EPL: MAN CITY, ARSENAL SET FOR TITLE-DECIDING CLASH AS CHELSEA, LIVERPOOL FACE CRUCIAL TESTS

By ‘Sefiu Ajape

Title-chasing Manchester City are set for a high-stakes clash with league leaders Arsenal in a seismic Premier League showdown on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a struggling Chelsea side will be desperate for a victory against Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification, while Liverpool seek a morale boost in the Merseyside derby.

AFP Sport highlights three key talking points ahead of the weekend’s fixtures:

Arsenal must improve in ‘defining’ moment

Declan Rice has brushed aside criticism of Arsenal’s dip in form but admits the team must raise their game ahead of their “title-defining” encounter with Manchester City.

Mikel Arteta’s side head to the Etihad Stadium with a six-point lead over second-placed City as they chase their first league title since 2004.

However, Arsenal’s recent performances have been underwhelming. They lost the League Cup final to City, suffered a shock FA Cup quarter-final defeat to second-tier Southampton, and fell to a damaging league loss against Bournemouth.

Even their progression to the Champions League semi-finals came under scrutiny after a laboured goalless draw secured a narrow 1-0 aggregate win over Sporting Lisbon.

The Gunners have managed just one win in their last five matches across all competitions, while City appear to be hitting peak form, having beaten Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea in their last three outings.

“There’s no beating around the bush. We have to perform better than we did against Bournemouth and probably Sporting as well,” Rice said.

“Recently, we have made too many errors. The Etihad is the ultimate test but it’s why we play this game. So, bring it on.

“It’s beautiful. I can’t wait. When you’re a kid, you’re watching the Premier League, you see these big matches, these title-defining moments and it comes down to if you’re going to be ready and how much do you want it?”

Chelsea, Man United in crucial clash

Rocked by a poor run of just one win in their last seven league matches, Chelsea are at risk of dropping out of the race for Champions League places.

Liam Rosenior’s sixth-placed side face a must-win situation against third-placed Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Chelsea trail United by seven points and are four behind fifth-placed Liverpool, with only six games left in the season.

A loss would severely dent their Champions League hopes and increase pressure on Rosenior, especially after fans jeered the team following last weekend’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.

Midfielder Andrey Santos insisted the squad remains determined to turn things around.

“We understand the fans are frustrated,” he said. “We are frustrated too. When you talk about Chelsea, you talk about winning games, which we’re not doing.

“It’s a difficult moment but we have to work hard and keep going. Of course we believe we can finish in a Champions League place.”

Wounded Liverpool face Everton test

After crashing out of the Champions League with a heavy 4-0 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool will look to bounce back in Sunday’s Merseyside derby against Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

The defeat has intensified pressure on manager Arne Slot, who also received a setback this week with striker Hugo Ekitike ruled out for the rest of the season due to an Achilles injury.

Despite the challenges, midfielder Ryan Gravenberch believes a derby victory would lift the team’s morale and strengthen their push for Champions League qualification.

“We have to pick ourselves up as Sunday is waiting,” he said.

“We just want to play in the Champions League next year. We have to give it our all.”

Fixtures:

Saturday (1400 GMT unless stated)
Brentford v Fulham (1130), Leeds v Wolves, Newcastle v Bournemouth, Tottenham v Brighton (1630), Chelsea v Manchester United (1900)

Sunday (1300 GMT unless stated)
Aston Villa v Sunderland, Everton v Liverpool, Nottingham Forest v Burnley, Manchester City v Arsenal (1530)

Monday
Crystal Palace v West Ham (1900)