Mikel Arteta is certain that the Premier League title competition between Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City will be decided at the end of the season.
At the moment and with just eight games remaining, only three points separate the top three teams in what may be the closest and most unpredictable title battle in the history of the competition.
This weekend, everything could change as Arsenal and City encounter potential challenges at Brighton and Crystal Palace on Saturday, while leaders Liverpool travel to arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
While each team will be focusing on one game at a time, Arteta is confident that the destination of the title will not be determined until the last day of the season on 19 May.
‘This is the level and it’s been the level in this league for the past six or seven years,’ the Arsenal manager said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
‘The differences are so small, let’s observe those numbers at the end of the last game and hopefully if those are maintained, I think we have a good chance.
‘We’re still not at the top and we have to convert that into winning and winning and winning, and that’s the only way to have the chance in the last game of the season to do it.’
In the 31 Premier League seasons, the title battle has only been determined on the final day on nine occasions, and only three times in the last decade.
Notably, on those last three occasions it was City and Liverpool contending for the trophy, with the former emerging victorious each time.
Never before have three clubs had an opportunity for victory on the last day, while Arsenal has only brought a title competition to the very end once in 1999 when they lost to treble winning Manchester United.
All three contenders are at home on the final day, with the Reds facing Wolves, the Gunners playing Everton and the Citizens taking on West Ham.
Liverpool are currently the bookies favourites, but reigning champions City can never be ruled out due to their ability to embark on long, end of season winning streaks, including the 12-game win streak that saw them beat Arsenal to first place last season.
But Arteta does not believe the same will happen this time, anticipating that all three title challengers will drop points in the next eight games.
‘I don’t know what is going to happen but it is very unlikely that everybody wins every game,’ he added.
‘You look back a what happened in previous seasons and it is very, very unlikely – but you don’t know.
‘Let’s do everything we possibly can. Don’t leave anything left and play with the same enthusiasm and hunger and quality, and let’s see where it takes us.’
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