"Only the City fans can be cocky" - Thierry Henry makes Premier League title claim as Arsenal and Manchester City gear up for final games
Arsenal icon Thierry Henry hopes that Manchester City lose to West Ham United to give the Gunners the chance to win their first Premier League trophy in over two decades. The Cityzens will take on the Hammers on the last matchday of the season on May 19, Sunday while the north London side take on Everton at home.
Should Pep Guardiola's men beat the Hammers, they'll claim their fourth consecutive title. While Henry wants Manchester City to drop points against the Hammers, he feels the chances of them losing out on the title remain very slim.
Here's what he told BBC Sport while talking about the two-horse race between the Cityzens and the Gunners:
"It’s them, I’ve seen them doing it so many times to the [Sergio] Aguero moment, to the Tottenham game the other day to whatever. I’ve seen them not collapsing so it bothers me to think that they will. But the fan on the other side, the fan on the other side is like, 'Hey listen, you never know what can happen'."
The former Barcelona talisman added:
"When the ref’s going to blow the whistle, I hope that’s not going to bring me back to reality because reality right now unfortunately for anyone else, is that only the City fans be cocky. Only the City fans can be talking.
"When you know you can’t back it up, don’t give that look. I give that look if I can back it up. We win? Oh. If we win and we have the trophy, oh don’t come and interview me, I’m going to talk, I’m going to speak a lot."
Theirry Henry called City a "special" team but said he hopes that they don't lift their sixth title in the last seven years.
What will happen if both Manchester City and Arsenal lose their respective games?
Guardiola's men reclaimed the top spot on the Premier League table following their 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur away on May 14, Tuesday. The Cityzens have 88 points after 37 games.
Meanwhile, Arsenal beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on May 12, Sunday in a must-win clash. They're two points behind runaway leaders City. If Manchester City win their game against the Hammers, the Gunners' clash against the Toffees will be a mere formality.
The Gunners' only chance at the title is if David Moyes's men cause an upset at the Etihad Stadium. However, if both teams lose their respective games, the Cityzens will still be crowned champions as they're ahead on the table. This could also be the case if City draw against West Ham as Arsenal have a bigger goal difference.
Manchester City will be the first team to be crowned Premier League champions for the fourth consecutive time.