Just as they had against Fulham, a side whose record has flattered them this season, Arsenal took an inferior opponent to the cleaners, cruising to a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace that chipped away at City's goal difference advantage while stretching their points advantage.
James' Park and the Etihad could well be the graveyards of this Arsenal side but Pep Guardiola should not expect any helping hands when his title rivals face those lurking at the bottom rungs of the Premier League. Heading into the finishing straight, this does not look like a team who is going to blow its lead unnecessarily. This season the stakes are far higher and, in spite of the eight-point lead they have built up having played a game more than Manchester City, the margin for error is minimal. Still, by then they had ceded much of a hard-earned advantage to Tottenham by frittering away points against mid-table Brighton, Southampton and Sunday's opponent Crystal Palace. They beat Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham.
When they returned from last year's spring international break, it was not their meetings with those immediately around them that cost Mikel Arteta's side a top-four finish. LONDON - With 10 games to go, Arsenal find themselves firmly at that stage of the season where supporters peruse the fixture list, searching for the home bankers, the games where any point is a bonus and of course, the potential banana skins where their title tilt might slide off the rails.
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