FOREST VS CITY
Sunday April 28th, 4:30pm
Forest @ 17/2
City @ 3/10
Draw @ 3/10
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How successfully one handles this pressure, once it has been earned, however, is quite another matter. With just four rounds of Premier League fixtures to go – the long season finally nearing its conclusion – we are being presented with numerous examples.
For some clubs, the midweek results helped to ease their overall pressure burden. Crystal Palace and Everton were inspired by the weight on the shoulders – registering impressive, unexpected victories – and both teams now have top-flight safety all-but assured.
The tension in the race for the Golden Clown Shoe – a prestigious trophy of my own creation, awarded to the most hilariously underperforming Premier League club – also looked to be building last week.
‘The Title Race hasn’t replied to any of Arsenal’s texts for several days now.’
Manchester United have been trying their best to close the gap on the front-runners in recent weeks – some truly wretched performances, one remarkable FA Cup collapse; just as talk of a lucrative partnership with Disney was emerging. What exactly was the Hollywood entertainment behemoth proposing? A documentary? A re-make of the movie Flubber? Or Dumbo even? Well, it certainly won’t be The Incredibles.
But following their humbling at The Emirates on Tuesday night, coupled with Pochettino’s pre-match insistence they are not Cole Palmer FC, Chelsea reasserted themselves as this season’s supreme laugh merchants. Relax, lads, the pressure is off – the Golden Clown Shoe yours to lose.
An untrained eye may take a quick glance at the Premier League table and deduce that Arsenal are still very much involved with The Title Race. But the sad reality is that The Title Race hasn’t replied to any of Arsenal’s texts for several days now; hasn’t liked any of their recent posts on Instagram; and was rumoured to have last been seen boarding a one-way flight to Antarctica.
Any hopes that a Thursday night in Brighton might help their situation were quickly dashed. Manchester City again showed that they are the supreme masters when it comes to dealing with pressure – they eat it for breakfast – and had The Seagulls comprehensively consumed within half an hour.
Would Tottenham enjoy the opportunity to officially end Arsenal’s association with The Title Race? Be the ones to let Arsenal know that it really is all over between the pair? Yes. I think they would.
Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal is 2pm kick-off on Sunday. Frequently one of the best games of the season, this incarnation of the North London Derby pits a Spurs side who have had no game following their limp defeat at Newcastle, against an Arsenal outfit who have played four times since then.
Nevertheless, Arsenal may well get the win – the pressure is, to some extent, off. But even if they do, they will then have to gather round their dressing room TV and see if Nottingham Forest can do a number on Manchester City in the 4:30pm kick-off. And at the moment, the only real numbers Forest are doing are on social media.
The pressure is on Nottingham Forest in a big way, and it is causing them to buckle. They will need to channel all the energy they have put into their aggrieved online posts, and direct it towards the pitch in order to have a chance on Sunday.
It will be a meeting between the real mentality monsters, and a club who at times give the impression that they are being run by a composure-free, Monster energy drink-fuelled, fan podcast team.
Pressure, then, can provoke wildly different responses. And it will be fascinating to see the differing outcomes that occur during Gameweek 35. Though I too am now beginning to feel a bit burdened, a bit tense, just thinking about all this talk of frayed ends and the manifold possible permutations. Maybe I’ll just have a long lie down and watch the snooker instead this weekend.
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