The funny thing about over-achieving is that all of what inevitably follows - the heightened sense of expectation that borders on entitlement, and the heightened outrage that is unleashed when those expectations are not met - is entirely the fault of the over-achiever.
But what are they supposed to do? Simply accept their comfortable, if somewhat compromised, status and reside in that sweet spot forever? To never strive for glory?
Take Arsenal, who for a great many years were perfectly content finishing third or fourth, doing so for ten seasons running between 2005 and 2015, all the while winning the odd FA Cup or two.
Throughout the second half of Arsene Wenger’s reign they had a good thing going on, enjoying a relatively stress-free existence away from the taxing demands at the summit.
To compensate for this, on a fairly regular basis, their fan-base was treated to some sumptuous football, particularly at home to inferior opposition.
There are many supporters out there - fans of yo-yo clubs and perennial strugglers - who would happily live like that forever.
An outlier of a campaign in 2016 saw them come in second, though in truth they were never considered genuine contenders in the Premier League odds outright market, eventually finishing miles behind Leicester.
And then Wenger departed and Arsenal found a different niche, one that wasn’t wholly bad either.
As first Unai Emery, then Mikel Arteta, struggled to fill the imposing loafers of their predecessor, the Gunners fell away from the Champions League spots and this led to widespread anger from the Emirates faithful who protested often and vociferously about a lack of investment from the board.
Online arguments meanwhile would spring up daily, vicious diatribes about the state of the club colliding head-on with other Gooners who looked for the positives.
From the outside, it appeared they were having a whale of a time, happy in their misery. Indeed, so long as the Gunners finished above Tottenham all seemed to be right with their world.
Only then Mikel Arteta went and ruined everything. Because against all expectation, and after being roundly mocked for talking openly about a ‘process’, he went and made Arsenal really good.
It began with a transformative transfer window, one that had many scratching their heads. Nearly thirty million pounds for Aaron Ramsdale? Wasn’t he Mr Relegation? Nearly sixty million for Ben White? Really?
All told, it was a summer that threw up more questions than answers and when the Gunners lost their opening three games the main query was how long it would take the board to sack an unproven gaffer who had wasted £167m of the club’s money.
Except that didn’t happen and instead Arsenal started to win and win regularly, doing so in a style that really impressed and displaying a coherency and confidence that was unlike them.
It took a late-season collapse, that deprived them of top four, to remind us all that beneath the fluid football this was still the Arsenal of old. Comfortable, compromised Arsenal. For quite a sustained period, we forgot.
Another considerable outlay that off-season however got the fans excited, because this time there were significantly fewer doubts concerning signings that felt astute. Both Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabby Jesus had a winners mentality forged from their time at Manchester City. They would improve Arsenal.
Nobody though could have possibly predicted what came next, as Arteta’s side flew from the blocks and maintained their momentum for much of 2022/23.
Arsenal scored three-plus goals in 47% of their league fixtures. There were routine victories, executed in ruthless fashion, and rousing last-minute comebacks.
Saka was brilliant. Martinelli was brilliant. Even Granit Xhaka, a player who previously embodied his club’s capacity to flatter to deceive, was largely brilliant.
Though a trademark late implosion cost them a first title for nearly two decades, the Gunners pulverized all-but-one of their peers into submission, topping the table for a remarkable 248 days.
So where does this out-of-character, undisputed excellence leave them now?
Regrettably, no matter what the Premier League betting says, and even with the costly purchases of Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz, the Gunners are highly unlikely to dislodge City from the mountaintop. Indeed, it is perfectly possible they won’t manage a repeat of last term’s sustained challenge.
Only now the fans have been ignited, now they believe and you only need acknowledge the deafening decibel levels at the Emirates each matchday to understand that for them this season is a cause, the time to claim a destiny these past couple of years have strongly hinted at.
Except that destiny is unlikely to be claimed, and it’s hard to imagine an enflamed, reawakened fan-base seeing much value in another second place finish. Third or fourth meanwhile would be viewed only as regression and failure.
When the outrage comes, as it inevitably will, it will entirely be Arsenal and Mikel Arteta’s fault.
*Credit for all of the photos in this article belongs to AP Photo*
