Newcastle United face Premier League title contenders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Gunners have led the title race for the vast majority of the season and appeared well on their way to being crowned as champions for the first time since 2004 as they moved clear of Pep Guardiola’s side during the second half of the season. However, City have rallied in recent weeks and their 2-1 home win over the Gunners last weekend handed them a chance to take top spot in midweek and they grasped that opportunity with both hands as they claimed a narrow win at Burnley thanks to goal from top goalscorer Erling Haaland.
However, with City now focused on their FA Cup semi-final clash with Southampton this weekend, Arsenal can regain top spot with a win against Newcastle on Saturday night and could actually extend their lead to three points with a win against Fulham next weekend as their title rivals are not back in league action until they visit Everton on Monday week. Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Arteta admitted he would have accepted such a situation had it been offered ahead of the season as he assessed what lies ahead over the next month.
When asked if his side had to remain perfect during the final month of the season, the Gunners boss said: “I don't know. It's five games to go, four weeks. Two big competitions to play for, and everything to play for. If somebody would have told us at the beginning of the season, we would have taken it, and we are so excited. [Saturday] is game one.
“We are just talking about our possibilities, the first thing we have to do, and the right to win the game. And then win it. Depending on how the situation is, you can think about something else. But the priority is that you have to be better in the position, and the right to win the game, and win it. That's the first thing.”
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