In La Liga, it seems, at least when we talk about the fight for the title, everything has already been decided. In Serie A, it is only a matter of time before it is assigned to Napoli. In Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain are ‘digging a hole’ for themselves, although it is not expected that they will end up in it in May. The Bundesliga, unlike the previously mentioned top-five leagues, finally offers uncertainty after four years, because Dortmund, for a change, do not lose pace with Bayern and do not allow the Bavarians to relax until the very end. However, let’s be honest, in the next month and a half, the eyes of the football public will be directed towards England.Liverpool, the club that in the previous four seasons pushed Manchester City to the limit, once taking the title, tripped Arsenal on Sunday and did their long-time enemy a favor, reducing their gap to the London club to six points.So even though they are facing quite a gap, the champion of England does not have to wait for Arsenal’s new stumbling in order to take over the head of the column. Pep Guardiola’s team has everything in their hands before the decisive quarter of the championship. Because in addition to playing a game less than the Gunners, City welcome Mikel Arteta’s team at the Etihad in two weeks and if they win both matches, the Manchester team will take over the leadership position, since they already have a better goal difference by five goals.🗣️| Chris Sutton on Arsenal’s draw to Liverpool: “This was a Premier League classic in every sense, one which will be revisited if Manchester City go on to be crowned champions.“After this result [#LIVARS] the temptation might be to say the title is back in City’s hands. If Pep… pic.twitter.com/qnUZEjny7e— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) April 10, 2023 However, as City will play their postponed match against West Ham at the beginning of May, it is clear that a lot could change in the standings by then, and the schedule of the two leading teams could play a significant role in the final outcome of the championship race in the Premier League.It is, at least at first glance, on City’s side. The Cityzens in the remaining eight rounds, if we exclude a direct clash with Arsenal, have three games with teams from the upper part of the table, of which the seventh-placed Brighton are the best-ranked. Fulham are in decline (recorded five defeats in a row in all competitions), Brentford as well (four matches without a win)… When it comes to rivals from the lower half of the standings, the best rated are Chelsea, which represents the only ‘derby’ in City’s calendar, although since the Manchester team won in each of the previous five meetings between them, the question is how much Arteta can count on a favor from the city rival. All the rest of the City opponents – relegation battling: West Ham, Leeds and Leicester.Arsenal have a few of those. Southampton and Nottingham Forest should be ‘tap-ins,’ out of the bottom-fighting teams West Ham and Wolverhampton are also up ahead (Wolves have beaten Chelsea and Tottenham in the last month) and then from lower to better ranked Chelsea, Brighton and Newcastle. The latter could be a serious challenge, because Arsenal will visit them at the beginning of May, and Eddie Howe’s team has lost only one of 14 Premier League matches this season at St. James’s Park and conceded only nine goals. Only Manchester United (8) has conceded less at home. Additionally, the Magpies have a great motive since they have the opportunity to win a place in the group stage of the Champions League after 20 years. And they are doing well, in mid-March the Toons bettered their form, collected five victories and currently hold the third position.##EDITORS_CHOICE##We should not forget, however, that City are still active in Europe and they have a match this week already. They have the quarter-final double-header against Bayern in the Champions League, and then the semi-final of the FA Cup with Sheffield United. Arsenal, on the other hand, has no other concerns, they were dropped from the Europa League by Sporting, City eliminated them from the FA Cup at the end of January, and participation in the League Cup ended in November, so the North Londoners are fully focused on the remaining nine matches in the Premier League.Again, you’re never sure with City, especially since Guardiola is openly talking this time that he believes his boys can continue to win. Although he has accustomed the island’s public to such streaks in previous years, especially long ones in the seasons when he won the title, the Spaniard would mainly focus on the next rival when asked by the press whether City are able to link victory after victory. However, on Friday, after the game at Southampton, the fourth in all competitions in which his side have scored at least four goals and the eighth in a row they have won, Guardiola issued what sounded like a warning to his pupil Arteta.”The feeling I have right now is similar to what I had in the previous fights with Liverpool, when we could win 17 or 18 games in a row and be champions. I have the same feeling,” Guardiola said. And he should be taken seriously.##NAJAVA_MECA_7168409##ARSENALWest Ham (A)Southampton (H)Manchester City (A)Chelsea (H)Newcastle (A)Brighton (H)Nottingham Forest (A)Wolverhampton (H)##NAJAVA_MECA_7162581##MANCHESTER CITYBayern Munich (H) – Champions LeagueLeicester (H)Bayern Munich (A) – Champions LeagueSheffield United (N) – FA CupBrighton (A) – Postponed, date yet to be determinedArsenal (H)Fulham (A)West Ham (H)Leeds (H)Everton (A)Chelsea (H)Brentford (A)
