Been thinking about why we always seem to be able to outlast our title rivals year after year.
I think it started on 16 December 2020, when Pep made a huge change in his approach.
This was following the 1-1 draw with West Brom, where he changed to the false 9. This in itself was a large factor in us winning the league that season, but the other change is why we have won it each season since.
We all know that Arsenal and Liverpool press like madmen. Arteta basically copied Pep’s approach and added some Atletico shithousery to allow their lungs some rest.
What Pep decided in Dec 2020 was a way for us to control games by running less. It was highlighted in the documentary of that season.
This running less allows us to retain more energy for longer and as we go into the run in, we’re fresher than our pressed-out opponents.