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Where will we finish 2025? part 2 I was five points out last time, my worst performance so far. It was also my most optimistic predictions. I said, and so did Dani Georgiev, that we would get 22 points and we got 17. I said last time that the target was 92 points at the end which means we needed: 2.421052631578947 points per match over the 38 games. We need to wipe the smile of Arne Slot's face The Table of Doom has obviously not started yet as most teams could get 92 points still except Southampton and Wolves. We now need 3 more points over the next 30 if we are to win the league as we dropped 3 from my target. In essence we need 25 points from the next ten. One draw and one loss and win the rest. We have made it even harder to get to 92. Manchester City and Liverpool have a better chance of reaching 92 than we have. If we beat Liverpool then we have nullified their advantage. If they beat us we have made it harder. We need to be almost perfect over the next ten. The good thing is that Liverpool are the best team we face, then Chelsea. This is an easier run of games but we dropped points to Bournemouth and Brighton, both teams similar to the others we face. Red cards = dropped points I know what you are saying about the red cards but if we continue as we are we will have around ten more red cards to the end of the season. As we lost 7 points in those games, ten red cards would lose us around 26 more points. 35 lost in total leaves us on 81 points which means no real chance of the title. It would also mean that we have to win all the games without red cards. Blue devils but not dark arts for Enzo Maresco? Hmm! Was it a coincidence that Arsenal were spun as the dark arts masters towards the end of last season and hyped enormously as so in the close season and the new one? Are we particularly worse than anyone else? Yes, we are masters of the dead ball but that is a tactic developed by Arteta’s team. The dark arts are pulling and dragging and diving mostly. I definitely don’t believe we are the worst divers and all teams pull and drag in dead ball situations. The professional foul is now standard for all teams and if Arsenal get a red card every time we will have to become tamer than the rest. That will definitely cost us points. We absolutely have to stop getting red cards I am going to go for an optimistic approach again for this blog but my proviso is that we don’t get lots of red cards and we can play more or less our normal game. Last season, despite somehow being flagged as dark arts kings, we had the second best disciplinary record. It is nonsense to believe we are dirtier than the rest. So, on to the matches and once again Dani Georgiev is my co-predictor: Liverpool at home and we must win. We may have to hope that Arne Slot is the new Ange Postecoglou and now that they have tougher matches they drop points. We must win here for all sorts of reasons and I believe we will. Even a draw makes everything harder. 2-1 for me and Dani and we hit 20 points Nuke Hassle away and it really depends what Newcastle turn up. They sometimes give us a hard time but I am hopeful that our defence stays solid and we come away with 3 points. 2-0 and 1-0 for Dani and we go to 23 points Chelsea away and one of four London derbies over this period. They have got good players and their manager is doing well but I feel they will give us chances. We must take them. I am worried that we won’t. Our first draw at 1-1 and 24 points but Dani goes for 2-1 and he now has 26 points Forest at home next and they have proved tricky this season and are the only team to beat Liverpool. We must win. I feel we will. Home advantage prevails in a nervy game. 2-1 27 points for me and Dani goes 4-0 and 29 points West Ham away and another London derby. They are struggling to get points and their manager could even be fired at this point if that continues. This could be one of our best performances even though we don’t score many. Could Julien Lopetegui be the first to be fired? 2-0 and 30 points with Dani 1-1 now also 30 and life is starting to look good for us. Manchester United at home and nobody knows what sort of Man Utd will appear. As long as this isn’t one of their good days we should win. Could be very nervy, though. 2-1 to us and Dani 2-0 and 33 points Fulham away next and are they our new bogey team? We got one point from them last term and maybe this will be another. London derbies are always tough. Are we afraid of this guy? We really need all 3 points from Marco Silva 1-1 For me and Dani 2-2 and 34 points Everton at home and Sean Dyche is struggling and could be gone by this stage. He regularly gives us a hard game but this time I feel we will once again be comfortable without scoring much. A late goal makes the game look easier than it is. Sean Dyche could be the first to be sacked. 2-0 and Dani 3-0 and 37 points Crystal Palace away and despite having good players they don’t seem to be taking to the new manager. He is another that could be gone by the time this comes around. We generally make hard work of Palace and I expect the same. It is another London derby. A late goal gives us the win. Or Oliver Glasner could be gone 2-1 and Dani the same 2-1 and 40 points. Hey, we won’t be relegated, yay! Ipswich at home last and they are playing really well without much result. There are Irishmen connected with this club and I would like to see them doing well. I loved Bobby Robson’s Ipswich in the 80’s. But no matter how well they play we must win. 2-1 for me and 3-1 for Dani and we get 43 points. This means we only drop 4 points and, honestly that is hard to see. I think we are now a battling side and I hope we scrape out the wins needed. 43 points at this stage could easily see us top the league over Christmas. A repeat of the first 8 games would see us with 21.25 points, rounding down to 21 would give us 38 points. We would really have an uphill battle then. I think we can expect City to keep winning. Will Liverpool? Villa are, like us, playing catch up, but they are a good side. I feel that top four at the moment is the final top four. The positions, though, are still open. We must put in a strong ten matches. And I hope no red cards.