How Manchester City vs Arsenal will affect the Premier League title race

• Manchester City is set to host Premier League leaders Arsenal at the Etihad on Wednesday, April 26
• The two teams are separated by only five points with six matches to the end of the season
• Here is how the clash on Wednesday will affect the Premier League title race 

Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta are frequently portrayed as master and disciple, but they weren’t singing from the same hymn sheet when it came to the seismic nature of Manchester City’s match against Arsenal on Wednesday.

Guardiola cleverly turned up the pressure on his old assistant after swatting Leicester City away in mid-April, saying: “It was important for us to win to arrive for the final we have against them [Arsenal] in the next Premier League game.” Arteta was not convinced. “It’s not a final because there are still six games to go,” he insisted, after Arsenal drew their third consecutive game to prepare for their trip to the Etihad.

Arsenal have left the Premier League title race poised after earning just one point against relegation-threatened Southampton last Friday.

To avoid any hazy mental arithmetic following Wednesday’s final whistle, here are the Premier League standings in every potential situation.

The Premier League table before Manchester City vs Arsenal

Before we go into hyperbolic hypotheticals, here’s how the Premier League table sits heading into Wednesday’s game, which technically isn’t a final but clearly deserves the title.

Arsenal has led Manchester City in the Premier League for all but three nights since the World Cup. The Gunners had a five-point lead but might have extended it to double digits if they hadn’t dropped six points in three games against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton.

READ: Saka on the spotlight as Arsenal drop points against West Ham

City have systemically enticed Arsenal by starting on their longest winning streak of the season, which stands at six games in a row in the Premier League heading into Wednesday’s meeting.

How the Premier League title race is affected is Manchester City beat Arsenal

On Wednesday night, a Manchester City victory would effectively end the title fight. City would still have seven games left to play but could afford to lose once and still finish first, even if Arsenal won every remaining match.

Arsenal has lost their last 11 Premier League games against City, despite leading for a grand total of 26 minutes during this bleak span.

Manchester City vs Arsenal will be a decider in the 2022/23 Premier League title race. | PHOTO: Premier League |

How the Premier League title race is affected if Arsenal beat City

Gabriel Jesus, a four-time Premier League champion, is well-versed in handling the delicate threads of a Premier League title chase. “If we want to be champions, we just have to go there and win the game,” the former City striker stated flatly.

If Arsenal meets the demands of its number nine, they will be back in control of their own destiny. A win would give Arsenal an eight-point advantage on the night, ensuring that if they win their remaining five matches, they will win their first Premier League title since 2004 regardless of what City does after Wednesday.

If Arsenal beat Manchester City at the Etihad but drew one of their final five games (while Guardiola’s team extracted maximum points thereafter), the title would be decided on goal difference.

READ: Arsenal fall to pressure at the wrong time in the Premier League tittle race

How the Premier League title race is affected if the two teams draw

Arsenal haven’t collected a point against City at the Etihad since May 2016, before Guardiola or Arteta joined the home team’s coaching staff.

If City fails to win all three points in midweek – which would be the first time on home ground against any opponent in 2023 – they will still be in control of the title race. However, neither side would have much room for error.

Should Wednesday’s encounter conclude in a draw, Arsenal would still have a five-point advantage over City, but the reigning champions have two games in hand on their London rivals, giving them six additional points. If they win both of those games, as well as their remaining fixtures, Guardiola will complete the season with another Premier League winner’s medal, while Arteta will be left wondering what could have been.