We still have a month to go in the 2025-26 season of the Premier League, but it feels like Arsenal's visit to Manchester City on Sunday will be the match that decides the destination of the title.
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have been top of the table since September as they bid to become champions of England for the first time since 2004, but City boss Pep Guardiola has pipped the team coached by his former assistant to the title twice in the last three years and his team remains close behind as we enter the home stretch this term.
Who will prevail at the Etihad Stadium? And how will the result affect the title race? ESPN's Rob Dawson and James Olley run through the key points ahead of this crucial showdown.
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What's at stake in this game in terms of the title race?
Sunday's meeting is the closest thing you can get to title decider in mid-April. City have the momentum, Arsenal have the points on the board. City have the pedigree from winning six of the last eight league titles, Arsenal have the relentless hunger of trying to end a 22-year drought. The irresistible force of City's attack -- featuring Erling Haaland, Rayan Cherki and Jérémy Doku -- meets the immovable object of the best defence in the league, with Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba among the best centre-back pairings the Premier League has seen. Something has to give.
Victory for City will move them within three points, and three days later they play their game in hand against relegation-battling Burnley. They could be top by then. That would leave Arsenal with a firm sense the trophy is slipping from their grasp. Conversely, a win for the Gunners would be transformative: nine points clear, City's pride severely damaged and the title solely in their hands with just five games to play. A draw would leave Arsenal in the box seat but City still with an outside chance.
Matches are often victims of excessive hyperbole. This one isn't. -- James Olley
What happened in their previous meetings this season?
City and Arsenal have met twice already this season, registering one draw and one City win. September's 1-1 draw at the Emirates in the League was notable for an apparent change in Guardiola's usual tactics. Not one for being overly defensive, it looked like the City boss had instructed his team to 'park the bus' and wait for opportunities to counter-attack. It almost worked; after Haaland's early goal, Arsenal only salvaged a point thanks to Gabriel Martinelli's 93rd-minute equaliser.