Did anyone really expect Manchester City to slip up? The Premier League title race will go down to the final day, but there is a sense of inevitability about the outcome.

Liverpool unfortunately won’t be involved, but Arsenal still has the chance to deny City a fourth straight league title, and a sixth crown in seven years. Mikel Arteta’s side will have to rely on West Ham doing them a favor at the Etihad after being let down by Tottenham.

It’s a position the Reds know only too well. Liverpool has twice before needed a City defeat on the final day in order to win the league, only to be left disappointed. You’d have to imagine history is going to repeat itself for the Gunners this time.

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The celebrations from City’s players after Erling Haaland’s double earned them a 2-0 win at Spurs told you everything. They know the title is almost theirs, and no one will be expecting them to fluff their lines now.

As any Liverpool fan will tell you, you simply can’t give City an inch during the second half of the season. Pep Guardiola’s side has not lost a game since December, and has dropped just eight points in their last 21 games.

Arsenal, to its credit, has been in pretty spectacular form too, winning 15 of its last 17 games. That defeat at home to Aston Villa though looks as though it will be the result that ultimately denies them a first title in 20 years.

As such, Liverpool and Chelsea will remain the only sides to have beaten Guardiola to the Premier League crown. In fact, since taking charge of Barcelona in 2008, Real Madrid is the only other side to have denied him a league title.

And though Arsenal has shown signs it can compete with City over these past two years, it still has some way to go to get to the levels Liverpool has shown.

“To fight with them (Liverpool) is one of the biggest achievements of my career. They are outstanding,” Guardiola said of Jürgen Klopp’s side back in 2022.

“Liverpool are the toughest opponent I have ever faced in my 12-13 years as a manager.”

With his contract expiring next year, there is every chance that Guardiola may only be with City for another season. That surely will not leave Arsenal enough time to overtake Liverpool in the Spaniard’s opinion.

The Gunners are getting closer and closer to City, but they're still some way off matching the Reds' efforts.