Arsenal aim to banish title jitters in Spurs showdown

London, United Kingdom – Arsenal’s season has reached a tipping point. Five points clear at the summit but winless in two and with only two victories from their last seven Premier League outings, Mikel Arteta’s side must steady the ship when they travel to Tottenham Hotspur for Sunday’s 1630 GMT north London derby.

The Gunners’ wobble intensified on Wednesday night at Molineux, where a 2-0 lead evaporated into a 2-2 draw against bottom-placed Wolves, sealed by a stoppage-time equaliser. It was the second consecutive match in which Arsenal surrendered the advantage after leading, following a 1-1 draw at Brentford the previous weekend.

Those four dropped points have reopened a title race that seemed under control. Manchester City, buoyed by wins over Liverpool and Fulham, can trim the gap to two points if they beat Newcastle at the Etihad on Saturday evening, piling pressure on Arsenal 24 hours before the derby kicks off.

Pep Guardiola’s men also retain a game in hand and will host the leaders in early April, a scenario that revives painful memories of 2023 and 2024, when City overhauled Arsenal in the run-in. The club’s last silverware remains the 2020 FA Cup, and questions about the squad’s capacity to handle the tension are growing louder.

Bukayo Saka, however, insists the belief inside the dressing room is intact. “I believe the next few years are going to be the years that we get over the line, and we’re able to win trophies and make history for this club,” the England forward said. “We’re back where we belong, fighting for everything.”

City midfielder Tijjani Reijnders has warned that the champions sense vulnerability. “The mood’s been good, but it was also good before. Of course we’ve dropped some points as well, but it’s good and we are on the hunt and we keep going,” he said. “If we keep going like this, who knows?”

Elsewhere, interim Manchester United boss Michael Carrick continues to enhance his credentials ahead of Monday’s trip to Everton. Four wins and a draw in five matches have lifted United into fourth place, and club record goal-scorer Wayne Rooney has endorsed the former midfielder for the permanent role.

“We’ve been there and tried different managers and for me Carrick makes sense,” Rooney told The Overlap. “Having someone there who knows the club and cares for the club makes a big difference.”

The weekend slate also features Aston Villa against Leeds, Brentford versus Brighton, Chelsea hosting Burnley, West Ham welcoming Bournemouth, Crystal Palace facing Wolves, Nottingham Forest taking on Liverpool, and Sunderland meeting Fulham.

For Arsenal, the equation is simple: silence the doubters at the home of their fiercest rivals or risk watching another title charge unravel.