Manchester City face the stiffest test of their recent revival when they travel to Arsenal this weekend as Bournemouth seek to take down Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Third-placed Nottingham Forest host Brighton hoping to banish memories of last week’s 5-0 hammering at Bournemouth, while Chelsea host West Ham at Stamford Bridge.
Pep Guardiola’s City have won four of their past five Premier League games to climb back into the top four after a miserable run of results.
In midweek, they survived a huge scare against Club Brugge to scrape into the Champions League play-off round, further evidence that they may have turned a corner at last.
So, is it back to business as usual for the four-time defending Premier League champions?
The fixture list has been relatively kind in recent weeks but they now have a daunting run, with a trip to Arsenal followed by games against Newcastle, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Nottingham Forest.
Their prize for survival in the Champions League is a tough play-off against either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich.
Arsenal are unbeaten in 14 league games at home since a 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa in April 2024 and cannot afford to drop points as they hunt down Liverpool.
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Second-placed Arsenal have been pipped to the title by City in each of the past two seasons but will kick off six points above their old rivals, determined to state their credentials as serious challengers.
At the start of the season, a trip to Bournemouth’s modest Vitality Stadium would not have given Liverpool manager Arne Slot sleepless nights but it is a different story now.
Andoni Iraola’s team are unbeaten in their past 11 Premier League games, their longest run without defeat in the competition.
The Spaniard, in his second season at the club, has done a remarkable job despite missing a host of players through injury including Marcos Senesi, Marcus Tavernier, Luis Sinisterra, Evanilson, and Enes Unal, AFP reported.
Iraola’s free-scoring side are seventh in the table but are just a single point behind fourth-placed Manchester City as their fans dream of European football next season.
Justin Kluivert, on 11 Premier League goals, is emerging from the shadow of his father, Netherlands star Patrick Kluivert, while Dango Ouattara scored a hat-trick in the 5-0 demolition of Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Bournemouth have already beaten Arsenal and Manchester City this season but Liverpool, who have lost just once in the league, would be their biggest scalp so far.
Below are the Premier League fixtures scheduled for the weekend:
Saturday
Nottingham Forest v Brighton
Bournemouth v Liverpool
Everton v Leicester
Ipswich v Southampton
Newcastle v Fulham
Wolves v Aston Villa
Sunday
Brentford v Tottenham
Manchester United v Crystal Palace
Arsenal v Manchester City
Monday
Chelsea v West Ham
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