Arsenal Are Two Games From the Greatest Season in Their History

Photo by Who’s Denilo? on Unsplash

Two points. Two games. And a Champions League final waiting in Budapest.

Leandro Trossard, 83 minutes, one cool finish. That’s all it took on May 10 at West Ham — not pretty, not comfortable, but the three points went in the bag. Since then, Manchester City have won both the FA Cup (1–0 vs Chelsea) and their league game against Crystal Palace (3–0), cutting the gap back to two points. Arsenal still lead. Arsenal still control their destiny. But it’s tight again.

With two games left and two points separating the sides, Arsenal know exactly what’s at stake. Win both, and the Premier League trophy stays in north London for the first time since the Invincibles.

How the Game Went

West Ham made it hard. They always do in these London derbies — nothing to play for in the table, but plenty of pride on the line, and a crowd that’s never going to roll over for Arsenal regardless of the occasion.

Arsenal dominated possession at 64% and had the better of the xG too — 1.36 to West Ham’s 1.32, which tells you the chances were there. 15 shots in total, four on target. They also hit the woodwork twice, which sums up the afternoon: plenty of threat, not enough to show for it until Trossard made it count. West Ham had three shots on target themselves, which kept David Raya alert throughout.

Then Trossard. A substitute making the difference when it mattered most, which is exactly what title-winning squads do. The Belgian has been that kind of player all season — doesn’t always start, always delivers when called upon.

There were four yellow cards for Arsenal in the second half, including two late ones, which will concern Arteta heading into the Burnley game. Worth keeping an eye on suspension risks for the final two fixtures.

Arsenal Title Race 2026: Where Things Stand

Arsenal are on 79 points from 36 games. Manchester City have now played 37 — they beat Crystal Palace 3–0 on May 13 and won the FA Cup against Chelsea 1–0 on May 16 — and sit on 77 points. The gap is two points, but Arsenal have a game in hand. Win at home against Burnley tomorrow and the title is effectively sealed. Lose, and it goes to the final day.

Goal difference: Arsenal sit at +41, City at +40. If it somehow comes down to that, Arsenal still hold the edge — barely, but it’s there.

Updated Arsenal form across the last six Premier League games:

Three wins on the bounce now. The blip against Bournemouth and City feels like a long time ago.

The Math: What Arsenal Need Now

Remaining Fixtures

Arsenal face PSG in the Champions League Final in Budapest on May 30. Man City won the FA Cup on May 16, beating Chelsea 1–0 at Wembley.

What Makes This Arsenal Team Different

The numbers are remarkable. Best attack in the division. Best defense. Goal difference of +41 after 36 games. Viktor Gyökeres leads the scoring, Declan Rice leads assists, and this squad has genuine depth across every position.

More than that, they’ve learned how to grind. The 1–0 wins. The moments when it matters. Today at West Ham is the perfect example — nothing was flowing, the chances weren’t falling, and then Trossard popped up with seven minutes left. That’s what title-winning squads do.

Losing the FA Cup to Southampton in April stung. But they shook it off and went on to beat Atletico Madrid in the Champions League semi-final. That’s what mentally strong teams do.

The Shadow of Budapest

Here’s the thing that changes everything: Arsenal are already in a Champions League final.

On May 30, at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest, they face Paris Saint-Germain — the defending champions. It’s only the second time in the club’s history they’ve reached the final. The first was 2006, when they lost to Barcelona. They haven’t won it. Not once.

PSG are coming in as holders, trying to become the first side to defend the Champions League since Real Madrid’s three-in-a-row between 2016 and 2018. Today’s win matters not just for points but for the psychological state of a squad that has to be ready for Budapest just 20 days from now.

Arteta has to balance managing the squad through the run-in while keeping the machine ready for the biggest game in the club’s recent history. That yellow card haul today — four in the second half — is the kind of thing he’ll be working through this week. But it’s the kind of tightrope every manager dreams of walking.

What About City?

Manchester City are not done. Anyone who’s watched them over the past decade knows you never write them off.

Since the West Ham game, City have been ruthless. They beat Crystal Palace 3–0 on May 13, then won the FA Cup at Wembley on May 16 — a 1–0 win over Chelsea that means they already have silverware this season regardless of how the title race ends. That’s the City mentality in a nutshell: they don’t stop.

But here’s the math. City are on 77 points with one game left — Aston Villa at home on May 24. Maximum they can reach is 80. Arsenal are on 79 with two games left. A win against Burnley tomorrow makes it 82 minimum, and it’s over. Even a draw puts Arsenal on 80 with a game to spare and a better goal difference. City need Arsenal to slip up. That’s the only path.

Can They Do It?

Burnley at home tomorrow. That’s the game. Relegated, dreadful all season, nothing to play for. On paper it doesn’t get easier than this for Arsenal. Win it, and the title is effectively theirs — City would need a nine-goal swing on the final day to overtake them on goal difference, which isn’t happening.

Crystal Palace on May 24 is trickier in theory, but if Arsenal beat Burnley, it becomes a formality. The whole of north London will be holding its breath tomorrow evening.