It was a fascinating battle at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday as Manchester City secured a 2-1 win over Arsenal to really open up the Premier League title race.
Should City win at Burnley on Wednesday, they will go top of the table for the first time since 21 August 2025. There’s still plenty of time for Arsenal to get back on track, but losing top spot at just the wrong time would be an all-too familiar feeling for the Gunners, which we’ll look at in this week’s SVQ.
Speaking of late setbacks, Everton could really have done without conceding a late winner in the first Merseyside derby at their new Hill Dickinson Stadium. It was a notable goal from Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for more reasons than bragging rights, though, which we’ll also dive into.
Coventry City will be back in the Premier League for the first time in 25 years after they earned promotion on Friday, but because misfortune is apparently more interesting, our Ask Opta question this week is about the other end of the Championship table and the possible relegation of Leicester City.
We also have another five head-scratching trivia questions for you, but let’s get right into it with one of the most interesting Premier League title races for years.
🔝 STAT - Just Be Top When the Music Stops
All eyes were on the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. Manchester City vs Arsenal felt massive.
An Arsenal win, and surely the title race was over. Even a draw would have given the Gunners a huge advantage despite City’s game in hand.
It was Pep Guardiola’s men who took the spoils, though, beating Arsenal 2-1 thanks to goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland.
It was a good effort from Mikel Arteta’s side, but they were unable to stop the pendulum from swinging further in City’s favour. Man City now sit three points behind with a game in hand.
It must be stressed that Arsenal are still top of the Premier League, and have been for the majority of the season. As of today, they have sat in first place for 208 days in 2025-26. By comparison, City have only been top for six days, and not since August. It would therefore be quite the kick in the pants for Arteta’s men to lose it from here.
That’s been a bit of a common theme for the Gunners, though; being top until it really matters.
Since Arteta was appointed in December 2019, Arsenal have spent more days top of the Premier League (539) than Man City (453) but have not yet won the title. City have won four in that time and could make it five next month.