Pizy

Abysmal start to the 2nd half here...

If Cesc is sacrificed for Bats I just think we'll play for a 0-0.

Nothing to do with mentality. Everything to do with the skill sets of our midfielders. None of Cesc, Baka, or Kante excell when they have the ball and are pressed. They get squeezed out of the game. Don't think we've been negative at all. This is just the exact sort of team and tactics we struggle against. Super technical, relentless pressing teams.

Think the best we can hope for now is a goal on a lightning counter. Now that Morata is off we have no point of reference up top or anyone to occupy the CB's. So frustrating to lose him in a game like this. Was playing so well, too.

Have to wonder where the goal will come from now. Huge blow.

OH, FUCK! Hamstring for Morata. FUCK!

Same! So anxious!

Please, PLEASE don't let us give away a dozen free kicks from cheap fouls in dangerous areas like we did against Stoke. Very lucky not to concede then and with KDB here, it's extremely dangerous.

Indeed, but in my opinion (and José's I'm sure) it's probably ideal to have a piss easy start like they've had. Perfect to build up confidence and goal difference against shite opposition so by the time you play anyone decent everything is set.

Loads of athletes in our XI. Cesc the only player in our lineup who may struggle physically.

Azpi at RWB by the look of that team. I like it! This is a great XI and one that should in no way get blasted by City.

It's actually ridiculous how unbelievably easy Man United's fixture list has been so far this season. Played nothing but relegation candidates in the PL and blown them all away and in the CL have a piss easy Europa League-level group. It's as if Mourinho himself hand picked the schedule. They have not been tested at all yet. What have they conceded so far, 2 goals this season?

True. I feel like this is a match that will truly show us what kind of personality our boys have. Have to come out without fear and not let them dictate the game like they always do. Step up and control it like we did midweek and City suddenly aren't as scary. When you let them have their way they'll punish anyone. Will be depressing if we revert back to Mourinho-ball.

Before the Atleti game I would have gladly. After seeing how good we looked there, though, and without Aguero who always kills us I think anything but 3 points would be a letdown. Obvioulsy a point would be decent.

Just realized looking at the table that we can possibly finish the weekend and enter the international break joint top or in about 6th-7th. Strange to think of a game in September as a must win, but this is for me. Follow up that CL performance with a win against everyone's title favorite and it will be a massive boost just like the winning streak we went on last season. Lose and there's huge pressure on us every week going forward just to keep pace.

Surely in a demanding position like wing back Zappa has to start this after Moses just played? Along with possibly Cahill for Rüdiger that's the only area we can really rotate. Can't rotate Alonso because the step down to Kenedy is so huge. Bakayoko and Kante surely need to play against probably the strongest midfield in the league.Maybe Cesc drops out for Pedro? I actually hope we go with the same team that we did in Spain with Christensen for Luiz obviously. Maybe Rüdiger for Cahill. Cesc in a midfield 3 against City's defense will be a key if he plays. With City's wing backs always bombing forward and their CB's playing so high, he can catch them out easily with a pass to Hazard or Morata. Would be a mammoth 3 points for the mentality of the squad to be level with City going into the (fucking stupid) international break.

Yeah, as great as Aguero is and as well as he always is against us, they still have ridiculous quality up top.

Think I said it after the Stoke game that he's been adventuring further and further forward more in these first few matches than I've ever seen him in the last two seasons combined. Clear that Conte and his coaching staff are working so well with him and encrouraging him to add more to his game. He's a genuine box to box beast. Imagine how our midfield will look once Bakayoko also improves like this! Add in the magic of Cesc and we'll have ourselves a midfield that can compete with anyone. Still a way to go but we'll get there.

Biggest key for us was winning the midfield battle and stopping any real service into Griezmann and their other attackers. Koké wasn't in the game at all and our wing backs were mostly solid and didn't allow them to swing anything dangerous in to our box.

WHAT A FUCKING PERFORMANCE!!!! My personal MoTM? N'Golo fucking Kante. He was unbelievable today and absolutely all over the pitch. 3-5-2 has to be the way forward for every big match against a top opponent.

By the letter of the law it's a pen, but that stuff happens on every single corner with no referees calling it. Morata was bear hugged by Koké just moments earlier and nothing.

Nearly played the perfect half and then that.

I actually don't mind Cahill playing here. A game that will likely be physical rather than super fast. It's a team like City at the weekend that he shouldn't play against.

I just hope Moses and Alonso are good enough for this level. They're really the only 2 in our best XI that I look at and cringe a bit when we face elite opposition. Hope our boys come out and play with courage and balls because you know Atleti will try to blitz us and feed off their crowd.

I worry about us more in the City match than this one, strangely. As great as Atleti are they have a style that I think we match up well against. City play the exact sort of football that we struggle against. That's not to say this won't be an extremely tough tie obviously. I'd say the City game is more important and if things go south today I hope Conte has that in mind.