City closes in on Arsenal
After reviewing the highlights from the first set of matches of Round 26, we now shift our focus to the highlights from the second round of matches of Round 26. Man City’s 3-0 win saw them close in on Arsenal, Villa maintained their promising form, and Arsenal dropped points in a game they arguably should have won. Throughout the course of our discussion, there will be multiple talking points. For starters, does City’s recent form take some of the pressure off Guardiola after a shaky start to 2026? Could Arsenal bottle the title yet again? Could we see a surprise package like Aston Villa do something really big this season?
The Clarets get narrow victory over Brighton
The first talking point of our conversation will be Aston Villa’s narrow win against Brighton. Despite an on-and-off start to 2026, Aston Villa still remain in the title race, with Emery’s side just seven points off Arsenal. The Clarets struggled to get the better of Brighton’s defense for most of the match and needed a bit of luck from an own goal by Hinshelwood to get over the line. Though Emery’s side may not be favorites for the title, we mustn’t forget their incredible 11-game winning run earlier this season. A repeat of that run could seriously make them contenders and have them capitalize on any slip from Arsenal or City.
Semenyo inspires another good City performance
Though it may not be much, City are unbeaten in the last five games, with the highlight of that run being their game against Liverpool, which they won in injury time. With the addition of Semenyo to the side, City’s attack appears to be more threatening and dangerous, as shown in their last few games. Man City now close in on Arsenal as their win against Fulham reduces the gap to just four points at the summit of the league table.
Will Arsenal bottle the title again ?
Arsenal dropping points against Brentford means that their six-point lead at the top has now been reduced to four, with City closing in on them. The North Londoners have won only three out of their last seven Premier League games since the start of the year. This has had many fans questioning whether they may bottle yet another Premier League lead for the fourth season in a row. Arteta will be eager to address Arsenal’s problem in attack, which has been the main source of their lack of goals. Arsenal currently lacks a striker who can properly convert chances when balls are played across the box. Moreover, whenever an Arsenal player cuts the ball back in the penalty area, nobody is usually there to capitalize on that chance.
