Arsenal and Manchester City Have Played 40 Matches, Equaling Man United's Total Season Fixtures

This is the number of games Arsenal and Manchester City have played so far this season. Fighting on four fronts, playing twice weekly, from August through February, both giants remain in contention across all four competitions: the Premier League, Champions League, League Cup, and FA Cup.

40 matches is also a meaningful number - it exactly matches the maximum number of games Manchester United "could possibly" play this entire season. The reality is: knocked out in the first round of the League Cup, eliminated in the first round of the FA Cup, and European competition already a distant memory. The season hasn't even reached March, yet United are effectively in single-competition mode.

The same 40 matches - on one side, the journey continues unabated; on the other, the finish line is already in sight.

That penalty shootout defeat in the third round of the FA Cup saw United bid farewell to their final cup competition of the season. While Arsenal and Man City are still calculating rotation squads for matches every three days, on United's fixture list, only the Premier League remains.

The divide between four competitions and one isn't just about the number of fixtures. The FA Cup hasn't even been fully contested, yet United's season is already nearing its end.