Micah Richards believes Arsenal "have to get a result" against Manchester City if they want to win the Premier League title.
The Gunners travel to the Etihad to take on Pep Guardiola's side on Wednesday, April 26. Mikel Arteta's team are four points ahead of City with a game in hand, a lead that was eight points before Easter. Slowly but seemingly surely, City are catching Arsenal.
Richards, who is a City legend but supported Arsenal as a kid, doesn't believe the Gunners will regain their advantage over City if they lose at the Etihad. Arsenal haven't won a Premier League title for 19 years and pressure is beginning to build on Arteta's players.
"What has happened over the last seven days has the potential to work in their team's favour," wrote Richards in his column for the Daily Mail. "Put simply, there is now no grey area around next week’s trip to Manchester - they have to get a result."
Arsenal appear to be suffering a blip at the wrong point in the season. They surrendered a two-goal lead at Liverpool on Easter Sunday before repeating the feat at West Ham a week later. City, meanwhile, have won six consecutive Premier League games.
Arsenal can stretch their lead to seven points by beating Southampton at the Emirates on Friday night, but City will have two games in hand after that. Guardiola's side are not in Premier League action this weekend due to an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton.
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Yet City will still have two games in hand after they take on Arsenal at the Etihad. So, regardless of what happens between the Gunners and the Saints, the title will be in City's hands if they beat their rivals. As Richards protests, Arsenal simply can't afford to lose.
Yet Richards believes Arteta's side are good enough to escape the Etihad with a point. He added: "It would be crazy if Mikel Arteta’s squad suddenly allowed doubts to consume them after all the outstanding progress they have made this season.
"Nothing has been decided and they absolutely have the ability to go to the Etihad on April 26 and come away with at least a point. It will be the game of the season, I’m convinced of it. There is no room for error for either side and I expect it will lead to fireworks."
City's run in after the Arsenal game is relatively comfortable. Trips to Fulham, Everton and Brentford will be challenging - as will home games against West Ham, Leeds and Chelsea. Yet their fans will be disappointed if they drop points against any of those teams.
Arsenal's run in is slightly harder than City's, but still relatively good. They will be expecting to beat Chelsea, Brighton, Nottingham Forest and Wolves. Arsenal's biggest challenge will be their trip to Newcastle, a year after their campaign unravelled there.
The Gunners were on course to finish in the top four last season before losing at St James' Park in their penultimate game. Considering Arsenal's and City's respective form, there could be more heartbreak for Arteta's side on the Toon this May.
