LONDON — Arsenal put the Premier League title race back under their control by overpowering Fulham 3-0 at Emirates Stadium and moving six points clear of Manchester City, May 2, 2026.
The boost came from a ruthless first-half display, with Viktor Gyokeres scoring twice and Bukayo Saka adding the other goal, but City’s two games in hand mean the pressure has shifted rather than disappeared.
Arsenal title race momentum returns at the perfect time
Arsenal’s win was not just about three points. It was about restoring authority after a wobble that had allowed City back into the picture. According to the Reuters match report, Arsenal moved to 76 points from 35 games, while City remained on 70 from 33, with the Gunners also holding a four-goal advantage on goal difference.
That matters because Arsenal have three league games left and little room for a slow finish. The performance against Fulham suggested Mikel Arteta’s side still has enough attacking sharpness and defensive control to close the job out, especially with Saka back influencing games from the start.
AP described the result as one that transferred the title-race pressure to City, and that feels accurate. Arsenal did what leaders are supposed to do: win early, win clearly and force the chasing side to respond.
Why Man City can still flip the Arsenal title race
The threat remains obvious. The official Premier League run-in shows City visiting Everton before hosting Brentford, both before Arsenal’s next league match at West Ham. Two City wins would erase the points gap, and a strong scoring return could also challenge Arsenal’s goal-difference cushion.
That is why the table can look comfortable without actually being safe. City have built a reputation under Pep Guardiola for turning late-season pressure into routine wins, and Arsenal know from recent years that leading in spring is different from lifting the trophy in May.
Goal difference may define the Arsenal title race
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said Arsenal had “flipped the pressure” onto City, but the margins remain thin. If both sides are nearly perfect from here, every late goal could matter as much as every result.
That makes Arsenal’s remaining fixtures — West Ham away, Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away — feel like more than a simple checklist. They are chances to win, but also chances to protect or extend the goal-difference edge that could become decisive.
Arteta gets a European lift without losing league focus
Arsenal also needed this performance because their Champions League semifinal against Atletico Madrid is still alive. Arteta said the Fulham win should help his players use the momentum heading into Europe, while also keeping the title race alive at home.
That balance is delicate. A deep European run can energize a squad, but it can also drain legs and focus. Arsenal’s advantage is that the Fulham win allowed Arteta to manage the second half without turning the afternoon into a physical grind.
Older Arsenal scars make this run-in feel bigger
This is not an isolated title chase. The pressure around Arsenal is shaped by recent history. In 2023, AP wrote about Arsenal’s late-season stumble after Arteta’s side had built a commanding position before City surged past them.
A year later, AP again asked whether Arsenal had learned from the previous collapse as the Gunners led with seven games to go and City waited to pounce, making the current race feel like another test of nerve rather than just quality, as shown in its look at whether Arteta had learned from last year.
The 2024 title fight also showed how tiny moments can linger. The Guardian’s breakdown of the fine margins that haunted Arsenal underlined how dropped points in winnable games can define a season when City are the team chasing.
The verdict: Arsenal have the boost, City still have the threat
Arsenal are in a stronger position than they were before the Fulham game. The attack clicked, Saka looked influential again, Gyokeres delivered when needed and the goal-difference advantage grew.
But this is still a live race because City can close the gap before Arsenal play again. The title is not in Arsenal’s hands because the table says so; it is in their hands only if they keep winning. After Fulham, the belief is back. Now comes the harder part: making sure it lasts.
