A big tilt in the top-four chase provides the headlines for Gameweek 25 of the Premier League, which also includes Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Gameweek 25 felt like one of those weekends where the Premier League table does not just move, but tilts. Manchester City’s late smash-and-grab at Anfield changed the tone of the title race in an instant, because it stopped Arsenal’s advantage from ballooning and reminded everyone that Pep Guardiola’s side are still fully alive in this chase.
Manchester City’s 2-1 win at Liverpool, sealed by two goals after the 84th minute, kept them six points behind the leaders rather than drifting into a gap that starts to feel like a season-defining crack.
Arsenal’s result was another reminder that they are not just winning but doing it with control, rhythm, and the kind of defensive calm that travels well into spring. The headline is that they are still setting the pace with a six-point cushion at the summit, and in weeks like this you can sense why the Emirates is starting to believe again.
Aston Villa’s latest outcome, though, had the opposite effect: it did not end anything mathematically, but it did make their “title challenge” feel like it is slipping into a different conversation. When the gap to first stretches and the teams behind start winning, the pressure changes from chasing glory to protecting position, and that is a very different test of nerve.
Chelsea and Manchester United belong in the same paragraph right now because the story is converging: they are both stacking wins, both gathering momentum, and both suddenly look like the most convincing teams in the race for the Champions League places. The sense around them is not just that they are improving, it is that they are starting to expect to win again, which is usually the first sign that a late-season surge is real.
Manchester City, meanwhile, delivered the weekend’s defining statement. Liverpool, on the other hand, took the sort of home defeat that lingers: the crowd leaves frustrated, the dressing room goes quiet, and the run-in feels a little steeper than it did a week ago.
Arsenal’s scoring surge
Arsenal’s recent results have started to carry that “run-in energy”, the kind where you can see patterns hardening into habits. Seven goals in their last two matches without conceding does not just flatter the forwards; it speaks to a team that is attacking with numbers while still defending with discipline. When you are keeping clean sheets and scoring freely, every game becomes less about surviving a bad spell and more about how quickly you can land the next punch.
The six-point gap at the top also helps in a subtle way: it does not make anyone relax, but it allows you to play with clarity. If you are Mikel Arteta, you can keep drilling the same message (win the next game, keep standards high) without the weekly feeling that one slip instantly ends everything. And for the players, it means pressure is real but not suffocating; they can stay bold in the final third instead of playing like they’re protecting something fragile.
Now comes the hard part: maintaining it. This is the phase where Arsenal do not need a dramatic reinvention; they need repetition. Keep winning, keep defending, and keep making opponents feel that playing well for 30 minutes won’t be enough to take points off the Premier League leaders.
Manchester City’s Anfield statement
Manchester City’s win at Anfield was crucial not only because of the opponent, but because of what it prevented. A defeat would have left them staring at the possibility of falling nine points behind Arsenal; instead, they clawed back a 2-1 win and stayed six points off the top, which keeps the chase realistic rather than romantic.
The manner of it matters too. Liverpool went ahead through Dominik Szoboszlai’s free-kick, yet City finished the job late. Bernardo Silva equalised before Erling Haaland converted a stoppage-time penalty to complete the turnaround. That kind of ending can act like a jolt to a squad: it does not erase the uneven performances that come before, but it can reset belief and sharpen the edge that sometimes goes missing in February.
There is also a broader psychological hit here. Winning at Anfield is never ordinary, and City themselves framed it as a rare league success there in the Premier League era, which hints at how big it could feel internally. If they use it properly, this can be the spark for a more consistent run, not just to chase Arsenal, but to raise their own level back to something closer to their best.
Liverpool’s top-four chances in jeopardy?
Liverpool losing 2-1 at home to Manchester City is the sort of result that can drain momentum, because it hits both points and pride. They had the lead, the stadium was ready to lift them, and still the game slipped away late, first through Bernardo Silva’s equaliser and then Erling Haaland’s penalty. When that happens, it does not just feel like “one loss”; it can feel like a missed platform.
In the context of the top-four or top-five race in the Premier League, that makes the road more complicated. Liverpool are now chasing rather than controlling their fate, and the margins tighten when you are trading blows with direct rivals.
The mention of still having to face Manchester United and Chelsea in the run-in only sharpens the risk: those are the kinds of fixtures that do not merely offer three points, they can swing confidence and tiebreakers.
Could Liverpool miss out on a Champions League place? Yes; not because they lack quality, but because the path is getting crowded and the “free” weekends are disappearing. From here, they need quick emotional recovery, smarter game management late in matches, and a ruthless approach in the games they are expected to win.
Manchester United and Chelsea surge
Manchester United and Chelsea have changed the shape of this race by doing the simplest thing, repeatedly: winning. With victories in Gameweek 26, they have moved themselves ahead of Liverpool and created real breathing room in a contest that is often decided by tiny streaks rather than one signature performance. It is not just that they are collecting points but that they are building the kind of weekly reliability that Liverpool have just been punished for lacking.
Are they favourites over Liverpool for Champions League positions now? In form terms, it is hard to argue otherwise. The key difference is mood: Manchester United and Chelsea look like teams running towards something, while Liverpool are suddenly dealing with the feeling of ground slipping beneath them after a morale-sapping home loss.
Do they have the quality to finish the job? Manchester United’s ceiling is clear when their tempo is right, and Chelsea’s best moments show a side that can overwhelm opponents. The question for both is consistency, because the Premier League does not reward peak performances, it rewards fewer off-days.
Aston Villa’s fading Premier League title chase
Aston Villa’s Premier Ltitle challenge continuing to fade is a natural consequence of two things happening at once: Arsenal keep winning, and the chasing pack keeps tightening. Falling nine points behind Arsenal reframes the West Midlands club’s season from “can we catch first?” to “can we protect our Champions League route?”
That shift is psychologically demanding. It is harder to play free-flowing football when every dropped point feels like it comes with a consequence. The danger is obvious: if Manchester United and Chelsea are closing in, Aston Villa cannot afford a patch of draws that used to feel harmless when they were hunting the leaders.
The standings may still be kind to them today, but the run-in won’t be if performances wobble. And because the competition for places is fierce, Villa’s margin for error is shrinking at the exact time legs get heavier.
What do they need? A quick return to basics: controlled starts, better protection in transition, and a sharper edge in the boxes. Unai Emery’s men do not have to be perfect, but they do have to be steady, because steady is what gets you into the Champions League when the race becomes a weekly scrap.
