Man City are firm favourites now for the Premier League title, having leapfrogged the Gunners on Sunday with a 2-1 win away at Fulham.
This is Man City’s territory. They just love title run-ins. If you are to win a title against City, you have to make sure you have a 10-15 point lead over them heading into the final months. Arsenal didn’t, and they slipped at the crucial juncture. Of course City capitalized, and with destiny in their own hands, the title is theirs to lose.
The title race is still not over though, and keeping that in mind, here are the pair’s remaining fixtures:
Man City
West Ham (H), 3rd May 2023
Leeds United (H), 6th May 2023
Everton (A), 14th May 2023
Chelsea (H), 21st May 2023
Brighton (A), 24th May 2023
Brentford (A), 28th May 2023
Man City are on an ominous 8-match winning streak that has landed them in pole position again. Given their form and the opponents, they can easily extend it to 12 matches. Their next four matches are against bottom half teams who realistically can offer no challenge to this winning machine. Pep Guardiola will have eyes on the final two games, as they are the toughest remaining ones.
Brighton and Brentford have had tremendous campaigns that can end in European football. These games are not going to be easy particularly if both are still in the running for European football. It is also worth mentioning Brentford did beat City earlier this season. Nevertheless, you won’t be surprised if Man City win all of their remaining fixtures.
Arsenal
Chelsea (H), 2nd May
Newcastle (A), 7th May
Brighton (H), 14th May
Nottingham Forest (A), 20th May
Wolves (H), 28th May
Despite the fact that Arsenal are winless in four, they simply have to keep their heads up. Mikel Arteta’s men have played some delightful football but now the focus is solely on results. Games against Newcastle and Brighton are not going to be easy, and albeit games against Forest and Wolves look like a formality on paper, Arsenal have at times struggled against bottom half teams.
Up next for Arsenal is a London derby against bitter rivals Chelsea. The two teams have enjoyed completely contrasting campaigns and the Blues are on a five-match losing streak. This is a must win game for Arsenal and they should be firm favourites to win this derby. In fact, every game is a must win for Mikel Arteta’s young Gunners.