Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta came to terms with a 1-2 defeat to title rival Manchester City on Sunday and said the Premier League will restart with five games to play.
A win would have left Arteta’s side nine points clear as they look for a first English title since 2004.
Instead, a second-half winner from Erling Haaland means City will displace Arsenal at the top for the first time since October if they win their match against Burnley on Wednesday.
«The Premier League is about to start again. They have one game in hand, we are three points ahead, ‘five games to play, so game,'» said the Spaniard after Arsenal’s fourth consecutive defeat in domestic competitions.
“It is clear that the players were very disappointed that they did not get a result from the match as it happened.
«That’s the feeling. They said, ‘Okay, we lost an opportunity today, but we now have the biggest one in the next five games, so let’s do it.'»
While City have secured Arsenal, the remaining matches between the two clubs appear to favor Arteta’s side. It includes home games against Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley and away games against West Ham United and Crystal Palace.
After going to Burnley, Pep Guardiola’s City face European chasers Everton and Bournemouth and at home to Brentford, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
However, Arsenal also have the ‘distraction’ of a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid, and the tension is starting to manifest on Arteta’s side.
After suffering three defeats in their first 49 games in all competitions this season, Arsenal have now lost four of their last six, with their last top-flight win coming just over a month ago.
Arsenal remain top with 70 points from 33 games and Arteta believes there are more twists and turns to come.
«Let’s see what happens. It’s the Premier League. First of all, it’s extremely difficult to win a match in this competition,» he said. «I mean, look at the matches we both have. It’s going to be tough for both of us.»
«Otherwise we would already have 80 points or 85 points as has happened in other seasons, then that is not the case. So we will prepare match by match and learn from what happened today and do better. Everything is still to play for.»
“We’re not going to stop and we’re going to go again, that’s for sure.”
Published on April 20, 2026
