Teddy Sheringham has drawn on his experiences with Manchester United when discussing the title race, and claims it would be foolish for Leicester and Tottenham to write off Arsenal, as reported by the Mirror.
We’re currently 11 points behind league leaders Leicester – albeit with a game in hand – and in all honesty the title looks out of reach. It’s still mathematically possible though, and until that’s no longer the case we need to keep fighting.
Manchester United have come from impossible looking positions to clinch the title in the past, and Sheringham knows exactly what it takes. Experience can be vital, and Leicester and Tottenham have next to none in this department.
“They have been there before, they know what it takes,” he said.
“For Leicester and Spurs, this is new territory. The closer the end of the season comes, the more nerve will be a factor. At the moment, the top two are responding to the challenges.
“Take the last weekend before the international break. Leicester won at Crystal Palace and that is never easy. Spurs HAD to hit back – and they did straight away by beating Bournemouth. They had it won in the first 20 minutes.
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“But it won’t always be like that. Between now and the end of the season, they will have to be patient. That is what I found out when I was at United.
“Experience is key in this situation – and that is why I would not rule Arsenal out of contention. They know what it takes. They have won the title and know all about the pressure. And they are still up there, despite numerous injuries.”
That said however, none of the current Arsenal squad have the experience Sheringham is talking about either. It’s been so long since we won the Premier League that the team has been completely recycled, and the only one who can really claim they have Premier League winning experience is Arsene Wenger himself.
We do have a number of title winners in the side, with Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez both La Liga winners; not to mention Per Mertesacker and Özil winning the World Cup in 2014. It’s a little different though, and as a team we aren’t exactly known for our steel and nerve.
In fact, we’ve actually managed to earn ourselves the title of bottlers, throwing away winning positions and failing to win cups and titles when we were unquestionably favourites to go all the way.
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It would obviously be fantastic if we were to win the Premier League, but at this point it seems pretty far gone, regardless of our experience.
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