LIVERPOOL: Liverpool face an in-form Aston Villa as the Premier League champions look to arrest their remarkable collapse on Saturday, while Arsenal aim to surge further clear in the title race.
The Gunners hold a four-point lead over Bournemouth, who travel to Manchester City, before their trip to Burnley.
Third-placed Tottenham are only five points off the top but are aiming to end a three-game winless run at home when they host London rivals Chelsea.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot badly needs his star names to get back on track after being dumped out the League Cup by Crystal Palace on Wednesday to compound a miserable run for the Premier League champions.
Slot made his priorities clear by making 10 changes as Palace cruised to a 3-0 win at Anfield against a youthful Liverpool selection.
The Dutchman said he could not risk any more injuries to his key players with the visit of Villa quickly followed by clashes against Real Madrid and Manchester City.
The Merseyside team’s troublesome start comes despite the club spending 446 million pounds ($599 million) on new recruits in the close season.
However, Slot said at his pre-match press conference on Friday he was pleased with his squad.
“We miss nothing,” he said. “I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have and I am also completely convinced by the strategy and the policy that we have, but not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.
“When three or four are injured you go back to 16 players,” Slot added. “You have to keep them fit as we did last season… A few others have missed out on pre-season or had injuries during pre-season.
“It has been more difficult than last season to keep them all available. Maybe last season we were more lucky and now we are more unlucky. But, no excuses for our results before people say this.”
Five games into the Premier League campaign, Villa trailed Liverpool by 12 points.
But the two meet this weekend separated only by goal difference as Unai Emery’s men have hit form just as Liverpool’s losing streak began.
Slot cited Villa as an example to his side of how quickly things can change and the overall strength of the Premier League with only three points separating Bournemouth from Villa in eighth.
“Apart from Arsenal, I think many teams are in and around the same points, so again it tells you also how hard the Premier League is,” added Slot.
“Normally, although with us the run is already quite long, you don’t every time lose a game of football where you create more chances than the other team.
“They [Villa] decided not to make a habit out of that, and let’s hope we decide not to make a habit out of having more chances than the opponent but not winning it.”
The league’s longest unbeaten run faces a stern test on Sunday when Bournemouth visit the Etihad, hoping to land another blow to City’s title challenge.
The Cherries have not lost since the opening night of the campaign at Liverpool to spark ambitions of qualifying for Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
City are six points adrift of Arsenal after a 1-0 defeat at Villa last weekend ended their nine-game unbeaten run.
Proud Amorim
Resurgent Manchester United, who are one place below fifth-placed City but level on points, play at Nottingham Forest on Saturday on a run of three consecutive wins, including a victory at Anfield, for the first time under the Portuguese manager Ruben Amorim.
After enduring heavy criticism for his formations and tactics, Amorim took heart in staunchly sticking to his principles as the Premier League club finally show signs of progress.
“It was a journey, a big journey. It was really tough. Good moments, bad moments. I learned a lot, that is really important,” Amorim told reporters on Thursday. “I learned that even in my lower moments I can stick with the thing I believe and that is a good thing for anyone to understand.
“Today, the answer is different from three weeks ago, so it is important to understand that. It is one of the big honours of my life to be here and I want to continue here for many years.”
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal head to Burnley on Saturday high on confidence after four consecutive league victories and conceding one goal in that run.
Burnley, meanwhile, are scrapping for survival. Scott Parker’s team have shown flashes of resilience, including a dramatic win at bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers last weekend, but they remain 16th with three victories.
“Yes [keep the foot on the gas] and maintain the level of urgency,” Arteta told reporters on Friday. “The concentration, the focus, the ambition we are showing in every game, and every game brings different challenges. Sometimes we have to be very patient and some of the time we have to have a different approach”
Thomas Frank has made a fine start to solving Tottenham’s troubles on the road, but is yet to foster the “fortress” he desires at home.
Of Spurs’ 17 points from nine games, 13 have come away from home thanks to impressive wins at City, West Ham United, Leeds United and Everton.
But Bournemouth and Villa have won in north London either side of a disappointing 1-1 draw against bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers and only a second league win over Chelsea since 2018 would quickly win over any doubters the Dane faces in the Spurs support.
Other fixtures to watch include fourth-place Sunderland’s game against Everton on Monday.
Lowly West Ham host Newcastle United on Sunday still looking for a turnaround in form under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
Fixtures:
Saturday (all times GMT): Brighton & Hove Albion v Leeds United, Burnley v Arsenal, Crystal Palace v Brentford, Fulham v Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest v Manchester United (all 1500), Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea (1730), Liverpool v Aston Villa (2000).
Sunday: West Ham United v Newcastle United (1400), Manchester City v Bournemouth (1630).
Monday: Sunderland v Everton (2000).—Agencies
