Arsenal Looks to Gain Ground as Liverpool Takes on Man City in a Critical Title Showdown

Liverpool’s pursuit of the Premier League title has hit a snag as they prepare for a challenging trip to Manchester City on Sunday, igniting fresh hope for Arsenal to narrow the gap on the leaders.

If the Gunners manage to defeat struggling West Ham at the Emirates, they can reduce the Reds’ lead to just five points.

Meanwhile, the contest for a Champions League spot next season intensifies, with only six points dividing third-placed Nottingham Forest from Newcastle, who sit in seventh ahead of their encounter at St James’ Park.

AFP Sports rounds up the top fixtures in the Premier League this weekend:

Liverpool’s title challenge

Arne Slot’s side looked well on course to clinch a record-equalling 20th Premier League title.

Nonetheless, a pair of 2-2 draws against Everton and Aston Villa in the last ten days have reignited the title race.

On the flip side, Manchester City, who have dominated English football over the past decade, suffered a disappointing exit from the Champions League this week, bowing out before the last 16 for the first time since the 2012/13 season after a loss to Real Madrid.

The reigning champions may also be without Erling Haaland, who was sidelined due to injury and didn’t feature at the Santiago Bernabeu.

However, Pep Guardiola’s squad showcased their strength with a resounding 4-0 win over Newcastle last week, as they too seek crucial points in the race for a top-four finish.

“In the seven or eight years he’s (Guardiola) been there, they have only had one or two months where they weren’t at their best, possibly due to injuries as well,” Slot explained.

“Injuries will return, they’ve brought in three or four players, and I can already see them bouncing back, especially after that result against Newcastle.”

Arsenal will have the opportunity to apply more pressure when they take on West Ham a day earlier.

Although Mikel Arteta’s team will be missing a recognised striker for the remainder of the season, they have amassed an impressive 23 points from a possible 27, keeping their title hopes alive.

“Focusing on Arsenal or the performances of other teams doesn’t benefit us,” Slot added.

“We already recognise how challenging it is to play at the Etihad, so we really don’t need Arsenal’s situation complicating that further.”

Chelsea must quickly regroup if they want to maintain their hopes of Champions League action next season.

The Blues showed promise towards a title challenge at the end of 2024, but have managed only two wins in their last nine league fixtures and were knocked out of the FA Cup.

Manager Enzo Maresca labelled last weekend’s abysmal 3-0 loss to Brighton as the worst performance during his time in charge, amid worries that star player Cole Palmer could depart without the allure of Champions League football.

Chelsea will travel to face Aston Villa on Saturday, where their own aspirations for a top-four finish are slipping away.

Unai Emery’s side gave Liverpool a run for their money in a thrilling four-goal encounter on Wednesday, yet find themselves languishing in ninth place, five points adrift of the top four, due to a patchy season.

Nottingham Forest’s pivotal challenge

Nottingham Forest fans could hardly have imagined sitting in third place with only 13 matches remaining in the season.

However, they are set for a significant test of their ambitions to return to European football for the first time in 45 years.

This Sunday, Forest face Newcastle before taking on Arsenal and Manchester City in their next two home fixtures.

Newcastle, who recently faced back-to-back league losses in between their League Cup semi-final triumph against Arsenal, have frustrated manager Eddie Howe with their erratic performance levels.

“There are days when we don’t resemble the team we can be when we’re at our best,” Howe expressed. “It’s extremely frustrating because, to be an elite team, consistency is essential.”

Upcoming Fixtures (all times 1500 GMT unless indicated)

Friday

Leicester vs Brentford (20:00)

Saturday

Everton vs Manchester United (12:30), Fulham vs Crystal Palace, Ipswich vs Tottenham, Southampton vs Brighton, Bournemouth vs Wolves, Arsenal vs West Ham, Aston Villa vs Chelsea (17:30)

Sunday

Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest (14:00), Man City vs Liverpool (16:30)