After their resounding victory over Chelsea, Liverpool faces a tougher test against Arsenal in their quest to reclaim the Premier League title, which has been absent for three seasons. Liverpool will visit Arsenal this coming Sunday in a crucial match of the 23rd round at the historic Emirates Stadium in London.
Despite the absence of the injured Egyptian international Mohamed Salah, Liverpool issued a stern warning to their competitors by convincingly defeating Chelsea 4-1 in the previous round. This marked Liverpool's first match after their manager, the German Jurgen Klopp, announced his departure from the team at the end of the current season.
Liverpool currently leads the league with 51 points, a 5-point gap ahead of their closest pursuers, Manchester City, who still have a postponed match. Liverpool aims to continue its strong performance, having achieved 7 wins and a draw in their last 8 matches across various competitions, since their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield in December.
Despite Salah's absence, Liverpool demonstrated its ability to cope without the Egyptian captain. During Salah's absence, Liverpool's attack scored 18 goals in 6 matches, while conceding only 5 goals.
Liverpool hopes to maintain its positive results, especially after a 2-0 victory over Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup last month. The match against Arsenal will be challenging, considering Arsenal's recent improvement with wins over Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal, currently in third place with 46 points, aspires to revive its title hopes, absent since the 2003-2004 season. They aim to maintain an undefeated record against Liverpool in the league for the fourth consecutive match and seek a victory after two recent draws.
The historic rivalry between Liverpool and Arsenal, dating back to 1893, has witnessed 241 matches in all competitions. Liverpool has won 95 times, Arsenal 82 times, and 64 matches ended in a draw.
In the Premier League era (since 1992/1993), Liverpool and Arsenal have met in 63 matches, with Liverpool winning 25, Arsenal winning 17, and 21 ending in draws.
In terms of matches at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal has won 11 times in the Premier League, while Liverpool has secured 9 victories.
Meanwhile, Manchester City, the reigning champion, seeks to continue closing the gap on Liverpool when they visit Brentford, currently in 15th place with 22 points, on Monday to conclude the 23rd round of matches. City aims for their fifth consecutive league victory, having defeated Everton, Sheffield United, Newcastle, and Burnley in the previous round.
City's performance under manager Pep Guardiola has been on an upward trajectory, especially with the return of key players from injuries. The team's top scorer, Erling Haaland, recently returned to action, sharing the current top scorer position with Mohamed Salah.
The match against Brentford won't be easy for Manchester City, as Brentford, coached by Thomas Frank, looks to bring back smiles to their fans after six defeats and one victory in their last seven league matches.