Mikel Arteta refused to concede defeat, insisting his team is capable of winning the Premier League title, while Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City’s fixture schedule is more difficult, giving the Gunners the advantage.
The pair’s comments came after City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, a result that has reignited the Premier League title race with just five games remaining.
Arteta: The Premier League title is still in our hands
Following his team’s defeat, Arteta told the media, “We believe in our ability (to win the title). Today we showed our potential, and the title race is still in our hands. The competition is open with City.”
He added, “We failed to capitalize on the chances we had, and City have very talented players. It was because of these things that we lost the game, but I don’t think there’s a significant difference between the two teams.”
He added, “There’s also the element of luck in whether the ball goes in or not. In the second goal, the ball changed direction to reach Haaland, and he possesses skill, composure, and precision.”
He concluded, “We knew we had a chance to win, and we were close, but not quite enough. Now we need to regain our focus. We missed a chance today, and there are five more chances left until the end.”
Guardiola: Manchester City’s schedule is tougher than Arsenal’s
For his part, Guardiola expressed his happiness with the victory and City’s return to the Premier League title race, saying, “Arsenal are very aggressive. They didn’t allow us to penetrate or build attacks easily. They are one of the most competitive teams I’ve faced in my career. Both teams had chances, and the match was ultimately decided by small details.”
He continued, “The only reality is that Arsenal are top of the table and ahead on goal difference. We should enjoy and celebrate today’s victory, but we mustn’t lose focus. In three days, we face Burnley.”
“We’ll hold onto hope until the end, but our schedule is bad, and we’re not top of the table. Arsenal is still the best team in England,” he concluded.
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Arsenal and Manchester City’s remaining fixtures in the 2026 Premier League
Manchester City have narrowed the gap with Arsenal to just 3 points, with a game in hand. So, if Pep Guardiola’s men manage to beat Crystal Palace, they will be level on 70 points with Arsenal, five rounds before the end.
City face Burnley on Wednesday, April 22, then Everton on May 4, Brentford on May 9, Bournemouth on May 17, and play their postponed match against Crystal Palace on May 22. The season will conclude with a match against Aston Villa on May 24 at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal’s schedule is equally challenging, as they host Newcastle on April 25th, then play a mini-London derby against Fulham on May 2nd, followed by another major derby against West Ham on May 10th. They then face Burnley and conclude their Premier League campaign on May 24th against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
It is now possible that Manchester City and Arsenal could ultimately finish level on points if both teams win all their remaining Premier League matches.
In the event of two or more teams being tied on points, the tiebreaker is usually goal difference. If that is also a tie, then the number of goals scored by each club will be used.
