Mikel Arteta’s relentless Arsenal can already glimpse glory at the end of the path to a first Premier League title in nearly 20 years but danger still lurks and Saturday’s trip to Liverpool is the first of a series of critical fixtures.
Arsenal, which leads the table by eight points, also has to visit reigning champion Manchester City, high-flying Newcastle United and host Chelsea but the immediate priority will be addressing its lamentable recent record at Anfield.
Liverpool has won its last six home league clashes with Arsenal, scoring at least three goals on each occasion.
And while Juergen Klopp’s side, sitting down in eighth place and facing the prospect of no European football, is not the powerhouse side it was, it remains more than capable of halting Arsenal’s charge towards the title.
With second-placed Manchester City facing bottom club Southampton on Saturday, the gap is likely to be down to five by the time Arsenal kicks off at Anfield and while that looks a healthy cushion, defeat would put the title race in City’s hands as it has played one game less than Arteta’s side.
Arsenal has already silenced the doubters which thought it might crack when losing to Manchester City at home in February.
Since then it has won seven consecutive league games, although none against sides of Liverpool’s calibre and completing a first league double over it since 2010 would be a huge psychological boost for the north Londoners.
“I think if Arsenal wins at Anfield, to me it’s an acid test. If you go and win at Anfield I think Arsenal will definitely win the league,” former Manchester United multiple title-winner Gary Neville told Sky Sports in the build-up to the game.
City may also have its eye on next week’s Champions League quarterfinal first leg against Bayern Munich, but will keep chasing Arsenal and will hope to be in control of its own destiny by the time it hosts the leader on April 26.
It has lost only one of its last 13 league games against Southampton which looks increasingly likely to be playing second-tier football next season.
The battle to finish in the top four swung very much in favour of Newcastle United and Manchester United on Wednesday as it both moved three points above fifth-placed Tottenham Hotspur having played one game fewer.
Newcastle thrashed West Ham 5-1 but faces a sterner test when it returns to the capital to face ninth-placed Brentford on Saturday, while Manchester United takes on an Everton side clinging to a spot just above the relegation zone.
For Tottenham, time is running out in its bid to finish a tumultuous season in the top four and only victory against a Brighton and Hove Albion side dreaming of Europe itself on Saturday will rekindle any belief amongst the fed-up fans.
Spurs once again slipped in the race for top four after the late draw at Everton.
The relegation battle is gearing up to be one of the tightest ever seen in the top flight with the bottom nine teams all in grave danger of going down.
Leicester City, which sacked Brendan Rodgers last weekend, is second from bottom with 25 points and faces a ‘must-win’ game against third from bottom Bournemouth on Saturday.
Bournemouth is one of four clubs on 27 points, the others being Nottingham Forest, Everton and West Ham.
Forest, winless in eight games, goes to a rejuvenated Aston Villa while West Ham is at mid-table Fulham.
Wolverhampton Wanderers, in 14th place, hosts a Chelsea side with Frank Lampard back in charge as interim manager following the sacking of Graham Potter.
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