It's always a strange start to the week when you find yourself agreeing with Gary Neville. The former Manchester United defender has a rogues' gallery of terrible Arsenal takes this season, but on Sunday, he was bang on. Mostly at least.
As Arsenal surrendered a two goal lead for the second time in as many games, sharks began quickly circling at the first scent of red and white blood this season. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink declared that it would be a "disaster" if the Gunners failed to win the league having had an eight point lead at one stage. Roy Keane quickly jumped on the dogpile, claiming that you would have to be "in cloud cuckoo land" to think anything else.
In reality though, it's people like these who are the delusional ones.
READ MORE: Why Mikel Arteta got angry at Thomas Partey as Arsenal's title hopes dealt huge blow
At the start of the season Arsenal were 40/1 on to win the Premier League. This made them sixth favourites for the title. As BBC Sport did their annual pre-season predictions only eight of the 23 pundits even had Arsenal finishing in the Champions League places, and not one of them thought they would end higher than fourth.
In fairness to them, the Gunners players didn't even think they were capable of a title push. “At this moment in time, that’s not our battle to win," said Aaron Ramsdale in a pre-season interview when asked if Arsenal could compete with Manchester City and Liverpool. “We know it’s going to be difficult to win the league with those two, with the experience they’ve gained from the past few years. Our game is to get as close as we can to them with this squad, adapt and learn and in a few years try to be on the same level."
It's with this context that you have to view the Gunners title charge.
Make no mistake this is not a fairytale story. That's why the comparisons to Leicester's success in 2016 have always felt wide of the mark. Arsenal have spent money, but they have done so effectively. With intelligent signings and targeted recruitment, Mikel Arteta and Edu have created a Gunners squad capable of claiming the biggest prize English football have to offer.
Their biggest crime is coming up against a state-funded Manchester City side who make that almost impossible. Whereas before momentary lapses in concentration - which is all that Oleksandr Zinchenko's late error at Liverpool and Thomas Partey's mistake in possession against West Ham were - would have been more stumbling blocks on the way to the title, now they swipe the legs from underneath you.
Perfection is required, but if Arsenal don't reach that, calling them bottlers is harsh at best and ignorant at worst. You cannot say it would be a huge shock for the Gunners to win the Premier League while simultaneously claiming it would be a disaster if they don't. Arteta's side could legitimately finish with 92 points this season - two more than the Invincibles managed in 2004 - and still come up short. If they do so it will not be a case of them bottling it, just as it wasn't when Liverpool came second with 97 points in 2019.
This is all slightly premature however. There is plenty of football to be played, and this is what Arteta will be focusing on. There is a depressing inevitability to the way City are gathering pace round the home straight that makes that look increasingly unlikely with each passing week. Stranger things have happened though, and in a world where Gunners fans find themselves siding with Gary Neville, it's clear that anything is possible.
What are your thoughts? Would Arsenal be bottling it if they don't win the title? Leave a comment to have your say.
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