Joleon Lescott column: Gunners going eight clear unlikely to shake City

With Manchester City in FA Cup action this weekend, I'm expecting Arsenal to head into the international break with an eight-point lead in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners host managerless Crystal Palace on Sunday and it's hard to see them causing an upset on current form.

For some sides, trailing by eight points at this stage would be a psychological blow — but I don't expect City to have issues in that regard.

The champions will still expect to win their game in hand and also know they have that showdown with Mikel Arteta's men at the Etihad on April 26.

As a City player, that's enough to keep your spirits high. But we all know they're still going to need another slip-up somewhere from the leaders.

It's in Arsenal’s hands, plain and simple. Do I still expect City to chase them down? I certainly hope so, but it's hard to be confident.

I thought that victory at the Emirates for City was going to be a turning point but then they slipped up against Nottingham Forest a few days later.

Perhaps there's some nervous energy in the camp that I've been underestimating — or even mental fatigue.

Pep Guardiola's champions have been hitting such high standards under intense pressure for so long now, it's bound to take a toll at certain points.

Meanwhile, this level of expectation is a new thing for Arsenal and they seem to be enjoying the fear factor they now carry into matches.

So far, they've embraced the pressure. But the stakes will get higher and higher with each passing game, which is when we'll see what they're really made of.