Premier League title race: Chaser or chased? How to deal with pressure
For Manchester City and manager Pep Guardiola, finishing the title strongly is nothing new. Two seasons ago they were unbeaten in their last 23 league matches, winning 19 and finishing two points ahead of Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal.
City are also used to turning up the pressure before playing their title rivals.
Guardiola’s side won 11 of City’s last 15 games, the day before Arsenal; with three draws and just one defeat (a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle in November).
Former three-time Premier League champion Gunners defender Martin Keown thinks how Arsenal, who have finished second in each of the last three seasons, deal with the pressure will determine their season.
“It’s normal to want something so bad that sometimes it can get the best of you,” Keown said. “But there is still a lot to learn from this.
“They haven’t been in a situation where they’ve been ahead very often. It’s almost about doing a reset here, they’ve talked about it in the past. If we were starting the season over again, you’d go after your opponent and finish the job.”
“You also have to trust your teammates right now. You have to try to create a firm, calm determination.”
Steve Bruce, who won three Premier League titles with Manchester United in the 1990s, said: “Arsenal have shown remarkable consistency so far.
“No matter where you play and whoever you play, every game gets harder, especially when you’re in the title race and especially if you’re Arsenal because they haven’t won it for a long time.
“What you want now is for great players to perform. I was lucky enough to play in a team that featured a Frenchman; we always thought ‘Eric’. [Cantona] It gets us out of trouble.”
Joe Hart, a two-time Premier League winner with Manchester City, added: “There will be a lot of questions, a lot of noise at Arsenal – that’s life at its peak. “There’s no point in worrying, you’ve got to live in your own world.
“They know what’s going to be in their rearview mirror. Arsenal have been in this situation before, they know what they have to do.”
