Arsenal sit three points clear at the top heading into Matchday 35. Manchester City head into the weekend with a game in hand. A Champions League semi-final looms. Gameweek 35 won't hand anyone the title — but it will start to separate genuine contenders from those who only talk a good game. Four fixtures demand undivided attention this weekend, plus a fifth storyline simmering at the bottom that the rest of the card will quietly shape.
Goals will ultimately decide the next champions. Both Manchester City and Arsenal looked comfortable grinding out 1–0 victories in their most recent league outings — even though both are acutely aware that goal difference could decide the destination of the trophy. I haven't given up hope yet. At some point they'll start hunting in every fixture. That will be a thrill to watch.
Arteta faces a genuine conundrum: whether to rotate against Fulham ahead of the second leg against Atlético on 5 May. City, eliminated by Real Madrid and fully focused on the league, have no such balancing act to perform. They sit comfortably with that game in hand, every selection decision uncomplicated by European obligations. Arsenal don't have that luxury. Play too cautiously and you drop home points; too aggressively and you reach the Atlético return with heavy legs — and the title can slip away without a single disastrous result to point at.
For this weekend, I see Arsenal handling this fixture conservatively — a problem for a team already struggling for creativity.
After a sharp mid-season decline in 2024/25, Manchester City have battled back into title contention. Liverpool's triumph last season halted Guardiola's unprecedented run of four straight titles and six in seven years. Now, as the campaign enters its decisive phase, City have Arsenal firmly in their sights — with key players returning from injury — and that game in hand keeping the pressure alive.
Gvardiol has emerged as one of City's most reliable performers during the run-in, supplying width, overlapping runs, and the kind of ball progression that stretches defences without requiring everything to flow through Haaland. Against an Everton side lodged in mid-table with nothing at stake, City should have room to express themselves. The danger is a slow, comfortable performance that wins 1–0 when they need to be building goal difference. If Arsenal stumble against Fulham on Saturday, City must ask far bigger questions of the GD column on Monday.
Here is how I envisage City's remaining fixtures:
The table below draws on our predicted results for Arsenal and City. If we are anywhere near accurate, this promises to be one of the tightest title races in Premier League history — eventually settled by goal difference for only the second time. And here is the real league table as it stands. Let's see how mistaken we end up being.
| Pos | Club | Pts | MP | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arsenal |
83 | 38 | 78 | 30 | +48 |
| 2 |  Man City |
83 | 38 | 81 | 34 | +47 |
History always lends extra weight to this fixture. Owing to Liverpool's recent stranglehold on it, United have not done a league double over their rivals since Van Gaal's side managed it in 2015–16. They edged Liverpool 2–1 last October — Maguire heading a dramatic late winner — and a victory on Sunday would mean something United haven't managed in a decade.
United are within touching distance of their Champions League return, having been absent in both the previous and current editions. Two points from their final four matches brings European nights back to Old Trafford. Should Brighton drop points against Newcastle on Saturday and Bournemouth fail to beat Crystal Palace on Sunday, United's Champions League place could be mathematically secured before a ball is even kicked here.
Fernandes's outstanding form merits its own spotlight. Having teed up Šeško's goal against Brentford, he now has 19 Premier League assists this season — one shy of the record jointly held by Thierry Henry (2002–03) and Kevin De Bruyne (2019–20). Looking at his data and the fixtures still to come, he should comfortably surpass it — barring injury or suspension.
This will, in all probability, also be Salah's last appearance at Old Trafford in a Liverpool shirt. His record at this ground, as every United supporter knows painfully well, is extraordinary. He will crave a memorable finale — and even with his powers waning, his recent display against Everton proved he can still deliver. Liverpool, chasing third place and Champions League qualification, will not view this as a farewell cameo — if he recovers in time from his recent injury.
Tottenham's paper-thin squad — ravaged by a severe injury crisis that has stripped them of Solanke, Kudus, and Xavi Simons — arrives at Villa Park with the numbers already telling a grim story. Three goals scored in 2026. An average xG below 1.0. It's fair to ask whether Spurs are simply incapable of scoring enough to climb out of the relegation zone — even if the defence were somehow to improve miraculously, which is a fantasy in itself. Villa, chasing European qualification, represent the worst possible opponents at the worst possible moment.
Two teams heading in opposite directions. Forest are unbeaten in their last six league matches, with only Brighton collecting more than their 12 points since the start of March. Chelsea, meanwhile, have lost and failed to score in each of their last five league games — a barren run that brought Rosenior's tenure to an end, and one they have never suffered through without scoring in their league history. They haven't lost six in a row since November 1993.
Interim boss Calum McFarlane arrested the slide with a 1–0 FA Cup semi-final win over Leeds, having already shown his mettle earlier this season by guiding the side to a surprise draw at Manchester City after Maresca's dismissal. What makes Sunday compelling beyond the result is team selection. McFarlane has a fully fit pool of central defenders at his disposal for the first time in a while, and the combination he picks will reveal a great deal about Chelsea's summer transfer thinking and which options the club views as long-term solutions.
The Remaining Games
