Leicester, Spurs, Arsenal must seize title chance, opportunity might not knock twice

As spectacles go, Sunday was up there with one of the most fun days in the Premier League's history since its inception in 1992.

The top four sides in action in two enjoyable matches. Third-placed Arsenal winning 2-1 at home to leaders Leicester City thanks to a stoppage time winner for Danny Welbeck, and second-placed Tottenham Hotspur prevailed 2-1 at Manchester City.

It is a good job the FA Cup fifth round is on this weekend, allowing a chance to take stock and catch our breath following all that drama.

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Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City are all in action, while Leicester get to put their feet up, with their next league fixture on February 27.

There are only 12 games of the league campaign left for the leading quartet, who are realistically the only ones who can win it now, and this is when reality begins to kick in and the thought process of “we can actually do this” starts.

City are the outsiders but are still well in it, given they are only six points off Leicester, but their inconsistent form has opened the door for their rivals.

For Leicester, Arsenal and Tottenham this is a tremendous opportunity, one that may not come around again for a long time, or even at all.

Just ask Arsenal and Arsene Wenger, who have been waiting since 2004 for a championship.

For Tottenham you must go back to 1961. Leicester? Well, they have never won it. A runners-up spot in the old First Division in 1928/29 is as good as it has been for them previously.

This has been an unconventional season with so many of the sides that you would have expected to be competing at the top failing to do so.

City have not won two league games in a row since October, Manchester United have toiled for goals and direction under Louis van Gaal, champions Chelsea imploded under Jose Mourinho early in the season and Liverpool are a side rebuilding under Jurgen Klopp.

I am not saying those four sides will all be back firing on all cylinders for the 2016/17 season, but it is unlikely we will have another freak year with all of them under performing as badly as they have done.

City will expect a considerable improvement under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola, Chelsea will have a new manager, and United may well too, while Liverpool should be stronger with Klopp having had a full summer to work with his players for the first time since taking over last October.

With their respective squads, both Tottenham and Arsenal should have reason to believe they can challenge again next season regardless of the outcome of this one.

Leicester? Maybe not so much, but that should not mask that this is an outstanding opportunity for them to become the champions of England.

But they should take heed of the plight of Liverpool. The Merseyside club have not been champions since 1990 and wasted great opportunitie to break that duck in 2009 and 2014. Those title challenges proved to be one-offs rather than the start of a sustained period of success.

Experiences like that should act as a warning to the top three not to waste this chance. It may not come again, or in such an inviting way, for them.

[ gcaygill@thenational.ae ]

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Leicester, Spurs, Arsenal must seize title chance, opportunity might not knock twice

It is a good job the FA Cup fifth round is on this weekend, allowing a chance to take stock and catch our breath following all that drama of last week's Super Sunday double-header.