Manchester United could hand Man City the Premier League title in fresh twist
Manchester City may have been hoping for a favour from Tottenham on Sunday as they hosted Arsenal in the North London Derby.
But the Gunners withstood a Spurs comeback to move four points ahead of the Blues at the top of the table thanks to a 3-2 win. City responded with a win against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground to cut the gap back to a point and Pep Guardiola's side still have a game in hand - coincidentally against Spurs in the final week of the campaign.
City have four games to play and know four wins will secure a fourth-straight Premier League title, but dropped points for Arsenal before that could see City crowned champions sooner. So when is the earliest City can win the title?
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Well, City need Arsenal to drop points. The Gunners next fixture is on May 4 when they face Bournemouth. Defeat against the Cherries would leave Mikel Arteta's on 80 points, with two to play and a maximum points tally of 86. City would climb above the Gunners to 82 points with three games left should they beat Wolves at home later that day.
Fastforward to May 11, City could move five clear (on 85 points) if they beat Fulham in the early kick-off at Craven Cottage. Arsenal then face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday May 12. If they were to drop points in that game, City would be champions.
In short, if Arsenal take none or one point from their next two games and City win both of theirs, the Blues will be champions with two matches to spare. If both sides win all their remaining games before the final day, City would go into their clash with West Ham two points above Arsenal, knowing that they just had to match their result to be crowned champions at the Etihad. A draw for City and win for Arsenal would leave them level on points, but Arsenal's goal difference is significantly ahead of City's.