Jeremy Doku believes Manchester City’s match against Arsenal this weekend is a potential title-decider, and he expects the Gunners to put up a fight.
Arsenal have a six-point lead over Manchester City going into this weekend’s game between the two teams at the Etihad Stadium, but a win for their Premier League title rivals would reduce that to three – with Pep Guardiola’s side also having a game in hand.
In effect, an Arsenal defeat would bring the two teams level with five games to play, with only goal difference separating them if they match each other’s results.
But given Arsenal’s recent form, the current expectation is that the team will drop further points at some stage. A City win at the Etihad would feel very damaging to the Gunners’ title chances.
Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku believes the match therefore represents somewhat of a title decider, allowing the team to take control of their destiny.
“I think so yes,” Doku said. “For me, how many games are left? Six or something. I feel like if you win it’s a big punch towards them if you lose this game it’s in their hands and we have to wait for them to lose.
“If we win it’s in our hands and I prefer to have it in my hands.
“We did it already but they will come with a hunger. They don’t want to just give it to us. We have to go and take it but trust me we will be well prepared.”
A more optimistic Arsenal perspective on the situation would be that a win could really swing things back in favour of Mikel Arteta’s team.
The Gunners would take a nine-point lead, albeit with City still having that game in hand. That would mean that even if City won their extra match they’d still need Arsenal to drop points in at least two more matches, if not more. And they’d have to be faultless themselves.
Though City are on the warpath right now, they have some tough fixtures coming up in May. Everton, Brentford, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa are all fighting for European football right now, and City face all four in the final month of the season.
So if Arsenal can get a result at the Etihad and boost the team’s morale, City would then be very much on the back foot going into the final matches.
It really does feel like Sunday’s game is hugely significant for the eventual destination of the title.
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