The great battle between Arsenal and Manchester City should only bring a definite answer if The Gunners win. At that time, the gap will be widened, and although Man City still has one match to play, the situation is still almost decided in the eyes of many people. But reality has gone in the opposite direction.
Man City's 2-1 victory pushes the championship race into a tense state, where everything can be decided by goal difference. This is a scenario that is both fragile and controversial for a major title like the Premier League.
Top matches with too much pressure often easily fall into a stalemate, where fear of mistakes overwhelms the inspiration to play football. The match at Etihad was not entirely like that, but still full of turning points. That was Gianluigi Donnarumma's mistake, the collision between Gabriel and Erling Haaland could lead to a red card, a series of missed opportunities and times the ball reached the goal frame.
Pep Guardiola fielded the strongest squad, operating in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Rayan Cherki in the role of number 10 - the piece that took him months to complete. Man City played attack with high intensity, which was not surprising when they were forced to win. Instead, what is worth mentioning is on the other side.
Mikel Arteta also made bold decisions. He chose Kai Havertz instead of Viktor Gyokeres, used Eberechi Eze on the wing instead of a traditional winger, and placed his trust in Martin Odegaard even though his physique was not really perfect. In theory, all those choices are reasonable.
In the context of a shortage of personnel in the defense, with right-backs playing on the wing, Arsenal needs to strengthen control of the midfield. Bringing Eze, Odegaard and Havertz onto the field helps them improve their ball control ability against Man City's pressing pressure. But football is not just theory.
Each decision comes with risks. Odegaard may relapse from injury. Eze may be isolated. Havertz may play below expectations. More importantly, Arteta is asking the team to change their playing style in the key stage of the season - something that is not easy to do when they have been operating under a different system for many months.
If they fail, everything is easily viewed negatively: over-experimentation, complex thinking and loss of identity. And in the end, Arsenal lost. Of course, they were not completely defeated.
That is why Arteta is not unreasonable when affirming that the team is "more confident than ever". Such performances can become a foundation, not only for the Premier League race but also for the ambition in the Champions League.
Meanwhile, The Citizens once again showed the bravery of a champion. Guardiola not only possesses outstanding individuals, but also creates a system to help them shine at the right time. Cherki's opening goal was a genius moment. Nico O'Reilly's assist for Haaland is proof of his sharpness in transitioning.
As for Haaland, although not too outstanding in the number of touches, this striker still knows how to appear at the right time. He scored the decisive goal, continuously putting pressure on Arsenal's defense and contributing to deciding the match with a killer instinct.
In the opposite direction, Donnarumma is also a typical image of contrast. His mistake gave Arsenal an equalizer for free, but then the Italian goalkeeper atone for his mistake with an excellent save and an attacking situation leading to the decisive goal.
If they beat Burnley in the postponed match, Man City will rise to the top of the rankings. At that time, the season will enter a 5-match race in the true sense - where there is no room for mistakes.
