Arsenal’s remaining fixtures compared to Manchester City’s

Arsenal’s remaining fixtures compared to Manchester City’s The trip to Manchester City looms over the run-in, with Arsenal still ahead but no longer feeling any sense of comfort. Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images Arsenal still control the title race, but after the defeat to Bournemouth the run-in looks a lot less comfortable than it did before the game. Before Manchester City faced Chelsea on Sunday, Arsenal were nine points clear, having played two games more than their rivals.

By the end of the day that lead could be six, with City still having a game in hand, which is why the table now feels tighter than the gap suggests. Much tighter. First, though, Arsenal have to deal with Sporting CP in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

They returned from Portugal with only a one-goal lead, but should still have enough to reach a second successive semi-final, which would be a first in the club’s history. Photo by Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images Even so, progress there would not quieten the anxiety that has built around recent defeats to City in the League Cup final, Southampton in the FA Cup , and Bournemouth in the league. That is why the next league game matters so much.

Arsenal go to City on 19 April knowing it is the defining fixture of what remains. They do not have to win it, but they cannot afford to lose it. That much is obvious.