Arsenal and Manchester City will resume their title race this weekend as Premier League matches will be televised, with one rival playing before the other.
Man City have just eight games left to catch up with Arsenal (Image: 2026 Chris Brunskill/Fantasista)
The race for the Premier League title resumes this weekend, with Manchester City in the lead, but Arsenal currently lead the table with nine points.
The Gunners are seeking their first league title since 2004 and have been top of the table for much of the season. Pep Guardiola has never failed to win the championship two years in a row, so something has to give.
Viewer demand to watch the title race unfold means both City and Arsenal are scheduled for regular TV slots, with one playing before the other. Many people cite the psychological benefits of teams playing first on a given weekend.
The pressure to respond is palpable and that unwanted spot has been awarded to City this weekend, who will face Chelsea in a 4.30pm kick-off on Sunday. At that point, they could be 12 points clear of Arsenal, who play Bournemouth at lunchtime on Saturday.
There is no doubt that the TV slots have relieved some of the pressure on people in North London over the coming month. They will only play once after City this weekend, from Rounds 32 to 36.
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Next weekend sees Arsenal host City in a potentially title-deciding match at the Etihad. The Gunners have not won against Manchester’s blue side since Guardiola took charge, but just last month City made a statement by defeating their rivals in the Carabao Cup final.
Next weekend, City will be in the FA Cup, taking on Southampton, who shocked Arsenal in the semi-finals at Wembley. This means the game against Burnley has been pushed forward to Wednesday, meaning both teams will have played the same number of games by the end of the day.
Playing ahead of your rivals could be an advantage due to TV schedules (Image: (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images))
Even if Arsenal lose this weekend to City, Guardiola’s side could still be level at the top of the table on points if they beat Burnley. A few days later, the Gunners face Newcastle at 5.30pm on Saturday, when the Manchester side arrive at Wembley.
Arsenal will be on the pitch before City next week as they face Fulham on Saturday night. Guardiola has around 48 hours to play in his side, with the game taking place on Monday night, his first visit to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton.
Currently, this is the limit when it comes to TV equipment. There are only two matchweeks left, with each team kicking off at the same time in the final matchweek.
TV equipment for title rivals
Saturday April 11th – Arsenal vs. Bournemouth (12:30pm, TNT Sports)
Sunday 12th April – Chelsea vs Man City (4.30pm Sky Sports)
Sunday 19th April – Man City vs Arsenal (4.30pm Sky Sports)
Wednesday 22nd April – Burnley vs Man City (8pm Sky Sports)
Saturday 25th April – Arsenal vs Newcastle (5.30pm Sky Sports)
Saturday 2nd May – Arsenal vs Fulham (5.30pm Sky Sports)
Monday 4th May – Everton vs Man City (8pm Sky Sports)
Saturday 9th May – Man City v Brentford (5.30pm Sky Sports)
Sunday 10th May – West Ham vs Arsenal (4.30pm Sky Sports)
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