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Arsenal and Manchester City are expected to take the 2022-23 Premier League title race right down to the wire. The Gunners have earned 47 points from 18 matches, while City has 42 from 19.
If Mikel Arteta's men win their game in hand, they will have an eight-point lead over Manchester City with half a season to go. Arsenal wasn't even viewed as title contenders heading into the season but now looks like the favorites to win it.
However, it all sounds too much like a fairytale and it might not end up coming true. Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Manchester City will beat Arsenal to the Premier League title.
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#5 Arsenal are infamous for choking towards the end of the season
It wouldn't be the first time that Arsenal have made a meal of their chances of winning the Premier League title. In the 2002-03 season, the Gunners held an eight-point lead at the top of the table after beating Charlton Athletic 2-0 on March 2, 2003.
But the Gunners ended up choking and losing the league title to Manchester United. They pulled off something very similar in the 2007-08 season when they lost the title after leading the league from September 15 to March 15.
We don't need to go that far back though. Last season, it looked like the Gunners were well-positioned to qualify for the Champions League in the final stretch of the season. With three games remaining in the league last term, Arsenal held a four-point lead over their rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
But Arsenal subsequently lost the North London derby to Spurs by an embarrassing 3-0 scoreline. A 2-0 loss to Newcastle United followed and Arsenal ended up finishing fifth in the table, two points behind Spurs.
#4 Manchester City are used to the pressure of a title race
Manchester City have won the Premier League title in three of the last four seasons. They are used to the kind of pressure that comes with a title race and have had no qualms about keeping their form up until the very end of the season.
City won the Premier League title last term with a one-point lead over Liverpool. They won the title by the same margin in the 2018-19 season as well. As such, City are better equipped at navigating the second half of the season.
#3 Manchester City have a relatively easy set of fixtures in the final weeks
Manchester City will face three Premier League 'top six' sides, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Chelsea, in their last 10 gameweeks. All three of these are home games for City. Liverpool and Chelsea are unlikely to pose much of a threat to Guardiola's side given the poor form they are in.
The other teams they will be facing in the final weeks are Southampton, Leicester City, Brighton, Fulham, Leeds United, Everton, and Brentford. Meanwhile, Arsenal will also face Liverpool, City, Newcastle United, and Chelsea. But the Gunners' matches against Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Chelsea are away games.
#2 Manchester City have much better squad depth
One of the main reasons why Manchester City have been so good in the league is their squad depth. They have adequate cover in case of contingencies and City can negotiate its tough set of fixtures without being bogged down by fatigue or other fitness issues.
The same cannot be said of Arsenal. Many of their starters are irreplaceable and an injury to one of their most important players could spell danger for them. In fact, Arsenal's bench strength is weak compared to Manchester City and Manchester United this term.
#1 Pressure of expectations on Arsenal
As mentioned earlier, Arsenal were not considered to be title contender heading into the season. They have done an exceptional job so far but have done so as underdogs. Now that they're at the top of the table halfway through the season, they are being viewed as the title favorites.
That comes with a whole lot of pressure. The Gunners are infamous for not being able to shoulder that pressure in the past. Could things turn out differently this time around? It's definitely too early to tell.
