The Gunners may have let leads slip in their last two matches, but the way they are playing suggests a confident team who can still see off Man City
Two games, two two-goal leads, four points dropped. Arsenal head into Friday's match against Southampton with fingers being pointed firmly in their direction after a costly seven days in the Premier League title race.
Have Mikel Arteta’s side just let the title slip from their grasp? Are they ‘bottling it’, as so many seem to be taking great delight in suggesting?
Or have they just hit a slight bump in the road that they are going to bounce back from as they go on to claim their first league title since 2004?
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Ultimately, time will tell. Arsenal have seven games of this remarkable season remaining. Win them all and the Premier League trophy will take pride of place at Emirates Stadium for the next 12 months.
Slip up again, however, especially in their huge game at Manchester City next week, and Pep Guardiola’s side will once again be in the driving seat as they look to retain the title they have claimed for the past two seasons.
Getty'It’s playing tricks in their head'
So just what has gone on at Arsenal during the past two games? Are they really bottling it? Has the growing shadow of Manchester City in the rear view mirror become too big to ignore? Roy Keane clearly thinks so.
“It’s obviously playing tricks in their heads now and they’re lacking that something,” the Manchester United legend said following Sunday’s 2-2 draw at West Ham. “The word we always use with Man City, and Arsenal are lacking it, is composure.
“Particularly in winning positions, which can happen. They can still go on and win it, they’re in a fantastic position if they just keep their heads and have a bit of composure.
“But again, the question was if they were to finish second, it would be a huge disappointment for Arsenal."
AdvertisementGetty ImagesCarragher gets it right
Clearly, everyone is going to have their own opinion as to what happened to Arsenal at Anfield and the London Stadium. But the suggestion that Arteta’s side are bottling anything is laughable.
Jamie Carragher was excellent in his analysis on Monday Night Football, rightly pointing to how impressively Arsenal started the matches at Liverpool and West Ham.
If a side was feeling the pressure and playing within themselves, they would not have been able to start those games the way they did.
There were no nerves on show when Arsenal toyed with Liverpool and silenced Anfield in that breathtaking opening half an hour. And no-one seemed to be thinking about Manchester City when the visitors sliced West Ham apart with ease early on in east London on Sunday.
Arsenal were playing with the same freedom they have done all season. The difference here was they took their eye off the ball.
It was too easy for them. Instead of going for the kill, they eased off. They got cocky, and in all honesty that is just as bad as bottling it or losing your nerve, whatever you want to call it.
GettyPartey's moment of madness
Thomas Partey’s ridiculous attempt to lift the ball over Declan Rice deep inside his own half summed it up perfectly. There was no need to do something like that. It was lazy and Arsenal were punished for it.
“Partey sees him coming,” Carragher said. “We’re talking about a really powerful man – all he has to do there is get his body in the way of Declan Rice and the ball, and Declan Rice is not knocking him off the ball – he’s not.
"I’m convinced that if that game is at 0-0, Partey uses his power, he uses his strength. But the game’s become so easy he tries a trick. You don’t try a trick like this. You shouldn’t even try that in training.
"It’s complacency because the game is so easy.”
You could see how frustrated Arteta was after the draw against West Ham. He knew exactly how costly those two points could prove to be.
(C)Getty ImagesAll focus on Southampton
The key thing for Arsenal’s manager now will be trying to shut off all the noise that is swirling around his team and get them focused on Southampton this Friday.
He has shown before that he trusts his players and he will know that they haven’t bottled anything this season.
They have passed almost every challenge that has come their way, and on the few occasions they have a slight stumble, they have responded impeccably. That’s what has to happen again against the struggling Saints.
Three points against the Premier League’s basement boys is an absolute must ahead of next Wednesday’s trip to the Etihad.
The fact that Arsenal, who no-one gave even the slightest chance of winning the title this season, are leading the juggernaut that is Manchester City with seven games to go is remarkable in itself.
They are on course for a points total in excess of 90 points. In days gone by, that would be more than enough to win the title most seasons.
But that is the challenge they are up against now. That's what City bring to the table. You need to be almost perfect to be crowned champions.
