Premier League Title Now Manchester City's to Lose

It would be an understatement to call this a surprising season so far. But things are about to take a twist for the better. Many may have expected at the beginning of the season that the Premier League title race will be between Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea. But Arsenal have defied the odds and risen to the top of the pile as the main contender for the league crown.

However, Mikel Arteta's men seem to have punched above their weight and are faltering when it matters most. A five to eight-point lead ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table has suddenly been cut to four. With City having a game in hand and set to play their Gunners in the next league fixture, this lead could easily disappear in the next few games.

Costly 2-2 draws in the last two games against Liverpool and West Ham United have left the north London side in a difficult position. Having been very consistent for most of the season many had started tipping them to go all the way.

But the team seems to have finally succumbed to the pressure of having to fight for the league title against Pep Guardiola's well-drilled and vastly experienced side.

As it stands, City only have to win their game in hand and beat Arsenal when the two teams meet at the Etihad Stadium in order to take charger on the title race. Although both teams have some tough games to navigate in the weeks ahead, City are more likely to come out unscathed given their superior quality and experience.

With tough matches against Man City, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Brighton and Wolves yet to come for Arsenal, it's safe to say that the team will falter some more before the season ends. A drop in form in recent games has now put more pressure on the team to secure wins. That puts the team and the manager in a precarious position as they have no experience overcoming such obstacle. A drop in belief and confidence could be catastrophic as that will lead to a total collapse.

Man City do not have an easy run too. But the Blues are now used to overcoming this types of situations having done it against Liverpool for several seasons now. After the FA Cup tie against Sheffield United over the weekend City face Arsenal, Fulham, West Ham and Leeds United in the league.

The team will then travel to the Spanish capital for a mouthwatering encounter against Real Madrid in the Champions League. If the league title is not secured by then, it could be in the next two games against struggling Everton and Chelsea with the latter fixture set to go down at the Etihad Stadium. A date with Brentford and Brighton will round off the domestic campaign.

Although the last two games seem tricky as a result of the teams' performance this term, City are more than capable of dispatching them when the title is at stake. Hence Arsenal may give a spirited fight for silverware to the end of the season but the title is now Manchester City's to lose.