There’s a fun irony that Spurs’ greatest win this season could play a massive part in helping us in the title race.
Tottenham fans are used to that of course ….
There greatest era in the Prem’s history saw us win 4 more trophies then them.
Their greatest ever academy graduate won the League at White Hart Lane …. Sol Campbell!
Now on a day where they had a post-match parade for Harry Kane being their greatest goal scorer, even then the day was more significant for the red half of North London.
My belief is if there a scenario where we become Champions is if Man City in the end don’t put any pressure on us.
If they were to get to April and May and the margin between the two clubs is a small one, then City have the advantage, simply because they are blessed with a dressing room of players who know how to get over the line.
Think back to Leicester’s triumph. They took it game by game but did anyone in the end truly chase them?
We should have after Danny Welbeck’s header, and Spurs think they did but in the end the Foxes lifted the Prem with room to spare.
Sir Alex Ferguson said he used to ignore the table at this time of the year and only cared about his team being in contention come ‘squeaky bum time’.
That’s when he would trust his players to use their experience as an advantage over the competition.
That’s what Pep will hope for. Yet will City actually ask the question?
Cancelo loaned out, KDB on the bench, before that Foden, senior players not in defence, etc, it’s a strange time of the campaign to be trying things out.
That’s why Sunday could prove so vital.
I believe a strong mentality is crucial in sport and ultimately decides who wins and who nearly wins.
A Man City win would have changed the focus on this week where the conversation would have been based on our points advantage being just two points.
It would have sent us into the Brentford game with anxiety and flashbacks to last season when we didn’t show up at Selhurst Park and then at home to Brighton.
There is a big difference between playing a home game to protect a two point lead compared to knowing a win sends our nearest competitor into Sunday eight points behind us.
If both Arsenal and Man City had won this weekend the gap would have been 5 points.
It’s never good to lose but the fact is it’s another match chalked off with our 5 point gap intact.
That’s how our manager needs to present the situation this week.
Arteta knows our attitude wasn’t good enough but that we got away with it.
It’s rare that you can use a loss as a chance to learn something from without being punished.
After Goodison there is zero reason why we shouldn’t be motivated for our next game.
If we get to April/May and it’s a small margin between the two clubs I fear we won’t have the mental strength to deal with the pressure and can see us crippled by our fear of failure.
Yet watching Man City at the moment, who says they will put that pressure on?
Dan
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