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Mikel Arteta is a passionate manager who wears his heart on his sleeve. But in a title run-in, that passion can sometimes weigh heavily on an Arsenal team that are still learning on the job how to be Premier League champions.
Manchester City have momentum, but Arsenal have been the captains of this season. The trophy is within their grasp, yet they risk letting City, masters of arriving late to the party, dictate the late-season music.
At the Etihad this weekend, you could hear Arteta’s voice even from the press box. Shouting himself hoarse, he was on his feet for most of the game, consumed by the tension and magnitude of the occasion.
Arsenal need to calm down
Pep Guardiola, by contrast, was calm, hands in pockets - only moved occasionally by decisions which did not go his side's way. Even when a mistake came, he barely reacted, simply glancing at his assistant before sitting back down with a bottle of water.
That level of calmness can often be more effective than the intensity Arteta has shown lately. Pressure at this stage of the season can overwhelm even the most accomplished sportsmen in the world.
This Arsenal team has been one of the most complete in recent Premier League seasons. They are built not to lose, and they have proven that over the past eight months.
But the final stretch will test them in ways they haven’t experienced before. It will reveal just how strong they are as a collective. Small moments, like how quickly they seemed rattled after conceding at the Etihad, and responding straight away will matter.
It would have been easy for them to let their heads drop and begin to doubt themselves after conceding the opener, given the narrative surrounding them. But they responded, forcing an error and equalising almost immediately.
But then they returned to embodying their head coach; they looked pressed, under pressure, despite being the team that could have afforded not to win and still remain in a strong position.
Sport is art in many ways, and the best artists will tell you one thing: "It cannot be rushed." Arsenal, at times, have handled this run-in with greater urgency than has been necessary.
They have allowed themselves to be pulled into a familiar narrative, that they struggle under pressure, that they falter when it matters most.
Arteta has said this is now a “different league.” The pressure of being chased has shifted, now it’s about handling the weight of expectation.
He is a philosophical manager. In the past, he has used creative methods, like demonstrations in training or recreating hostile atmospheres to prepare his players. Now, he may need to create calm instead, ensuring his team can thrive with their backs against the wall.
After the game, Arteta said: “This is a different league now and the boys know. We are disappointed because we came here to win, but that was it.”
That mindset may be exactly what Arsenal need to see this through and win their first league title in over two decades. They must treat this run-in as something separate from the season that came before.
City face Burnley next and could go top before Arsenal play again. But the real danger would be Arsenal allowing themselves to be consumed by what City do.
Arteta needs to reset his team, mentally as much as tactically. They must rediscover the freedom they played with earlier in the season and approach this title race as hunters, not the hunted.
Their performance against City was strong, even if, at this stage, results are all that matter. If Arteta can ease the pressure and free his players from the burden of expectation, they still have what it takes to get across the line in pole position.
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