Man City next five fixtures compared to Arsenal and Liverpool after Premier League twist
Manchester City's perfect start to the Premier League season may be at an end, but Pep Guardiola's side will be feeling relief after rescuing a point in the final minute against Arsenal.
A tightly-contested first half in which Rodri was taken off injured and Leandro Trossard was dismissed in a twist to proceedings saw the Gunners edge into the lead. Erling Haaland had struck first, though the visitors responded through Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel.
From then on it was a City onslaught, 26 shots on goal to one, and although it seemed Mikel Arteta's 10-man team would escape with all three points, persistent paid dividends as John Stones poked in a rebound to tie the scoreline with no time remaining.
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Although early in the season, the feeling can not be denied that such a result will have a huge impact on the final Premier League standings come May 2025. Following Liverpool's win at home against Bournemouth on Saturday, it also allows City's other title rivals back into the equation, so MEN Sport has taken a look at how all three clubs' upcoming fixture lists compare:
City's next five fixtures
Newcastle United (A) - September 28
Fulham (H) - October 5
Wolves (A) - October 20
Southampton (H) - October 28
Bournemouth (A) - November 2
MEN Sport's verdict: Man City will never underestimate any opponent, especially after their first defeat of the campaign today. What they do need to be wary of is the loss of momentum in the Premier League over this five-game period. Before the trip to Newcastle next week they enter Carabao Cup third round duties against Watford, and in this run they also have Champions League matches against Slovan Bratislava and Sparta Prague to consider. On top of that, the international break splits the Fulham and Wolves fixtures by two weeks, so the loss to Arsenal is going to be a strong mental challenge to recover from for Pep Guardiola's men.
Arsenal's next five fixtures
Leicester City (H) - September 28
Southampton (H) - October 5
Bournemouth (A) - October 19
Liverpool (H) - October 27
Newcastle United (A) - November 2
MEN Sport's verdict: Arsenal will no doubt be looking to those first two fixtures to pick up points, and City will be watching their final two in this run as potential banana skins. Arne Slot's Liverpool are in hot form, whilst St. James' Park is a daunting destination for any top team. The Gunners also face Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup, as well as Paris Saint-Germain and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League in this period.
Liverpool's next five fixtures
Wolves (A) - September 28
Crystal Palace (A) - October 5
Chelsea (H) - October 20
Arsenal (A) - October 27
Brighton (H) - November 2
MEN Sport's verdict: Liverpool undoubtedly have the toughest upcoming run of any of those tipped to be Premier League title challengers. A trio of tough away visits, particularly the one against Arsenal, are going to be tough for their new head coach to navigate. In this run the Reds host West Ham in the Carabao Cup, as well as playing Bologna and RB Leipzig in the Champions League.