WHEN the odds were against them, Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United usually found a way out.
Only two teams in Prem history have come back from eight points above the top after eleven games to win the title: Blackburn in 1994/95 and United in 2002/03 AND 2008/09.
This season, Arsenal find themselves at the same stage, NINE points behind, and must do what no Prem side has ever done to lift their first league trophy since the 2004 Invincibles.
Wes Brown was part of both United teams that produced miraculous comebacks – a rare period in Sir Alex's tenure when he was the chaser rather than the pack leader.
In 2003, United finished five points ahead of Arsenal. In 2009 they finished four points ahead of Liverpool. In the end, their mad dash to the finish was enough to win by a margin.
So, what does it take to make it happen? Brown told SunSport: “First of all, the manager is very important. He is the one who keeps everyone stable and calm.
“He gives you the faith. Sir Alex wouldn't necessarily shout. He would look at your aura and try to get the best out of you that way.
“And then it is up to the players to just carry on.
“We had some good characters and we all trusted the players around us to lead by example. We'd been there, done it.
“People see you win the competition and think you were brilliant – not always, but somehow we won. It could be the collective that gets stuck, an individually brilliant piece.
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“You may play a difficult match, but someone will score you a goal.
“We always had someone on fire, normally a striker. He would get a chance and he would score and lift everyone up, and slowly the belief came back.”
In 2002/03 that was Ruud van Nistelrooy for United. He scored 25 Prem goals that season and found the net in each of the last eight to ultimately leapfrog Arsene Wenger's Arsenal.
And in 2008/2009 it was Cristiano Ronaldo, with ten league goals in the new year, making his total eighteen, narrowly edging out rivals from Liverpool.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal lack those types of season-defining goalscorers and their hopes appear to be pinned on Kai Havertz – with four Prem goals so far – having a similar impact.
Brown added: “Of course you always say to yourself, 'If we can get a good run, we can catch 'em,' especially before Christmas. After that it's a little different.
“If you go into January with an eight or nine point lead, you would think that the team you are rooting for is not going to lose.
“I still think it's possible [for Arsenal]. It's early. You just have to believe in yourself. You can't give up. You discover something within yourself that doesn't allow that.
“But it takes a lot and it's very much a team thing to deal with, even if you need talented individuals.”
In the wake of Arsenal's 1-1 draw with Chelsea last time out – making it four Prem games without a win – Gunners legend Paul Merson suggested that if they can get within six points of Liverpool by Christmas then the title race is on.
Brown said: “100 percent. If suddenly it's six and Liverpool draws, you're back in it.
“When we were competing with Arsenal and they were in the lead, if they made one mistake the gap suddenly closed. You put pressure on them to see how they react.
“As a hunter you at least have the adrenaline.”
Arsenal's upcoming games could encourage a burst of form, starting at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, before clashing with West Ham, Fulham, Everton, Crystal Palace, Ipswich, Brentford and an unknown entity at Man United under Reuben Amorim.
But as Brown knows all too well, it's the big games that define a title run. He is told that Arteta's Arsenal still have to go to Anfield in May.
Speaking on behalf of Betzillo, Brown laughed: “When you said 'Anfield' your voice changed. Why? A group of winners would say, 'Let's do it, let's take them there.' That's the difference.
“That's what you need, that kind of feeling.”
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