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The banter: Football with love

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 L-R: Olivier Giroud and Riyad Mahrez

This weekend is a much talked about weekend by many. To lovebirds this is the weekend that they have waited all year long to show each other’s appreciation in matters love. It is the Valentine weekend.

However, football fans will have little time for sweet nothings and instead will be fully focused on the top of the table clashes where Arsenal, lying third on the Premiership table welcome league leaders Leicester. And Tottenham Hotspurs, second in the league, will be hoping to show some tough love to fellow title hopefuls Manchester City.

Already, it has become clear that many teams in the Premiership may have taken Leicester for granted in the initial period of the campaign. This, therefore, led to the team winning many matches and inevitably its confidence now soars like an eagle. What we witnessed at Manchester City is every team’s dream. Even Bayern, Barcelona or PSG cannot bet their lives’ savings on replicating the feat achieved by Leicester last Saturday.

In addition, there are many neutrals who are bothered by Chelsea, Man United, Arsenal and Manchester City always winning trophies. This section of fans has now passionately taken up Leicester as there second team. Am told even Chelsea fans, having now established that they can only hope for a top six finish have resulted to supporting Leicester City. One fan was heard saying: “After all they also wear blue like us”.

So the Foxes; they now know that they have a far bigger following that they had originally and this has emboldened them to keep going.

We have waited for this team to burn out but it is taking too long. They seem to have the proverbial nine lives of a cat. The stunning performances of both Riyad Mahrez and James Vardy have been phenomenal propelling a team that would be a lower table struggler to a formidable title challenger.

Further, without sounding like am an apologist for Manchester City or any other team than has been beaten by the Foxes, Leicester now has only the premier league to focus on while the rest of the teams in the table will occasionally be distracted by European football and the FA Cup. This means that before every premier league game, Leicester will have a whole week to relax and recharge their batteries.

So what can we expect of Arsenal vs Leicester clash?

Well...true Arsenal fans will tell you that there is no way knowing how their team will turn up for a game. While as in the past, Arsenal may have been accused of complacency when playing seemingly lower competition this time round, there is absolutely no room for such.

Arsenal know that if there is someone who can be looked upon to bring this whole fairy tale to a complete stop, then it has got to be them. Arsenal cannot expect to win the league if they allow Leicester to make any more ground. In the 13 remaining fixtures, Arsenal has no say in them apart from this one on Sunday. So it’s the fans expectations that the Gunners will give Foxes a wholesome and complete reality check by beating them thoroughly and tearing to shreds any lofty thoughts that Leicester may currently be toying with.

Leicester must be reminded where they truly belong; and that is in the duodenum of the table standings. Come Sunday that reminder has to be served in big doses by Arsenal. The way I see this match there are only two outcomes of the clash, it’s either Arsenal wins it or Arsenal wins it.

Tottenham Hotspurs last won the league title 55 years ago.

In more than half a century since then, Tottenham have never really got close to winning another title, only finishing in the top two once more two years later and so inevitably evolved into a cup team.

During the Premier League era, Tottenham haven’t dared dream about winning the title; a cup and league stability is always the extent of their aim.

But, now under Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham appear to have their best-ever chance of winning their first Premier League title.

Their rise has remained largely hidden in the shadows of Leicester City’s incredible ascent, but with 13 games remaining, Tottenham are five points behind and more than capable of overtaking them.

This weekend’s trip to Manchester City will, of course, be a difficult test, but it should hold few fears for them after the manner in which they demolished City 4-1 at White Hart Lane in September. But again six days, leave alone six months, is a long time in football.

Previously, it was felt as if Manchester City had turned their grounds into an impenetrable bastion.

Of course this notion was bastardised by Leicester last weekend. But do I expect City to allow the league to slip through their fingers over back to back home losses to fellow title contenders? No I don’t. I see a narrow win by Manchester City.

@tonyngare

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