Arsenal and Manchester City are going head-to-head in what promises to be a fascinating Premier League title race, with only four points separating the sides at the halfway point of the campaign.
Man City took full advantage of Arsenal’s slip-up to blow the title race wide open last weekend with a comfortable 2-0 home win over dead-last Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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In a strange twist of fate, Manchester United handed their crosstown rivals a huge boost, as Michael Carrick inspired his side to a stunning 3-2 victory in North London.
Despite suffering their first league defeat since the beginning of December, this still feels like a lifetime opportunity for the Gunners to halt their two-decade title drought.
Priced at 2/5 to ascend the throne for the first time since Arsene Wenger’s last title-winning side, Mikel Arteta’s men stand at the helm of their destiny, with the crown theirs to lose.
The Cityzens have a mountain to climb in the second half of the season, with leading bookmakers rating them as 3/1 outsiders to reel in Arsenal down the stretch.
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Both sides will play away from home this weekend, as we look at their upcoming five league fixtures.
Arsenal
Despite languishing in the Premier League’s lower reaches since the beginning of the season, Leeds United have sprung a mid-season resurgence, losing just once in their last ten league outings.
However, Arsenal have been ruthless in this match-up, as evidenced by their formidable run of seven consecutive wins, including a dominant 5-0 win in August’s reverse fixture.
It’s also worth noting that they’ve not lost at Elland Road since November 2000.
Sunderland (H)
Arsenal’s first home game since making the club’s Champions League history with a 3-2 triumph over Kairat Almaty pits them against mid-table Sunderland immediately after the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final tie against Chelsea.
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Before Man Utd’s remarkable win, Arsenal had enjoyed an outstanding 17-match unbeaten home streak, highlighting the Emirates Stadium’s fortress-like status.
Sunderland should stand no chance here.
Mid-February’s cross-capital trip to the Gtech Community Stadium could present the Gunners with a much sterner test, given that the Bees have only lost twice at home all season.
Against this backdrop, Arteta’s men have emerged victorious from their last three away league meetings with Brentford, conceding just one goal in that sequence.
Ending that run now would be ill-timed in the extreme.
Tottenham Hotspur (A)
After a 4-1 win in the reverse fixture, Arsenal will be looking to complete their second successive league double over eternal North London rivals in late February.
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With Thomas Frank’s future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium potentially on the line, achieving that feat could prove easier said than done.
Chelsea (H)
A hat-trick of London derbies caps off at the Emirates as the Gunners take on top-four hopefuls Chelsea at the beginning of March, bidding to extend their nine-game unbeaten streak against the Blues.
Three consecutive home wins over the Stamford Bridge outfit put Arsenal in a strong psychological position heading into what could prove a season-defining clash for Arteta’s side.
Manchester City
Tottenham Hotspur (A)
Fresh off securing an automatic last-16 spot in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola praised his team’s achievement, which should boost their morale ahead of Sunday’s trip to London.
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Spurs have recently been a thorn in Man City’s side, beating them three times in their last four encounters across all competitions, including a 2-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium in August.
This clash already feels like a ‘make or break’ for the Cityzens.
Liverpool (A)
There’s no better way to prove your title credentials than to defeat the reigning champions. Given Liverpool’s abysmal form this season, that may not be difficult.
However, City would be naive to underestimate the Reds after winning just one of their last five league meetings.
Fulham (H)
Man City boast one of the longest head-to-head winning streaks in the history of English football against none other than Fulham, having beaten them in their last 19 showdowns.
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On that basis, anything other than a routine home victory for Guardiola’s side would come as a major surprise.
Speaking of historic runs, the Cityzens bookended an eye-catching 16-game winning home streak against Newcastle United with a 4-1 victory in this corresponding fixture last season.
Though the Magpies avenged that loss with a 2-1 home triumph in November, the psychological barrier seems too great for them to overcome.
Leeds United (A)
Despite facing the Whites away from home, this is another favourable clash for Man City, considering they’ve won their last five league matches against Daniel Farke’s side.
That said, they’ve dropped points in three of their six Premier League visits to Elland Road in the 21st century.