Arsenal have been handed an edge in the race for the Premier League title as Manchester City progressed to the Champions League semi-final. Pep Guardiola's side booked their place in the last four for the third year in a row after a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich, going through 4-1 winners on aggregate.
The Citizens are still competing on two fronts this season and have the chance to complete a historic treble entering the final six weeks of matches. With the chance to close the gap at the top of the table to one point, as well as facing the Gunners in a crunch tie next week, the pressure is starting to ramp up.
For Arsenal, City's progression poses a massive positive, handing them a key advantage in the closing stages. Whereas there is nothing more than simply picking up points to worry about for Mikel Arteta's side, Guardiola has to balance extra fixtures on the schedule.
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These are not just any old fixtures either. It is the imposing figure of serial Champions League winners Real Madrid on the horizon for Guardiola. The Spanish boss will have to navigate another two matches under the highest of scrutiny with European success a key goal for the reigning league champions, more perhaps than domestic triumph.
It also means that alongside FA Cup demands - something that Arsenal also don't have to contend with - City could yet have four more games to play before the end of the Premier League season. Arsenal, on the other hand, can focus on the remaining seven games with little else to think about.
It is, especially for a young squad, a distinct point that will only serve to give them a better chance of pipping their rivals to the title. Over the course of the campaign Arsenal will play just 49 games having gone out of both domestic cups early.
Manchester City on the other hand could end up playing 59 games should they go on to reach the Champions League and FA Cup finals. Having competed at the business end of multiple competitions for several years in succession it is no surprise to see them at this stage of their competitions.
The experience of doing such only aids their challenge but for Arsenal the case may well prove to be that with less to clog up the schedule their minds are clearer at a stage whereby it matters most.
In the next four weeks, City will now play nine matches and that could rise to 10 whereas Arsenal have just six to worry about before the final game of the league season at home to Wolves. Although only one of those City games is within the control of Arteta and his squad, it is a marginal gain that they cannot afford to slip.
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