Brendan Rodgers has warned Arsenal that they still have a long way to go in what will be a tight Premier League title race against Manchester City.
The Gunners are currently top of the Premier League table, two points clear of City, with a game in hand ahead of their trip to Leicester on Saturday. Mikel Arteta’s side bounced back from three games without a win by stunning Aston Villa with two late goals in a 4-2 victory last weekend.
That win was then followed by City’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest, helping them restore the gap after Pep Guardiola’s side won 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium the previous week. Arsenal have held onto top spot for the majority of the season, losing just three times in 23 matches so far, but Rodgers knows that it is all about how you finish the season.
The Leicester manager was in charge of Liverpool back in 2013/14 when the Reds contrived to throw away their lead to City to lose the title on the final day of the season. Rodgers says that season can be a lesson to Arsenal as they look to manage expectations of a first title in 19 years.
“There’s definitely a change in emotion, that’s for sure. That’s the key aspect of it and we’re not really even at that stage yet,” Rodgers said in his pre-match press conference.
“You see the excitement there with how Arsenal are playing and you sense the supporters feel they have an opportunity, which they do have. But it’s really not until you get to 10 games to go and then five games to go.
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“If they’re still up there, which I believe they will be, then the expectation on everything and the emotion grows even more. If I look back on that it’s really about trying to manage those aspects.
“Because when you haven’t won the league for so long, then of course the closer it gets and the closer you are to it, naturally the supporters dream, so the expectation starts to grow even more.”
Rodgers’ Liverpool looked favourites for the title in 2013/14 going into the final two weeks of the season. But a loss and a draw in two of their last three matches saw City pip them to the trophy by two points.
Manuel Pellegrini’s City had led the league for just 14 days throughout the season, but won their last five matches to take the title with 86 points. During a topsy-turvy season, the lead changed hands 25 times – a stark contrast to the current campaign.
Arsenal have been in imperious form for much of the season, but their recent wobble has shown that much can happen in the final few months. The Gunners are currently five points ahead of third-placed Manchester United, with a game in hand, but Arteta is not ruling out anyone.
Asked if it was now a two-horse race between Arsenal and City, he replied: “I think there are more teams involved and every day will be a race. A race for how we convince those players to train and play better because we’re going to have to be good to beat them.”
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