Little is expected to come easy for this Arsenal team during the run-in, as they chase a first Premier League title in 22 years.
The Emirates Stadium was once again a nervous cauldron on Sunday afternoon, as Chelsea, who Arsenal have a supreme record against since 2021, came to town with the intentions of keeping pace with Liverpool and Manchester United in the top-five race.
Manchester City’s hard-fought win at Elland Road the evening before only added to the sense of jeopardy in north London, so Arsenal turned to the ole faithful to ensure victory was claimed. A pair of set-piece goals in a tight but low-quality affair edged the Gunners to a pivotal three points, which restored their lead at the summit to five.
However, City’s momentum is seemingly only starting to build, and the Cityzens will feel as if they have a great opportunity to eat into Arsenal’s lead before the pair face off in Manchester next month.
Here’s how the upcoming schedules of the Premier League’s top two compare.
Arsenal, Man City’s Next Five Premier League Games
|
Arsenal (64 points) |
Man City (59 points) |
|---|---|
|
Brighton (A) – March 4 |
Nott’m Forest (H) – March 4 |
|
Everton (H) – March 15 |
West Ham (A) – March 14 |
|
Bournemouth (H) – April 11 |
Chelsea (A) – April 11 |
|
Man City (A) – April 18 |
Arsenal (H) – April 18 |
|
Newcastle (H) – April 25 |
Burnley (A) – April 25 |
After a pair of London derbies in succession, Arsenal are next in action against south coast outfit Brighton & Hove Albion, who have won two games on the bounce after a wretched start to 2026. The Gunners dropped points at the Amex last season, courtesy of a controversial penalty decision after William Saliba clashed heads with João Pedro.
Everton may be suffering at their shiny new home, but David Moyes’s side are loving life on their travels this season. The Toffees have a bad record at the Emirates, though, so they’ll be trying to buck a trend on March 15.
Almost a month separates Everton’s visit to north London and Arsenal’s subsequent Premier League outing, with the Carabao Cup final arriving before the first international break of 2026. Bournemouth make the trip to the capital for the Gunners’ opening April outing, before the all-important clash with their fiercest title rivals arrives on the 18th.
The dynamic of the title race may have altered drastically by the time Arsenal host Newcastle United the following week.
Since signing for Man City in January, Antoine Semenyo has taken over from Erling Haaland as chief goal getter. pic.twitter.com/a5N3Gu71OO
— Sports Illustrated FC (@SI_FootballClub) February 28, 2026
A gritty win in Erling Haaland’s absence further emboldened City’s title tilt, and the Cityzens will be expected to claim maximum points from their next two games against the relegation-threatened West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
Visiting Stamford Bridge has been problematic in the recent past, so Guardiola will view that contest on April 11 as a major hurdle in their quest to catch the league leaders. Win in west London, and the Cityzens will be full of confidence ahead of their decisive clash with Mikel Arteta’s side.
A palate cleanser arrives in the wake of their duels against Chelsea and Arsenal, with City traveling to Burnley the week after the Gunners’ visit.
