Mikel Arteta appears to have a slight advantage over Pep Guardiola in the title race(Image: PETER POWELL/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
Arsenal have received a significant advantage in their Premier League title race with Manchester City, with the Gunners set to face a considerably more localised away fixture list than City. Pep Guardiola’s side saw off the challenge from Arsenal in 2023 and 2024 to win the league but face a challenge to do it this season.
The Gunners presently sit atop the table, five points clear of City, though the Sky Blues possess a match in hand. Most of Arsenal’s remaining fixtures this season are situated in the south, however.
Arteta’s squad have ten matches remaining to secure Premier League glory whilst City have eleven – including five away fixtures for Arsenal and six for City. The volume of time dedicated to travelling by plane, coach or train can have a substantial impact on teams as it influences player conditioning, recovery and mental sharpness.
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The Gunners do face a challenging fixture away to City in April, a match which might prove to be a title decider, representing a round journey of 410 miles. That constitutes their longest trip until the conclusion of the present campaign.
City, by contrast, encounter a fixture away to Bournemouth which will require the Citizens to undertake a remarkable 500 mile round journey, their longest in the league this season.
An 820-mile round trip, combined, to West Ham and Chelsea is also on the agenda for Guardiola’s squad. In total, Arsenal will clock up 576 miles travelling to away fixtures until the campaign concludes.
City’s distance is nearly double that of the North London outfit with a substantial 1,534 miles awaiting them, giving Arteta a modest yet noteworthy edge. Here, we examine each team’s away fixtures and the distances they will each cover.
Regarding home fixtures, Arsenal still need to face: Chelsea, Everton, Bournemouth, Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley. At the Etihad Stadium, City will host: Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace, Arsenal, Brentford and Aston Villa.
Arsenal maintained their position at the summit of the table, defeating rivals Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 last weekend. City also sustained the pressure with a 2-1 victory over Newcastle.
Discussing his side’s prospects after the victory over the Magpies, Guardiola said: “Many things are going to happen. I have a feeling that we are not going to win all our games. Arsenal, I don’t know.
“But I have this feeling, because FA Cup, Champions League games, then comes trouble. Many, many games. Injuries will come.”
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This weekend will see Arsenal welcome Chelsea on Sunday afternoon whilst City travel to Leeds on Saturday evening.
Arteta was in excellent spirits following the win. He feels Arsenal’s display served as a powerful statement after his team surrendered a 2-0 advantage at Wolves previously, a outcome that means City will claim the title if they triumph in all their remaining fixtures this campaign.
“It feels that we showed what we are made of, but then you have to show it again and again and again,” Arteta said. “I cannot be prouder and happier from what I saw out there, especially how we lived the last 72 hours.”
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