Arsenal remain top of the Premier League, but Manchester City dealt a major blow to the title race by winning the top two clash at the Etihad on Sunday.
If City beat Burnley on Wednesday night, they will move level on points with the Gunners at the top of the table.
However, the season isn’t over yet, so further developments could occur.
Here, Josep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, their players and Sky Sports experts give their opinions on what happens next in this thrilling race to decide the English champion…
Guardiola: “The momentum changes at a certain moment”
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Josep Guardiola says Manchester City players must remain focused despite defeating title rivals Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad
Man City manager Josep Guardiola:
“I’m happy to be able to spread hope. Maybe I can make it to the end, so I’ll try my best.”
“Momentum changes. People said Arsenal’s momentum was bad. What I saw today was not bad momentum. They are in the semi-finals of the Champions League and haven’t lost a game. Momentum changes at a certain moment.
“The only reality is that they are top of the league. They are one point behind on goal difference. We have to enjoy it, celebrate and take in the good things. But we have to stay focused. We go to Burnley in three days.”
Arteta: I fully believe we can do it.
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Mikel Arteta says Arsenal’s chances in the title race were lost following their decisive 2-1 defeat at rivals Man City, but they must reset now with five games remaining.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta:
“The positive thing is that we have seen the level and we can cope with it and not only that, but we can do even better.
“We have five games left and we’re going to give it our all. We fully believe we can do it. Today we showed the team what we’re capable of. It’s still in our hands and it’s there to get.”
“We were close, but it wasn’t enough. But now we have to reset. We missed a big chance today. But we still have five to go. There are still a lot of positives from today.”
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Haaland: We need to stay humble.
Man City striker Erling Haaland:
“Every game is a final. We have another final on Wednesday. If we stop talking now, we will recover for the game against Burnley, because the game against Burnley is as important as this game. We need to stay focused and stay humble.”
Odegaard: We’re going to focus on ourselves.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard:
“There’s always pressure in football. There’s always noise. That’s part of being a football player at this level. We keep moving forward and focus on ourselves. We look forward to the next game and move on. That’s all we have to do.”
Does he still believe? “of course!”
Neville: City have a huge advantage right now
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Gary Neville says Manchester City have a whiff of the title after their decisive win over Arsenal, saying Bernardo Silva put in an “outstanding” performance and controlled the match.
Eight-time Premier League winner and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville:
“I don’t think either team will win every game. City will have to drop points somewhere[for Arsenal to win]. I’m not really sure where that will be. I think they have a huge advantage right now.”
“I think there’s a lot of danger[for Arsenal]next Saturday night[at home against Newcastle]. If Arsenal don’t get a good start there will be tension in the stadium…It’s absolutely necessary for Arsenal to get over the line in that game.”
“That tension will remain next Saturday and Arsenal will have to deal with it and overcome it.
“For the first time this season, it (the Premier League ribbon) will be blue.”
Vieira: “I have doubts about the mental strength of Arsenal’s team”
Three-time Premier League winner and former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira told Sky Sports:
“Today (Arsenal) performed well, but the difference between a good team and a great team is a team that is not used to winning and a team that is always competing at this level.
“You could see the difference on the field today and our top players made the difference today.
“The momentum is on City’s side. It’s very disappointing for Arsenal so it will be interesting to see how they bounce back. They’ll be under even more pressure from now on.”
“I always question the mental strength of a team, but I’m going to question it even more with today’s result.
“I believe City can do it.”
Keane: ‘Man City are the team best able to deal with pressure’
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Arch-rivals Roy Keane and Patrick Vieira agree on Arsenal’s mentality in defeat to Man City
Seven-time Premier League winner and Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane:
“The momentum is all Man City’s. They have been the best team in dealing with pressure for the last eight, nine, 10 years and we saw that today.”
“Pep mentioned the pressure before the game. If we didn’t win, the league was over, so these players were able to cope with the pressure and they did it in the second half.”
“They rode their luck a little bit, but they are peaking at the right time.
“I intend to stay at Arsenal. That belief is not as strong as it was before the game.”
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Roy Keane gives a vintage answer to the question of who will lift the Premier League trophy at the end of the 2025/26 season.
Richards: City’s momentum
Man City Premier League winner and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards:
“I always said that if Man City won this game it would give them momentum. I thought this was the game. If City can get over the line and stay within three points of Arsenal then with their experience, big players and big moments they will rise.”
“I thought Arsenal were very good today, but Man City crossed the line.
“I said: If Man City win this game, they will win the league.”
