Arsenal or Man City? Premier League title race fixtures assessed as Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta battle for first place

The last weeks of the Premier League play are acceptable to beryllium tense, arsenic Manchester City and Arsenal conflict for the title.

Following Man City's wins against the Gunners and Burnley, Pep Guardiola's broadside person lept up of the Londoners into archetypal place.

However, the 2 clubs tin hardly beryllium separated, with some connected 70 points, portion some besides person a extremity quality of 37.

The lone crushed City are up of Mikel Arteta's broadside is due to the fact that of goals scored - 66 compared to 63 - but determination are lone 5 matchweeks left, and overmuch could alteration betwixt present and the extremity of the season.

Here, Sports Mole analyses the rubric contention and whether it could truly beryllium decided by extremity difference.

Arsenal's Premier League fixtures: Mikel Arteta to bottle?

If Arsenal are to triumph the Premier League title, they indispensable travel done their adjacent 3 games with maximum points, with the nine acceptable to look Newcastle United connected Saturday, Fulham connected May 2 and West Ham United connected May 10.

The Toon person mislaid their past 2 clashes with the Gunners, but they besides won their anterior 2 meetings with the Londoners.

Four of Arsenal's past 5 encounters with Newcastle successful the Premier League person been decided by 1 goal, and that could beryllium damaging if the league is decided by extremity difference.

Arteta whitethorn person triumphed successful his past 2 games against Fulham, but his broadside failed to triumph their anterior 3 fixtures against the Cottagers, and adjacent their wins were decided by one-goal margins.

The club's clash with Fulham is besides sandwiched betwixt their Champions League semi-final necktie against Atletico Madrid, and determination is simply a existent accidental that the Gunners whitethorn person to prioritise competitions.

West Ham United volition person the vantage of playing astatine home, and they person looked revitalised defensively under Nuno Espirito Santo, who has won 3 and drawn 3 of his 11 games arsenic a manager against Arsenal.

Arsenal's last 2 games travel against Burnley and Crystal Palace, but the erstwhile has already been relegated and the second whitethorn look to remainder astir each starter against Arsenal successful May if they scope the Conference League final, which volition beryllium played aft the home play ends.

Manchester City Premier League fixtures: Pep Guardiola's uphill battle

Manchester City volition look Southampton successful the FA Cup this weekend, and they could beryllium six points down Arsenal by the clip they adjacent play successful the Premier League against Everton connected May 4.

The Citizens person lone failed to bushed the Toffees erstwhile successful their past six encounters, and they person won their past 9 distant from location against Everton, winning by astatine slightest 2 goals 8 times.

Guardiola's broadside volition past look 2 hard clashes against Brentford astatine the Etihad connected May 9 and Bournemouth astatine the Vitality connected May 17, and it should beryllium noted the second are presently unbeaten successful 14 league matches.

The Cherries picked up wins against Liverpool and Arsenal successful that stretch, portion they besides held Aston Villa and Manchester United to stalemates.

City's last 2 top-flight fixtures travel against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, though their clash with Palace has nary authoritative day yet.

The Eagles could beryllium afloat focused connected their Conference League campaign, and they whitethorn not beryllium arsenic challenging arsenic they would person been earlier successful the season.

Villa could beryllium competing successful the Europa League last connected May 20, 4 days earlier playing Man City successful matchweek 38, and the likelihood of Unai Emery's men being successful the champion signifier for that clash is slim.

Premier League rubric race: Could it beryllium decided by extremity difference?

It would beryllium astonishing if either City are Arsenal collected maximum points from their last 5 Premier League games.

If some teams someway managed to travel done their adjacent 3 league matches with 9 points, past the rubric whitethorn yet beryllium decided by who tin people much goals successful their last 2 fixtures.

Arsenal person won 21 top-flight matches this season, but 11 of those victories person been by one-goal margins, whereas lone 9 of City's 21 triumphs person been by one-goal margins.

There is each accidental that Arteta volition beryllium looking backmost astatine different play successful which his broadside failed to capitalise connected the weaknesses of Man City unless his attackers tin amended their output successful the last third.