Manchester City has accelerated the pace on their quest for the 2022/23 Premier League title after defeating Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge and closing the gap with Arsenal, which is only five points apart.
After a period of utter dominance in which Manchester blues were crowned champion four times in five years, only failing to do so in the 2020/21 season when Liverpool was throned champion, the blue army of Manchester is back, and Arsenal is the only team standing in their way.
Manchester City have won their sixth Premier League title, with four of those coming in the last five seasons 🏆#ManCity | #PL pic.twitter.com/ZoHsn9a0L9
— Sports Freak (@OfficialSfreak) May 23, 2022
Since the beginning of the season, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have led the league table with 14 wins in 17 games played and maintained a perfect record.
Former assistant coach of Manchester City and apprentice of Pep Guardiola, Arteta is on the verge of accomplishing something extraordinary for Arsenal after the 2003-04 season when the Gunners were unbeaten under Arsene Wenger and won the trophy for the last time.
Best of 2022 – Arsenal’s Title Credentials 🔴 pic.twitter.com/De0OhhyR3E
— Hindsight Podcast (@TheHindsightPod) January 5, 2023
Manchester City, on the other hand, has a superior record under Pep Guardiola, as they often appeared as champions and were clearly the best team to contend for the Premier League in every single season they played.
Having previously mentioned Mikel Arteta as one of the best managers when Arsenal struggled last season, the legendary Pep Guardiola, who recently extended his contract until 2025, has his graduate as a formidable rival.
▶ Mikel Arteta 1st in EPL with Arsenal.
▶ Pep Guardiola 2nd in EPL with Man City.
▶ Erik Ten Hag 4th in EPL with Man United.
▶ Vincent Kompany 1st in Championship with Burnley.Pep Guardiola's influence is stamped all over the top of English football. 👏😍 pic.twitter.com/WN1yyywIw0
— Lionel Messi (@ChrisRo31633574) January 5, 2023
This season, Manchester City has won 12 matches in this competition and drawn three times, which has proven to be costly. However, a recent away victory against Chelsea will certainly boost the confidence after Arsenal dropped points against Newcastle United in a 0-0 draw.
🗣️| Guardiola: “The advantage of Arsenal is he [Arteta] has not to win the Premier League from 20 points in front in November. The way they played against Newcastle again impressed me a lot. They dropped two points but they didn’t drop the quality [with which] they played.” [MEN] pic.twitter.com/xdKDrpuirU
— Arsenal Buzz (@ArsenalBuzzCom) January 4, 2023
However, Arsenal and Manchester City will face Tottenham Hotspurs and Manchester United in a synchronized fixture, and given that both Spurs and Man Utd are flying high in confidence, it could easily prove to be a title decider for both the Frontrunners in Arsenal and Manchester City.
"The two title contenders" 😆
Antonio Conte previews Arsenal's next Premier League fixture, the North London Derby 👀 pic.twitter.com/FIeqFlIytC
— Arsenal FC News (@ArsenalFC_fl) January 5, 2023
This season has promised to bring a significant amount of anticipation and confrontation, as it will be a neck-and-neck battle, and whoever comes out on top will be remembered for a long time.