Arsenal handed major advantage over Man City in title race run-in
Arsenal have been handed a significant advantage over Manchester City in the Premier League title race, with a fixture difficulty analysis revealing the Gunners face an easier run-in to the season’s end.
The north London side currently sit nine points clear at the top of the table with seven matches remaining, while Pep Guardiola’s side have eight games left including a fixture in hand.
According to Football London, a fixture difficulty rating tool – familiar to Fantasy Premier League players – has been used to assess both teams’ remaining schedules. The system grades matches on a scale of one to five, with one representing a routine win and five indicating an extremely challenging fixture.
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Arsenal’s path to glory
Arsenal’s seven remaining fixtures total a difficulty rating of 19, averaging 2.71 per opponent. The Gunners’ schedule includes home matches against Bournemouth (rated 3), Newcastle (3), Fulham (2), and relegation-threatened Burnley (1).
Away fixtures see Arteta’s side travel to Manchester City for the title showdown on April 19 (rated 5), West Ham (2), and Crystal Palace on the final day (3).
City face tougher test
In contrast, Manchester City’s eight remaining matches carry a total difficulty rating of 25, averaging 3.12 per game – significantly higher than Arsenal’s rating.
The defending champions must navigate away trips to Chelsea (4), Burnley (2), Everton (3), and Bournemouth (3), while hosting Arsenal (4), Brentford (3), and Aston Villa (3) on the final day. Their game in hand against Crystal Palace at home is also rated as a 3.
The crucial head-to-head clash at the Etihad Stadium on April 19 comes roughly one month after this Sunday’s Carabao Cup final between the two sides at Wembley.
While the fixture difficulty tool doesn’t guarantee Arsenal will claim their first Premier League title in 22 years, it provides clear evidence that the Gunners have been handed a more favorable path to glory compared to their Manchester rivals.
