Staying humble with pride
It's hard not to get excited and start fantasizing but what is important in this moment is calm heads. Despite all that has happened this season, we haven't won anything until we cross the finish line in May.
I still think City are favourites to win the league, I think there are many blips along the way for us but at the same time, I have to commend our resilience. It's not just about the football, it is the mentality of the team and fans that encourages me.
Yesterday, when Bournemouth grabbed the second and were 2-goals ahead, the crowd at the Emirates went crazy. The decibel level went through the roof and despite watching it on TV, the atmosphere gave me chills.
The fans never stopped believing and that feeling was transmitted to the players on the pitch. The boys never panicked, stayed true to our style and got the well deserved victory.
Regardless of whether we win or not, you can sense that we're doing something special at the Emirates. Our home ground has transformed from being mocked as a Library to what can be likened to a heavy metal concert.
What marvels me about it is the air of expectation and never say die attitude. Even at 2-0 down, the fans were cheering and never stopped believing in the team.
The boys were energized by the atmosphere at the Emirates yesterday, and pulled off nothing short of miraculous. It is a phrase I hate to use but this is the stuff of champions and we played like potential champions.
Honest truth
The fact is that we are title contenders and all the predictions of our season falling by the wayside seem to be false. As I said in the beginning though, we haven't won anything yet but we're 5 points ahead of second position and we stand a chance to win the league in the remaining 12 games.
Theoretically, we will need at least 9 wins out of the remaining 12 games to win the league. I reckon City will still drop points along the way and 27 points from here, putting us at 90 points, will be good enough to clinch the title.
9 wins out of 12 fixtures is a big ask but it is achievable. These days, I look at our fixture list and I genuinely don't see any team we can't beat.
Having this level of confidence in my team fills me with so much pride. I'm also pleased by the fact that there have been obvious and measurable progress in the squad.
For example, last season, we finished the entire campaign with 69 points; right now, we're already at 63 points with 12 games to spare. That, right there, is tangible and measurable progress.
Now we need to recenter and focus our attention on our Europa League round of 16 clash against Sporting Lisbon. They're a top team in Portugal but it is a match that I fancy our chances. Until we meet again, up the Arsenal.
