What will happen if Arsenal and Man City finish on the exact same points and goal difference

Arsenal and Manchester City are locked in one of the closest Premier League title races in recent memory, but what will happen if they finish on the same points and goal difference when May 24 rolls around?

City claimed a potentially season-defining win over league leaders Arsenal on Sunday as goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland moved them to within three points of their nearest rivals.

Pep Guardiola's side also have a game in hand over Arsenal, meaning if they win that match, then both teams could be tied on points when the season ends. So, how will they be separated if that scenario plays out?

If any clubs finish with the same number of points, their position in the Premier League table is, of course, determined by goal difference.

As things stand, Arsenal have a superior goal difference but City could move level with the leaders on +37 if they win their game in hand by a one-goal margin.

If they are tied on goal difference, then the number of goals scored will determine the champions. At the time of writing, City have scored 67 and Arsenal 65, another close contest between two evenly matched teams.

So, what if they both score the same number of goals? It is an unlikely occurrence but, as per the Premier League rulebook, the team that collected the most points in the head-to-head matches will come out on top.

Arsenal held City to a 1-1 draw at the Emirates in September, but City secured a 2-1 win over Mikel Arteta's side on Sunday, meaning City would win the title based on head-to-head matches.

A play-off decider would have occurred if City and Arsenal had played out a 1-1 draw on Sunday. Image credit: Getty

In short, if any clubs finish with the same number of points, their position in the table is determined by goal difference, then the number of goals scored and then the team who collected the most points in the head-to-head matches.

Manchester City will get the chance to leapfrog Arsenal when they take on Burnley on Wednesday (April 22).

Has the Premier League title ever been decided on goal difference?

Since the league began in 1992, there have been seven different winners – Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Blackburn Rovers, Leicester City and Liverpool.

City have the Premier League record for the biggest winning margin, when they finished 19 points ahead of second-placed Manchester United in 2017-18.

And the Citizens are the only club to secure a Premier League title on goal difference.

Back in 2012, Sergio Aguero scored that stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers to secure the club's first-ever Premier League title.

City and United both finished the campaign on 89 points, but City had a superior goal difference of +64 compared to United's +56, meaning they came out on top by the narrowest of margins.