If Arsenal fans had seen their team win at home against Bournemouth 12 days ago, the Gunners would have gone 12 points clear at the top of the table.
Instead, the 1-0 Manchester City victory at Burnley on Wednesday night has now seen Pep Guardiola’s side overtake Mikel Arteta’s team.
The pressure is on.
So how are the Arsenal fans handling things now with five rounds of Premier League matches to play?
Some intriguing comments on Newcastle United as well as their own team and manager, ahead of Saturday’s 5.30pm kick-off.
Arsenal fans commenting via their Arsenal Mania message board:
‘If we don’t win this I want Arteta to be sacked on the spot.’
‘I want 7-0’
‘Need to absolutely slaughter this lot, 3-0 minimum please.’
‘Probably get 2-1 Loss before a 7-0. This is the match you just win after that you can ask for more goals. ‘
‘Must win and need goals …. Newcastle are gonna do us one last favor in Howes last big match.’
‘Newcastle are absolutely useless right now but so are we tbf. No excuses though, we must trash them.’
‘Dowman has to start every match until Saka is ready to start if he can even come back. No more Madueke.’
‘In the extremely unlikely even that Arteta opens the floodgates and the lads relax and start winning 5-1 or 4-0 or whatever – is that a good thing or a bad thing? pretty disappointing if we could have been playing better football all year.’
‘Not worried at all by this Newcastle side without Isak and also no Joelinton is handy.
I actually expect us to win convincingly. Going to go with 3-0.’
‘Should be an easy win if we play even close to Sunday against this useless lot – though I’m sure they’ll try and raise their thumping form against us.’
‘Would be happy just winning this one. Newcastle always get up to play against us but we’re by far the better team this season plus they’re still dealing with important injuries. Would be even happier if we put 2+ past them.’
‘People talking about hammering them 3-0 or 4-0 must be on something. I’d be happy with just a win against these lots, Arteta always struggles against them.’
‘A poor Newcastle at home with players missing should be a comfortable victory. If we slip up here, we deserve what we get frankly.’
‘We need to be in rampant mood. We need to rack up the goals from now till the end of the season.’
‘It will be interesting because we must increase our goal difference as much as possible.
Therefore we must play completely different with respect how we play last 18 months.’
‘3-0 to us.
Kai with a hattrick.’
‘Now that we are behind Man City we can only hope that alleviates some of the pressure and hopefully Arteta will go more attacking, a 1-0 win here would not cut it.’
‘We’ll thrash ’em 1-0.’
‘Nah we’ll have the handbrake off this time.
3-0.’
‘Don’t do this to yourself, every time people here have thought a fixture was going to be an easy rout we’ve ended up struggling and dropping points.
Besides handbrakes on or off, I doubt our attackers are going to suddenly learn how to play well. It’s not a switch you can flick on or off, it takes coaching and time.’
‘Everyone attacking the supporters is repellant. They’ve put up with 22 years of failure and heartbreak paying extortionate prices to watch their money go towards signings like Madueke and Havertz. Frankly, the club are lucky they make any noise at all.’
‘Of course fans are going to be nervous when they see a front four of Martinelli – Gyokeres – Noni – Havertz at the Emirates barely being able to control a football. If you replace that with Eze, Ødegaard + Saka (Havertz at 9) it’s a completely different ball game.’
‘Lotta talk about the atmosphere at the Emirates not necessarily helping with nerves recently. Seeing as we have some home games coming up, I have noticed that there’s genuine anxiety at the ground whenever we’re trying to patiently build up from the back. I get it if it’s the 80th minute or so, but that shouldn’t be happening before that imo. What can be done?’
‘Arsenal have weak match going fans although I only been there 3 times. Very weak. Like a rats on a sinking ship. Dont seem to believe the fans have a big role to play.
You hear more noise from 600 fans on a handball game.’
‘The fans have been faking it for so long. They just can’t anymore with he style. Hard to tell them be excited. Play better football and you don’t have this issue.’
‘Play Ødegaard, Havertz, Eze, and Noni and commit to the same pressing we saw at Man City. If we press even 70% as good as we did at the Etihad we’ll turn these guys over easily.’
‘They have a few injuries and the fans are starting to turn on Eddie Howe.
Score (for once) an early goal and we will be in business.
Livramento, Schar, Gordon and Joelinton are out it seems. They have nothing to play for.’
‘Pressure is a privilege. We’re still in the best position we’ve been in ages to win the league.’
‘It’s up to the team, to put in performances that get rid of the anxiety and give the crowd confidence.
The fans are ghittery it’s understandable, we can’t influence the game. I can’t run on to the pitch and score the sitters that Havertz misses.’