Arsenal told how to deal with Premier League title race 'nerves' as Man City prediction made

Arsenal in the midst of a Premier League title race alongside Manchester City and face Chelsea on Sunday looking to follow up the 4-1 win at Tottenham last time out

Arsenal must "embrace" the Premier League title race challenge nerves, rather than trying to ignore the pressure coming from Manchester City.

That is the view of former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood, who questioned Arsenal's mentality and "bottle" but still believes they'll have enough to get across the line and win their first top-flight title in 22 years.

The Gunners are five points clear at the top of the Premier League and face Chelsea on Sunday looking to make it back-to-back wins following last weekend’s 4-1 win against Tottenham in the North London Derby. A brace each from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres ensured a crucial win for Mikel Arteta's side, after failing to beat Brentford and Wolves in their previous two matches.

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And as Arsenal prepare to host Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium this weekend, Sherwood has delivered his latest title prediction. The 57-year-old reflected on the win at Spurs and had his say on whether the Gunners are going to pip City, who sit five points behind Arteta's side with a game in hand, to the title.

Sherwood told football.london: "Well, I was impressed on the back of a 2-0 advantage against Wolves and them coming back to draw 2-2, it must have been devastating for them. And then having to watch Man City play so well against Newcastle.

"For them to then stand up, I thought it was a really good opportunity for Tottenham to go and spoil the party. But when Kolo Muani scores that equaliser, I think they can take this deep into the second half they'll start getting the anxiety and edgy. But what was it? Two and a half minutes into the second half, they scored again. And then it was a football lesson.

"From a Tottenham persuasion, it was quite embarrassing to watch. It didn't look like a derby in my opinion. But can they go and do it? People always ask the questions until they actually do and they're only going to question one thing and that's their mentality, because everyone can see with their own eyes they're good enough.

"The players are good enough. They've got strength in depth now. They've got a very good manager. But what's in between their ears? Have they got the mentality to get over the line? I hear them all the time and it's the party line, 'are you going to bottle it? Are you nervous?' And they always say, 'no, no, we're not nervous'.

"When I was doing it at Blackburn, when we managed to win it after finishing second in the previous season, we embraced it. I remember saying to a journalist, 'I'm petrified. I'm really scared'. But I'm scared because there's an opportunity to win something that's very great, which is a Premier League title. And I'm embracing the fact that I'm nervous. Because if I'm not nervous, I'm not in it. We're in the race.

"No one has asked in Liverpool this year, are they? Or Man United? Or Chelsea? Or Villa? We're doing very well in Newcastle. No one is asking them if they're nervous because they're not in it.

"Embrace the fact that you're in it. It's natural."

Arsenal face Chelsea, Brighton, Everton, Bournemouth, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Crystal Palace between now and the end of the season.

As for City, they take on Leeds United, Nottingham Forest, West Ham, Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Arsenal, Burnley, Everton, Brentford, Bournemouth and Aston Villa in their final 11 matches.

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"They'd fancy their chances at Arsenal," Sherwood added. "But City have got a serial winner and the best manager we've ever seen, in my opinion, in Pep Guardiola, who's been there and done it and started the mind games already, hasn't he? With that celebration we did after the Newcastle game, it was extra special, that celebration.

"There was something in it, and then telling the boys to go away and drink some cocktails. The mind games have started, even though they say they don't play mind games. You can see it from having been on the inside, they've started already."

Tim Sherwood was speaking to Midnite, ahead of his appearance on their fan-led Youtube series Defend Your Career...