Man City 2025/26 Premier League run-in fixtures, schedule, predictions and results in the battle for title

After falling away badly midway through the 2024/25 season, Manchester City are back in Premier League title contention.

Liverpool’s success last time around ended Pep Guardiola’s historic run of four in a row and six titles in the previous seven seasons.

Now, as the 2025/26 campaign prepares for the home stretch, City have leaders Arsenal in their sights.

The top two in the Premier League will also meet in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, March 22 and remain in contention across the Champions League and FA Cup.

Here, The Sporting News has a breakdown of Manchester City’s title run-in schedule, fixtures and results, along with our predictions for each fixture.

MORE: ‘I have battles every day’: Pep Guardiola primed for latest Man City title fight

Man City 2025/26 Premier League run-in fixtures, schedule

Arsenal head into their final nine games of the Premier League season with a five-point lead over Manchester City in second place. City have a game in hand against Crystal Palace that is yet to be rescheduled.

Man City final Premier League fixtures, results in 2025/26

Date Opponent Home/Away Result
Mar. 4 Nottingham Forest H _
Mar. 14 West Ham A _
Apr. 11 Chelsea A _
Apr. 18 Arsenal H _
Apr. 25 Burnley A _
May 2 Everton A _
May 9 Brentford H _
May 17 Bournemouth A _
May 24 Aston Villa H _
TBC Crystal Palace H  

Man City predictions for Premier League run-in 2025/26

Here’s a run-down of City’s Premier League run-in schedule, along with our predictions as to how things will play out.

Nottingham Forest (H): March 4

A peculiarity of City’s wretched mid-season run of one win in 13 matches across all competitions last term was that the solitary victory came against an in-form Forest, who were en route to their best season of the 21st century. Vitor Pereira is the Reds’ third permanent manager since that match and City will be confident of getting the job done against relegation-threatened foes.

Result last season: Man City 3-0 Nottingham Forest
Prediction this season: Man City 2-0 Nottingham Forest
Final score: _

West Ham (A): March 14

West Ham have enjoyed an uptick in form since the turn of the year but remain embroiled in the relegation battle. This also isn’t an away game to strike too much fear into City, who have won eight and drawn three of their 11 matches at the London Stadium since the Hammers left Upton Park almost a decade ago.

Result last season: West Ham 1-3 Man City
Prediction this season: West Ham 1-2 Man City
Final score: _

Chelsea (A): April 11

Aside from the obvious, this is City’s toughest remaining game. Chelsea snatched a last-gasp point at the Etihad Stadium in January and will need a positive result to bolster their bid for Champions League football. Talking of the Champions League, both teams could have quarterfinal matches to play either side of this one.

Result last season: Chelsea 0-2 Man City
Prediction this season: Chelsea 2-2 Man City
Final score: _

Arsenal (H): April 18

The big one. The general consensus is that if City win this, they win the whole thing. However, this is not a juggernaut title race like the ones Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp shared, and further twists, turns and slip-ups are anticipated after this blockbuster.

Result last season: Man City 2-2 Arsenal
Prediction this season: Man City 1-1 Arsenal
Final score: _

Burnley (A): April 25

Burnley have suffered another ordeal of a return to the top flight and Turf Moor has proved a happy hunting ground for Guardiola, who has won seven and drawn one of his eight visits.

Result last season: N/A
Prediction this season: Burnley 0-3 Man City
Final score: _

Everton (A): May 2

David Moyes has made Everton a horrid team to play against and City’s first trip to the Hill Dickinson Stadium could prove to be an any-means-necessary assignment.

Result last season: Everton 0-2 Man City
Prediction this season: Everton 0-1 Man City
Final score: _

Brentford (H): May 9

Brentford might remain in European contention at this point and Keith Andrews’ side will consider themselves a touch unfortunate to have nothing to show for two fine efforts against City in the the Premier League and Carabao Cup so far this season. This could turn into the short of shootout Guardiola will be keen to avoid at this time of year.

Result last season: Man City 2-1 Brentford
Prediction this season: Man City 4-2 Brentford
Final score: _

Bournemouth (A): May 17

Bournemouth’s 2-1 win over City at the Vitality Stadium last November started their mid-season downfall. Both clubs are in different places now and the Cherries have lost three keenly contested encounters since. Still, this feels like a dangerous game on the penultimate weekend and a probable free hit for Andoni Iraola’s freewheeling side.

Result last season: Bournemouth 2-1 Man City
Prediction this season: Bournemouth 2-2 Man City
Final score: _

Aston Villa (H): May 24

On the final day in 2022, City had Aston Villa at home and needed a win to be sure of the title. They fell 2-0 down midway through the second half before sensationally coming back to win 3-2. The prospect of a repeat, if anyone’s heart can take it, should factor in that Unai Emery has made Villa a far better team four years on.

Result last season: Man City 2-1 Aston Villa
Prediction this season: Man City 3-1 Aston Villa
Final score: _

Crystal Palace (H): TBC

City’s advantage of a game in hand is a dubious one until a place can be found for the Palace match in the calendar. Arsenal’s dramatic 2-2 draw at Wolves on February 18 was a rearranged match brought forward from Carabao Cup final weekend. City vs. Palace could not be similarly moved due to the London club having a Conference League playoff encounter that midweek.

If City reach the semifinals of both the FA Cup and the Champions League, there might be no slot for this match until the final midweek of the season. By that point, Palace and their departing manager Oliver Glasner might have checked out entirely.

Result last season: Man City 5-2 Crystal Palace
Prediction this season: Man City 4-0 Crystal Palace
Final score: _

Man City predicted final points tally in 2025/26: 83

Predicted final Premier League table 2025/26

The table below is based on our predicted results for Arsenal and Manchester City. If we’re anywhere close to being right, it promises to be one of the closest title races in Premier League history.

Pos Team Points Matches
Played
Goals
Scored
Goals 
Conceded
Goal
Difference
1. Arsenal 83 38 78 30 +48
2. Man City 83 38 81 34 +47

And here is the real league table as it stands. Let’s see how wrong we end up being…

Pos Team Points Matches
Played
Goals
Scored
Goals 
Conceded
Goal
Difference
1. Arsenal 64 29 58 22 +36
2. Man City 59 28 57 25 +32

Related News

Back to top button