Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis handed two extra exams this weekend within the gauntlet that’s the 2025-26 Premier League title race, and it is surprisingly clear that their greatest obstacles to historic seasons are one another.
Each Mikel Arteta’s Gunners and Pep Guardiola’s Residents are alive for a quadruple, as odd studying as that is perhaps throughout this cutthroat Premier League season the place any week fixture may spell an upset. In spite of everything, the division’s bottom-placed staff has claimed factors in opposition to a pair of top-five groups.
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Optimistic supporters of both facet can simply make a case that their facet can depart this season with 4 bits of silverware, as each groups are jockeying for the Premier League title after incomes byes into the Champions League ultimate 16. They’re additionally set to sq. off in a single home cup ultimate and are inside a win every of reaching the ultimate 8 of one other.
In fact, Metropolis and Arsenal aren’t the one golf equipment alive for the honors. Here is a deeper dive into the approaching large video games for the Premier League’s first- and second-place sides.
Quadruple watch hits busy March for Man Metropolis, Arsenal
Will each Metropolis and Arsenal be alive for all 4 honors after they match wits on March 22 at Wembley Stadium for the 2025-26 League Cup Remaining?
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There’s quite a bit to navigate within the subsequent few weeks. With simply three Premier League matches every between the timing of this put up and the ultimate, each groups will nonetheless be alive for the league title however two different elimination days will come and go earlier than they kickoff at Wembley.
Arsenal will anticipate to win away at Mansfield City within the FA Cup fifth spherical on March 7, the identical day that Metropolis face a frightening journey to Newcastle United at St. James’ Park in the identical competitors.
Each groups will then face navigable league hurdles in between Champions League Spherical of 16 legs. Arsenal will face Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta, or Olympiacos of their tie — the German sides maintain 2-0 leads after the primary legs of their playoffs — whereas Metropolis will face Bodo/Glimt, Actual Madrid, Benfica, or Inter Milan in theirs (Bodo/Glimt and Actual have first-leg benefits).
Clearly, Metropolis have larger hurdles between now and the twenty second. After that, although….
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Who has the higher hand head-to-head?
Avoiding for now the subject of whether or not Arteta will go for it in opposition to Pep on the Etihad, he’ll be capable of level to the final three seasons’ improved head-to-head file within the sequence.
Guardiola’s Metropolis received eight of their first 9 conferences with Arteta’s Arsenal, however Metropolis are winless of their final six in opposition to Arsenal (though there have been three attracts and a fourth match tipped to the Gunners in penalty kicks).
Arsenal had been maybe a bit lucky to get their 1-1 draw at house however they’re deservedly on their perch for the time being. They’ve one of the best defensive set-up within the division, the highest xGD at +29.2, and have produced the joint-most large possibilities within the league (85, Man Metropolis). Additionally they are main Metropolis, simply, for essentially the most profitable staff relating to profitable the ball in an opponents’ third.
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Additionally they have an rising focus in Viktor Gyokeres, whose 10 objectives make him the primary Gunner to register double-digit objective contributions this PL season (Haaland is first with 29 whereas Antoine Semenyo is fourth with 17).
How would a Greatest XI look between the edges? Metropolis would edge goalkeeper and heart ahead for positive, however the again line can be heavy in favor of Arsenal. In the event that they performed 10 instances, we would anticipate Metropolis to only edge the sequence 3W-5D-2L.
Who has a greater likelihood to win Champions League?
Arsenal’s 8-0-0 league part despatched a message by means of Europe however Man Metropolis’s 5W-1D-2L run to the final bye was spectacular, too, as they confronted the fourth-toughest draw based on opponents’ UEFA coefficients (Arsenal’s schedule was the sixth-easiest, however 24-of-24 factors is what it’s!).
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In fact, this week’s Champions League draw will give us a a lot better concept of what the Spherical of 16 has in retailer for Metropolis and Arsenal because the paths to Puskas Area in Budapest for the Could 30 ultimate.
The percentages say that Arsenal ought to draw both Dortmund or Leverkusen, high Bundesliga sides that aren’t having notably robust years however have fared effectively within the competiton.
If the primary legs maintain true, Metropolis will may get Bodo/Glimt and that might be contemplating an enormous boon. however Inter Milan will hope to return again within the second leg, after which Metropolis might be taking a look at one other match with Inter or Actual Madrid. Benfica looms, too.
If Arsenal and Man Metropolis attain the UCL quarters, the duty is once more a much bigger carry for Metropolis. Arsenal will meet Bournemouth at house between legs whereas Metropolis go away to Chelsea. The 2 sides then meet one another in an enormous PL conflict inside days of that second leg. Who could have extra relaxation?
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The opponents between legs of the semifinals? Arsenal have Fulham whereas Metropolis have Everton.
Either side have the expertise and depth to win the competitors, however Arsenal have — for the time being — a extra favorable set of outdoor circumstances.
Pep Guardiola
What number of trophies can Arsenal win this season? Properly, what number of will they?
We have already detailed the Gunners’ slight benefit over Metropolis within the UCL race, they usually do have a measure of management of their long-held hopes to win the league.
Not solely do Arsenal face a neater run of fixtures to complete the season , however their factors benefit for the time being means Metropolis must beat Arsenal on the Etihad Stadium if all different outcomes maintain equal the remainder of the way in which.
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Is the home cash, so to talk, nonetheless on Arsenal profitable the Premier League? Most books nonetheless have the Gunners favored to carry onto first, whereas they’re slight underdogs in opposition to Metropolis within the League Cup Remaining. Most books have solely Bayern Munich within the ballpark of Arsenal for the UCL, too, and Arsenal are the leaders in most FA Cup winners’ odds, too.
Will this 12 months be a hit for the Gunners in the event that they win only one trophy? It could in all probability need to the Premier League or Champions League in that case. However the FA Cup is perhaps the place we’re seeing the Gunners emerge with {hardware}. Possibly with a PL double?
What number of of 4 trophies will Manchester Metropolis win this season?
This will sound a bit wild to say, however may Metropolis be the true favorites to succeed in the Champions League Remaining? Metropolis’s energy in assault with a wholesome Rodri controlling the midfield makes them a verifiable juggernaut over two legs. You could catch them over 90 minutes, however there’s an inevitability over 180 (or 210).
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The Premier League goes to ask quite a bit out of Metropolis, they usually might want to beat the Gunners at house in a sport that Arsenal can theoretically afford to attract.
Would possibly Metropolis lay declare to the League Cup, come up brief within the FA Cup, and declare both the Premier League or Champions League (particularly if Josko Gvardiol comes again in time for the latter days of the season)?