Gunners must gun down City to keep fate in own hands

Like a sky blue juggernaut, Manchester City have begun to fill Arsenal's rearview mirror and on Wednesday the reigning champions have the chance to begin their over-taking manoeuvre on the road to a fifth Premier League title in six years.

A match that has loomed on the fixture list for months as a likely title-decider now feels like a must-win game for an Arsenal side whose hold on the summit is coming loose.

While treble-chasing City have been churning out the wins, just as they usually do at the business end of a season, Arsenal's young pretenders have been struck by vertigo.

They could have been going to City with a double-digit points lead but after surrendering 2-0 advantages to draw consecutive away games 2-2 at Liverpool and West Ham United, they were then held to a frenzied 3-3 draw by bottom club Southampton on Friday.

After that rip-roaring contest, in which Arsenal needed late goals from Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka just to salvage a point, the players slumped to the turf and their fans filed away wondering if the dream of a first title since 2004 was fading.

Arsenal still have a five-point lead with six games to play but City have two matches in hand and look irresistible having collected 25 points from the last 27 on offer.

According to statistician Simon Gleave of data company Gracenote, Arsenal's draw with Southampton left them with a 21% chance of dethroning City, while Pep Guardiola's side now have a 79% probability of finishing top.

Anything other than a first away win against City since 2015 would leave the destiny of the title in Pep Guardiola's side's hands.

Coach Mikel Arteta, having seen Arsenal record several notable away wins this season, told a pre-match news conference on Tuesday: "It is going to be a tough night and challenge, yes, but the opportunity is incredible for us.

"We knew from the beginning -- we have to go to City and we have to beat them -- you want to be champion, you have to win these matches, it is as simple as that."

City have chipped away at Arsenal's lead while also progressing to the semifinals of the Champions League and on Saturday reached the FA Cup final after easing past Sheffield United in third gear.

The games are coming thick and fast for Guardiola's side but such is the quality and depth of his expensively-assembled squad that few doubt their ability to chase only the second treble - Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League - by an English side after Manchester United.

And Arteta was aware of the quality, especially the prowess of City's goal-machine Erling Haaland. "When you look at the numbers, there is no comparison with anybody else. He (Haaland) is able to produce that as well because the setup is done in the right way for him," Arteta said.