Darren Bent believes there is only one thing stopping Arsenal from winning the Premier League this season.
The Gunners sit pretty at the summit of the English top flight after eight matches, three points clear of second-placed Manchester City.
Mikel Arteta’s side eased past Fulham in their last match, and they now have crucial clashes against Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sunderland to come over the next few weeks.
Many are now tipping the North Londoners to win the title, and while Bent is confident, he does believe one thing could hold them back.
Darren Bent says ‘pressure’ is Arsenal’s kryptonite
Arsenal look like the best team in the league at the moment.
The Gunners have conceded just three goals all season, with their defensive solidity providing a foundation for them to pick up points consistently.
Meanwhile, they’re outstanding at finding goals from set-pieces, and their general attacking play is improving every week as their new signings settle.
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal are now the favourites to win the title, and Bent believes that the pressure of this tag could actually be what ultimately derails them in the pursuit of silverware.
Speaking on talkSPORT, the former Tottenham striker claimed that ‘pressure’ is Arsenal’s ‘kryptonite’.
“What’s your [Arsenal’s] kryptonite? What will stop Arsenal winning everything this season?” presenter Andy Goldstein asked Bent.
“Pressure,” the pundit replied.
“And the reason why I say pressure is if it comes down to, say Arsenal, Liverpool and City are all going for it, and it’s really close in terms of the points, two points, one point, three points, right?
“It’s maybe it’s the Arsenal fan in me, but it’s hard to kind of back against those two because those two have had pressure of going at each other and have been able to navigate themselves to win the Premier League titles or win whatever competitions they’re in.
“So, I think that’s the only thing right now, the pressure that can build on Arsenal. Have they got that mentality to finally get over the line and win the league or win the Champions League? That’s where I think is a kryptonite.”
Arsenal don’t look like they’re feeling the pressure
At the moment, Arsenal are playing carefree, relaxed football.
They don’t seem impacted by the outside noise or the growing pressure on them to win a piece of major silverware.
That said, it’s only October, and the true test of whether they can handle the pressure will be in March and April, when every fixture feels extremely significant.
Ultimately, however, Arteta’s team seem focused and extremely intent on winning a trophy this season. The Spaniard has assembled a group of players who are mentally strong, capable of fighting off narratives and perfectly executing the instructions they’ve been given.
Arsenal look like the most mentally robust team in the league, and this should bear fruit in the long run.
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