The Premier League title race has produced several shocks already this season, as holders Liverpool have failed to mount a fight to retain the trophy, and Arsenal have consistently threatened to run away with it.
Manchester City have unsurprisingly positioned themselves within the title picture ahead of the final two months of fixtures. The presence of Pep Guardiola’s side in title battles has been an inevitability in the last decade of Premier League soccer.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal will ultimately be looking to achieve a crowning moment which they have worked for years towards, while City will be looking to secure their fifth league success of the 2020s.
There are standout ties within the remaining fixture schedule that could determine where the trophy lands after matchday 38 in May.
Head-to-head battle
City and Arsenal will meet head-to-head in April, where a positive result for either could swing the pendulum in their favour. Arteta’s team are currently a -300 title favourite according to football odds online, as if they maintain their four-point lead before facing City, they can even accept dropping points in the blockbuster fixture.
City, on the other hand, have ground to make up as they are +225 outsiders in the Premier League winner odds; they will almost certainly require a victory when they face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium.
In the six editions of the fixture that have been played since Arteta took the Emirates helm, City have been undefeated, with four wins and two draws at their home ground, and an aggregate score of 16-4. Arsenal often set up defensively when they play away to the sky-blue side, which could suit them if they need just a point rather than a victory, but that will be reliant on them not slipping up elsewhere before the meeting.
Ready to do it again 🔄
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 7, 2026
📍 Emirates Stadium pic.twitter.com/RGSsP91Wx3
Ultimately, the idea of Arsenal and City meeting in April, with the title fight wide open, is an exciting prospect, but the importance of the fixture will be determined by the soccer that is played before then.
The London derbies
Arsenal have managed to comfortably defeat almost any Premier League team that has been in their path this season, and while many have started to believe that title glory is inevitable, their city rivals will be desperate to change that narrative.
The Gunners have tough back-to-back fixtures pencilled in for matchdays 29 and 30. First, they will face the North London derby away to a Spurs side coached by interim manager Igor Tudor. Arsenal are on a streak of three straight Premier League wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but their biggest rivals will undoubtedly play with a point to prove to their new coach and a desire to extend Arteta’s wait for a title.
We are pleased to confirm the appointment of Igor Tudor as Men’s Head Coach until the end of the season, subject to work permit.
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) February 14, 2026
🔗 https://t.co/IqK72rpNSg pic.twitter.com/31rCpoVQTj
Arsenal’s subsequent fixture against Chelsea may be more straightforward as it will take place at the Emirates Stadium. The West London club certainly has more attacking firepower than Tottenham, although they have been inconsistent under Liam Rosenior, and it’s difficult to predict what version of Chelsea will turn up in March.
The title battle could become agonisingly close in the closing fixtures of the season if Arsenal lose more ground in the race and City go on a perfect run of form until they face Arteta’s formidable defensive setup. The London derbies could result in dropped points for the league leaders, and that could make Manchester City vs Arsenal a genuine winner-takes-all contest.
