Arsenal have challenged Manchester City for the title in back-to-back seasons, but they look set to fall short again.
Mikel Arteta’s side will have to win both of their remaining games, and hope that City drop points in one of their final two games in order to win the Premier League.
However, despite any title disappointment this season, Arsenal can hold their heads up high given the way in which they have competed in the race, with 14 wins from their last 16 games.
This was different to last season, which saw Arsenal lead the way for most of the campaign before falling apart in the final two months, in what was a disastrous collapse.
Defender Kieran Tierney was part of the squad during that run, and the Real Sociedad loanee has now revealed what the dressing room was like when the going got tough.
Kieran Tierney praises Arsenal leader Martin Odegaard despite title collapse last season
Speaking to The Athletic, Tierney praised captain Martin Odegaard for his leadership abilities, and revealed that the rest of the squad did not cower away from their leadership duties when their title challenge fell apart.
“He leads by example. You don’t get captains like Scott Brown at Celtic anymore. It’s just a different type of leadership,” Tierney stated of Odegaard.
“Martin speaks in the dressing room and in the huddle but that changing room is full of leaders and people who will step up.
“Nobody hid last season. We’d openly say what we thought in the changing room. Last season was maybe one season too early (for Arsenal as potential champions). At that point, it was most people’s first title race in the Premier League.”
Arsenal have leaders within the dressing room now
When Tierney was at his best for Arsenal, many fans believed that he could become captain one day, given his vocal presence on the pitch.
This was also down to the fact that the squads he played in lacked strong leadership for the most part. Granit Xhaka and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were both stripped of the armband during Tierney’s time as as starter.
Now, Arsenal have Odegaard leading by example on the pitch, with former West Ham captain Declan Rice alongside him in midfield. Jorginho is also a leader, with his experience and intelligence earning him a new contract.
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Defenders Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhaes are noted as two of the more vocal players on the pitch, and talisman Bukayo Saka also leads by examples with his performances.
Arsenal now have a squad of players who may not cower at pressure, and who can mentally compete with City over the course of the season, and falling just short of the title now after an incredible run of form should not raise criticisms over their character.
