Man City fire clear Arsenal warning as Premier League title reality emerges for Mikel Arteta

Pep Guardiola's message was clear: Be warned. Manchester City have arrived.

If they hadn't already — and a run of one defeat and 16 wins in 19 games across all competitions since December 6 suggests that they had — then last year's Premier League champions have shown that they are now well and truly back. Since the loss against Aston Villa nearly three months ago, only Crystal Palace and Chelsea have stopped City from winning.

Given that Liverpool top the table, and wins over Everton, Bournemouth, and Brentford (both home and way, in truth) were somewhat scrappy, City have slightly gone under the radar. The narrative has been that the league — namely Liverpool and Arsenal — are waiting for them to hit their peak.

Meanwhile, City have done just that. On paper, they are a good run in March away from winning a fourth title in a row.

That is not a reality that many like to imagine, especially not fans of the Gunners and the Reds — who continue to fight so valiantly — but logic says it is the truth. City face Manchester United, Liverpool, Brighton, and Arsenal before April Fool's Day. If they are within, say, four points of the top with eight games to go, it will be tough to stop them.

Currently, the gap is just one point to Liverpool, and Arsenal are just one further back in third. Playing killer rather than prey may well aid Mikel Arteta's side but, having been the dominant side in the league in 2024, there is a sense of dread. City fully arrived on Tuesday night against Luton in a way unlike anything they have shown all season.

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