City’s game in hand, playing first and Arsenal’s lead: Arteta’s side must break a familiar trend to win Premier League title this season | OneFootball

With the final run in of the Premier League season approaching, the title is very much still in play.

League leaders Arsenal hold a five-point advantage over Manchester City but having played a game more, with both sides still to face each other at the Etihad Stadium too.

Chasing down Arsenal is not an unfamiliar position for City to be in, having done so before.

But are there any similarities to be drawn to the two previous title races between the sides and this one?

2023/24

The 2023/24 campaign saw both Arsenal and Manchester City enjoy a strong end to the season, with City prevailing by two points to win the title.

After the two rivals’ goalless draw, Arsenal would win eight of their last nine games while City won all nine on their way to the trophy.

However, it was Liverpool who were sitting top of the table after that draw at the Etihad Stadium. Their comeback win over Brighton on the same day gave them a two-point lead at the top.

City and Arsenal would play before the Reds in the following round of matches, both winning to put pressure on Jurgen Klopp’s side, who would reclaim top spot with a win over Sheffield United, however.

Arsenal and City would again play before Liverpool the following week, with City going first by beating Crystal Palace 4-2 before Arsenal followed that up with a 3-0 win over Brighton. Liverpool would play the following day, losing ground in the title race by drawing 2-2 with rivals Manchester United.

At that point, the Gunners led Liverpool on goal difference, with City a point behind them with seven games to go.

Then came the crucial twist in the title race. Manchester City, playing a day before both of their rivals, delivered a crushing 5-1 win over Luton Town. The following day, Arsenal and Liverpool would both lose to Aston Villa and Crystal Palace respectively.

However, Arsenal and Liverpool would both play a few days before City in the next round of games, with the Gunners winning against Wolves on April 20 and Liverpool beating Fulham on April 21. Arsenal led the Reds by goal difference, with City down in third having played a game less.

Arsenal and Liverpool would then again play another game before City did. Arsenal thrashed Chelsea 5-0 on April 23 but Klopp’s men were unable to keep pace, losing to rivals Everton the following day. City, in their position as chasers, handled the pressure by beating Brighton 4-0 on April 25.

A 2-2 draw with West Ham on April 27 made Liverpool’s hopes of winning the title slim to none, after Arsenal and Man City both won the following day. Arsenal beat rivals Spurs 3-2 before City beat Nottingham Forest later that day. Arsenal were still ahead in the table by a point, but City had a game in hand to play.

City beat Wolves 5-1 after Arsenal had won 3-0 against Bournemouth earlier that afternoon on May 4, before City momentarily went ahead in the table by beating Fulham 4-0 on May 11, though Arsenal responded with a statement 1-0 victory against Manchester United to return to top spot.

Arsenal needed fierce rivals Tottenham to do them a favour in City’s game in hand, but Ange Postecoglou’s side were beaten 2-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, putting City ahead by two points with only a game to play. And with all games kicking off at the same time on the final day, City’s 3-1 win over West Ham secured Pep Guardiola another Premier League title.

Aside from the pressure created by City being behind in the table until the very end due to their game in hand, Arsenal largely dealt well with the pressure of Guardiola’s side playing first in a round of games. However, the only defeat of that run in, a costly loss to Aston Villa, did come after City had already won the day before.

2022/23

The season before the 2023/24 campaign saw Manchester City surge from behind to overtake Arsenal and win the title.

After Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Leeds on April 1 in the tenth to last game of the season, and following City’s 4-1 win over Liverpool earlier in the day, the Gunners held an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Interestingly, however, City once again had a game in hand on their rivals.

City played the day before both of Arsenal’s two consecutive draws against Liverpool and West Ham, winning against Southampton and Leicester to add to the pressure on their rivals whose dropped point would end up proving very costly.

Then, Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with Southampton on April 21 meant City had two games in hand, ahead of the two sides facing off at the Etihad. City’s dominant 4-1 win over the Gunners a few days later meant they were firmly in control of the title race, sitting two points behind but with two games in hand. They would win one of those in their next match – beating Fulham 2-1 at Craven Cottage.

Despite Arsenal playing first and winning in the following two rounds of games, City responded with victories too. They would, however, play first on the afternoon of May 14, beating Everton 3-0 before Arsenal suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Brighton.

The title was then wrapped up when Arsenal were beaten by Nottingham Forest ahead of City’s game against Chelsea.

Being the chasers, having played less games than their rivals going into the end of the season run in, is a role City have thrived in, as well as coping better than Mikel Arteta’s men when faced with playing after them in the order of fixtures.

This season

The final order of matches has yet to be decided, with European games, TV times and other factors at play to determine who plays when.

Manchester City will play before Arsenal in the next round of fixtures, playing Leeds on Saturday before Arsenal play Chelsea on Sunday. They will then play at the same time on Wednesday March 4, before City again play a day before Arsenal in the following gameweek, facing West Ham on Saturday 14 March with Arsenal taking on Everton a day later.

But what is certainly similar to the previous two title races between the sides is that City have a game in hand and are behind in the table heading in to the closing stages of the season.

The Carabao Cup final between the two teams in March has meant both had to have their scheduled Premier League games that weekend moved. Arsenal played theirs when they dropped points against Wolves, but City’s game against Crystal Palace has yet to be rescheduled, due to the Eagles’ involvement in the Conference League play-off round.

Could City do it again, or will this be the year Arsenal stay out in front until the very end?