Arsenal remains the frontrunner for the Premier League title, and here are the reasons.
A significant moment occurred immediately after the final whistle of Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City on Sunday—a result that has left Mikel Arteta’s squad apprehensive about another potential failure in the Premier League title race.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice is seen crouching, reflecting on the defeat, when he looks up at teammate Martin Ødegaard, shakes his head, and states, “Eh? It’s not done.”
This brief exchange suggests that Arsenal captain Ødegaard may have lost faith in their title aspirations and communicated this to Rice, who responded with a resolute message that, with five matches remaining, Arsenal still has the chance to become champions.
This title race is going down to the wire. 👊 pic.twitter.com/XHITjrssy9
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 19, 2026
In his post-match press conference, Arteta reiterated Rice’s sentiments, stating that his players are “more convinced” of their ability to win the league after coming so close to achieving a favorable result at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal indeed came close. An Eberechi Eze shot that struck the post and a stoppage-time header from Kai Havertz that went over the City crossbar exemplified the fine margins that prevented Arsenal from securing a draw, or even a win, which would have placed them firmly in control of the title race.
Once the game concluded, the question that likely frustrated Arteta and his players on their return to London was, “Why did we not perform like this during our home loss to Bournemouth last week?”
The consecutive league defeats against Bournemouth and City, following a costly 2-2 draw at Wolves, have potentially jeopardized Arsenal’s title ambitions, yet there are positives to take from the performance at the Etihad and sufficient reasons to support Rice’s claim to Ødegaard that the title race is indeed “not done.”
If Arsenal can replicate the determination, confidence, and second-half drive they exhibited against City, the title race will extend to the final day of the season, as there is now a goal chase between the two teams, and the Gunners have ample reason to feel optimistic about the outcome.
Despite Arteta’s side having lost four of their last six matches across all competitions—two in the league, one in the Carabao Cup, and one in the FA Cup—the defeat to Bournemouth last week marked their first Premier League loss since January.
Following that loss to Manchester United, Arsenal’s league performance had been on par with City’s until the setbacks against Bournemouth and Guardiola’s team. Their longest winning streak was four games, matching City’s best run, and both teams have netted 20 goals in their last 10 league matches.
Thus, the winning machine that Guardiola has built over the years, which typically sees City surge to the title with a series of victories, is not as dominant this season.
Even though they have lost two and drawn one of their last three league matches, Arsenal remains at the top and will only relinquish first place on goal difference if City wins their game in hand against relegation-threatened Burnley on Wednesday.
Therefore, Rice and Arteta are justified in asserting that the title race is not concluded, but it is now up to Arsenal to seize the opportunity that remains and outscore City during the final stretch.
Only three points and one goal separate the two teams following Sunday’s result. Any victory for City at Turf Moor would elevate them to the top based on scoring more goals than the Gunners, so Arsenal will hope that Guardiola’s players do not win by a significant margin.
However, if the goal difference remains within three or four goals in City’s favor after the Burnley match, Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures could tilt the odds toward the Premier League trophy heading to the Emirates rather than the Etihad next month.
All five of Arsenal’s remaining league matches are in London—three home games against Newcastle, Fulham, and Burnley, along with away matches at West Ham and Crystal Palace. In contrast, City must visit Everton and Bournemouth while hosting Brentford, Palace, and Aston Villa at the Etihad.
All of Arsenal’s remaining matches are against teams in the lower half of the table, while four of City’s fixtures are against clubs still vying for European qualification in the top half, making the schedule for Guardiola’s players considerably more challenging.
With both teams pursuing the title, it is not unreasonable to expect that they could each win all five of their remaining matches, but Arsenal’s fixture list appears to offer a better opportunity to score goals.
It may ultimately hinge on which team achieves the largest victory against Burnley, who possess the league’s worst defensive record this season, having conceded 67 goals in 33 matches to date.
Thus, for all those Arsenal fans who now believe the title has slipped away and that a City procession to glory is inevitable, it is premature to wave the white flag.
The objective is straightforward: five more wins and a plethora of goals.
