It's the debate that's dividing pundits and social media: have Arsenal "put things under control" or are the unrelenting Manchester City just too strong?
In early April, Arsenal restored their lead at the top of the Premier League over rivals Manchester City by an eight-point lead4-1 home win over Leeds United.
Fast-forward to May and the Gunners' hopes of claiming a first title since unbeaten 2003-04 Invincibles are over, after oneSurrender in the second halfat home against Brighton on Sunday.
City are one win away from their third consecutive top flight title as they have won 11 straight league games and dropped just two points from 42.
Gracenote from data expert Nielsen points out that it wasn't about Arsenal 'bagging' the title as the current total of 81 points is exactly what they had predicted.
Instead, it is an overperformance by Manchester City. Their calculations show that City "have beaten expectations by seven points since mid-January" - when Arsenal led the Premier League by eight points after both played 18 games of the season.
At this point, Gracenote estimated that Arsenal had a 58% chance of winning the league and City had a 42% chance.
BBC Sport and Nielsen's Gracenote take a look at the other Premier League title races where significant leads have been lost.
- When can Manchester City win the title?
- 'It feels like there's no hope' - Arsenal's title dreams are fading
'Agueroooooo!' - Man City & Man Utd, 2011-12 (eight points clear)
| Premier League table – 8 April 2012 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Team | played | won | dusk | Lost | For | Against | Points |
| 1. | Man Utd | 32 | 25 | 4 | 3 | 78 | 27 | 79 |
| 2. | Man City | 32 | 22 | 5 | 5 | 75 | 26 | 71 |
The 2011/12 title fight was a duel between Manchester City and Manchester United, with the rivals swapping places at the top of the table over the course of the season. Following a 1-0 defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on April 8, City were eight points behind United with six games to play.
Would manager Sir Alex Ferguson bring the 13th Premier League trophy back to Old Trafford? Or could Roberto Mancini secure City's first top win in 44 years?
In one of the most dramatic endings to a Premier League season, City have won all of their last six games -including a 1-0 win over United- to win the league on goal difference. While Mancini's men picked up three points from three, Ferguson watched his side lose 1-0 to Wigan and lose two points in a 4-4 draw with Everton after leading 4-2 with seven minutes remaining had.
Two minutes into added time in their last game of the season, when they lost 2-1 at home to QPR and United beat Sunderland, City's Edin Dzeko equalized earlier in the 92nd minuteSergio Agueros famous winnerIn the fourth minute of stoppage time, Manchester colored sky blue.
Title ambitions disappear – Liverpool & Man City, 2013-14 (nine-point margin)
| Premier League table – April 20, 2014 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Team | played | won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points |
| 1. | Liverpool | 35 | 25 | 5 | 5 | 96 | 44 | 80 |
| 2. | Chelsea | 34 | 23 | 6 | 5 | 66 | 24 | 75 |
| 3. | Man City | 33 | 22 | 5 | 6 | 88 | 34 | 71 |
Liverpool and winning league titles used to go hand in hand, but since 1990 the Merseyside club's pursuit of a top title has been an unsuccessful endeavour.
Brendan Rodgers was now in the managerial chair and as the season drew to a close the Reds were in brilliant form, claiming eleven straight wins - including a home win over Manchester City - and leading the Premier League title race in April 2014 by five points clear of second-placed Chelsea and nine points clear of third-placed Manuel Pellegrini's City.
With Liverpool having played more games than their two closest rivals, Rodgers and his side knew they couldn't afford to make any mistakes in their last three games.
However, the title race was thrown completely off balance when Jose Mourinho's Chelsea arrived at Anfield on April 27. Demba Ba put the Blues ahead of Willian at the end of the first half after a slip by Reds captain Steven Gerrardscored a 2-0 winwith a breakaway goal in added time.
A week later, Liverpool's trophy ambitions were once again severely impacted after a three-goal lead was squandered in the final 11 minutes3-3 draw at Crystal Palace.
In the midst of the Reds' title tumble, City have won their last five games to clinch their second Premier League title in three years by two points.
French Revolution – Arsenal & Man Utd, 1997–98 (11 points margin)
| Premier League table - 2 March 1998 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Team | played | won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points |
| 1. | Man Utd | 28 | 18 | 5 | 5 | 57 | 19 | 59 |
| 2. | Arsenal | 26 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 45 | 26 | 48 |
| 3. | Blackburn | 27 | 13 | 9 | 5 | 49 | 33 | 48 |
Arsene Wenger was in his first full season as Arsenal manager when he gave the Gunners double joy by securing their first league title in seven years and the FA Cup.
The team that overtook them to victory was Manchester United, who topped the table with a 7-0 win over Barnsley in October 1997, remaining on target for a third consecutive Premier League campaign by April and holding an 11-point lead at Arsenal and had Blackburn in early March - although the teams below them still had games to play.
Wenger's revolution at Highbury picked up steam in the latter stages of the season and ten straight wins secured them the title with two games remaining, while Ferguson's side lost to Sheffield Wednesday and the Gunners and drew against West Ham, Liverpool and the Gunners Newcastle faltered.
'I'll love it if we beat them' – Newcastle & Man Utd, 1995–96 (12 points clear)
| Premier League table – 20th January 1996 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Team | played | won | Drawn | Lost | For | Against | Points |
| 1. | Newcastle | 23 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 45 | 19 | 54 |
| 2. | Liverpool | 23 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 46 | 21 | 42 |
| 3. | Man Utd | 23 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 41 | 27 | 42 |
Before Kevin Keegan vented his emotions in his famous 'I'll love it' post-match interview, Newcastle United had started the season in title-winning form, 12 points clear of Manchester United in January 1996.
However, the remaining 15 games did not go according to plan for Magpies manager Keegan as Newcastle lost five of their next eight games and were defeated by Ferguson's side at St James' Park in March, reducing the gap at the top to one point.
More away problems followed with losses to Arsenal, Blackburn and a 4-3 thriller at Anfield against Liverpool, allowing Manchester United to equalize on 64 points before beating the Gunners 1-0 at Old Trafford Magpies passed.
The mind games started when Ferguson asked if some teams were as determined to get a result against Newcastle as his own team.
Cue Keegan's rant in front of Sky Sports' cameras after a hard-fought 1-0 win over Leeds United when he said: "He [Ferguson] has to go to Middlesbrough and get something," before ending with the classic phrase "I". . Honestly, I'm going to love it if we beat them - I love it."
Unfortunately for Keegan and Newcastle, Manchester United, who won 3-0, found it easy to get something out of the final at Boro. With 1-1 draws against Nottingham Forest and Tottenham in Newcastle's final games, the wait to be crowned English champions for the first time since 1927 continued.
Did Arsenal do it? - the views of the fans
Yves:“Arsenal had to field almost the same team throughout the season. Man City can field three different sides if needed and still win the league. Seriously, what did people expect was going to happen?”
Tim:“Arsenal screwed it up. It's all very well to say second place is great, but they held an eight-point lead in a season where City started very slowly, Liverpool and Chelsea were terrible and Spurs were imploding. This was her chance.”
Dobbo:"Arsenal did nothing. The best team to win the league is always the right result and unfortunately Man City are the best team.”
James:“Where exactly are these people denying Arsenal lost the league? They have, but the fact of the matter is it's still a fantastic season to finish second after finishing fifth last year and expected to be outside the top four again. I clearly need some more depth and strength, but that's not to give much credit to the players this season."
Def:"I wonder if all Arsenal fans remember the heartache they caused Spurs for 'jobs in the bottle' after Leicester deservedly won the league. How many points were Spurs ahead in February?”
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FAQs
Who is most likely to win the Premier League 2023? ›
Considering recent performances of the two title contenders, we think Manchester City will lift the Premier League trophy this season. Pep Guardiola's side boast an incredible strength in depth. They have Erling Haaland, the man who has already notched four hat-tricks in the English top-flight this season.
Who are the Big 4 in the Premier League? ›English Premier League Big Four clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United.
Which team is likely to win Premier League next season? ›The FA Cup is a knockout competition with teams selected randomly in a 'draw'. This 'draw' is often shown live on television and decides which team plays at their home ground and which team plays away. The competition starts in August when the non-league and amateur teams enter the draw.
Which football League is easiest to predict? ›- Scottish Premiership.
- Austrian Bundesliga.
- Major League Soccer.
- French Ligue 1.
Meet the three newly-promoted clubs in the 2022/23 Premier League season. The Premier League is just days away and three new teams have arrived, with Fulham, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest promoted from the Championship. Here's everything you need to know about the latest additions to England's top flight.
Who are the Big 7 in Premier League? ›View of Premier League Big 7 Team Crests( Liverpool ,Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Spur, Arsenal and Leicester City )
What is the Big 5 in Premier League? ›The Big Five represent the strongest football leagues in Europe, consisting of the Premier League in England, the Bundesliga in Germany, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, and Ligue 1 in France. Together, they dominate world football with revenues and resources greater than any other collection of leagues.
What Premier League team does Obama support? ›West Ham - Barack Obama - A 2003 trip to London is cited as being the watershed moment when the US president decided to nail his claret and blue colours to the mast and support the east London side.
What 3 teams get promoted to Premier League? ›The two promoted teams so far are Burnley and Sheffield United, who will return to the top flight after respective absences of one and two years. Luton Town and Coventry City will compete in the Championship play-off final to determine the third and final promoted team.
Which site has most accurate EPL prediction? ›
One of the best prediction sites for football and Premier League predictions, 888sport have you covered on the biggest matches in English football and across the Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2020 predictions.
Which player has the most chances created in a Premier League season? ›Premier League most chances created: 'Striker's dream' Bruno Fernandes takes the lead. Here are the Premier League players to have created the most chances this season. Kieran Trippier surpasses Kevin De Bruyne as Bruno Fernandes draws level with the Manchester City star.
What does F in FA Cup stand for? ›The Football Association Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the FA Cup, is an annual knockout football competition in domestic English football. First played during the 1871–72 season, it is the oldest national football competition in the world. It is organised by and named after The Football Association (The FA).
Do FA Cup players get paid? ›The prize money from the first round proper onwards has increased significantly in 2022-23, starting with a £41,000 prize for clubs who make it beyond that stage – up from less than £23,000 in 2021-22.
What team has the most FA Cups? ›Double chance bet: In this bet, you win money when any two from the three outcomes are obtained. It means, even draw match wins you money when you have placed money on the possibility of draw or lose. 1x2 betting with double chance proves easy when the strong team is meeting a weak team at home ground.
What is the most unpredictable sport to bet on? ›Baseball. Baseball is one of the most challenging sports to bet on for beginners. This is because, unlike most other sports, baseball is actually quite unpredictable. The MLB has a long and strenuous 162-game season, combined with the streakiness of players and the team form, making wagering particularly complicated.
What is the safest sport to bet on? ›- Football. In terms of what is the best sport to bet on, where else could we possibly start? ...
- Horse Racing. Based on another one of the most popular sports in the world, horse racing betting frequently offers great odds. ...
- Tennis. ...
- Cricket. ...
- Rugby. ...
- Boxing. ...
- MMA/UFC. ...
- Esports.
Of these, six clubs have been ever-present in the Premier League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Who will get promoted from Championship? ›How does promotion work from the Championship? The top two teams at the end of every Championship campaign will be promoted automatically to the Premier League.
Has a team ever been promoted to Premier League and won it? ›
1) Everton (promoted 1931, champions 1932)
The very thought of a newly promoted team winning the English title nowadays is patently ludicrous – Thank you, Premier League! Thank you, Champions League! – but back in the day it wasn't beyond the realms. Five English sides have won the title the year after going up.
Manchester United have won twenty titles, the most of any club. United's rivals Liverpool are second with nineteen.
Who won most Premier League? ›Manchester United, 13 EPL titles. Manchester City, 6 EPL titles.
Who are the Big 6 in Premier League? ›The Premier League's 'Big Six' – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham – were of course at the centre of plans for a breakaway European Super League in April 2021, one of the key driving forces behind the commissioning of the fan-led review.
Who owns the Premier League? ›The Premier League is a corporation where chief executive Richard Masters is responsible for its management, with member clubs acting as shareholders.
Has an American ever managed a Premier League team? ›Bob Bradley became the first American to manage in the Premier League after he replaced Francesco Guidolin at Swansea City in October 2016.
Would Obama let his son play football? ›President Obama says he enjoys watching football, but knows it can be a dangerous sport. "I would not let my son play pro football," Obama said in an interview with The New Yorker magazine.
Who are the only teams to win Premier League? ›Since the League began in 1992, there have been seven different winners: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Liverpool.
What teams have never been promoted to Premier League? ›Since their return to the Premier League in 1919, Arsenal is the only PL club that has never been relegated. Nonetheless, they remain the only team to ever reach the premier division without first achieving promotion.
How many teams get automatic promotion from the Championship? ›
Each season, the two top-finishing teams in the Championship are automatically promoted to the Premier League. The teams that finish the season in 3rd to 6th place enter a playoff tournament, with the winner also gaining promotion to the Premier League.
What percentage of promoted teams stay in the Premier League? ›Due to the above results, we are able to conclude that a newly promoted team should expect to stay in the English Premier League for between 2 and 5 seasons 95% of the time. This value may be skewed as a result of some teams avoiding relegation and staying in the league for over 10 years.
What does draw no bet mean? ›Draw no bet means you wager on one team to win a match, but your stake is refunded if it ends in a draw. This market works as insurance in case your bet does not come in. However, if you back one team and they lose the match, then you lose your stake.
What is the most popular bet in soccer? ›In soccer betting, the money line is the most popular type of bet, but unlike NFL, NBA, or MLB, soccer has a 3-way Money line with the tie also in play. Aside from the Money line, you can bet on various team and player prop bets, such as the number of goals, a player or team to score first, bookings, or corners.
Which site is better than PredictZ? ›predictz.com's top 5 competitors in April 2023 are: forebet.com, windrawwin.com, typersi.com, footballpredictions.net, and more.
Who is the best team to never play in the Premier League? ›1. Preston North End. Preston North End were the first team to win a league title in 1888-89 and they went back-to-back the next season. Unfortunately they're the only club to have won the top flight of English football and have never played in the Premier League.
Who is the only player to score in every league? ›Hooper has scored in the Premier League, Championship, League One, League Two, FA Cup, League Cup, Football League Trophy, FA Trophy, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, Scottish Cup, Scottish League Cup and the Scottish Premier League, the first and only player to achieve this feat.
Has there ever been a perfect season in the Premier League? ›The 2003/04 Premier League season went down in history as a landmark one for Arsenal, who went the entire league campaign undefeated, with 26 wins and 12 draws, as they won the title by an 11-point margin.
What does F mean in FIFA? ›FIFA. / (ˈfiːfə) / n acronym for. Fédération Internationale de Football Association: the international governing body of association football.
What is the womens FA Cup called? ›...
Women's FA Cup.
| Founded | 1970 |
|---|---|
| Region | England Wales |
| Number of teams | 438 (2022–23) |
| Current champions | Chelsea (5th title) |
| Most successful club(s) | Arsenal (14 titles) |
What does UEFA stand for in football? ›
UEFA – the Union of European Football Associations – is the governing body of European football and the umbrella organisation for 55 national associations.
Which trophy is the most expensive? ›1. FIFA World Cup Trophy – $20 million (Football) The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup is the most expensive trophy in the world.
How much does it cost to enter the FA Cup? ›...
The Emirates FA Cup prize fund for 2022-23.
| Extra preliminary round winners | (208) | £1,125 |
|---|---|---|
| Quarter-final winners | (4) | £450,000 |
| Semi-final winners | (2) | £1,000,000 |
| Semi-final losers | (2) | £500,000 |
| Final runners-up | (1) | £1,000,000 |
As of 2022, 44 clubs have won the FA Cup. The record for the most wins is held by Arsenal with 14 victories. The cup has been won by the same team in two or more consecutive years on ten occasions, and four teams have won consecutive finals more than once: Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
Has a small team ever won the FA Cup? ›1987 FA Cup Final: Coventry City 3, Tottenham Hotspur 2
But they weren't exactly a nobody; they had been in the top tier since 1967 and the Football League since World War I.
Arsenal won the competition eight times between 1998 and 2020, with seven of these being under the management of Gunners icon Arsene Wenger. Wenger is the most successful manager in FA Cup history due to these title wins, leading his side to the trophy at both the old and new Wembley.
Who are Favourites to win the Premier League? ›- Manchester City - 4/6. After being presented with the Premier League trophy on Sunday, Pep Guardiola's side have now won five of the last six Premier League titles. ...
- Manchester United 8/1. ...
- Newcastle 14/1.
Either Luton Town or Coventry City will be in the Premier League for the 2023-24 season, with Luton last in the top-flight in 1992 (they were relegated just before the top-flight was rebranded to become the Premier League) and Coventry were last in the Premier League in 2001.
Who is the best striker in the Premier League 2023? ›| Rank | Player | Goals (PKs) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Erling Haaland | 36 (7) |
| 2. | Harry Kane | 28 (5) |
| 3. | Ivan Toney | 20 (6) |
| 4. | Mo Salah | 19 (2) |
Who is most likely to win the Europa League 2023? ›
Latest 2023 Europa League Winner Odds
[May 19] The final is set between Sevilla and AS Roma. The oddsmakers are completely split with both teams set at -115 to lift the trophy. While in regulation, Sevilla is +170 favorites with Roma at +185 and the draw +195.
Popular Premier League clubs in the UK 2021
Liverpool is the most popular Premier League club in the UK in 2021: 46 percent of respondents say that they like or love the club. Next in the ranking of the popular clubs in the Premier League are Manchester United, Arsenal, and Leicester City.
1. Manchester United. Of course, the Premier League team with the largest, widest-reaching fan base is Manchester United. In 2012 the Telegraph reported that, according to a survey, United had doubled their fan base during a five-year period—amassing an incredible 659 million fans.
Who is the most dominant Premier League team of all time? ›Seven clubs have won the Premier League: Manchester United (13 times), Manchester City (seven times), Chelsea (five times), Arsenal (three times), Blackburn Rovers (once), Leicester City (once) and Liverpool (once).
Who is the top 1 in Premier League? ›| Position | Team | Played |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester City | 37 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 37 |
| 3 | Newcastle United | 37 |
| 4 | Manchester United | 36 |
Since the League began in 1992, there have been seven different winners: Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Liverpool.
How many teams get automatic promotion from The Championship? ›Each season, the two top-finishing teams in the Championship are automatically promoted to the Premier League. The teams that finish the season in 3rd to 6th place enter a playoff tournament, with the winner also gaining promotion to the Premier League.
Who has the most goals in history? ›There are other claims to the record; the Guinness World Records credits Pelé as the scorer of the "most career goals", with 1,279, and Brazilian striker Romário celebrated scoring what he claimed was his 1,000th goal in 2007 but later admitted his tally included friendly matches; they are reported to have scored 767 ...
Which club has scored the most goals in football history? ›- ESP. 1047.
- GER. 804.
- Barcelona. ESP. 667.
- Man United. ENG. 533.
- ITA. 479.
- ENG. 472.
- Benfica. POR. 472.
- Milan. ITA. 435.
Sergio Agüero, Harry Kane, Alan Shearer, and Thierry Henry (left to right) are some of the best Premier League strikers of all time. Ludovic Péron, enviro warrior, Robbie Fitzpartick, and joshjdss (left-right) via Wikimedia Commons.
Who has the highest chance of winning the Champions League? ›
The bookies make Manchester City 1/5 favourites to win the Champions League for the first time in their history after thumping Real Madrid in the semi-finals.
What happens if you win Europa? ›The winner of the UEFA Europa League qualifies for the UEFA Super Cup and, since the 2014–15 season, qualifies for the following season's UEFA Champions League, entering at the group stage.
What team is most likely to win the Europa League? ›- Union Saint-Gilloise.
- Feyenoord.
- Sporting CP.
- Sevilla.
- Bayer Leverkusen.
- Roma.
- Juventus.
- Manchester United.