Arsenal beat Everton 1-0 to return to the top of the Premier League table after Manchester City leapfrogged the Gunners.
It could be Pep Guardiola’s last season at Man City, and the Spaniard certainly means business.
While Arsenal are a force to be reckoned with in the Premier League, it’s impossible to ignore Man City’s building form as the title race takes shape.
Though the outcome of the race likely won’t be decided until May, it’s a talking point week after week, making Arsenal’s win over Everton all the more significant.
Do you agree with Paul Merson? Let us know how confident you feel about the title race.
Ian Wright noticed how calm Arsenal were after beating Everton
The victory meant Arsenal will sit top of the table on Christmas Day, which actually isn’t a plus for the Gunners, who haven’t won the league when sitting top at Christmas in 78 years.
Still, there’s hope that this season will be different for Arsenal, and Ian Wright spotted one reason why it could be.
Speaking on Premier League Productions after the win at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Wright commented on how the Arsenal players presented themselves post-match.
“You can see, everybody’s very composed, very calm about what’s happening. No one’s getting too excited about being at the top of the league now,” Wright said.
“They know if they carry on doing what they’re doing and winning games, they can stay there; it’s in their hands. The main thing is that they’re on the right page in terms of what they want to achieve.”
The Arsenal legend was right to highlight the importance of remaining calm and avoiding getting overexcited, which is something the Gunners have been called out on already this season.
Arsenal have clearly learned their lesson after Thierry Henry’s scolding
Two matchdays before the Everton win, Arsenal lost to Aston Villa and received feedback that might’ve taught Mikel Arteta’s players a lesson.
Thierry Henry didn’t like how Arsenal reacted at Villa Park after conceding an injury-time dagger, saying that the squad “dropped to the ground like they had lost something.”
If you could change one thing at Arsenal right now to guarantee the Premier League title, what would it be and why?
What Henry said might’ve seemed harsh, but it carried weight, as the title race cannot be on the players’ minds already under any circumstances.
The Villa defeat is in the past, and the Everton win is the trending topic, making Wright’s comments all the more significant.
Wright saw a group of players who were simply satisfied with getting the job done, earning three points to remain on track in the title race.
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