With nine games to go, or eight in Arsenal’s case, of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, the title is on its way to the Emirates as things stand.
But, as Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta knows, the English top flight is the toughest league in the world and devilishly hard to win. The Gunners are seven points clear at the top of the Premier League table though Manchester City have a game in hand. And while the Sky Blues have won six of the last eight Premier League titles, Arsenal were last English champions back in 2004, and they have finished second in each of the last three campaigns.
Can the Gunners go one better and finally cast off the, possibly unfair, mantle as chokers?
Well, the latest Premier League 2026 betting odds say Arsenal can do it and, while this SBOTOP writer among many other pundits has suggested that Pep Guardiola’s side has the momentum and the nous to win it, there has been a turn of events this week which has made me think again.
Anyone who thought that Manchester City would draw at home to Nottingham Forest on Wednesday must have a crystal ball! But that they did and Arsenal’s hard fought 1-0 win away to Brighton and Hove Albion has taken the matter out of the Sky Blues’ hands, and the North Londoners arguably have the gentler run in.
But there are bound to be twists and turns to come; so let’s take a look at the big matches featuring the top six; Arsenal are only involved in one…but it’s a doozy!
Manchester City will host Arsenal on the 19th April and, by then, it could well be a title decider, dependant on the Premier League 2026 results between now and then. The Sky Blues have been the dominant force over the past decade and have had the better of the Gunners over the past 50 meetings, winning 24 to 15 and there have been 11 draws. But Arsenal are unbeaten in six against City and have drawn on their last three visits to the Etihad.
Arteta would snap your hand off for another draw in Manchester…right now.
Elsewhere, the first meeting of the Champions League chasing sides takes place in just over a week when third-placed Manchester United host fourth-placed Aston Villa, and both teams have suffered during this week. Villa’s loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers last Friday did real damage to the morale of Unai Emery’s team, for so long the only club in touch with the top two but a wretched run of results saw Michael Carrick’s Manchester United leapfrog the Villlans into third place.
Manchester United headed to Newcastle on Wednesday with huge optimism but they were sent back to Salford empty-handed by the ten man Magpies. Meanwhile Villa were battered at home by Chelsea who climbed to within three points of the top four. After Douglas Luiz had given Villa a second-minute lead, a Joao Pedro hat-trick and a fourth from Cole Palmer gave the Blues a convincing win.
If Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea continue to improve they could do Arsenal a favour when they host Manchester City on 12th April and, with Palmer back in form the Sky Blues will need to be at their best to keep their former academy player quiet. City have a star-studded attack line up of their own and the goal machine Erling Haaland is leading the race for the Golden Boot with 22 goals, while January signing Antoine Semenyo has 15 goals and has impressed hugely at the Etihad already.
A week after, on 18th April, Chelsea host Manchester United, and the result of that game could go a long way towards deciding a top four place; and then the Red Devils are at home, the following week, to Liverpool, who are currently sixth and level on points with Chelsea.
That takes us to the 9th May when Liverpool host Chelsea in another six-pointer, and the big games continue coming thick and fast for Arne Slot’s defending champions as they head to the Midlands to take on Aston Villa on 17th May.
The way Emery’s Villans are struggling at the moment they may well be out of the picture when they play their final game, which happens to be away to Manchester City. The Gunners will hope Villa still have plenty to play for and, if the Sky Blues can still win the title, they make it very hard for their hosts.
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