Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday has shifted the Premier League title race into a new phase, with Pep Guardiola’s side now just three points behind the Gunners and holding a game in hand.
The win, secured by Erling Haaland’s second-half goal after Rayan Cherki’s opener and Kai Havertz’s quick equaliser, marks City’s fourth consecutive win in April and extends their unbeaten run to 19 league games in 20. Arsenal, by contrast, have won only one of their last six matches across all competitions, a slump that has seen their Opta-calculated title chances drop from 97% to 73% in a week.
Guardiola’s April record underlines why the timing of this surge matters: his win ratio in the month stands at 71.4%, averaging 2.53 points per game, while Mikel Arteta continues to struggle in his worst month, collecting just 1.48 points per game with a 39.5% win rate. Despite this, Arsenal have led the Premier League for 206 days this season — more than four times the six days City have spent at the summit, all of which came in the opening week of the campaign.
Since Arteta took over in 2019, City have won four Premier League titles, yet Arsenal hold the edge in total time at the top, having led for 537 days compared to City’s 453. Arteta insisted after the match that the title remains in his team’s hands, telling BBC Radio 5 Live: “We lost an opportunity in terms of the result. They have a game in hand, we have three points. Game on because This proves a new Premier League.”
The result as well fuels speculation about Guardiola’s future, with ESPN noting a growing belief at City that he may depart at the complete of the season despite his contract running until June 2027. His two-year extension signed in November 2024 raised eyebrows at the time, but there is now a sense that he could abandon having secured a title and left behind a squad poised to improve — a rare outcome in the Premier League era, where long-serving managers like Ferguson, Wenger, and Klopp departed without ensuring immediate continuity.
For more on this story, see Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1 to cut Premier League title gap.
City’s tactical consistency has played a role in their recent form. The 4-2-3-1 formation used against Arsenal — the same shape deployed in their three prior wins, which yielded a 9-0 aggregate score — has allowed Guardiola to platform Rayan Cherki as a creative No 10, shielded by a midfield structure that limits his defensive duties while enabling his risk-taking. Cherki, who has four goals and ten assists in 27 Premier League appearances this season, opened the scoring with a dribble past Arsenal’s defence before Havertz pounced on a Donnarumma clearance to level the match.
Arsenal’s response, as published on their official site, acknowledged the defeat but highlighted their resilience: Kai Havertz’s equaliser came from persistent pressure, and the side created multiple chances thereafter, including woodwork strikes from Gabriel and Havertz in the closing stages. The club confirmed that full match replay and highlights are available on their website, with permission granted for quotation under appropriate credit.
With five games remaining and a midweek fixture at Burnley, City know a win would put them top of the table for the first time since August. An FA Cup semifinal against Southampton looms on Saturday, offering a path to a domestic treble after their Carabao Cup success over Arsenal in March. For now, the momentum has shifted — but the race remains alive, and both managers know the next few weeks will define the season.
This follows our earlier report, Arsenal aim to extend lead over Man City with win at Etihad in title race showdown.
How significant is City’s game in hand over Arsenal in the title race?
City’s game in hand means a win against Burnley would put them level on points with Arsenal and ahead on goal difference, giving them a temporary lead with five games left to play.
What formation has Guardiola used in City’s recent winning run, and how has it helped?
Guardiola has deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation in City’s last four games, using it to shield attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki while allowing him to operate as a creative No 10 with defensive support from the double pivot.
Did Arsenal create meaningful chances after falling behind against Manchester City?
Yes, Arsenal struck the woodwork multiple times, including headers from Gabriel and Havertz in the closing stages, despite ultimately losing 2-1 to City at the Etihad.