Arsenal are hoping to end their 22-year-long Premier League title drought this season, with the club atop the table with 64 points from 29 matches. However, they are closely followed by Manchester City, who have won six of the last eight Premier League titles.
And, Gunners great Thierry Henry has identified the clash as crucial to the league title race.
Arsenal Urged To Be Wary of Upcoming Manchester City Contest
During an interaction with Betway, Henry stated that the outcome of the upcoming EFL Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester City could influence the Premier League run-in.
“There are a lot of scenarios that you can talk about. I can say that if Arsenal beat City, we won’t see City in the race anymore. Then you can say if City loses, they will be upset and go on a run. First and foremost, a trophy is at stake. We all know that we’ve needed one for a very long time,” the all-time top goalscorer for the Gunners commented.
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Henry, who helped the north London outfit win the league title in the 2001-02 and 2003-04 seasons, also insisted City should not be undermined ahead of the EFL Cup final.
“City are not in need of trophies… but, we know they like to eat. When they’re at the table, they want to be served. So it’s huge. It will have an impact on the title race. When you see the other team celebrating, it’s going to affect you. If either team win all their games in the title race, they will win the league, that’s the race that everyone wanted,” he said.
Henry continued, “Because of that situation, a lot of people are going to watch the final and see if they can spot who is going to collapse. But that final is not going to be the end of the season and these teams could also meet in the Champions League.”
Arsenal will play five games before traveling to Wembley Stadium for the EFL Cup final, set for Mar. 22. They will next face Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League this Wednesday before competing in the FA Cup and the UEFA Champions League.
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Mikel Arteta’s team, who finished second behind Manchester City in the 2022-23 and 2023-24 terms, have nine matches left to play in the Premier League. They still have to visit City for a Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium in the heated title race.
While the Gunners are on 64 points, the Cityzens are on 59 points with a match in hand.
