The Premier League title race is hotting up between Arsenal and Manchester City. Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola are preparing for exciting one-and-a-half months in the title race.
Arsenal’s eight-point lead at the summit was trimmed to six when they were held to an exciting 2-2 draw by Liverpool at Anfield last weekend, thus, leaving the destiny of the Premier League title race officially in Man City’s hands. Pep Guardiola’s side have played one game fewer than Arsenal and boasts of a better goal difference, so if they win the rest of their games including beating Arsenal at home, they’ll be crowned champions for the third consecutive season.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the three reasons why Manchester City will pip Arsenal to the Premier League title this season.
#Relatively easy fixture list
One of the key advantages Manchester City hold over Arsenal is its fixture list. While Arsenal are yet to face Chelsea, Newcastle United and Brighton, as well as travel to Man City, the Sky Blues don’t have a daunting last nine games.
Arsenal have not won a league game at Anfield since 2012 and the trend continued with an enthralling 2-2 draw last weekend, with Mikel Arteta’s side fortunate to avoid a defeat in the end. The Etihad Stadium has been a graveyard and the defeat at Newcastle last season cost them a Champions League berth.
On the contrary, Pep Guardiola’s side have already faced the likes of Manchester United, Newcastle United, Spurs and Liverpool. Their only tough fixtures are against Arsenal, Brighton and Brentford. Apart from that, it should be plain sailing for them as five out of their last nine games are against teams in the bottom half of the table.
It is worth keeping in mind that Man City often smash such teams, which means chances of a slip-up are very low. So as far as the fixture list goes, Guardiola and co. will not be worried.
#Better squad depth
One of the prime reasons why Man City are potentially in the hunt for winning the treble this season is their squad depth. Pep Guardiola can chop and change his starting XI as per the game’s needs and bring on quality players off the bench. Thus, the Cityzens can rotate their squad well across three competitions without being affected by fatigue or other fitness concerns.
The same cannot be said of Arsenal. Arteta has a thin squad at least compared to Man City, with many of his first XI players irreplaceable. An injury or suspension to one of their most crucial players could spell disaster for the Gunners. However, one slight positive for Arteta and co. is they only have the Premier League to concentrate on for the rest of the season.
#Accustomed to the pressure of a Premier League title race
Man City have won four league titles in the last four years, thereby showcasing their dominance in the English top-flight. They rarely experience slip-ups and become extremely dangerous when chasing the league leaders—ask Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool!
The Sky Blues are used to the kind of pressure that comes with a title race and have shown over the last few years that they possess experience, leadership and the mentality to go unbeaten during the final stretch of the campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s City have had close shaves with Liverpool, winning the title by just a point during the 2018/19 and 2021/22 campaigns. Arsenal, on the other hand, have a very young squad and find themselves in a title race after such a long time. Even though the Gunners hold a six-point lead, betting against City during the business end of the campaign would be silly.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
