Football is supposed to be fun, but as the season reaches its nail-biting climax, the mental pressure can become almost unbearable. This was on full display in east London on Sunday, where Arsenal somehow survived a must-win clash against West Ham—but not without making things far harder than they needed to be.

The Gunners started brightly, but everything unraveled after Ben White's injury. In a baffling tactical move, manager Mikel Arteta pulled Declan Rice—easily the most influential player on the pitch—out of midfield and stationed him at right-back. The reason? To accommodate substitute Martin Zubimendi, a solid but far less impactful presence in the center of the park. Why Arteta didn't simply slot Cristhian Mosquera into the full-back role remains a mystery. Was the Arsenal boss overthinking, or was the stress of the title race getting to him?

Whatever the rationale, the decision backfired immediately. West Ham, sensing uncertainty, grew in confidence and stopped being mere spectators. Arteta corrected his error at halftime, but then made another head-scratcher: instructing his team to slow the game to a crawl. For nearly two full minutes early in the second half, Arsenal passed the ball aimlessly around the back and midfield, showing no intent to move forward. It was like watching a team playing not to lose, rather than one fighting to win.

Thankfully, the introduction of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz injected some much-needed urgency and chaos. Whether this was Arteta's genius plan all along, a case of trial-and-error finally paying off, or sheer desperation from manager and players alike is up for debate. What's certain is that it nearly backfired. Arsenal got away with it by the skin of their teeth, but the mental pressure was all too visible—a reminder that even the most talented teams can be their own worst enemies when the stakes are highest.