Losing points in two consecutive Premier League games is not in the script for the Gunners, who are seeking their first title in 22 years. They wasted a visit to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers, which would have increased their lead over Manchester City to seven points.
Arsenal’s progress to the Carabao Cup final forced them to reschedule their trip to Molineux, and instead of saving the competition for the end of the season, the league leaders had the opportunity to add more points in the title race, with City closing in.
The frustrating 2-2 draw gives them a five-point lead over the Cityzens, having played one more game, heading into an intense period before the international break in March.
Despite Arsenal’s lead, more ups and downs are inevitable as the Gunners look to break their drought, especially with City having the opportunity to build on a good run of fixtures in the coming weeks.
Below, we compare the upcoming schedules of the Premier League’s two best teams.
Arsenal
Arsenal play their third consecutive Premier League game away this weekend, although the shortest trip on the calendar comes for Arteta’s men. They say form fades on derby day, but it would be a huge surprise if Igor Tudor’s Tottenham take points from the Gunners on Sunday afternoon. The “new coach” phenomenon can be powerful, yes.
The north London derby closes its February schedule, and Chelsea will visit the Emirates Stadium to kick off March. The Blues were recently defeated in the Carabao Cup semi-final double-header, perpetuating their woeful record in this fixture in recent years.
Arsenal won’t have much time to recover for their visit to a declining Brighton side on March 4, but 11 days separate that game from the visit of Everton on Sunday before the Carabao Cup final. A day at Wembley precedes the March international break, so they will have to wait almost a month to pick up more points. Bournemouth travel to north London on April 11.
|
Date |
Rival |
|---|---|
|
February 22 |
Tottenham |
|
March 1 |
Chelsea |
|
March 4 |
Brighton |
|
March 15 |
Everton |
|
April 11 |
Bournemouth |
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola knows that the result of the Carabao Cup final could influence the title fight, but the dynamics at the top could be drastically altered by the time that match arrives.
Manchester City will seek to score maximum points in their next four games. Newcastle United are next, with a disastrous record at the Etihad Stadium, while Leeds United and Nottingham Forest are fighting to avoid relegation, but have not yet reached despair. Forest are close to achieving this and have turned to Vitor Pereira to succeed Sean Dyche.
City visit West Ham United, another struggling team, on March 14. Their clash against Crystal Palace could be rescheduled for just after the final at Wembley, but for now their next Premier League game after West Ham will be another trip to the capital on April 11, where Chelsea await.
|
Date |
Rival |
|---|---|
|
February 21 |
Newcastle |
|
February 28 |
Leeds |
|
March 4 |
Nottingham Forest |
|
March 14 |
West Ham |
|
April 11 |
Chelsea |
