Arsenal last won the English title when they were the Invincibles, going unbeaten through a whole season and with warriors like Sol Campbell and Patrick Vieira fired up to take on the opposition in the tunnel, let alone on the field.
Arsenal have not lifted the Premier League trophy since those 2004 champions and know they need to repeat the indefatigability of Campbell, Vieira and all the Invincibles to end the long wait.
Mental toughness is a prerequisite to survive the rigours of the Premier League marathon. Manchester United teams of Steve Bruce and Roy Keane, Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney had resilience in abundance. They reflected the tough manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. They refused to give up and overcame opponents so often late on that “Fergie time” entered football’s lexicon.
José Mourinho’s Chelsea teams were led by John Terry and driven by Frank Lampard. Similarly determined men, Vincent Kompany and Kevin De Bruyne, underpinned the years of Manchester City’s dominance.
No team can be mentally robust for every minute of the 3,420 that make up a Premier League season. Liverpool kept prevailing in injury time this season, showing their strength of character (and bench), yet couldn’t repel one final Crystal Palace attack on Saturday when Eddie Nketiah struck in the 97th minute.
Maintaining concentration and determination all game is demanding. Switch off for a second in the Premier League and punishment frequently ensues. It’s one of the reasons why the elite tier of English football is so popular around the world. Every second matters.
