Ask Pep Guardiola, and he will say nothing has changed. Arsenal always had a game in hand in the Premier League title race, and Manchester City always took the view that the table was false until the top two were on the same number of games played.
Now, Arsenal have played that game in hand, beating Everton comfortably, and sit five points clear of City at the 25-game mark. Since losing to City, the Gunners have won three in a row, taking advantage of the Blues' slip-up at Nottingham Forest. They've shown they are not ready to give up the title and now it's game on, and City will be looking for their next opportunity to regain lost ground on Mikel Arteta's side.
It might not come until the final weeks of the season, though. Maybe even the final week.
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As Arsenal added four goals to their goal difference column (albeit still three behind City), Pep Guardiola's side were marching into the FA Cup quarter-finals. The clash with Burnley will replace City's scheduled league game with West Ham later this month, and it will be City then with a game in hand over their rivals.
Should the Blues progress to a semi-final, April's trip to Fulham will need a new date, and there are only really three available slots to play any outstanding Premier League fixtures.
One possibility for the West Ham game would be to bring it forward to next week - although the logistics involved in that make such a thought unlikely, even considering the Premier League's record for inconveniencing fans at short notice.
Instead, the week commencing April 3 is the next chance to move the West Ham game, after the international break and a clash with Liverpool. The two weeks after that are taken up by a potential Champions League quarter-final, with UEFA rules often prohibiting domestic games on those midweek slots.
Unless City get knocked out to RB Leipzig or in any quarter-final, the second and third weeks of May would be needed, too, with the week commencing May 1 the second of three options for the West Ham game. Should the Fulham trip need moving, that week would also be an option, as would the last midweek of the season directly before the final day.
Could City hold at least one game in hand until the last week?
Beat Arsenal in April and City have the chance to cut the gap to two points on current standings, not accounting for the fact that they will have played one game fewer than their rivals. Regardless of what City do, though, Arsenal's fixtures will hardly encourage the Blues before that Etihad showdown.
Coming up, Arsenal have Bournemouth, Fulham, Crystal Palace, Leeds, Liverpool, West Ham and Southampton. City have Newcastle, Palace, Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester and Brighton. On Arsenal's form, it's hard to see where City gain ground, especially with Arsenal having an extra chance to record three points.
After that, City's only 'difficult' fixture remaining would be Chelsea, whereas Arsenal face Chelsea, Newcastle and Brighton. City will need some clubs to ignore the form book when facing Arsenal.
And if the Blues are serious about reaching the FA Cup and Champions League finals, they will have to change their mindset from accounting for Arsenal's game in hand to having at least one themselves. They've used that discrepancy to their advantage in the past, so will have to draw from experience and possibly get used to the idea that they may not have a chance to top the Premier League until the final week.
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