- Steve Nicol says Arsenal are under pressure
- City in a good position
- Game in hand boosts hopes
Steve Nicol has claimed that Manchester City are under ‘no pressure’ in the Premier League title race ahead of their clash against Arsenal.
With the long-anticipated Arsenal fixture just around the corner, fans can feel the pressure as both clubs desperately push to win the Premier League title.
The Gunners have failed to a title since their 2003/04 invincible season, and Mikel Arteta will be eager to change that.
City, on the other hand, have won eight of their 10 overall titles after the 2003/04 season, of which six were recorded under current manager Pep Guardiola.
Despite the expectations weighing on Guardiola’s shoulders, ex-Premier League defender Steve Nicol believes that Arsenal are still favourites for the title.
Steve Nicol claims Arsenal are shouldering the pressure
Liverpool legend Nicol told ESPN about the story when the Reds chased down Everton in the 1985/86 season.
He sees a lot of parallels with the current Premier League title race as he remembers there being no pressure on them to win the title. Consequently, the Toffees were leading for a major part of the season and shouldered all the pressure.
The former Scotland international goes on to say that Man City have no pressure. However, things might change if Guardiola’s men win this Sunday against Arsenal.
“I mean, for me, if Arsenal win this game [Sunday], done, if City win it, then they are the favourites and the way they’re playing, you wouldn’t put money against them winning the title”, Nicol said.
“So yeah, for City, no pressure. ‘Hey, nobody expects us to win, and if we don’t win, it people won’t say anything other than well Arsenal’s been top of the league all season.’ So I don’t see where the pressure is on City. It is a 100 per cent on the shoulders of Arsenal, big time.”
Man City can flip the narrative this weekend
With the Citizens on a winning streak, it feels likely that the pressure will begin to build eventually, especially if they win on Sunday.
Arsenal have just played Sporting CP in the UEFA Champions League, so that gives City an advantage heading into the clash.
After all, the Sky Blues will be fresh as their last game was against Chelsea was last weekend. With one week of rest, Guardiola’s men have the physical advantage at the Etihad Stadium.
The Citizens have more psychological freedom
Following Nicol’s reading of the current narrative, the Scotsman has a credible hypothesis. The Gunners have been top of the table for the whole season.
City, on the other hand, are entering a transition phase, with Guardiola’s future still uncertain. The Catalan manager did the best job possible during his 10-year tenure and also won the Carabao Cup this season.
Man City still have the FA Cup, though, as their performances in cup competitions have been spectacular. Consequently, the club arguably have more freedom when it comes to not beating Arsenal this week, and that lack of pressure is what brings the best out of players in big games.
Having said that, failing to win could well see City’s title hopes dwindle and these supporters are used to winning more than just domestic cups. Therefore, it is important that Guardiola leads his team to victory.
