Premier League title race: Why Arsenal's win vs. West Ham has sealed the trophy for Mikel Arteta's Gunners, doomed Man City

Arsenal person led the Premier League for the bulk of 2025-26, and having finished 2nd successful each of the past 3 seasons, the rubric could beryllium connected its mode to the Emirates Stadium aft a 22-year wait.

Mikel Arteta's broadside pulled disconnected a important 1-0 victory implicit West Ham United connected Sunday afternoon, courtesy of a precocious victor from Leandro Trossard, though the Gunners' blushes were spared thanks to a arguable VAR decision that saw Callum Wilson's stoppage-time effort ruled retired for a foul connected goalkeeper David Raya.

Regardless, 3 points for the North Londoners has enactment the nine connected the brink of top-flight glory, and fixed their pb and remaining fixtures, it is hard to spot immoderate different outcome.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look astatine the Premier League rubric race, and wherefore Arteta's men whitethorn already person their sanction connected the trophy aft beating West Ham.

West Ham United 0-1 Arsenal: What does the Premier League array say?

Last month, each eyes were connected Arsenal's showdown with Pep Guardiola's Manchester City connected April 19, with the overriding feeling being that whichever squad came retired connected apical successful that clash would spell connected to assistance the title.

The Citizens triumphed 2-1 astatine the Etihad that day, which saw a man-of-the-match-worthy show from Rayan Cherki seal each 3 points for the hosts.

In bid for City to capitalise connected their occurrence and triumph the league from that position, they would request to triumph each crippled near connected the division's calendar, but a 3-3 gully against Everton connected May 4 enactment the trophy's destiny backmost successful Arsenal's hands.

The astir caller lawsuit successful the rubric contention saw the Gunners caput to the London Stadium connected Sunday, wherever a relegation-threatened West Ham were waiting, hoping to bolster their combat against the menace of demotion.

Arteta's broadside person famously struggled nether unit passim his tenure, but contempt a fig of nervy moments, they were capable to clasp retired against Nuno Espirito Santo's squad - acknowledgment successful nary tiny portion to a superb prevention from Raya that denied Matheus Fernandes from adjacent range.

That antiaircraft resilience was not successful vain either, arsenic Trossard, who has been known to measurement up successful captious moments, converted a cutback from Martin Odegaard, whose ain substitute show was admirable.

Irons substitute Wilson thought helium had equalised heavy into stoppage time, but saw his extremity ruled retired for a foul connected Raya by Pablo, and Arsenal escaped with the points.

Now - with conscionable 2 fixtures to play - triumph has near the Gunners 5 points wide of Man City astatine the apical of the Premier League table, though their rivals person played 1 crippled fewer.

The run-in: Man City's remaining Premier League fixtures

If Man City are to retrieve successful the rubric race, past they volition request Arsenal to gaffe up astatine the past hurdle, arsenic good arsenic to triumph each 3 of their remaining league games.

Guardiola's squad volition invited Conference League finalists Crystal Palace to the Etihad connected Wednesday, and though the Eagles are a susceptible side, they tin nary longer suffice for European shot and are lone playing for presumption domestically.

Six days later, the Sky Blues caput southbound to instrumentality connected Bournemouth astatine the Vitality Stadium successful what is apt to beryllium the toughest fixture near for either of the rubric contenders.

Andoni Iraola's Cherries person lone mislaid erstwhile successful the Premier League passim 2026 - ironically being downed 3-2 by Arsenal connected January 3 - and volition not springiness immoderate leeway to their visitors, particularly fixed that they are inactive warring for a spot successful UEFA competition.

Man City volition circular retired their run with a clash against Unai Emery's Aston Villa connected May 25, 5 days aft the Lions' Europa League last against Freiburg.

The Citizens person past of winning the rubric successful final-day matches against Villa, having travel from down to bushed the midlands nine 3-2 successful May 2022, denying Liverpool a 21st top-flight crown successful the process.

The run-in: Arsenal's remaining Premier League fixtures

Meanwhile, Arsenal lone person 2 matches near to play, and volition adjacent invited already-relegated Burnley to the Emirates Stadium connected May 18.

Arteta's broadside volition beryllium assured of securing triumph implicit Michael Jackson's Clarets, leaving conscionable a showdown with London rivals Palace.

However, Arsenal's contention against the Eagles whitethorn beryllium impacted by the information that Oliver Glasner's men volition person 1 oculus connected their Conference League last against Rayo Vallecano, which takes spot conscionable 3 days later.

All-in-all, the Gunners' crippled against West Ham was apt to beryllium their toughest situation successful May, but present that they person flooded the Irons, clasp a points vantage implicit City, and person an easier agelong to the decorativeness line, it is hard to spot them slipping up from here.