A bookmaker has paid out on Arsenal to win the Premier League. Man City is not ready to concede yet
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Over the weekend a bookmaker said it was already paying out on Arsenal winning the Premier League this season.
Manchester City, however, is not ready to concede defeat just yet.
Sunday’s dramatic 2-1 win at Liverpool closed the gap between the top two teams to six points. If second-place City beats Fulham at home on Wednesday, it will be just three points behind Arsenal, which travels to in-form Brentford a day later.
The title, of course, is Arsenal’s to lose with 13 rounds to go, but with the top two still to play each other at City’s Etihad Stadium, it is premature to declare Mikel Arteta’s team champion.
“We have them at home although, of course, we have to beat them,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “Thirteen games in the Premier League from my experience is a lot of time.
“All we can do is be brave. Be in the neck of Arsenal. If they slip or make something, use it.”
City has form when it comes to chasing down an Arsenal lead. In back-to-back seasons in 2023 and ’24, Guardiola’s team clawed back Arsenal to win the title.
But this City team is different. It has lacked the consistency of the squads that dominated English soccer for the best part of a decade under Guardiola, and this season alone has lost five times in the league.
Arsenal has changed as well. Arteta has assembled arguably the strongest squad in the league, with depth in every position.
On Saturday he sent on $85 million striker Viktor Gyokeres as a second-half substitute against Sunderland and the Sweden international scored two goals in a 3-0 win.
After that victory, an Ireland-based oddsmaker said it was paying out on Arsenal.
But Arteta isn’t buying into the suggestion the title is his after three straight years as runner-up, saying “we still have to win so many games to achieve what we want.”
Key matchups
Tottenham hosts Newcastle on Tuesday and both teams are aiming to turn their form around. Spurs haven’t won a league game in 2026 and are now just six points off the relegation zone. Newcastle has lost its last three in the league, and won just one in eight in all competitions.
West Ham has boosted its survival hopes with three wins from its last four. It hosts in-form Manchester United on Tuesday.
Players to watch
Crysencio Summerville is firing West Ham’s survival push with five goals in as many games. Bryan Mbeumo has scored three in four for United since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Out of action
Liverpool will miss Dominik Szoboszlai, who was sent off late against Man City, and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero was also red-carded against Man United. Spurs’ injury problems grew when Destiny Udogie was forced off in the same match. Arsenal was without the injured Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard against Sunderland.
Off the field
Tottenham coach Thomas Frank is coming under increasing pressure as his team’s form continues to deteriorate. Its only wins in 2026 have come in the Champions League. Despite advancing to the round of 16 in European club soccer’s top competition, Spurs’ domestic form is a concern.
Frank is searching for his first league win since Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 1-0 on Dec. 28.
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James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer