The defining moment of the 2025/26 Premier League season may well have been written on matchday 31 by Arsenal’s scintillating teenage sensation. When young Max Dowman was introduced in the Gunners’ recent home clash against Everton, Mikel Arteta’s side were on the brink. Tied at 0-0 and struggling to fire anything of note toward Jordan Pickford’s goal, it was looking like the current table toppers would drop two crucial points in the race for a first title in 22 years.
Then, Dowman entered the fray. The teenage prodigy took the fight to the resolute Toffees, and it was his devilish cross that caused chaos in the box and allowed Viktor Gyokeres to poke home into an empty net to hand Arsenal a late lead. However, it was the second goal that Gooners the world over couldn’t get out of their head.
Dowman’s Golden Moment
Deep into injury time, Everton had a last-gasp corner as they pushed for an equalizer. Goalkeeper Pickford was sent forward in a bid to pile more pressure on, but Arsenal managed to clear their lines, with the ball falling to Dowman deep into his own half. The academy graduate blazed his way past two Everton defenders before bearing down on an abandoned net, slotting home to become the youngest goalscorer in Premier League history and sparking scenes of pure delirium on the red half of North London.
Arsenal’s lead in the title race extended to ten points, and with Manchester City only managing a draw at West Ham hours later, online betting sites now make the Gunners the clear favorites to end their lengthy title drought. One can bet on soccer at Bovada, and the American betting giant now has Arteta’s men listed as a clear 1/10 frontrunner to finally claim the crown, with Pep Guardiola’s Blues way out at 6/1. However, we’re here to tell you that the story isn’t over yet.
The Run-In
After City’s draw in East London, Arsenal are now nine points clear with just seven games remaining. However, City have a game in hand on their title rivals, providing the opportunity to cut that deficit to just six points. Then, the two teams are scheduled to clash at the Etihad Stadium in April, a game in which City will be the favorites to win and thus further slice the deficit down to just three points. From there, Guardiola’s men will be within striking distance.
The title race is eerily similar to that of 2022/23. After Arsenal’s 4-1 win at home to Leeds on April 2nd, they moved eight points clear at the summit. However, City had two games in hand on the Gunners, and the two were poised to do battle at the Emirates during the run-in, meaning that the title race was far from over. And in the end, City didn’t need those games in hand.
Arsenal would draw three successive games – squandering two-goal leads in two of them – to see their title advantage evaporate. City would then crush Arteta’s side when they faced off, winning 4-1 after blistering displays from Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland. They would go on to win the title at a canter before sealing a famous treble when they lifted the UEFA Champions League in Istanbul. Arteta and the Gunners were instead left dreaming of what might have been.
Congested Fixture List
Another problem for the Gunners is their heavily congested upcoming fixture list, as they remain alive on multiple fronts and look to complete a famous quadruple. They will face off against Manchester City in the League Cup final, while they are also through to the latter stages of the FA Cup. As well as that, they are the favorites to win the UEFA Champions League, and if they are to live up to the billing in Europe, they will have to play out another six continental fixtures in addition to their domestic commitments.
City, meanwhile, have a similarly congested run-in. They have that League Cup final on the horizon as well, while they too are through to the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. However, their Champions League campaign looks poised to come to an end. They were thumped 3-0 by record 15-time champions Real Madrid in the first leg of their round of 16 clash in the Bernabeu, and they are huge 4/1 underdogs to pull off the comeback and progress. If they do ultimately suffer elimination, then they will have a much clearer slate to focus on the Premier League, rather than spreading themselves thin across four competitions.
Scars Run Deep
Arsenal have found themselves in this position before. And on each occasion, they have found a way to mess things up.
In that fateful 2022/23 campaign, the Gunners’ form nosedived toward the end of the season, allowing City to easily claim the title. The following year, Arsenal slipped up just once, losing 2-0 at home to Aston Villa, but that was enough to allow Pep Guardiola’s unstoppable winning machine to seize the initiative in the title race and never look back.
Should the Blues win their game in hand and then beat the Gunners at the Etihad, just one slip-up is all it will take for City to claim the title once again. Can Arsenal handle the pressure? They haven’t been able to in the past, and those scars could run deep when the pressure ramps up.