Arsenal's Premier League title hopes suffered a blow on Saturday as they were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth at the Emirates Stadium. The defeat means that while the Gunners still hold a nine-point lead over Manchester City, Pep Guardiola's side now have two games in hand, one of which is a clash with Chelsea on Sunday.
Should City beat Chelsea and then defeat Arsenal in their head-to-head meeting at the Etihad on April 19, they would be just three points off top spot. A win in their rearranged fixture against Crystal Palace could see them draw level with Arsenal if neither side drops further points.
If both teams finish on the same number of points, the title would be decided by goal difference. City are the only team to have won the Premier League on goal difference, doing so in 2012. If goal difference is identical, the number of goals scored would be considered next, as happened when Arsenal finished level with Liverpool in 1989.
Should both teams still be inseparable, the next tiebreaker is points earned in head-to-head meetings. Arsenal and City drew 1-1 at the Emirates in September, so the outcome of their April clash will be crucial. If that match also ends in a draw, the team with the most away goals in those two meetings would be crowned champions.
In the highly unlikely event that all tiebreakers fail to separate the sides, a one-off play-off match at a neutral venue would be held. This would involve extra time and penalties if necessary to determine the Premier League champion.
