Arsenal’s title chase can move within touching distance of a first league crown in 22 years on Monday if they beat Burnley, but Manchester City have made sure the next 48 hours could decide everything. Pep Guardiola’s side beat Crystal Palace 3-0 on Wednesday to cut Arsenal’s lead to two points with two games each remaining, and now the title race could tilt again depending on results at Turf Moor and Bournemouth.
Arsenal’s dramatic win over West Ham United last Sunday briefly put them five points clear, but City answered by beating Brentford 3-0 the previous evening and then pulling closer again at Palace. With 19 games left in the 2025-26 Premier League season, the championship is still being decided one result at a time. If Arsenal beat Burnley, the title could be settled when City visit Bournemouth 24 hours later. Anything but an away win there would start celebrations in north London.
If City do win at Bournemouth, the race goes to the final Sunday of the season, when Guardiola’s team are home to Aston Villa and Arsenal visit Crystal Palace. A draw for Arsenal against Burnley, paired with a City victory, would leave both teams tied on 80 points going into that last day. City would still hold the edge after Wednesday’s 3-0 victory, sitting one ahead on goal difference and seven better than Arsenal on goals scored.
The arithmetic matters because this season has been a two-horse race for most of the way. Arsenal are trying to end a 22-year wait for English football’s biggest prize, while City are chasing them down with the familiarity of a side used to finishing strong. The Premier League campaign is 380 games long, but the entire season now fits into a few decisive fixtures that could settle the title before next Sunday.
The other fight still hanging over the league is survival, and only two clubs remain in danger of relegation according to the standings described here: Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United. West Ham’s trip to Newcastle United today carries enormous significance, because a win would lift them above Tottenham. Tottenham’s weekend match away to Chelsea was pushed back to Tuesday because Chelsea are in the FA Cup final, and beating Newcastle is now the only route left for Tottenham to clinch survival at Stamford Bridge.
For Arsenal, the path is simple even if the pressure is not. Win at Burnley and the title can be decided before the weekend is over. Fail to do that, and City will keep control of the race entering the final day. Either way, the next 24 hours are likely to tell us whether Arsenal’s long wait is about to end or whether Manchester City will drag it into one last Sunday afternoon.
