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Lineker thinks Arsenal need a change of approach | Rest is Football
Gary Lineker has issued his take on Arsenal’s Premier League title bid, which may be waning.
Gary Lineker has provided his thoughts on Arsenal’s title hopes as suggestions that the Gunners might bottle their bid begin to grow. Arsenal are now five points clear of Manchester City but having played a game more following Wednesday night’s draw with Wolves.
Arsenal gave up a two-goal lead against the Premier League’s bottom club, and suddenly there is a different feel to their title bid, and indeed its chances of success.
Manchester City are closing in with consistent form, and with the two sides still to face each other before the season finishes, both Arsenal and City now have their respective fates in their own hands.
That’s all City could have asked for given they once looked as though they were on the verge of falling out of the race altogether. For Arsenal, there is now a nervy feeling around the club, and they now kick off a tricky run of games with the North London derby on Sunday.
The Gunners are going to have to hold their nerve and prove claims of pressure getting to them wrong. According to Gary Lineker, they must do that with an aggressive approach.
“Do you think Arsenal just need to grow a pair? I know it’s easier said than done but get yourself together and be a bit more aggressive,” he said on the Rest is Football podcast. “Be a bit more on the front foot, especially when they get ahead. Is it just a mindset problem for Arsenal, is it a little stutter in the season which every team will go through at some point?
“I suspect they’ll still go on to win the title myself, but this might be a little shot in the arm that they need to sort out. Man City are now just the five points behind Arsenal and they have that game in hand. I suppose the question is can City be as consistently brilliant as they were when they won the title four seasons in a row, in that period that pretty much won every game after Christmas, you couldn’t see them dropping points. I’m not quite sure Man City are there or can be as consistent enough to track Arsenal down.”
Arsenal are still in control at the top of the Premier League table, and City have some tricky games of their own to take care of. It will also be interesting to see what kind of mental impact the Carabao Cup final has, with Arsenal and City going head to head at Wembley next month.
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