Arsenal are now facing the unlikely scenario of winning the Premier League title at the Emirates Stadium, were they to win it, after Manchester City fixture list set to be shaken up again
Arsenal and Manchester City run-in fixtures become clear after latest cup final appearance(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
The season run-in is starting to take shape, with Manchester City confirmed as FA Cup finalists while Arsenal can put themselves in the UEFA Champions League final for the first time since 2006. The Gunners travel to Spain this week to face Atletico Madrid and will host Diego Simeone’s side in north London next week.
City’s progress to their second Wembley final of the season, with hopes of a domestic treble still very much alive, means their away trip to Bournemouth on the penultimate week of the season will now be moved. Due to their inclusion in the League Cup final, which they beat Arsenal to lift, both sides missed fixtures against Crystal Palace and Wolves, respectively.
The Gunners had their trip to Wolves moved to the middle of February, where they drew 2-2 in a damaging drop of points in the title race. However, due to the inclusion of Palace in the UEFA Conference League, their clash with City is still yet to be rescheduled.
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Palace remain in the competition and play Shakhtar Donetsk both this and next week, in the Thursday slots. It means City have only two possible midweeks where both games can be played.
With the game against Palace the priority to be rescheduled having been postponed first, this is likely to be the midweek commencing May 11. With Palace’s survival in the Premier League all-but secured and the hope of qualification for European football almost exclusively reliant on winning the Conference League, expectations of upsetting City and benefitting Arsenal are low.
This leaves the midweek commencing May 18 the only chance for City’s remaining rescheduled match with Bournemouth to be placed. It means Arsenal will have played 37 league games, with City still yet to play at least their final two.
With the points tallies still so tight, City therefore will have a game in hand no matter the situation as Arsenal finish their penultimate game of the league season, making the chance to be champions by winning at the Emirates Stadium against Burnley on May 16/17 almost impossible.
For that to happen, Arsenal would need to beat Fulham (H), West Ham (A) and Burnley (H), taking their points tally to 82. City, currently on 70, would need to accumulate five or fewer points against Everton (A), Brentford (H) and Palace (H).
If the Gunners lose or draw one of those three games, it would then reduce the number of points City have to accumulate to keep a title win at home to Burnley on the cards.
Arsenal would of course take just a single slip in any of City’s remaining five matches, backing themselves to win their remaining four and avoid a goal difference shootout to the final day when the Gunners travel to Crystal Palace and City host Aston Villa.
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