Arsenal have chance to crank up English Premier League title pressure on Manchester City

LONDON – For all the talk of Arsenal having blown their English Premier League title hopes after being reeled in by Manchester City, the truth is that come May 2, they could have re-established a six-point lead to pile the pressure on Pep Guardiola’s side.

City’s 2-1 victory over the Gunners at the Etihad Stadium on April 19 meant that, despite trailing by 10 points a few weeks earlier, they knocked Mikel Arteta’s side off the summit for the first time since October.

Momentum appeared to have shifted completely, but the fixture schedule may have come to Arsenal’s rescue as they try to clinch a first top-flight crown since the 2003-04 season.

With City engaged in FA Cup semi-final action on April 25, they ground out a 1-0 home win over Newcastle United to end a four-match losing streak in domestic competitions.

They host London rivals Fulham on May 2, while Guardiola’s charges face a tough-looking trip to Everton on May 4.

City will have two games in hand before they kick off at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, but the prospect of having to make up a six-point gap again with absolutely no margin for error would be a serious test of their resolve.

According to data analysts Opta, Arsenal are still favourites to end the season on top – but that could all change if they stumble against Fulham.

Sitting in 10th place with four games remaining, Marco Silva’s side are still very much in the hunt for European football, and will be looking to exploit any fatigue after the Gunners’ 1-1 draw at Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals on April 29.

“We will go there with no fear and play for the badge,” Fulham’s 19-year-old midfielder Josh King said.

But history will be a considerable comfort for Arsenal fans struggling to cope with the title-race tension.

The Cottagers have played 33 times away to the Gunners in all competitions and never won.

City’s record at Everton is also impressive – they have won nine consecutive away games against the Toffees.

Whatever the outcome of Arsenal’s derby against Fulham, a win for Guardiola’s men at Everton would then give them the chance to crank up the pressure.

City’s next league game at home to Brentford comes the day before the Gunners’ trip to West Ham United, a fixture being described as their toughest in the run-in.

In another key match on May 2, West Ham United travel to Brentford with the chance to put a five-point gap between themselves and 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who would then be under enormous pressure to respond at Aston Villa on May 3.

Villa go into the match after a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on April 30. Braga claimed a late 2-1 win against Freiburg in the other last-four clash.

Also on April 30, Crystal Palace took a step towards the Conference League final with a 3-1 semi-final, first-leg victory at Shakhtar Donetsk.

The winner will face Rayo Vallecano or Strasbourg, who will be looking to overturn a 1-0 deficit in the second leg of their tie. REUTERS