Jamie Carragher has done it now. He's only gone and said the quiet part out loud. If Arsenal beat West Ham on Sunday, they win the Premier League. Carra said it. On telly. With his whole chest.
And now every Arsenal fan in the country is simultaneously excited and absolutely terrified. Because this is Arsenal. This is the club that invented the concept of nearly. They have been here before, hovering over the finish line like they're waiting for someone to pull it away. And somehow, someway, they always find a way to make it interesting.
But here's the thing. This time actually feels different. And yes, every football fan has said that before about their club, it's basically the "I'm not like other girls" of football opinions, but hear this out. Arteta has built something real at Arsenal. The squad has depth, it has character, it has Odegaard pulling strings and Saka being absolutely unplayable on his day. They are not a nearly team anymore on paper. The question is whether they are one in their heads.
West Ham away is not a stroll in the park either. The London Stadium can be a strange atmosphere but David Moyes, whatever anyone thinks of him, will set his team up to be an absolute nuisance. He loves nothing more than a backs against the wall job. It is basically his entire personality.
If Arsenal do this, if they actually go to West Ham, win the game, and lift the title, it will be one of the great Premier League moments. Years of hurt, years of Spursy accusations accidentally redirected at the wrong north London club, years of bottling it all washed away in one Sunday afternoon. Rocky getting up off the canvas stuff.
The pressure on Arsenal right now is enormous. Carra putting it out there like that does not help. But maybe that is exactly what they need. Someone to just say it plainly and make them own the moment.
Let me know your thoughts.