Arsenal fans can be quick to criticise their team when things don’t go well but Stuart Pearce has come leaping to the team’s defence.
The Gunners dropped points at Wolves in midweek and the vultures were ready and waiting to pick apart Mikel Arteta’s side.
However, it was still an away point and like any team wanting to win, if you can’t win a game, then it’s vital not to lose.
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As we know, that’s not always good enough for some Arsenal fans but now, Stuart Pearce has leapt to the defence of Arteta’s men.
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For Arsenal to still be within a shot of winning all four competitions this season in February is quite the achievement.
Sometimes, supporters can overreact and according to former England and Man City man Pearce, Arsenal have only actually let themselves down in one 45 minute spell all season.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, Pearce claimed that Arsenal remain title favourites and the reality is they’ve only played poorly once all season.
“I would look at it like this, I’ve done the Man United game and I’ve done the Brentford game. Man United played brilliantly well to take points off them. Brentford were also outstanding,” Pearce said.
“The only team that had them for 45 minutes were Wolves and even then they got a point. We’re now in March and there’s only 45 minutes all season you can criticise. For me, that isn’t a bad scenario for champions in waiting.”
Asked if this weekend’s results will determine if Pearce changes his mind on who wins the title, he admitted it could well shift things.
“It might [change my mind on who wins the title]. But put it this way, the answer to who wins the league is in Arsenal’s dressing room. It’s not in the Man City dressing room.
“45 minutes at Wolves. That’s it. Brentford were fantastic and sometimes you have to tip your hat and say well done to the opposition for getting something. They’ve won every Champions League game. They’re in the final of the League Cup. At this moment in time though, if you’re a nervous Arsenal fan you’d have to say what more do they need to do in a season. Just take every week, and tick them off game by game.”
Small margins are what make the difference when Man City are in play
Some Arsenal fans would argue Pearce is wrong here. There have been a number of performances that haven’t been up to much good and while the Wolves game stands out, it’s not alone.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, when you’re trying to win a title ahead of Man City, these small margins count for a lot.
Whether it be a single 45 minutes or a full 90, sometimes that one lapse can be costly.
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We’ve seen the totals Man City have got over the years and more often than not, you’re looking at over 90 points to even have a chance.
Arsenal just have to keep going. They can’t always be perfect. But they have to be as close to it as they can, otherwise City will be lying in wait to swoop in.
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