Arsenal - Man City: The story of the Hunter and the Hunter

Psychological battle

Mikel Arteta's students are leading the rankings with 76 points, while Manchester City are 5 points behind and have 1 match to play. In terms of psychology, which position is the best? Is Arsenal leading for a long time and is regaining momentum? Or is "veteran" Man City too familiar with these situations and is putting the opponent in their sights?

After City defeated Burnley 1-0 at the end of last month, Micah Richards said that the last 6 matches of the season brought a feeling of "psychological difference". The former Man City defender also emphasized the importance of winning experience in such high pressure situations.

Pep Guardiola has rebuilt most of the squad in the past 12 months. 6 out of 11 players who started in the 2-1 victory over Arsenal last month have never won the Premier League under Pep, but he himself has won 6 times in England. Meanwhile, Arsenal has signed contracts with players who have won titles, but as a team, they are still waiting for a specific moment to affirm their position.

Overcoming the final hurdle is really the hardest part," Petr Cech - former Chelsea and Arsenal goalkeeper, shared, "You are very close, but you need to reach the finish line. People think victory is easy, but it's not! You need to experience it. You need to know how to face victory and difficult times.

In the last 3 seasons, Arsenal have been in second place. This season, they have been at the top since October and only let Man City take the spot for 3 days. "The psychological game here is that when you are in a chasing position, perhaps the pressure of expecting to win will be less," sports psychologist Dan Abrahams said, "If you are at the top for a long time, you will have a psychology of fear of loss, which stems from the evolutionary psychology of cavemen 200,000 years ago. When protecting a den, you have something to lose if you have a wife and children in it. Therefore, you will become more cautious and careful, which is shown on the pitch by hesitation and frustration. In many cases, you will be less cautious and hesitant (when you are a chaser) because you are pursuing your own expectations".

One of the most dramatic Premier League title races took place between Chelsea and Manchester United in the 2009-2010 season. In March, Chelsea were eliminated from the Champions League by Inter Milan, then drew with Blackburn Rovers, making them 4 points behind the top spot, despite having 1 match to play. Chelsea then won most of the remaining matches, in which the 2-1 result against United at Old Trafford put them 2 points above Sir Alex Ferguson's team. Despite the race having many turns, Chelsea had momentum in the last 5 matches and won the championship with a 1-point gap on the last day.

Arteta's experience

After Arsenal's defeat to City, Arteta considers the last 5 weeks as the beginning of a new tournament. That is a way to reset. But when goal difference, as well as points, need to be considered, then many other factors must be considered: When should we start calculating the score difference, not just 3 points? How bold a team must be to pursue goals?

The only Premier League title decided by goal difference was in the 2011-2012 season, when Man City surpassed Man United on the last day to win their first National Championship title after 44 years.

But Arteta knows what it feels like to play under pressure, knows the feeling of scoring a penalty in the 90th minute to ensure Rangers win the Scottish championship thanks to goal difference against Celtic in the 2002-2003 season. In a dramatic afternoon, Celtic led 4-0 and Rangers led 5-1. They were still tied in points and goal difference. Celtic needed 2 more goals and missed a penalty, but tension still enveloped Ibrox Stadium, even when Rangers were awarded a penalty in the 90+3 minute.

At that time Rangers had Lorenzo Amoruso, Arthur Numan, Barry Ferguson, Shota Arveladze, Ronald de Boer and Scottish players such as Neil McCann and Steven Thompson as senior teammates. When 50,000 home fans were silent, Arteta, 21 years old, stepped forward and fooled the goalkeeper to increase the score to 6-1, ending all doubts about the cup belonging to Ibrox.

That is one of the most wonderful emotions I have ever had in my career," Arteta shared last month, "You have to put all your heart into it, that's all you have, you have to put it on the table, you have to make it a reality".

This is a new experience for Arsenal, but it is something their coach has lived through. He will hope to inspire a similar victory, perhaps hoping it will be less stressful.