Premier League Weekend Preview: Liverpool Seeks Revival At West Ham As Arsenal Prepares For Tough Chelsea Battle

‎As another important Premier League weekend approaches, narratives are shifting fast across the division from Liverpool’s alarming collapse to Arsenal’s increasingly convincing title charge.

‎Liverpool Crisis Deepens

‎As Liverpool prepare for what suddenly looks like a treacherous visit to West Ham this weekend, the most pressing question is no longer whether the Premier League champions have reached rock bottom, but whether there is still further to fall.

‎Six defeats in their past seven league games have transformed a title-winning machine into a side gripped by uncertainty, with manager Arne Slot searching desperately for solutions that refuse to reveal themselves.

‎What once looked like a temporary wobble has now hardened into a crisis. By losing nine of their past twelve matches in all competitions, Liverpool have embarked on their worst run of form in more than 70 years an astonishing collapse for a club of their stature.

‎Slot admitted he “had not slept well” after Wednesday’s bruising 4–1 Champions League defeat to PSV Eindhoven, and the symptoms of dysfunction are painfully familiar: missed chances, fragile defending, and an inability to control games.

‎No Premier League side has conceded more goals in all competitions this season than Liverpool’s 34.

‎Sunday’s clash against West Ham will test Liverpool’s resolve further. The Hammers have found fresh energy and direction under Nuno Espírito Santo, who replaced Graham Potter in September, and they will sense vulnerability in a visiting team that appears uncertain of its identity.

‎Yet Liverpool remain only three points off fourth-placed Aston Villa a reminder that their season is salvageable if Slot can steady the ship quickly.

‎Arsenal’s Depth Fuelling a Title Charge

‎At the other end of the table, Arsenal are moving in the opposite direction with conviction and clarity.

‎Leaders of the Premier League and cruising through the Champions League, the Gunners have displayed a level of depth and consistency that suggests this may finally be the season they end their 20-year wait for a league title.

‎Opta’s projection model now gives Mikel Arteta’s side a 76% chance of lifting the Premier League trophy, and their 3–1 midweek victory over Bayern Munich did nothing to dampen expectations.

‎With several key players out injured, including Gabriel Magalhães, Kai Havertz, and Viktor Gyökeres, Arsenal still managed to outclass the six-time European champions. Significantly, goals from substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli show the squad’s improved quality beyond the starting XI.

‎Arteta praised not just the technical ability of his reinforcements, but the competitive mindset they bring. With Chelsea up next, he will once again rely on that depth to maintain momentum and protect their six-point cushion at the top.

‎Aston Villa’s revival under Emery continues

‎Aston Villa’s revival under Unai Emery has been one of the season’s most compelling stories.

‎After starting the campaign without a win in five matches and failing to score in their first four league outings, Villa have roared into the top four with six victories in seven.

‎Their efficiency has been striking: they are not creating mountains of chances, yet eight of their fifteen league goals have come from outside the penalty area a testament to Emery’s structured attacking patterns and the confidence coursing through his squad.

‎A home meeting with struggling Wolves offers an opportunity to climb as high as second in the table should results elsewhere fall their way.

‎Wolves, who have taken just two points from twelve games face a daunting visit to a Villa side that has not lost at home since August.

‎Brentford’s Resilience

‎Brentford entered the season as prime relegation candidates after a mass summer exodus that saw Thomas Frank, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, Christian Nørgaard, and Mark Flekken depart.

‎Yet, under Keith Andrews, the Bees have defied expectations with a disciplined, if inconsistent, campaign. They sit 13th, alternating wins and losses but maintaining a crucial five-point buffer above the drop zone.

‎Burnley, expected by many to struggle, find themselves second-bottom but not entirely hopeless. Their football has often been tidy and enterprising, only to unravel under defensive lapses.

‎Conceding two goals per game is unsustainable, but their win over Sunderland, a team with a style similar to Brentford, offers a glimmer of optimism.

‎If Burnley can impose their passing rhythm, they may navigate this relegation scrap with more fight than the table suggests.

‎Gueye’s Costly Red Card Leaves Everton Exposed

‎Everton’s slow but encouraging progress under David Moyes hit an unexpected snag when Idrissa Gueye’s rash red card at Manchester United left his team exposed at a pivotal moment.

‎While his teammates backed him and Moyes refrained from public criticism, there is no escaping the reality that the 36-year-old’s absence could prove damaging, especially with the Africa Cup of Nations approaching. Depending on Senegal’s call-up schedule, Everton may be without him until the new year.

‎With Merlin Röhl recovering from surgery, Tim Iroegbunam appears to be the obvious replacement. The 22-year-old has shown flashes of promise, and this may be a defining opportunity to establish himself.

‎Newcastle, despite struggling away from home this season, arrive with a midfield capable of exploiting any gaps Gueye usually plugs so effectively.

‎City Under Pressure 

‎Manchester City’s midweek defeat to Bayer Leverkusen, marked by Pep Guardiola’s experimental reshuffle, has heightened scrutiny on the champions.

‎Guardiola was unapologetically contrite after the 2–0 loss, and a full-strength side featuring Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Rúben Dias is expected to return against struggling Leeds.

‎Although Leeds won at the Etihad in 2021, their recent record against City is grim, losing four consecutive meetings by a combined score of 16–2.

‎City have lost back-to-back games for the second time this season, and anything less than victory this weekend will invite serious questions about their ability to mount a sustained title defence.

‎Crystal Palace No Longer Fear Manchester United

‎Selhurst Park once represented a graveyard for Crystal Palace’s ambitions against Manchester United. From 1991 to 2021, Palace endured a miserable run of defeats and draws at home, rarely troubling their historically dominant visitors.

‎Those days are long gone. Palace have not lost to United at home since 2020 and have won three of their past four league meetings, including a 4–0 demolition at Old Trafford last season.

‎With Oliver Glasner’s well-organised defence firmly established, and Palace managing Conference League commitments, Ruben Amorim’s United side face the risk of failing to score against Palace for the fifth consecutive league fixture.

‎United must find creativity, control, and ruthlessness, or risk being further exposed.