Micah Richards reveals the biggest threat to Arsenal’s Premier League title race: “Anything can happen”

This year’s Premier League title is in Arsenal’s hands. With just games left to play, Mikel Arteta’s side are two points clear at the top of the table. If they win both of their remaining games, the Gunners will be crowned English champions for the 14th time.

But even with their commanding position, nothing can be taken from granted in football, and BBC pundit Micah Richards warns that Arsenal should be careful not to count their chickens before they’ve hatched.

City’s dramatic title heist on the final day

And he should know - Richards was part of the Man City side that pipped United to the title in 2011/12 - the only time that the league has been won on goal difference in the Premier League era. United players were celebrating out on the pitch after beating Sunderland when Sergio Agüero rifled in a 94th-minute winner against QPR to grab the title from them with the last kick of the match.

The difference this time is that City need to win both of their games and hope Arsenal drop points.

The pressure you don’t see coming

“I think it will go down to the last game of the season‚" Richards Everyone knows the famous Agüero goal, but everyone talks about nerves and confidence and all that sort of thing,” told Sky Sports’ Kelly Cates after City’s 3-0 win over Palace on Wednesday. “I just remember being in the dressing room before the game, and I could feel the tension. Normally, you have leaders in a dressing room where you look to them, and if they’re cool, it makes you feel better.

“At times in a dressing room, it wasn’t like that. There was a nervous feeling, and that’s why when we talk about can Man City catch Arsenal…

Recalled that unforgettable final game of the 2011/12 campaign, Richards added: “We’d never won it before and were up against Sir Alex Ferguson, the great Man United team, and before the game I remember looking to Vincent Kompany, and he’s normally just in the zone, but he was fidgeting...

That will be all too familiar for some Arsenal and City players over the next week and a half. “Arsenal are going through that, and there’ll be things that they’ve had along the season where it gets you up, it gets you down," Richards continued. “But even with the experienced players that we had, there were always nerves, and that’s why if it goes down to the last game of the season, anything can happen.”

As it stands, only two teams can stop Arsenal from lifting the title - Burnley and Crystal Palace. Neither of the Gunners’ rivals have anything to play for. Burnley are already relegated and Palace are 15th but safe from the drop.

Arsenal beat both earlier in the season - but only just. On paper, the Burnley game looks the most accessible. If Arteta’s men win that, the pressure will be back on City.

Guardiola’s team have a slightly more challenging end to the season - against the two teams battling to secure the fifth Champions League slot: Bournemouth in sixth and Aston Villa in fifth.

Other commitments

And as ever, there is another, not insignificant consideration to be taken into account - Arsenal have the Champions League final and Villa have the Europa League final lingering at the back of their minds - either consciously or subconsciously.

Take one game at a time and look no further than that - that will be the message that Arteta, Unai Emery, and Pep Guardiola will be drilling into their players between now and May 24.

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