Arsenal again prove to be PRETENDERS to Liverpool’s title charge

This season's Premier League is a return to the norm. Teams are dropping points and, for frontrunners Liverpool, their grip on the title is that bit firmer this afternoon thanks to the performance of Arsenal.

The Reds had been struggling a little in recent weeks, dropping four points in their last three games.

A 2-2 draw against Everton, a nervy 2-1 win over Wolves and a 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in the last two weeks alone has made fans a bit skittish.

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Since 4th December the team has dropped points six times in 13 games, compared to twice in the preceding 13.

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And going into this weekend Liverpool had an eight point lead over Arsenal, having played one game more than the Gunners, and are staring down the barrel of a tricky contest at the Etihad on Sunday.

Prior to Sunday's fixture, Arsenal were to host 16th-placed West Ham at the Emirates. A win would have left Liverpool just five points clear while Arsenal would have a game in hand.

But this afternoon's result has just changed the entire mindset of Liverpool fans.

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Despite playing without a striker last week against Leicester City, Arteta's side managed to get across the line in a 2-0 win over the Foxes thanks to a brace from Mikel Merino.

However, this weekend was a completely different story. The Gunners failed to break the deadlock against West Ham before once-Liverpool linked Jarrod Bowen put the visitors ahead before half-time.

A one goal deficit might not have felt like much to be concerned about, but when you've only got Ethan Nwaneri, Leandro Trossard and former Red Raheem Sterling at your disposal - as well as actually playing defensive midfielder Merino as a centre-forward - you're always going to be on the brink of dropping points.

But when Miles Lewis-Skelly earned himself a red card for a professional last-man foul on Mohamed Kudus, there was no longer any doubt that Arsenal had bottled a massive opportunity.

Liverpool will still need to get a result against Manchester City on Sunday. But with the knowledge that Arsenal's next game is a visit to Nottingham Forest, which has been a nervous place to go in recent months as we are all too aware, Arne Slot can breathe a sigh of relief.

As mentioned earlier, this season is a return to the norm. Teams are no longer going on these ridiculous winning streaks and so while it may have been concerning to see Liverpool dropping points, make no mistake about it, Arsenal are doing exactly the same thing.

The eight-point cushion at the top of the table will remain for this weekend, regardless of the result against Manchester City. But if the stars align with a Liverpool win then it moves to 11 - and as we know, there's no point having a game in hand if you don't win it.

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Nothing is certain but Liverpool are in a good place. Arsenal may have threatened to chase down this title for Liverpool, but they are just as capable of gifting it to Liverpool if they aren't careful.

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