**At a Glance:**
* The Premier League title race is in Arsenal’s hands with two games left.
* However, there is still a scenario where it comes down to goal difference.
* Mikel Arteta has had his say on this potential outcome.
**Arsenal will win the Premier League title if they beat Burnley and Crystal Palace in their next two matches, although Mikel Arteta is preparing for every eventuality.**
The Gunners lead the English top flight by two points with two matches remaining. [Arteta’s side host Burnley on Monday night](https://readarsenal.com/2026/05/05/arsenal-manchester-city-title-race-explained/), knowing a victory will mean Manchester City go to Bournemouth on Tuesday needing to win to remain in the race.
If City accumulate maximum points from their last two fixtures, and Arsenal secure four points, [the league title will come down to goal difference](https://readarsenal.com/2026/04/21/exploring-arsenal-man-city-goal-difference/) – a scenario Gunners supporters will certainly find difficult to stomach.
The title is in Arsenal’s hands, and they should have enough to get over the line.
Burnley have been relegated for a couple of weeks now and have the worst expected goals difference in the league. If the Gunners can’t overcome the Clarets at this pivotal stage of the season, then they’ll rightly be given a ‘bottlers’ tag.
Meanwhile, Palace play in the Conference League final three days after Arsenal visit Selhurst Park. Oliver Glasner is therefore likely to rotate heavily for the visit of the North Londoners and field a significantly weakened team.
The Eagles have failed to win each of their last five league matches, clearly suggesting that they’re focused on their European endeavours and aren’t too concerned with what happens domestically.
That said, the pressure could get to the Gunners, and there’s a realistic scenario where they drop points in one of these two games, and it is decided by goal difference. Arteta was asked about this potential outcome in his press conference on Thursday, and his answer won’t exactly calm the nerves of the Arsenal fanbase.
“First of all, you have to have the right to win the game,” he said.
“If I make a difference with more goals, that’s obviously even better. We’re all playing very tough matches. We had a very tough match against West Ham, and we managed to win it. It was a great feeling, but we know ideally that scoring goals is going to be important.
“I think it’s part of the narrative. There are various options and this could be one of those. It’s a factor that is important from the start of the season. We know that the difference is so small. If you can make that difference bigger in your favour, obviously, it can be important.”
Arteta is a great communicator and leader, although Arsenal fans no doubt won’t have enjoyed him saying ‘there are various options and this could be one of those’ when asked about goal difference. They would probably have been hoping for an outright dismissal of this eventuality.
Nevertheless, it is a plausible outcome they need to be prepared for, and unfortunately for the Gunners, it doesn’t suit them. City currently boast a +43 goal difference, compared to Arsenal’s +42.
Rank
Team
Pts
Pld
GD
1
Arsenal
79
36
+42
2
Man City
77
36
+43
The North London outfit are already at a disadvantage on this front, and given the scenario where it is decided on goal difference, City have an extra opportunity to improve theirs. This hypothetical outcome includes Arsenal drawing one of their two matches, meaning they have just one chance to increased their goal difference.
City may not rack up the goals against an excellent Bournemouth side, but they can certainly dismantle a Aston Villa team who will be playing three days after their Europa League final against Freiburg.
Arsenal could certainly thrash Burnley, although they’d need to win by a four or five-goal margin to feel comfortable about usurping City’s goal difference by the end of play.