Why everything has been building towards this Premier League weekend 🚀 | OneFootball

For the first time in a decade, the Premier League has a proper three-way title race on its hands.

As we had towards the final 10 games of the campaign, a trio of clubs are all still in with a chance of lifting the trophy come May 19.

Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City are separated by just one point, with the Gunners currently leading the way on goal difference ahead of Jürgen Klopp’s side.

It was a similar situation in 2013/14 when Chelsea led City by two points with Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool in third but scoring goals for fun.

Of course, that would go on to be one of the most iconic seasons in recent memory, with the Steven Gerrard slip and ‘Crystanbul’ becoming one of the pillars of Premier League folklore.

It feels like 2023/24 is on its way to joining the pantheon of all-time campaigns too, and this coming weekend could be the hinge point around which the season turns

With the final international break out of the way and daylight savings coming into effect, we know it’s now into the home straight with all eyes fixed to the Etihad this Sunday.

Manchester City host Mikel Arteta’s table-toppers, just a few hours after Liverpool host the always entertaining Brighton.

A win for the Anfield outfit would take them above the north London side and back to the Premier League summit with a three point advantage.

Then anything other than an Arsenal win at the Etihad hands the Reds an advantage going into the midweek round of matches, where Liverpool face Sheffield United, Arsenal host Luton and City take on Aston Villa.

Should Klopp’s men slip up against the Seagulls however, both the Gunners and Pep Guardiola’s side will be ready and raring to take advantage.

Matches between City and Arsenal have been breathlessly intense affairs over the past few seasons, with the capital club winning their last meeting in October 1-0 thanks to Gabriel Martinelli’s deflected late strike.

City’s record at home against the Gunners, however, has been exemplary of late with the reigning champions winning their three previous Premier League matches at the Etihad by an aggregate score of 10-1.

The Eastlands outfit have a habit of peaking just at the right moment but that could be made a little more difficult this weekend with news that both Kyle Walker and John Stones could miss out through injury.

Both men limped off during England’s friendlies with Brazil and Belgium this past week and have been deemed ’50/50′ for Sunday’s match.

Arsenal are also sweating on an injury, with Bukayo Saka having pulled out of the Three Lions’ camp before a ball was even kicked.

Whether that was a ploy to be well rested for this match-up is yet to be seen but there’s no doubt that Arteta will have a huge gap to fill on his right flank should Saka be unavailable.

The 22-year-old has taken his game to the next level this term with 21 goals and assists in the top flight so far, but it’s Kai Havertz who has arguably impressed most in Arsenal’s tilt towards the title.

The Germany international has taken to his new, slightly deeper role, with aplomb but will be tested in extremis this weekend against the likes of, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva.

Havertz has a history of coming up trumps against City though, with the youngster scoring the only goal of the game in Chelsea’s Champions League final win in Porto back in 2021.

That day in Portugal it was N’Golo Kanté who ran the show from the centre of the park but this time around it will be the battle between Rodri and Declan Rice that could turn the tide of the fixture.

“You look at the best No6s in the world… Man City, Rodri [is] arguably the best,” Rice said on England duty this week.

“How he plays, how he’s always central, how he always connects between the backline and the forward players, how he’s always in the middle of the pitch, you’re always trying to learn and be that main player.”

High praise indeed from the former West Ham man, but the words of a player who knows Rodri’s importance to this City outfit.

Rodri’s unbeaten run of 62 games is the statistic that gets bandied about when showing how vital the Spain midfielder is to the champions.

But it’s the big six head-to-head stats that really intrigue us.

Arsenal are currently leading that particular mini table this term with three wins and three draws from six matches.

City meanwhile have endured some relative struggles, winning just two of their matches against the Barclays’ giants.

With the season on a knife-edge and one slip-up costly, this weekend in the Premier League is one you simply cannot miss.