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Manchester City defender Kyle Walker has admitted he ‘could not sleep’ before facing Tottenham Hotspur due to the stress of the title challenge.
Pep Guardiola’s side look set to lift their fourth successive Premier League trophy this weekend, with the 2-0 win over Spurs seeing go two-points ahead of challengers Arsenal. They just have one game remaining, against West Ham on Sunday, to secure yet another league title.
Guardiola has voiced his confidence throughout the campaign, even joking about Sir Alex Ferguson’s ‘squeaky bum time’ phrase when asked if he was feeling any pressure.
However, it seems not everyone at the Etihad carried his enthusiasm, with Walker revealing his intense emotions before Tuesday night’s clash.
Speaking after his side won 2-0 against Spurs, Walker said: “I think that maybe sometimes people forget we are humans and the emotion, the nerves, the adrenaline, it’s all running through your body.
“I couldn’t sleep the night before. I was scrambling to get half an hour at the hotel before the game. You just want the game to start. It’s excitement but it’s nerves. It’s not unusual for me, there have been numerous nights where I can’t sleep because I’m excited for the game.
“If you don’t like playing in these games, you shouldn’t play football. These are the pressure games that you want to play in and this is what separates the really good players from the average players.
“You have the tense atmosphere and the pressure of the club on you and you need to go and provide. They pay us well and we’re professionals and we need to provide for this club like we have done over the last couple of years.
“People probably look to the senior players who have been here for a number of years who have won it and been very fortunate to win it a few times but it’s a collective game. It’s not tennis, it’s not a solo sport. We are all in it together. It’s a collective thing.”
City are now just inches away from clinching the Premier League title once again, ruining Arsenal’s hopes of claiming their first title in 20 years.
