-myKhel Team

Arsenal stay five points clear in the Premier League title race, yet Jurrien Timber says anxiety is creeping in. The defender believes nervous late spells could damage Arsenal’s challenge, with Brighton visiting and Manchester City chasing hard while hosting Nottingham Forest on the same evening.

Recent games highlight those concerns. Arsenal conceded a 94th-minute equaliser against Wolves, dropped points against Brentford after leading, and lost 3-2 at Manchester United. Timber feels these patterns show how tension can spread through players and supporters during closing stages.

Arsenal, runners-up in each of the last three seasons, are still rated favourites by the Opta supercomputer. The model gives Arsenal an 83.2% chance of winning the league, while Manchester City receive a 16.6% probability, keeping the battle finely balanced despite the current points gap.

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The title rivals also meet at the Etihad Stadium later this season, a fixture likely to carry huge weight. Arsenal and City are due to clash in the EFL Cup final this month as well, and both clubs remain active in the Champions League and FA Cup, adding extra strain.

Timber’s importance grew on Sunday, when the defender scored the decisive second-half header in a 2-1 win over Chelsea. All three goals came from corners, Pedro Neto was sent off for Chelsea, and the match turned into a physical contest with Arsenal hanging on during a frantic finish.

Chelsea, reduced to ten players after Neto’s dismissal, thought an equaliser had arrived deep into stoppage time. However, the offside flag stopped those celebrations. Timber said the group must handle such situations better and avoid dropping deep too early when holding an advantage, especially against weakened opponents.

After the Chelsea game, Timber admitted: “You could feel it [the anxiety], especially at the end. We stopped playing, which was unnecessary, especially when we were a man up. It’s something we need to work on and talk about as well. It has happened a couple of times already. We got through it, but there have been a couple of times where we didn’t. It is part of the game, the energy within the players, the crowd, the anxiety. It’s something we need to address and talk about, but we handled it well today.”

Timber also underlined the mental challenge of a season that stretches across four competitions. “From the beginning of the season, every performance and every three points count, Timber added. At the same time, I heard it is just nine games to go, but it feels like we are still so far off because we are playing in the Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup. There are so many games to play, and if we look too far ahead it becomes a bit too much. So for now, we will recover and look at Brighton.”

Arsenal’s trip to the American Express Stadium comes while City chase a fifth straight league win against Nottingham Forest. Any slip could narrow the lead, yet Timber believes short-term focus and calmer late-game management can help Arsenal protect their advantage as the demanding run-in gathers pace.

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