Manchester City could accidentally gift Arsenal an unusual advantage in the the Premier League title race if they defeat Leicester City at the weekend. The reigning champions are just six points behind the Gunners and they must lock horns once more before the end of the season, in what is shaping up to be a winner-takes-all fixture at Stamford Bridge on April 26.
With a game in hand, City are now back in a strong position. Pep Guardiola's side will be setting the tempo as they welcome Leicester City to the Etihad Stadium on Saturday afternoon before Arsenal travel to east London to face West Ham on Sunday.
While the Cityzens will be desperate to apply pressure on the north London outfit, a victory will send the Foxes closer to the prospect of relegation and, therefore, may push Arsenal closer to winning the league – if you're superstitious, that is.
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In each of the previous two occasions where Leicester were relegated from the top-flight, Arsenal claimed the Premier League title. Back in 2004, the Foxes followed Leeds United and Wolves down into the Championship while the 'Invincibles' completed an unbeaten campaign.
Then two years prior to that, Leicester went down to the second-tier along with Ipswich and Derby County. While a win for City against the Foxes won't immediately relegate them, it will slash their chances of survival.
Leicester have just eight games to retain their status in the Premier League, but they have a difficult run-in. The Foxes must still play the likes of City, Liverpool and Newcastle United.
At the other end of the table, Arsenal are determined to defend their place at the top. In an interview with the official club website, Bukayo Saka outlined the club's ambitions.
"As players, we really want to do this," the 21-year-old said. "We know that everything is in our hands and we just have to keep going game by game.
"If we win these last eight games and get some good results, the title can be ours, so we just have to stay focused. It’s a long season and we have to be consistent all the way through, so that’s what we’ll try to do.
"I wouldn’t say [the Man City game] is the final, but maybe the semi-final because it’s massive, and so important as both teams are fighting at the top. It’s really close so it’ll be a massive game."
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