Man City and Arsenal sent Premier League title race message by 'whole of Europe'

Arsenal and Manchester City are still battling it out for the Premier League title, but it appears European football has already claimed one side as the future victor

Champions League clubs perceive Arsenal as the "stronger" side compared to Manchester City, according to Portugal manager Roberto Martinez. Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola's teams are locked in an exceptionally tight Premier League title battle.

While the Gunners thrashed Tottenham Hotspur 4-1, City capitalised on Arsenal's 1-1 stalemate with Brentford and 2-2 draw at struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers, by beating Fulham 3-0 and Newcastle United 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium. City trail the north London outfit by just five points and possess a vital fixture in hand.

Heading into the concluding run of fixtures, opinion remains divided over which side will ultimately claim the trophy. Martinez, who famously guided Wigan Athletic to FA Cup glory by beating City 1-0 in 2013, disclosed that most European clubs expect Arsenal to prevail.

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Appearing on The Overlap, Martinez, who'll be guiding Portugal's quest for World Cup success this summer, commented: "It's interesting because if you ask any other Champions League team, outside the UK, everybody would tell you Arsenal look stronger than Manchester City.

"But when you understand the Premier League and you know the way Pep Guardiola works, Manchester City should be the favourites to finish the season the strongest.

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"Just because of the changes of the players in the dressing room is almost like everything is coming into place. He's also got this incredible capacity to find these tactical solutions, preparing in each game.

"When you look at it from the outside, everyone in the Champions League, all of the top clubs in the Champions League, they are highlighting Arsenal."

When Gary Neville questioned whether Arsenal are regarded as the most formidable side, Martinez responded: "Yes, because they beat Real Madrid the way that they did. They are a team that can defend very well without the ball, they can play with the ball and they are a complete team.

"Set-plays, I know in the UK it is different, in the Premier League, everyone works the set plays well. But in Europe, nobody can defend a corner from Arsenal, it's a reality.

"When you look at the Premier League teams against European opposition, the goals they score from dead ball situations are incredible. It's a trend which hasn't developed in Europe yet and that side of it can be a big strength in Europe.

"In the Premier League, I don't even think you can call it. Even that game, Manchester City vs Arsenal, is going to have a bigger influence than we think. What is it, 90 minutes? 90 minutes could be anything. It could be about this season, a bit of luck, a bit of magic. So I think the league is going to be decided by very small margins."

Arsenal face two crucial encounters with City in the coming weeks. The opening fixture takes place on March 22 at Wembley Stadium for the League Cup final, a match that could carry significant psychological implications for the remainder of the campaign.

The most pivotal fixture of the season, though, is anticipated to be when the two teams meet at the Etihad Stadium on April 18.