Manchester City is confirmed to have lost the 2025-2026 Premier League title race to Arsenal, following a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in round 37 on 19/5. This result means the club will finish the season without the league trophy for the second consecutive year. Striker Erling Haaland has urged his teammates to channel their disappointment into motivation for the upcoming season, emphasizing that their efforts have not been enough.

'We should be angry, we should feel a fire burning inside because what we have done is not enough,' Haaland stated in an interview with City Studios on 20/5. 'Two years have passed, and it feels like forever. We will do everything we can next season to win the championship.' He attributed the recent struggles to the Premier League's intense competition, acknowledging that despite significant effort, it fell short of securing the top spot.

With 78 points, Manchester City trails Arsenal by four points heading into the final round of the 2025-2026 season. The previous 2024-2025 season saw them finish third with 71 points, 13 behind Liverpool and three behind Arsenal, marking a significant drop from their previous dominance.

Haaland appeared disappointed after Manchester City's 1-1 draw with Bournemouth in round 37 of the Premier League on the evening of 19/5. *Photo: AP*

Despite falling short in the league, Manchester City salvaged their 2025-2026 campaign by securing two other major trophies. They defeated Arsenal 2-0 in the League Cup final and overcame Chelsea 1-0 in the FA Cup final.

Haaland noted that winning these two titles demonstrates an improvement from the 2024-2025 season. However, his ultimate desire remains the Premier League title, a trophy he previously won twice with Manchester City in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. He also commented on the demanding schedule, highlighting the challenge of the FA Cup final just three days before the Bournemouth match. 'There is no excuse, even though the schedule was very difficult. But it's not easy to go to Bournemouth after playing at Wembley in the FA Cup final,' the Norwegian striker explained.

Individually, Haaland leads the 2025-2026 Premier League Golden Boot race with 27 goals, five goals ahead of Igor Thiago before the final round. If he maintains this position in the upcoming match against Aston Villa, it will be his third Golden Boot award, following his successes in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons.

Thanh Quy (according to ESPN)