Arsenal suffered another setback in their bid to end a 22-year title drought on Saturday and Manchester City can cut the gap at the top of the table against Chelsea on Sunday
There were always going to be more twists and turns in the Premier League title race, and the latest arrived on Saturday as Arsenal were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth at home.
Manchester City's clash with the Gunners next weekend was always bound to be a huge occasion, but it has just got even bigger thanks to another Arsenal slip-up.
The gap at the top of the table is still nine points ahead of City's trip to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and Pep Guardiola's men now have two games in hand over their title rivals. Win against Chelsea and the gap will be trimmed to six points. Follow that up with a win over Arsenal and Arteta's men will be just three points ahead with City still boasting a game in hand.
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Said game in hand is against Crystal Palace and the fixture has yet to be given a date. So how many points do City need to win the title, and is it now in their hands?
Of course, the question of how many points City need to win to reclaim the Premier League title will hinge on how many points Arsenal pick up in their remaining six league matches.
But if we were to work under the assumption that City win all of their remaining league fixtures, that would mean they beat Arsenal, and so the Gunners would be able to record a maximum tally of 85 points.
A 100 per cent record for City in their remaining eight league games would see Guardiola's men add 24 points to their current tally of 61, meaning they too would finish on 85 points. And so we would go to goal difference.
Arsenal's goal difference currently stands at +38, with City on +32.
So that's six goals separating the two sides, but it's worth remembering that City have two games in hand (and if they were to win both they would close the goal difference gap by at least two goals, with a minimum of one goal for each win), and if they were to beat Arsenal, every goal they beat them by would count double in terms of goal difference swing, with City adding to their 'goals for' column while also adding to Arsenal's 'goals against' column.
If City do win all of their games in hand and take 24 points from the 24 available, the absolute worst-case scenario is Arsenal do likewise (aside from losing to City) and the two teams finish on the same points, at which point it will come down to goal difference.
You would fancy City's chances of eating up the gap in goal difference if they were to win all of their remaining games.
But you can almost guarantee Arsenal's loss to Bournemouth on Saturday won't be the last twist we see from this season's title race.
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