'It's better to be chased' - the mentality of a title race

 This season's Premier League title race is finely poised and set for a thrilling conclusion.

Arsenal, without a championship in 22 years, have nine games to go and hold a five-point lead over Manchester City, who have won the league in six of the past eight campaigns.

City have a game in hand and host the Gunners in April, meaning either team will win the league if they win all their remaining matches.

In 11 of the past 30 seasons, the teams that have been top after 28 matches have not won the Premier League title, with Arsenal failing to do so when leading in both 2023 and 2024.

So who will be feeling under the most pressure? Is it better to be the hunted or the hunter?

"It's better to be chased," said Premier League record goalscorer Alan Shearer, who won the league with Blackburn in 1994-95, a year after Rovers missed out to Manchester United.

"When you are at the top of the league it's in your hands and if you keep winning your games, as difficult as it is, the teams that are chasing you don't have any answers.

"It does depend on if you have been in that position before. In my second year at Blackburn we were top or second, it was slipping and sliding backwards and forwards. But because we had not been in that situation before and Manchester United were a team that had been successful then it was more difficult for us.

"The season after we were mostly top of the league but United were closing us down. They were saying and doing everything they could, including getting the correct results when we slipped up, and we found it difficult but we managed to find a way."

Steph Houghton won three Women's Super League (WSL) titles, two with Arsenal and one with Manchester City, and has experienced both sides of the championship race.

"The pressure is massive in both situations, but it is nice pressure when you are trying to chase trophies and league titles," said Houghton.

"My preference is always to be the hunted because you have got the points on the board and can take each game as it comes. Even though the pressure is there, it's about performing under pressure."