Man City's Premier League title battle with Arsenal predicted - shock results, goal difference, have your say

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Manchester City could go top of the Premier League tonight in their title battle with Arsenal.

Manchester City and Arsenal are duking it out for the Premier League title as we enter the final month of an absorbing campaign.

City's win over the Gunners on Sunday has narrowed the gap to just three points and if Pep Guardiola's side beat Burnley at Turf Moor tonight they will top the table for the first time since August. But the margins are tight and with the Blues three points adrift with a game in hand, goal difference could yet play a part in the destination of the trophy.

Arsenal have the more favourable run on paper and, after City's trip to Burnley tonight, the Gunners play twice before the Blues are next in Premier League action given their FA Cup semi-final against Southampton this weekend. There are sure to be more twists and turns to come and our City writers have had their say on the run-in and you can predict the final fixtures too to see who you think will come out on top.

Simon Bajkowski

Arsenal's day ended weirdly positive on Sunday with Mikel Arteta more convinced than ever they'd win the league despite losing at the Etihad. There is a sense that if they play as well as they did against City in their remaining five games then they will win them all.

That's fair enough - but there's no guarantee that they will or that it will be enough for them to win the league if City play as they did on Sunday. If it felt like the title race was shaping up for a repeat of 2022/23 when Arsenal fell away with City the unstoppable force, now it feels more like 2021/22 did with City and Liverpool.

That went to the final day and was ultimately decided by a point, yet City always really had it in their hands, whatever scares they produced in games. Guardiola's side this year can go top with a win at Burnley and something about how uncomfortable it can be for Arsenal at the Etihad gives the suggestion that they could drop points against Newcastle and/or Fulham at home.

City would then have a cushion and will surely outscore Arsenal between now and the end of the season, allowing them the opportunity to drop two points in Andoni Iraola's last match in charge of Bournemouth and still have the title race in their hands going into the final day.

Beat Aston Villa and even if Arsenal win at Selhurst Park the title will still head to the Etihad on goal difference.

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Alex James

City's win at the Etihad has given them the momentum but I'm still not convinced the Blues will reel off six wins to end the campaign. In fact I can see both teams dropping points between now and the finish line.

Arsenal have to find a response to a difficult few weeks which have seen City reel them in in the Premier League and beat them in the Carabao Cup final, while the Gunners also exited the FA Cup. They have a Champions League semi-final with Atletico Madrid on the horizon and the next two weeks will be a huge test of Arsenal's mettle.

Even though Newcastle are horribly out of form I can see them getting a point at what will be a nervy Emirates on Saturday, with Arteta also having to think about the trip to Spain in midweek. The other obstacle for the Gunners comes in the form of West Ham, who have found a bit of form and are likely to still need points to try and beat the drop when Arsenal visit the London Stadium next month. That could be a draw, too.

For City, an away game at Bournemouth stands out as the trickiest test and I can see the Cherries earning a point in what will be Iraola's final home game in charge. The Blues have some testing fixtures to come but their home form is so good that I can't seen any dropped points at the Etihad. Everton away on Bank Holiday Monday could be a test even though David Moyes' side have struggled on their own patch. But it's one I think City can pass and therefore the Blues will take the title by two points. You heard it here first.

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Simon Bajkowski

Simon Bajkowski

Simon is the Chief Manchester City Writer for the Manchester Evening News, as well as Reach's national titles. He joined the MEN sport desk in 2013 and has covered City home and away since 2016, reporting on Pep Guardiola's time at the club. He took over from Stuart Brennan in 2022 to become chief City writer and followed the team as they made history with the Treble and then four consecutive Premier League titles. Simon has also written a book with insider stories on City's rise called The Blueprint, which was published in 2024.

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