Arsenal's early exit from this season's FA Cup could prove beneficial before the end of the month with regard to the Premier League title race.
The Gunners were beaten 1-0 by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium towards the end of January as manager Mikel Arteta ultimately paid the price for naming a slightly weakened team with Nathan Ake's goal proving to be the difference between the two sides in the fourth-round tie.
As a result, it was the 2019 winners that faced Championship outfit Bristol City on Tuesday night and they made light work of the fixture with a brace from Phil Foden and a goal from Kevin De Bruyne sealing a 3-0 win at Ashton Gate to confirm Man City's place in the FA Cup quarter-final.
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However, by virtue of progression, it means Pep Guardiola's side will play two fewer Premier League games in comparison to Arsenal this month as their meeting with West Ham United which was due to take place on March 19 - the final round of fixtures before the international break - must be moved for the FA Cup tie.
Ahead of the quarter-final draw, a statement via Man City's official website read: "The matches will be played over the weekend of 18/19 March 2023 with our exact kick-off date and time to be confirmed in due course. Our Premier League encounter with West Ham United, currently scheduled for 16:30 (UK) on Sunday 19 March, will be moved. The full details of that change will follow once confirmed."
With the Hammers in UEFA Europa Conference League action across the next two midweeks, it means their trip to the Etihad Stadium will almost certainly be rescheduled for some point in April and it remains to be seen what impact this game could have on the Premier League title race.
It can be argued that Arsenal not being in the FA Cup is an advantage and even more so now that Man City are among the final eight teams in the competition as when also factoring the Champions League, Guardiola's quest for trophies could see his side have more fixtures to play between now and the end of the season.
Furthermore, just taking the Man City vs West Ham fixture change into account and it effectively hands the Gunners a fresh incentive ahead of their next four Premier League games against Everton, Bournemouth, Fulham and Crystal Palace.
Should the north London outfit take maximum points from these four games then the worst-case scenario is that they head into the international break with an eight-point lead over Man City - assuming they beat Newcastle United at home and then record a victory of their own at Selhurst Park.
The best-case scenario is that Arsenal win all four games and City drop points, which means the lead at the top of the table would be even greater. And it just so happens that the defending champions host Liverpool in their first game after the international break, so the next month could be key in the title race.
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