so called "rubbish he inherited" wasn't good enough yet, the players he's brought in have conceded more goals, don't let that fact slap you in the face.

Also saliba was a player he inherited, but you confidently ignored that as it didn't suit your agenda. He was signed by Emery, so stop with the Arteta upgraded, Arteta foolishly sent him out on loan for way to long before bring him back. Also the fact the whole defence fell apart as soon as Saliba (Emery signing) got injured shows how poor rest of defense is. Zinchenko is Andre Santos level standard as a defender, add to that tomayassu has missed 34 PL games in 2 seasons, so he's not an upgrade either. So essentially you are taking about white and Gabriel being only reliable Arteta defensive signings and both of those have been part of back 4s that have conceded more goals then back in 20/21.

Feel free to give more of your "if" and "arteta is only person that can do this" statements.

Facts are you have nothing to back your wild claims up apart from your opinion which has zero stats or substance to back it up.

 

[Technics 1210]

The overconfidence and arrogance of the English press prior to the final was ridiculous.

They thought Inter would fold like a Premier League team and let City dominate them all over the park.

Inter had their tactics spot on and they were unlucky not to stretch the game to ET or penalties.

What are you talking about?

Man City went sub-sonic after the WC, and lost only 2 games in the PL post WC (5 in total this season) and in the process leap frogged Arsenal to the title.

Man City did not lose a single game in the UCL. Don't forget the drubbing Real Madrid received.

Man City did not lose a single game in the FA cup either.

Man City were knocked out of the EFL Cup and Community Shield.

All in all, Man City only lost 7 games this season across all competitions.

The hype was real, the confidence was warranted, there was no arrogance what so ever.

 

[Amjid Javed]

What are you talking about?

Man City went sub-sonic after the WC, and lost only 2 games in the PL post WC (5 in total this season) and in the process leap frogged Arsenal to the title.

Man City did not lose a single game in the UCL. Don't forget the drubbing Real Madrid received.

Man City did not lose a single game in the FA cup either.

Man City were knocked out of the EFL Cup and Community Shield.

All in all, Man City only lost 7 games this season across all competitions.

The hype was real, the confidence was warranted, there was no arrogance what so ever.

100% spot on, Man city clicked into gear after the Spurs league defeat and pretty much no one was going to stop them. For all their attacking talent, it's the defensive improvement which helped them win the treble. They pretty much didn't concede more than 1 goal in a game since they lost to man united. Peps rotation of his 5 defensive options was a master class. All 5 of the options are brilliant in one v one duals which helps them counter against counter attacks etc..

City's treble interms of context was similar to united in that united didn't lose a game in CL in 98/99 season so that was similar.

Also back in 98/99 - united lost 3-2 at home to Middlesbrough in December and then went on to not lose another game all season.

Both teams showed you don't have to be perfect all season you just have to be go on a run when it matters at business end of the season.

 

[Mamoon]

What are you talking about?

Man City went sub-sonic after the WC, and lost only 2 games in the PL post WC (5 in total this season) and in the process leap frogged Arsenal to the title.

Man City did not lose a single game in the UCL. Don't forget the drubbing Real Madrid received.

Man City did not lose a single game in the FA cup either.

Man City were knocked out of the EFL Cup and Community Shield.

All in all, Man City only lost 7 games this season across all competitions.

The hype was real, the confidence was warranted, there was no arrogance what so ever.

No due respect was given to Inter and the way the final was played was against the expectations of the English press.

They expected a stroll in the park for City because of the way they steamrolled Madrid and brushed aside Arsenal in the title race but it was anything but a stroll for City.

There is a difference between labeling City favorites (which they were and rightly so) and not giving Inter a chance at all. For example, asking Çalhanoğlu in the pre match presser if Inter would get a chance to score in the final.

The problem with English media and the fans is their general ignorance and delusion when it comes to football outside England. Which is why they still believe in the myth that PL is the toughest league to play in and top talents coming from other leagues would struggle to adapt even though that never happens.

Halaand came from a so-called inferior league but he has been smashing records left, right and centre in the “toughest” league in the world while Mane, one of the best players in the “toughest” league in the world has not been remotely as effective in Bayern.

Isak has been much better for Newcastle than he was at Sociedad and Ødegaard who has been sensational for Arsenal was not this good in Spain. I could go on and on and on.

Of course there are some contrary examples too, but you will find such examples in every league. It is not unique to the PL and the assertion that the PL is the toughest league in the world is not backed by any solid evidence.

At least the “PL is the most competitive league” theory has gone to the dogs after Pep arrived in England. The PL has been anything but competitive in the last few years. It is neither the most competitive nor the toughest league in the world and PL fans need to watch more football outside of England.

Not to mention how PL sides are regularly shafted by Spanish and Italian teams in Europa even though these teams barely get any respect from the English press and these teams are much better than the mid-table English sides.

PL is a top league, but it is not the only top league in the world. City are the best team in the world right now, but they weren’t in the last few seasons in spite of dominating English football and they might not be the strongest in the next few seasons.

Inter is a very organized team. They are very good at suffocating teams and not letting them score. They didn’t concede a single goal in the R16 and the semifinal against Milan. PL fans failed to recognize this and wrongly expected a thrashing in the final.

Madrid are much better than Inter offensively but they are extremely disorganized and chaotic at the back. They weren’t good enough to organize themselves against City the way Inter were, something that ignorant PL fans failed to consider.

 

[Mamoon]

Arsenal conceded 51 goals in PL in Emerys one full season.

With so called inferior defenders "that Arteta inherited" let's just deal with facts and stats since then in PL

19/20 - 48 goals
20/21 - 39 goals
21/22 - 48 goals
22/23 - 43 goals

So facts are Arsenal best season defensively was 20/21 in PL since Arteta took over, so the so called "rubbish he inherited" wasn't good enough yet, the players he's brought in have conceded more goals, don't let that fact slap you in the face.

Also saliba was a player he inherited, but you confidently ignored that as it didn't suit your agenda. He was signed by Emery, so stop with the Arteta upgraded, Arteta foolishly sent him out on loan for way to long before bring him back. Also the fact the whole defence fell apart as soon as Saliba (Emery signing) got injured shows how poor rest of defense is. Zinchenko is Andre Santos level standard as a defender, add to that tomayassu has missed 34 PL games in 2 seasons, so he's not an upgrade either. So essentially you are taking about white and Gabriel being only reliable Arteta defensive signings and both of those have been part of back 4s that have conceded more goals then back in 20/21.

Feel free to give more of your "if" and "arteta is only person that can do this" statements.

Facts are you have nothing to back your wild claims up apart from your opinion which has zero stats or substance to back it up.

Copy pasting stats is easy but understanding the context is more challenging.

As I mentioned earlier, Arsenal’s defense has been in tatters since Saliba’s injury. Prior to that, Arsenal had the best defense in the league after Newcastle and it was down to the back-line that Arteta put together.

The current back-line is the best that Arsenal have had in years and it is down to Arteta. The major problem is the lack of depth and how everything falls apart if someone gets injured. This is an area that needs to be addressed this summer because you can’t rely on Holding anymore.

Saliba and Martinelli were the only good Emery signing that Arteta inherited. Apart from him, the only signings that he inherited from Emery were all trash and he had to clean up the filth.

Pepe, Sokratis, Luiz, Guendouzi, Torreira etc. all these players were left behind by Emery and they weren’t good enough.

As far as Saliba is concerned, Arteta played a big role in his development by loaning him to Nice and Marseille when Arsenal fans and even Saliba’s agent were pressurizing the club to play him, but he knew it would be good for his long-term growth.

Those experiences helped him fit into the Arsenal first-team immediately this season and he took no time to adapt to the new environment.

 

[Technics 1210]

No due respect was given to Inter and the way the final was played was against the expectations of the English press.

They expected a stroll in the park for City because of the way they steamrolled Madrid and brushed aside Arsenal in the title race but it was anything but a stroll for City.

There is a difference between labeling City favorites (which they were and rightly so) and not giving Inter a chance at all. For example, asking Çalhanoğlu in the pre match presser if Inter would get a chance to score in the final.

The problem with English media and the fans is their general ignorance and delusion when it comes to football outside England. Which is why they still believe in the myth that PL is the toughest league to play in and top talents coming from other leagues would struggle to adapt even though that never happens.

Halaand came from a so-called inferior league but he has been smashing records left, right and centre in the “toughest” league in the world while Mane, one of the best players in the “toughest” league in the world has not been remotely as effective in Bayern.

Isak has been much better for Newcastle than he was at Sociedad and Ødegaard who has been sensational for Arsenal was not this good in Spain. I could go on and on and on.

Of course there are some contrary examples too, but you will find such examples in every league. It is not unique to the PL and the assertion that the PL is the toughest league in the world is not backed by any solid evidence.

At least the “PL is the most competitive league” theory has gone to the dogs after Pep arrived in England. The PL has been anything but competitive in the last few years. It is neither the most competitive nor the toughest league in the world and PL fans need to watch more football outside of England.

Not to mention how PL sides are regularly shafted by Spanish and Italian teams in Europa even though these teams barely get any respect from the English press and these teams are much better than the mid-table English sides.

PL is a top league, but it is not the only top league in the world. City are the best team in the world right now, but they weren’t in the last few seasons in spite of dominating English football and they might not be the strongest in the next few seasons.

Inter is a very organized team. They are very good at suffocating teams and not letting them score. They didn’t concede a single goal in the R16 and the semifinal against Milan. PL fans failed to recognize this and wrongly expected a thrashing in the final.

Madrid are much better than Inter offensively but they are extremely disorganized and chaotic at the back. They weren’t good enough to organize themselves against City the way Inter were, something that ignorant PL fans failed to consider.

Cite examples of the English media articles you speak of? This wasn't England vs Italy in the UCL finals.

Every article I read on the UCL final had Man City as favourites, and not a single article I read claimed it would be a walk in the park. In fact, the articles I read stated very clearly that the UCL final is the pinnacle of club football and reminded readers that Man City LOST to Chelsea 2 years ago in the UCL final.

 

[Amjid Javed]

Copy pasting stats is easy but understanding the context is more challenging.

As I mentioned earlier, Arsenal’s defense has been in tatters since Saliba’s injury. Prior to that, Arsenal had the best defense in the league after Newcastle and it was down to the back-line that Arteta put together.

The current back-line is the best that Arsenal have had in years and it is down to Arteta. The major problem is the lack of depth and how everything falls apart if someone gets injured. This is an area that needs to be addressed this summer because you can’t rely on Holding anymore.

Saliba and Martinelli were the only good Emery signing that Arteta inherited. Apart from him, the only signings that he inherited from Emery were all trash and he had to clean up the filth.

Pepe, Sokratis, Luiz, Guendouzi, Torreira etc. all these players were left behind by Emery and they weren’t good enough.

As far as Saliba is concerned, Arteta played a big role in his development by loaning him to Nice and Marseille when Arsenal fans and even Saliba’s agent were pressurizing the club to play him, but he knew it would be good for his long-term growth.

Those experiences helped him fit into the Arsenal first-team immediately this season and he took no time to adapt to the new environment.

Arteta had no role in salibas development whilst he was away on loan so again stop post nonsical rubbish, the fact that saliba was open to joining marseille after his loan spell says he clearly wasn't happy with being out on loan so long.

3 years on loan his development has nothing to do with a manager who mismanaged him, he was a better defender then fofana who was blooded into PL early, and same should have been done with saliba.

All the so called players that weren't good enough, helped Arteta win an FA Cup, since then he's been made to look like the fraud that he is in Cup competitions. Embarrassing himself season after season in EL

Teams in CL will be hoping they can draw Arsenal in group stages next season so they can Embarrass Arteta even more. Olmpiakos, villareal and sporting Lisbon have already made him look like a tactic-less fraud.

 

[Technics 1210]

For the record, the PL is the most competitive league in the world compared to the 2 way horse races of other leagues.

After all, Arsenal fans had a title penned in January, that is until West Ham registered a draw despite Arsenal being 2-0 up, that is until Arsenal drew with Southampton drew 3-3 after playing catchup, and then of course Forrest defeating Arsenal 1-0 ultimately handing the title to Man City.

The sheer unpredictability is what makes the PL the most competitive league in the world, just ask most of the Arsenal fans.

This is precisely the reason why players want to join the likes of Real Madrid/Barcelona, because they pretty much have a 100% chance of playing in the UCL. The odds of playing in the UCL while playing for a PL team drop drastically considering that in any one season there are 4 to 6 teams gunning for the UCL spot, instead of 2 teams in La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 etc which is a near guarantee.

And anyway, if we're talking money, the EPL is now the most valuable football league in the world according to Deloitte.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64314328

 

[Mamoon]

Arteta had no role in salibas development whilst he was away on loan so again stop post nonsical rubbish, the fact that saliba was open to joining marseille after his loan spell says he clearly wasn't happy with being out on loan so long.

3 years on loan his development has nothing to do with a manager who mismanaged him, he was a better defender then fofana who was blooded into PL early, and same should have been done with saliba.

All the so called players that weren't good enough, helped Arteta win an FA Cup, since then he's been made to look like the fraud that he is in Cup competitions. Embarrassing himself season after season in EL

Teams in CL will be hoping they can draw Arsenal in group stages next season so they can Embarrass Arteta even more. Olmpiakos, villareal and sporting Lisbon have already made him look like a tactic-less fraud.

Sending players on loan is part of the player development. Arteta sent him on loan because he wanted to give him more exposure.

Starting for Nice and Marseille did more for Saliba than sitting on the bench at Arsenal in 2020 and 2021 would have. Besides, let’s not forget that Saliba had some attitude issues too.

He needed these loans for his professional and personal development and these loans were the reason why he hit the ground running this season.

Fofana was starting for LCFC. Obviously Arsenal would have preferred to loan Saliba to a PL team but if that didn’t materialize for whatever reason, sending him on loan to clubs in his home country was the next best option.

 

[Mamoon]

For the record, the PL is the most competitive league in the world compared to the 2 way horse races of other leagues.

After all, Arsenal fans had a title penned in January, that is until West Ham registered a draw despite Arsenal being 2-0 up, that is until Arsenal drew with Southampton drew 3-3 after playing catchup, and then of course Forrest defeating Arsenal 1-0 ultimately handing the title to Man City.

The sheer unpredictability is what makes the PL the most competitive league in the world, just ask most of the Arsenal fans.

This is precisely the reason why players want to join the likes of Real Madrid/Barcelona, because they pretty much have a 100% chance of playing in the UCL. The odds of playing in the UCL while playing for a PL team drop drastically considering that in any one season there are 4 to 6 teams gunning for the UCL spot, instead of 2 teams in La Liga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 etc which is a near guarantee.

And anyway, if we're talking money, the EPL is now the most valuable football league in the world according to Deloitte.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64314328

If Arsenal finish second in a season and Barcelona finish 5th, 99/100 players would still prefer to join Barcelona unless Arsenal are offering way more money.

Real Madrid and Barcelona remain the two biggest clubs in the world and their pull is still unmatched. It has nothing to do with the perceived lack of competitiveness of La Liga.

Besides, when you look at the number of titles City have won in the last 5 years, you can’t use “competitiveness” as a selling point for the PL.

PL fans should be thankful to Arsenal, the second best team in the league. If it wasn’t for Arsenal, this would have been the most embarrassing PL season ever with City winning more comfortably than teams like Bayern and PSG usually do.

 

[Technics 1210]

If Arsenal finish second in a season and Barcelona finish 5th, 99/100 players would still prefer to join Barcelona unless Arsenal are offering way more money.

Real Madrid and Barcelona remain the two biggest clubs in the world and their pull is still unmatched. It has nothing to do with the perceived lack of competitiveness of La Liga.

Besides, when you look at the number of titles City have won in the last 5 years, you can’t use “competitiveness” as a selling point for the PL.

PL fans should be thankful to Arsenal, the second best team in the league. If it wasn’t for Arsenal, this would have been the most embarrassing PL season ever with City winning more comfortably than teams like Bayern and PSG usually do.

Look at the last 5 Man City PL wins. 2 of them were one by just 1 point (beating Liverpool), and this season Arsenal were on top for over 250 days, up to the point Man City pipped them to the title. Comfortable title wins you say?

Also look at the top 6 in the last 6 PL seasons - it varies quite a bit. Man City didn't win the PL titles with ease, titles literally went down to the wire.

In the history of top flight English/Spanish football, England has had 24 different winners, whereas La Liga has had just 9, with Real Madrid and Barcelona winning the bulk of the titles.

This is competitiveness in a nutshell compared to a typical 2 way horse race in other European leagues.

Winning a treble isn't easy, go ask Real Madrid fans who have won the Champions League a record number of times but have never won the Spanish treble.

 

[Mamoon]

Look at the last 5 Man City PL wins. 2 of them were one by just 1 point (beating Liverpool), and this season Arsenal were on top for over 250 days, up to the point Man City pipped them to the title. Comfortable title wins you say?

Also look at the top 6 in the last 6 PL seasons - it varies quite a bit. Man City didn't win the PL titles with ease, titles literally went down to the wire.

In the history of top flight English/Spanish football, England has had 24 different winners, whereas La Liga has had just 9, with Real Madrid and Barcelona winning the bulk of the titles.

This is competitiveness in a nutshell compared to a typical 2 way horse race in other European leagues.

Winning a treble isn't easy, go ask Real Madrid fans who have won the Champions League a record number of times but have never won the Spanish treble.

Since 2017-18, the PL has been anything but competitive. It is either a one horse race or a two horse race with the third place team miles behind the top two.

Between 2005 and 2011, United and Chelsea were the only two teams to win the PL. It was a two horse race like La Liga until City started building a title-winning side.

Historically, the English top division title has had more winners than Spain because no English team were good enough to dominate for extended period like Barcelona and Real Madrid.

It had nothing to do with competitiveness but everything to do with the fact that if the strongest teams in the division are not very strong, they will not dominate for extended periods of time. This is something that PL fans fail to understand.

PL has been as uncompetitive as any other league when one or two teams have raised the bar. City (twice) and Liverpool (once) have won the league by massive margins in the last 5 years.

PL’s so-called competitiveness has been an illusion created by the fact that the strongest PL teams were not very strong especially until the Klopp-Pep era. For example, the United team that dominated the PL in the late 2000s and early 2010s lost two UCL finals to Pep’s Barcelona and Madrid/Barcelona won all UCLs between 2014 and 2018.

 

[ads101]

I think people underrate the achievements of Man City. Their spending is comparable to other clubs like Man United, Chelsea who have spent more in recent years than City. Even Arsenal spend quite a bit. I wouldn’t class Liverpool either as a low spending club, though it’s impressive how they have competed given they are spending less than the other 4. All those clubs are big enough that they can keep hold of their players too, they don’t get lost to bigger clubs much. Look at Saka, he’s signed for Arsenal again. Had he been at a club with less pull, even Spurs, he’d be gone.

Spain only has two clubs with comparable money and pull which is why they dominate. Yet despite that Man City has been winning every year pretty much, turning it into a one horse race. If you look how much the others have spent, that really shouldn’t be the case but it is.

In the past Man Utd comfortably outspent the rest. Yes teams spent less money then. They also had the advantage of being able to hold onto their players due to their pull. And yet people attribute Man City’s success due to money, despite there now being legitimate contenders in spending.

The argument of financial fair play doesn’t hold true either. These rules were supposed to be in place to prevent bankruptcy of teams. Which isn’t going to happen at Man City. It’s not to give established clubs with bigger clubs an advantage. I don’t think a team deserves to be able to spend more than the rest because they’ve earnt it through having more fans. Man City should follow the rules, but it’s not an excuse for other teams to why they lose to Man City.

Honestly I’d argue it was a one horse race with Man Utd in the past, they had an advantage in everything. Since teams are now able to compete with Man Utd in spending, such as Chelsea and Man City it’s been turned into a competition again. With special mention to Klopp who has defied logic with his success despite much lower spending.