The ball is now in Arsenal's court.

The gap between Arsenal and Man City has now widened to 7 points, after Pep Guardiola's side were held to a draw by Nottingham Forest in the 29th round of the English Premier League.

Arsenal holds a significant advantage in the Premier League title race - Photo: AFP

This could be considered a crucial turning point that will decide this year's title race. Arsenal showed great character and a strong desire to win, despite their somewhat pragmatic style of play. Bukayo Saka's solitary goal in the 9th minute was enough for the Gunners to secure three points. The rest of the match was a tight defensive system led by Gabriel Magalhaes.

Arsenal opted for an "ugly" style of play, a disjointed game, and time-wasting to preserve the scoreline. This led opposing managers to bitterly criticize it as "unpleasant football." But for Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, three points were paramount.

That pragmatism became even more invaluable when, at the same time, hosts Man City unexpectedly dropped points. Pep Guardiola's team drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest. This damaging draw left Man City 7 points behind Arsenal in the league table, even though the "Gunners" have played one more game.

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The ball is in Arsenal's court. But the road ahead requires manager Arteta to carefully manage their resources, as they are competing on multiple fronts. Looking at the upcoming schedule, Arsenal will truly face a grueling series of matches.

In March, sandwiched between their Premier League matches, they will have to play in the FA Cup (against Mansfield) and two crucial legs against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League round of 16.

In particular, Arsenal and Man City will not only be competing in the Premier League. On the night of March 22nd, the two teams will directly eliminate each other in the English League Cup final. A victory against Man City in this cup final would certainly deal a heavy blow to the morale of Pep Guardiola's team.

In the Premier League, from now until the end of the season, the "Gunners" will face relatively "easy" opponents: Everton, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Fulham, West Ham, Burnley, and the final match against Crystal Palace. These are mostly opponents Arsenal can handle if they play to their full potential.

The most crucial match for the championship will undoubtedly take place on April 19th, when Arsenal travel to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium. If they can maintain a safe points lead until this "final match of the season," Arsenal will have complete control.

Man City were then forced to push forward to close the gap, and that was precisely Arteta's signature counter-attacking strategy. "There are still many games ahead," Pep Guardiola tried to encourage his players. But clearly, the pressure was weighing heavily on the Man City players.

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With a solid defense and a significant points advantage, Arsenal have all the elements to lift the championship trophy at the end of the season. As long as they avoid a setback and overcome the crucial 90 minutes at the Etihad in April, the title is unlikely to slip away from them again.

THANH DINH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-den-tay-arsenal-20260306103435998.htm