Arsenal provided the perfect response to Manchester City's win by beating Tottenham 4-1 in the North London Derby
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are both gunning for the Premier League title
Mikel Arteta's Arsenal and Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are both gunning for the Premier League title(Image: Getty Images)
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Arsenal and Manchester City both picked up important victories this weekend as the Premier League title race heats up. Pep Guardiola's won 2-1 against Newcastle United on Saturday evening with the Gunners responding emphatically as they beat Tottenham 4-1 in the North London Derby.
A Nico O'Reilly brace sealed a triumph for City at Etihad Stadium with Gianluigi Donnarumma pulling off an excellent save in added time to keep his side in front. Less than 24 hours later, it was doubles from Eberechi Eze and Viktor Gyokeres that handed Arsenal a crucial three points at the expense of their bitter rivals.
City had closed the gap down to two points with their third straight league win, but Arsenal restored their advantage at the summit in style. 11 games remain of this season with some challenging outings on the horizon for both before they meet in mid-April.
Arsenal's next five Premier League fixtures.
Chelsea (H) - March 1.
Brighton (A) - March 4.
Man City (A) - April 18.
That potentially championship-defining showdown at the Etihad Stadium remains roughly two months away, however, with Chelsea visiting Emirates Stadium first. The Gunners then make the trip to Brighton before hosting Everton for their final fixture ahead of the international break.
Following the extended domestic pause, a home encounter awaits with Bournemouth arriving into the capital before Man City welcome Arsenal in mid-April.
Arsenal players celebrate Viktor Gyokeres scoring
Arsenal thumped Tottenham again to restore their Premier League title advantage over Manchester City(Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
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Manchester City's next five Premier League fixtures
Leeds United (A) - February 28.
Nottingham Forest (H) - March 4.
Chelsea (A) - April 11.
Arsenal (H) - April 18.
City then welcome relegation-battling Nottingham Forest before embarking on another away trip to tackle a rejuvenated West Ham United, who are similarly scrapping for vital points to stave off the drop.
Pep Guardiola's side then take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge before hosting Arsenal at their home ground, where the result could determine who claims silverware in May.