Arsenal’s victory in the derby represents a significant advancement in the championship competition against Manchester City.
Every Premier League champion secures a pivotal victory on their path to the title; Arsenal may have just achieved theirs with a 4-1 triumph in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
It is irrelevant that Mikel Arteta’s team faced opponents who have not won in domestic competitions in 2026 and are currently fighting to avoid relegation. This victory was primarily about Arsenal addressing the doubts, both internal and external, regarding their capacity to maintain composure in the title race.
In challenging circumstances, away to their fierce rivals in their new coach’s inaugural match, and less than a day after Manchester City had secured another win to close the gap to two points at the top, Arsenal rose to the occasion, performed admirably, and emerged victorious like champions. While it may be easy to ridicule the urgency of Arsenal and their fans to clinch the Premier League for the first time since 2004 — and rival supporters are indeed mocking the Gunners and their title anxieties — just when the pressure intensified and the margin for error shrank, Arsenal delivered a decisive victory.
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The 2-2 draw against Wolverhampton Wanderers last Wednesday, where they relinquished a 2-0 advantage against the league’s bottom team, could have defined Arsenal’s season. This result placed Arteta and his squad at a critical juncture; they needed to react positively following that setback, as the two points lost at Molineux significantly altered the title race’s dynamics.
This outcome meant that City could potentially deny Arsenal the title by winning all their remaining matches, including a crucial encounter against the Gunners set for the Etihad on April 18, so any further slip by Arteta’s side would represent a loss of vital momentum. The failure to secure a win at Wolves led to some of Arsenal’s most accomplished former players questioning their determination, with two-time title winner Paul Merson labeling them as “bottle jobs” and suggesting that the players were “melting.”
Whether due to Arsenal finishing as runners-up in each of the last three seasons or because City — who have claimed six of the last eight Premier League titles — are the team pursuing them, there appears to be little confidence outside the Gunners’ locker room in the team’s ability to secure the title.
The level of anxiety surrounding the team and the nervous tension that envelops the Emirates during home matches prompted midfielder Declan Rice to call for unity following the draw at Wolves.
“At this stage of the season, we need the supporters with us more than ever,” Rice stated to Sky Sports. “We’ve come this far together. Now is not the time to turn against each other.
“Keep believing in us, keep pushing us, and hopefully, we can achieve something special with everyone’s support. So let’s keep going.”
However, despite Rice’s attempt to convey a sense of calm and confidence from within the squad, his remarks only contributed to the impression that Arteta’s players were seeking reassurance that everything would be fine.
Yet, there is only one way to dispel doubts in a title race. Words hold little weight when they follow disappointing results, so the solution is to simply win. City accomplished this by defeating Liverpool at Anfield earlier this month, coming back from a 1-0 deficit to secure a 2-1 victory. Midfielder Bernardo Silva acknowledged after that match that City would have been out of the title race had they failed to claim all three points, but the win revitalized Pep Guardiola’s side and heightened the anxiety surrounding Arsenal.
City had succeeded when it mattered, so when would Arsenal do the same? It was a valid question because when the stakes have been highest this season, Arsenal has not managed to secure victories. They drew at home against City in September, lost at Anfield, then drew 0-0 at home to Arne Slot’s team, drew 1-1 at Chelsea in November, and subsequently lost at home to Manchester United in January.
Arteta and his players might argue that their 4-1 victory at home against Aston Villa in December was a crucial win, but that was Arsenal’s fourth consecutive league win, so they entered that match in good form and with confidence throughout the club.
The situation against Spurs was different. Although Arsenal entered the match as league leaders, they had only won two of their last seven league fixtures, dropping 11 points from a possible 21 during that stretch, while City had closed in.
The pressure was mounting. Fan emotions were shifting from anxiety to anger, club legends began to question the team’s capabilities, and rival fans taunted the Gunners with chants of “Second again, olé, olé.”
Every aspect was tightening, and the atmosphere was becoming increasingly intense, but Arsenal managed to lower the volume and achieved a result that may be viewed as the moment their title challenge shifted into high gear — if they ultimately secure the title. At the very least, it is now evident that Arsenal can win when it is truly necessary.
