Manchester sinking as Premier League title edges closer to London

With North London duo Arsenal and Tottenham both triumphing on an action packed Sunday, both Manchester City and United will be looking forward to a summer revamp as the Premier League title seemingly heads towards the capital.

Tottenham Hotspur's 2-1 over Manchester City at the Etihad was the second top four clash on Sunday, with Spurs joining Arsenal in picking up three precious points and homing in on Leicester City at the very top of the Premier League table, with the high-flying Foxes beaten 2-1 by the Gunners.

It was the first time City have lost consecutive home games since December 2008, and with Manchester United with one win in four after their 1-0 home defeat to relegation threatened Sunderland on Saturday, English football's wealthiest pair are being convincingly ousted by the two high flying London clubs.

Neither City nor United have fared well in head to head clashes with Arsenal or Tottenham this season, with the Red Devils' narrow 1-0 win over the latter on the opening day of the season the only Manchester victory in five league encounters with North London.

And while City find themselves six points ahead of their cross city rivals in fourth place, the two Manchester clubs have already lost seven games this season, with Arsenal and Spurs now right on Leicester's tail at the top. Surely neither North London club will have a better chance of winning the league title, with respect to Leicester, especially with the expected revamp in Manchester come the close season.

The arrival of Pep Guardiola in the summer will surely herald a substantial overhaul of the City playing staff. Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba, who has been heavily linked with a move away from Turin for the past two years, is said to be high on the agenda for City come the summer, while the likes of David Alaba and John Stones could also be targeted in a blockbuster spending spree to take the club back up to the Premier League summit – and to mount a concerted Champions League assault.

There could be a similar overhaul at United, with former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho consistently linked with the top job come the end of the season – and with him, a lengthy player wishlist with which to put his stamp on the club. With the club on course to reach record profits this season despite its struggles, links with Brazilian talisman Neymar and a world record fee have refused to die down, while the latest rumour would see Borussia Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang heading to Old Trafford.

With Manchester looking forward to a summer of change, both Arsenal and Tottenham remain fully focused on their respective title pushes. While it would be foolish to write off Leicester at the top, the latest edition of the North London derby on March 5 could be the most important significant in the histories of both clubs. It could very well decide the title.