When asked by beIN Sports if the loss would define the title race, Arteta remained resolute. “No, there are five games left for us and six for them,” Arteta said. “We are still three points ahead. There is still so much to play for.”

Arteta’s comments signal that while the defeat is a significant blow to its championship quest, the North London side remains confident. For the Spanish tactician, the road to the Premier League crown is far from over, with plenty of twists expected before a champion is crowned.

Following Man City’s win and the subsequent update to the Premier League table, Arsenal enter the coming week with the narrow comfort of still sitting atop the standings. They remain in the driver’s seat, though their margin for error has all but evaporated.

Arsenal stymied by clinical Man City

It wasn’t just City’s tactical masterclass that hindered Arsenal on the road; the Gunners lacked their usual clinical edge in the final third. Multiple efforts rattled the woodwork, as missed opportunities allowed Manchester City to stay in the fight and eventually seize the points.

Captain Martin Odegaard, typically the heartbeat of the Arsenal attack, struggled to find space between the lines. His inability to dictate the tempo was a glaring issue for a side that has relied heavily on his creative vision throughout the campaign.

Beyond Odegaard, the forward line—with the exception of a hardworking Kai Havertz—failed to find its rhythm. Eberechi Eze was largely anonymous throughout the contest, a disappearance that proved costly against a City defense that tightened their grip as the match progressed.

A domestic or continental priority?

While the domestic title is now under threat, the club’s focus must quickly shift toward its European ambitions. After punching their ticket to the Champions League semifinals last week, Arsenal find themselves at a crossroads.

With both competitions reaching a fever pitch, the upcoming semifinal clash against Atletico Madrid may provide the ultimate clue as to where Arteta will place his chips. After Sunday’s setback, the Gunners must decide if they have the depth to chase glory on two fronts or if one trophy must take precedence.

In the end, Pep Guardiola‘s team gained the upper hand, reducing the gap with Mikel Arteta‘s side in the Premier League standings.

Thanks to their 2-1 win, Manchester City (67) are now just three points shy of leaders Arsenal (70) with a game in hand, which means the Citizens can tie the Gunners on points if they win their pending league fixture.

Here’s how things stand in the 2025-26 Premier League after today’s game:

Arsenal’s schedule: What’s next for them in the Premier League?

While Arsenal are also alive in the UEFA Champions League (they will face Atletico Madrid in the semifinals), the Gunners have five games left in the 2025-26 Premier League season:

• Newcastle (home) – April 25
• Fulham (home) – May 2
• West Ham (away) – May 10
• Burnley (home) – TBD
• Crystal Palace (away) – May 24

Manchester City’s remaining Premier League fixtures

Unlike Arsenal, Manchester City are no longer in UEFA Champions League contention but they do have the chance to lift the FA Cup, facing Southampton (who knocked Arsenal out) in the semifinals.

In Premier League action, Pep Guardiola’s men have six fixtures left this term, one more than Arsenal:

• Burnley (away) – April 22
• Everton (away) – May 4
• Brentford (home) – May 9
• Bournemouth (away) – TBD
• Crystal Palace (home) – TBD
• Aston Villa (home) – May 24

Pep Guardiola’s men head into this massive clash in high spirits, having avoided defeat in their last nine Premier League games. Manchester City haven’t lost in league play since their derby defeat to Manchester United in January.

Mikel Arteta’s side, on the other hand, arrives on Matchday 33 with pressure on its shoulders and a point to prove. Last time out, Arsenal were shocked by Bournemouth at home, which boosted the Citizens‘ confidence. Additionally, Man City beat Arsenal in the EFL Cup final in March. Will the Gunners redeem themselves today?

What happens if Arsenal beat Manchester City today?

If Arsenal beat Manchester City today, they will reach 73 points and provisionally extend their lead over the Sky Blues to nine points. Guardiola’s team would remain second in the Premier League table with 64 points, but with a game in hand.

What happens if Arsenal and Manchester City tie today?

A tie between Arsenal and Manchester City would leave the Premier League title race wide open, as the Gunners would remain six points clear of the Citizens but with one more game played.

What happens if Arsenal lose to Manchester City today?

If Arsenal lose to Manchester City today, Guardiola‘s men would reduce the gap with the London club to only three points and with a game in hand. This would leave the Sky Blues in a strong position, as they would tie the Gunners in points if they win their pending league fixture.

A defeat would be the worst possible scenario for Arteta‘s side today, as it could see its title hopes seriously in danger after leading the standings for much of the 2025-26 campaign.

“We are pretty worried about Saka’s injury,” said Arteta, who added: “He grabbed his hamstring and couldn’t continue. He will have to be assessed but we are pretty worried, yes.”

It is no surprise Arteta is concerned. Bukayo Saka is not only the Premier League‘s top assist provider but also Arsenal’s second-highest scorer this season with five goals. Beyond the numbers, he is the engine of Arsenal’s offense, a player through whom much of their attacking play flows. A product of Arsenal’s youth academy, Saka has grown into a star and a leader, making him the club’s most indispensable player.

Bukayo Saka was filmed leaving Crystal Palace’s Selhurst Pak Stadium on crutches:

The extent of Bukayo Saka’s injury is still unknown, but these images worry the whole team because he could not even leave the stadium by his own means. Bukayo joins the list of injured players: Raheem Sterling, Ben White, O. Zinchenko and T. Tomiyasu. Undoubtedly, the load of matches is affecting the health of professional players, who increasingly have more frequent injuries of greater severity.

Who should step up and replace Bukayo Saka for the following matches?

We already know that Bukayo Saka is irreplaceable for Arsenal, but the following matches are very important to get on track and maintain the fight for the Premier League. The main candidate to replace him would be the Brazilian, Gabriel Martinelli. Although his ideal position is as a left winger, he has already played as a right winger and his speed, dribbling and definition would be key to maintain the high competitiveness of the team.

In addition to Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus, the team’s other Brazilian player, could gain the prominence he expressed his desire for in the following games. Gabriel Jesus has never been a normal striker, he has always been seen as a modern striker and therefore is able to adapt to the left and right wings without any problem. His reading of the game and dribbling could be very useful despite not being the fastest winger. His talent for scoring goals could be vital alongside Kai Havertz with whom they could exchange heights and confuse opposing defenders.

England and Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has had an impressive start of the season, with a combined of 18 goals and assists in as many appearances for the Gunners. Due to his performance, the buzz around the 23-year-old is growing, with the press asking Mikel Arteta if he could emulate his childhood hero Cristiano Ronaldo.

“To look is always good. The way Cristiano started his career, and when he joined Manchester United, nobody probably expected in the first few seasons he would be able to do that,” Arteta said, before explaining what made Ronaldo grow in the league.

“It was about his mentality, his work ethic, how he developed his skill, his chemistry with his team and to play in a team that has the capacity as well to be dominant. That is very, very important,” he said. Before adding: “I think Bukayo has got that context and if he is aiming for that, I think it is a positive thing.”

While this season, Saka’s goal contributions are only surpassed by Mohamed Salah’s in the Premier League, emulating Ronaldo is another entirely different thing. In the Premier League, the Portuguese is one of the 33 players to have surpassed the 100 goals (103).

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner had an even bigger impact in Europe, winning five Champions League titles (being the first man to do so) and becoming the competition’s all-time goalscorer.

Arteta thinks Saka will improve

However, Arteta believes that Bukayo’s contributions to the team this year are beyond the numbers, even though they are pretty good. “He is providing something else. He is adding things to his game, he is more and more consistent, and his numbers in terms of impact in goals and assists is incredible at this stage of the season,” he said.

“He can only improve, he can only get better. He has got the right players around him to continue to do so and especially because he wants more,” he added. Currently, Arsenal sit third on the Premier League standings, just behind Liverpool and Chelsea.

In an interview with Sky Sports, Arteta was asked “Who is your favorite footballer to watch?”, and the Spaniard didn’t even flinch: “It’s always been Messi, I can’t deny it. For me, and my three sons is exactly the same. Something that we have been really lucky to have the opportunity for that many years to experience, in my opinion, the best player of all times“

The interviewer pressed Arteta on his statement, mentioning names like Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo, but the Arsenal boss stood firm, saying: “For me it has to be, because the comparison of how much I watched of Messi and others.., the difference is huge. So for me, it has to be him.”

Messi and Ronaldo are two of the greatest goal scorers in soccer history. However, Arteta’s pick says a lot about how the Argentine can seamlessly adapt to a playmaker role, making him an even more entertaining player to watch on the pitch.

Arsenal player Bukayo Saka disagrees with his coach

Competing at the top level of soccer and performing superbly for nearly 20 years is something only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have achieved. This is why the next generation of young soccer stars will continue to debate who the true GOAT is.

For example, Arsenal player and young star Bukayo Saka has a different opinion compared to his coach, Arteta. “Cristiano Ronaldo was my idol growing up. He wore—still wears—the number 7. It was a dream come true for me to be given the number 7, and I’m trying to achieve some of the things he’s done, especially for my club,” Saka said in a recent Amazon Prime Video Sport interview.

Nowadays, many football players express their desire to wear the same number as their childhood idols. The truth is, Messi and Ronaldo’s influence and inspiration for younger generations are far from over.

Of course, the doubts have emerged around a team which last season lost a 7-point advantage to Manchester City. When asked if there are any changes coming, this was the answer by Arteta.

“What happened today, it cannot happen again. Today’s performance is the worst that we’ve had this season. We weren’t good enough, simple as that. We lost a game a few days ago that we deserved to win but today we were nowhere near the level.”

Will Arsenal make any signings in January transfer window?

Though thousands of fans expect some addition to Arsenal’s roster, it seems that Mikel Arteta is ready to face the final stretch of the season, at the Champions League and the Premier League, with the same players.

“We have to improve with players that after 20 league games we had the chance to be the best in the league. With these players. So, they are really good and we’re going to continue with them.”

Who will win the 2023-2024 Premier League?

Liverpool are currently leaders of the 2023-2024 Premier League with 42 points and a pending match on Monday against Newcastle. Aston Villa also have 42 points and the biggest leap in recent days came from Manchester City.

After winning the FIFA Club World Cup, Pep Guardiola’s team saw many of their rivals fall and their victory over Sheffield United put them with 40 points and one less game. They’re back in the hunt and suddenly became the odds favorites to hoist the trophy.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have 40 points followed by Tottenham (39), West Ham (33), Manchester United (31), Brighton (30) and Newcastle (29).

Unfortunately, that will cost him watching the Gunners’ next game in the stands. Arteta saw the yellow card for the third time this season, and will therefore have to serve a one-game suspension on Saturday, when his team plays Aston Villa at Villa Park.

“I could not be seated in my seat. It was pure emotion. If that’s a yellow… that’s a yellow,” Arteta told BeIN Sports after the match. While he won’t be allowed on the touchline until two hours after the game, Arteta has authorization to communicate with his assistants.

Besides, the Premier League rules also state he can have access to the locker room before the kick-off, at halftime, and after the final whistle. Therefore, it’s not like his players won’t see him at all on Saturday. Either way, Arteta has already lived a similar experience last year.

When Arteta addressed his players on Zoom before a match

On January 1, 2022, Arteta found a way to be close to his players despite being physically far from them. The coach couldn’t show up for a game against Manchester City due to Covid-19, so he addressed his players in the locker room via Zoom.

From a TV screen, the Arsenal boss delivered an epic pre-match talk that went viral as Amazon Prime Video captured the moment for the “All or Nothing” series centered on the Gunners’ 2021-22 campaign.

That day, assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg earned the nickname “Airpods Albert” as he was mic’d up to hear from the coach. On Saturday, we’ll probably see a similar situation, though Arteta will be at the stadium.

Arsenal aim to extend winning streak

The Gunners are enjoying a fantastic start to the season that sees them atop the Premier League standings with 36 points after 15 games. The team is also riding on an impressive winning streak in the league, having claimed five straight wins after conceding its first loss of the season to Newcastle.

Arteta’s team has also started its UEFA Champions League campaign strongly, securing a place in the round of 16 with one game to go in Group B. On Tuesday, Arsenal will visit PSV to conclude the group stage.

At that moment, VAR began a lengthy review to determine if there was a foul and also to confirm if the ball had not gone out of play in the preceding sequence. Undoubtedly, this was the key moment of the match.

In the end, despite what looked like clear foul by the Newcastle player, VAR concluded that the goal was valid. Therefore, at the end of the match, Arsenal’s coach, Mikel Arteta, delivered a strong message against the Premier League.

“It’s a disgrace. It’s embarrassing. That’s how I feel and that’s how everybody feels in that room. You cannot imagine the amount of messages we’ve got saying this cannot continue. It’s embarrassing. I’m sorry, embarrassing.”

Mikel Arteta had enough of VAR and Premier League referees

For Mikel Arteta, decisions like these can completely alter the course of a season. Now, Arsenal have lost their unbeaten record and are currently behind Tottenham and Manchester City in the standings.

“I feel sick. That’s how I feel. I feel sick to be part of this. It is not good enough and we cannot accept that. It’s not a goal. For many reasons, it’s not a goal. For more than one reason it’s not a goal. It’s too much at stake. We put so much effort. It’s so difficult to compete at this level and it’s an absolute disgrace. I feel embarrassed.”

Arteta, who has spent many years in England after serving as an assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, stated that with these episodes, the Premier League cannot be considered the best in the world.

“I’ve been more than 20 years in this country, and this is nowhere near the level to describe this as the best league in the world. I am sorry. I have to be the one coming now here to try to defend the club and please ask for help because it is an absolute disgrace this goal is allowed.”

Arsenal support Mikel Arteta’s claims against VAR and the Premier League

This Sunday, following Mikel Arteta’s comments, Arsenal issued a surprising official statement supporting their coach and demanding answers from the Premier League.

“Arsenal Football Club wholeheartedly supports Mikel Arteta’s post-match comments after yet more unacceptable refereeing and VAR errors on Saturday evening. We’d also like to acknowledge the huge effort and performance from our players and traveling supporters at St James’ Park.”

Arsenal’s complaint was very strong against the referees, asking that their quality meets the standards of the best league in the world. They even expressed their willingness to assist in this effort.

“The Premier League is the best league in the world with the best players, coaches and supporters, all of whom deserve better. PGMOL urgently needs to address the standard of officiating and focus on action which moves us all on from retrospective analysis, attempted explanations and apologies. We support the ongoing efforts of Chief Refereeing Officer, Howard Webb and would welcome working together to achieve the world-class officiating standards our league demands.”

That’s why the Gunners couldn’t afford to lose points at home against Tottenham in the famous North London derby. It was the most expected game on Matchday 6.

The rivalry didn’t disappoint. It was an exciting 2-2 tie at Emirates Stadium which thrilled millions of soccer fans around the world. Nevertheless, at least for Arsenal and Arteta, things might have been different.

Mikel Arteta’s reaction after Jorginho makes big mistake against Tottenham

Arsenal had a very disappointing North London derby as they wasted twice a massive advantage over Tottenham. They took the lead with an own goal by Cuti Romero in minute 26′, but Son Heung-Min answered before halftime (42′).

Then, the Gunners seemed to have everything under control when Bukayo Saka converted a penalty kick in minute 54′. It was a 2-1 lead to keep the pace with Manchester City and Liverpool in the standings.

The problem was that, just a few seconds later, Jorginho made a terrible mistake and Son Heung-Min capitalized to score the 2-2. Mikel Arteta’s reaction on the field went viral as Arsenal let two points slip away.

However, Arsenal’s coach gave full support to the Italian player during a postgame interview with Sky Sports. “I love him. Errors are part of football. We are all with him. No doubts. We feel like we lost two points. We scored the goal, they scored straight away, you know? Emotionally, I think that was a difficult one to take.”

Currently, Arsenal are leaders with 74 points after 31 matches played. However, they no longer control their destiny as Manchester City have 70 points with one pending game. By the way, to make things more interesting, both teams face next Wednesday at Etihad Stadium.

The last time Arsenal won the Premier Leaguewas almost two decades ago. Now, when everything seemed to be going smoothly, the title might slip away. Considering this scenario, Mikel Arteta had a shocking message for his players after a tie with West Ham.

Mikel Arteta is worried ahead of game against Manchester City

Arsenal had a 2-0 lead after only 10 minutes against West Ham. However, as it happened at Anfield, they couldn’t hold on to it. Furthermore, Bukayo Saka missed a crucial penalty kick in minute 51′. Mikel Arteta spoke loud and clear about it,

“Well, it started extremely well again and dominated the game, dominated the pitch and then scored two beautiful goals. After that, we made a huge mistake. Stop playing with the same purpose to score the third and the fourth one and just think that we can play around them and maintain the result.”

According to Mikel Arteta, Arsenal are the only ones to blame. “It just looked to easy and, on that moment, we gave them hope. Credit to West Ham because they took it. They did what they did really well. They started to play extremely direct from there. They went to a long throw, from the corner and we really struggled to get out of that game. Then there is another moment when you can go after 50 minutes 3-1 up, and probably the game is over, two minutes later you concede a goal.”

Looking ahead to the blockbuster matchup with Manchester City, Mikel Arteta looked really concerned about what he saw against West Ham. “This is part of football. My worry is after 2-0 that we made that huge mistake and don’t understood what the game required in the moment.”