Tight end to Premier League season but cracks beginning to show from top to bottom

Arsenal’s capitulation from 2-0 up twice in eight days could well be the beginning of the end of their shock Premier League title tilt.

They still hold a four-point lead at the top of the table but with the Manchester City juggernaut looming large in their rear-view mirror, the smart money is on Pep Guardiola’s side. City are in blistering form, and with a game in hand plus a home match against the Gunners to come, the pressure appears to have hit Mikel Arteta’s team.

Pre-season Arsenal were sixth favourites to win the league at odds of 50-1, so for them to still be in contention is a fine achievement but they are wilting at a pivotal time.

The 2-2 draw with Liverpool was a fabulous game and there is a strong argument it was one point gained rather than two dropped, however, this was not the case at the London Stadium seven days later.

West Ham may climb up the table as the season draws to a close but they are currently in the thick of a relegation battle. A large section of the fanbase are tired of David Moyes and with Arsenal racing into an early 2-0 lead the atmosphere was understandably flat. Arsenal had a week to prepare for the clash, whereas the Hammers had just two days to recover following European action on Thursday, so the dropped points by the Gunners looked careless. 

Lack of composure, cracking under pressure and few players with experience of a title challenge all combined to Arsenal throwing more points away.

Arteta’s side are not the only ones starting to feel the heat, across the table most teams have something left to play for and bar City and Aston Villa, consistency is a concern.

Champions League-chasing Newcastle and Tottenham both dropped points when there was a chance to make major inroads in the top-four hunt, with Spurs, in particular, prone to shocking late collapses. Liverpool’s season by their standards has been appalling, while the mess at Stamford Bridge is amusing for all those not connected to Chelsea.

At the foot of the table, the only consistency is dropped points from the bottom five. Managerial changes at Crystal Palace and Wolves have helped push them to the comforts of mid-table, less so for Leeds, Everton, Leicester and Southampton, who along with Nottingham Forest are most in danger. 

However, as Bournemouth are showing it only takes a couple of results for the outlook to change, nine points from five games leaving the Cherries within touching distance of safety.

Since 1996 the average points tally of the team in 18th is 35.2, meaning 36 is often enough to stay up. It is likely to be higher this season, and a fascinating battle for safety, European spots and the title remains in store but as April ticks by and the pressure builds cracks are beginning to show.

Legends deliver timely County Championship boost

Two veterans who know all about pressure were in action last week watched by a few thousand spectators over four days in Chelmsford. 

In a sport full of fast-paced, relentless short-over formats it was wonderful to see two of England’s greatest cricketers go head-to-head in the County Championship. 

James Anderson, 40, and Sir Alastair Cook, 38, the record wicket-taker and run-scorer in English Test Match history respectively, are firm friends and living legends still going strong.

Anderson is set to play a vital part in this summer’s men’s Ashes, while Cook has long since retired from the international game, but both show their love of the sport by continuing on the county circuit. With any number of limited overs tournaments on the go at any one time, it is easy to downplay the County Championship as antiquated.

However, with England internationals past and present on display and the imminent arrival of a number of Australian Ashes hopefuls, it appears the world’s oldest domestic competition still has a key role to play.

Sign up to emails from Racing Post Sport and get all the latest news and tips

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport