What Happens If Manchester City Win, Lose or Draw vs. Bournemouth? Premier League Title Race Explained
The Premier League will end in less than a week, with the final matchday being on Sunday, May 24, 2026. All 20 teams will play at the same time, with the league title set to be defined that day.
Arsenal and Manchester City are fighting for the league title, with Arsenal currently the favorite to win it since they have a five-point advantage.
Manchester City were hoping that Arsenal would drop points against Burnley yesterday, but Arsenal defeated Burnley 1-0 at home. Manchester City has all the pressure to win tonight against Bournemouth.
Manchester City will look to build on the positive momentum they gained following their FA Cup win over Chelsea this past weekend, which ended 1-0.
Manchester City is now obligated to win against Bournemouth away from home tonight. If not, Arsenal can be crowned Premier League champions tonight.
Why Manchester City Needs To Win vs Bournemouth
Manchester City is currently on 77 points after 36 league games and will play their 37th league game tonight vs. Bournemouth.
Arsenal is first with 82 points after 37 league games played and is three points away from winning the Premier League title, no matter what happens at Manchester City in the next two games: against Bournemouth tonight and Aston Villa on Sunday.
If Manchester City wins tonight, they will be on 80 points and can only win the league title if they beat Aston Villa and Arsenal does not win against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
If Manchester City draws with Bournemouth, they will be on 78 points, and the result will crown Arsenal as Premier League champions. Manchester City's highest number of points after a draw today would be 81 points, one point less than what Arsenal has now.
A loss for Manchester City against Bournemouth does the same thing, crowns Arsenal as Premier League champions, as Man City would remain on 77 points, and with one game left, their highest number of points to end the season would be 80 points, two points less than Arsenal now, who have one more game left.
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This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 2:15 PM.