Following Arsenal’s 2-1 loss to Manchester City on Sunday, a revealing moment occurred just after the final whistle. This defeat left Mikel Arteta’s squad doubting their chances in the Premier League title race.
As Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice crouched in reflection, he glanced at teammate Martin Ødegaard and, shaking his head, proclaimed, “Eh? It’s not over.”
This exchange suggested that Ødegaard may have been losing faith in their title aspirations, prompting Rice to assert that with five matches remaining, they still have a shot at the championship.
This title race is going down to the wire. 👊 pic.twitter.com/XHITjrssy9
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 19, 2026
In the post-match press conference, Arteta echoed Rice’s sentiments, stating that his players feel “more convinced” about their league title chances after narrowly missing out on a favorable outcome at the Etihad Stadium.
Arsenal came very close to securing a different result. Shot attempts like an effort from Eberechi Eze that struck the post and a stoppage-time header from Kai Havertz that went over the crossbar illustrated the fine margins that prevented Arsenal from earning a draw or even a win that could have solidified their position in the title hunt.
After the match, a significant question likely lingered with Arteta and his players as they made their way back to London: “Why didn’t we play like this during last week’s loss against Bournemouth?”
The consecutive league defeats to Bournemouth and City, added to a costly 2-2 draw against Wolves, may have severely damaged Arsenal’s title hopes. Nonetheless, the performance at the Etihad offered some positives, providing enough support for Rice’s assertion to Ødegaard that the title race is indeed “not done.”
If Arsenal can harness the tenacity, confidence, and ambition they demonstrated in the second half against City, this title race could very well extend to the season’s final day. The competition is fierce, but the Gunners have valid reasons to remain hopeful.
Despite now losing four of their last six matches across all competitions—two in the league and one each in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup—the defeat to Bournemouth marked Arsenal’s first league loss since January.
Since that earlier setback against Manchester United, Arsenal’s league form had matched City’s until the defeats to Bournemouth and City. Both teams had experienced a four-match winning streak, and each side scored 20 goals in their last 10 league fixtures.
This season, however, the unstoppable machine Guardiola built at City is not as overwhelming as in previous years.
Even after two losses and one draw in their last three league matches, Arsenal still holds the top spot and will only drop to second place on goal difference if City wins their game in hand against relegation-fighting Burnley on Wednesday.
Rice and Arteta are correct: the title race is not finished. The responsibility now falls on Arsenal to take advantage of their remaining opportunities and outscore City in the closing stretch.
Only three points and one goal separate the two clubs after Sunday’s result. Any victory for City at Turf Moor would propel them to the top solely based on goal difference, raising the stakes for Arsenal to hope City does not win by a significant margin.
If the goal differential after the Burnley match is within three or four goals in City’s favor, Arsenal’s upcoming fixtures could swing the Premier League trophy in their direction rather than City’s next month.
All five of Arsenal’s remaining league games are in London, featuring three home matches against Newcastle, Fulham, and Burnley, along with away matches at West Ham and Crystal Palace. In contrast, City must face Everton and Bournemouth away, along with hosting Brentford, Palace, and Aston Villa at their home ground.
All of Arsenal’s remaining matches are against teams occupying spots in the bottom half of the table, while four of City’s fixtures are against teams still vying for European qualification in the top half, marking a more challenging path for Guardiola’s squad.
While it’s entirely feasible for both teams to win all five of their remaining matches as they fight for the title, Arsenal’s schedule appears to provide them with better opportunities for scoring.
It may even hinge on which team manages to secure a more substantial victory over Burnley, the team with the worst defensive record this season, having conceded 67 goals thus far.
Therefore, for Arsenal fans fearing that the title has slipped away and expecting an easy ride for City to glory, it’s too soon to concede defeat.
The objective is clear: five more wins and an abundance of goals.