If Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal are to win their first Premier League title in 19 years, they will have to stave off a growing double threat from Manchester.
The battle to be crowned English champions looks set to come down to just three clubs after wins for Manchester City and Manchester United on Sunday tightened the gap at the top of the table.
Defending champions City beat Aston Villa 3-1 and have the chance to move above leader Arsenal on goal difference with a win when the sides meet, for the first time in this Premier League season, on Wednesday. Manchester City will host Arsenal on April 26.
United are now five points off the top after beating Leeds 2-0 at Elland Road.
The Gunners are seeking to avoid a third successive league game without a victory, having experienced somewhat of a blip from their usual high standards in recent weeks, with a slender 1-0 defeat at Everton followed by a 1-1 draw at home to Brentford on Saturday.
But the immediate threat to Arsenal, who have led the standings since August, is a City team that has the chance to wipe out an eight-point deficit that existed less than a month ago, even if it has played a game more.
“We will see after all the games when the Premier League is finished. But we are going to London to try to get a win,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.
“When one team has made 50 points in the first leg (half of the season) it is because they are very good. We closed the gap today because the performance from the team was really, really good.”
The wins for City and United will increase the sense of injustice felt by Arsenal at Ivan Toney’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Brentford.
Referees chief Howard Webb contacted the club to explain “significant” and “human” error after VAR failed to rule Toney’s goal out for offside, but that is likely to be of little comfort to a team whose title challenge is beginning to show signs of faltering.
The Gunners — who lost 1-0 away at Man City in the FA Cup fourth round last month — have failed to win each of their last 13 Premier League meetings with the Citizens and have lost all of their last 10 — their longest losing run against an opponent in their top-flight history.
Defeat against Guardiola’s team would not be the end of the road for Arsenal with 16 league matches still to follow, including a game in hand on their rivals. But Arteta would like to have a win as that would be a major boost heading into a run of seven-successive fixtures against none of the so-called top six clubs.
City’s away form this season is also iffy, winning only six of their 14 games on the road in all tournaments. Guardiola’s side head to the Emirates having lost their last two top-flight away fixtures against Manchester United and Spurs.
Arteta may continue with the same starting line-up for the seventh successive league game, although Leandro Trossard will be pushing to start ahead of Gabriel Martinelli on the left flank after scoring at the weekend.
Gabriel Jesus has stepped up his recovery from a knee injury, but the former Man City forward is still a few weeks away from returning to the first-team fold.
City of course would be keeping their fingers crossed over Erling Haaland, as the Premier League’s top scorer came off at half-time in the win over Villa with a “big knock”.
Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri, who scored in the win over Villa, will likely be joined in centre-midfield by either Ilkay Gundogan or Bernardo Silva, while the potential absence of Haaland from the first XI could see Julian Alvarez selected in attack along with Riyad Mahrez and Jack Grealish.
City will also hope their players have moved on from the penalty debate during Sunday’s game. Haaland and Rodri both wanted to take it but were told by captain Gundogan that it would be Riyad Mahrez’s responsibility. To everyone’s relief, Mahrez did, sending World Cup-winner Emiliano Martinez the wrong way.
■ Arsenal vs Manchester City, 1am IST Thursday, live on Star Sports Network
Written with inputs from AP/PTI