Arsenal get fresh Premier League title boost as Man City nightmare scenario confirmed

A favourable FA Cup fifth round draw has seen Arsenal potentially handed a Premier League title advantage over Manchester City

Arsenal could land a huge Premier League title boost over Manchester City following the FA Cup fifth round draw. Four points currently separate the two teams, with the Gunners leading the way, and a major revelation in a different competition could benefit their domestic charge.

Both sides beat lower league opposition in the FA Cup fourth round this past weekend, with their fate for the next stage revealed on Monday evening. Arsenal have been drawn away at League One side Mansfield Town, while Man City are set to make their third trip up to St James’ Park this season to face Newcastle United.

As challenging fifth round ties go, it could not be more contrasting with the Gunners facing the lowest-ranked side left in the competition and Pep Guardiola’s set to endure a notoriously difficult atmosphere and face a team that have already beaten them this season.

Those two games and the other six last-16 fixtures will be played over the first full weekend of March. Just a few days earlier, Arsenal are scheduled to face Brighton away from home while City take on Nottingham Forest.

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While both teams have a free midweek after the cup clash, facing inferior opposition hands Arsenal advantage for the week prior with Arteta able to rotate and still be favourites while Guardiola is likely to need his strongest team on the pitch to advance and it certainly seems as though he will want to given recent comments on the FA Cup.

He said earlier this month: “I love the FA Cup, it was a part of my life when I was a boy. I prefer to play at home but away games in the FA Cup are top.

“I think that after 10 years, I don’t like a few things in this country but there are a lot of things I love and this is one. This country they respect the traditions and no other country can do that. This combination of new things and respect for the old things, I love the UK for that.”

Arsenal and City are already set to meet in the Carabao Cup final on Saturday, March 7. Prior to that showpiece at Wembley, City face Newcastle, Leeds United, Forest and West Ham United in the league.

In north London meanwhile, the Gunners will prepare for matches over the coming weeks against Wolves, Tottenham, Chelsea, Brighton and Everton.

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The first of those games arrives on Wednesday evening as Arteta’s side head to Molineux with that fixture brought forward from Carabao Cup final weekend. Injury problems have increased for the Arsenal boss as of late but he was on hand to issue some positive updates in a press conference.

He said: “[Riccardo Calafiori] is fine. He was training with us today, he’s feeling better and hopefully he’s fit tomorrow.

“It was just a bit of fatigue [for Ben White vs Wigan], he did a lot in the game, and was feeling a bit of tightness. For Wolves, [Martin Odegaard] is not going to be fit, but for Sunday we are hopefully. Kai [Havertz] for the weekend, it’s a possibility, so, looking forward to having him in the squad.

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