'it's Better To Be Chased' - The Mentality Of A Title Race

For Manchester City and leader Pep Guardiola, ending powerfully to triumph a title is thing new. Two seasons agone they went unbeaten done their past 23 convention matches, winning 19 of them, to decorativeness 2 points clear of Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

City are besides utilized to piling connected nan unit earlier their title rivals play.

On nan past 15 times erstwhile City person played a time earlier Arsenal, Guardiola's broadside person won 11 of them, pinch 3 draws and conscionable 1 nonaccomplishment - a 2-1 conclusion by Newcastle successful November.

Former Gunners defender Martin Keown, a three-time Premier League winner, thinks really Arsenal, runners-up successful each of nan past 3 seasons, header pinch nan unit will specify their campaign.

"It's normal erstwhile you want thing truthful much, sometimes it tin get nan amended of you," said Keown. "But there's plentifulness of clip to study from it.

"They've not been successful this business wherever they've been successful beforehand excessively often. It's almost astir doing a reset here, which they've talked astir successful nan past. If we were starting nan play afresh, you'd conscionable spell aft your force and conscionable decorativeness nan occupation off.

"You besides person to spot your team-mates successful nan moment. You request to effort to create a steely, calm determination."

Steve Bruce, who won 3 Premier League titles pinch Manchester United successful nan 1990s, said: "Arsenal person shown singular consistency truthful far.

"Every game, nary matter wherever you play and who you play, it becomes difficult, particularly if you're successful a title title and particularly if you're Arsenal, because they haven't won it successful truthful long.

"What you want astatine this clip is nan large players to perform. I was fortunate capable to play successful a squad wherever a definite Frenchman came to nan fore - we ever thought 'Eric [Cantona] will get america retired of trouble'."

Joe Hart, a two-time Premier League victor pinch Manchester City, added: "There will beryllium a batch of questions, a batch of sound connected Arsenal - that is life astatine nan top. There is nary constituent successful worrying, you person to unrecorded successful your ain world.

"They cognize what is coming successful their rear-view mirror. Arsenal person been successful this business earlier though, they cognize what they request to do."