Tottenham, at the time of writing, are just five points above the drop zone. With West Ham starting to improve under Nuno Espirito Santo, the heat is certainly on. Another defeat, this time to their fierce rivals, would only add to the doom and gloom mood that surrounds them.

Then there’s Arsenal. A few weeks ago, they looked guaranteed to finally win a first Premier League title since 2004.

Yet draws with the likes of Brentford and Wolves, as well as a home defeat to Manchester United in January, means Manchester City are now the favourites to go all the way instead.

City could be just two points behind Arsenal by the time Sunday’s blockbuster derby kicks off. If they win all of their matches between now and the end of the season, the title will be theirs.

Supporters from both sides like to accuse the others of being ‘bottlers’. So GB News will now look at the valid arguments and decide which one is worthier of the tag.

The case for Tottenham

| GETTY

For decades, the criticism of Tottenham Hotspur as England’s quintessential ‘bottlers’ hinged on one unassailable fact: they produced competitive, even elite sides yet left fans with little to show for it.

That reputation has now been reshaped by a historic Europa League triumph last term – but the label of being ‘Spursy’ still sticks.

The defining episode of the so-called bottling era was the 2015–16 Premier League season.

Spurs were the chief challengers to Leicester City in a campaign that defied all expectations. With genuine momentum and a clear path to the title, Spurs needed to grind out results in the final weeks.

Instead, a 2–2 draw at Chelsea – where they relinquished a two-goal lead – handed Leicester the crown.

|

GETTY

To make matters worse, they wouldn’t even finish second. Arsenal, of all teams, beat them to that place.

Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs achieved remarkable consistency, such as a club-record 86 points in 2016–17, yet still failed to capture tangible silverware.

Their peak under Pochettino, and the label of ‘almost but not quite’, became part of the club’s wider folklore.

They also came close to winning the Champions League in 2019. After dramatic victories over City and Ajax, they travelled to Madrid dreaming of touching the game’s biggest prize.

Yet Spurs were abysmal in the final, with Liverpool winning 2-0 on a straightforward evening. When the pressure was on, A-listers such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min were nowhere to be seen.

Even so, this narrative has a crucial update. In May last year, Tottenham finally ended their long drought, winning the UEFA Europa League with a 1-0 victory over United in the final, the club’s first major trophy since 2008.

Brennan Johnson’s first-half goal sealed the win at San Mamés Stadium, delivering Spurs their first European title in 41 years and securing a place in the next season’s UEFA Champions League.

That triumph complicates the ‘bottler’ tag. On one hand, it was a watershed moment – vindication for players and supporters after a protracted spell without success.

But their regression this term points to a team still unable to evolve into elite territory. Tudor is in, Frank is out, and yet the ‘Spursy’ label remains.

The case for Arsenal

| PA

For all the progress Arsenal have made under Mikel Arteta, there remains an uncomfortable truth: when the pressure is on, they have too often faltered.

The most compelling exhibit is the 2022–23 Premier League campaign. Arsenal led the table for 248 days. By early April, they were eight points clear of Manchester City, playing vibrant, front-foot football and scoring freely.

The title, it seems, surely laid in wait.

Then came the stutter that defined the season. Two-goal leads surrendered at Anfield and the London Stadium against Liverpool and West Ham. A chaotic 3-3 draw at home to bottom-placed Southampton. Finally, a chastening 4–1 defeat at the Etihad that effectively ceded control.

City, as they usually do, surged from that point on. In the end, the title went to Manchester instead of London.

It was not an isolated case, either.

In 2007–08, Arsenal were top in February, seemingly poised to end their title drought while competing with Sir Alex Ferguson’s United.

Eduardo’s horrific injury at Birmingham became a symbolic turning point, however. As did Williams Gallas’ infamous tantrum on the St Andrews turf.

Results dipped sharply and belief appeared to drain. They won just one of their next eight league matches and finished third. United, under Ferguson, would go on to win both the league and Champions League while their rivals got nothing.

Even in Europe, moments of promise have dissolved.

| PA

In the 2006 UEFA Champions League final, Arsenal led Barcelona despite playing with 10 men after Jens Lehmann’s early dismissal. For 75 minutes they were within touching distance of immortality.

Two late Barcelona goals turned defiance into despair, however, with Samuel Eto’o and future Chelsea player Juliano Juliano Belletti breaking their hearts.

Admittedly, they had been underdogs. Yet the inability to close out the occasion fed the wider narrative, one that stuck for years to come.

More recently, the 2019 UEFA Europa League final defeat to Chelsea carried significant stakes: Champions League qualification hinged on it. Arsenal collapsed in the second half, conceding four, as the Blues ran riot.

It would be a catastrophic defeat for Unai Emery, who would end up losing his job later that year. Arteta has since won the FA Cup with them, but that’s the only trophy they have to show for his reign so far.

What’s the verdict?

| REUTERS

If Arsenal do end up throwing away the title this season, they won’t ever forget it.

Rival fans will certainly make sure of it. They’ll be seen as eternal bridesmaids and never the bride. They will, most embarrassing of all, be north London’s biggest bottlers.

But, for now, it’s Tottenham who have their own unique tag. Nothing has been invented yet for Arsenal, which speaks volumes.

Whether that remains the case is something only time will tell.