Mikel Arteta will watch Manchester City vs Bournemouth with his family

Mikel Arteta says he will watch Manchester City against Bournemouth with his family, but he does not know how long he will manage to keep watching. Arsenal go into the game five points clear after Kai Havertz's header earned a 1-0 win over Burnley, and any dropped points from City would seal the Premier League title for them, their first in 22 years.

Why the title could be settled from Arteta's sofa

Arteta was direct about the nerves. "I don't know how long I'm going to watch it. I will be there in front of the TV. But I don't know how much I'm going to be able to watch, I think that's the reality," he said. He added: "I'm planning to watch it with my family and again I don't know for how long."

That is the position Arsenal find themselves in. They are top on 79 points, with City second on 77, so the result in Bournemouth matters immediately. Arteta was even open enough to say, "The biggest ever. Of Andoni and all the players and all the people that are supporters of Bournemouth. I think we all are because we know what that means if tomorrow they get a result."

Why Bournemouth are still a real problem for City

This is not just a title-watch story from Arsenal's side. Bournemouth have not lost since January, and Arteta praised the transformation under Andoni Iraola. He also pointed to their own motivation, with the club chasing a Champions League place and still in the mix to move within a point of Liverpool in fifth if they win.

Arteta's expectation is clear enough. "When you look at how Burnley played today, the spirit that they showed, how difficult they made it - imagine tomorrow," he said. That is a fair warning for Manchester City, who still need the result to keep pressure on Arsenal.

Bournemouth's home game is also Andoni Iraola's final match in charge there, which adds another layer without changing the basic football point: City are walking into a difficult fixture, and Arsenal will be watching every minute of it.