One of the closest and most intriguing Premier League title races is set for another major twist when league leaders Arsenal visit defending champions Manchester City on Sunday in one of the biggest showdowns of the season.
The Gunners sit top of the table on goal difference as they are tied on 64 points with Liverpool. City are just one point behind those two in third, potentially heralding the closest three-horse title race in a decade.
You have to go back to 2014 to see the last time three clubs finished within five points of each other, when Chelsea led after 26 games but faded when Man City and Liverpool overtook them.
In the 31 seasons since the renamed Premier League began in 1992, there have only been three such finals with three clubs within five points of the top of the table. For even broader context, since the 1981/82 season, when victories began to secure three points, only four times has the English top-flight season ended with three teams within four points.
After 28 games into the current campaign and only 10 more to go, this is the last game left on the Premier League calendar in which two of the three title contenders meet on the field. So, with such tight margins and so much at stake, there is a tension and excitement in the air that promises to spill over onto the field.
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Man City vs Arsenal Prediction, Odds
- Lean Money Line: Draw (+260)
- Score prediction: Manchester City 1-1 Arsenal
Last year, when these clubs met in April with title implications on the line, Man City won 4-1, but this time it feels quite different. There had been expectations all season that Man City would eventually overtake Arsenal, and the Gunners capitulated to the widespread sentiment as they crumbled under the weight of the moment.
Just a week into a year later, Arsenal feel they are a team worthy of the opportunity, while Man City have struggled against top-flight opponents. Not only has Pep Guardiola failed to record a win against the other two title contenders this season in three attempts so far, he has only managed two wins against ‘Big Six’ rivals, both against struggling rivals Man United . Against Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea, City have managed five draws and one defeat so far, with this game plus one against Spurs remaining on the horizon.
The Gunners can get a result, and backing Arsenal with the double chance at -120 seems like a strong play.
