Aaron Ramsdale has sent a defiant message to Arsenal doubters that they have learned a lot from their failings last season.
Mikel Arteta's side currently sit five points clear at the top of the standings and a win against Crystal Palace today would take them eight points above second-placed Manchester City, who didn't play this weekend due to their involvement in the FA Cup. Still, a lot of people continue to doubt the Gunners' title credentials considering the way they lost out on a top-four finish last term by losing two of their final three league outings, falling 3-0 and 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United respectively.
However, that disappointment has helped shape their current mentality, according to goalkeeper Ramsdale. "We panicked in certain games at the end of last season, I think we have learnt from [it]," the young shot-stopper told Sky Sports. "I think we know how to deal with that a lot better now."
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Ramsdale's comments could very well be a direct response to Manchester United legend Gary Neville, who has consistently been vocal in his assessment of Arsenal's fragile mentality when it comes to the title race. Speaking to The Overlap earlier this month, Neville said: "We have this little [WhatsApp] group on Sky and obviously they know that I’ve nailed my colours to the mast that City are going to win the league and I’ve been getting a lot of stick from Arsenal fans.
"But after the Villa game I got on the group [and there were messages saying] 'unbelievable win for Arsenal' and I replied: 'It’s all too desperate, too much emotion too early.'
"I think I’ll be right at the end of the season but I might not be – and it sounds daft but emotion in football when you’re playing and you’re that desperate and you celebrate that much, and you’ve still got half the race to go almost, it’s not a good thing.
"You ordinarily don’t celebrate that hard. So after the Villa game, I could understand how big a moment it was, and actually to be fair I didn’t say this publicly, but I thought, 'That’s quite desperate quite early'.
"The emotion is something that is a negative, it’s not a positive in a title race, for me, honestly. You’re right to be worried [about emotional fatigue]."
Despite Arsenal sitting top of the league for much of the season, Neville has consistently reiterated that he believes City will still triumph in May. The former Manchester United defender has once again explained his reasons citing their past experience in the business-end of the season will be invaluable.
He said: "That’s been my stance from day one [Man City winning the league] with them [Arsenal] not being there before. Manchester City will win this league because when it gets to that last 10 games you do start to panic a bit.
"That anxiety kicks in and the pressure builds, you’re playing in the Europa League potentially as well and you’re travelling away from home on a Thursday and you’re coming back playing a league game on a Saturday and everyone is looking at you.
"I do think at that point Arsenal will wilt because they haven’t proven yet to anybody that they can go the distance. I didn’t think Leicester would stay the pace at all, I thought they’d just blow up in the last five games.
"Look, if Arsenal do it, it will be an unbelievable achievement but the reason I take my stance is just because I’ve been around the block."
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