Few have been more confident that Arsenal's title charge will eventually end in tears than Manchester United legend and Sky Sports regular Gary Neville.
The former Red Devil and England international has explained on a number of occasions how he thinks Mikel Arteta's men simply do not have what it takes to go toe-to-toe with title rivals and reigning champions Manchester City over the course of a full league season.
Such is the level of Neville's confidence in Arsenal's capitulation, he has previously suggested that after a couple of defeats, we would see if the Gunners could handle the pressure that comes with being in a title race. He also explained how all Arteta's men have proven in recent years is that "they crumble at the end of seasons".
Speaking in November, Neville claimed: "If Arsenal lose a couple of games and the teams below you win those games, the pressure now ramps up and that is when we'll find out if Arsenal can handle the pressure. The big moment will come in February and March when we will see what Arsenal are made of.
"The only thing Arsenal have proven in the last few years is that they crumble at the end of the season, until I see that they don’t, I’ll still have that doubt. Why would I not?"
Well, here we are in mid-February, Arsenal have endured a three-game run that saw them lose to Everton, and draw at home to Brentford before losing again to the team directly below them in title rivals City. And yet, they remain top, two points clear of Pep Guardiola's troops with a game in hand.
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Any of those three results could have been seriously damaging to Arsenal's title charge, especially the 3-1 defeat by City at the Emirates which did send the current title holders top - leapfrogging the Gunners in the process.
However, Arsenal's most recent outing suggested that this is a team significantly mentally stronger than perhaps Neville is giving them credit for, as they fought back after going behind twice to beat Aston Villa 4-2 on their own patch.
The Gunners' third and fourth goals came deep into second-half stoppage time, showing the kind of 'never say die' attitude Arteta will demand from his players each time they take to the pitch between now and that last weekend in May.
As a result of their win in the Midlands and City being the ones to show some jitters with a 1-1 draw against Nottingham Forest, it is Arsenal who occupy the top spot having wrestled it back off the team Neville claimed would win the league by '10-15 points this season'.
He has admitted he thinks Arteta's men will fall significantly short and didn't even acknowledge the idea of them stealing City's crown, as Neville added: "If Arsenal do that, it will be unbelievable, and I want City to be pushed, but it won’t happen."
