At the time of writing and with just eight games left, just three points separate the top three sides in what could be the closest and most unpredictable title race in the competition’s history.
Everything could change this weekend with Arsenal and City facing potential banana skins at Brighton and Crystal Palace on Saturday, while leaders Liverpool travel to arch-rivals Manchester United on Sunday.
While each team will be taking things one game at a time, Arteta is in no doubt that the destination of the title won’t be decided until the very 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 margins are so small, let’s see 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 transform 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 campaigns, the title race has only been decided 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 contesting the trophy, with the former prevailing each time.
Never before have three clubs had a chance of victory on the last day, while Arsenal have only taken a title race 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 discounted given their ability to go on long, end of season winning runs, including the 12-game win streak that saw them pip Arsenal to the post last season.
But Arteta does not believe the same will happen this time round, predicting that all three title rivals 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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