Arsenal and Manchester City passed two more tests this weekend in their race for the 2025-26 Premier League title and surprisingly, the biggest obstacles to their historic seasons are each other.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners and Pep Guardiola’s Citizens are both on track to claim the quadruple, which might be strange in this brutal Premier League season where any week’s game can bring an upset. After all, the team at the bottom of the division already has points against two of the top five teams.
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More – Victor Jacques key to Arsenal’s title hopes
Optimistic supporters of both sides can easily argue that their teams can leave the season with four trophies, as both teams are in contention for the Premier League title after reaching the last 16 of the Champions League final. They will also face off in a domestic cup final, with a win in each game progressing to the last 8 of the other final.
Of course, Manchester City and Arsenal are not the only clubs vying for the honor. Here’s a closer look at the important upcoming games for the teams in first and second place in the Premier League.
Manchester City and Arsenal quadruple viewing starts busy March
Will Manchester City and Arsenal duke it out at Wembley Stadium on March 22 for all four honors in the 2025-26 Carabao Cup final?
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There’s a lot to sort out in the coming weeks. With only three Premier League games played between the publication of this article and the final, both teams will still be competing for the league title, but there will be two further knockout days before kick-off at Wembley.
Arsenal are expected to win away at Mansfield Town in their FA Cup fifth round tie on March 7, the same day Manchester City face Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Both teams will then face league hurdles in the Champions League round of 16 tie. Arsenal will face Borussia Dortmund, Bayer Leverkusen, Atalanta or Olympiacos in the first leg of the play-offs – the German side lead 2-0 after the first leg of the playoffs – while City will face Bodo/Glimt, Real Madrid, Benfica or Inter Milan in the first leg of the play-offs (Bodo/Glimt and Real Madrid have first-leg advantage).
Obviously, Manchester City faces greater obstacles between now and the 22nd. After that, though…
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Who has the upper hand in a head-to-head confrontation?
Avoiding the topic of whether Arteta will face Pep at the Etihad Stadium for now, he will be able to point to an improved head-to-head record in that series over the past three seasons.
Pep Guardiola’s City have won eight of their first nine games against Arteta’s Arsenal, but City are winless in their last six games against Arsenal (despite three draws and the fourth coming at the hands of a Gunners penalty).
Arsenal may have been a bit lucky to draw 1-1 at home, but they deserve to be in the lead at the moment. They have the best defensive unit in the league with an xGD of +29.2 and have created the joint-most chances in the league (85, Manchester City). They are also ahead of Manchester City as the most successful team in terms of winning the ball in their opponents’ third games.
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They also have an emerging focal point in Victor Choukres, whose 10 goals make him the first Gunner to reach double-digit goal contributions in the Premier League this season (Haaland is first with 29 goals and Antoine Semenho is fourth with 17).
What would the best lineup look like between the two sides? Manchester City will definitely beat the goalkeeper and center forward, but the defense will favor Arsenal. If they met 10 times, we might expect City to lead the series with 3 wins, 5 draws and 2 losses.
Who has a better chance of winning the Champions League?
Arsenal’s 8-0-0 record in the league stage sends a message to Europe, but City’s 5-1 draw and 2 losses in the final bye is also impressive as they face the fourth-toughest draw based on their opponents’ UEFA numbers (Arsenal’s schedule is the sixth-easiest, but 24 out of 24 points is what it is!).
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Of course, this week’s Champions League draw will give us a better idea of what Manchester City and Arsenal will look like heading into the last 16 at the Puskas Stadium in Budapest on May 30.
Odds suggest Arsenal should be drawn either Borussia Dortmund or Bayer Leverkusen, two of the Bundesliga’s top teams who have performed well in the competition despite struggling over the past few years.
If the first leg comes true, City will get Bodo/Glimt, which will be seen as a huge boon. But Inter Milan will be hoping for a comeback in the second leg and City may then consider another game against Inter Milan or Real Madrid. Benfica is also imminent.
If Arsenal and Manchester City reach the Champions League quarter-finals, Manchester City’s task will become more difficult again. Arsenal will face Bournemouth at home, while Manchester City will travel to Chelsea. The two sides will meet in a huge Premier League clash just days after the second leg. Who will get more rest?
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Opponent in both legs of the semi-finals? Arsenal has Fulham and Manchester City has Everton.
Both sides have the talent and depth to win games, but Arsenal currently have the more favorable external environment.
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How many trophies can Arsenal win this season? Well, how many will them?
We’ve detailed the Gunners’ narrow advantage over Manchester City in the UCL competition, and they do have some control over their long-standing hopes of winning the league title.
Arsenal not only face an easier schedule to end the season 4%But their current points advantage means City will have to beat Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium if all other results in the remaining games hold.
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Is the house money still being spent on Arsenal winning the Premier League, so to speak? Most teams still believe the Gunners will retain first place, with their Carabao Cup final against Manchester City a slight underdog. Most books agree that only Bayern Munich are neck-and-neck in the Champions League with Arsenal, who are also the frontrunners in most FA Cup odds.
Will the Gunners be successful this year if they only win one trophy? If that’s the case, you may have to go to the Premier League or Champions League. But the FA Cup could be where we see the Gunners come into their own in terms of hardware. Maybe PL doubles?
How many of the four trophies will Manchester City win this season?
It may sound a little crazy, but could Manchester City be the real favorites to reach the Champions League final? City’s attacking prowess, coupled with a healthy Rodri dominating the midfield, makes them the undisputed juggernaut over both legs. You might catch them in 90 minutes, but it will inevitably be over 180 minutes (or 210 minutes).
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The Premier League demands a lot from Manchester City, who need to beat the Gunners at home, a game that Arsenal can theoretically draw.
Is it possible for City to win the Carabao Cup, fail in the FA Cup, and win the Premier League or Champions League (especially if Josco Gvaldiol returns in time for later in the season)?
