A huge night in this season's Premier League title race is upon us as Arsenal face Manchester City.
The Gunners arrive at the Etihad Stadium admittedly as underdogs despite being league leaders, as this particular fixture has been a struggle for them in recent years - stretching all the way back to when Arsene Wenger was in charge and including Unai Emery's brief spell as head coach.
Already this season Man City have done the double over Mikel Arteta's side - the first being the FA Cup fourth-round meeting at the end of January - and remarkably not since May 2016 have they failed to beat Arsenal at home in the league which is a record that the visitors must address.
READ MORE: Man City vs Arsenal LIVE: Kick-off time, TV channel, team news, live stream details
In fact, there are perhaps two big incentives for Arsenal to win - or at least avoid defeat - at the Etihad Stadium tonight. Of course, the obvious one is victory opens up an eight-point lead at the top of the table, albeit having played two games more, and control of the Premier League title race.
A draw keeps things as they are for the time being, but City gain the advantage as they will clinch a third title in a row if they win their remaining fixtures after tonight whilst defeat for the Gunners, whilst not decisive, would provide an inevitability with regard to the outcome of the title race.
With that said, Arteta has called on his players to relish the challenge in front of them: "It's going to be a tough night and challenge but the opportunity is incredible for us," he said in the pre-match press conference. "We knew from the beginning, if you want to win a Premier League, you have to go to Spurs and beat them.
"You have to go to Chelsea and you have to beat them. You have to go away from home and win. This is what we've been doing. This is why we're here. Now you have to go to City and you have to beat them. If you want to be champions you have to win those matches. It's as simple as that."
Should Arsenal win at the Etihad Stadium for the first time since January 2015, not only will they end the night eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table but there will be cause for celebration in the knowledge that Champions League football will be guaranteed for next season.
In truth, their current points haul of 75 would have been enough for a top-four finish in each of the last four Premier League campaigns but despite last Friday night's 3-3 draw at home to Southampton being enough to ensure finishing above north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, the Gunners still aren't mathematically assured of a return to Europe's top table after a six-season absence.
However, if Arsenal beat Man City tonight, their lowest possible Premier League finish would be fourth. This is because a victory puts them on 78 points whilst Brighton & Hove Albion can only finish on 76 points were they to win all of their remaining fixtures.
A draw for the Gunners should also be enough given they have a far superior goal difference in comparison to the Seagulls, but the next chance to be mathematically certain would be the home game against Chelsea next Tuesday if Roberto De Zerbi's side beat Nottingham Forest and Wolves.
However, with Brighton's game at the City Ground set to finish around about half an hour before the conclusion of Man City vs Arsenal, a shock win for relegation-threatened Forest means Arteta's side will have qualified for the Champions League regardless of the result at the Etihad and the reward is £13.4million in prize money if this season is anything to go by.
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