Arsenal’s trip to the Etihad Stadium was being tipped to be the decisive fixture in the Premier League title race. The game finished 2-1 to Manchester City, with Pep Guardiola’s side now within three points of the Gunners with a game in hand. So, are Arsenal still masters of their own destiny? Or are City in the driving seat?
After Sunday afternoon’s result, Manchester City are the favourites to win the title according to Premier League betting online. However, it’s important to gain a sense of perspective, even if Arsenal’s recent form has seen their lead at the top of the table slip away.
Right now, Arsenal are still top of the Premier League table and three points ahead of City, who play midweek and will be expected to beat nearly relegated Burnley, with a victory being enough to see them leapfrog the Gunners into top spot. But it’s not a foregone conclusion.
While it is likely that City will defeat Burnley and climb into first place, taking control of the title race, Arsenal have the opportunity to ramp up the pressure on their rivals. After the Burnley game, City will switch to FA Cup mode, and then there will be a nine-day wait until they resume their Premier League campaign.
Between City playing Burnley and Everton in the league, Arsenal will play twice. They take on Newcastle United and Fulham at the Emirates, giving the Gunners a chance to reclaim top spot. If Arsenal can bounce back from the defeat in Manchester and put six points on the board, they’ll pile the pressure on Guardiola’s team.
For the vast majority of the season, Arsenal have done a lot of things right, and their success has been built on these fundamentals. They’ve been miserly at the back, rarely giving up chances, let alone goals, and they’ve always been a threat from attacking set-pieces. This blueprint has been proven to work time and time again for the Gunners, and it’s important they get back to that and focus on what they do best.
In recent games, Arsenal have been conceding more chances and goals, with their last three league outings seeing the team concede two goals in each fixture. This must stop in the final run of games, or they could see all the good work they’ve done this term come undone.
While the last few weeks have been damaging to Arsenal, with their defeat in the Carabao Cup final at the hands of City, and their lead being whittled down to just three points in the title race, there are reasons to keep believing that this year will be their year.
Arsenal have five games remaining, and it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that they win all five. They’ve won five in a row twice this season, and only recently saw a four-game winning streak come to an end. If they can win all their remaining fixtures, there’s a big chance the title will head to North London.
Losing to City in such an important fixture is a huge blow, but the title race is not done, according to what Declan Rice was saying on the pitch at full-time. Now it’s up to Arsenal to find their form again and prove why they deserve to be champions.
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