Arsenal went on a winning run to overcome Spurs in second at the tail-end of last season when the pressure was off, but can they play with a care-free attitude now?
Manchester City just won 5-0 against Crystal Palace to move joint-third with Liverpool, who both sit on 39 points, leaving our side nine points behind whilst having played two matches less.
The Gunners are far from impossible in their bid to claw back a place in the top-four, with a possible 15 points available from their league campaign, but with the points gap currently between themselves and the CL spots must seem daunting.
A win this weekend against Manchester United, who are claimed to be rotating players for our crunch tie at the Emirates on Sunday, will move us within two points of the Red Devils, whilst having played once less, and would give us the advantage over them in the race.
We will be hoping that United do give us an easy ride through some unforced changes, which could well give us the platform to string together a run of wins at this crucial time in the season, but it may help us more to all-but write off our chances.
Last season, Spurs famously came third in a two-horse race for the Premier League title, when capitulating under the pressure of being Leicester’s last remaining rivals, and it was our care-free winning form which led us to leapfrog our noisy neighbours.
While we can’t climb above our rivals this season all the same, we do need to overhaul two of Man City, United and Liverpool or we will miss out on Champions League football for the first time in 21 years…
Should Wenger play down our top-four hopes in the dressing room? Or would warning them of their last chance to stay in this be the best policy?
Pat J