Manchester City emphatically stamped their name as clear Premier League title favourites with a big 4-1 victory over Arsenal at The Etihad in late April. But did that end the race for the Premier League crown?
That match seemed to confirm what many felt coming, which was a late-season Man City charge. Arsenal held a significant lead atop the Premier League table midway through the campaign, but that has all evaporated with three consecutive draws proving costly to the Gunners.
Now, Man City are given the edge to win the league for a third straight season, as Arsenal have squandered their entire cushion. Yet the Gunners are not dead just yet, and while they need help from other teams, there’s still time for them to turn things around.
The Sporting News brings you a look at how the Premier League title race could play out the rest of the way.
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Odds to win Premier League in 2022/23
The Gunners might be top of the league for now, but they are not the favourites to win the Premier League, not by a wide margin.
Defending champions Manchester City have by far the shortest odds to win a third-straight title. City’s head-to-head win over Arsenal on April 26 along with their multiple games in hand are likely a major factor in the calculations.
Odds as of Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
| Club | USA (BetMGM) |
India (Dafabet) |
UK (Sky Bet) |
Australia (Neds) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man City | -1600 | 1.08 | 1/10 | 1.06 |
| Arsenal | +800 | 9.00 | 13/2 | 9.00 |
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Man City, Arsenal remaining fixtures
A review of the remaining Premier League fixtures for both teams shows similar schedules to end the campaign.
Both teams have to face Chelsea and Brighton in the final few fixtures of the season, and both sides have games against relegation candidates to help soften the schedule.
Arsenal are given a tough game against Newcastle as well, which may make their finish slightly more difficult, while Man City have a trip to Brentford, who beat them at the Etihad earlier this season.
A big reason for Man City’s huge perceived edge is their two games in hand. They have postponed matches against West Ham (Wednesday, May 3) and Brighton (Wednesday, May 24) still to come, making their finish crowded, but also affording them more chances to pick up points.
| Date | Arsenal | Manchester City |
| Wed, May 3 | — | vs. West Ham |
| Sat, May 6 | — | vs. Leeds |
| Sun, May 7 | at Newcastle | — |
| Sun, May 14 | vs. Brighton | at Everton |
| Sat, May 20 | at Nott’m Forest | — |
| Sun, May 21 | — | vs. Chelsea |
| Wed, May 24 | — | at Brighton |
| Sun, May 28 | vs. Wolves | at Brentford |
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2023 Premier League title prediction
- Pick: Manchester City
- Odds: -1200 (BetMGM)
Pick updated April 30, 2023
Unfortunately for Arsenal, the title looks lost. While Man City have to fight on a number of fronts as the season comes to a close, this particular club has insulated itself against fixture congestion thanks to the deepest squad in Europe and a clean bill of health.
Pep Guardiola has been able to rotate his side effectively and not suffer a drop in play. Where most clubs — even past versions of City — would normally experience the fatigues of playing in so many competitions this late in the season, this particular Man City squad has been essentially immune to that struggle.
Given that, and the fact that Arsenal have a slightly tougher run-in thanks to the particularly tough game against Newcastle on the horizon, there’s only one way this plays out now that City have topped Arsenal in demoralising fashion, and that’s with a third consecutive Man City league title.