Arsenal Aims To Capitalize As Liverpool And Man City Clashes In Crucial Title Race Showdown

Liverpool’s pursuit of the Premier League title has faltered as they prepare for a match against Manchester City on Sunday, providing Arsenal with an opportunity to narrow the gap on the leaders.

The Gunners can move to within five points of the Reds should they see off lowly West Ham at the Emirates.

In the battle for a spot in next season’s Champions League, the competition is fierce behind the top two teams.

Just six points separate third-placed Nottingham Forest from seventh-placed Newcastle as they prepare to clash at St James’ Park.

Sportxparte previews the standout matches of Premier League action this weekend:

Liverpool’s big title test

Arne Slot’s team seemed on track to secure a record-equalling 20th title in English top-flight football.

However, two consecutive 2-2 draws against Everton and Aston Villa in the last 10 days have revitalized the title race.

However, Manchester City, the preeminent force in English football over the past decade, faced a stunning defeat to Real Madrid midweek, resulting in their exit from the Champions League before the Round of 16 for the first time since the 2012/13 season.

The English champions may also be without Erling Haaland, who did not get off the bench at the Santiago Bernabeu due to injury.

Yet, Pep Guardiola’s squad demonstrated their potential with an impressive 4-0 victory over Newcastle last week and are now seeking crucial points in the race for a top-four finish.

“They’ve had maybe one or two months in the seven or eight years he’s (Guardiola) there now that wasn’t the best, maybe partly because of injuries as well,” said Slot.

“Injuries come back; they’ve signed three or four players; I can see them coming back already if you look at the result against Newcastle.”

Arsenal have the chance to up the pressure when they face West Ham 24 hours earlier.

If Arsenal win their game in hand, the gap with Liverpool will be just 5 points

Mikel Arteta’s team will be missing a recognized striker for the remainder of the season; however, they have garnered 23 points from a possible 27, keeping them firmly in contention for the title.

“If we constantly look at Arsenal or what other teams are doing, that would not help us,” added Slot.

“We already know how difficult it is to go to the Etihad, so we don’t need Arsenal to get involved in that even more.”

Chelsea need a statement win

John McGinn of Aston Villa is challenging Cole Palmer of Chelsea for the ball

Chelsea needs to bounce back quickly if they are to retain hope of Champions League football next season.

The Blues showed promise of a title challenge as 2024 came to a close but have only managed two victories in their last nine league matches and suffered a disappointing exit from the FA Cup.

Manager Enzo Maresca described the team’s lackluster 3-0 defeat against Brighton last weekend as the poorest performance of his tenure, raising concerns that star player Cole Palmer may seek an exit if the team cannot secure a Champions League spot.

Chelsea travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, whose own hopes of a top-four finish are starting to fade.

Unai Emery’s men pushed Liverpool in a four-goal thriller on Wednesday but find themselves down in ninth, five points off the top four, due to an inconsistent season.

Nottingham Forest’s hard tests to come

Newcastle United face off against Nottingham Forest

Not in their wildest dreams could Nottingham Forest fans have imagined sitting third in the table with just 13 games to go.

However, they face a stern test of their credentials to make it back to European football’s elite competition for the first time in 45 years.

Forest visits Newcastle on Sunday before hosting Arsenal and Manchester City in their next two home league games.

Newcastle experienced back-to-back league defeats surrounding their impressive League Cup semi-final triumph over Arsenal, leaving Magpies manager Eddie Howe frustrated with his team’s inconsistent performance.

“I think we have days where we can look far from the team that we are when we’re on it,” said Howe. “It’s a real frustration for us because to be an elite team, you’ve got to be consistent.”

Fixtures (all times 16:00 WAT unless stated)

Friday

Leicester v Brentford (21:00)

Saturday

Everton v Manchester United (13:30)

Fulham v Crystal Palace

Ipswich v Tottenham

Southampton v Brighton

Bournemouth v Wolves

Arsenal v West Ham

Aston Villa v Chelsea (18:30)

Sunday

Newcastle v Nottingham Forest (15:00)

Man City v Liverpool (17:30)