Burnley 0-1 Man City: ‘Queen bee’ Pep Guardiola leads side to top of table
If City and Arsenal win all of their remaining five games they will both finish on 85 points, meaning goal difference or goals scored could be the deciding factor in May.
That’s how tight the situation is; both teams have played the same number of matches (33), have the same points (70) and have the same results; 21 wins, 7 draws and 5 losses.
The only factor separating the two sides is the number of goals scored; City scored 66 goals and Arsenal 63 goals.
Such is the chaotic nature of this season’s racing; If Arsenal beat Newcastle and Fulham in that window, City could find themselves six points behind in their next league match at Everton on Monday 4 May.
City had previously scored five or more goals against Burnley in five different Premier League matches (the most goals scored by one side against another in this competition) and would observe similar things before this match.
Even though City had 65% possession and had 28 shots in total, with an expected goals (xG) of 3.54, they could only score once, via Haaland’s winner in the first five minutes.
“A lot of Arsenal players wouldn’t have expected Burnley to get a result today, but if you’re an Arsenal player or supporter you’d be willing to see Burnley lose 1-0,” former City defender Nedum Onuoha told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Arsenal play Burnley in a few weeks and they probably won’t squander their chance as much as City did, as City are after Arsenal before they know it. Psychologically I don’t think it matters that much.
“Now that they have played each other, there is no longer talk about the title being decided in April. You have five games, they have five games. If you do well enough and win your games, the league title could be Arsenal’s.
“They need to back themselves up. The fact that it ended 1-0 against City with 28 shots on goal, maybe that’s the boost they need to turn their form around.”
Former Premier League goalkeeper Tim Krul added: “Arsenal have been so close over the last few years, I think we all want them to get it. “But you can’t rule out Manchester City either.
“My money’s on City, along with the experience. They’re serial winners and the best manager in the world is looking after them. It’s impossible not to support them.”
