Manchester City has overcome Arsenal in the big battle for the top spot in the Premier League last weekend. This victory helps The Citizens continue to chase their opponent fiercely in the championship race as the season enters the sprint stage.
The Etihad home team took the lead in the 15th minute thanks to Rayan Cherki's individual moment of brilliance. However, Arsenal immediately responded after only 2 minutes when Kai Havertz took advantage of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma's clearance error to bring the match back to the starting line.
The balance lasted until the middle of the second half before Erling Haaland spoke up with the decisive goal, helping Man City win all 3 points and continue to narrow the gap with the opponent.
This victory makes many opinions believe that Arsenal's championship opportunity has been severely damaged, especially when Mikel Arteta's team shows clear signs of losing momentum. However, analysis data from Opta offers a different perspective.
Before this round, Arsenal was predicted to have 85.2% chance of winning the championship, while Man City only accounted for 14.8%. After the defeat at the Etihad, Arsenal's winning rate decreased to 73% - still a superior figure.
The reason lies in the fact that The Gunners are still leading with a 3-point gap. Although Man City still has one match to play, they are forced to win the rest, a not-so-simple task in the Premier League.
Not only that, the schedule is also a key factor. According to Opta's strength ranking, Arsenal is somewhat easier when the last 5 rounds all face teams in the bottom half of the rankings, although the match against Newcastle still contains many risks.
Conversely, Man City will have to face tough opponents such as Everton, Bournemouth or Aston Villa - teams that still have the goal of competing for a European cup spot.
People say we are gaining momentum, but looking at the way Arsenal plays, they are an extraordinary team. Otherwise, you cannot lead the Premier League throughout the season and be unbeaten in the Champions League.
Defeating them once is already difficult, let alone twice. Who is leading the league? Not us. Their goal difference is also better. But of course, we have hope and still have a chance to fight to the end" - Guardiola appeared cautious.
In a scenario where both teams win, the race can be decided by goal difference. At that time, scoring ability and maintaining stability will become a decisive factor.
However, with the fierce nature of the Premier League, any scenario can happen. The championship race is still open, and unexpected stunts can completely change the situation in the final rounds.
We definitely played our way, especially the way we finished the match. There were times when we needed to be calmer. But the whole team brought the match to the areas we wanted.
The race is not over, Arsenal can still win the Premier League. Now is the time to start over. This is a missed opportunity, but there are still 5 matches ahead and there are many positive things" - Arteta said.
