Key Takeaways
- Manchester City sit top on goals scored after beating Arsenal 2-1 and Burnley 1-0.
- Arsenal led the table for 209 days but must now win their last five fixtures and hope City slip.
- Experts are split: some back City’s experience, others say Arsenal’s kinder schedule gives them the edge.
Five games. Two teams. Zero margin for error. Manchester City and Arsenal are level on points at the Premier League summit, separated only by the number of goals they have bagged.
City’s mid-week win at Turf Moor nudged them ahead, yet Mikel Arteta insists the race starts fresh. “It’s a new league now,” the Arsenal manager said after his side’s long stay at the top was halted.
So who will finish first? We asked analysts, club writers and supporters to predict every remaining match.
City’s edge: Pep Guardiola’s squad have been here before. They know how to handle the pressure of May. One forecast has them dropping points only at Everton, then scoring a last-gasp winner against Aston Villa on the final day to keep the trophy on goal difference.
Arsenal’s hope: The Gunners have already beaten all five opponents left on their fixture list this season, conceding just once in those games. If they repeat those victories and City stumble once, the title heads to north London for the first time in two decades.
Goal difference could decide it. City currently hold the advantage, but Arsenal still face Burnley at the Emirates, offering a chance to boost their tally.
Bottom line: both sides will need courage, consistency and perhaps a single moment of magic — or luck — to become champions.