Premier League title race: Advantage Arsenal as Manchester City hit with pile-up issues after latest fixtures revealed
Published 28/04/2026 at 17:27 GMT+1
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Manchester City’s Premier League title run-in has been confirmed, with Pep Guardiola’s side facing a run of four games in 11 days, including a rearranged fixture against Crystal Palace.
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The fixture was originally scheduled to be played on March 22, but the clash was postponed after City reached the final of the Carabao Cup, where they beat Arsenal 2-0 to lift the trophy.
The new date could be a cause for concern for Guardiola and his players, who will now be expected to play four games in 11 days this May.
The congested run will see them host Brentford on May 9 before welcoming The Eagles to the Etihad Stadium four days later.
They will then play Chelsea in a mouth-watering Emirates FA Cup final at Wembley on May 16 and you can catch all the action from the Wembley showdown live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
Next up will be Bournemouth in their final away game of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign on May 19.
City are flying high in recent weeks, having won the Carabao Cup, and they briefly moved above title rivals Arsenal into top spot in the Premier League table.
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Mikel Arteta’s side regained first place with a 1-0 win over Newcastle United last Saturday, but City have yet another game in hand.
If they win it, they will leapfrog their title rivals back into pole position.
City are currently on a run of six wins in a row across all competitions, including consecutive Premier League triumphs over Chelsea, Arsenal and Burnley in recent weeks.
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Guardiola’s side will return to Premier League action on Monday, May 4, when they travel to the Hill Dickinson Stadium to face Everton.
If the title race does go to the final day on May 24, then City will play UEFA Champions League-chasing Aston Villa at the Etihad while Arsenal play Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Arteta’s side will also have a hectic end to the season due to their involvement in the Champions League semi-finals.
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They have two legs to play against La Liga giants Atletico Madrid as well as their four remaining Premier League fixtures against Fulham, West Ham, Burnley and Palace.
The new fixture schedule could be seen as good news for Crystal Palace.
If they beat Shakhtar Donetsk over two legs in the UEFA Conference League semi-final, then they will play either Rayo Vallecano or Strasbourg in the final of the competition on May 27.
Playing their match with Manchester City on May 13, rather than in the week commencing May 18, means they will avoid playing the two Premier League title challengers and a European final in the space of eight days.
Watch and stream the UEFA Champions League, Europa League and Conference League semi-finals this week, live on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
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