Manchester City’s victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday leaves them on the cusp of a record-breaking fourth consecutive English top-flight title.
However, due to Arsenal’s superb recent form, the battle to be crowned Premier League champions will go down to the final day of the season on Sunday.
Pep Guardiola’s team are now two points clear of Mikel Arteta’s side, with both challengers having played the same number of matches.
The Athletic explains what each side has to do to claim the Premier League trophy and also what would happen if they finished with identical records.
The top of the Premier League
How they stand
Team | Played | Goal difference | Points |
---|---|---|---|
37 |
60 |
88 |
|
37 |
61 |
86 |
Remaining fixtures
Manchester City
Arsenal
- Everton (H) — May 19 (4pm BST, 11am ET, 8am PT)
How can each team win the title?
Manchester City will win the title if they beat West Ham. If they draw or lose, they will be crowned champions if Arsenal fail to win.
Arsenal have to beat Everton to stand any chance of a first title since the 2003-04 season. If they do pick up three points against Sean Dyche’s side, then they will win the league if City fail to beat West Ham due to their superior goal difference.
What other factors decide the title if both teams finish level on points?
There is no scenario in which points, goal difference or goals scored does not decide this year’s title race — but there are other methods of deciding the league if, in the future, these methods do not settle it.
The next scenario would be the team who won the most points in the head-to-head matches.
To give the example of this season, Arsenal have the head-to-head advantage over City. They beat City 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium in October before the teams played out a goalless draw at the Etihad Stadium in March.
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![Arsenal's 1-0 win against Manchester United was crucial for their title hopes (Stu Forster/Getty Images)](https://cdn.theathletic.com/app/uploads/2024/05/12134236/trossard-ot-scaled.jpeg)
Arsenal’s 1-0 win against Manchester United on Sunday kept them in the hunt (Stu Forster/Getty Images)
(Top photo: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)