Arsenal and Man City's final matches get difficulty rating with one team facing easier run-in

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Arsenal have a mere seven league matches remaining this season as they continue to lead the race for the Premier League title. Manchester City are still in contention but face a more challenging set of fixtures.

Mikel Arteta's squad have grown used to playing the supporting role in the top tier , finishing as runners-up in each of the previous three seasons. However, this term, they're within touching distance of the trophy and hold a nine-point lead at the top.

Pep Guardiola's City are their sole remaining competitors, sitting in second place with a game in hand. They defeated the Gunners 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final, dashing any hopes of an Arsenal quadruple.

Both teams will clash once more during the Premier League home stretch but one has a smoother road to glory. Mirror Football assesses which of Arsenal and City face the tougher final few fixtures.

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If we utilise the Fixture Difficulty Rating (FDR) that Fantasy Premier League players use, it becomes clear which of the two title contenders faces an easier end to the season. This rating varies from 1 to 5, with the higher number indicating a more challenging match.

League frontrunners Arsenal are set to host Bournemouth next, a match with an FDR of 3. Following this, they face City away (5), before welcoming Newcastle (3) and Fulham (2) to the Emirates.

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The Gunners conclude their season with a visit to West Ham (2), a home game against Burnley (1) and a trip to Crystal Palace (3). In contrast, City not only have an additional match to play but also face more challenging opponents.

Guardiola's squad return from the international break to take on Chelsea (4) away, followed by a home match against Arsenal (4). They then hit the road to face Burnley (2) and Everton (3).

City will later host Brentford (3), before an away showdown with Bournemouth (3) and a home clash against Aston Villa (3). Additionally, there is still the match against Palace (3) at the Etihad to be rescheduled.

Given that City have an extra match, we can examine the averages of these final fixtures and deduce that they face a tougher run-in. Arsenal's average FDR stands at 2.7, whilst City's is 3.1. Despite besting their title rivals in the Carabao Cup, manager Guardiola doesn't believe that trophy success will influence the league battle.

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Following the victory at Wembley, he stated: "I would like to be nine points in front of Arsenal, but I don't know if I'd change a trophy to fight for the Premier League.

"I don't think it will have an impact, different competition and they will be more concerned when they come to the Etihad. That title will help us a lot for the [ FA Cup ] quarter-final against Liverpool at home with our people.