How does Arsenal avoid pressure?

The Premier League title race this season heats up with every point Arsenal and Manchester City earn. Using psychological therapy to relieve external pressures is what Arsenal aims to do in their effort to quench their thirst for a trophy.

Psychological methods before a major match are not something entirely new. Former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, in his book, once shared the feeling of tension before the 2006 World Cup final. How did he relieve it? By stripping in the locker room and talking to his gloves. The result: Buffon found calmness to make impressive penalty saves, helping Italy win the World Cup.

It's not hard to imagine Mikel Arteta might do something similarly "strange" to help Arsenal regain balance in a Premier League title race as tense as a taut string. They narrowly defeated Newcastle, and if Yoane Wissa hadn't missed the chance to equalize, Arsenal's situation in the title race would have looked much worse. Manchester City quietly waits for the opportunity to surge ahead. They accepted dropping points early in the year instead of April, when Guardiola's team always accelerates with victories. Modern football sees every small detail optimized. Only mental factors remain unpredictable.

After the win over Newcastle, Declan Rice stated that pressures are just noisy sounds and must be blocked. However, West Ham believes they need the liveliness from the "12th player" in the stands. Even managers have different views on handling pressure. Jose Mourinho is always ready to turn pressure into noise to divert public attention. Conversely, Gareth Southgate controls everything, meticulously noting each penalty kick and readily mentions the presence of a psychologist.

Returning to Arsenal's story. Arteta, though a meticulous manager who trusts the process, cannot escape irrational actions. Sometimes the Spanish manager decides he must bring emotion and a relaxed atmosphere to the whole team. The effectiveness of such decisions will be tested in the season's final phase. Arsenal starts their match in round 35 two days before Manchester City. They will extend their lead over Guardiola's team to 6 points if they defeat Fulham. Then the next round is a tough match against West Ham, a team fighting for survival. Arsenal's pursuit of the philosophy of releasing pressure will need time to answer whether it helps end their 22-year thirst for the Premier League title. At least, Arteta's team is trying a different approach compared to previous seasons.