Manchester City travel to Bournemouth on Tuesday, May 19, at the Vitality Stadium for Matchday 37 of the 2025-26 Premier League in a game that could have major implications for the title race. Depending on the result, Arsenal could be handed the opportunity to end their long wait for a league championship without even kicking a ball.
City head into the fixture in strong form domestically, riding an unbeaten run of 22 games capped by a 1-0 FA Cup final victory over Chelsea at the weekend. Bournemouth, however, will be no pushover, having gone 16 Premier League games unbeaten themselves while keeping alive their remarkable push to qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
The backdrop at Manchester City is complicated further by reports emerging over the weekend that Pep Guardiola will be departing at the end of the season. While no official announcement has been made, the news has added an emotionally charged dimension to the final stretch of the campaign, and it remains to be seen how the squad responds on the pitch.
How a Man City win affects the Premier League title race
A victory for City on Tuesday would push them to 80 points from 37 games and keep the title race alive heading into the final weekend. The gap behind Arsenal would be cut to two points, but with the Gunners needing just a point from their final game, the odds are firmly in their favor.
Kai Havertz of Arsenal celebrating.
On the final matchday, Arsenal travel to Crystal Palace, a side already safe from relegation and with their sights set on the UEFA Conference League final. City, meanwhile, would host Aston Villa, a tougher proposition, and would need to win while hoping Arsenal stumble, an unlikely but no longer impossible scenario.
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How a Man City draw affects the Premier League title race
A draw at Bournemouth would effectively end the title race on Tuesday night. The point would leave City on 78, and with Arsenal sitting on 82, the four-point gap would be mathematically insurmountable heading into the final matchday.
That outcome would hand Arsenal the Premier League title without them needing to play on Sunday, a significant boost with the Champions League final also on the horizon. It would also mark the club’s first league title since the legendary “Invincibles” season of 2003-04.
How a Man City defeat affects the Premier League title race
A loss for City at the Vitality Stadium would also bring the title race to a close. Bournemouth’s victory would leave the Citizens stranded on 77 points from 37 games, five behind Arsenal, a gap that cannot be closed in a single remaining fixture.
In that scenario, the Premier League trophy would be heading to the Emirates regardless of what happens on the final day, with Arsenal crowned champions for the first time in over two decades.
