Liverpool look to deepen City crisis, Arsenal seek consistency

Liverpool can take another giant step towards just a second English top-flight title in 35 years against fragile Manchester City on Sunday as Ruben Amorim aims for a first Premier League win as Manchester United manager.

The top-of-the-table clash at Anfield offers Arsenal, who face West Ham, and Chelsea, who host Aston Villa, the chance to gain ground.

After a poor run of four league matches without victory, big wins over Nottingham Forest and Portuguese side Sporting have lifted the mood at Arsenal, but they still need to improve their consistency, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.

“Really good, winning lifts the energy and the confidence up. They were two big wins for us, now it’s about consistency, taking it further against a good opponent tomorrow,” Arteta told reporters ahead of the match at London Stadium.

“We need to replicate the performance to win the game. It’s every three days now, it’s not what you did yesterday, it’s about the next performance.”

Arsenal’s improvement has coincided with the return of captain Martin Odegaard after an extended spell on the sidelines due to an ankle injury, and Arteta hailed the Norwegian midfielder’s impact on the team.

Arne Slot’s rampant Reds go into the weekend off the high of beating Real Madrid 2-0 to top the Champions League table.

Liverpool have barely put a foot wrong in the Premier League either, surging into an eight-point lead after just 12 games.

All three teams who have enjoyed a lead of eight points or more at this stage of the season in Premier League history have gone on to win the title.

Winless in six matches, the English champions are physically and mentally “fragile”, according to manager Pep Guardiola, who is experiencing the worst run of his career in the dugout.

“It has been, is being and will be a tough season for us. We have to accept it for many circumstances,” he said.

Guardiola says he is braced for the challenge of turning around City’s fortunes after the worst run of his managerial career ahead of a daunting trip to runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool.

Defeat at Anfield on Sunday would leave the Premier League champions 11 points behind Arne Slot’s men.

Guardiola’s angst was clear in midweek as he appeared on camera after the Feyenoord game with a number of self-inflicted scratches on his face.

The 53-year-old recently extended his contract at the Etihad until 2027 and said the chance to overcome a rare period of adversity played a part in that decision.

“The moment I feel I’m not positive for the club, another one will come. It has to be (the case). But I want an opportunity to try to do it,” Guardiola said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

“I don’t want to run away. I want to be there. I want to rebuild the team in many aspects from now on until the end of the season, the next seasons, to try to continue up there.”

Even at their best during a glorious era under the Catalan, City have failed to tame Anfield, with their last win there in front of a crowd coming back in 2003.

Amorim did not hold back after seeing Manchester United labour to a 1-1 draw at lowly Ipswich in his first match in charge last weekend.

“We are going to suffer for a long period,” said the Portuguese coach. “This will take time, but I know we have to win games.”

The visit of struggling Everton to Old Trafford offers the Red Devils the perfect chance to kickstart life under their new boss.

The Toffees (10) are one of only three sides to have scored fewer Premier League goals this season than United’s 13.

Sean Dyche’s men are just two points above the relegation zone and have not beaten United away from home since 2013.

United, who sit 12th, need to make the most of home advantage to move swiftly back up the table with daunting trips to Arsenal and City to come in two of their following three league games.

Aston Villa are another side struggling for form. A 0-0 draw against Juventus in midweek extended their winless run to seven games in all competitions.

Unai Emery’s men are still well placed to progress to the knockout stages of the Champions League in their first taste of Europe’s elite competition for four decades.

But their European exertions are beginning to take a toll domestically. Villa have taken just seven points from their past seven league games to slip to eighth.

Agencies